North Windsor Baptist
Special Sermon
Sunday,
June 22, 2003
On
Mother's Day 2003, (May 11), our Sunday School put together a list of things
that Moms do for us. As the list got longer, it suddenly occurred to me as the
Pastor that I could demonstrate from the Scriptures how God, our heavenly parent,
does all of these things for us today. I furiously scribbled down the nineteen
items. They are all listed for you below in the left hand column. In the right
hand column are listed the Scripture reference relating how God does this for
us. I delivered these references to the congregation in my June 22, 2003 sermon
entitled "Image Making: A Mother's Day Reprise". My Scripture for
the service was from Gen. 1: 26, 27, where God states that He is going to make
humankind in His image. As this list amply demonstrates, when we carry on as
caring parents we are indeed following in God's image.
A note about item # 2. The compiler of the list
misspelled the word discipline in item # 1. The error was pointed out by one
of the mothers in the congregation. This led to item # 2 being proposed. As
it turns out Dan. 5:5 provides one of the most famous stories of all in the
Scriptures, where God does not hesitate for one moment to spell out for everyone
to see what are the consequences of our actions. It is in that spirit of interpretation
we present this list for your encouragement and inspiration. May it be of some
help to you, and may God richly bless you through the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ in these days ahead.
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1
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Disciplines us | 1 Corinthians 11: 29-32 | "For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." |
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2
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helps you spell | Daniel 5:5 | "Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote." |
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3
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get dressed | Ephesians 6:13-17 | "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." |
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4
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makes food | John 6:30, 31 | "So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" |
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5
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washes clothes | 2 Kings 5:8-10,14 | "When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. " |
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6
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creative | Genesis 1:1 Psalm 95:3-5 |
"In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth. " |
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7
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fixes boo boos | Matthew 14:14 | "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." |
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8
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pray for you | Romans 8:34, 26 | "Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." |
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9
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janitor | Isaiah 1:16 | "wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong," |
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10
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homework | 1 Peter 1:10-12 | "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things." |
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11
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play with us | Psalm 126:1-3 | "When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." |
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12
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read to you | Revelation 1:10,11 | "On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." |
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13
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taxi driver | Acts 8:39, 40 | "When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." |
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14
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they love you | Nehemiah 9:17 | "They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them," |
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15
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they hug you | Psalm 125:2 Isaiah 12:1 |
"As the mountains
surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
" "In that day you will say:"I will praise you, O LORD . Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me."' |
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16
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they sing to you | Luke 2:13,14 Job 38:7 |
"Suddenly a great company
of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
' "while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" |
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17
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Doctor Mom | Matthew 8:16,17 | "When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."' |
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18
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listen to us | Daniel 9:20-23 | "While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision": |
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19
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outside work* | John 10:16 | "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. " |