LOVING WITH MOTHER'S LOVE

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

SERMON STARTER

          My mother taught me in word and example what God's incredible love is all about. My brother Don and I grew up almost like twins. We were 18 months apart in age and got the full force of mom's mothering skills. My maternal grandmother lacked in the ability to emotionally connect with her children. To my mother fell the responsibility of nurturing, loving and often caring for her younger siblings.

          She "mothered" her generation, her offspring and some of their offspring. Besides sharing her maternal love with three generations, she nurtured and cared for any human "strays" that came her way. Wherever she went and with whomsoever she came into contact, she shared Gods Love.

          When Don and I were of elementary age, mom challenged us to memorize and stretch our minds. She quickly discovered that Don's memorization skills were excellent. Don became the eloquent public speaker and communicator. I became the musician and was supposed to be the writer.

          Early in Don's life Mom encouraged Don to read the Bible. He read the entire New Testament before his 10th birthday. Mom challenged him to memorize 1 Corinthians 13. Don was called upon to recite this chapter when family or friends visited. I was called upon to play the gospel song, "The Love of God" on my trumpet for these events as well.

          Somehow, over the years Mom's early investments in me resulted in my actually discovering God's Love personally. I would have never found Him without her incredible influence. Because of my mother I came to know God as love.  

 

Mom's Legacy

When I die, give that which is left of me to children.

If you need to cry, cry for your brothers walking        beside you.

Put your arms around anyone and give them what        you need to give me.

I want to leave you with something, something better than words or sounds.

Look for me in the people I have known and loved.

And if you cannot live without me, then let me live on in your eyes, your mind and your acts of kindness.

You can love me most by letting hands touch hands and letting go of children that need to be free.

Love does not die, people do.

So when all that is left of me is love. . .

       Give me away. . .

Author Unknown

 

Pastor Phil  <><<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 14, 2017 - Mother's Day

Sheepfold Ministries - Pastor Phil  <><<

 

LOVING WITH MOTHER'S LOVE

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

 

“Raising children and homemaking are of the most important tasks on earth.  Our  culture depends on it.  Our future generations are influenced by it. It doesn’t take a village to raise a child.  It takes a Mother's Self-Sacrificial Love to raise a child."               Pastor Phil  <><<

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Gal. 5:22-23a  (NIV)

 

Fourteen Traits of a Mother's Love

1. MOTHER'S LOVE IS PATIENT

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
          A. PATIENCE DEFINED

            “The ability to endure hardship or inconvenience without complaint.”

          B. PASTOR PHIL’S DEFINITION

          “The ability to have your heart broken and healed by the Master’s Hand and     still be able to love, forgive and restore your perpetrators in the future.”

 

          C. MOTHER'S PATIENT LOVE MIRRORS GOD'S LOVE - Rom. 8:38-39

                        “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor                            principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

                        nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to

                        separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 

2. MOTHER'S LOVE IS KIND

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
          A. KINDNESS DEFINED

          "The quality of being friendly, generous and considerate"

          B. A MOTHER'S KINDNESS

            "Kindness is being able to be irritable and loving in spite of it"

          C. MOTHER'S KINDNESS IS CHRIST-LIKE - Matthew 25:34-36 (NIV)
            ³⁴ "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed

              by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since

              the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something

              to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger

              and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick

              and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

                   

3. MOTHER'S LOVE ISN'T ENVIOUS

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

LOVING WITH MOTHER'S LOVE, cont., p.2

 

          A. MOTHER'S LOVE DOESN'T PROMOTE COMPARISONS

                    ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content

               whatever the circumstances.   Philippians 4:11 (NIV)

          B. DOESN'T COMPARE HERSELF / CHILDREN WITH OTHERS

 

4. MOTHER'S LOVE IS NOT ARROGANT

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
          A. MOTHER'S LOVE ISN'T INSECURE ABOUT HERSELF

            "She doesn't brag about herself or her possessions"

          B. HER LIFE IS MORE THAN POSSESSIONS /ACOMPLISHMENTS

            "Fine feathers don't make a fine bird!"

              "It's not what you have in life, but what has you"

          C. SHE DOESN'T NEED TO BE NOTICED

                    1. Willing to take a back seat

                    2. Content to work behind the scenes

 

5. MOTHER'S LOVE IS NOT RUDE

⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
          A. SHE DOESN'T EMBARRASS HER CHILDREN IN PUBLIC

          B. CORRECTS THEM IN PRIVATE

 

6. MOTHER'S LOVE IS NOT SELFISH

⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
          A. MOTHER'S LOVE FOCUSES AWAY FROM HERSELF

                    1. Thinks less of herself and more of her offspring

                    2. Seeks the good in her kids / Blesses them

          B.

 

7. MOTHER'S LOVE ISN'T QUICK TEMPERED

⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

          A. A MOTHER'S LOVE ISN'T EASILY PROVOKED TO ANGER

          B. PERSEVERING

 

8. MOTHER'S LOVE DOESN'T ARCHIVE YOUR SINS

⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

          A. MOTHER'S LOVE FOGETS OUR SINS

                    ¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot                    and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.   Micah 7:19 (NIV)

          B. MOTHER'S LOVE DOESN'T SYMPATHIZE WITH EVIL

 

 

 

LOVING WITH MOTHER'S LOVE, cont., p.3

 

9. MOTHER'S LOVE WALKS IN TRUTH

⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
          A.

          B.

 

10.  MOTHER'S LOVE PROTECTS

⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
          A. MOTHER'S LOVE IS LIKE A MOMMA BEAR W/HER CUBS

          B.

 

11. MOTHER'S LOVE TRUSTS

⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
          A. MOTHER'S LOVE TRUSTS HER KIDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING

          B. SHE BELIEVES IN HER KIDS

 

12. MOTHER'S LOVE HOPES

⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

          A. MOTHER'S LOVE STAYS POSITIVE IN SPITE OF SITUATIONS

          B. SHE HAS HER HOPE GROUNDED IN THE LORD - Isaiah 40:31

 

13. MOTHER'S LOVE PERSEVERES

⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

          A.

          B.

 

14. MOTHER'S LOVE NEVER FAILS

⁸ Love never fails. . .

          A.

          B.

 

LOVING WITH GOD'S LOVE, TEXT.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8a

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸ Love never fails. . .

 

 

 

A MOTHER'S LOVE IS HOW GOD LOVES YOU

SOMEBODY'S MOTHER

By Mary Dow Brian

 

The woman was old and ragged and gray,
And bent with the chill of a winter's day;
The streets were white with a recent snow,
And the woman's feet with age were slow.

At the crowded crossing she waited long,
Jostled aside by the careless throng
Of human beings who passed her by,
Unheeding the glance of her anxious eye.

Down the street with laughter and shout,
Glad in the freedom of 'school let out,'
Come happy boys, like a flock of sheep,
Hailing the snow piled white and deep;
Past the woman, so old and gray,
Hastened the children on their way.

None offered a helping hand to her,
So weak and timid, afraid to stir,
Lest the carriage wheels or the horses' feet
Should trample her down in the slippery street.

At last came out of the merry troop
The gayest boy of all the group;
He paused beside her and whispered low,
'I'll help you across, if you wish to go.'

Her aged hand on his strong young arm
She placed, and so without hurt or harm
he guided the trembling feet along,
Proud that his own were young and strong;
Then back again to his friends he went,
His young heart happy and well content.

'She's somebody's mother, boys, you know,
For all she's aged, and poor and slow;
And some one, some time, may lend a hand
To help my mother- you understand?-
If ever she's old and poor and gray,
And her own dear boy so far away.'

'Somebody's mother' bowed low her head
In her home that night, and the prayer she said
Was: 'God be kind to that noble boy,
Who is somebody's son and pride and joy.

Mary Dow Brian

 

I recited this one at a poetry declaration contest at my elementary school. I was pretty scary, but I got through it.

Mom loved this poem.   <><<

 

 

 

 

 

LOVING WITH MOTHER'S LOVE

CONCLUDING  ILLUSTRATION

 

The story is told - out of WW 2 and the holocaust that took the lives of millions of people - of Solomon Rosenberg and his family.

Solomon Rosenberg and his wife and their 2 sons and his mother and father were arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp. It was a labor camp, and the rules were simple.

"As long as you can do your work, you are permitted to live. When you become too weak to do your work, then you are exterminated."

Rosenberg watched his mother and father marched off to their deaths, and he knew that next would be his youngest son, David, because David had always been a frail child.

Every evening Rosenberg came back into the barracks after his hours of labor and searched for the faces of his family. When he found them they would huddle together, embrace one another, and thank God for another day of life.

One day Rosenberg came back and didn’t see those familiar faces. He finally discovered his oldest son, Joshua, in a corner, huddled, weeping, and praying. He said,

"Josh, tell me it’s not true."

Joshua turned and said,

"It is true, poppa. Today David was not strong enough to do his work. So they came for him."

"But where is your mother?" asked Mr. Rosenberg.

"Oh poppa," he said, "When they came for David, he was afraid and he cried. Momma said, `There is nothing to be afraid of, David,’ and she took his hand and went with him."