HONORING YOUR MOTHER
ROMANS 13:7 & 1TIM 5:18
I. BACKGROUND OF THESE SCRIPTURES
A. Rom 13:7 - taxes are to be paid, respect and honor are to be given to those over you according to their position
B. 1 Tim 5:18 - as the ox in the O.T. would turn the mill to grind wheat, barley or other grain it was to be allowed to eat because it was doing all the work. This was the reward to the ox for it’s hard work.
C. The apostle Paul used these verses to show that there should be love, honor and respect for spiritual leaders as well as faithfulness to civil authorities and that those who labor are worthy of their reward
D. Today we will use these verses to be reminded that mothers who love their children, who provide for them, who sacrifice for them, who labor for them, who instill within them values and morals that will enable them to live a good life, who pray for them and train them up in the ways of the Lord are worthy of honor, respect and love.
II. GIVING HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE
A. Honor - a valuing by which the price is fixed or what something is worth
-mothers are to be valued by children and husbands alike
-Prov 31:10-Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11-The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12-She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
B. Honor - honor which belongs or is shown to one. Used of the honor which one has by reason of rank and state of office which he holds
-Prov 31 28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. 30- Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised. 31-Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
C. Reward - dues paid for work, wages, hire
-what are the rewards or payments that a mom wants in exchange for all the caring, loving and hard work that is done for the family.
III. THOSE WHO FAIL TO HONOR
A. We live in a generation that is losing the meaning of love, respect and honor
-Prov 30:11-14 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
B. To follow the instruction of a godly mother is to help oneself
-Prov 1:8-9 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
-Prov 6:20-22 My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
-there may be times when you think mom is old fashioned, out of touch with reality, not with it
-there may be times when you think mom is being too hard and uncaring
-poem “MEAN MOMS”
MEAN MOMS
To all the Mean Moms of the world-and if you aren’t mean-it’s never too late to change. Was your Mom mean? I know mine was :-) We had the meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.
Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You’d think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them.
She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.
We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.
She always insisted on us telling the truth the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds. Then, life was really tough!
Mother wouldn’t let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16. Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced.
None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other’s property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. We never got drunk, took up smoking, stayed out all night, or a million other things other kids did. Now that we have left home, we are all God-fearing, educated, honest adults. we are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was. I think that is what’s wrong with the world today. It just doesn’t have enough mean moms anymore.
C. To follow the instruction of a godly mother will cause her heart to rejoice
-Prov 23:23,25 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding....Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
D. There are many mother’s who are walking around with heavy hearts simply because of the way their children are living
-Prov 10:1 A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
E. To dishonor and disrespect one’s mother is to dishonor and disrespect God
-Exod 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother:...
-Eph 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
-Matt 15:4-6 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
F. Honor your mother on Mother’s Day
