Are You My Mother?

Well, today I want to speak with you about an aspect of our role as members of the Church of God. I want to speak to you about an aspect of our role as members of the Church of God. Scripture reveals that the true Church of God is that body of believers who have received and are being led by the Holy Spirit.

That is what makes up the Church of God, those individuals. It is a presence of God's Holy Spirit that identifies the Church of God as a unique assembly of people. And that is why we often say that the true Church is a spiritual organism. In the United Church of God, we believe that the mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness and to help reconcile to God such people as are now being called. The Gospel is God's message of how salvation will be brought to mankind, starting with His Church. The Church is known as the First Fruits. It is also the mission of the Church to strengthen, edify, and nurture the children of God in the love and admonition of our Lord Jesus Christ. To be teaching God's Church, teaching His little ones, is exactly what Jesus taught. That is our responsibility as a Church. Now, Scripture reveals that the Church, this body of believers, which includes you and me, the Church plays many roles in fulfilling its mission. Now, when I say many roles, that may cause pause for some of us, but it's as if, for example, although I am a pastor in one role, I have many other roles. I am who I am. I'm a pastor. I'm also a husband, a father, a dad. I'm a grandfather, and a teacher, landscaper. I take her out the trash her. When my daughter was small, I was the great protector because I had pointy shoes, and I could get the insects, squish the insects in the corner of her room. She didn't like doing that part. Now she's doing more squeamish things, I think, that I would care to do. So, I'm one person, but I have many roles. The Church is a body. The Church is a spiritual organism in parallel, in comparison, and it has a variety of roles. These roles are often described in Scripture through figurative language or metaphorically. For example, Jesus speaking about believers in Matthew 5.14, he said, as believers, the Church is the light of the world. The Church is a light of the world. That's a role of the Church. The Church is also the household or family of God. That's what Paul says in Ephesians 2.19. In Ephesians 2.19, the Church is the body of which Christ is the head. The Church is a body. Jesus Christ is a head. Colossians 1.18. 1st Timothy 3.15 says, the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth.

The pillar and ground of the truth. In Paul in Galatians 4.26 said, the Church is the mother of us all.

The Church is the mother of us all. These are different roles. Any of these could become a sermon, any of these roles, and maybe I will do that as years go by. But today, it's the last metaphor that I'd like for us to consider today. The Church is the mother of us all. It's figurative language. This metaphor expresses one of the Church's roles in nurturing God's sons and daughters.

That means that as members of the Church of God, we as individuals and collectively have our part to play in nurturing one another spiritually and sometimes, quite obviously, in other ways as well.

So how do we do that? What does Scripture tell us about our motherly roles, you might say, individually and collectively? And that's what we will attempt to learn and to understand today.

And the title of today's message is, Are You My Mother?

Are you my mother? My granddaughter would hear she'd know that title. It's from one of her little kids' books, but it fits for this sermon today, too. Are you my mother? Let's begin by understanding the meaning of the mother of us all. Let's go to Galatians 4.26. That's where Paul makes this statement. And we have to look at this Scripture and then turn to one in Hebrews as well to get the meaning of the church here. In Galatians 4.26, let's turn there and read what it says. I'm just going to take it out of its context. Its context is another series of sermons as well, but I just want to look at the context of this statement. Galatians 4 verse 26. Here Paul makes a statement. He says, but Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Jerusalem above, which is free, is the mother of us all. Now, if you're reading as I'm reading, we immediately recognize that Paul does not use the word church. He uses the phrase, Jerusalem above. But if you turneth me now, or next, to Hebrews 12.22, turneth me now to Hebrews 12.22, and sometimes these Scriptures, it's here a little and they're a little, we piece things together to get a fuller picture or a little clearer different aspect of understanding. If we next turn to Hebrews 12.22-23, we'll discover that Jerusalem above acts as a synonym, we might say, for describing that spirit-led body of believers, that spirit-led body of believers, called the church. In Hebrews 12.22 and 23, it equates Jerusalem above with the church. And so we read here, verse 22, but you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men, made free. And so, Jerusalem above, to make a simple equation here, it symbolizes and is the church of God. It's a spirit organism. It was established by God. It was not established by men.

Jerusalem above symbolizes the church of God. It is the church of God, which God established through the pouring out of His Holy Spirit on 120 disciples on Pentecost, 31 A.D. And so, in Galatians 4.26, Paul is saying that the church of God is the mother of us all. And so that's where that phrase comes from. A little more background there, but now let's delve a little more deeply. Let's try to get into the meaning of that phrase. How is the church the mother of us all?

For those whom God the Father is calling, and for those who through the process of conversion have received and are being led by God's Holy Spirit, God's Holy Spirit in them, the true church of God does indeed fulfill its role of being a mother. Well, how is that? How so? Well, to answer the how so, we will try to answer two questions. I say try because sometimes there's always more we want to know. But if I leave you more questions, it gives you something to dig into deeper in your own Bible study, perhaps in the week ahead. So we're going to try to answer two questions sufficiently here. One question, question number one, and you might want to jot it down, what lessons about being godly mothers can we draw from the Bible? You see, if we're going to talk about the churches being a mother, let's turn to the Bible and see what the Bible has to say about godly mothers. What lessons about being godly mothers can we draw from the Bible? And then secondly, how can we apply these lessons about mothers into our lives as members of the church? Again, how can we apply these lessons about mothers into our lives as members of the church? Now, these are important questions to consider. They're important questions to consider because when we become members of the true church, that spiritual organism, we individually and collectively, such as a congregation here today, we bear responsibility before God in fulfilling our own part in the roles that the church plays, bears. In this case, if the church is the mother of us all, that means we as part of the church have our motherly roles to be fulfilling as well as followers of Christ. And so that's what we're going to look at now. We need to understand how we can fulfill our own motherly role as members of God's church. So we're going to look at the lessons from godly mothers about godly mothers from the Bible, and then we're going to talk in brief. How can we apply those lessons as members in the church? So let's take it on. Lesson number one. Lesson number one is mothers nurture their children and family. That's the lesson scripture shows us. Mothers nurture their children and family. I'm an old English teacher, an older English teacher. The meanings and the words.

What does the word nurture mean? It may not be a word we use every day. What does nurture mean?

Well, nurture in this sense that we're looking at, it's a verb. That means it's an action verb.

Nurture is a verb and it bears two meanings. The first meaning is that to nurture means to help something or someone to grow, to develop, and to succeed. Again, I'll repeat that. The first meaning of nurture is to help something or someone to grow, to develop, or succeed.

Doesn't that sound like our moms? Second, the second meaning, to nurture means to take care of someone or something that is growing or developing by providing food, protection, a place to live, and grow. That was a long sentence. I'll repeat that. The second meaning, to nurture means to take care of someone or something by providing food, protection, a place to live, and grow. And samiramwepster.com. And so nurturing through words and actions is what we can see here. It's a whole package, behavioral-wise, how one thinks, how one talks, how one behaves. That is all part of the nurturing. Let's look at some examples of nurturing by mothers, by godly mothers. Let's turn to Proverbs chapter 31. Proverbs 31. In Proverbs 31, we read about the famous virtuous wife. Have you ever heard of her?

Perhaps you're married to her.

Boy, nobody picked me up on that one. That was quiet crickets out there. Okay, I'll leave it alone.

Proverbs 31. You know, we often call her the virtuous wife or the virtuous woman, but sometimes we might overlook, and I hope we don't. Yes, she is a virtuous wife, but she's also a virtuous mother. She's a wife and mother, isn't she? Let's note, we're going to pick it up in Proverbs 31. Proverbs 31. In elsewhere, it talks about background verse 10 says, who can find a virtuous wife who worth as far above Ruby's? The heart of her husband safely trusts her, so he will have no lack of gain. She is his help man. She is his better half, as we often say. In verse 25, here's part of what she does, and I'm starting here because we're looking more at her qualities that is exposed here as a mother. Verse 25. Strengthen honor are in her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. Remember, we're speaking now of virtuous wife, virtuous mother.

She watches over the ways of her household. That could mean her just strictly her family, but it probably also includes the servants and others that make up that household. She watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her. And here's what he says, verse 29. He says, many daughters have done well, but you excel them all, he says to his wife. Verse 30, charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, there's the key, fear of the Lord, reverence and reverence for God, submission to God, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates. And so we see here a brief description of this good and godly mother. She nurtures her children and her family, the whole family.

She teaches them wisdom. And yes, she might throw in some street wisdom, but the wisdom here mainly referenced is God's wisdom, the wisdom based on the truth of God's word and God's commandments.

She teaches wisdom and she helps her children to grow and develop and succeed. She's fulfilling that description of nurture from Merriam Webster. She also feeds and clothes and comforts them.

Her nurturing way for us today is an ideal. It's an ideal that most, I think, would describe, well, that's the ideal women should strive for, but I would argue it's an ideal men and women we all should strive for and the very quality she has. Now let's turn to Acts 2 41 and 42. Acts 2 41 42.

Here in this description of the events immediately after that first Pentecost when God poured out His Spirit on the disciples, we find this description in Acts 2 41 42.

And as we read this, if you pay attention to the qualities being expressed, the service, the love, the generosity being expressed, I believe we'll find that there is some nurturing going on.

And what we will find here is that this sort of nurturing, such as what we see expressed by the virtuous wife and mother, we see this similar nurturing has been part of the church since its very inception. Acts 2 41.

And then those who gladly received His word, Peter's word, his sermon, were baptized.

And that day about 3,000 souls were added to them. In verse 42.

Let's look at verse 44, continuing.

They're like a family.

As anyone had need, they shared with those in need. And so continuing daily with one accord in unity, in harmony, that is, in the temple, in breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.

And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

It's a very beautiful description of the first start of God's church, the Church of God.

And this passage displays for us how those who bear, who bore then God's Holy Spirit, were sincerely self-sacrificing. They were sincerely serving one another, encouraging one another, helping one another, nurturing one another.

They bear similar attributes of the virtuous wife and mother of Proverbs 31.

And now let's go to 1 Thessalonians 5. In 1 Thessalonians 5, we hear the words of the Apostle Paul.

1 Thessalonians 5, and we're going to read verses 11 through 18.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 11 through 18, Paul instructs us how we, as members of God's church, must nurture one another, we must nurture one another, especially spiritually speaking.

We nurture each other spiritually, as Paul is going to describe here for us, through mutual encouragement, mutual exhortation, and I would add firmness in love, firmness in love, in humility, and in prayer. Let's see what he says here. Verse 11. Paul says he's speaking to the church, he's speaking to members who have received God's Holy Spirit, those who are also being called of God the Father. He says, verse 11, therefore comfort each other and edify one another just as you also are doing.

He suggests they've been doing it, and he's saying keep doing it now and forever.

And we urge you, brethren, verse 12, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and who admonish you, those who teach them and guide them and direct them, and that you esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. And he adds, Paul adds, he starts adding descriptions of what they should be doing. And as I read this, I'd encourage you to do as I do, look at the verbs, look at the verb choices. These are all, for the most part, action verbs, action verbs. The last sentence of verse 13, Paul says, be at peace among yourselves.

That means have unity and harmony like a family should have. And here we get more action verbs. Verse 14, now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly. And that's where I suggest we have to be firm in God's love. Warn those who are unruly. Comfort the faint-hearted. Uphold the weak.

Be patient with all. And see that no one renders evil for evil. But always, he says, pursue what is good, both for yourselves and for all. Does that sound like nurturing? Continuing verse 16, he says, rejoice always. Action verb. And 17, another action verb, pray without ceasing. And everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God and Christ Jesus for you. And so much of what we read here in these few lines of how we read how Paul is telling us how we need to be nurturing one another, how we need to be promoting spiritual growth and development, how we can help one another in these ways. Now, reading these lines, we just stopped there. We might seem to think that nurturing is just limited to thoughts and words. A good word, exhortation, warning, you know, comfort, uphold, be patient. That sounds rather intangible, doesn't it? Kind of like the abstract terms. But that's not all there is to nurture. There's that other part of nurturing. Remember the definition we had from Miriam Webster? We have to do more than simply think and talk about spiritual things. Let's look at James 2, verse 15 through 17. You see, true nurturing is more than just a good word, a kind word, an encouraging word. True nurturing requires tangible actions, tangible things, material ways and things that are done. For example, how we help our brethren in their need, how we help our brethren in their true need, physical needs, is a measure of our love, of our love for the brethren and God and of our faith in God as well. Let's notice James 2, verse 15 through 17. Here we read, if a brother or a sister, a member of the body, if a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled. Is that nurturing words? Yeah. Is that helpful?

Not when you're cold and shivering and your belly hurts. No.

Depart in peace, be warmed and filled. But James says, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body. What does it profit? What good are your words? Thus also faith by itself, just feeling good thoughts, just feeling good vibes towards one another, that doesn't work.

Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Faith without works is dead.

1 John 3 has a similar message. Let's look there. 1 John 3.

1 John 3. Again, we're talking about the second aspect of nurturing. It comes down to doing concrete things. 1 John 3, 17-18. Here the apostle John writes, but whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need, his brother. Again, he's specifically speaking again to those in the church, but of course we can expand that to our neighbor and who's our neighbor, anyone and everyone is our neighbor.

But whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? John suggests if we bar our hearts and don't help, we don't have God's love. That's the message.

1 My little children, John says, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

He almost becomes a Texan at this point. Do I have your ears?

When it comes to our love and nurture for our brethren, we do not want to be, as they say here in Texas, all hat and no cattle. You ever heard of that?

They look like there's something. They look like a rancher, but they're not. They're just a show.

We don't want to do that when it comes to nurturing our brethren in the church. We must show our love for one another through good thoughts and words without neglecting the good works.

And God is very pleased when he sees our love and good efforts. Let's look at these encouraging words in Hebrews 6, verse 2. You see, the Father knows with his help, and as we're being nurtured by the church, the church is nurturing us in the ways of God, and God's Spirit is working with us and in us, he knows what we're capable of. He just wants us to make the choice to do it, to follow through. And when we do, our Father and Christ, they're both very pleased with our efforts. Hebrews 6, 10 reads, For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown towards his name. We do these names, not for our own glory. It's for the glory of our Father, who is teaching us how to love with that agape love, that godly love. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward his name. In that, as we've shown love for his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and ye do minister.

Again, echoing what Paul said earlier, you're doing these things, keep doing these things.

And so God expects us to always help one another, to always minister or serve one another, his saints. We are saints in God's eyes. We are set apart for a very special purpose.

And so, in application of this lesson, as we are able—and I say that because I recognize that some of us are not as capable and able to do things as others. Some of us still have a lot of good vim and vigor in our lives, and others of us have crested that mountaintop. But a live dog is better than a dead lion. As long as we have life and breath, we can still do something to nurture and help our brethren. As we are able in whatever way we can, we should do our part to nurture one another spiritually. We do that in word, indeed. We can do that through prayer. We can do that through encouragement. We can do it through giving loving guidance and direction to those maybe who are new in the church and the faith. And so, we can ask ourselves, as we have opportunities, do we help our brethren in their need? If we see a need, do we fill a need?

Does someone need a meal? Does someone need help with the meal? They've been sick lately or had a number of folks in the hospital in recent months. And some of you have been very good about providing meals and helping out and driving them around. These are good works that we have been doing. I'm here to encourage us all to keep doing them. And if some of us have missed our opportunities along the way, well, kick yourself in the keister and do it right the next time. Pardon my French.

We have opportunities. If we miss opportunities, we could turn around and try to do it right the next time. That's how we live and learn sometimes. Perhaps for you, sending a kind text. I've learned that some of our our elderly members are very good at text messaging. I've said it before. It's a treat just to get a few emojis every now and then, a smile and some flowers and saying and praying for you. That's great. We all need those sort of things. And so the point is, whatever we are able to do, even if it's only praying, which is the most important thing we can do, whatever we're able to do, we should be doing it because that becomes our part in the body of Christ of nurturing one another, of practicing that motherliness, if you want to call it that, and helping the Church be the mother of us all. Let's talk about the second lesson. Let's talk about lesson number two that we can learn from the godly mothers that are we find described in Scripture.

Lesson number two is that mothers teach their children God's law and way.

Mothers teach their children God's law and way. Scripture makes very clear that God-fearing parents, both mother and father, and we can even extrapolate it outward, grandparents and others who maybe are stepping in the role of a mother and father, they all have very important parts in teaching children, specifically their children, about God's law. In the family, the father and mother, God's view had set up that they were responsible for teaching their children about God. They're responsible for teaching their children God's Ten Commandments, God's eternal law, which are the outline, we might say, the foundation of the way of life that Jesus Christ came and expounded and expanded our understanding of so we can leave and live God's commandments in that broader spiritual sense.

Let's look at Deuteronomy 6-7. If you are an if and when, and are, and intend to be a parent, here's some great instruction in Deuteronomy 6 verse 7, and it pertains to how we are to approach God's law, God's commandments, and in teaching them to our children. It sets the principle, it sets the parameters of how we should be teaching our children. And yes, definitely mothers and fathers, mothers are a part of this. In Deuteronomy 6 verse 7, we find God's instruction through Moses where he declares that parents are responsible for teaching God's commandments to their kids. Verse 7, it says, you shall teach them, referring to the commandments, you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

And so if you study this, there's really no time of the day, except when you're both unconscious, I guess, in sleep, there's really no time of the day when you might not be able to say something to help your kids understand God's law. The principle that we see here is that teaching God's law is really to be a natural part of our everyday life. It's really, God's law should be among the topics of our conversation, in our interaction with our children.

It's saying that God in his way of life should just become a normal thing to talk about and to do and to think about in our families. Sometimes we may feel awkward talking about God's way of life. I did when I was first called into the church. It felt awkward, it felt phony, because I never grew up doing that. Now, I'm not saying that I'm a walking sermon and always preaching. Please, believe me, I don't do that.

I wouldn't get away with it if I tried. But the point is, you don't have to be preaching God's words. You have to be living them, because that is also teaching, isn't it? You live by your example. Now, this word diligently says, you shall teach them diligently to your children. The word diligently, again, word meanings here, diligently means to be very conscientious and thorough, to be conscientious and thorough about what you're doing.

The Amplified Bible states that diligently means, quote, impressing God's precepts on your children's minds and penetrating their hearts with his truths. So it means you really, there are times when you really make your, you want to have your children focus on what they should be doing, what God says they should be doing. And frankly, if you're trying to teach your children God's commandments, and you yourself are not keeping them, one, shame on you, two, your kids are going to rat you out.

Your kids will know when you're not doing something right. And out of the out of the mouths of babes, we, as grownups, can often be taught some things about God's way of life, too. So our careful instruction then requires that parents themselves know and understands God's law in ways. In my experience, the more I tried to teach my children about God's laws, the more I found I had to do a better job of keeping them myself.

And isn't that a wonderful thing? You see, parents are also children, are we not? We are God's children. Is there a time when we should stop learning about God's commandments?

I should hope not. I haven't arrived there yet, and I don't think I probably will in this lifetime, but I'm going to keep at it. Let's look at Proverbs 1, 8 through 9 as well. Proverbs 1, 8 through 9. Here again, Scripture emphasizes how both how, yes, the mother is responsible for teaching, but she's right there with the father. Proverbs 1, verse 8 through 9. Here we find, emphasize how both the father and the mother are expected to teach their children.

They're expected to both be involved in teaching their children God's law in ways.

And here we have a father in the monologue here. The speaker is a father talking to his son, who's about ready to leave home, is what the context is about. And so the father is telling his son, verse 8, he says, My son, hear the instruction of your father. Here the word instruction means discipline or the admonition. Pay attention to what I'm telling you and what I have always taught you. And he says, And do not forsake the law of your mother.

The Hebrew word there for law is Torah, T-O-R-A-H. And it can mean, yes, the five books of the Pentateuch, but more broadly speaking, it can mean instruction, simply instruction, both human or divine. And of course, I think we would see that it's emphasizing, especially God's law, God's divine instruction. And so he says, Hear the instruction of your father. Do not forsake the law of your mother, for they will be a graceful ornament on your head and chains about your neck.

Now, chains about your neck here does not mean chains of a bondage of restriction. These chains are the chains of adornment. These are chains of beauty. These are chains that enhance your beauty, how people see you. It's honorific. These are good ornaments. These are good things that you want to put about your neck. In other words, you want to make these a very part of your life. And everything you do, you're going in and you're going out, you have the law of your instruction of your father and the law of your mother. It is in you and with you. And so teaching and learning God's instruction, we find from Scripture, it's meant to be a wonderful and beneficial thing, both for parents and for children. It should not be seen as a chore. It may seem like a chore if you've never done it before, but once you get going, it becomes a true joy because God helps you.

Paul attests to the spiritual influence of a mother's teaching. Let's look at 2 Timothy 1, 3 through 5. 2 Timothy 1, 3 through 5. And while I'm speaking, think about, I understand that maybe we didn't always have the best upbringing ourselves, not all of us. And maybe we wished now that our mothers or dads would have done more for us, but it is what it is. God has called us now to do something better, and we can have our chance to do it better in our families, even as parents or grandparents. Let's notice what Paul says in 2 Timothy 1, verse 3 through 5. Paul says, I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience as my forefathers did, Paul says, as without ceasing I remember you, Timothy, in my prayers night and day. Timothy, I greatly desire to see you being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy. Paul had a strong bond. Timothy was like a son to Paul. And he says, verse 5, in my eyes filled with joy, when I called a remembrance the genuine faith that is in you. Which faith dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice? And Paul says, I am persuaded is in you also. So Paul's, he knew Timothy's mom and grandma, and he says their faith is in you. They had a powerful influence in your life, Timothy.

And later in 2 Timothy 3, 2 Timothy 3, 14, 15, Paul again alludes to the influence of Timothy's family and the influence in his childhood. As we read between the lines, they had a big part in teaching him the scriptures. 2 Timothy 3, 14, Paul says, But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, Timothy, knowing from whom you have learned them, learned them, and that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Jesus Christ. And so again, this allusion to his childhood and how he was taught scripture as a child, well, that seems to connect directly to the influence of his mother and grandmother. And that's very encouraging because how many grandmothers and mothers in this room have done the same thing for their children? Some of you, I'm looking at your educators. What great influence you've had in the lives of the children you taught, whether even if you're just teaching piano or something like that, or teaching them how to garden or how to fix fence. You're doing something. You see, our teaching is just not by words.

Teaching is by our example. Teaching is by what we do and what we don't do. And so there are many other places we can turn to to see the importance of a mother's instruction, and Paul can help, and the scripture can't help himself, I should say, it can't help itself in bringing in that it's the father's help part two. It should not fall upon the mother alone or upon the father alone in a family who attends or both parents are members of God's church. It should not fall upon one parent. Both parents should be highly involved in that. And so application is just as a faithful God-fearing mother instructs her children in the ways of God, so does the church of God. So must the church of God support and instruct those whom God is calling. The church is mother of us all. We're part of that church. We also have a motherly role in that. Again, you may not be a parent. You may not have children. You may be too young to have children. And don't even think about getting married until you get some things done first, right? I'm speaking as a parent. But we all have a part, even at our young age, in learning about God's way of life. We have some of us can directly teach children. Some of us are going to be staff members at camp. I've seen a lot of applications and given my recommendations, we have young people and older people. They're going to be involved in camp this year as staff members. They're going to be involved as teaching. That's a direct impact in the lives of young people. Others of us are not going to camp, but we can have an indirect impact by just how we live our lives. The example we set, how they see us behave during services, how they see us behave outside of services can be even a better example for them.

And so, ourselves, to teach God's law and way of life, we have to keep learning about God ourselves, don't we? There is always more to learn about God's way. And as a final point here, as far as application, as we ourselves are God's children and as we ourselves are motherly, or motherly, we have our motherly role in the church, we need to ask ourselves, do we talk about God's way among ourselves freely? Or do we hold back? Do we kind of feel uncomfortable talking about God in our fellowship? And not just during services or after services, but every day in our lives. Are we comfortable with having God in our lives? Are we comfortable talking about God with others? Because that is an example we set. And so, that's the application for lesson two. Lesson number three. Lesson number three. Mothers love their children and make sacrifices for their benefit. Mothers love their children and make sacrifices for their benefit.

It's back in Exodus chapter two, verse one through ten. In Exodus chapter two, verse one through ten, that we find the example of a mother's love and self-sacrifice for her baby, that her beautiful little baby might live and thrive. This woman, by the name of Jokabed, lived in a time when Pharaoh had decreed that the infant sons of the Hebrews must be killed. There are getting to be too many of the Hebrews, the children of Israel. In response, Jokabed, and that's the name of Moses' mother, you can look it up in Exodus 6, 20, Jokabed, the mother of this beautiful baby boy, she risked her life. For three months, she risked her life by hiding her son away from Pharaoh's soldiers, from the authorities that would have stolen her baby and killed him. And that put her own life at risk.

And then we are told, verse three, that when she can no longer hide him, she entrusted him to God's care. And so she made a basket and waterproofed it, and then set him in the basket amidst the reeds of the Nile River. She had done all she could to save him, and now she's trying to hide him. Perhaps it seems out in the reeds, with her daughter watching from a distance to see what had happened. She couldn't stay there. Her life would be at risk, just wandering around by the river for no reason. Now, amazingly, her son's life was spared. Her little baby, her baby son's life was spared when Pharaoh's daughter looked upon this beautiful baby boy. They opened the basket, and here was this beautiful baby boy. And Pharaoh's daughter, this daughter of Pharaoh who wanted to kill the babies, she had compassion for this little baby, and she chose to rear him as her own son, and named him. She named him Moses. And then, of course, we read how in verse 9, the Jokabeds' little girl talked to Pharaoh's daughter and said, do you want me to find someone to nurse the baby for you? And she said yes. And she went and got her mother, the baby's mother, and brought her to nurse the baby. Now, can you imagine how Jokabed may have felt? Is my daughter telling the truth? Here I'm going to see the daughter of Pharaoh, and it's Pharaoh who wants to kill my baby. You suppose she had a little concern, perhaps? Hesitancy? You see, she had done all she could to save her baby. She had made all the sacrifices she could, such love, this shows the self-sacrifice that is there in a mother's love for her child. And yet, God intervened. He seemed to have been pleased with her, and He intervened and did something she could not do for herself. Her love and sacrifice should also remind us of the Father's love, of God the Father's love and sacrifice of His precious Son, Jesus Christ, for all of us.

Love and sacrifice, it seems to go together with the way of God. Let's turn again to 1 Thessalonians 2. Again, we're going to read from Paul in his letter to the Brethren in Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 2, verse 4 through 12.

Now, I think you would agree with me, would you not, that Paul was a man, and he was not a mother.

He was not a mother. And yet, what we find here is that Paul expressed his love for the Brethren in how he lived his life among them and how he taught them the gospel in a humble and self-sacrificing way. Paul himself said his approach was motherly. He loved them like a mother.

Let's look at verse 4. That's how he described his and his fellow laborers' approach towards them.

Verse 4, But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so as a member of the church, he had been tasked with teaching, preaching the gospel, and he's approaching these Brethren in a motherly fashion, verifying that the church is like a mother.

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so, we speak not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. They're pleasing God. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor did we use our words as a cloak for covenants-ness. God is witness.

In order did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. They could have lorded it over them and lived like kings, but they did not. Verse 7, but see, we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. The Apostle Paul loved his brethren like a mother who nurses her baby.

And here we find that aspect again as the church is being our mother. Paul and others treated the brethren as a mother with her own children. And Paul's definitely reflecting the role of the church as the mother of us all. And then if you continue on in verse 8, he says, so affectionately, longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our lives, because you had become dear to us. So he's expressed his love, and now he's reminding them of how he and they sacrificed themselves. That's a motherly trait we've seen. For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil, for laboring night and day. All sounds like the virtuous mother of Proverbs 31. We labored night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. We preached to you the gospel of God, and you are witnesses. You are witnesses, and God also how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe, as you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his own children. That you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. And so Paul explains that he did love them with the love of God, and he made many sacrifices because of his love. That's part of his calling. That's part of the teaching and preaching. That's part of living God's way of life and showing the way to salvation. Paul loved his brethren like a loving mother and a loving father, and especially in a way that is similar to how Christ gave his life and how Christ loved and loves the church.

And so as members of the Church of God, the mother of us all, and as brethren, the lesson becomes clearer and clearer as we go along that we must love one another and also be willing to make sacrifices, both small and big, in how we serve one another, how we help one another.

With faith in God and commitment to his way of life, we must keep sharing and giving of our time. I know we're doing it. By encouraging us not to weary of doing good. Some of us have been serving a long time, and I've seen it, and I know your sacrifice, and I'm very pleased and we're all pleased with what we see one another doing. But as Paul exhorts it, then we can take the exhortment, the exhortation exhortment, the exhortation now, to keep living this way of life, to keep serving.

We have to keep giving of our time. We have to keep giving of our goods and our wealth, perhaps.

We have to keep giving of our service. And as Paul and others, we need to give of our very selves.

Not for the benefit of the glory of our name or our fame, but for the edification and benefit of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Now, at times, because I hear this, at times we may feel useless. Some of you have told me that. At times we may feel useless and absolutely unable to help others in any way. And people ask me, why has God let this happen to me? I can't do anything anymore. And I always wince when I hear that. And maybe you do, too.

Because there is something we can do. We may feel useless and unable to help others in any way, but that is not so. I do not believe that is so. A simple touch on the shoulder, I find, is very encouraging to me. And I think it's very encouraging to some of you. Just a touch on the shoulder. Don't have to say anything just as you walk by. You remember who used to do that?

Jim's mother, Pat Stewart. And that made me feel like a million bucks when she did that. Even in the years when she could hardly do anything those final months, she'd still look at me and...

That was great! It was very edifying, very motherly, and very nurturing. We can give a squeeze of the hand. You might not be able to lift weight, but you can give a squeeze of the hand. You can give a loving smile, a kind word. And you can give a loving prayer. And loving prayers are far more powerful and helpful, I think, than we might ever know in this lifetime. Do not underestimate the power of a sincere prayer from a child of God in whom God's Spirit dwells. Even from one whom God is calling who's coming into the faith. Those prayers are extremely powerful, I believe, and God loves them. And God will answer according to His will, according to His way and time. However, we are able, we can love, and we can make sacrifices for our brethren. And yes, I do believe that we can and must show love... we must love one another with a godly and motherly love. And so today we've been looking, considering the role of the Church as our mother.

So I had that silly title to my sermon. Are you my mother? Literally, biologically, I can assure you...

I'm looking at Jim Stewart and others. No, you're not. You're not my mother. None of you are my mother, literally or biologically speaking. No, you're not. But if we have received and are being led by God's Holy Spirit, then we are members of the body of Christ. We are members of that spiritual organism of the Church of God. Then we are, figuratively speaking, mothers in the Church, Church's mother of us all. And so individually and collectively, we each have our motherly part to play in fulfillment of the Church's role. As members of God's Church, we must do our part. We must be nurturing one another in God's way. We must be teaching and living God's law and way of life.

And we can nurture by loving one another and making sacrifices for the benefit of one another.

So are you my mother? As odd as that may seem, in our ears, if God's Spirit is in you, dwells in you, figuratively, metaphorically, yes, you are my mother. And I, I am your mother. That sounds weird.

But figuratively, it seems to be what we can say with some confidence. But that's not the last question I want us to think about. This one's very important. You see, those questions, this understanding leads us to an even more important question that we each must ask ourselves.

And here's the question. Am I behaving like your mother, the Church of God, the mother of us all?

Ask yourself that. Am I behaving like your mother, the Church of God, the mother of us all?

Brother Knight encourages us to think on that question, especially now as the Feast of Pentecost draws near.