Topical Sermons - What Mothers Deserve

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                        "WHAT MOTHERS DESERVE"


INTRODUCTION

1. Mother’s Day, a national holiday in the USA...
   a. On the second Sunday in May
   b. Honoring mothers

2. Frequently celebrated by...
   a. Flowers, cards, presents, given to mothers
   b. People attending church with their mothers

[How did this holiday come about?  More importantly, what do our mothers
deserve from us, not just on Mother’s Day, but every day?  First, a
little history...]

I. HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY

   A. IT’S ORIGIN...
      1. In 1907, Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia started the campaign to
         honor mothers, two years after her own mother died
      2. In 1910, West Virginia became the first state to recognize
         Mother’s Day
      3. A year later, nearly every state officially marked the day
      4. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson  officially proclaimed
         Mother’s Day a national holiday for the second Sunday of May
      -- J. L. Wilson, Fresh Sermons

   B. IT’S COMMERCIALIZATION...
      1. Anna Jarvis’ accomplishment soon became a bitter disappointment
      2. She became enraged by its commercialization
      3. She filed a lawsuit to stop a Mother’s Day celebration in 1923
      4. She was arrested for disturbing the peace at a war mother’s
         convention where white carnations (her symbol for mothers) were
         being sold to raise money
      5. Her complaint:  “I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not
         profit!”
      -- ibid.

[Today, many mothers are happy to receive flowers, cards, gifts, etc.
But mothers certainly deserve more than that, especially from a biblical
perspective...]

II. WHAT MOTHERS DESERVE

   A. OBEDIENCE...
      1. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this right.” - Ep
         6:1; cf. Col 3:20
      2. As Solomon counseled his son:  “...do not forsake the law of
         your mother” - Pr 1:8
      3. Even Jesus obeyed His mother as He was growing up - Lk 2:51
      4. Of course, this pertains mostly during the period of child
         raising
      -- Do we give our mothers the OBEDIENCE they deserve?

   B. RESPECT...
      1. “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment
         with promise:  that it may be well with you and you may live
         long on the earth.” - Ep 6:2; cf. Exo 20:12
      2. Solomon warned of grave consequences for those who cursed their
         parents - Pr 20:20
      3. A Chinese proverb says, “Respect for one’s parents is the
         highest duty of civil life”
      4. Common decency demands that we respect our parents, especially
         mothers
      -- Do we give our mothers the RESPECT they deserve?

   C. AFFECTION...
      1. Elisha demonstrated the affection properly due parents - 1Ki
         19:20
      2. And why not, when they gave us so much affection as children?
      3. Such affection can be given in words (“I love you, Mom!”),
         hugs, gifts, etc.
      -- Do we give our mothers the AFFECTION they deserve?

   D. WISDOM...
      1. “...a foolish son is the grief of his mother.” - Pr 10:1; cf.
         Pr 17:25
      2. Jesus increased in wisdom as He grew from childhood to
         adulthood - Lk 2:52
      3. Mothers worry enough for their children, we should not give
         them unnecessary grief
      4. Much wisdom can come from the advice mothers themselves give us
      -- Do we give our mothers the WISDOM they deserve?

   E. RIGHTEOUSNESS...
      1. The righteous bring joy and gladness to their parents - Pr
         23:24-25
      2. More important than any other achievement, is that of a
         righteous character
      3. Nothing makes a mother prouder than to have a good (righteous)
         son or daughter
      4. Today, true righteousness comes through faithfully following
         Jesus - cf. Ro 3:21-22
      -- Do we give our mothers the RIGHTEOUSNESS they deserve?

   F. CARE...
      1. Parents, especially widowed mothers, deserve our care - 1Ti
         5:4,8,16; cf. Jm 1:27
      2. Indeed, children are to be their parents’ “social security”
      3. They deserve the best care we can afford to give them
      4. Some may require professional and medical care, but we should
         not simply drop them off at nursing homes just for our
         convenience
      -- Do we give our mothers the CARE they deserve?

CONCLUSION

1. We may choose to give our mothers flowers, cards, gifts on Mother’s
   Day…

2. But every day they rightly deserve our…
   a. Obedience
   b. Respect
   c. Affection
   d. Wisdom
   e. Righteousness
   f. Care

Are we practicing true piety and pure religion by giving our mothers
what they deserve…?
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