Sunday Morning May 12, 2002 Bel Aire Baptist Church
Series: Mother’s Day 2002
THE LOVE OF A MOTHER
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Introduction:
1. Every mother here has been severely tested by or because of your children. Those children that make messes in your home. Those children that keep you up all night. Those children that don’t follow your rules. Those children that don’t seem to appreciate you. Yet, you love them with all of your being.
2. A mother’s love is unlike any other. A loving mother will do anything for her child. Notice I said a loving mother. Not all mothers care.
3. Mothers, although you feel sometimes that you can’t go on even one more day and that you must be the worst mother ever, you are not alone. I want to share with you this morning two biblical examples of mothers who loved their children so much that they would do anything.
Tested Love
Example #1
1. In Exodus 2 we find a Levite woman hiding her baby boy for three months.
2. She had to do this because the Pharaoh had ordered that all Hebrew boys that were born were to be thrown in the Nile River.
Exodus 2:1-8
3. This mother risked losing her baby in order to save his life. Although things looked hopeless, God worked it out!
Example #2
1 Kings 3:16-28
1. Here we find another woman that has to make a difficult decision.
2. Notice, this was not an “upstanding citizen”. She was a prostitute, and yet she had great love for her baby.
3. She loved that child so much that she would have rather given him away than to see him killed.
True Love
Definition
1. These two mothers were examples of true love. Although you don’t believe this, many of the women here today are also examples of true love.
2. In 1Corinthians 13:4-8 we learn what the components of true love are. God has this type of love for us and we should have this type of love for not just our children and family but for all people.
3. I am going to read our text from the Message translation of the Bible. Instead of just using a word, this translation defines the word.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (Message)
Description
1. These mothers did not give up. They cared more for their children than themselves and put up with many inconveniences in order to save the lives of their children.
2. God has done the same for His children. God is our greatest example of love.
3. God never quits and He gave up His only begotten Son for us. He did this because He loves us and wants us to be His children.
Conclusions:
1. I praise God for my mother and my wife, which is the mother of my three children. They are not perfect, but I can say that they are examples of the type of love that we have discussed. Many of us here today can say that about our mothers. I hope you tell them not just on this day, but as often as possible.
2. If there is someone here today that does not know Jesus as their Savior, I want to tell you that you are not in God’s family. I pray that today you would change that.
3. Christians, does this godly love flow through your life? I’m sure it is evident with those you are close to, but how about the rest of the world? If others see Jesus in you, they will also see His love in you. If the love of Jesus cannot be seen in you, I pray that you would change so that it will be seen.
4. Also parents, the Bible says that you are to raise your children in the ways of the Lord. That means not only should you be bringing them to be part of this church, but also more importantly you should be modeling the Christian life for them everyday. How are you doing?
