Scripture: 2nd Timothy 1: 5-7; 3: 14-15
1: 5-7 - 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
3: 14-15 - 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Good morning.
If I haven’t said it already, ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ to all the mothers that we have here today. I sincerely hope you have a wonderful day, today.
Pause…
“There was a drill sergeant who was frustrated in his efforts to make a soldier out of a certain recruit. This trainee lagged behind on marches, used any excuse to go on sick call, grumbled constantly about the food, and never made his cot up properly.
But one day, one day, a noticeable change took place in this young man's attitude. When someone asked what happened that so changed the soldier's attitude, the drill sergeant explained, "You know, threats and punishment didn't work with him, so I had to resort to the ultimate weapon: I called his mother!"
I’m convinced and truly believe that mother’s have an amazing amount of influence!
I’ve told you before about my mother…and that one simple act of her of kneeling at an altar in front of me some 50 years ago…and how it has affected my life.
That simple spiritual act of kneeling before the Lord in prayer, forced me at that young age, to think about God…it forced me to question…it forced me to make decisions about faith and love and obedience and service.
One simple act of a mother did all of that to a small boy of 14, who now stands in front of you at 64…having answered most of those questions for myself. I have now made those decisions about my faith, about love, about obedience and about service…but it took years of spiritual meditation and reflection to come to where I am today.
Of course, it wasn’t only that one act of my Mother’s…it was her life…the example that she continued to reveal during her lifetime. It was one of a Godly mother…one who had a proper respect for the Lord
And this morning, Mother’s Day, 2012, our scripture declares this same revelation…the influence of Mothers. It reveals the huge influence that Timothy had felt from his mother and grandmother. It was an influence so strong that it shaped his life and living, what he came to believe and ultimately his overall faith.
A Living Faith…
But before anyone can really speak about Timothy and his great influence, they must first look at the faith…the living faith found in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice.
A ‘Living Faith’…what is it? What makes a faith come alive? What makes faith in a person so tangible?
I believe that a living faith becomes evident and tangible to others in the things we do and the way we live our lives.
I shared a time with some of you during our Alpha course regarding my mother-in-law, Betty. She is a very Christian woman…in fact, her charity and giving to the church has been questioned several times by the IRS when she files her income tax.
During my time working in Wichita, I would visit her and Kenny, her husband, each day after work before heading back to Winfield. She would always have things for me to eat. While I would eat, she and Kenny would sit with me either visiting or reading the paper.
During one visit, I noticed that Betty had the paper open to where the horoscopes were listed. At that time of my life, I would always be curious as to what the horoscopes said, and so, I asked Betty to read my horoscope to me.
I guess I shouldn’t have done that, because Betty immediately put down the paper and said, ‘If you want to know what the future holds, you should talk with God.’ She then stood up and walked over to where Kenny was at and said, ‘I believe it’s time for you to go.’ You know, I haven’t read much of the horoscopes since that time.
It was a little shocking at the time, and she has forgiven me since then, but as I was thinking about it, it revealed to me her very strong Christian belief and faith in God. It was definitely a very real and living faith…and believe me when I say…at that moment, it was very tangible.
It’s like when you were growing up and you said that first dirty word you learned at school in front of your mother…it’s kind of like the whole world stops for just a moment. You feel an immense power of retribution coming your way.
But when you have a solid ‘living faith’, that power to influence is one of the gifts that God gives you.
The Gifts of God
Our scripture this morning speaks of these gifts of God. And the Apostle Paul tells Timothy of just three of these gifts. Paul states that God gives a Spirit of Power…God gives us a Spirit of Love…and God gives us a Spirit of Self-discipline.
…A Spirit of Power
God has given us a spirit of power…the power to influence. It is amazing gift. It is up to us to decide how we’re going to use this gift. How will we use it…influencing toward good or influencing toward evil?
The word influencing is defined in the dictionary as, ‘the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions of others.
You know, over the years, in my many and varied jobs, I have seen how what people do and say tend to influence us one way or another. And I believe that those that deal with children and young people have a great influence…but none more than mothers.
Illustration: For example…
There was a mother took her young son shopping. After a day in the stores, a clerk handed the little boy a lollipop. "What do you say?" the mother said to the boy, to which he replied, "Charge it!"
Pause…
It’s amazing how our simplest acts can influence and so that’s why it’s so important that we remember what the Bible teaches us…’whatsoever we do, we do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Corinthians 10: 31b KJV)
If we are ever conscience of what a Christian life requires, we know how much of what we say and do can be a factor in influencing others. And there are times when what we say or do affects others so much, that it will stick with them for a life-time.
…A Spirit of Love
But God has also given us a spirit of love. And our God has gone to the extreme in giving us His clarifying example of love in the embodiment of His Son, Jesus Christ…so that we can know what true sacrificial love looks like.
You would think that most parents would gladly sacrifice for their children. And you would think that a Bible-believing church would sacrifice for a valid need in the community, through giving, or comforting in any way that they could.
Agape love, as described in our scripture today is that true Christ-like love. Yes, Christ had compassion for the weak and innocent, he loved those who trusted and believed in him. He even loved those who seemed to reject him and he would pray for them.
But Jesus wasn’t stupid. He also expressed righteous anger toward those who would take advantage, or those who would act toward others with self-righteous motives. And yet, he would even pray for those people, too. He prayed for them as he hung on the cross…’Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
God has given us this same ability to ‘Love’. Within us, we can draw up that same Christ-like love…a love that continually loves and eventually influences toward the good.
There’s a little poem I found that expresses what I mean...it goes like this…
My life shall touch a dozen lives before this day is done;
Leave countless marks for good or ill, ere sets the evening sun.
This is the wish I always wish, the prayer I always pray:
Lord, may my life help other lives it touches by the way.
God gives us the gift of Love to be used toward influencing good.
…A Spirit of Self-Discipline
Continue…
If you have been lucky enough to have been influenced by loved ones who walk in the light of the Lord…persons who have been powerful, loving and self-disciplined examples of God’s ways…then once you come unto yourself in your maturity, Paul tells you that you need to continue in…
…What you have learned
…knowing from whom you have learned it
If you know of that living faith that was so deeply embedded in the lives of your parents and grandparents…then continue in that way.
…Then there are Scriptures remembered from childhood…scriptures that may still be in your mind and in your heart. These scriptures can speak to you throughout your life…they can help give you a living faith, too.
…Instructing you…to Salvation
These scripture can instruct you toward understanding God’s ways for your life, sanctifying you toward your own Salvation and Glorification.
…Through faith…in Jesus Christ
And through this understanding, then knowing that Jesus Christ is the way you should go…that he is the one who has told the truth and he is the one who has promised Life Eternal for those who believe in him.
Conclusion…
In conclusion this morning, I want to impress upon each of you how important it is to…first stir up in yourselves those Gifts of God and then to use them toward good. But also, I want to ask you to stir up those same gifts in your children your grandchildren… and also, to stir up these gifts in all you meet. We all need the influence of the Good News that Christ has brought to mankind.
Pause…
There’s one more poem I would like to read, and you may have heard it before, but it speaks to the influence we all have…just like the influence that Paul recognized in Timothy’s life…the influence of Lois and Eunice.
This poem is called, ‘Little Eyes Upon You ‘. It is written about a little girl, but could just as easily have been written about a little boy.
There are little eyes upon you
and they're watching night and day.
There are little ears that quickly
take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager
to do anything you do;
And a little girl who's dreaming
of the day she'll be like you.
You're the little angel's idol,
you're the wisest of the wise.
In her little mind about you
no suspicions ever rise.
She believes in you devoutly,
holds all you say and do;
She will say and do, in your way
when she's grown up just like you.
There's a wide-eyed little girl
who believes you're always right;
and her eyes are always opened,
and she watches day and night.
You are setting an example
every day in all you do;
For the little girl who's waiting
to grow up to be just like you.
The power to touch Eternity.
This is what I mean when I say that we possess the power to touch eternity. This responsibility falls not only on Mothers today, but also Fathers and Grandparents, too. Leading, guiding and pointing the way with our ‘Living Faith’. Stirring up the Gifts of God in our children and grandchildren and others …that’s what we’ve been called to do, by Jesus himself.
We have the awesome responsibility to Pass It On…pass on our faith in Jesus Christ, the good shepherd…pass on our belief that we have a friend in Jesus, who continues to show us the way, who continues to tell us the truth and who continues to lead us to a life that is abundant, assured and secure…and that he…and he alone…can help us too, to then…‘touch eternity’.
Let us pray…
Dear Father, God,
We pray that you will this day, again stir us, stir the embers in our spiritual lives. Bring us back to a flaming eagerness to do what you have asked us to do. Help us use the gifts you have given us in order to influence others, whether it be our own children or grandchildren, or those we meet every day. Help us use Your gifts in a Christ-like way…influencing for good. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
