How to Be a Great Mom in an Awful Age
Judges 13:1-14
DATE:
2 Apr, 2000 AM
Mother's Day
PLACE: BBC Blarney, Mallow
I.
Introduction (Titus 2:1-5)
A. There are lots of great mothers in the Bible! God's pattern for godliness today - Like Sarah, Mary, Rebecca, Elisabeth
B. But today, something is wrong with motherhood. Eve, if she were alive today, she would emphatically urge every Mom in here, and every woman in general to get in-line with God's word! Adam would do the same with every man!
C. To help us all, we are going to study a special woman this morning. She is unnamed, but not unnoticed.
D. It is through her experience with the Lord Jesus, back in the Old Testament, that she shows Moms everywhere, how to be the best Mom they can be!
II.
Background (Judges 13:1)
A.
It's an awful
age.
1.
It has been
almost 300 years since Israel conquered the Promised Land
a.
They had
God's miracles
b.
They had
God's word - the Law
c.
But they had
no heart for God
2.
Sin is
rampant - people have left off serving and loving God, and instead are only
serving their own selfish wants (Judg 17:6)
3.
The people of
Israel are in captivity - under the dominion of a foreign power (Philistines)
that simply seeks to exploit them, and crush them
4.
Much like
today
B.
But there is
someone God directs our attention to - someone that shines like a light in a
dark world. It is actually a couple. They live down in the Southern area of
Israel. And it from there that God seeks to launch His deliverance!
C.
From this
coupe, God was going to bring a deliverer with many characteristics like Christ
- his name? Samson.
III.
Message - The
Greatest Needs of a Mom (Judges
13:1-14)
A. A Mom Needs a God Who Cares (13:1-3)
1. This woman was surrounded by people who couldn't care less about her needs, and about her feelings
a. The country didn't care - selfish, self-centred culture (no time for God is the sign of having no time for anyone else)
b. The enemy didn't care - the Philistines just wanted to crush the Jews
c. The community didn't care - no one could help anyone else because they were now in survival mode! There was no real life being lived
2. But in spite of all that, there always has been in heaven, a God who does care - that is His nature!
a. Like God cared when He called Moses to deliver Israel
b. Like God cares when a single Sparrow falls to the ground
c. Like God cared when He became a Man, and died in the place of the ungodly. Romans 5:6 says, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
d. Like Jesus cares right now. Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
e. The whole reason why Jesus came was so that we have life:
1) He cared enough to give it 2,000 years ago
2) He cares enough to still save the sinner who calls
3) He will care enough to see you through every trial - meet every need - Philp 4:19 says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
4) Jesus said in John 10:10, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
3. In spite of the fact that all of Israel had become not interested in the Bible, or living right, God still cared enough to wait it out, and be there when they wanted to get back right
a. There is no guarantee you will always have the opportunity tomorrow
b. But if you want to get right, God will make a way today (2Cor 6:2)!
c. What a joy it was for this woman in Judges 13 to discover that God knew about HER, and that he cared enough to meet her need!
B. A Mom Needs A Full Home (13:2,3) - what do I mean by that?
1. The world is trying to convince everybody that what women need is:
a. More freedom to do as they please - why, that's hedonism!
b. More space in her house - rooms never used - oh yes, the house may be full of possessions and people, but empty of satisfaction and love!
c. More cars in the driveway
d. More personal success
2. All the while, the world is slowly draining our families of their greatest treasures this side of heaven
a. Each other - people can't stand each other, even husbands and wives - that has no place in Bible Christianity
b. Home love - there can never be anything better than the love that can only be experienced at home - so few have ever experienced it
3. God wired the woman's heart to want a full home. A home…
a. Full of children - Psalm 127 talks about a quiver full, "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them!"
b. Full of constant, and true love
c. Full of work and long-term investment in the future - not instant gratification
d. Full of God! A home where God is on the throne, not the husband!
4. Some of us can't be at home with our parents at Christmas, or on Mother's day, but we make their homes full by our love, and letters, and phone calls, and the honouring that they so deserve! Some of you need to do this
C. A Mom Needs an Obedient Heart (13:4,5) - Oh, here we go (Dt 5:29)!
1. The Lord explains just what this mother-to-be needed to do first off
a. Stay away from any food that was "unclean" or not healthy
b. Why? Because what the Mom eats IS passed on to the child - science is always 3,000 years behind the Bible - they discovered this to be true in the 19th century!
c. And also, because the baby that would soon be miraculously born was to be a Nazarite - dedicated to God from the womb - 7 of these
1) Isaac - the Lord gives him to a 90 year old Sarah
2) Jacob - Rebecca had been barren as well
3) Joseph - his Mom Rachel had been barren
4) Samson - here
5) Samuel - same
6) John the Baptist - same
7) Jesus Christ - the best - virgin born!
2. The Lord expected her to obey Him! This is it! Did you know the Lord expects everyone in this room to obey Him?
a. God didn't write the 10 SUGGESTIONS!
b. There was a series of Billboards put up recently in the States stating, 'What Part of "Thou Shalt Not ..." Didn't You Understand? -- God'
c. Most Moms are in the habit of only obeying their Mom, or even now, their children. But God says obey HIM. As Peter said it so well in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men!"
3. Did you know true Christian unity comes only when we trust and obey this Book? Having the mind of Christ, means settling that if God said it, we do it! "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only!"
4. Every Christian woman in this room needs to obey this Book!
a. I spend my life trying to get men young and old to obey God
b. I am not going to neglect my responsibility of telling the ladies that they must do the SAME!
D. A Mom Needs a Godly Husband (13:6-8) - now we are going to get some Amens! You may not be married, so, this is what to look for!
1. A husband who listens - Manoah was not too busy to hear what happened. Interested in her spiritually
2. One who seeks God himself - not just going to church, or going through the motions. Didn't leave prayer to his wife, and didn't want to leave child-rearing to her as well! Manoah already believes what God has promised! Isn't that incredible?
3. One who knows God intimately - not superficially. Manoah knew how to pray, and was instant in praying right then and there!
4. One who is willing to learn - many men HATE to learn
a. Notice the man WANTING to know how to train the promised baby
b. Didn't turn to all the "great new books on child-rearing"
c. He turned to prayer, and leaned upon God's word!
5. One who is willing to Lead - not just pray a prayer, but be there with his wife through the raising of that child, and keep her encouraged when she gets down, and keep the family on track!
6. If you have a husband like that, you need to THANK GOD
7. If you want a husband like that, you need to beg God to break you, and help you help him to become what God designed him to be! If you want a husband to marry, then delight yourself in the Lord, and wait for God to supply - but you have to, I repeat, YOU HAVE TO:
a. Conquer your own pride - doing thing your own way!
b. Then transform your husband - God's way - Eph 5:33 says, "And the wife, see that she reverence her husband." That goes a whole lot further than any dynamite could ever go!
E. A Mom Needs Confident Faith (13:9-12). A faith that trusts in the Lord with all the heart!
1. This woman races to get Manoah, and then races back to where the angel is sitting and waiting - her faith has FEET!
2. She has faith in what the angel promised, and so wants her husband to trust as well
a. Did you know one of the greatest powers on earth is when TWO or THREE gather together, and believe God?
b. This young couple, live in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, and instead of going "with the flow" they choose to believe God's word, and trust His promises (13:8,12)
3. A woman without a strong faith in God will never survive the storms of modern life without drugs, and drink!
4. Confident and strong faith brings rest in the home
a. It did in Hannah's home
b. It did in the stormy sea with the disciples - oh ye of little faith!
F. A Mom Needs to Fear God (13:12-14)
1. Notice vss 4, 6, 13, "beware" "terrifying" "beware"
2. The motivation behind this woman's DELIGHT was her confidence that the only person to fear was God, and God alone!
a. She did not fear child birth
b. She did not fear child-rearing ("oh it is so hard having children today," "I don't think I could handle a second little 'angel!')
c. She did not fear society
d. All she wanted to do was be, and stay right with GOD - AMEN
3. "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30
IV.
Conclusion - What we need this Mother's day
is that kind of Mom
A. A Mom Who KNOWS God Cares (13:1-3)
B. A Mom Who Wants A Full Home (13:2,3) Full of children. Love, work, investment, and full most of all, of God!
C. A Mom Who Has an Obedient Heart (13:4,5)
D. A Mom Who Has a Godly Husband (13:6-8)
E. A Mom Who has Confident Faith (13:9-12). A faith that trusts in the Lord with all the heart!
F. A Mom Who Fears God (13:12-14)