Galatians 6:9 Mother’s Day 2024 5/12/24
I want to wish all of you Mother’s and those who have Mothered someone else’s child, a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!
I know you moms TEACH your children SO MUCH but here’s a few things one mother learned from her children about CEILING FANS.
1. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42-pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a superman cape. But it is strong enough to spread paint on all four walls of a 20 by 20 foot room.
2. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on.
3. When using the ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit.
4. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
5. The glass in windows, even double panes, won't stop a baseball that has been hit by a ... ceiling fan.
Here’s a few more things you can learn from your children.
6. When you hear the toilet flush and the words "Uh-oh", it's already too late.
7. I thought this was interesting. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq foot house 4 inches deep.
8. The words Play Dough and Microwave should never be used in the same sentence.
9. Super glue is forever
10. Always look in the oven before you turn it on.
11. Plastic toys do not like ovens.
12. The fire department has about a 5-minute response time.
Those are funny stories. But in all seriousness, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are probably the most Biblical Based Holidays that we celebrate. Exodus 20:12. The 5th Commandment.
“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”
And so we HONOR you today.
I want to make three statements here that I truly believe. Are you all ready?
#1 You LADIES have MORE INFLUENCE, over MORE PEOPLE, than anyone else in the WORLD. I love the old Glen Campbell, Steve Warner song, “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle Rules the World”. I’m not a very good singer but I wanted to sing it on Mother’s Day for my mama but I never did. I wish I would have now. Here I am getting close to 60 and I still cry when I think about her. I sure miss her. But listen, that shows just how much INFLUENCE she had over me.
“There ought to be a hall of fame for mamas
Creation's most unique and precious pearl
And heaven help us always to remember
That the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”
I PRAY that you MAMA’S will realize how much INFLUENCE you have in your children’s lives.
#2 Your JOB of MOTHERING is the MOST IMPORTANT JOB in the WORLD and you CANNOT, LISTEN, please HEAR ME, you CANNOT be replaced by anyone. There is a PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, and EMOTIONAL BOND that God has CREATED between a MOTHER and HER CHILD that CANNOT be DUPLICATED.
ILLUS: In China they basically have Co-Parenting between the GOVERNMENT and the PEOPLE. A policy of ONE CHILD per couple began in 1980. The GOVERNMENT instituted FORCED ABORTION and FORCED STERILIZATION. Millions of BABIES were MURDERED. And now it’s come FULL CIRCLE. They are facing a crisis. The population is in a DOWNWARD SLIDE. The IDIOTS in CHARGE didn’t think about the fact that more GIRLS would be MURDERED than BOYS and so now there’s NOT ENOUGH GIRLS to go around. And so now they are STRONGLY encouraging the members of the military to LEAD the way on having more children.
Listen, there is NO ONE who can replace YOU as a MOTHER. God made you SPECIAL and He EQUIPPED you just for the JOB of being a MOTHER. It really is the MOST IMPORTANT JOB in the WHOLE WORLD.
#3 And this last statement is what I want to PREACH ON this morning. Your JOB as a MOTHER NEVER ENDS. This morning, I want to talk to you about the SEASONS of a Mother’s Life. But before we do let’s go to the Lord in Prayer.
Brother/Sister ____, would you lead us?
Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
In other words, LIFE GOES ON. Spring turns to Summer, Summer turns to Autumn, Autumn turns to Winter and then the whole cycle begins again. Winter turns to Spring. And throughout ALL of the different seasons of a persons life, time MARCHES ON. And listen, even if we wanted to, we cannot stop it. I’ve heard parents say and especially mama’s, “If I could just make time stand still I would.” But we can’t. SEASONS MUST COME and GO.
I. And I was thinking about the Spring time. That’s where we’re at today. The days are beautiful. The air is crisp and clean. Green grass everywhere. New life sprouting out of the ground. And there’s so much going on.
If you GARDEN, the ground has to be TILLED and the seeds have to be planted. The GRASS has to be cut ... WAY TOO OFTEN!!!
The kids are finishing up with SCHOOL. Graduation CEREMONIES and PARTIES. Spring is a WONDERFUL Time.
But you also have storms in the SPRING more often than any other time. We know that ALL TOO WELL don’t we. The storms Monday evening DEVASTATED our sister church in Barnsdall along with the entire town. It’s Heartbreaking.
And that got me to thinking about the SPRINGTIME of LIFE that MAMA’s go through. All of you mama’s are in this TIME RIGHT NOW or ... you’ve gone through this time.
The SPRINGTIME is when you’re just married. Everything is FRESH and NEW. A NEW LIFE together is just beginning. There’s SO MUCH to do.
There’s the HOUSE to get set up.
A new NORMAL has to be established.
Often times in the SPRING SEASON of a MAMA’S LIFE, a BABY is coming. And then you have the LITTLE RUG RATS to take care of. Diapers to change, boo boos to kiss, doctor visits, school, sports, and the list goes on.
SPRING SEASON is a very busy time and sometimes things may seem overwhelming. Sometimes you may get so TIRED. There is SO MUCH that needs to be done and there is just ONE of YOU when there needs to be about TEN of you.
And I have to mention this. It seems that there are a LOT OF STORMS in the SPRINGTIME of LIFE.
A. One of those storms is MONEY PROBLEMS.
ILLUS: Rachel and I had our share. We had been married about a month when I got LAID OFF from my job. And I have to tell you. Things got REALLY TIGHT. Jobs were hard to find. We struggled to make ends meet. This church right here had a Grocery Shower for us. That was a very humbling experience but that’s what I needed. TO BE HUMBLED. IT WORKED!!!
B. And another storm in the SPRINGTIME of LIFE is just learning to COPE with change. Things change fast in the SPRINGTIME. You may have to move to the other side of the country, away from family and everything you’ve known all of your life. There’s a lot of ADJUSTMENT that comes during the SPRINGTIME.
C. And then there are times of LOSS during this SEASON of your life. 10 to 20% of all pregnancies end in MISCARRIAGE. I know many of you all have EXPERIENCED this in your own lives.
This is a hard topic to talk about. Years ago, in the SPRINGTIME of our lives, Rachel and I lost three little ones. It was a hard time. But because of what Jeremiah told us in Jeremiah 1:5, I believe they are waiting for us in Heaven.
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
God KNOWS you and I, He KNOWS our children, and He has KNOWN US even before we were conceived. You see, each one of us is so much more than these BODIES. We are LIVING SOULS. And when those little bodies DIED, even in the WOMB, there SOULS continued to LIVE ON. Though the PAIN of LOSS is still there, this gives me PEACE. We will get to meet them someday.
So listen to me MAMAS. If you’re in the SPRINGTIME of your life, you may be TIRED, OVERWHELMED and at times BROKEN. But Galatians 6:9 tells us,
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
MAMAS DON’T QUIT because SUMMER is COMING. I know things are hard right now but a CHANGE is COMING. Don’t grow weary. All of the LONG NIGHTS setting up with the SICK BABY. All of the STRUGGLES to make ENDS MEET. All of the BUSYNESS and RUNNING here and there. All of the DISCIPLINE and TRAINING you have to DEAL OUT even when you don’t want to. Listen, all of these things will PAY OFF. You will REAP the BENEFITS in DUE SEASON. DON’T QUIT because SUMMER is COMING.
II. You know Summer time is when things slow down maybe just a little bit. NOT MUCH, but a little bit.
The KIDS are out of SCHOOL.
The RAIN slows down so you don’t have to mow as much.
The PLANTING is done in the GARDEN, so now you can WAIT for the HARVEST.
Usually folks take a VACATION and get away for a while in the SUMMER. No COOKING or CLEANING when you’re on VACATION RIGHT?
SUMMER SEASON is a GOOD TIME of LIFE. We’re getting ready to go into SUMMER.
But even in the SUMMER there’s some hard times. There are still storms that POP UP. And sometimes we have DROUGHTS in the SUMMER. NO RAIN for WEEKS on END. Here in Oklahoma we have EXTREME HEAT and HUMIDITY. Life can be hard in the SUMMER SEASON.
And MAMAS. Life is good when you get into the SUMMER SEASON of your life. Life might slow down a little bit. There’s not quite as much DEMAND on your life. The kids can kind of take care of themselves. Put on their own clothes. Feed themselves. No more DIAPERS to CHANGE!!! WOO HOO LIFE IS GOOD!!! Right? And most of us are still pretty healthy in the SUMMER of LIFE. I think this is the SEASON that a lot of MAMAS would like to press the PAUSE BUTTON.
ILLUS: One of the most Godly women I ever knew was Sister Bonnie Fergusson. Sister Bonnie had 13 children. And this is what she told Rachel one time. She said, “My favorite time of life was when I had all of my children at home with me.”
That tells me what a MAMA’S HEART she had. All of her children with her in the home. That was SUMMER SEASON for Sister Bonnie.
But even in the SUMMER SEASON of life, there are still some STORMS. You know, they say in Oklahoma that we can have SEVERE STORMS in any SEASON. And we know that to be true don’t we?
Well that same thing is true in the different SEASONS of our lives. Problems can arise in any season.
Sometimes we still struggle FINANCIALLY.
Sometimes things get really DRY. We have times of DROUGHT. I’ve known couples that have been married for years and it seems like they grow apart. They can’t get along.
And we celebrate because we don’t have to change diapers anymore but raising kids can get harder in the Summer Season of Life.
ILLUS: I remember when I was a TEENAGER and my MOM and DAD were in the SUMMER SEASON of their life. I was like 15 or 16 and SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY I got to be SO MUCH SMARTER than they were. OH BOY, I CRINGE!!!
Listen MAMAS ... and DADDY’S TOO. If you’re in the Summer Season enjoy the LIFE that God has given you. And when things get tough, don’t quit.
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Keep doing the Lord’s work. Keep working through the DRY SPELL. Keep raising those KIDS for the Lord. Don’t give in to their MOANING and CRYING. Do the RIGHT THING even when it gets hard.
Proverbs 19:18, “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”
Too many times it seems like people DRIFT AWAY from God during the SUMMER SEASON of their lives.
I think about Solomon. A man who served God when he was young. But he was a man who left God behind. He died around the age of 55. And this is what 1 Kings 11:1-3 tells us,
“But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:
2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.”
Can I say this? Mamas, if you’re in the SUMMER SEASON of your life, don’t become complacent. Don’t let things in life distract you. Keep your eyes focused on the GOAL. To make Heaven your home and take all of your kids with you.
ILLUS: I read about Solomon. Look at Rehoboam.
III. And then the Autumn Season comes. It’s a time of HARVEST. And I think of HARVEST as a REWARD for your labor. Early Autumn the garden is still producing. Nice RIPE tomatoes are on the vines. MMM MMM. You take a slice of tomato, a little salt and pepper, along with a slice of sweet onion and you’ve got a MEAL. Of course, a little BACON makes it even better. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Fresh cucumbers. Fried Okra. Corn on the cob.
Man I’m looking forward to Autumn. The HOT SUMMER is past and the days are cooler.
You know what I think? I think Autumn in Oklahoma is the best time of year. Rachel and I usually take a Vacation in Autumn.
And I think the Autumn Season is some of the best times of a MAMA’S life that there is. She gets to ENJOY the FRUIT of her LABOR. Rachel and I are KIND of there and KIND of NOT.
ILLUS: I remember well how much my own mama enjoyed the KIDS and GRANDKIDS coming over to the house. The grandkids playing outside. All of the adult kids talking and laughing. Thanksgiving is in the Autumn and it was my mom’s favorite holiday. She’d say, “You know, you all can go to the other side of your families for Christmas but I’d like for you to be here for Thanksgiving.” And we usually tried to do that.
In the Autumn Season of Life the KIDS are gone so there’s less FOOD to COOK, less DISHES to DO, less MESS to CLEAN and less LAUNDRY to WASH. In the AUTUMN SEASON, LIFE really slows down.
And another thing, a CHANGE takes place. I’ve heard folks say that Grandkids are your REWARD for not killing the KIDS. But there’s something else that takes place in the AUTUMN of our lives. Children become less like KIDS and more like CLOSE FRIENDS. That right there is a REWARD for your LABOR and for NOT KILLING THEM when they were young.
And I think of AUTUMN as a time to LOOK BACK and REFLECT on LIFE. The UPS and the DOWNS. The TRIUMPHS and the TRAGEDIES. The WINS and the LOSSES. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
It’s good to look at our lives and see God’s Blessings.
It’s good to look and see the THINGS that He has brought us THROUGH and the things He has brought us TO.
And no matter what SEASON we may be in, it’s good to LOOK at ourselves and compare ourselves to the Word of God, NO MATTER what SEASON we may be in. The Word of God will CHANGE US, MOLD US, and MAKE US into what He wants us to be.
2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
That Verse is for ME and that Verse is for YOU, NO MATTER what SEASON of LIFE we’re in.
Listen ladies, in the AUTUMN SEASON of your life you have the OPPORTUNITY to be a BLESSING to so many people. You can LEAD by being an example. You can help by TEACHING those in other SEASONS of their lives. Be there to LISTEN and OFFER GUIDANCE. Be there to BABY SIT!!!
Titus 2:1-5
“But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
But time marches on. And as it does ... Galatians 6:9
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
As AUTUMN FADES AWAY, the DAYS get shorter and the nights get longer. We can’t QUIT.
IV. And then WINTER SEASON arrives.
I don’t like Winter. I don’t like the COLD. You know what, WINTER SEASON is just HARD.
ILLUS: I don’t know how people live in Northern Alaska and places like that. It stays dark for weeks on end. The temperature never gets above zero for months. Cars won’t start. The water freezes up. Just thinking about WINTER SEASON makes my BONES ACHE. You know, we burn wood to stay warm and that means I have to go out and find dead trees and cut them up. Then the wood has to be SPLIT to small enough logs so that they will fit into the stove. It’s a lot of work.
But listen, there’s no way to stop it. WINTER is coming. And so here’s the key to survive. BE PREPARED.
Have a pile of wood already cut up and split.
Make sure your WATER PIPES are insulated and the STOVE PIPE is not clogged up with Creosote.
And make sure there’s plenty of anti-freeze in the car and you have good tires.
Winter time for MAMAS and DADDYS are hard. Many times there are HEALTH PROBLEMS, MEMORY PROBLEMS, it’s hard to get around. And it’s the FINAL SEASON of our lives here on Earth. The Grandkids and Great Grandkids are coming on strong. Things slow down but it seems like LIFE FLIES BY faster than ever.
How do I know that? Well, as pastor here I’ve known a lot of folks in their WINTER SEASON of LIFE. And it has been the GREATEST BLESSING and the GREATEST HONOR of my life to walk with them through this SEASON.
Some of you all are there now. And you know what I’ve learned from you all and the others? LIFE IS GOOD. LIFE IS PRECIOUS. And God will ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU.
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
There is SO MUCH to LEARN from you all that are here today LIVING in the WINTER SEASON of your life. So much WISDOM from your years of experience. The things that you can teach are INVALUABLE.
It makes me think of the Proverbs 31 woman. Verse 10,
“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”
MAMAS and GRANDMA’S, your PRICE, your VALUE is beyond measure.
Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
In closing, the WINTER SEASON ENDS and SPRING ARRIVES. LIFE BEGINS ANEW. I can’t help but think of all of those who’s WINTER SEASON PASSED AWAY and they AWOKE in HEAVEN where there will be NO MORE DEATH. They didn’t grow WEARY. They didn’t FAINT. And they are now REAPING their REWARD.
My own MAMA, who was in SO MUCH PAIN, left this world of SORROW and awoke in a BRAND NEW PLACE where there is NO PAIN.
Sister Bonnie Ginn whose mind was so CLOUDED, AWOKE in HEAVEN with a CRYSTAL CLEAR MIND.
I could go on down the list of WONDERFUL MOTHERS and FATHERS who lived through the SEASONS of LIFE and are NOW LIVING in ETERNAL SPRING. In the Song of Solomon, most scholars believe that “MY BELOVED” is symbolic of the church and Jesus is the One speaking.
The Song of Solomon Chapter 2, Verses 10-13 is a beautiful passage and I want to close by reading it.
“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
It’s Springtime in Heaven. That’s so exciting to think about. A New Life where we will never grow old. And all of this was made possible by Jesus and what He did on the Cross of Calvary. I don’t know what Season of Life you’re in this morning. But no matter, YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED.
Maybe you’re in the Spring. Still young. You have so much life ahead of you.
Maybe it’s Summer or Autumn.
Maybe it’s Winter and most of this LIFE is behind you.
But listen, none of that matters as much as where you stand with God this morning. YOU MUST BE PREPARED. Do you know OF HIM or do you REALLY KNOW HIM? Listen, no matter who you are or where you are in LIFE, Jesus stands waiting for you with OPEN ARMS. Please Come.
Let’s Pray
