Living Life for the Lord – A Mother’s Story
Mother’s day video – “I’m a Mom” from Centerline New Media
Slide after video
I love that video.
Because I think that being a mom is one of the most important jobs there are in the world along with being a dad.
I believe that God has made this one of our greatest responsibilities.
But boy is it hard sometimes, isn’t it?
Wouldn’t you think that if we are doing what God wants us to do and we are doing it well, it should be easy, shouldn’t it?
Today we are going to learn that that is not always the case, that in fact, it is sometimes very difficult, but even in those difficulties, God provides for us and gives us strength and support to persevere and experience his glory and goodness.
I want to wish all of our mothers a Happy Mothers’ Day today. We are going to be looking at the life of a mother who experienced some deep hardships, but by persevering through it, she experienced God’s goodness and pleasure.
Honor moms
But before we begin, I just want to say that I am honored this morning to be in the presence of so many ladies who have glorified the Lord by heeding the call to motherhood and have helped or are helping to raise this and future generations.
In the 10 commandments, the fifth commandment tells us to “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12).
This morning, I would like to ask all of those who are moms to stand so that we might honor the Lord by honoring you.
Applause!
Thank you mothers. Now if you would turn with me to
Luke 1:26-38
Slide
We are going to look at the story of Mary, Jesus’ mother.
Now this is not a story that applies solely to moms, but to everyone of us who seeks to live a life for the Lord, but wonder why it is so hard sometimes and question if God is really watching over us.
Let’s begin to look at the circumstances that Mary faced as the mother of Jesus and we also look at the resources God provided Mary and to each one of us as we face the circumstances of life.
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He 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, 33 and 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?"
35 The 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. 36 Even 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. 37 For nothing is impossible with God."
38 "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Pray
Wow, what an unbelievable honor for Mary. God’s favor rested upon her and she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, Son of the Most High. How awesome is that! Wow. But, while this is an unbelievable honor, this honor also brought with it some circumstances that aren’t so awesome.
If we stop and think about it, one of the circumstances Mary would have faced as a result of this honor is
The Disapproval of Society
Slide
Mary was a virgin and yet she was going to have a baby.
Now the Scripture doesn’t tell us that society disapproved of Mary specifically, but we know from history that out of wedlock births were not looked on to well, and the law was still such that a person could still be stoned for sexual relations outside of marriage.
But we do know that gossip concerning who Jesus’ father really was, was still circulating when Jesus began his ministry.
When Jesus was talking about doing the things he had seen in His Father’s presence the Pharisees made the remark to Jesus in John 8:41 that "We are not illegitimate children…The only Father we have is God himself." And then they say, "Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?" (John 8:48)
They were making veiled references to the rumors that nobody knew who is father was because they knew it wasn’t Joseph.
If these rumors and this gossip was still around 30 years after his birth, I can only imagine what it was like for Mary during her pregnancy.
Can you imagine being in a very small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and then trying to explain the reason you are pregnant is that the Holy Spirit came upon you and your were pregnant with the Son of God, the Savior of the world.
Something tells me that that story was not going to get people to think differently about her.
“Oh, is that what happened…that explains it. Yes, we believe that you are still a virgin and that is God’s Son you are carrying…NOT”
Now when we read about Mary and Joseph and Jesus’ birth, it basically takes 1 chapter in the Bible and the next thing you know Jesus is 30 and beginning His ministry.
We don’t get to see all that Mary went through in terms
of the disapproval of society,
of being somewhat of an outcast in her village,
but given the fact that there were still stories known about Jesus 30 years later, we can only imagine how difficult it was.
Like an outcast in High School
I imagine that experiencing the disapproval of her small town at her age was like being an outcast in high school.
Walking down the street would be like walking down the hall where you hear the snickering and see the pointing.
Going to get water at the well might be like going to the lunch room and everyone leaving the table when you sit down.
She might have felt a little like the woman at the well that Jesus encountered in John 4.
She went there in the heat of the day probably to avoid the stares and the snickering, and the gossip.
Imagine having to face that every day.
Even though you knew what God had called you to do, the society around her did not know or understand at that time.
Application
Maybe there are some of you out here today who have faced disapproval of some sorts.
Disapproval from parents over who you married
Disapproval from people over how you parent.
Disapproval from other over how you live.
Maybe you feel like an outcast in school because you are trying to live for the Lord.
You aren’t partying or not engaging in sexual activity and some of those in your school are trying to make you feel like an outcast.
Sometimes you wonder why it is so hard when you are trying to follow the Lord.
How do you overcome that?
We will talk about that in a minute, but as we look at Mary, we see that this was not the only circumstance that she had to deal with in striving to live for the Lord.
She also faced
The Pressures of Poverty
Slide
Imagine not facing the disapproval of those around you, but you were poor as well.
How do we know they were poor?
When they took Jesus to the temple we see in Luke 2:22-24 that when they took Jesus to consecrate him to the Lord, they came with a sacrifice of "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." (Luke 2:24).
We see in Leviticus that what was regulated was a lamb and a dove or pigeon, except if you were too poor to afford a lamb. Then you could bring “two doves or two young pigeons” (Leviticus 12:8)
So, Mary not only had to deal with the disapproval of society, but with the pressures of poverty as well.
Application
I know for a lot people, finances are a struggle right now, with the economy and job market that way it is.
Maybe it is causing you to question where God is in your life as you seek to live for him.
Why aren’t you getting a job? Why am I struggling to pay my bills?
Lord, I am striving to live for you. Why isn’t it easier?
Mary was striving to live for the Lord and faced some of the same experiences.
Mary also faced another difficult circumstance, that being
The pain of her Son’s suffering
Slide
Any parent who has kids who are at least in their teens, knows the pain it is to see your child suffer.
We feel their pain when they skin their knee.
We feel their pain when they aren’t liked by everyone.
We feel their pain when they don’t do as well as the other kids at baseball or dance.
The pain becomes worse when we see our kids suffering the effects of bullying,
Or maybe they suffer through severe or chronic medical or even emotional ailments.
Mary understood this kind of pain.
She saw her son pursued to be killed right from the beginning.
In Matthew 2:13, we find an angel of the Lord telling Joseph to "Get up (and) take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
Imagine the pain of knowing that those with the power and the authority and the ability to do so are searching and want to kill your child.
Imagine seeing your child crucified after being brutally flogged to where the skin was falling off his back.
Imagine the hours of watching him die on the cross wanting to be with him, but not wanting to experience the pain of being there.
Mary experienced this kind of pain because she chose to live for the Lord and be obedient to His call on her life.
Transition
Maybe you are sitting here and thinking, I don’t want to go through that.
I really don’t want to follow the Lord if that is what we have to look forward to.
Or
Maybe you are following the Lord and experiencing pain and pressures and disapproval and wondering
“Lord, Why don’t you hear my pleas!” or you cry out and are asking,
“Lord, why are things so hard, when I am trying to follow You!”
Maybe you are wondering if the Lord is even there or wondering if it is worth it to follow the Lord if this is what you can expect.
I think if Mary were here today, she would tell you that it was worth it and tell you that the Lord provided resources for her to get through those difficult circumstances.
What are those resources that God provided to Mary and that He makes available to us to get through the difficult times, especially for the moms in this room?
Well, first we see that
God gave Mary
The Blessing of Knowledge
Slide
In Luke 1:34-37, we see an angel come and tell Mary about who the child she would be carrying was going to be.
This was vital that Mary had this knowledge to be able to take joy in the difficult circumstances that were going to come upon her.
This helped her keep her focus on the eternal rather than the temporal.
Knowing God and his will for us will help us to get through hard circumstances as we follow him
Romans 8:18 - I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
She knew she was being obedient to what God wanted and she knew the circumstances she was experiencing were a result of being obedient to what God wanted and that she would one day be able to hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
It was the blessing of the knowledge that she was being obedient to God and doing what He wanted that gave her great peace and joy through these circumstances.
Right after she found out what God was going to do and how He was going to use her, Mary said in
Luke 1:46-49
"My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-
holy is his name.
Mary could rejoice because she knew what God had told her and that she was being obedient to what God wanted for her.
Moms, and everyone of us here today, if we are going to be able to persevere and experience joy in the midst of the trials we face, we have got to be walking in God’s will, and that means we must know Him and His will.
2 Peter 1:2-3
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
He has given us everything we need to experience life as we grow in our knowledge of Him and His will.
It is through His word that we learn about Him and about His will for us. As we read and study, we grow in our knowledge and our trust in Him and are able to live joyfully in the midst of hardships.
Apply
Are you taking advantage of the blessing of knowledge that God has provided?
Are you reading and studying His word?
We will never be able to walk in God’s will and know His peace and joy without knowing what His will is and what His promises are.
Receive the blessing of knowledge by reading the Bible or getting together with someone else to study His word together.
Transition
God not only provided Mary, and us, with the blessing of knowledge, but He also made available to Mary
The Support of her Husband
Slide
Whether you are a mom or a Dad, God’s will is for our spouse to be a support to us and He uses that as a blessing in our lives.
For Mary, we see in Matthew that Joseph was a righteous man even before He and Mary got married. When he found out she was pregnant, it says that he “did not want to expose her to public disgrace, (so) he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)
But when the angel confirmed the story Mary told him, it says he “took Mary home as his wife.” (Matthew 1:24)
Having the support of Joseph in the early years at least, was something that helped enable Mary to persevere through the difficult times she faced.
Now I am sure we have moms out here in all kinds of different circumstances regarding their marriages. I want to try and address a few different circumstances where you may find yourself this morning.
Supportive Husband
Moms who have supportive husbands, and husbands who have supportive wives, praise the Lord for the blessing that you have. It is easier to be a good mom when you have a supportive husband and father there to help in this endeavor that was designed to be a 2 parent role.
No Husband, yet
For those who are not yet moms, or who don’t have a husband, I want you to understand that Mary just didn’t get lucky in Joseph being a righteous man.
Mary and Joseph lived at a time when marriages were often arranged by families. Now this is not the way things are done today in our society, and we think that it is something that is so archaic, but it did have some pluses.
The family was concerned with the long term well being of their son or daughter. They wanted someone for their daughter who was a man of integrity and righteous who would be there to support their daughter through thick and thin.
Many ladies today are making decisions of marriage based solely on their emotional feelings, not what may be best for their long term.
That is not always the best decision.
If you are not yet married, this is why it is important to not only look at a person’s physical appearance or how you feel when you are around them, but at their integrity and the things that are important to them in life and what motivates them in marriage.
For those young girls out there who are Christians, this is why it is important that you marry a man who is also a Christian. You want someone in your life that is motivated to be supportive not by your outward beauty which is fleeting, but by the Spirit of God who strengthens us to be faithful and strong and supportive regardless of our feelings.
Much of the problem of bad marriages is the result of relying on bad criteria in making decisions on who to marry.
Unsupportive Husband
Now for those out here today who are in a marriage and are raising kids with a husband who is unsupportive, I know you are in a difficult circumstance, but not one so difficult that God can’t work in it and provide joy to you through it.
I want to give you a couple of things that will help make it better for you.
First,
Do not think that because your spouse is unsupportive, your life can only be bad.
God is able to bring joy into your life, despite the supportiveness or unsupportiveness of the spouse you have.
Focus on being the spouse God wants you to be.
1 Peter 3:1-2
3:1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
Now some of you may be saying, that is impossible, you don’t know my husband.
I don’t know your husband, but I know God. And the closer you draw to God, the closer He draws to you and strengthens you so that you can do all things through him who strengthens you.
And regardless of how your husband responds, God will be glorified and you will experience peace and joy in Him, despite your husband.
God also provided a resource for Mary beyond the knowledge he gave her and the support of her husband. God also provided Mary with
The Encouragement of a Friend
Slide
When Mary got the news from the angel, she heard the news about Elizabeth and rushed to see her and Elizabeth encouraged her with the truth of God.
Luke 1:42-45 - "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
I think it is important for everyone to have a same sex friend in your life who can encourage you with the truth of God.
Especially for those moms who don’t have a supportive husband, having a friend to encourage you to stay focused on the Lord and His truth is vital.
Maybe you are thinking that God hasn’t provided that friend for you.
To have a good friend you must be a good friend.
Maybe to find that friend that God is providing, you need to be that friend to someone first.
Conclusion
All of these resources God provided to Mary and He provides to moms today and to each one who will receive them.
Maybe you are a mom here today and have been discouraged by the hardships you are facing.
If these hardships are a result of following the Lord, be encouraged and stay focused on Him and seize the resources He provides us to stay strong and experience His joy. Be in His word, rejoice in a supportive husband, or find a friend by being a friend.
If they are a result of not following the Lord, then my suggestion would be to turn to Him, turn away from the sin that is bringing these hardships and enter into relationship with Jesus Christ who can help you live life for Him and experience life abundantly.
But none of these are going to help us without first entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ and receiving His Holy Spirit in our lives.
It is that vital relationship that makes all these others blessings and resources to us.
For the moms here today, and for everyone who wants to live life for the Lord and experience the fullness of life that comes with that, you need a relationship with Jesus Christ.
If you have never entered into that relationship with Christ you can do that by recognizing your sin and repenting and recognizing and believing in who Jesus is, God in the flesh, and what He did, died for your sins and rose from the dead.
The Bible tells us when we believe that and then confess that with our mouths, we have salvation and can sue the resources that God provides to persevere through difficult circumstances and live for Him in Joy and fullness.
If you would like to know more about Jesus, we will have people at the front after our service to talk with you or pray for any need you may have after we sing.
The outlined used here is partly based on a “Motherhood Today” by Melvin Newland.
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/motherhood-today-melvin-newland-sermon-on-mothers-day-33928.asp
