I want you to think with me a moment about the motherhood of God.
The motherhood of God. In this era of gender studies and moreover in this climate of gender
confusion, gender confusion in the culture writ large, gender confusion in our body politic,
among our young people and now sadly in the church. It becomes me from the outset of this
message to must need strike this disclaimer. I start this message with this disclaimer.
There is no androgyny in God's person, in God's character, in God's nature, nor in God's attributes,
to make the claim that we may infer or confer the assignation that God may be referred to as
He or She. God the Father must never be referred to as Mother. That is an affront, born of ignorance
that is perilously close to blasphemy. However, the closest thing we have on earth to the love of
God is the love of a mother. And even that in its best and rarest form is only a mirror,
a faint reflection. Mother's Day holds a special place in our hearts as it provides us with a
designated time to express our love and gratitude to the incredible women who have nurtured and cared
for us as those sent to us to give us birth from God. For most of us, it is a day of gifts and
flowers and brunch and family while many others of us long for the touch of a vanished hand. Many
of us listen for the sound of a voice that is now still. Nevertheless, all of us pause and recognize
the selflessness, sacrifices, and unwavering love that mothers have consistently bestowed upon us
whether they are alive or sleeping in their grave. Throughout the Bible, we witness countless
examples of mothers displaying unwavering faith, resilience, and tenderness mirroring the qualities
of our Heavenly Father. Women like Yosha Baird, who was the mother of Moses. Women like Hannah,
the mother of Samuel. Or a woman like Elizabeth who in her old age gave birth to John the Baptist.
Or Mary, the mother of Jesus. Brothers and sisters, these remarkable women are examples,
each of them are examples. And that of our own mother who sleeps or is alive with us today.
We celebrate and honor the remarkable gift of mothers recognizing that these vessels through
which God's love has been made manifest points us to a larger love that a mother,
our father, earthly could never have. In our text, Israel has been severely punished by God
for their sins of idolatry. Her cities have been ransacked. The temple has been ruined. And the
people have been led away as captives. In chapter 49 of Isaiah, God promises to turn the captivity
of his people, to bring them home and to nurture them and to call them again to be his children.
When God makes this announcement, he says that all nature, all creation are the rejoice. Heavens
are the rejoice. The mountains are the rejoice. Everything that God creates in verse 13,
God says everything ought to clap your hands. Everything ought to open your mouth. Everything
ought to raise hands and give thanks to God because God is about to turn it around. Then in
chapter, in verse 14 of that same chapter, the people of Israel can't believe it. They said,
Zion says, the Lord has forsaken us. The Lord has forgotten us. In Israel's mind,
they had been abandoned and ignored by the Lord. Their notion had been that God had turned
his back on them. Their nation had been destroyed. Their capital, Jerusalem, lays in ruins. The
temple has been utterly demolished and they themselves were a laughing stock. They were a
proverb. They were a byword in history. They were a broken people because the God who brought them
seems to be the God who has abandoned them. But God speaks to them in these verses and lets them
know that he has not forsaken them. He has not abandoned them. Brothers and sisters, even the
strongest faithful in this church this morning, even the strongest faithful listening to us online
this morning may not ever verbalize it. You may not ever acknowledge it because it is large,
deep in your spirit. But there have been times in your life and in mine when we feel abandoned
and forgotten by God. Old slave ancestors had this angst when they said, I am a poor pilgrim of
sorrow cast out in this world to roam. No hope have I for tomorrow. I'm trying to make heaven my
home. Sometimes I'm tossed and driven and sometimes I don't know which way to roam but I've heard
of a city called heaven and I've decided to make it my home. These verses are designed to teach us
that in God's heart we are unforgettable. There are some people you were raised with that you got to
scratch your head to remember their names when you see them again because time has passed and their
memory has been erased and when you see them you are hoping that you just say hi and keep walking.
People come up to me all the time and said what's my name and I said honey I'm trying to remember
what I had for breakfast this morning. You'll understand it better by and by. Memories fade.
There are people you used to date and you went to the prom within high school and you signed that
year book yours forever. Ten years later you said thank you Jesus. I've been delivered.
Memories fade. People come in our lives and go out of our lives. Circumstances and situations
happen in our lives and sometimes it looks like God is not listening to us pray. I need somebody
here who can help me testify that you've had some dry spells some some arid dark seasons in your
prayer life when you look for God to the right and God was not there. You look for God in your
situation and God seemed not to even care about what was going on in your life but you may not see
him. But the testimony this morning is he sees you. Where can I go from your spirit? I wish I had
a Bible reader. Where can I flee from your presence if I sinned in the heaven? You're there. If I make
my bed in hell you're there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of
the earth even there shall your hand hold me. God has not forgotten you. You might be in the house
by yourself but you're not alone. I ought to have eight or nine witnesses in here
who just start shouting by yourself. Nobody in the room but you. Nobody in the car but you
and you start thinking about how good God has been and then you thought about the times when
it seemed that God was far off and there were days when you couldn't see him but but but let me give
you a hint to shout here. Look at your side passenger mirror and on the bottom of that side
passenger mirror is a writing that says objects are larger than they appear.
God may look like he's far away but he's larger than he appears because the wreck you could have had
God let you go around another way. The devil that could have destroyed you it was God that got
in the way and blocked that weapon that was formed against you. Is there anybody here that
can help me testify? No weapon. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I want to I want to help somebody.
I want to help somebody before I get to the meat of this little message. I'm gonna be through it
in a minute. It's about to rain and you want to take your mama out to brunch and and all of that.
My mama not here. We're gonna be here till 3 30. Let me let me let me help somebody here
who's kind of timid about shout you you too cool to shout you too reserved to give God glory.
In second Kings Elisha died and they buried his body in a tomb
and while they were burying him another young man died watch this and they were going to the tomb
to bury him and since Elijah's Elisha's tomb was already open they put the dead young man
in Elisha's tomb read it in second Kings chapter 12 and when they put that dead young man in the
old man Elisha's tomb he came back to life again. If you dead this morning you need to sit by somebody
who's on fire for the Lord you need to sit by somebody who know God is a deliverer and God
is a keeper and God is a provider and if you can't shout just touch them and they will get you hot
and excited and you will recognize that the same God who brought them.
I don't I don't know how you can think about God's goodness and not open your mouth.
I don't know how you can think about God's grace you got a job tomorrow tomorrow not because you're
so smart these people smarter than you that's unemployed God provided for you.
Let me hurry.
Like a mother a mirror a mother is a mirror a reflection a faint reflection of what God's love
is what what a mother is God is infinitely but the closest thing we have on earth to it is the love
of a mother. My father prayed for us he would call everyone of our names and tell God where we lived
as if God did not know our address but he called everyone of our names and tell God where we live
and then my mother when she got too old to get on her knees would sit on the side of the bed
and rub her knees praying God if I'm not around let somebody's heart be tender towards my children
if I'm not here let somebody be kind towards my children and and every time somebody shows me a
kindness my mother's face comes in my mind because she prayed for me I'm a Christian today because
somebody prayed for me I'm in the house of God this morning because somebody prayed for me
I'm glad my mama didn't abort me
I'm glad she didn't get rid of me I'm glad she didn't leave me out there by myself I'm glad she
taught me how to say yes ma'am I'm glad she taught me manners and respect for my elders I'm glad she
made me go to church I'm glad she made me read the Bible I'm preaching the Bible today
because somebody prayed for me
if I could hear my mother pray again
if I could hear her tend to voice as being how happy I would be it would mean so much to me
if I could hear my mother pray again she used to pray that I on Jesus would rely
and always walk the shining gospel way still trusting in the Lord and according to his word
I'll see my loving mother some sweet day but in the meantime I've got somebody who loves me
more than my mother ever could somebody who loves me more than my father ever could and here
is how my mother wished she could love me the way God loved me
God's love is unconditional
unconditional I didn't have to do anything for God to love me
somebody should have shouted right there I didn't have to know anything
for God to love me I didn't have to have anything
for God to love me I didn't have to be anything for God to love me God just loved me
He formed me in my mother's womb
and I am fearfully and wonderfully made
before I was born he knew my inward part
somebody ought to help me preach it and everybody in this church today everybody in the world
today God let you be born to fulfill a divine purpose
and you know what your purpose is to glorify God
you glorify God by being a school teacher you glorify God by picking up trash you glorify God
by cutting grass you glorify God by just being a housewife you glorify God by being a bank teller
you glorify God by stocking groceries at HEB you glorify God by working at the post office
you glorify God by being an accountant a doctor a lawyer whatever your chosen profession do it to
the glory of God and then come back to church on Sunday and thank God you could do it in the first
place
because he loves you unconditionally
there's no restriction thank you thank you thank you you don't have to be six three
tall dark and handsome
you don't have to work you don't have to have a job you don't have to be cute you don't have to be pretty
you don't have to be intelligent you don't need a phd god just loves you for you
unconditionally thank you thank you you don't have to be good then be safe
because there's none righteous no not one the same Isaiah said our righteousness is as filthy
rags everything we try to do is tainted by sin because we put our hands on it God just accepts
it through the blood of Jesus and we don't come to God bringing anything that God accepts we come
because we are accepted in the beloved
God loves me unconditionally
but not only that God loves me sacrificially
he became sin for us who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness
of God in him we are sinners born from our mother's womb I was born insane
shame and iniquity in sin that my mother conceived me all I know how to do is sin
I don't care how pretty that little baby is you having your arms right now he's a crook
she's a liar from the beginning
somebody ought to help me preach it this moment because before they can speak
they can lie before they can talk they can dance
before they know anything about any moral clarity they will steal something and put it behind their
back nobody taught them how to do that they are just no good from the beginning because they got it
from their mama
no they got it from their no good daddy
we need to hear this this morning brothers and sisters there's nothing you can bring to God
to win his favor
come on come on before my parents met each other God had already decided to redeem me
and so before I accepted his finished work on the cross he had already accomplished it
because Jesus was the lamb slain before the foundation of the work
so before I even sinned God had already provided a remedy
and so this morning I give God glory because the sacrifice needed to save me from my sins
he took care of it on the cross and so that's why I get up every Sunday morning
no I get up every Monday morning every Tuesday morning every Wednesday morning
every Thursday morning every Friday morning every Saturday morning but especially on Sunday
morning I get up and come to the house that God has designated to meet his people to tell God
publicly because I've already told him privately thank you for your blood thank you for the sacrifice
thank you for the lamb that went to the cross and died in my place and I come here on purpose
this morning to shout and give you thanks and praise because you delivered me from the bonds of sin
and death thank you thank you thank you now have you not glad about that you go right back to sleep
I'm not talking to you this gospel can't reach you if the blood of Jesus cannot turn your head and
make you realize how good God is I can pre-sale tomorrow morning it's not going to make any
difference to you but to those of us that the blood works for and to those of us who know that the
blood still works we know that his love was unconditional his love for us is sacrificial
but finally brothers and sisters his love for us is everlasting
the scripture says can a woman forget her nursing child can she forget the child that is born of her
womb that same verse says she may forget but I will never forget you're gonna help me close this
won't you um you remember Andrea Yates over in Frenchwood a few years ago lost her mind
and drowned all five of her children mentally she forgot this young woman named uh Susan Smith
wanted to have a relationship with another man and and drowned her two sons in the back seat of her
car criminally she forgot Andrea Yates forgot insanely Susan Smith forgot criminally but your
mother may have had dementia and she did not know you but you knew her
you remember her sacrifice and although she forgot mentally God never forgets
my mother is gone and the love she had for me lives in my heart but she's sleeping in her grave
she's no longer with me physically and I cannot know her love I cannot know the touch of her hand
I cannot hear the sound of her voice but I got somebody who loves me more than my mother ever
could you're gonna help me close this won't you I got somebody who loves me so much that while I
was yet in my sins he came and died for me I wish I had one or two more business he came and died
in my place the just for the unjust the righteous for the unrighteous and so I come here this morning
on this day that we celebrate those who gave us birth to thank God for somebody else who gave us
birth my mother gave me physical birth but one day down in unit somebody else gave me a spiritual
birth everybody here who's alive had to be born at least one time but if you're gonna see God's
face you've got to be born again and the only way to be born again you've got to be born of the water
and born of the spirit God has to live in your heart God has to take up residence in your spirit
and if God has taken up residence in your spirit this morning don't let anybody embarrass you about
giving God thanks don't let anybody shame you about raising your hands don't let anybody make
you feel bad about giving God glory if God has been good to you if you know that you've been born
again if you know that when this life is over you're gonna see God's face if you know God has
rescued you from the depths of a burning hell if you know God has made you alive by his holy spirit
don't act like you don't know who it was that kept you don't act like you don't know who it was
that brought you it's nobody but Jesus who woke you up this morning gave you the activity of your
limbs you ought to shout because nobody had to dress you nobody had to feed you nobody had to
tell you where you were this morning God woke you in your right mind and you came up to his house
this morning and since you're in the house this morning you might as well tell God thank you
here are one or two things I just expect to see when I go one or two places when I go to
French is I expect to see fried chicken when I go to McDonald's I expect to see a quarter pounder
with cheese when I go to Ross on Neiman Marcus I expect to see clothes hanging on a rack when I
go to Mercedes Greenway I expect to see cars on the lot when I come to church I expect to see people
who have been energized baptized in the Holy Spirit wash in the blood of the Lamb
know you've been redeemed no God has changed you no God has made a way for you God has been a
mother for you God has been a doctor for you God has paid your bills for you when you were down
God picked you up when you were sick God healed you and since God's been good to you now is the time
this is the place to tell God thank you thank you for all you've done for me thank you you were born
in Bethlehem thank you you were baptized in the Jordan thank you you died one Friday thank you
that early one Sunday morning you got up from the grave thank you that you're living in me
thank you I can wave my hands and let everybody know if it had not been
if it had not been if it had not been
if it had not been
thank God thank God for a loving mother thank God for a praying father but more than that I thank
God for loving Jesus Jesus he died for me he died for you why don't you tell him thank you
you don't need me to tell you to do that why don't you give him glory now you don't need me to
orchestrate your praise you don't need me to manage your hallelujah you know what God has done for you
you know how God has kept you you know how God has never left you tell him thank you
that you didn't forsake me thank you that you never forgot me thank you that one day you're
coming back for me do you know him have you tried him see yeah I know he's all right
and then God said to make sure I won't forget you read it it's in verse 16 I've engraved you
I have tattooed your names in the palm of my hand
that way he can't get my blessing mixed up with you
and he can't get your situation mixed up with his because God has engraved you
and the walls of your life the the circumscriptions of your life the lines of your life
have fallen to you in pleasant places because God knows your name