What God Did When He
Made Moms
Genesis 3
March 15, 2015 AM Mother’s Day
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I.
Introduction
(Proverbs 31:28-30)
A.
Welcome to Bible
Baptist Church!
B.
We are so grateful
that you came today! A very special church service
C.
Not just to honour
Mums, but to honour the GIFT that they are to everyone in this room
D.
How many of you
have, or have had a Mum? Think about it!
E.
Every person in this
room had a mother – you wouldn’t be here if not for a mother!
1.
A mother who did not
abort you, but kept you
2.
A mother who raised
you, imperfectly for sure, but we are the product of the influences of our
mother first
F.
But let me ask you,
What do you think of Motherhood?
1.
Ho hum? Big deal?
Old fashioned?
2.
A bother? A burden?
3.
Torture? A curse
even?
4.
That is how it is
portrayed and looked at by most people today.
5.
But Single women,
powerful women, free women – they are praised, and worshipped
G.
I hope to change
your mind this morning!
1.
You see… today is
MOTHER’S DAY!
2.
I am not going to be
your friend today, gentlemen!
3.
I may not be much of
what YOU want either, ladies
4.
But I will tell you
the truth
5.
And I hope to make a
difference in every home, and every life!
II.
Background
A.
What Feminists Think
of Motherhood
1.
In 1970, a woman
named
Shulamith
Firestone wrote a very explosive
book (which I won’t name)
a.
She said: “the heart
of a woman's oppression is her child bearing and child rearing role.”
b.
She said, “The
traditional family structure, was at the core of women’s oppression.” “Unless
revolution uproots the basic social organization, the biological family—the
tapeworm of exploitation will never be annihilated”.
c.
She went on,
bluntly: “Pregnancy is barbaric”; childbirth is “like passing a pumpkin”; and
childhood is “a supervised nightmare.”
d.
"All men are
selfish, brutal and inconsiderate" (She was right on that count!)
2.
Her views were not
alone. Others like Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedman, Virginia Wolf, Marilyn
Frye, and many others sparked a revolution through their words and essays,
poems, and short stories, pointing out the inequalities between men and women,
and blaming everything on motherhood.
3.
To Feminists,
motherhood was all wrong!
a.
Motherhood has
always symbolized the subjugation of the self to the needs of others - and is
therefore the opposite of liberation.
b.
The role of
mother enslaves women with their
children and hinders their participation in the world of work and politics.
c.
To them, a mother’s
life is powerless as long as she is dependent upon men. Motherhood is often
referred to as slavery!
d.
And the modern
feminist believes with all her heart that women only bind themselves to their
motherly position because of guilt, and not for any other reason.
4.
Whew!
5.
Feminists of the
past pushed that a women should have it all. Not only the kids, and the husband,
but also the job, and hobbies, close girlfriends, personal holidays by herself,
etc. And so today, our modern world is filled with
a.
Lower and lower
birth rates,
b.
Dependence on
processed foods instead of home-cooked food,
c.
Intense competition
between mothers about their careers, and children’s achievements,
d.
The overwhelming
feelings of guilt when things don’t go well,
e.
The lack of support
by men in general,
f.
Spoiled brats for
children,
g.
And a complete and
total disregard for title Mother
h.
All thanks to
feminism.
6.
Folks, You CAN'T
have it all. It rarely works out to have a demanding full time job and being a
full time Mother. And if you don't believe me, just look around you.
a.
How many Moms do you
see completely burnt out all… the… time?
b.
Tell me, if I am
wrong… but aren’t most women still doing most of laundry, cooking, cleaning,
etc. AND now, WORKING at least part time?!
c.
Ah, but remember,
feminism was supposed to be all about Equal rights to work, equal wages, equal
opportunities, equal education, personal medical empowerment, independence, and
sexual freedom.
7.
The truth is,
feminism and motherhood cannot co-exist. They can’t! Feminists had to break free
of the constraints of motherhood and wifehood. And they did!
a.
To many modern
women, children ruin everything. Marriage ruins everything. MEN ruin everything!
b.
So, No more
marriages – just live together!
c.
No more large
families – just perfectly planned pregnancies of 1 or 2 children, if children
were wanted at all.
d.
No more modesty in
dress
e.
No more differences
between men or women are allowed
f.
And no more HOME!
8.
Motherhood is almost
dead today (R.I.P.).
a.
Motherhood was a
'gilded cage' for women. At least that what women were taught to believe since
the 60’s. The worst enemy of motherhood, was women!
b.
They no longer
showed any respect or appreciation for women who stayed home and raised their
children, kept house, provided meals, and loved their husbands.
c.
To the feminist
movement, you were either with them or against them. Stay-at-home-mothers were
the very reason for the inequality of women.
d.
Motherhood, at best,
could only be second to a career, but it is best to avoid it all together.
e.
Motherhood was no
longer good enough. Motherhood was no longer a respectable option for the smart,
intelligent, and empowered woman.
9.
I know there are
exceptions to this.
a.
I know some Dads and
Husbands who are helping way more than ever.
b.
There are those who
truly bow down, and truly honour stay at home mothers and treat them with the
respect that they deserve.
10.
But ladies and
gentlemen, Motherhood HAS to exist for our species to exist. Stay at home
mothers may be looked down upon as ignorant, stupid, low achieving, lazy, brain
washed, and much more, but they are so needed!
B.
What Men Think of
Motherhood
1.
Most men think it is
Great! We need more women, more mothers!
2.
They have NO IDEA
what it means to be a wife, and a mother!
3.
Illustration
a.
Mom and Dad were
watching TV when Mom said, "I’m tired, and it’s getting late. I think I’ll go to
bed." She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day’s lunches.
Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the
following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container,
put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the
next morning. She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes
into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the
game pieces left on the table and watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and
hung up a towel to dry.
b.
She yawned and
stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note
to the teacher, counted out some cash for the son’s field trip, and pulled a
textbook out from hiding under the chair.
c.
She signed a
birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick
note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.
d.
Mom then washed her
face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night Solution & age fighting moisturizer,
brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.
e.
Dad called out, "I
thought you were going to bed." I’m on my way," she said. She put some water
into the dog’s dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were
locked.
f.
She looked in on
each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps, hung up a shirt, threw some
dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still
doing homework.
g.
In the bedroom, she
set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe
rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She
bowed at the side of her bed, and said her prayers, and thanked God for the
accomplishment of her goals.
h.
About that time, Dad
turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. "I’m going to bed." And
he did... without another thought.
4.
The truth is, Men
don’t really care what happens to motherhood – whether marriage gets redefined,
whether men and women stay married for life, or divorce over and over
a.
As long as the
children are tended to
b.
As long as women
submit to a man’s authority and desires
c.
As long as having
children doesn’t get in the way of a man’s life and hobbies and careers
5.
Men haven’t changed
much in 6,000 years
C.
What Children Think
of Motherhood
1.
ILLUSTRATION: Who Am
I? A
teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it
does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: "My full name
has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?" When the test
papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent
of the students answered the question with the word Mother.
2.
According to a
recent report from Salary.com, a
website dedicated to researching average salaries for various jobs and
industries, Stay-at-home moms should earn an average of about
€110,000 annually, including
overtime, if they received a paypacket.
a.
Among the jobs the
stay-at-home moms do include day-care centre worker, teacher, taxi driver,
housekeeper, cook, chief executive officer, computer operator, budget manager,
nurse, general maintenance worker, psychologist, janitor, dog-walker, activity
organizer, and so on.
b.
A Mum is on constant
guard for more than 80 hours a week, cleaning, feeding, protecting, negotiating,
teaching, dressing, driving, bathing, always staying one step ahead of them lest
they get too hungry, tired or bored
c.
These are all jobs
that are fairly easy to put a value on, but there are many "priceless" aspects
to the job: like the hug that comes at just the right time, the encouraging
word, the very fact that Mom is just always there, looking forward to OUR
presence!
3.
Moms do so much AS
gifts for their families.
4.
How can a family
ever hope to survive, without Moms?
5.
Children naturally
LOVE their mothers!
6.
SHOW VIMEO!
D.
What GOD Thinks of
Motherhood
1.
He Created it! Gen
1:28
And God blessed them (the first man
and woman), and God said unto them, Be
fruitful (be a Mom and a Dad), and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth.
2.
It is His REWARD!
Psa 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of
the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
3.
It is vital for
society and the home! Tit 2:3-5
The aged women likewise, that they be
…teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to
love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at
home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not
blasphemed.
4.
God honours
motherhood – and expects everyone to honour it too! Made it the 5th
Commandment!
a.
Exo_20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother:
that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
b.
Pro 1:8,9
My son, hear the instruction of thy
father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of
grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck
5.
God warns of NOT
honouring our Moms
a.
Pro 30:11
There is a generation that curseth their
father, and doth not bless their mother.
b.
Pro 30:17
The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother,
the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
E.
Is it possible that
motherhood needs revisiting?
At least the right kind of motherhood? The Biblical kind?
III.
Message - What a
Mother is (Genesis 1-3)
A.
Specially Designed
by God (Genesis 2:18-21)
1.
Adam was made by God
– marvellously designed (Gen 2:7)
a.
Don’t try to fool me
that we are just walking blobs of protoplasm and simple chemical reactions – the
end result of billions of years of trials and errors
b.
Men may not look
like much, but EVERY square millimetre of your body is bristling with marvellous
activity and miraculous life
c.
Every cell, every
neuron, every fibre of your body is perfectly designed for LIFE!
2.
But Adam was not
complete – God created every man lacking some things
a.
There were things he
didn’t do well
b.
And all the women
said, AMEN!
3.
And, he was alone!
a.
No amount of work,
no hobby, no pet animal, no mountain could make up for his aloneness
b.
There was nothing in
this entire universe that met Adam’s need for a companion
4.
So God put Adam to
sleep – the first surgery operation
5.
And God cut Adam’s
chest open
6.
And broke off a rib,
next to his heart
7.
And then sewed
closed the cut, leaving a scar
8.
And from that curved
rib-bone, God fashioned another living being
a.
God made a woman –
not another man, but someone different
b.
Different than Adam
c.
In many ways,
opposite of Adam
d.
But in all ways, she
was for Adam
9.
So, God made Eve!
10.
Designed to BE
different – and different she was
11.
But that is not all
she was!
B.
Given as a Gift to
Adam (Genesis 2:22,23)
1.
He didn’t discover
her
2.
He didn’t earn her –
he could never be worthy of her
3.
He didn’t
manufacture her
4.
She was a GIFT! She
was a Priceless Gift from God.
a.
NOT as a pet, or an
object for Adam to own and control
b.
But as someone that
was his equal
c.
Someone who would
complete him
d.
Someone to be his
wife, his friend, his helper, his lover, his encourager for life!
5.
And, Husband just
don’t get it!
a.
If you are married
this morning, GOD gave our wives to us! None of us deserved her!
b.
She is a gift to us!
How much does she feel treasured like a gift in your home?
c.
I bet you honoured
your wife as a gift when you first were married!
d.
You can honour her
again! You certainly should!
C.
Of Equal and Even
Greater Value than Adam (Genesis 1:27)
1.
To God, the man is
not more important than the woman
2.
They BOTH were
needed by each other
3.
Both were designed
with the other person in mind!
4.
As a matter of fact,
God says for men treat women of even greater value than themselves
a.
Eph_5:25
Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
b.
Eph_5:28
So ought men to love their wives as
their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
c.
Col_3:19
Husbands, love your wives, and be
not bitter against them.
d.
1Pe_3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with
them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker
vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be
not hindered.
5.
Sad that today,
Being a woman was an advantage on only two ships in history: on the Birkenhead
in 1852 and on the Titanic in 1912. Looking at the fate of over 15,000 people of
more than 30 nationalities, researchers have found that more women and children
die than men in maritime disasters, while captains and crew have a greater
chance of survival than all other passengers. Sad!
D.
Designed to be MORE
(Genesis 1:28; 3:20)
1.
Yes, Eve was
designed to be a wife, but she was designed to be more – to be a MOM!
2.
Whether you agree
with me or not, truth is, Motherhood is The Highest Calling of a Woman
a.
Not your career
b.
Not your freedom to
live as you please
c.
Not your talents and
abilities
d.
Everything about
you, points to being a Mom
1)
No man is equipped
to me a Mother
2)
Yet the body of a
woman has everything built in, for them to be not just a woman, but a mother
3.
Now, not every woman
can be a Mom
4.
Unfortunately, not
many women even WANT to be moms
5.
But that doesn’t
change the FACT that Eve was designed to be a Mom
a.
No wonder women have
the lowest view of themselves…
1)
They have been
pressured into thinking they are only for sex
2)
That they are no
different than men
3)
That they are not
supposed to be Moms – that science will one day do away with the need for
mothers and pregnancies and cycles, and oestrogen
4)
That they should be
anything but a Mom
6.
Evolution could NOT
have designed a mother
a.
If evolution had
created a mother,
1)
She would have 6
arms, all longer than a hallway
2)
She would have eyes
on the back of her head
3)
There would be no
pain in childbirth
4)
She would be
stronger than her husband
5)
She would be able to
switch on and switch off her fertility at will
6)
If
evolution had made mothers
b.
But a mother is not
an accident
c.
She is specially
designed and equipped by God to be a Mom
E.
Thank You Moms
1.
That you don’t
really believe…
a.
“The heart of a
woman's oppression is her child bearing and child rearing role.”
b.
That you don’t
believe “The traditional family structure, was at the core of women’s
oppression.”
c.
That you don’t
believe “Pregnancy is barbaric”; childbirth is “like passing a pumpkin”; and
childhood is “a supervised nightmare.”
d.
And most of all,
that you don’t let yourself believe that "All men are selfish, brutal and
inconsiderate!”
2.
Thank you that you
made a choice for LIFE. For FAMILY!
a.
And maybe you are
burned out, worn out, tired out
b.
To YOU, it is and
will be worth it!
3.
Thank you that you
agree with God
a.
That being a Mom is
blessed of God!
Gen 1:28
And God blessed them (the first man and woman),
and God said unto them, Be fruitful
(be a Mom and a Dad), and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the
earth.
b.
That it is a reward
from God! Psalm 127:3
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
c.
That NOT being like
the world around you is fine with you!
Tit 2:3-5
The aged women likewise, that they be …teachers of good things; That
they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love
their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their
own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
4.
You truly are
a.
Specially Designed
by God
b.
A Gift to SO MANY
People
c.
Of Equal and Even
Greater Value than any Man
d.
Designed to be MORE
than just a female – designed to be a MOM!
IV.
Application
A.
What Men Need to Do
with the Mother of Their Children
1.
Rise up and call her
blessed – quit seeking all the praise. Honour your wife for being willing to be
a Mom, and not just a woman!
Prov 31:28 Her children arise up,
and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
2.
Be WITH her
a.
Time together
b.
Listen to her
c.
Talk with her. Be
honest with her – about yourself, about your own struggles – be one, not just in
flesh
d.
Be a family, a team
– that’s what a family is supposed to be!
e.
HELP HER!
f.
I know some Dads and
Husbands who are helping way more than ever. But not enough!
3.
Check with her – she
is your equal partner in this thing called life now!
a.
Listen to her wisdom
– to her opinion
b.
Let her tell you no
c.
Override her very
rarely
4.
Protect her
a.
From yourself and
your selfishness – have limits
b.
From the
expectations of the world against her
c.
From Satanic attacks
– do you pray for your wife, or just expect her to be a super-mom?
5.
Sacrifice yourself
like she sacrifices for you
B.
What Moms Need to Do
1.
Trust God again
– you can never be all you are needed to be. Learn to pray and let God take over
2.
Tenderly Love again
– stop allowing life to make you hard and angry and mean-spirited (Prov 4:3)
3.
Make it a Priority
to Train your children
– influence them – don’t leave it to the TV, the Montessori, the Creche (Prov
29:15; 1:7,8)
4.
Teach your Daughters
Most
(Ezek 16:44)
5.
Honour YOUR
marriage, and your Husband.
Be careful to not be a pawn in the hand of the devil to destroy not only your
home and life, but the lives and futures of the next generation!
6.
Expect to get hurt.
It goes with the territory, so they say!
7.
Live your life AS a
gift, not as a slave
– respect your calling and purpose (Prov 31)
C.
What Only GOD Can Do
1.
Give you joy in
being a Mom again! Psalm 113:9 He
maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.
Praise ye the LORD.
2.
Help you be a Mom.
John 15:5
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He
that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for
without me ye can do nothing.
3.
Bring back wayward
children
4.
Humble and break
hard-hearted husbands
5.
Reward all your
labours – make everything you have ever endured and put up with, worth it!
6.
Save your soul
a.
You spend all your
time and energy trying to save your kids and your family – you can’t do it!
b.
All your suffering
and sacrifices will never earn you heaven – JESUS did that for you! When
everything is said and done… what happens to your soul?
c.
Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.
d.
John 3:17
For God sent not his Son into the
world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
e.
John 10:10
I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.
V.
Conclusion
Bring in the Sunday
School and Creche teachers and children
A.
We have gifts for
every Mom here today. Please stand if you are a Mother, and Come to the front
B.
I will say it again…
1.
Thank you for being
a Mom
2.
Thank you for just
being amazing as you are
3.
And thank you for
being here today
C.
Let’s give these
ladies a standing ovation as we honour them with a gift: Mother’s Day Cards, and
Wall Art strips
D.
I would also like to
honour two special mothers this morning. We have two gift baskets: For two
random visitor Mothers