“THE MINISTRY OF MOTHERING”
John 2:1-11
INTRO: 1.ILL. G. Campbell Morgan was a very famous preacher of the gospel who had also raised four sons that also became preachers. The youngest son Howard, an excellent preacher in his own right were filling his fathers pulpit while his father was away preaching in London. While the rest of the family was together, someone asked Howard, “Who is the best preacher in your family?” He didn’t hesitate in answering, “My Mother”.
a. Spanish Proverb - “An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy”.
b.Mothering is in fact a spiritual ministry, a ministry whose value cannot be minimalized.
2.We see in the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, how seriously God takes the role of motherhood.
a.When God sought to bring anointed vessels to deliver man, He almost always first chose a godly mother to bring them up.
b.Such is the case for such vessels of God as Moses, Samson, Samuel, John the Baptist, Timothy, and most of all Jesus Christ.
c.What distinguished such women as Mary apart from the mothers of their age, was that they saw their mothering as a spiritual role, not just a physical one.
3.In her ministry Mary used a number of “Power Tools” to impact the lives of her children.
a.Jesus didn’t grow up as the only child Mary had, but with brothers and sisters - Mary’s mothering was over a household.
b.We can see how throughout her life she had adopted the “Power Tools Of Mothering”.
I. SHE KNEW THE POWER OF DIVINE POTENTIAL
a.Not only would she raise the promised Messiah, but many of her children would also be instrumental leaders in the early church.
b.In the life of Jesus we see that Mary embraced the potential that lie in her son. An experience that no doubt influenced how she dealt with her other children.
c.Your children, as well, is born with a divine potential - and you may be the key to their discovering that power.
A. SHE CELEBRATED IT.
1.One of the most joyful messages in the word, is the song of Mary as she rejoiced for the child that God had honored her with. (Not blinded by the vast responsibility)
2.In much the same way we should celebrate our children - in a selfish world that sees children as an inconvenience, we should let them know the joy they are to us.
3.Let them know that they are special, not just to you, but to God - a God that has a divine plan for them.
B. SHE SOUGHT TO UNDERSTAND IT.
1. The bible said that the things she heard, she “pondered in her heart”.
2. She wanted to know and remember the promises of God concerning this child.
3. She looked for signs in her child of the potential he’d fulfill.
4.It’s a blessed child, whose Mother seeks out the will of God and lives to align her training with God’s plan.
II. SHE KNEW THE POWER OF PROPER PATTERNS
a.She understood that there must be certain patterns that sown into the lives of her children.
b.When we teach our kids almost anything, we use the principle of repetition until we see that they’ve picked up on a pattern of operating. (Walking, eating)
c. The same principle must be applied to our spiritual training as well.
A. SOWING SPIRITUAL ROUTINES.
1.It was obvious that Mary and Joseph was devoted to Judaism, attended synagogue on the sabbath, attended the feasts, offered up the regular sacrifices, regular prayers.
2.It was said in one place that Jesus went to the synagogue on the sabbath, as were his custom - a custom built in his childhood.
3.We are building spiritual patterns in our children’s lives - routines that will stick with them the rest of their lives. (Prayer, faithfulness, giving, serving)
4.ILL. When I went off to college I abandoned my Christian upbringing and no one would have been able to recognize me as a former Sunday School teacher, but even after years of sinful living every Sunday morning, I felt like I needed to be in church - Not a condemning urge, but like something was out of place in my routine. A routine sown in me by my parents.
B. SOWING THE IMAGE OF GOD
1.ILL. John Todd born to a large family in Vermont, at a very young age lost both his mother and father - many family members agreed to take the children, John’s aunt agreed to take this 6 year old boy as her own. She sent her slave Caesar to pick him up. As they rode together John asked the slave many questions concerning the aunt he never met, would she be up by the time they got their, the slave encouraged him that a light would be shining in the window and so it was - this aunt greeted him with a hug and a smile, fed him and took him to his room where she stayed until he went to sleep. He grew to be a great minister and moved away. Later his aunt wrote him of her impending death and wondered what awaited her.
His response to her was: “My dear aunt, I left a house of death not knowing where I was to go, whether anyone cared, whether it was the end of me. The ride was long but the slave encouraged me. Finally, he pointed out the candle to me, and there we were in the yard where you embraced me took me to my own room. After all these years I still can’t believe it - how you did it all for me! I was expected; I felt safe in that room - so welcomed. It was my room. Now it’s your turn to go, and as one who has tried it out, I’m writing to let you know that someone is waiting up. Your room is all ready, the light is on, the door is open, and as you ride into the yard - don’t worry. Auntie. You’re expected! I know. I once saw God standing in your doorway - long ago!”
2. The unexpected, unconditional love of an adoptive mother revealed God to this boy.
3.It’s crucial that you sow the image of God into the lives of the children - this image is better demonstrated that just talked about.
4.ILL. Robert Ingersoll, the notorious skeptic, in his heyday spoke at a college, where two boys where attending, on the way back to their dorms one said to the other, “Well I guess he knocked the props out from under Christianity, didn’t he?” The other said, “No I don’t think he did. Ingersoll didn’t explain my mother’s life, and until he can explain my mother’s life. I will stand by my mother’s God.
III. SHE KNEW THE POWER OF POSITIVE AFFIRMATION
a.In out text this morning we saw Jesus as an adult, at a wedding feast with his mother - but even when Jesus was an adult, Mary didn’t consider her work done - she used yet another power tool here - the power of positive affirmation.
A. SHE LET JESUS KNOW THAT SHE BELIEVED IN HIM FIRST.
1. Before the miracles, before the multitudes, Jesus had one who had faith in him - Mary.
2. It wasn’t a silent faith, but an active faith, affirming who he was and what he was to be.
3. Our children need to know that we believe in them, that we are part of their fan club.
B. SHE LET JESUS KNOW THAT SHE BELIEVED IN HIM NO MATTER WHAT.
1.Mary’s faith was an unconditional faith, she believed in him whether he turned the water into wine or not.
2. Our children also need to know that we believe in them when they fail.
3.ILL. Child in a large church play had memorized her lines, but in front of the crowds she froze up and forgotten everything. He frantic mother on the front row finally got her attention and whispered the first line, “I am the light of the world”. Immediately the child’s face lit up and a smile appeared on it as she proudly proclaimed, “My mother is the light of the world.”
4. At the point of our kid’s embarrassment and pain, will you be the light of their world?
IV. SHE KNEW THE POWER OF RELEASE
a.Old Saying says: “A wise mother holds her newborn close to her chest, but spend the rest of their life letting them go.”
b.Mary knew what it meant to let go, what she did at that wedding feast was simply her willingness to let go of Jesus as he pursued the ministry he was destined for.
c. Every stage of your child’s life require some form of releasing your child to grow.
(Difficult to lose our toddler to the school-aged, or lose our junior to teenager)
d. The key is the power of release.
A. THE POWER OF RELEASING THEM TO GOD’S HAND.
1. The older your child gets, the more you have to trust in God’s care over them.
2.This does not mean we stop praying, or stop caring, it simply means that we let God know they belong to him.
3.With releasing there is always a risk, but we must face it with confidence, God’s in control.
CONCLUSION: God is more than willing to enable you to embrace your ministry as Mom. There is no greater ministry or role you can play in this life.
NOTE: Just recently my Godly mother went to be with her Lord. May this sermon serve as a memorial to Lona Faye Moore Strickland who embodied the principles of this message. Thanks Momma for blessing my life with such a consistent and rich influence, you are and will be missed... Until we meet again.
