The Church Compared To A Mother

THE CHURCH COMPARED TO A MOTHER

Text: Gal 4:22-31 (v. 26)

Introduction: The capital city of those who are justified by faith

is the heavenly Jerusalem.

Paul had pointed the Galatian believers to Christ.

Now false teachers had come in trying to distract the believers

from Paul’s doctrine to their Judaizing false ways.

Their motives are not pure. They are self-seeking.

Paul warns that the wrong crowd almost always wants a following.

They seek it by hook or crook.

Paul sincerely desired that Christ be formed in these believers

(Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:28).

Ephesians 4:13, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith,

and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man,

unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"

Colossians 1:28, "Whom we preach, warning every man,

and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every

man perfect in Christ Jesus:"

Fast forward to Gal. 4:22-28. Two sons were born to Abraham:

Ishmael by the bondwoman Hagar

because of a scheme,

Isaac by the freewoman/wife Sarah

because of a promise.

Now Paul begins to explain a deep spiritual truth. Two women = two covenants

Hagar (rock/Mt. Sinai/earthly Jerusalem) represents the law.

Sarah represents grace. The capital city of those justified by faith in the Heavenly Jerusalem. It is the mother of all believers Jew and Gentile (Gal. 4:26).

Bible scholar William MacDonald, True believers are born not of the will of man nor

of the will of the flesh, but of God [John 1:13]. It is not natural descent that counts, but divine

miraculous birth by faith in the Lord Jesus.

It’s worth reminding ourselves of the extreme relevance of all this. Many people look at the issues Paul is passionate about here and they just yawn. They say, "Paul, you are dealing with theological speculation. I’ve got other problems. My marriage is in trouble. I can’t pay my bills. I’ve got a lot of personal problems. You would do me much more good by teaching me about those things than going on and on with your theology about being right with God." But Paul would respond, "The most important thing in your life is being right with God. If that isn’t right, than nothing else really matters. If that is right, God will bless you and teach you about your marriage, your money, and your personal problems. Regarding the solutions to our day-to-day problems, Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

___________David Guzik

Now to the subject at hand: THE CHURCH COMPARED TO A MOTHER.

Theme: As God is the believer’s Father, so the Church is his Mother.

I. A Mother Is The Wife Of A Husband

A. Every godly woman that is a mother can show who is, or was, her husband.

B. The Church is the spouse and wife of Christ.

1. Isa. 54:5 <---

2. Romans 7:4 <---

C. If the Church is not our Mother, then God is not our Father.

II. A Mother Is One that Bears And Brings Forth Children.

A. The Church bears and brings forth children to Christ.

B. Believers are called sons and daughters, and children of Zion (Ps. 87:5a <---)

1. Ps. 87 speaks prophetically of the nature and glory of the Church.

2. v. 5, "And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her:

and the highest himself shall establish her."

3. Hebrews 12:22-23, "But ye are come unto mount Sion,

and unto the city of the living God,

the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an

innumerable company of angels,

To the general assembly and church

of the firstborn, which are written in heaven,

and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits

of just men made perfect [spiritual natives of Zion

per Jamesion, Fausett, and Brown],"

4. In the later books of the Old Testament this name was sometimes used

( Psa 87:2; 149:2; Isa 33:14; Joe 2:1) to denote Jerusalem in general, and sometimes

God’s chosen Israel ( Psa 51:18; 87:5).

In the New Testament it is used sometimes to denote the Church of God

( Hbr 12:22), and sometimes the heavenly city ( Rev 14:1).

_______Easton’s Bible Dictionary

III. Godly Mothers Give Good Counsel And Instruction To their Children.

A. Prov. 31:1, The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his

mother taught him.

B. illustration:

1. (2 Tim. 3:14) Eunice--good mother to Timothy.

2. She had taught the child the Holy Scriptures.

3. She had reared him religiously.

C. Likewise the Church universal must give good counsel/instruction

to all her children.

1. not only fed by the Church, but well taught

2. Prov 1:8, My son, hear the instruction of thy father,