Mother’s Day Sermon Preached by Dr. Liberty at Calvary Chapel Delray Beach on May 12, 2013

Text: 2 Timothy 1:5, Titus 2: 3-5   

Introduction            

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers that are present today! I give honor to God and to Pastor John Panico and his leadership for allowing me to speak to you on this historic day. What is so touching each time we celebrate Mother’s Day is that I am reminded of the faithfulness of Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother’s Day. The women’s peace group, which was founded after the American Civil War, attempted to establish a "Mother's Day.” These were mothers whose sons had fought or died on opposite sides of the American Civil War. 

In 1868, Ann Jarvis, mother of Anna Jarvis, created a committee to establish a Mother’s Friendship Day.  The purpose was to reunite families that had been divided after the Civil War.  Ann wanted to expand this into an annual memorial for mothers.  But she died on the second Sunday of May 1905 before the first celebration. This is why this particular Sunday has been designated as Mother’s Day in honor of Ann and every mother. Through her faithful contacts in her community,

the first Mother’s Day was celebrated in a small church in Grafton, West Virginia – where Anna was born. On May 10, 1908, the first recognized Mother’s Day service was held at Andrew’s Church.  Two years later Governor William E. Glasscoack of West Virginia officially proclaimed the first Mother’s Day. Today Mother’s Day has become one of the traditions of the church and is being celebrated in many parts of the world.  We have come to honor mothers today.

How fortunate are those who have been blessed with a loving mother’s touch and gone through life strengthened by a godly mother’s advice! Of course, not everyone has been so blessed. However, today my focus is on Christian mothers.  The texts reveal “The Three-fold Character of a Christian Mother.” The ideal Christian mother promotes (1) love, (2) holiness in Christ, and (3) unity in the body of Christ.  O, who is like unto a loving mother?  When everyone turns away, a loving mother stands by. ─ Mary the mother of Jesus stood at the side of the cross even as her son was dying (Jn 19:25).   

The first character of a Christian mother is to promote God’s love among the believers.

Teaching God’s love by one’s lifestyle is the primary desire of a Christian mother.  A tough love is to love the person who hates you.  What benefit will it do if you love only those who love you?  Favoritism on the part of a mother breeds dissention within the family among the siblings. (The same is true within the church.)  A mother may have a choice, but pray that God will help you love people.  You will be fulfilling the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as we wish them to do to you” (Mt 7:12; Lk 6: 31). Teach your children through your love of God and advise them how to love God and their fellowman (Lk 10:27).  Imitate the Jewish homes which were the place of spiritual education.  Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, taught his mother Eunice how to live for the Lord Jesus Christ. Eunice also taught Timothy the Scripture at home and he stood firm in the faith.  Christian mothers in a particular church need to unite, and with the approval of their Pastor to organize seminars regularly to teach the younger people how to love God, their husbands or wives, and children.   

God’s new commandment is love: “A new command I give you; love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples” (Jn 13:34-35). Mother Teresa of India gave a special speech in Bangalore in 1980, which addressed the question: “How do we love God? Where is God for us to love Him?” Her answer was, “I will love him in the hungry person, not only hungry for a piece of bread but hungry for understanding love.  I will love him in the naked person who is not only naked for a piece of cloth, but naked for that human dignity and respect that has been taken away.  I will love him in the homeless person who longs not just for a home of bricks, but for a home of understanding love.”

The Second character of a Christian mother is to promote holiness in Christ.

God requires holiness of His people.  Jesus calls for holiness of His followers (Mt 5:48). The writer of Hebrews wrote that without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14). Most Christians hate to hear about holiness because they promote humanity and its weaknesses.  The question that comes to mind is can one reach perfection in this life? The answer is no, we are work in progress, but our holiness is in Christ.  What I could not do because of sin, Christ did for me.  Therefore, I reflect Christ's  holiness! I may miss the “mark” by doing something wrong, but the Holy Spirit in me will lead me to confession and repentance.  Christian mothers are required to teach Christ’s holiness.  Paul instructed Titus to teach the aged women to become holy (Titus 2:3). The Christian mothers are responsible to promotes holiness (Titus 2:4-5).  They are to teach the young women how to love their husbands and children in the home without favoritism. The young people are to be taught to have self-controlled and pure so that they will not speak evil of the message that comes from God.

Third, a devout Christian mother promotes unity through her love by teaching God’s Word to the saints.

Christian mothers need to allow God to use them to bring unity in the church.   A church officer may be in conflict with a member, or the pastor may have a serious misunderstanding with the deacons or the board of directors. The list of issues could go on and on. But Christian mothers should pray persistently to take a problem-solving role in their church, using caution to be neutral in any conflict, and wait upon the Lord’s guidance. For example, you cannot gossip about a case and attempt to bring a solution; you cannot take a side in a situation and act as its judge. Trust the Holy Spirit in bringing unity in the church and do not wield your position unwisely. God can unite His people in His own ways. The fifteen years of Civil War in Liberia ended as a result of the faithful prayers of mothers. Leymah Gbowee organized the women irrespective of one’s faith or ethnicity.  This peace movement met with all the factions, attended every peace talk held in Liberia, and in other African countries. She was one of the recipients of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. Also, the late Bishop Grandoe’s church had a split that lasted for seven years. This major confusion reached the Supreme Court of Liberia. But the mothers of that church prayed for peace fervently, and God restored unity in the denomination through a sermon titled, “Forgive your Brother” preached by Bishop Alfred G. Reeves to them. When Christian mothers are praying for the body of Christ, God answers prayers!  

My dearest Christian mothers, you have a great task, but trust God in the discharge of your duties; indeed, nothing is impossible with our God.  I believe that your role in the church is important. Many feel that being a mother means they are only responsible for their own children.  Perhaps that is the mind-set of non-Christians; but if you are a Christian, you know that the Church is a family.  As you are a faithful mother to your biological children, you are also a mother for the church’s family. Step-mothers godmothers, aunts, legal guardians, and surrogate mothers all can provide loving guidance in the family of God. The problem in the church today is that, instead of the gospel transforming the culture, the culture is transforming the church.

There is a mother in my church (back home) whose visitation makes me to feel that my biological mother is alive through her.  Her joyful smile brings happiness in my family. The song writer says, “When a mother is in the family, happy, happy home…” As one of the mothers in this Christian family, you are to promote love, holiness, and unity so that there will be a happy family in Christ living for the glory of God.  Abraham Lincoln the 16th  president of the United States wrote this about his mother: “All that I am or hope ever to be I get from my mother, God bless her.”

A godly woman is praised in Proverbs 31:28-30: “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”  

My prayer for all the  mothers today is that they seek to promote God’s love, holiness in Christ, and unity through an organized mothers’ association to help younger women develop love for God, their husbands, and children.    

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