¡§How Much Are They Worth¡¨
Recovering An Essential Truth ¡V part 3
We’ve come together this morning for 2 primary reasons. One, is to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with our worship. The other, is to honor our mothers. Both are lifetime tasks, neither of which can be confined to a one hour worship service.
I really struggled this week putting together a Mother’s day sermon (as I always do) - because I don’t imagine that anything has ever been said or ever will be said that is eloquent enough, or expressive enough to articulate the true value of a mother...
PRAYER¡K
One of my favorite columns by Erma Bombeck tells of God in the act of creating mothers. She says that on the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime. And an angel said to Him, "Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one."
The Lord turned & said, "Have you read the specs on this model? She is supposed to be completely washable, but not plastic. She is to have 180 moving parts, all of them replaceable. She is to have a kiss that will heal everything from a broken leg to a broken heart. She is to have a lap that will disappear whenever she stands up. She is to be able to function on black coffee & leftovers. And she is supposed to have six pairs of hands."
"Six pairs of hands," said the angel, "that¡¦s impossible." "It¡¦s not the six pairs of hands that bother me." said the Lord, "It¡¦s the three pairs of eyes. She is supposed to have one pair that sees through closed doors so that whenever she says, `What are you kids doing in there?¡¦ she already knows what they¡¦re doing in there."
"She has another pair in the back of her head to see all the things she is not supposed to see but must see. And then she has one pair right in front that can look at a child that just goofed & communicate love & understanding without saying a word."
"That¡¦s too much." said the angel, "You can¡¦t put that much in one model. Why don¡¦t you rest for a while & resume your creating tomorrow?"
"No, I can¡¦t," said the Lord. "I¡¦m close to creating someone very much like myself. I¡¦ve already come up with a model who can heal herself when she is sick - who can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger - & who can persuade a nine year old to take a shower."
Then the angel looked at the model of motherhood a little more closely & said, "She¡¦s too soft." "Oh, but she is tough," said the Lord. "You¡¦d be surprised at how much this mother can do."
"Can she think?" asked the angel. "Not only can she think," said the Lord, "but she can reason & compromise & persuade."
Then the angel reached over & touched her cheek. "This one has a leak," he said. "I told you that you couldn¡¦t put that much in one model." "That¡¦s not a leak," said the Lord. "That¡¦s a tear."
"What¡¦s a tear for?" asked the angel. "Well it¡¦s for joy, for sadness, for sorrow, for disappointment, for pride." "You¡¦re a genius," said the angel. And the Lord said, "Oh, but I didn¡¦t put it there."
Yes, moms are pretty special people¡K and who better to talk about how special they are then their own children. 2 weeks ago we took a video camera around during second service and asked some of our kids to share some things about their moms¡K.
SHOW THE VIDEO
Listen to what some children wrote to their mothers for Mother¡¦s Day. Angie, 8 years old, wrote:
"Dear Mother, I¡¦m going to make dinner for you on Mother¡¦s Day. It¡¦s going to be a surprise. P.S. I hope you like pizza & popcorn."
Robert wrote: "I got you a turtle for Mother¡¦s Day. I hope you like the turtle better than the snake I got you last year."
Eileen wrote: "Dear Mother, I wish Mother¡¦s Day wasn¡¦t always on Sunday. It would be better if it were on Monday so we wouldn¡¦t have to go to school."
Little Diane wrote: "I hope you like the flowers I got you for Mother¡¦s Day. I picked them myself when Mr. Smith wasn¡¦t looking."
And how about this one from Carol? "Dear Mother, Here are two aspirins. Have a happy Mother¡¦s Day!"
Yes, moms are pretty amazing people ¡V they are teachers, disciplinarians, cooks, gardeners, nurses, doctors, psychologists, policeman, counselors, detectives, chauffeurs, coaches¡K
Years ago I came across and Illustration, that I never forgotten and it is actually what provided the spark for the message today¡K
A 12 year old boy came to his mom with a list ¡V you see, he had been doing some things around the house ¡V AND ¡V he was ready to get paid (¡¥mom, show me the money¡¦) ¡K His mom took the piece of paper and read the following:
1) washed the dishes $ 2
2) mowed the lawn $ 10
3) watched my little sister $ 3
4) washed the car $ 5
5) cleaned my room $ 2
6) bathed the dog $ 3
7) vacuumed the house $ 5
8) cleaned the bathroom $ 10
The next day the boy found an envelope on his bed¡K When he opened it he found the $40 he had asked for, and the following list from his mom¡K.
1) carried you for nine months no charge
2) sat up with you when you were sick no charge
3) doctored skinned knees & elbows no charge
4) changed about 3,000 diapers no charge
5) drove you to soccer practice no charge
6) cook 7,000 meals for you no charge
7) wipe away your tears when someone hurt you no charge
8) drove you to school when it was raining no charge
9) washed you clothes no charge
10) listened when you needed to talk no charge
I think the little boy got the message ¡V moms are special, and they do so many things for their children¡K Much of which goes unnoticed¡K
And do you know what? That mom was write in NOT putting a price on the things she had done ¡V BECAUSE much of what a mom does is priceless¡K
What I want to do this morning is to look a 6 QUICK snapshots of some mothers, 5 are from the bible ¡V and each snap shot illustrates one of the awesome things moms give and do for their kids¡K
Now for each snapshot I will include the scripture reference ¡V so if you want to you can dig into the story a little deeper on your own¡K
„« THE FIRST snapshot is of Rizpah ¡V and it is a snapshot of a mom¡¦s unconditional love
Rizpah ¡V A snapshot Of A Mom¡¦s Unconditional Love
[2 Samuel 21:10-13]
Question ¡V how important is it for a child to know that he or she is loved by their mom unconditionally?
How important is for them to know that no matter what they do ¡V whether they get an A or a C ¡V clean their room or not clean their room - hit a homerun or strike out with the bases loaded ¡V whether they obey or disobey - that they are still loved?
I think we all know the answer to those questions¡K
A mother¡¦s unconditional love is VERY important, in fact, it is priceless¡K
Though you most likely have never heard of Rizpah ¡V to me she demonstrates among other qualities of motherhood ¡V unconditional love. We met her in 2 Samuel chapter 21 ¡V Rizpah is one of king Saul¡¦s concubines (a wife who did not bring a dowry into the marriage) and she had 2 sons by Saul.
And in 2 Samuel 21 ¡V we read about her 2 sons being sentenced to death by King David because they had been involved in the murder of innocent people¡K
They were executed along with 5 other sons of Saul and left out in an open field to be devoured by birds and wild animals¡K
Now I am sure that they were not the sons she dreamed and that this was certainly NOT the way she wanted their lives to end up. (reminds of an interview I saw many years ago of John Hinckley¡¦s parents ¡V shot President Reagan ¡V hated what he did ¡V but loved him stood by him visited him ¡V his my son).
Listen, even though they were executed as criminals Rizpah still loved them¡K
In verse 10 we read;
¡§Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies (6 months) she did not let the birds of the air touch them by day or the wild animals by night.¡¨
What love she had for her sons (for 6 months she fought off day & night wild animals so that her sons would not suffer further humiliation) wow!!! ¡V AND notice that the mother of the 5 other men never showed up¡K
Listen - The love that Rizpah showed (remember love is a verb) was powerful ¡V it really leave an impression on you¡K I have not forgotten about what she did since I first heard about her in 1989 in a class at FCC.
In fact, Rizpah was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling¡¦s poem entitled, ¡§Mother O¡¦ Mine,¡¨ here is a section from it¡K
¡§If I were hanged on the highest hill
Mother O¡¦ Mine, Mother O¡¦ Mine
I know whose love would follow me still,
Mother O¡¦ Mine, Mother O¡¦ Mine¡¨
Moms give their children Unconditional love¡K
THE NEXT SNAPSHOT is of Jochebed ¡V and it is a snapshot of a mother¡¦s protection
Jochebed ¡V A Snapshot Of A Mom¡¦s Protection
Jochebed¡¦s son was born at a time WHEN ¡V the government had issued an order that all male babies were to be killed... Talk about a tough time to be a mom, talk about a child needing a mother¡¦s protection.
In Hebrews 11:23 we read;
¡§BY FAITH Moses¡¦ parents hid him for 3 months after he was born because they saw he was no ordinary child, AND they were not afraid of the king¡¦s edict¡K¡¨
Listen - Moses¡¦ mother protected her child from the society in which he was born ¡V a society that sought to literally destroy him¡K A mother¡¦s protection is a powerful thing.
And mothers have a natural instinct to protect their young. It seems that this is something that God has wired into his creation. And mother¡¦s instinct of protection goes beyond even human relationships. Perhaps you heard of the story a few years back ¡V where a baby fell into an area of Harangitangs at a zoo and how a mother harangitang protected the baby from the other animals. And about that same time a news station in Tampa carried the story of a cat who was found taking care of 4 ratwaler puppies.
Question ¡V Do our children need to be protected today? Are there dangers in our society that seek to harm our children?
Listen there is a war being fought for the soul of your children¡K And the music, media, and motion pictures are just pawns in a diabolical master plan of satan to destroy your kids¡K
[telling them that wrong is right and blinding them to the truth that what they are seeking pleasure in is destroying them¡K]
Understand ¡V ¡§our battle is NOT against flesh and blood ¡V BUT against rulers, against authorities, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms..¡¨ Our enemy the devil ¡V ¡§prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour..¡¨
Question ¡V How can you protect your kids from this world¡K
1) Open your eyes and figure out what is really going on
2) Have a relationship with your kids
3) Have a strong marriage
4) Pray¡K
5) Model Christ
6) Give them Christ
„« Which leads me to our 3rd mom snapshot ¡V of and it is of a mom named Eunice - and
„« It is a snapshot of a mom¡¦s direction¡K
Eunice ¡V A Snapshot Of A Mom¡¦s Direction
Listen - Eunice demonstrates the truth that the greatest thing a mom can do for her child, is to lead them to a real relationship with Jesus Christ¡K
Paul in his 2nd letter to Timothy wrote;
¡§I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your MOTHER Eunice and I am persuaded, now lives in you also.¡¨ 2 Tim 1:5
Timothy¡¦s mom Eunice directed him to the most important thing in life ¡V a relationship with God.
MOMS - there is nothing more important that you will ever do for your kids then lead them to a real ¡¥faith-relationship¡¦ with Christ. It is SO much important than clothes, toys, cars, sports..etc¡K If you give your child Jesus ¡V
And note that Paul says that the key to Eunice doing this was that she had a real ¡¥faith-
relationship with Christ¡K Moms do you?
Listen ¡V it is hard to take your kids to where you are not¡K
Four preachers were discussing the merits of the various translations of the Bible. One liked the KJV best because of its beautiful English. Another liked the NIV best because it was closer to the original Hebrew and Greek. Still another liked the NLT because of its up-to-date vocabulary. The fourth minister was silent for a moment, then said, ¡§I like my mother¡¦s translation best.¡¨ Surprised, the other three men said they didn¡¦t know his mother had translated the Bible. ¡§Yes,¡¨ he replied. ¡§She translated it into life, and it was the most convincing translation I ever saw.¡¨
„« THE NEXT SNAPSHOT ¡V is of Mrs Zebedee and it is a snapshot of encouragement
Mrs Zebedee ¡V A Snapshot Of Encouragement
Encouragement is a powerful tool; it helps us: to keep going when we want to quit, to get up when we have fallen down, AND to achieve dreams we once thought were out of our reach¡K
Mrs Zebedee is the mother of James & John. And there is an encounter that she has with Jesus that she is well known for, it that takes place shortly before Jesus¡¦ triumphal entry¡K This mother comes up to Jesus and asked him if when he comes into his kingdom her sons can sit on his right and his left (positions of power & authority¡K)
NOW we usually dog Mrs Zebedee for her bold request (now notice Jesus did not deny it ¡V He just said it was not his to grant). BUT I see a very positive quality in her request ¡V a quality that more than likely was a major characteristic of her relationship with her 2 sons.
Listen - Mrs Zebedee ¡V no doubt was an encourager to her sons ¡V she wanted the best for them, she didn¡¦t want them to just slide into the kingdom ¡V to sit in the corner and watch others do the work. NO this mother taught her boys that their place was not to sit on the sidelines ¡V but rather on the playing field right between the chalk lines. They were encouraged to be out in front, to lead¡K
I have no doubt that throughout their whole life Mrs Zebedee was right there on the sidelines cheering them on, ¡§you can do it John ¡V Keep going James.¡¨
AND ¡V as the saying goes ¡V the proof is in the pudding.
James and John excelled both in life and in the kingdom. They were not sideline disciples BUT starters on the field. THEY along with Peter formed that circle of three, Jesus closest friends and workers¡K
AND look at what they did for the church¡K James was the first of the disciples to give his life and John wrote 5 books of the bible ¡V his gospel is the most translated book of the bible AND John lived to be an old man encouraging Christians to love one another¡K.
Mom¡¦s encourage your kids to do great things¡K.
„« THE NEXT snapshot is of the widow of Zarephath and it is a snapshot of a Mother¡¦s Provision.
The Widow Of Zarephath ¡V A Snapshot Of Provision
We meet this mom in 1 Kings chapter 17 ¡V and when we first see her she is gathering sticks so that she can go home and prepare a meal for her son¡K. And then a little later we see this mother when her son became ill ¡V going to get the great prophet Elijah who by the time he got to the boy, he had to raise him from the dead¡K.
When her son needed food, she provided it for him ¡V when her son needed supernatural intervention from God - this mother went and sought out God¡¦s prophet¡K
You know, if you were to take a snapshot of all the ways a mom provides for her children through the years; Kodak would not have enough film to capture the events, and we couldn¡¦t find enough scarp books to hold the images¡K
Listen - a mother¡¦s provision is amazing¡K. THINK about your mom has does OR has done for you. And more often than not ¡V that provision is selfless¡K
A teacher was trying to teach her class a lesson about fractions. After the lesson she tested one of the boys who was in a large family. Johnny, she said, ¡§There are 6 people in your family. Your mom bakes a pie, and she cuts it up for you, what percentage of the pie will you receive?¡¨
Johnny, thought for a minute and said, ¡§One-fifth.¡¨ The teacher said, ¡§Now, remember there are 6 people in your family, how big would your piece of pie be.¡¨ And again the boy said, ¡§One-fifth.¡¨ The teacher said, ¡§No, you don¡¦t understand fractions.¡¨ And Johnny respectfully said, ¡§You don¡¦t understand my mom. She would have said, that she didn¡¦t want any.¡¨
MOMS are awesome!
„« The next snapshot is not in the bible ¡V it is a snapshot of a mother¡¦s comfort
Mrs Rosenberg ¡V A Snapshot of Comfort
The picture of a mother comforting her child is a beautiful picture ¡V whether it is a mother picking up a crying newborn and holding them close ¡V or a mother doctoring and kissing a skinned knee or a mother brushing away the tears of a broken heart¡K it is always a powerful and moving picture.
When her child hurts, when her child is afraid, when her child is in pain ¡V a mom will go do great lengths to comfort. I recently came across what is to me ¡V one of the most powerful pictures of what a mom is willing to do in order to comfort her child¡K
During WW 2, Solomon Rosenberg & his wife & their 2 sons & his mother & father were arrested & placed in a Nazi concentration camp. It was a labor camp, & 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 are exterminated."
Rosenberg watched his mother & father marched off to their deaths, & he knew that next would be his youngest son, David, because David had always been a frail child. Every evening Rosenberg came back into the barracks after his hours of labor & searched for the faces of his family. When he found them they would huddle together, embrace one another, & thank God for another day of life.
One day Rosenberg came back & didn¡¦t see those familiar faces. He finally discovered his oldest son, Joshua, in a corner, huddled, weeping, & praying. He said, "Josh, tell me it¡¦s not true." Joshua turned & said, "It is true, poppa. Today David was not strong enough to do his work. So they came for him." "But where is your mother?" asked Mr. Rosenberg.
"Oh poppa," he said, "When they came for David, he was afraid & he cried. Mom said, `There is nothing to be afraid of, David,¡¦ & she took his hand & went with him."
A mother¡¦s comfort is incredible¡K.
Listen - when God created moms ¡V he created something special¡K
The things moms do are priceless¡K How much are they worth? I mean how do you put a price tag,
On A Mother¡¦s:
ć Unconditional love
ć Protection
ć Provision
ć Directing her children to Christ
ć Encouragement
ć Comfort
You can¡¦t¡K. DON¡¨T even try ¡V BECAUSE ¡V some things are just priceless like;
Moms and like Jesus¡K..
There is a scene in Matthew that took place about a week before Jesus was to die that really illustrates how followers of Christ sometimes seek to put a price tag on Jesus¡KThe ¡¥priceless¡¦ Son of God¡K.
Read - Mt 26:6-13
DO you see what the disciples are saying ¡V ¡¥sure Jesus is valuable BUT He is NOT worth a years wages¡K
Question ¡V just how much are the things that Jesus does for us worth? If you were to ask Mary she¡¦d say they are priceless¡K
Let¡¦s look at snapshots of some the things Jesus does for us ¡V for me & you¡K
„« Snapshot #1;
His Unconditional love
¡§¡KGod SHOWED His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners¡K¡¨ Rm 5:8 (NLT)
DO you see the impact and power of those words¡K? Listen ¡V the cross was unconditional love¡¦s finest hour¡K
FOR His unconditional love ¡V Jesus smiles and says no charge¡K.
„« Snapshot #2
His Protection
¡§¡Kthe one who is in you ¡V IS greater than the one who is in the world¡¨ 1 Jn 4:4
¡§All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus rose again from the dead. FOR has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled beyond the reach of change and decay. AND God, in his mighty power, will PROTECT you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting Him¡K¡¨ 1 Peter 3-5 (NLT)
Circle ¡V the word protect¡K. It is the Greek word phroureo, which is a military term that means to keep by guarding¡K It was used to describe the elite roman guards or a roman garrison.
This same word is used in Phil 4:6-8;
¡§Do not be anxious about anything, BUT in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will GUARD (protect) your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus¡¨
BECAUSE ¡V Jesus is greater then the one of this world ¡V He can guard and protect us.
And Jesus is protecting our priceless inheritance in heaven, until we meet him there, as we trust in Him. AND Jesus will (if we let him) protect your heart & mind from anxiety and worry ¡K
FOR His protection Jesus smiles and says NO Charge
„« The NEXT snapshot
His Direction
Many people in this world ¡V perhaps you know some ¡V perhaps you are one ¡V many are just wandering aimlessly without any direction OR purpose in life¡K Listen - Jesus gives us a clear direction and a set purpose for our lives¡K
And perhaps no one grasped this truth better or understood it more, than the apostle Paul¡K WHO wrote often about this NEW direction in Christ¡K
¡§Remember that in a race everyone runs, BUT only one person gets the prize. YOU must run in such a way that you will win. ALL athletes practice self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. SO I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step¡K¡¨ 1 Cor 9:24-26 (NLT)
¡§I don¡¦t mean to say that I have already achieved these things are already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will FINALLY be ALL that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers & sisters, I am still not all I should be, BUT I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.¡¨ Phil 3:12-14 (NLT)
¡§I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,. I have kept the faith. NOW there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, then righteous Judge, will award to me on that day ¡V and not only to me, BUT also to all who have longed for his appearing¡K¡¨
2 Tim 4:7,8
FOR a clear direction and a set purpose in life ¡V one that results in life & peace NOW ¡V and eternal joy at the end Jesus smiles and says NO CHARGE¡K
„« Snapshot #4
His Provision
¡§You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you His enemies, and you did evil things. But His Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in His presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent.¡¨
Col 1:21,22 (CEV)
¡§No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, And God is faithful he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. BUT when you are tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.¡¨ 1 Cor 10:13
¡§And my God will meet ALL your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus¡K¡¨ Phil 4:19
FOR ¡V providing a way for you to stand before God holy, faultless and innocent
-- providing a way to overcome temptation
--providing for ALL our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus¡K
Jesus smiles and says No Charge¡K.
„« The NEXT snapshot is
His Encouragement
Like I said, earlier encouragement is a powerful thing; ; it helps us: to keep going when we want to quit, to get up when we have fallen down, AND to achieve dreams we once thought were out of our reach¡K
Let the following words from God encourage you right now¡K
¡§And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose¡K¡¨ Rm 8:28
¡§Therefore, IF anyone is IN Christ, he is a NEW creation; the old has gone the new has come!¡¨ 2 Cor 5:17
¡§But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God¡K¡¨ 1 Pe 2:9
¡§How GREAT is the love the father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! ¡K Dear friends, now we ARE children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is.¡¨ 1 John 3:1,2
His Comfort
READ ROMANS 8:35-39
READ JOHN 14:1-6
