May 11, 2008
Morning Worship
Text: Luke 1:46
Subject: Mother’s Day Sermon
Title: Holy Ghost Mama
Happy Mother’s Day! And Happy Pentecost! I wonder if there is any significance to the fact that Mother’s Day and Pentecost fall on the same day this year? You men may not know it but being a mom has never been easy. If you don’t think so just look back at your life and see all the things your mom had to put up with in you. What does it take to make a mom? You know you’re a mom when you’re up each night until 10 PM vacuuming, dusting, wiping, washing, drying, loading, unloading, shopping, cooking, driving, flushing, ironing, sweeping, picking up, changing sheets, changing diapers, bathing, helping with homework, paying bills, budgeting, clipping coupons, folding clothes, putting to bed, dragging out of bed, brushing, chasing, buckling, feeding (them, Not you), PLUS swinging, playing baseball, bike riding, pushing trucks, cuddling dolls, rollerblading, basketball, football, catch, bubbles, sprinklers, slides, nature walks, coloring, crafts, jumping rope, PLUS raking, trimming, planting, edging, mowing, gardening, painting, and walking the dog. You get up at 5:30 AM and you have no time to eat, sleep, drink or go to the bathroom, and yet ... you still managed to gain 10 pounds.
Now what about a Christian Mom. What is it that makes a great Christian Mom? I want to look at the scriptures with you today to see what it is that makes a Christian mom special.
Luke 1:39, At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”
46And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord (NKJV) My soul magnifies the Lord
Let’s look, Mom’s, and see if you can match up with the greatest example of motherhood who ever walked the face of the earth.
I. CHRISTIAN MOM’S ARE SENSITIVE TO THE WORD OF GOD. Luke 1:29, Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called£ the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God.” This next verse is what makes Mary really special.
38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. Even when it didn’t make sense God’s word was sufficient for her. Mom’s can you be sensitive to the Word of God like that. Can you say that His word is a lamp unto your feet and a light to your path? Are you teaching your children and grandchildren the foundations in the Word?
II. CHRISTIAN MOM’S MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD. Luke 2:19, after the shepherds came in from the fields after Jesus was born to see what the angels had told them, 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Now jump down to verse 25, Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.£ She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Jump down to verse 51, 51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. Mary didn’t take these things spoken to her lightly, but realized that they were from the Lord, so she pondered them in her heart. That means she meditated on them – she thought about them often. Mom’s, do you want to be the kind of woman that is after God’s own heart? Meditate on the Word of God. Read your scriptures. Think about them. Ask questions. God, what does that mean? What are you trying to say to me through this passage?
III. CHRISTIAN MOMS ACT UPON THE WORD OF GOD John 2:1, On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” After what she had been through in her life so far Mary had come to know God’s voice. And she knew that her Son was also the Son of God in fact was God. She watched Him grow up. She undoubtedly had heard about His baptism and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. She would have known about his time of fasting and temptation in the desert. I think that she stepped out in faith here, knowing that Jesus was the creator Himself and believed that He could do something. She didn’t know how or what, but she had faith to believe that He would respond. I love her words in verse 5. The best advice that could ever be given. Do whatever he tells you.” In John 14:1 Jesus said, Trust in God; trust also in me. Whatever you trust God for you can trust me for. Whatever you believe that God wills to do, the same applies to me. Mary knew her God and she knew her Son. What seemed impossible she knew Jesus could handle. Moms, where are you in trusting the Lord? Are you believing God for a miracle I your life? God is able. Let Mary be your example.
IV. CHRISTIAN MOMS DEPEND UPON THE WORD OF GOD Let’s fast-forward three and a half years. Jesus has been sentenced to death on a cross. Mary has years of trusting God behind her. Joseph has gone to his eternal reward. Jesus’ brothers and sisters are quite skeptical about His claims to be the Messiah. As a matter of fact none of them would believe until after the resurrection. Yet as she stood at the foot of the cross and watched the life drain out of her firstborn son, I can’t help but think that her thoughts were going back to what Simeon had said oh so many years ago. I’m sure that as she watched Jesus suffered she longed for her husband to put his arms around her and comfort her. But there’s no Joseph. Her other children aren’t their to comfort her. But as her mind races back in time did she remember the words of the angel? Luke 1:26, In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Perhaps she remembered her cousin’s greeting to her when she went to visit Elizabeth, 1:41, When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” Could it be that as she stood there before the Lord that Mary held on to those promises from so long ago? And because she was faithful to the word, Jesus took care of her every need. John 19:25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” 27and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. She would weep for her loss but she never had to worry about her future, because she depended on God.
V. CHRISTIAN MOMS LIVE ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD There is an indication that the only time Mary ever saw Jesus again was when He appeared to the five hundred that saw him according to 1 Corinthians 15:6. But she was sensitive to the word, she meditated on the word, she acted on the word, and she depended on the word. And God honored that life that she displayed. But now Mary must wait for what Jesus said was coming. John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. Did Mary live that? According to Acts chapter 1, 4And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
Then look what happened to Mary. 1When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all £with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Mary was baptized in the Holy Spirit in power. She had been one of the greatest examples of Christianity up to this point. Now she receives the power that will make her complete in her walk with God. Mom’s you need that in your lives.
You know, I’ve never been one to preach a sermon because it was a special holiday unless the Lord led me to do so. I struggle with exalting Mother’s day because for some motherhood is an accident. For some it’s a struggle. For some it isn’t biologically possible. And for some it has never been a bed of roses. But today was one of those days and my Mother’s Day sermon is really more of a Pentecost sermon. It was no coincidence that brought these two days together this year.
Moms, let today be the day that you hunger for things of the Spirit like never before. Let this week find you drawing closer to God than you have ever been. Let these upcoming days of revival make you and example to all who follow
Be a Holy Ghost Mama!
