“A Mother’s Day Legacy” May 8, 2005
2 Timothy 1:1-8. Pastor Matt
What type of heritage/legacy
must we pass on to our children?
2 Timothy 1:5. I have been
reminded of your sincere faith…
Sincere faith is the goal.
We must leave a legacy of faith in Jesus.
None of the other stuff you teach a kid is as important as sharing
Jesus with them.
Do you know how to share Jesus in a way that a child would understand?
Mark 10: 13-15. People were bringing
little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When
Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom
of God belongs to such as these.
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom
of God like a little child will never enter it."
- Children can accept Jesus because the message is a simple
one
- Children have not been contaminated by the things of this
world that distract them from following Jesus and putting life in his control
Mark 10:17-22. As
Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do
to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one
is good--except God alone. You know the commandments: `Do not murder, do not
commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had
great wealth.
This rich man had been taught, even since he was a young boy
to obey the rules of the Bible, yet, He did not put control of all his life in Jesus’ hands. He was letting money control his life.
It is funny how we can let all kinds of other things control
our life except Jesus because we don’t find anything technically wrong with what we are doing. But it is not true faith, true acceptance of who Jesus is if we are not letting Him control every aspect
of our lives.
Is there something in your life that is more important that
what Jesus is telling you to do?
Are you teaching your kids that things in this life are more
important than following Jesus?
Kids need to see you following Jesus.
The principle is not mother to child as much as it is person
of faith to a person without faith
We must pass on our faith (our belief in Jesus and decision
to follow Him with all our life).
It is our only lasting legacy.
We can only take two things with us when we die. Ourselves,
and those we have helped come to Jesus.
Whose job is it to pass
on this legacy?
2 Timothy 1:6. For this reason
I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Paul encourages Timothy to share what is within him. The Message of Jesus.
Timothy is encouraged
to fan a flame.
What happens when
you fan a flame?
It spreads beyond
your control, it burns uncontrollably in contrast to it burning under your control in a nice neat pile.
We are also encouraged to pass on the message that is within
us.
Matthew 5:14-16. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives
light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine
before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
We have Jesus in us and it does not make sense to not share
Him with others, especially those in our house.
As Christian mothers, as parents, we must teach our children to put their faith in Jesus.
How are we to do this?
Deuteronomy 4:9-10. Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your
eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after
them. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said
to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land
and may teach them to their children."
Remember the times God was real to you and share those times with your children.
Tell them the great
stories of your life when God did amazing things for you.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when
you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind
them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your
gates.
Let the Word of God be a part of everything you do.
Let it be seen. Let it be heard.
Many of us have
the Word within us and it is guiding our lives, and yet it is an unseen force to our children.
Share with them
what Scriptures are effecting how you are making decisions.
Proverbs 22:6. Train a child
in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Take an active role in teaching your child about Jesus as you show them how to put their faith in Him.
Teaching your child
the things of God do not guarantee they will not turn from God.
(Each person reaches
an age when they make their choice to follow or not to follow.)
Not teaching your
child the things of God pretty much guarantees that they will walk away from Him.
This verse means
that if you teach (train) your child, the things of God will always be a part of them.
It will always be there, calling them back.
How can we pass on this
legacy?
Romans 10:17 – Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,
and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
People need to hear the Message that comes through the Word
of God so they can put their faith in Him.
Timothy heard the Message from his mom who heard it from her
mom.
He is now to continue the cycle by sharing the message with
others.
We must be purposeful about not breaking the cycle of sharing
Jesus with others.
Think of how many people down the timeline in the future may
not hear about Jesus if you don’t tell others about Him first.
2 Timothy 1:7. For God did not
give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.
Paul understand human nature and our tendency to be afraid to
share our faith.
Paul knows that Timothy must share his faith with others so
he reminds him that God has already given him everything he needs to share Jesus with someone.
What did God give us so we
can share Jesus with others, especially our children?
1. Power
- You have dynamite within you!
Acts 1:6-8. So when they
met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not
for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
We receive power from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses
It is already in us at the time of conversion. Even a new believer has the ability/power to share Jesus with others
John 14:11-13. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at
least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth,
anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am
going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son
may bring glory to the Father.
2. Love
John 3:16.
Romans 5:8. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.
The entire Gospel
message is love.
Matthew 22: 36-39. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
Jesus replied: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second
is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.'
God is love and
when we love others, we draw them to God.
3. Self-Discipline
To be in control
of your life, your urges, your struggles, your emotions. As a new believer, He
gives you the ability to bring stability into your life.
That does not mean
all the garbage goes away. It only means that now you have the ability to overcome
the garbage and keep it from controlling you.
Why is this important?
Because our life
is part of our testimony. We can’t share Jesus and live purposely in sin.
ILLUSTRATION…
“If a child lives”, from a sermon called The Divine Family
If a child lives with criticism,
HE learns
to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
HE learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
HE learns to
be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
HE learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
HE learns to be
patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
HE learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
HE learns to
appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
HE learns justice.
If a child lives with security, HE learns to have
faith.
If a child lives with approval,
HE learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
HE
learns to find love in the world.
Before we close,
I want to share one last thought on mothers with you.
I believe that mothers
are the most effective people to share Jesus with children.
Why?
A mother has genuine
love for her children.
A mother has spent
her life (sacrificed her life) serving her children
There is no greater
love than a man (mother) laying down his life for another
A mother has to
live a life of self discipline to make things work at home
If we could all
treat the world the way a mother treats a child, great numbers of people would be coming to the Lord.
What does all this mean?
You have the ability/(power)
to make a difference in your life
(to live a holy life,
to start living a life that can be a witness to those around you, especially your children)
and in the lives of
others (to share Jesus). Be a mother to others.
Be a person of faith to a person without faith.
Not everybody had
great mothers but that does not mean that you cannot be a great mother to your children.
Not everybody has
children, but God wants you to share Jesus with others, especially children.
