Example of a Godly Mother

Luke chapter one verse 28. The angel came unto her and said, hail, thou art highly favored. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. When she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

The angel said unto her, fear not Mary. For thou hast found favor with God and behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great and and shall be called the son of the highest. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father, David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom, there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be? Seeing I know not a man. The angel answered and said unto her, the holy ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath conceived a son in her old age.

And this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God, nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word. The angel departed from her.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, we thank you for this beautiful day. We thank you for the day that you have made. We might exalt you. Thank you Lord for this particular day that we remember our mothers here in The United States and we thank you for them.

And for the blessing many have been to us. Lord, I pray that our gratitude would extend past today. We would remember them every day. We would honor them as you have asked us to and as is only right. Lord, we we pray Lord for the mothers that are here today that you would bless each one.

We pray Lord that you would give them wisdom and grace from above as they train their children the way that they should go, the way of the Lord, as they encourage other children, and our godly example for them. We pray Lord if there be one here today that's never trusted Christ as savior that today might be their day of salvation. For it's in Jesus precious name we do pray. Amen. The example of a godly mother we want to look at this morning is is that of Mary as you might have guessed from the passage of scripture that we read.

Mary wasn't perfect nor was she sinless nor is she to be worshiped as someone have us to believe But she was God's choice. His chosen vessel to carry, give birth to, and rear the son of God. What a privilege. What a blessing. What a grace that he did bestow upon her that she acknowledges here in this passage.

Not that she earned it or that she deserved it but God and his grace chose her and she received and accepted this grace and blessing. She is a shining example in scripture of the vital and glorious ministry of motherhood and one which should not be ignored. The relationship which she shared with her son, Jesus, is worthy of our examination this morning as we remember our mothers and the mothers of our children. The first thing I want us to see this morning is this, she was a lady of faith and submission. A lady of faith and submission.

When the course course was laid out for her here, In Luke chapter one, when the angel came unto her and told her what God had chosen for her. She humbly in faith received. That ministry. She accepted God's calling upon her life. The great responsibility of being the mother.

Of the son of God. In verse eight, verse 38, she said, behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word and the angel departed from her. It wasn't just the word of an angel. It was the word of God.

The angel was simply the messenger. Today, we hold in our hands and we preach from this morning the word of God. The pages are just the messenger and the prophets depend the words. They are indeed the words of God and they deserve our faith and our obedience and our submission because as we believe and trust in them and follow them, we are believing and trusting in the God who wrote them. The God who made us and the God who sent his son here to die for us.

We see in Mary, a great lady of faith who received the word of God in faith. Believe that God could do the impossible. For with God as the angel said, all things are possible. In verse 45, Elizabeth said this of her in verse 45, it says, blessed is she that believed. For there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Mary believed God and his word and so was blessed by the performance of God's will in her life. Just as he had said. The problem is not many times in our life with the power of God. God is able. He, his hand is not shortened.

His ear is not dulled that he cannot hear. The problem is his people often are not people of faith. We don't believe and take him at his word as we should. That goes for every area of life including being parents, mothers, and fathers, raising our children, and the wisdom of the Lord. God indeed has the answers.

We will succeed as Joshua was told in Joshua one eight, if we will keep God's word in our heart and will observe to do according to all that is written therein. God will perform all of his promises. God will keep his word. His word is true. Mary understood that.

She was a woman of faith. She believed his word and he performed just as he said he would. She is not the only mother in scripture that we can see extolled for her faith. A matter of fact, the whole Bible is about faith. From Noah to Abraham Enoch, to Moses, and the prophets, to Jesus, disciples, the gospel is a message of faith and that faith and the example of that faith included many mothers.

Particularly in the line of Jesus Christ. Hold your place in Luke if you would and turn if you would over to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 11, we'll see one of these mothers mentioned Now, for faith, similar to that here of Mary. Through faith also, Sarah, herself, received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful. Who had promised.

Sarah was one of the first of these mothers of faith who God did a miraculous thing through and bringing the seed of the woman into the world who would one day defeat our enemy, the devil, on the cross of Calvary. In her old age, God gave her a son, Isaac. In her old age, God gave Rebecca, Isaac's wife, a son, Jacob. Both of these miraculous births. Of mothers of faith.

Not perfect faith or none of our faith is perfect. God said, if you'll have faith as a a mustard seed and say to this mountain, be removed and it'll be cast into the sea. But it doesn't end there. Follow on down the lineage of Christ, we come to a a woman named Rahab. Rahab was a Gentile woman.

She lived in the city of Jericho. She is introduced to us as Rahab the harlot. But she hid the spies, came to Jericho in faith and she chose to put her faith in the God of Israel and not in the gods of Jericho. And God saved her and her family from the destruction of that city. God showed mercy on the one who had faith.

Not only did he show her mercy but he gave her a husband in Israel named Salmon. I mentioned this last Sunday night. Rahab married Salmon. She became the mother of Boaz. Who married the lady we're studying on Sunday night and that's Ruth, the Moabite.

Ruth became the great grandmother of King David who obviously is in the line of Jesus Christ. These all being mothers of faith who God has chose to record in his word to remind us of the importance of mothers, of their part in the lives of their children, and of faith in him and how he provides, gives grace, direction as we trust in him and in his word. Being a mother worthy of God's praise and blessing comes through faith and submission to the word and to the will of God. If we want God to be exalted in our life and our family, then we must be mothers and fathers and people of faith. As we see with Mary here.

But we also see in Luke chapter one beginning in verse 46, if you'll go back to Luke one, that she was also a mother of faith and praise. A mother of faith and praise. Look if you would in verse 46. And Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoice in God, my savior.

For he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden, for behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things and holy is his name and his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He has showed strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent empty away. He hath hoping or helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy. As he spake to our fathers to Abraham and to his seed forever. Here we see praise on the lips of Mary. Soon to be the mother of Jesus Christ.

Praise that speaks forth and demonstrates her faith in the God who called her to this ministry. And two, the ministry of the son to be born. She magnifies the Lord here. She does not magnify herself. She exalts her savior.

We're not here today to exalt ourselves. We're not here today to be noticed. It's not about me. It's not about you. It's about Jesus.

It's about God our father. We're here to worship him, to lift him up, to exalt his name, for he is worthy to be praised. The life of Mary and the lives of others recorded in scripture, the life of his children today. He has left us here. He has placed us here to bring glory to his name.

So, Mary started out very early in her life ministry Performing that that beautiful task. She rejoice humbly in her savior. Yes, Mary required a savior for Mary was a sinner. Just like us. Bible says, we're all born sinners.

You are born a sinner. The Bible says that if we do not receive Jesus Christ, we do not believe that we are already, the Bible says, condemned. But he that does believe is not condemned. He that believes in the name of the son of God, Jesus Christ. The one born of Mary, the son of man, but also the son of God, who came and died for us.

As Mary needed a savior today, so do you. Have you him by faith? Are you trying to get to heaven by your own good works? Are you trying to get to heaven through baptism? Are you trying to get to heaven through church attendance or membership?

Through being a nice person? The Bible says, for there's none righteous, no, not one. Bible says, for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. You need a savior today. Mary spoke these words to remind us and those listening Israel needed a savior.

She needed a savior. Needed a savior. She rejoice in her savior and in ours. Though he had not yet been born or died on the cross to pay for our sins, he was yet the savior of the world. The Bible says, before the foundation of the world, he was our savior but not revealed to us until God's time.

She was humbled that God had blessed her in such a fashion. She acknowledged the great privilege and responsibility that was hers. She proclaimed his holy name and his enduring mercy. She continued to praise and extol his strength. His exaltation of the weak.

Over the mighty, for he brings low the mighty but exalts the humble. She extolled his provision for the needy. And his remembrances of his promises to Israel. For she was a woman of faith and of praise. She did not lack for words nor was she embarrassed or ashamed of her savior.

Her God or her son to come. She spoke boldly on his behalf and openly of her faith. She knew the scriptures. She had studied them. For she mentioned here many promises found in the Old Testament concerning him.

Particularly, as she concludes, with the promises made to Abraham and to his seed forever. Oh, how this world needs mothers who will lift up their voices joyfully. Sincerely and unashamedly, in praise of their maker, to place in the ears and hearts of their children, the majesty and the mercy of God. How desperately children today need to hear from their mothers and their fathers, the praise of God upon their lips. To plant the word of God.

The love of God the holiness of God in the ears and hearts and minds of their children. In Deuteronomy six, God told Israel to make sure that not only kept the commandments but they taught them to their children. How important ministry that is for moms and dads today. One which sadly is lacking in so many ways in our society and we see the repercussions. If you had a mother that knew the Lord and knew the scriptures and taught you about them, thank the Lord today.

And if you have children, be that mother. For your children need to hear. From the time they're very little, the praises of God. Oh how blessed are those who have mothers, who so acknowledge the Lord and train them To do the same. We see a mother of faith submission.

We see a mother of faith and praise. We see a mother of faith and meditation. Meditation obviously upon the word of God but not upon the word of God only but on the acts of God. Not only should we remember the word of God and hide it in our heart as we should to study it, to meditate upon it day and night, that we might be people of God. Leaders and examples to others as God works, molds us to his word into the image of his son but also to remember those answers to prayer.

The mighty works that we have seen God do in our life. To testify of that as as as Mary did. We see here in Luke chapter two and verse 16. It says, of the shepherds and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph in the bay blind in a manger And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the same which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them.

By the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. She didn't forget. She didn't allow the distractions and the noise and the busyness of life to drown out the miracles of God. What he had brought into her life and what he had done.

As we sometimes do. Look if you would in chapter two and verse 46. Speaking of Jesus after the age of around 12, they'd gone to Jerusalem and they had temporarily lost track of him. He was in the temple. They went back to find him there talking with the priest, debating the scriptures.

It says in verse 46, it came to pass after three days, they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions and all that heard were astonished at his understanding and answers and when they saw him, they were amazed and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou dealt with us? Thus dealt with us. Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. He said unto them, how is it that you sought me? Wished you not that I must be about my father's business?

They understood not the same which he spake unto them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them. But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. See, once again, reminds us, Mary, the things she heard of her son, knowing by faith, him to be the savior and the son of God. She hid those things in her heart.

She may not have understood them completely. But she understood the word that came to her, the son that God had given to her. And who he was. And so she remembered. She blocked them away in her heart.

And she grew in her faith. As a mother. To Jesus Christ. A mother of faith and meditation on the word of God and on the wonderful acts that he had done. All that we would take more time to contemplate, to remember all that God has done in our life.

She is also a mother of faith and action. Turn if you would to John chapter two. John chapter two. A mother of faith in action. Now, Jesus is 30 years old.

He's no longer a little babe in a manger. He's no longer a 12 year old at Jerusalem. Subject to his parents. He is now a 30 year old man. He's just beginning his his earthly ministry.

His mother now having several other children was still as being a faithful mother to them also still involved with him. Still wanting to be part of his his ministry knowing who he was. And in John chapter two, they're all at a wedding. In Cana Of Galilee. And if you look there in verse one, it says, in the third day, there was a marriage of Cana and Cana Of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there and both Jesus was called the disciples to the marriage.

And when they wanted or lacked wine, the mother of Jesus say it unto him, they have no wine. Jesus say it unto her, woman, what have I to do with thee, mine hour? Is not yet come. His mother say it under the servants, whatsoever he say it unto you, do it. We see a mother here believing her son to be the son of God, believing her son to be the Messiah, who's able to do miraculous things, to do the impossible.

Desiring and wanting others to see in her son. Who she knew him to be. As parents, We like to see that too. We want others to see particularly the godly character in our children that God has given to us. Not only out of pride but also as godly parents out of a desire for God to be glorified and magnified in their lives and so, Mary desired this here of her son, Jesus and she prodded him to do a miracle and revealing his power and in meeting a need.

When we first read this here, it sounds in a way in verse four like Jesus may being a little bit disrespectful. You understand the Hebrew here. He isn't really being disrespectful to her at all. He's actually being being kind in the way in which he he speaks to her. He says very very kindly mine hour has not yet come.

That is the hour of what is to become his death on the cross of Calvary. These miracles and his ministry will lead ultimately to his death, burial, and resurrection. At that time had not yet come. But he spoke kindly to his mother and his mother didn't completely give up. She said, humbly to the servant.

She said, whatever he does, do it. And of course, he did. He made turn water into wine that day. The best of the day. As the guest came to find out.

For what God creates is always the best. In our life. And Jesus did a miracle that day. His mother was a part of that as she encouraged him. Good mothers encourage their children in following the Lord and doing the things that God has called them to do.

Sometimes, that means leaving home, going other places, following other dreams. But good mothers and good parents want to see God's will done in the lives of their children. They encourage them in the way of the Lord. They insist them and prod their children on in the way of life, in the works of God. Sometimes, we may call it nagging.

But sometimes either even later in life, we need it. As sons or daughters or or even husbands. Thank the Lord for a mother who nagged me a little, encouraged me. The things I needed to do even when I didn't want to hear it. Who helped me to follow the Lord, go into the ministry to follow the Lord wherever he lead me in the ministry.

Since I graduated from college, I haven't lived within eight hours of my parents and it seems every time I move, I move further away. I thank the Lord for my parents and and the wonderful relationship I have with them and with my in laws. And I thank the Lord for every day. She wasn't a perfect mother. She may have jumped the gun a bit.

But she had good intentions, a good heart, and she had in mind the best for her child and for the glory of her God. Our parent, our mothers aren't perfect either. I thank the Lord when their intentions, their desires, are with God. She was also a mother of faith and dedication. Look if you would in John chapter 19.

John chapter 19 verse 25 to 27. John chapter 19 verses 25 to 27. Now, Jesus is hanging on that cross. His time has come To die for the sins of the world. I'm not sure how much of this Mary understood when the angel came or when she gave birth to her son or or when she prodded him to do the miracle.

But Jesus knew. And when the time came, even after his disciples had fled, who was there? His mother. Verse 25. Now, there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother.

His mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciples standing by whom he loved. He say it unto his mother, woman, behold thy son. Then he say it to the disciple, behold thy mother. From that hour, that disciple took her.

Under his own home. It may have been by this time that that Joseph had passed away. We don't read about him here. At the cross there was Mary, his mother once again. She stuck by her son.

She never lost faith in him. She was there. In the painful times as well. As in the good. She was not ashamed to stand there at his cross.

As he hung there humiliated before the world. For our sins. She stood there by him. And he stood by her. And he saw that she was well taken care of By John, his beloved disciple The Bible says in Proverbs eighteen twenty four, there is a friend that stick close than a brother.

Ultimately, that friend is Jesus Christ who gave his life for us and for his mother that day but we also see that quality in Mary. For she was that friend to him. She was that mother. Who stood by her son, who did not lose faith in him, nor in his God. And I'm thankful for parents who have stuck by me.

I haven't always been the model son. They have in many ways been very close to model parents. And they have stuck by me. Thank the Lord. You have parents who have stuck with you.

They may not always have been able to condone everything that you do. They may have times had to rebuke you. Point out things even as adults. That need to change in your life but if they love you, they care for you, they've stuck by you. Don't forget them.

Don't don't turn away from their love and mercy and advice. Honor them. Particularly your mothers today faithful as Mary was As faithful as we should be to our children. We have a responsibility to them. Not only as they're young but also when they're older.

For they are a precious gift and treasure. That God has given to us. And finally, in Acts chapter one, just a few more pages over. If you look in verse 14, after Jesus ascended back to heaven, the disciples and others were gathered together in the upper room awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit. I want you to notice here in chapter one of Acts in verse 14.

It says, these all continued with one accord in prayer and in supplication. With the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, with his brother. Who was there once again? With his disciples? And with his brothers who would now impart not only to obviously the testimony of the resurrected Christ come to believe in him as Lord but I'm sure also as a result of the testimony of their mother.

Jude, James became the writers of two of our New Testament scriptures. Brothers of Jesus sons of Mary. What a testimony as we see her here once again. Standing for Jesus Christ, standing for the faith even after her son has left her home. To go back to be at home with his father.

We see a mother of faithfulness to the Lord. More than anything else, God is looking for faithful mothers. Faithful not only in their ministry to mothers, mothers to their children but faithful to the Lord. Faithful to his calling. If we are to be proper parents and godly parents and example, and first of all, we have to come to know the Lord as savior.

For without him, we are nothing and can do nothing. Particularly, in ministry to others and to bring glory to our God and also without people of faith, faithfulness to the Lord. Growing in the Lord, we will not be all that we should be for him. Thank all the mothers that are here with us today and I pray that God will help you to be mothers of faith and fathers of faith, children of faith, and that is we grow in the Lord this year as we continue on. We remember the mothers that God have given us that we would learn from their example.

That we would grow and be bring great glory to our God. If you're here today and you're not saved as we give a hymn of invitation a moment, I pray that you'd come. What a wonderful day to give your heart to the Lord. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord.

For your word and for the example of Mary, we pray Lord, as we sing this song hymn of invitation, we would take moment, Lord. To remember and thank you for the parents you've given us, for the mothers that we have. They're still with us to say a little prayer for them, to honor them this day and every day. Lord, to be the kind of mother and father that you want us to be. That others can look up to us and follow in our example of faith.

We pray Lord if there's one here that's unsaved, they'll come as we give the hymn of invitation today in Jesus name. Amen.