Being a Godly Mother in an Ungodly World
Mother’s Day Sermon
May 8, 2005 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A. Mother’s Day is a great day for some, a sad one for others (sad-Mom’s gone, not blessed with children and you wanted them, lost kids. Good-remember Mom, or you’re honored!). Being a mom is hard work!
a. By the time a kid reaches 18, a mother has had to handle some extra 18,000 hours of child-generated work
* Women who have never had children enjoy the equivalent of an entire 3
months of leisure time!
b. A jr. high teacher was teaching a unit on magnets and he asked his class a riddle: "My name begins with M, has six letters, and I pick things up. What am I?" Half of the class wrote "Mother" on their papers.
* Milton Berle said "You know evolution is false because mothers still only have two hands."
B. Today’s message: Being a Godly Mom in an Ungodly World
a. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. 2 Tim 1:5 (NASB)
b. (ETS) Timothy’s walk of faith was influenced by his female family members.
C. (ESS) Moms can make a significant spiritual input on their kids
a. (OBJ) Moms, I hope you will decide to intentionally impact your kids for Christ with more focus than you came with to the service today.
b. (PQ) What are you going to do to more powerfully impact your kids’ spiritual life?
TS: Let’s look at two significant spiritual impacts that mothers can make on their children.
I. The first significant spiritual impact mothers can make on their child is...instill a respect for Scripture.
A. Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Tim 3:12 (NASB)In 2 Tim. 3:12, Paul reminds Timothy that everyone who wants to live a godly life will have a rough time (promised!)
a. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim 3:14-15 (NASB) Timothy had been taught the Scriptures by his godly grandmother (Lois) and mother (Eunice). "Whom" is plural.
i. His momma and grandmother had read/told the great stories of the Old Testament.
ii. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. Deut 6:4-7 (NASB) Lois and Eunice lived out the Shema!
b. Timothy was to continue what he had been taught as a child.
A. As soon as your child in born, surround him/her with God’s Word and prayer (you’ve got to do it when they’re a child, because you won’t have the opportunity after he/she grows up).
a. Mothers, it’s never too early (or too late) to start teaching the Bible to your children (God wants you to instill a respect for the Bible in your babies).
b. Thankfully, you do not have to do it all by yourself
i. We offer a well-thought-out, Bible-based Sunday School program for your children
ii. Week-long VBS (July 18-22)
iii. Kingdom Kids (40 weeks our of the year)
iv. Impact (Todd & Chris, June 5 John Lanier)
v. Sept. to May (Awana). We’ll always provide a children’s discipleship program from Sept. to May. ALWAYS (our job is to help supplement what you’re already doing-or should be doing-at home in way of instilling respect of scripture in your babies).
c. Four scholars were debating over the best Bible translation
i. KJV: beauty/elegance of the English language, NASB: accuracy and literal interpretation, MES: contemporary phrases and ability to put difficult spiritual concepts into easily understood truth
ii. Fourth scholar said, "I have personally preferred my mother’s translation. Yes, she has translated the Scriptures into my life. It is the most convincing translation I have ever read."
iii. Mom, what kind of Bible is your child reading when they observe your life? Are you looking for ways to instill respect for Scriptures into the lives of your babies?
TS: Falling in love with Scripture is no accident and neither is the instilling of our second significant spiritual impact mothers can make on their children.
II The second significant spiritual impact mothers can make on their child is...instilling an authentic faith.
A. Paul knew that Timothy had not fallen far from the family tree of faith.
a. Timothy’s sincere (genuine/unhypocritical) faith had been handed down to him from his MawMaw & Momma. (Daddy, a Greek and probably a non-believer is not mentioned, probably because he didn’t impact Timothy’s faith).
i. Modeled their faith
ii. Set up an environment where that child would want to come to have the same faith.
b. Lois/Eunice were drop-dead serious about their faith. Fully devoted and completely committed...and Timothy knew it (no one knows better than a child whether a parent’s faith is genuine).
B. Moms, to instill authentic faith in your children, you’d better take your own faith seriously.
a. If you’re going through the motions spiritually, you’ll fool me, but you won’t fool your kids (tragically, they’ll probably do the same thing when they’re older)
b. Demonstrate your faith consistently by...
i. Letting your kids catch you praying
ii. Letting your kids catch you reading Scripture
iii. Taking your kids to church (show importance...not coming...not important)
iv. Sunday School (help grow spiritually)
v. Participate in a ministry at FBC (spectator vs. contributor)
C. The moms who pass on this sincere faith are more interested in....
• Her child knowing the Bible rather than the ability to speak a 2nd language at 5 yrs. old
• Her child’s soul more than their bodies or their clothes
• Her child’s eternal life rather than success in this one
• Her child’s relationship with Jesus rather than their popularity at school
• Her child’s standing before God rather than their social status
• Her child’s spiritual development rather than their intellectual, musical, or athletic abilities
a. Several years ago, I was talking to a man about going to church. I asked him what I said to make him join. He said, "Nothing you said, but it was the way Mom lived and died."
b. Mothers, pass on authentic faith to your kids
Conclusion:
(ETS) Timothy’s walk of faith was influenced by his female family members.
(ESS) Moms can make a significant spiritual input on their kids
A. We’ve looked at two significant spiritual impacts that mothers can make on their children:
a. Instilling respect for Scripture
b. Instilling an authentic faith
B. Moms, I hope you will decide to intentionally impact your kids for Christ with more focus than you came with to the service today.
a. Options: Bible can be the most important book in the house, or it can be the T.V. Guide, checkbook, paper, magazines
b. Options: authentic faith or fair-weather faith
C. John & Charles Wesley (First Great Awakening) had 15 other siblings. Mom’s name was Susannah Wesley.
a. She prayed one hour a day for her children, and spent 60 minutes a week discussing spiritual matters with each child.
b. I ran across some of her parenting guidelines:
• Subdue self-will in a child & thus work together with God to save their soul
• Teach the child to pray as soon as he can speak
• Give the child nothing he cries for and only what is good for him if he asks for it politely
• To prevent lying, punish no fault which is freely confessed, but never allow a rebellious, sinful act to go unnoticed
• Commend and reward good behavior
• Strictly observe all promises you have made to your child
• Moms, I hope you will decide to intentionally impact your kids for Christ with more focus than you came with to the service today.
• Would you write down a few steps you can take, starting today, to make a more significant spiritual impact on your children?
