Text: Luke 2:1-7
Introduction: Mothers. What can we say about them? Everything good and nothing bad.
ILL.- Eight-year-old Mary wrote her mother a note for Mother’s Day. "Dear Mother, here is the box of candy I bought you for Mother’s Day. IT IS VERY GOOD CANDY. I KNOW, BECAUSE I ALREADY AT 3 PIECES."
ILL.- Eight-year-old Carol also wrote her mother said, "DEAR MOTHER, HERE ARE 2 ASPIRINS. HAVE A HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY."
ILL.- Six-year-old Johnny and his four-year-old sister Suzy presented their mom with a Mother’s Day present; a small, spindly house plant. While it wasn’t the finest looking specimen, they had bought it with their own money and Mom was thrilled. She hugged and kissed her children and told them she loved them for thinking of her.
Johnny said, "There was some other flowers we wanted to buy for you, Mom, but we didn’t have enough money." "Yeah," said sister Suzy, "they had a real nice bunch of flowers at the shop that we were going to buy."
"But I love this plant," said the happy mother. "I know, Mom," said Johnny, "but these flowers would have been perfect for you. They were in a wreath and they had a ribbon that said ’REST IN PEACE’ on it AND YOU’RE ALWAYS ASKING FOR A LITTLE PEACE SO YOU CAN REST."
PROPOSITION: To motivate the hearer to seek the power of God to enable him/her to be a successful parent.
INTRODUCTION: Giving birth does not make a woman a mother. It takes a special woman to be a mother. A mother is a person who is willing to take the responsibility of investing her life into another human being who is totally de-pendent upon her to do so:
THE ONE WHO FOLLOWS ME
A careful mother I ought to be,
A little one is following me
I do not dare to go astray
For fear she’ll go the selfsame way.
I cannot once escape her eyes,
Whatever she sees me do, she tries.
Like me she says she’s going to be
That little one who follows me.
She thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine;
The base in me she must not see
That little one who follows me.
I must remember as I go
Through summer’s sun and winter’s snow
I am building for the years to be
That little one who follows me.
The first thing necessary to become an outstanding mother is ...
I. A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
2 Timothy 1:3-5 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
A. Mary Was A Person Of Spiritual Integrity
Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
B. Mary Was A Person Who Enjoyed The Presence Of God
Luke 1:46,47 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
C. Mary Was Woman Hungry For God
The first thing necessary to become an outstanding mother is a personal re-lationship with God. The second thing necessary is ...
II. A PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER FAMILY
A. Mary Supported Her Husband’s Leadership
B. Mary Taught Her Children Discipline In Honor Of God
Luke 2:51,52 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Application: If your children don’t honor and obey you, whom they can see, how will they learn to obey God whom they cannot see?
C. Mary Was Faithful To Her Children
John 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
The first thing necessary to become an outstanding mother is a personal re-lationship with God. The second thing necessary is a proper relationship with your family, the third ingredient in every outstanding mother is...
III. A WILLINGNESS TO SERVE GOD
Luke 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.