SERMON DATE AND TITLE:20120513: "A Mother Of Great Faith"This page streams the audio-only sermon, when available, in downloadable SWF flash format. It begins playing upon opening this pageWant a download or CD copy? Read this. The sermon outline is below, when available. |
A Mother of Great Faith SERMON STARTER PRESSURES ON MOM TODAY are greater than ever. Its got to be the toughest job in the world. Just think of what’s expected of her in our success-driven society: FUNNY MOTHER'S DAY POEM: Worth of a Housewife First, he listed the various functions she performs:
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN conducted a nationwide survey several years ago in which they asked thousands of girls between the ages of 11 and 18 what they would like to be in adult life. A surprising 80% expressed a desire to be like their mothers!
My mother is 90 years old and resides in what we call a "Country Club Nursing Home in Southern California. Her mind is sharp, especially when her oldest son calls her to wish her Happy Mother's Day. I am her first-born.
Pastor Phil <><<
Sheepfold Ministries - May 13, 2012 Mother's Day - Pastor Phil Roland
A Mother of Great Faith MATTHEW 15:21
"When you think about it, motherhood requires great faith. No one will have more faith in you or in God than the one who has given you life. Today, we stand up and bless her." Pastor Phil <><<
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6
THE CANAANITE WOMAN - A descendant of the ancient Canaanites, the bitter biblical enemies of Israel whose paganism led Israel into idolatry. Her ancestors practiced demon-worship, occult rites, child sacrifice and cannibalism.
I. A MOTHER'S FAITH CROSSED GREAT BARRIERS "And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." v. 22 1. Women were considered Property / Furniture 2. Women were not Educated, Illiterate 3. Considered Inferior to Men B. She crossed the Barrier of Religion 1. Jews considered non-Jews, "Goyan" 2. Gentiles were non-Jews who worshipped False Gods 3. They worshipped the Goddess Ashtoreth 4. They built the charred bodies of their kids into the foundations of their homes and buildings 5. Their first-born children were sacrificed to False Gods 1. Her ancestors were part Jew and part Gentile 2. In Judaism the woman was be Jewish to produce a racially pure Jew 3. The Northern Kingdom Israel was overrun by the Assyrians 4. Israel's Inhabitants were exported to another country 5. That country's Inhabitants were brought in to occupy Israel 6. So. Kingdom, Judah treated them with hatred and contempt D. What Drove the Canaanite Woman to Cross the Cultural Barriers? 1. Desperation - She knew she couldn't free her daughter by herself - She needed help - Jesus could help her 2. Love - She loved her child - It fueled her persistence a. Jesus was her last and only Hope b. She could handle His disciples' resistance A MOTHER OF GREAT FAITH, cont.,p.2
3. Vision - She saw Compassion and Healing b. She saw in Jesus a Compassion that wouldn't reject her c. She saw His Potential for Healing 4. What Mother wouldn't turn in desperation to Jesus? Turn your eyes upon Jesus, NIV - "Woman, you have great faith!" A. Character Summary: Jesus summed up her character w/4 words 1. Great Is Your Faith 2. We don't know her name. . .If she was married. . . 3. Jesus never told His disciples, "You have great faith" 4. Amazing honor to a persistent mother B. Three Factors could have Prevented her from Persisting 1. The Silence of Jesus - v. 23a "But He answered her not a word." a. She didn't take His silence as indifference b. She spoke directly into the Heart of God 2. The Rebuke of His Disciples - v. 23b "And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." a. He engaged her by flatly telling her He wasn't responsible for her b. Note: She didn't interpret rejection c. Her maternal need was so great, she let it speak for itself d. She fell at His feet and cried, "Lord, help me!" 4. The Essence of all Great Faith: Reach out to Jesus in Desperation 5. Washington Irving Quote: "The love of a mother is never exhausted. It never changes-it never tires-it endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world's condemnation, a mother's love still lives on."
A MOTHER OF GREAT FAITH, cont., p.3
1. She relied wholly on the Grace of Jesus - Ephesians 2:8,9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast." 2. GRACE = God's Righteousness At Christ's Expense 3. Greek: Charis - "The Dancing Arbitrary Hand of God" B. She Bore an Implied Insult w/o walking away in Tears - v. 26 "But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." 1. Gutsy Mother answered Him back - v. 27 "And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." 3. "Jesus, throw me Your crumbs!" C. Jesus replies profoundly, "You have Great Faith!" 1. From that very moment her daughter was made whole 2. She surrendered herself and her daughter to Jesus D. Jesus spoke the word and she was made whole - v. 28b "Let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that very hour." 1. Don't despair when faced with hopelessness or problems 2. Cross all the barriers to Jesus 3. Persist in your belief in Him 4. Approach Him with true humility 4. Receive His Favor/Grace
A Mother of Great Faith Matthew 15:21-28 (NKJV)
Just Trust Mom A young man was standing at the grocery store checkout line when he noticed an elderly woman in front of him. As she unloaded her grocery cart, she kept looking up and staring at him. After a few awkward moments, he asked, “Why do you keep staring at me?” The woman said, “I'm sorry, but it's just that you look exactly like my son who recently died." "I'm so sorry to hear that," the young man replied. "Is there anything I can do for you?" "Yes," she said. “As I leave, if you would say, 'Goodbye, Mother' it would make me feel so much better because I need closure." "I’d be glad to do that for you," he answered. As the old woman was leaving, he called out, "Goodbye, Mother!" After unloading his cart, the bill came to $147.50. "How can that be?" he asked the clerk. "I only purchased a few items." “Oh,” the clerk replied, "your mother said that you would pay for her." Kent Crockett’s Sermon Illustrations, www.kentcrockett.com
MOTHERHOOD "The joy of motherhood is what a woman experiences when all the children have gone to bed."
A MOTHER'S LOVE Erma Bombeck Some day when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I will tell them: I loved you enough to ask about where you were going, with whom and what time you would get home. I loved you enough to insist that you buy a bike, that we could afford to give you, with your own money. I loved you enough to make you return a Milky-Way— with a bite out of it—to the drug store and to confess "I stole this." I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes. I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust and tears in my eyes. I loved you enough to admit I was wrong and ask for your forgiveness. I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall and hurt. But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when you hated me for it. That was the hardest part of all.
WHY DID GOD MAKE MOTHERS? Brilliant answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions!! Why did God make mothers? a. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is. b. Mostly to clean the house. c. To help us out of there when we were getting born. How did God make mothers? a. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us. b. Magic plus super powers, and a lot of stirring. c. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts. What ingredients are mothers made of? a. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean. b. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think. Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mom? a. We're related. b. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's Moms like me. What kind of little girl was your Mom? a. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff. b. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy. c. They say she used to be nice. What did Mom need to know about Dad before she married him? a. His last name. b. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer? c. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores? Why did your Mom marry your Dad? a. My Dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot. b. She got too old to do anything else with him. c. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
WHY DID GOD MAKE MOTHERS?, cont.
Who's the boss at your house? a. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because Dad's such a goof ball. b. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed. c. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than Dad. What's the difference between Moms and Dads? a. Moms work at work and work at home, and Dads just go to work at work. b. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them. c. Dads are taller and stronger, but Moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's. d. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine. What does your Mom do in her spare time? a. Mothers don't do spare time. b. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long. What would it take to make your Mom perfect? a. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery. b. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue. If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be? a. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that. b. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me. c. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.
My Grandma
Grandma, on a winter's day, milked the cows and fed them hay, hitched the mule, drove kids to school... did a washing, mopped the floors, washed the windows and did some chores... Cooked a dish of home-dried fruit, pressed her husband's Sunday suit... swept the parlor, made the bed, baked a dozen loaves of bread... split some firewood and lugged it in, enough to fill the kitchen bin... Cleaned the lamps and put in oil, stewed some apples before they spoiled... churned the butter, baked a cake, then exclaimed, "For goodness sake!" when the calves ran from the pen, and chased them all back in again... Gathered eggs and locked the stable, back to the house and set the table... cooked a supper that was delicious, then washed and dried all dirty dishes... fed the cat and sprinkled clothes, mended a basketful of hose... then opened the organ and began to play: "When You Come to the End of a Perfect Day..."
Reminisce, premiere issue, 1991, pp. 46-7.
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