[0:00] Good morning. Happy Mother's Day to the mothers. Thank you for being here this morning.
[0:15] I trust, again, the Lord will continue to bless us as we've gathered as his people. I want to touch in on the announcement a little bit.
[0:27] But the training session for counseling, it's actually in Peace River at the Marriage Retreat Center there. And if that interests you, even though maybe not in an official position of being a counselor, but if you sometimes have struggled to help someone else, this is excellent training.
[0:51] And I would encourage you to go. It is a commitment of a Friday night and Saturday. But it is very good. And I have taken that in the past.
[1:03] And secondly, like Julius mentioned, the ladies will be dismissed after the service. After they're dismissed, we're going to ask the men to stay back for a couple minutes.
[1:18] We have one item that we want to talk about. So please, if you're a regular attendee here, we would ask you to stay back. Thank you, Frank and team, for leading us in song.
[1:36] And the song that we sang about the cross, it reminded me of where I met Jesus at the cross.
[1:52] And it's 44 years ago when I surrendered my life to God. And at the cross, all the demonic influences in my life disappeared.
[2:18] All the nightmares of running from Satan were done as there was victory in Jesus Christ and replaced by peace, joy.
[2:33] Even as an 11-year-old, the change was day and night. And I remember it so clear. The Lord has been ever gracious since then.
[2:45] And as He brings us along, maturing us and growing us into the image of Christ. And each one of us has a story like that.
[2:58] If you're a believer and you've met Jesus at the cross. That's where He paid for our sins, at the cross. This morning, I've decided to do a Mother's Day message instead of our regular series in Revelations.
[3:20] and so I've entitled this message Honoring Our Mothers. And so all the men may now leave. No. Please, please don't.
[3:32] Let us stay here to honor our mothers. Proverbs 18.22 says, He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
[3:46] And it speaks of God's design for marriage between a man and a woman. And it is a good thing and it's favorable from the Lord.
[4:03] So this morning as we look at honoring our mothers, let's start with a little bit of interaction. And turning to the children, how do we, how do you honor your mothers?
[4:24] We're having children's church now. How do you honor your mother? By obeying them. That they don't ask you to do?
[4:41] Okay, very good. Very good. Mothers, is that honoring? That would be. Anyone else from the children? Okay.
[4:57] Ask for permission before you watch TV. Very good, Wyatt. Anyone else? We have lots of children here.
[5:11] You know, your mothers need to hear this. I'm going to turn to the youth and young adults.
[5:27] How do you honor your mother? Your mother? by obedience?
[5:41] Okay, good. A good attitude.
[5:53] A good attitude goes a long way. And mothers delight in good attitudes by their children. The dads do as well. By doing the heavy lifting for your mother.
[6:07] Yes. Absolutely. Yeah. Seeking out counsel. Advice, right? Yeah. So, honoring by recognizing my mom has wisdom.
[6:25] Anyone else? Respect? Okay. Absolutely. By being respectful. I'm going to turn to the dads now.
[6:49] And, and not necessarily your mothers, but, but, how do you honor the mother of your children? Or your wife?
[7:00] Yes. By loving her. Okay. With agape love, I hope.
[7:13] Okay. I mean, all the dads here should have something to say. They're trying to understand.
[7:28] Okay. Good. To listen. I can tell that you are older, Charlie, if you have learned that.
[7:54] Okay. Spending time. Yeah. Taking time. Absolutely. Absolutely. To support. Okay.
[8:05] To support. Yeah. Very good. Yeah. Very important that we stand by our wives. And, and if, if there is something that we wouldn't quite agree with, we can deal with it behind the scenes, but not in front of the children.
[8:22] Stand behind her. Stand behind her. Stand behind her. Stand behind her. Stand behind her. Stand behind her. Stand behind her. Stand behind her. I thought if you guys kept going, then my sermon would be very short.
[8:41] Mother, how do you like to be honored? You probably didn't see this coming. What brings honor?
[8:57] It's good for your children and your men to hear. And you're appreciated. words of affirmation.
[9:22] Affirming. Yeah. What does that do, Arlene? Arlene? Yeah. Yeah.
[9:40] Yeah. And I think it brings a sense of security. Yeah. Yeah. There was another lady.
[9:52] Is it you, Ms. Teckup? Or, oh, it was you. Okay. The Lord will bring it back. Any others? How do you like to be honored?
[10:08] Or what really builds you up? Okay. Okay.
[10:20] So to have your thoughts and opinions acknowledged and recognized not to be put down. Okay. Good. Good. Good. All right.
[10:42] Well, we'll move on. Another question, our final question before we move on. Who teaches our children to honor their mother?
[10:53] fathers do. And how do they teach that? By example.
[11:08] And so by example, we either affirm honoring our mothers or if by chance I dishonor my wife, what am I teaching?
[11:21] Ouch. And so dads, we're encouraged to teach our children by example how we treat their mother, our wives.
[11:36] So that's, yeah, that's a good foundation. The word honor means to hold in high esteem or to affix a price or value to.
[11:54] To hold in esteem. They're valuable. And our mothers, our wives need to know that.
[12:09] That they are appreciated. We heard some of these comments that they're valued for who they are. And that is very, very important.
[12:23] You know, it comes to mind honoring King Ahasuerus when he wanted to honor the man Mordecai for saving his life.
[12:36] What did he do? What did he do? He had Mordecai paraded around town wearing a robe and having people bow the knee in recognition, honoring.
[12:54] That's a biblical example. And so we are to lift up our mothers, our wives, and recognize the value that God and their personhood.
[13:16] I want to start this morning in scriptures in Genesis chapter 2. We think of mothers and wives. Let's go to the beginning.
[13:26] Let's go to the beginning. You know, when God created six days of creation, the last item of creation, if I can use that word item, was mankind.
[13:56] And often we refer to God finished creation by crowning it with us, with men and women.
[14:08] And when God was finished creating us in His image, He said, it is very good. And God was pleased what He had done.
[14:22] Well, here in chapter 2, we zoom in a little bit from chapter 1, and verse 15, we'll read 15 to 23. And then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
[14:41] And the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.
[14:54] And the Lord God said, it is not good that man should be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him. Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them, and whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.
[15:22] And so Adam gave names to all the cattle, to the birds of the air, to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
[15:34] Now, men, put yourself in Adam's shoes. As we have a zoomed-in account of creation, we realize that God created Adam first.
[15:50] Even though in chapter one it sounds like they were simultaneous together. but here we realize he formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed life.
[16:04] And then Adam was given the task of dominating. He was to name all the animals. It speaks of course of his intelligence, but the task sharply reminded and brought before his awareness that I am alone.
[16:32] I am alone. And I've often thought, why did God do it this way? And when Adam received his wife, do you think he was appreciative?
[16:49] he was. I received her with joy, with thankfulness, with gladness.
[17:05] And so I can't help but believe God did this intentionally, that the man is to honor his wife, to bring honor to her.
[17:19] As we finish reading, verse 21, and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, closed up the flesh in its place, and then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, he made into a woman, and he brought her to the man, and Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.
[17:46] And so Adam was rejoicing to receive a soulmate, someone his equal, to join him in the task that God had given mankind, a partner for life, and together they could be fruitful, together they could rule, and hence this is foundational as how we are to treat our ladies, our women.
[18:24] Unfortunately, in many, many cultures today, women are disrespected, and they are treated, in some cases, like second class.
[18:42] But we see, we don't see that in Adam, and we don't see that in God's intention. He created us equal in his image, with a male body and a female body, male and female.
[19:02] He created us with different purposes, with different gifts, and different design of our bodies. But value, equal.
[19:19] And God, in his infinite wisdom, as there is order, so in human relationships, he ordained order that the man, was to be the leader, but the wife, as his soulmate, to come alongside and complete him, and be his helpmate, by God's design.
[19:48] So, that does not speak of value, but it speaks of roles. And so this is very, very foundational, that we understand this, and treat our women accordingly, with that respect and honor that they deserve.
[20:09] Turning back to the ladies, from where do we find our value? our sense of belonging.
[20:31] Any thoughts? From God. Thank you. true. And that is, that is only right.
[20:47] As, as ladies, and I'm going to ask, if we look at society around us, maybe you, I'm just a homemaker.
[21:02] I don't count for much. If you're honest, some of you ladies will put up your hand and say, I've been there. But in God's economy, that is a lie from Satan.
[21:24] And as the world would have promoted, we, ladies too, need to measure themselves by the world's standards. Wrong. God has a high calling for men and women.
[21:40] And it's the highest calling. And so the Bible speaks very highly of our women. And let's, let's turn to Titus chapter 2 as we continue, and then we'll get back to, to 1st Peter.
[21:59] Titus chapter 2. 2. And we have some instructions to women in the church.
[22:15] And we have some instructions to women in the church. Titus 2, starting in verse 3.
[22:32] The older women, likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things, that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
[23:02] So we have a description of what God intended and what pleases him and what is his design for our ladies.
[23:14] now, older ladies are to teach the younger ones, whether it's mothers to daughters or spiritually, Christian mothers to Christian daughters in church.
[23:32] And I'll let you decide how old you need to be to teach one. But it's not very old. and you can teach someone that's younger than you.
[23:46] And we are commanded to do this. We're to teach the younger ones to love their husbands and to love their children.
[23:59] Very straightforward to have a genuine, agape, serving love for their husbands and their families. families. That they admonish the women to love, but also to be discreet.
[24:18] And that word means to be sensible or prudent, discreet, to be sensible as they run the household, as they deal with families and so on.
[24:35] And they're also to be chaste, which is another word for pure. Purity. So women are called and to be taught to be pure before God in their role of motherhood.
[24:52] Goes on further, homemakers, and that word is simply that they are to be keepers of the home. But as we look at that, there's such a huge umbrella of responsibility with being at home.
[25:14] And it goes from in the physical, looking after the household things, of food prep, keeping the pantry maybe stocked, making sure there's food, gardens, being industrious in making sure that the family is fed.
[25:41] There's the keeping the house clean, there's clothes to be washed, to be mended. The list goes on and on what our mothers do and what our wives do.
[25:55] So as as we often take these things for granted, I would encourage the rest of us to verbalize our thankfulness, to recognize the hard work.
[26:13] How many of us dads have had to trade out and stay at home for a day or two while mom went somewhere? There's a few. did that gain some more appreciation?
[26:29] Yeah. It does. And if we were to swap, we would fail miserably. We need to recognize that. God has gifted them tremendously.
[26:40] And then on the spiritual side, the home is a mission field and the chief missionaries is mom.
[27:02] The very highest calling is to exemplify and also to verbally teach our children to follow the Lord.
[27:16] And because the moms are home the most, they have the most opportunity to influence. That is the highest calling possible.
[27:26] people. In our verse, in 1 Peter 3, it speaks of giving honor to the woman as the weaker vessel.
[27:47] I believe that is meant in the physical sense as well. As women in general have, God has given them a body that is more tender, more gentle, but also not as strong.
[28:03] But there is a purpose for that. And as you ladies have nurtured children, the tenderness, the loving care comes out.
[28:16] And it's a gift of God. And it's the love of a mother for her children. children. It is probably the closest to how Christ loves the church.
[28:34] A mother loving her children. And it's very, very important. You know, we dads, we don't have that same emotional balance as our wives do.
[28:50] and when our children fall and hurt themselves or skin their knee, we tend to, well, come on, get up and get going and you're okay and there's not much happen to you, right?
[29:06] And you've got to be strong and brave. But the mothers, they will take them and comfort them and soothe them. and it's that balance, right?
[29:18] And raising children. But we need that tender aspect and it's from God. And it's so, so important in a young child's life that that is there.
[29:31] So, let's turn now to 1 Peter 3 and we're going to end the message with that.
[29:45] And this last section is about husbands honoring their wives. And I'll reread it, verse 7, 1 Peter 3, husbands likewise dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that their prayers may not be him.
[30:11] So, some of the comments before that we are to dwell with them with understanding. Even the ladies will admit this is not always easy.
[30:24] But we as men are commanded to do this. to attempt to put every effort into understanding our wives.
[30:37] And we are to dwell with them in a manner that gives that recognition that we are understanding where they're coming from.
[30:50] And by doing that, we're giving honor to the wife. men, men, as leaders of the home, we're also called to be spiritual leaders.
[31:09] And as we lead in set direction, not only to our children, but to our wives, wives, there is an emotional aspect to this.
[31:23] And we heard it before, we need to listen to our wives. They need to be heard.
[31:37] That establishes them. That makes them feel valued. And by cutting them off or not having an ear, we're saying what you are thinking is not important.
[31:55] And that's the message that is sent them. To dwell with them with understanding is to listen. Is to care for them emotionally.
[32:09] And for the young men that are listening, this is ahead for you. And so take notes to learn that our ladies think different, they're wired different, but we as men are to put in every effort to understand and dwell with them.
[32:34] Recognizing that they are more tender, that they have a weaker vessel, that we don't overload them in the physical, and that we're ensuring their health is maintained, and that their spiritual health is maintained.
[32:55] And so many, many women, I know my wife has often said when the children were small, I needed to get out of the house and join a ladies Bible study.
[33:07] That was what saved me back in those years. I've often heard that from her lips. You know, with four or five little children, and to desire spiritual growth and fellowship with someone on their level.
[33:26] Other ladies going through the same thing. And so we have young ladies here this morning, husbands, encourage your wives to get out.
[33:38] It's healthy. They need to be able to express, to bring these things out.
[33:53] Colossians 3.19 says, Husbands, love your wives. Do not be bitter towards them. it speaks of us as men being tender as well, not hardened with unforgiveness, but loving them with a sacrificial love.
[34:14] Because when we're hardened, then we can't be tender. And as when we experience hardening, you know what is the first thing that wants to go?
[34:28] love, love, any guesses guys? Love, romance.
[34:42] It's no longer as much fun together. It's the hardening of the heart. But we used to laugh together, to giggle together, to enjoy each other's company.
[34:56] That will go away when there's hardness. And we're very strongly told here, husbands, love your wives, do not be bitter.
[35:09] Live in forgiveness. Deal with things. And don't let anything come in between. And so that is one way, husbands, we honor our wives, by lifting them up that way.
[35:22] love your love. It says, this verse says further, the last half, that we are to honor them as being heirs together of the grace of life.
[35:38] You know, the word grace means that we're living in harmony, extending favor one to another. together. And as we got married when we're young, we envision a marriage that will always be full of grace, right?
[35:58] And we will be in love and extend that grace. Well, that is God's will. And here he mentions the grace of life, that we keep that up, that romance, that tenderness, that we enjoy life together.
[36:20] And so, it is admonished upon the husbands to honor our wife so that the grace of life is not hindered, that we will enjoy our marriage.
[36:35] That's pointed at us. And then the last part of that, and that also your prayers may not be hindered.
[36:46] honoring our wives, we are told here our prayers are hindered. Our prayers are hindered as we are unable to pray in full strength because we're not treating our wives like we are commanded to.
[37:08] Men, do you pray for your wives? do you pray with your wives?
[37:31] I would like for one of the women to share, what does it do when your husband prays for you? Do you pray for your husband? Do you know that you're not alone?
[37:44] Okay. Again, back to that security. You're not alone. My husband is on my team. Anyone else?
[37:56] What does it do for us when our husband prays? Our husbands need to hear this. Or your husbands, not mine. it helps to honor him more.
[38:14] Respect. I know many of you guys struggle with this.
[38:33] Prayer is in the spiritual. And so it goes without saying, it's not going to come easy. And yet, it is probably the most important thing you can do in your marriage, is to learn to pray with your spouse.
[38:52] Whether it's at the breakfast table, or at the end of the day, or both, or wherever. But it brings about confirmation, and it brings about security.
[39:06] To know that I am loved and cherished. As my husband talks, brings me before the most high, the highest place.
[39:18] And so surely, my husband loves me deeply, if he makes the effort to pray for me. I would like to challenge you guys, including myself.
[39:29] let us not neglect that. As children of God, we are to talk to our Heavenly Father, and in thankfulness regarding our women.
[39:47] And I promise you, if you have struggled with this, if you do this, your marriage will blossom. You're going to see the effects of that.
[39:58] acknowledge that this goes against our flesh. Acknowledge it. And if you struggle with it, as my pastor, mentor, used to tell me, if you struggle with it, praying, why don't you talk to God about it?
[40:22] Why don't you talk to God about it? I'm to help you. And so in that regard, our women are honored.
[40:38] As I close here, I thank you for the opportunity to share this, but women, mothers, wives, wives to be, remember, our value is God's standard, not society's.
[41:04] If you're tempted, or if you're poked at by others and saying, you're just a housewife, or you're just that, don't allow Satan to play games with you.
[41:19] Turn to God's word, excuse me, and get your affirmation from the Lord himself, from his word, because that is what works.
[41:32] May the Lord bless you, may he bless us as couples, as church family, as we honor as well.
[41:43] Thank you. Let's close in prayer. Father, we acknowledge your greatness this morning in creation, in relationships.
[42:05] Father, you knew what was best for us. and as you commanded a man to leave his father and mother and to be joined to his wife and to become one.
[42:21] But Father, you didn't leave us there. You gave us your word which instructs us how to live as husband, as wives, as children.
[42:32] So, Lord, we want to recognize that this morning, to acknowledge your way is the way that works.
[42:44] And through that, Father, not only are our wives, our mothers honored, but you are honored. And we thank you for that. In Jesus' name, Amen.