Five Basic Truths About Mothers

Proverbs 31. We're going to read the first nine verses.! O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees.

And deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish. Let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly. Defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Well, if you've not been with us recently, we're going through a series of sermons entitled, Back to Basics, believing that we need to pay more careful attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away.

Now, today is Mother's Day, and as I was thinking about that, I thought, well, what's more basic than mothers? For instance, how many of you would be here if it were not for mothers?

See, you've proved my point. Mothers are very basic. They hold the most basic part in God's view and plan for the world.

And so, this morning, we want to consider several basic truths about mothers. First of all, mothers are God's idea. On the sixth day of creation, after having made man, God took one of his ribs and from the rib formed a woman and brought her to the man and performed the first wedding ceremony.

And then he gave them this command, Be fruitful and increase in number. Fill the earth and subdue it. And there was the first mother.

Now, this woman was different, or she was like the man in many ways. She, too, is a human being. She's the same kind of creature in that sense as her husband.

She, too, is made in the image of God as much as He is. She, too, was made upright and perfect as He was. She, too, shared in sin as much as He did.

And so, she, too, needs as much as He does the redemption found only in Jesus Christ. So, they have much in common, much that they share alike.

But, she's unlike Him in many other ways. She was the female counterpart to Adam with distinct differences from the man.

And those differences in her makeup were intentional on the part of the Creator. He did it on purpose. And those differences in her were meant in part to equip her for the unique task of mothering.

For instance, it would be in her, not the man, where new life would be conceived and where, for the first nine months, God would weave together that child and then bring the child into this world where the woman would nurse him.

The ways that she was different from Adam equipped her for her mothering role. Now, Adam knew this. And in Genesis chapter 3, when he named his wife, he named her Eve because she would become the mother of all the living.

That's the first mention of mother. He named her Eve because she would be the mother of all the living. So, from the very beginning, her role as mother was seen, was acknowledged.

That was God's idea. And her differences would show how useful they were in that role.

But mothers are different from fathers not only physically, but in other ways beside. They're different in the way they think. They're different in the way they emote. They're emotions.

They're different in the way they respond. And these differences, too, were intentional on God's part to equip her for her task of mothering. So, four-year-old Jimmy's on the driveway riding his bike with training wheels.

And he hits a big concrete bump and down he goes and skins his knee. And he goes over to Dad, who's mowing the yard. And Dad stops mowing and gets down and looks at the knee and he says, I don't see any broken bones, no gushing blood.

You're going to be fine, son. Suck it up. Be tough. And with that, he rustles up his hair and gives him a friendly punch in the shoulder. And Jimmy walks away.

And he walks toward the house. And as he comes in the back door, he turns up the volume on his crying. And immediately Mother stops what she's doing and comes over to him.

Oh, dearie, dearie, what happened to you? Tell Mommy all about it. And carries him back to the bedroom close to her heart and sets him on the countertop there close to the medicine chest and listens as he pours out his sad story.

Oh, that nasty old concrete bump. Did it hurt you? She's sympathizing with him, empathizing. And then she so tenderly puts the medicine on the ouchie and a big band-aid and smothers him with kisses and assurances.

It's all going to be all right. Oh, you're going to be fine. And she takes him out and gives him cookies and milk in the kitchen. Now, the next time Jimmy takes a tumble, to which do you think he'll go?

Father or Mother? Kids are brilliant. It's amazing how quickly they figure out where the most gentle, sympathetic, tender care will come from.

And so, yes, off they trot to Mother. Mother. Now, be assured, Mother and Father both love their child dearly.

But they love him differently. They love him differently. Dad loves him with a man's love. Mom loves him with a woman's love.

And those two are not exactly the same. A mother's love is different from a father's love. And God's general plan was for a child to know both of them.

Both a father's and a mother's love. It's not that one was right and the other is wrong. They're just different. And they're different by design.

It's all part of the intention of the creator. Kids, aren't you glad you weren't raised by two fathers? You have God to thank for that.

Mothers were his idea. And he made them to do you good. The second basic truth that we see this morning is that God highly values their work of bringing up children.

He highly values their work. Now in the scriptures, both husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, are charged with the duty to bring up their children.

But especially during the early years, the lion's share of the work is done by mothers. The father carries the primary responsibility to provide for the family.

And so he's off to work. And so the primary responsibility, especially of the younger children, at this time in their life, falls to the wife, to the mother, as she's with them all day long.

Indeed, Titus 2.5 tells younger women to be busy at home. Why at home? Because that's where the children are. Indeed, 1 Timothy 5.10 goes on to say that theirs is the task of bringing up children.

Children. So children are not to be viewed as interruptions to her work, but rather as the greater part of her work.

She is the one that brings up children. Now in 1 Timothy 5, we have that interesting word from the Apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit to the church, telling the church that they have a responsibility to care for older widows who have no families to take care of them.

And so these older widows were to receive church support and were to be put on a list. These are the widows to be supported by the church.

Now not every widow was put on that list. First of all, she had to be over 60 years old. But her age alone did not qualify her. There were character traits and track record as well that she must meet to be qualified.

Number one, she had to be faithful to her husband. Her number one priority after God was to be her husband. And number two, she was to be well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble, and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

Quite a list of good deeds befitting women. But notice the first one. Well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children.

Bringing up children is a good deed in the eyes of the Lord. The word good means right, proper, fitting, honorable, precious, beautiful.

So mothers, God's appraisal of your task of bringing up children is that it's a good thing, a beautiful thing, a precious thing to Him.

So let this arm you, mothers. This is God's appraisal of your task. Next to loving God and loving your husband, God wants you to be bringing up your children if you have them to bring up.

And that needs to arm you against the temptations of the world that would pull you against and away from that task. It needs to encourage you in the face of all your sacrifices, all your disappointments and discouragements and difficulties that your God highly values this business of bringing up children.

So, Christian mother, on Monday morning, when you face that stubbornness in your son or the stack of laundry to be done or the dishes in the sink or a list of things to do you know you'll never get to the bottom of, remember, what you are doing is precious in God's sight.

What you are doing is good, it's beautiful to Him. Keep it up. Throw yourself into it wholeheartedly.

Yours is a thankless job in many ways. Much of the world fails to applaud you for your efforts.

They rather wonder why you would waste your potential at home. And even we husbands sometimes fail to show appreciation for what you do.

And your children themselves are self-centered and thankless. But the most important one in the universe looks upon you as you do that unto Him as a beautiful thing.

And one day we'll say, well done, good and faithful servant. So, run on in this race that we just sang about.

This race that's been marked out for you, mothers, that has all these mothering tasks. Run on, looking unto Jesus, who gives you that assignment of mothering, who equips you for the doing of it and delights to see it done.

Yes, God highly values the work of bringing up children that she does. The third truth about mothers is that God commands us to honor them.

God commands us to honor them. So we come to Mount Sinai. And there's thunder and lightning and then an audible voice as God Himself is speaking to us down at the foot of this mountain.

And in that ten-point summary of a man's obligations to God and his fellow man, God speaks the word mother.

Think of that. We're going to summarize all that you owe to God and to man. And in that summary, he's talking about your mother. The fifth commandment, honor your father and your mother.

There's something that all mankind owe to their mom. Esteem. Respect. Honor. It's that important to God that it finds its way into the ten commandments.

You see, he's given mothers their task. He's given them the assignment. It's an important thing that he wants done in his world. So he wants you to honor them. His authority stands behind them.

It's his errand that they're on. So be sure to honor them well. And honoring her will mean honoring her with your words.

And that means the way you speak to her, children. Both what you say and how you say it.

You don't talk to mom like you talk to your kid sister or the kid on the block. She's your mother. And you speak to her at all times with respect.

You see, it has to do with not only the way you speak to her, but also the way you speak about her. What do you say to your friends about mom? What do you say to your brothers and sisters about mom?

Always she must be held in honor as you speak about her. And then it's not only by your words that you honor her, but if you're still under her authority in the home, it is by your obedience.

You are to obey without complaining. Now, children, did you know this? That whenever you disobey your mother, you disobey God. Because God is the one who put her there as the authority over you, exercising His authority, and He tells you obey her.

So, when you disrespect mom's authority, you disrespect God's authority, and that's pretty serious business.

Maybe you've never thought about that before. You need to think about that. You treat God the way you treat your mom, because she's His servant in your home.

Oh, then honor her with your obedience, with your words, your obedience, and then you honor her with your life. That means living in a way that would respect her.

I wonder, is your mom honored to be known as your mom? Does that bring honor to her? Does that bring praise to her? Does your behavior speak well of her or ill of her?

Does it make her proud or embarrassed to be your mom? Maybe you haven't thought about that for a while. Think about it, because that's involved in honoring your mother.

And then honoring her means honoring her with your care and finances when she's old or in need. see to it that her needs are met.

That's an important way of honoring her as Jesus says in Matthew 15. Caring for your widowed mother is putting your religion into practice and is pleasing to God.

1 Timothy 5. 4. Are you putting your religion into practice? If not, it's not worth anything. And if you are, it's pleasing to God to honor your mother in that way.

So, with your words, your obedience, your life, and your care and finances. You see, it's a lifelong process. Even after mom is gone, even after she's dead, you go on honoring her with your lips speaking well of her and with your life living in a way that would reflect well upon her.

Now, this was not just some command for a few Hebrew boys and girls. The same command is quoted in Ephesians 6, verses 1-3. When God establishes the duty of Gentile children living in Ephesus under the new covenant to obey their moms and dads, He quotes the fifth commandment.

Honor your mom. That means obey her. You see, the command is not just for Jewish children. It's for all children of all nations. And indeed, any nation where mothers are not honored and obeyed is a nation heading for destruction.

Look hard at our own nation. A nation that does not respect and obey mothers is a nation heading for destruction. For this is one of the very basic foundation blocks of all society.

and if mother is not respected and obeyed in the home, neither will the other authorities that God has established on earth, namely, husbands, bosses, governmental leaders, teachers, and elders.

Home is the first place that a child learns to respect the authority of God over them. Home is the first place. the earliest way that children learn to bow to God's authority.

It starts in the home at the earliest ages with mothers' first commands. Mothers, no! A lesson is being laid, a foundation is being laid on how to submit to the authority of God.

And uncorrected failure here leads to certain disaster later. So fathers, you must insist upon this honor being given to mother in your home.

Dad, that's something that you must do. You must insist that mother will be respected, spoken to, treated with honor. The first and only time that I had my mouth washed out with soap was when I spoke disrespectfully to my mother.

And to this day, I still don't like the taste of ivory soap. But I learned real early that disrespecting my mother will not be tolerated in this home.

And we learned that lesson, you see. Dads, as you stand up and you enforce and demand and insist that the youngest children, right on through to the teenage years, speak to their mother with respect.

Respect. I'm thankful that I learned that lesson early. You know, that's still paying dividends to me in my life. To honor the authorities that God places over me.

Honor your father and your mother. You know, Jesus did so. As a 12-year-old boy, in Luke chapter 2, we read of Mary and Joseph going up to the Passover feast in Jerusalem.

And on their return trip, they realize their 12-year-old son, Jesus, is not with them. So they hurriedly go back to Jerusalem and anxiously search for him. And on the third day, moms, they finally find him.

And there he is in the temple and he's listening to the teachers and he's answering questions and asking questions that have people stunned. Well, Luke then says, then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.

He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. That's the inspired summary of Jesus' teenage years. He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.

The next time he's mentioned, he's 30 years old. this is the last word before then. He was obedient to them, not just dad, but to mom as well.

Children, did you know that Jesus was tempted to disobey his parents, to disobey his mother? He was tempted in every way, just as we are, and yet was without sin, Hebrews 4, 15.

And he was once a five-year-old boy, like some of you. Five-year-old girl. He was once a twelve-year-old. He was once a teenager, like many of you. And just like you are tempted to disobey and not do what you're told to dishonor your mother, so was he.

But every time he was tempted, without exception, he rejected that temptation and instead he honored his mother and he obeyed her. Now think about that for a minute, kids.

This is the perfect God-man. And he was the only teenager who was ever wiser than his own mother.

And yet he submitted to her. He went down to Nazareth and was obedient to her. Now some of you teenagers think you're wiser than your mother, but you're not.

But this should encourage you. If the perfect teenager could submit to an imperfect mother, then there's grace in him to teach you to submit as well to your mother.

Seek his help. Take his yoke upon you and learn from him. He invites you. So we see him honoring mother at 12, age 12, and then when we catch up with Jesus in the Gospels as a 33-year-old man, we find he's still honoring his mother.

Now he's on the cross. And he's suffering torments in body and soul. He's got a lot on his mind. He's bearing all the sins of all of his people at all time to the place of judgment.

That's where he is. And he is now suffering what sin deserves from his father in heaven. And he's having trouble breathing. And he looks down and there standing near the cross is his mother.

The mother, the woman in whose womb he was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit without a human father.

The mother who carried him around in her womb for nine months and then gave birth to him. At whose knee he heard and learned much of the Holy Scriptures. and who had been widowed and is now grieving as she has to look upon her firstborn son hanging on a cross.

And he sees his mother there. And it was then in his hour of sharpest agony that he honored her he's found to the end honoring his mother because they're close to the cross as well as John.

And he says to his mother woman behold your son and to John John behold your mother.

He cared for her. Didn't leave this earth saying well somebody will look after this business. If the dying words of Jesus mean anything they mean to our dying day we need to look after our mothers honoring them to the end.

God and these what Jesus was doing here you see was working out a perfect righteousness to give to every sinner who trusts in him to save them.

Jesus offers to give us his obedience to this command of honoring your mother to cover all of our sins of not honoring mother. So he has this perfect righteousness now of honoring his mother perfectly and he's willing to give that report card to us who have dishonored her so many times.

That's what he's doing on the cross working out a righteousness for sinners. You see if there was no other command in the Bible but this one honor your father and your mother it would be enough to damn us all to hell is there anyone here who has not dishonored your mother who has not disobeyed your mother if you've disobeyed your mother and dishonored her then even if you could obey every other command in the Bible this would do you in for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking it all James tells us and so this one command convicts us all as law breakers there's only two kinds of people law breakers and law keepers and we have just found ourselves condemned as law breakers guilty vile and helpless we spotless lamb of

God was he full atonement can it be what a savior that Christ should die for sins once for all the righteous one for us the unrighteous to bring us to God he's paid the penalty that our sins deserve and he offers us the perfect righteousness that his life has provided what a savior what a savior he honored his mother well the fourth truth about mothers is that children contribute greatly to their joy or grief listen to Proverbs 10 and verse 1 children contribute greatly to their joy or grief a wise son brings joy to his father but a foolish son grief heaviness to his mother I wonder kids did you realize that you have the capacity to make your mother very sad or very happy you've got the capacity for both extremes to make her real sad or real happy and let me try to explain why that is your mother has a lot invested in you money yes but more than money time and energy remember watching on television a single mother who got up very early before light before dawn of day to go around and rummage through trash cans and dumpsters to collect recyclables to put her son through college the money and time that your mother has invested in you is huge you couldn't afford her if you had to pay her but it's more than that isn't it she has a lot of love invested in you a lot of her heart a lot of her very soul has been poured into you and often a great sacrifice to herself denying herself sleep rest ease worldly position honor mothers have thrown their very selves into this business of raising children and for most of your mothers probably here today right beneath

God and husband it was you taking care of you that was right up top there in her priority list of things to do and it's hard to describe the grief of a mother who after all that exertion and all that sacrificial love finds her son walking in the way of folly rather than the way of wisdom it's a heavy burden it's a wounded heart that she silently carries through life but it's equally hard to describe the joy and the happiness of a mother whose son is walking in wisdom's way and if your mother is a Christian then she would say I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth her greatest desire for you is that you might be made wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ that's the kind of wisdom she wants for you that's what fills a mother's heart with joy what does it take to make mom happy it doesn't mean you've got to be the first one to walk on

Mars or the first one to find a surefire cure for all cancer to know Christ to walk with him to live life his way to be found!

not spurning your mother's instruction but walking in fellowship with Christ serving him following in his ways that's a joy that even heaven participates in along with mothers rejoicing over just one son or daughter that's brought to repentance and children long after you've left the home you still carry this massive potential for her joy or grief have you thought of that you still have the capacity to bring her great joy or grief now knowing that you carry that potential what should you do well you should bring her joy that's just not me saying that that's what Proverbs 23 24 says may your father and mother be glad may she who gave you birth rejoice because she has a righteous man for a son because she has a wise son to delight in what are you repaying all your mother's toil with gladness or grief be that wise son be that righteous daughter that is a continual source of joy in her day last truth about mothers is that

God has given them all they need for their work mothers God has put something into your hand to impart wisdom to your child is it wisdom a wise son that will make you glad then you need to know God has put something into your hand to impart wisdom to your son and under the blessing of God it will lead to your joy and I speak of a rod a rod of correction the board of education a rod to correct their rebellion against authority and it begins in the home with mom and dad you see and so lovingly and consistently applied to that part of the anatomy that God made it for that's where you apply the rod of correction Proverbs 29 15 the rod parts wisdom you want a wise son use the rod of correction mother but a child left to himself brings his mother shame shame grief and so we hear mother saying oh

I love him so much I can't I couldn't do that I couldn't spank him you know what another proverb says you hate your child you don't love him you hate him because you're withholding that which is good for him that which would impart wisdom to him you do not give to him and so you you don't enjoy creating pain on his backside but you see it's a choice will I choose to endure the pain that comes to me now by using the rod of correction or will I pay with pain later on when I see him walking in the waves of folly and my heart is broken which pain would you endure mothers wisdom says the rod of correction imparts wisdom but God's put something else into your hand to impart wisdom it's a book it's the book of God the

Bible and it was by hearing this book from his mother and grandmother from infancy that Timothy was made wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and here you teach them about God about the world and everything in it about sin about themselves about the Savior the only way to have everlasting life about the future about heaven hell judgment the things to come it's all here what's right and what's wrong and he's put this book in your hand this word is to so dwell in you richly that you are to impress it upon their hearts it's the book that from beginning to end brings conviction of sin and shows us of our need of a savior since children are born with sinful hearts and go astray from the womb speaking lies mothers you are most likely to be the one to catch them in their first lie what an opportunity to take them to the book and to show them what

God thinks of liars honey let's look at the book of God it says in Proverbs 6 that the Lord hates a lying tongue it's detestable to you know how you hate spinach God hates a lying tongue God you take them to Revelation 21 and you show them that if they do not repent of their lying tongue that they will go to hell for all liars have their place in the lake of fire and brimstone you don't like to be in fire do you that's where all liars go if they do not repent God has put this book in your hand to teach your children make use of it tell them that Jesus died for liars that

Jesus told the truth every time for liars that they might have a righteousness put to their account and he took their lives and suffered the punishment on Calvary tell them about the great exchange between Christ and the sinner at Calvary it's all in the book God has put into your hand a rod a book and thirdly he's put in an influence into your hand a mother's influence first impressions are lasting ones aren't they and God has given you that privilege of having thousands of first impressions with your little children what a privilege to be the first voice to explain so many questions so many things in life to be the first voice before all the competing voices of the world crowd in you have that first voice with them powerful thing is a mother's influence especially in the first seven years you're the know it all you're the go to person you're the answer woman for everything they turn to you with their million questions they trust you they believe!

you they want to be that influence mother while you have it God has put it in your hand Proverbs chapter 31 quotes the sayings of King Lemuel we read them didn't we nine verses in the Bible what will these verses be coming from this king something that his wise men have instructed him in something that his scientists and world travelers have brought back no he tells us about the words of his mother that are still with him now that he's a grown man sitting on a throne he cannot get away from those words that he once learned from his mother they're still guiding him he was in a royal family and she was teaching him what a king a good king should be he!

shouldn't be like this he shouldn't do that that he should do this and he should do that the sticky words of a mother are not easily forgotten make the most of your influence God's given you a rod a book an influence and another thing he's put in your hand is a throne a throne of grace where Christ reigns for you and from that throne of grace and that king of grace you receive mercy and grace to help you in your time of need so from that throne of grace you receive wisdom and you need the wisdom of Solomon in raising your family and you receive the patience of Job and you receive the love of Christ kindness selflessness unrattled peace faith hope boldness courage consistency more patience and yes you receive forgiveness for all your past failures from this throne and strength to be a godly example to your children and encouragement to persevere to the end it comes from this throne that god has put at your disposal mothers perhaps your children are grown but even when they are grown and gone you can follow them with your prayers can't you isn't that a beautiful reality maybe your words can no longer reach them but your words reach the throne that reaches them and he knows exactly where they live and what they're doing and he knows how to get to them in ways that you cannot then go on praying mother go on making use of the throne

Jesus Christ died to win this privilege for you make use of it a rod a book an influence a throne and so much more you see God has not left it to yourself mothers in this important work of mothering the one who assigns this important task to you gives you all that you need and assist you himself happy the home happy the home that enjoys the presence of such a mother she's to be honored and praised her children arise and call her blessed and her husband also and he praises her we've honored mothers this day and in honoring them let's be sure to honor the giver of these good gifts let's pray just now father in heaven you are the giver of every good and perfect gift and in your giving to us of mothers and creating mothers we see your wisdom we see your goodness we see your love and since their work is your work an important work would you help us to honor them in our thoughts in our words our lives our monies our care lord we pray that you would forgive us of all of our sins in this very commandment of honoring mothers wash us and cleanse us with the blood that cleanses from every sin even this one and help us help us to honor them lord you know the task that they undertake is great thank you for giving them all that they need help them to draw upon you and please give them to see the fruit of their labors in this life and throughout all eternal ages hear and answer their prayers and thank you for the salvation that we have in

Jesus Christ bring mothers to trust in him bring children to trust in him today we praise you in Jesus name amen