Three Ways To Treat Your Mom
1 Timothy 5:1-2 May 11, 2003
Chester’s FBC, Chester, IL Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
1 Here are some examples of some mothers and what they could have SAID:
(PUT UP PICTURE’S OF MONA, HUMPTY, COLUMBUS, MICHELANGELO/CHAPEL CEILING, NAPOLEON, WHALE FOR JONAH)
MONA LISA’S MOTHER: "After all that money your father and I spent on braces, Mona, that’s the biggest smile you can give us?"
HUMPTY DUMPTY’S MOTHER: "Humpty, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times not to sit on that wall. But would you listen to me? Noooo!"
COLUMBUS’ MOTHER: "I don’t care what you’ve discovered, Christopher. You still could have written!"
MICHELANGELO’S MOTHER: "Mike, can’t you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"
NAPOLEON’S MOTHER: "All right, Napoleon. If you aren’t hiding your report card inside your jacket, then take your hand out of there and prove it!"
JONAH’S MOTHER: "That’s a nice story, but now tell me where you’ve really been for the last three days."
2 Mother’s are special folks, and today, is your day. Three Ways To Treat Your Mom.
A 1TI 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, [2] older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
a Paul instructed Timothy to reverently honor the women in his life. (ETS)
b Mothers, both biological and spiritual, are to be shown love. (ESS)
B I hope you’ll show your love to a special woman before this day is over. (Obj.)
a How should you treat your mother?
b Let’s look at three ways we can show love to a special mom today.
I The first way we can show love to a special mom today is...SHOW HER HONOR.
A In the 10 Commandments, the first commandment that isn’t centrally God focused is "HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER..."
(No other gods, no idols, don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, & honor the Sabbath......HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER...DON’T LIE, STEAL, MURDER, ADULTERY, COVET)
a This same commanded is quoted verbatim in the New Testament book of Eph. 6:2 "Honor Your Father & Mother..." (HONOR)
*It’s the same word Peter used when he instructed husbands to in treating their wives. (I Peter 3:7 The Christian Standard Trans.) "Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as co-heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered." (HONOR)
b Paul uses the same word in I Timothy 5:17 "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." (HONOR)
*HONOR in the Greek is translated as tee-may or TIME.
B How do you show someone you honor them? Spend TIME with/on them.
(This mothers, biological & spiritual, have poured themselves into us.)
*Changed our diapers, washed thousands of bottles & loads of cloths, taught as about a God who sent His Son to die for us. A half dozen trips to the E.R., a million trips to the ballfield, parades, scouts and dance lessons. They spent time with us!
a The temptation in young and middle adulthood is to get busy in life and we take our parents for granted.
*Scripture instructs to give our mothers HONOR/TIME.
b I’m suggesting you move back home. (Eph. 5:31 actually tells us to leave home.)
*I’m suggesting you call home, visit home, email, check on their needs. There are lots of gifts you can give this mother day’s, the greatest gift however is your time.
C Mother Teresa said, "There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more who are dying for a little love."
a Some of those are mothers.
b Spend money, resources on mom, but don’t forget to give her your time.
T.S.: Showing mom honor is a way to show your love, but it’s not the only way.
II The second way we can show love to a special mom today is...HELP HER OUT.
A On the lighter side, did you hear about the three sons who left home, went out on their own and prospered? Getting back together, they discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother.
a The first said, "I built a big house for our mother." The second said, "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver." The third smiled and said,"I’ve got you both beat. You remember how mom enjoyed reading the Bible? And you know she can’t see very well. I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach him. He’s one of a kind. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse, and parrot recites it."
b Soon thereafter, mom sent out her letters of thanks: "Milton", she wrote, "The house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house." "Gerald", she wrote to another, "I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home, so I rarely use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!" "Dearest Donald", she wrote to her third son, "You have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious!"
B 1 Timothy 5 gives guidelines for taking care of the physical needs of widows in the church.
a (I’m not going to dissect these for you. Thought is the church has some responsibility to care for the physical needs of her spiritual mothers.)
b Not only are we to be reaching and gathering new members-we are to be taking care of needs of ones we have.
C Jesus is a super example of caring for the physical needs of his mother.
*In Jn. 19:25/27 "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," [27] and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home."
a Jesus is dying on the cross for the sins of the world He’s still not to be busy to see to it that His momma’s needs are met.
(The cross wasn’t an excuse for Jesus for not taking care of Mary.)
b You’ve got to top the cross to ignore your mother’s needs!
T.S.: Give mom your honor, meet her needs, and the last
III The third way we can show love to a special mom today is...HEAR HER OUT.
A My mother taught me RELIGION: When I spilled grape juice on the carpet, she instructed, "You better pray the stain will come out of the carpet."
My mother taught me LOGIC: From her decisive words, "Because I said so, that’s why."
My mother taught me FORESIGHT: "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident."
My mother taught me IRONY: "Keep laughing, and I’ll give you something to cry about."
My mother taught me about STAMINA: "You’ll sit there ’til all that spinach is finished."
My mother taught me about WEATHER: "It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."
My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION: "Stop acting like your father!"
My mother taught me about ENVY: "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have a wonderful Mom like you do!"
B Listen to Solomon (The Wisest Man Who Ever Lived) said in Proverbs.
PR 1:8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
PR 6:20 My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
PR 15:20 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
a Solomon says "Listen to your mother!!!"
b Pay attention to what she is saying.
C Are moms always right? (No.)
(My mom didn’t want me to marry Pam. That’s the happiest mom looked in any of the pictures taken our wedding day.)
a Although mom was off base, she had my best interests at heart.
b Can you say that about your investment broker or boss at work.
(Broker is more concerned about his commission than your welfare. Your boss is more concerned about your productivity to the company as he is your happiness.)
*Mom has your best interest at heart. At least, listen to what she has to say.
Conclusion:
Paul instructed Timothy to reverently honor the women in his life. (ETS) Mothers, both biological and spiritual, are to be shown love. (ESS)
A We’ve looked at three ways we can show love to a special mom today.
a Show her honor b Help her out c Hear her out
B I hope you’ll show your love to a special woman before this day is over. (Obj.)
a Men and young people, we have two choices and two choices only.
b Do what the bible says concerning our moms OR
Dishonor them, don’t worry about their physical needs and don’t listen to a word she says.
C How should you treat your mother?
a Mothers are little picture of God.
Recently I came across a true story that happened during the Holocaust of the Second World War. Solomon Rosenberg, his wife and their 2 sons were arrested, together with Rosenburg’s mother and father for the crime of being Jews. They were placed in a Nazi concentration camp. It was a labor camp, and the rules were simple. "As long as you can do your work, you are permitted to live. When you become too weak to do your work, then you will be exterminated." Rosenberg watched as his mother and father were marched off to their deaths. He knew that the next would be his youngest son, David - because David had always been a frail child. Every evening, Rosenberg came back into the barracks after each day of hard labor and searched for the faces of his family. When he found them they would huddle together, embrace one another and thank God for another day of life. One day Rosenberg came back and didn’t see those familiar faces. He finally discovered his oldest son, Joshua, in a corner, huddled, weeping and praying. He said, "Josh, tell me it’s not true." Joshua turned and said, "It is true, Dad. Today David was not strong enough to do his work. So they came for him." "But where is your mother?" asked Mr.Rosenberg. "Oh Dad," he said, "When they came for David, he was afraid and he cried. So Mum said, ’There is nothing to be afraid of, David,’ and she took his hand and went with him."
That illustrates a mother’s love-- a love so strong that it chooses to give up life so her child can be comforted.
This is also a picture of the sacrificial love Jesus has for us. To keep us from fearing death, he went before us. He met death head on-- then returned from the grave so we would have hope in the Resurrection. "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
b Matthew 12:46-49 (NIV)
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Are you a part of this family? If not, you can be! Once you believe in Jesus and receive eternal life you are automatically made a member of this family Jesus was talking about!
If you’re already in the family of God, commit yourself to treating the other members of the family, including your spiritual mothers, in the ways the Bible instructs you.
*How should you treat your mother? (Will you commit to show your love to a special woman before this day is over?)
***Notice: I have used Sermon Central sermons for a VERY long time. If this or any of my sermons are similar to a sermon that is already on Sermon Central by another pastor or teacher....chances are I have used it. Actually, there is probably absolutely nothing in this sermon that hasn’t been preached before! If I used your sermon and haven’t given you credit, please write me and I’ll give you credit by name. I have in no way intentionally withheld credit to any work I’ve used/borrowed from. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF I HAVE "USED" YOUR WORK IT WAS BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU HAD A SUPER SERMON! I prefer to preach with an outline and just rearranged your sermon. My intent is to make sermons relevant and easy for outline guys to use. If you use MY work, feel free to claim it. I do not care!! Simply realize that I have borrowed from other preachers, too.
Mike Fogerson, Pastor, Chester’s First Baptist Church
