The Faith Of A Mother

First of all, Hallelujah. you know stock market investors tell me you can have some ups and downs. But over the long term in the end, you’re basically winding up. Bible says the way of life winds upward for the wise. In life, we have ups and downs. In life, we have twists and turns. But sometimes, it’s good to have a song like this when we remind ourselves. If I look back at the theme of my life, it’s winding upwards. Amen.

Why don’t you give him one more hand of praise? He’s an awesome God. We worship you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Glory God. Amen. Turn the person next to you and say happy Mother’s Day. For some of you, it’s prophetic, amen? Which is awesome. Thank you, worship team. How awesome is our worship team? Let’s give him a round of applause. Absolutely, wonderful. Oh man, look at that. They’re the best. Amen.

So, so good to see you all today. Happy Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there and thank you for being at church today. You know, one of the things about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as well is that occasionally, it’s not always the best feeling for people sometimes. You know, maybe it’s the first Mother’s Day without your mom or that sort of thing or maybe there’s some issue at home.

I’ve got a pastor friend of mine and he said that there are people in here church that are very faithful they’re at church every week but the two Sundays they don’t come to is Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Because they’ve been ostracized from their kids and it’s too painful. So I know that on a day like this when we honour mothers and we celebrate them. For some people, it’s not the easiest day but so I want to thank you.

If you’re here today and want to thank you for being here today that maybe you’re not with your family but it’s great that you’re with your church family today. I just know that you’ve made a firm quality decision to be here. So I just want to honour you. Thank you for being here. So let’s give people like that round of applause today because just so wonderful and I hope you have a hearty lunch afterwards and that sort of thing.

I was a little bit naughty this year. I forgot to get Trish a Mother’s Day present. She said to me no this is my present. I am not cooking or cleaning all day. I said look I’ll just go to the shops and get you some. No just kidding. So so yeah so make sure they’re looked after. That’s why we don’t do a night service on a day like today. Go hang out with your mum. Say hi from us. And that sort of thing.

Eat as you want because you noticed it’s starting on May 23. We have a thing called 21 days of breakthrough. Amen. So, yeah, thank you, Ash. So, now’s the now’s the time for carb loading and that sort of thing and we’ll talk more about 21 days of breakthrough next week but for in 2018, 2019, we felt led to do a thing called 21 days of breakthrough where we pray, fast, and give over the course of those three weeks and super significant and I think it really tilted our church on a new access when we did it and we don’t make it as a religious thing where every year we do that. I know some churches year they have a season. Prayer and fasting. I’m Tongan. I don’t like that.

So basically we do it when we feel led. So I really felt this year to do it again. We’ll talk more about that next week but just letting you know that’s going to be happening starting in a couple of weeks time and I believe God’s going to do some incredible things. I’ve got my video myself today actually to show you. So today’s like video day. I’ve got a video to show you about things that mums never say. So why don’t you turn your eyes to the screen?

I’m so bored. I wish I had something to do. Thanks for letting me sleep in, kids. If you make a mess in the kitchen, please let me know so I can clean it up. Raising kids is so easy. I just love driving around all day. Oh, I never have to repeat myself. They always listen so carefully. Oh, look. An empty box of cereal. Love it. Just wipe it on your sleeve. It’s pretty cold but you don’t need a coat. Oh, you don’t have to push in your chair. Don’t make your bed. You’re just going to sleep in it again later. I think I’ll skip the coffee today. You know, these throw pillows look way better on the floor. I’m really not that busy. Well, you haven’t showered in three days but I think you smell great. We do have food at home but let’s just go out to eat. Just brush your teeth whenever you feel like it. Here, take my phone charger and go put it in your room. Oh, just leave your dirty dishes on the counter. In Jesus name, we pray, amen. Alright, let’s all pull out our phones. Youth sports are so cheap. Braces are so cheap. School fees are so cheap. Hey, can you come crawl in bed with me around 2 AM? Thanks. Okay, I just two hours making dinner but if you don’t like it, that’s fine. Just let me know and I’ll make you something else. Don’t even bother looking for that. I’m sure it’s lost and gone forever. Can somebody please throw something at my head? I mean, I can keep track of every single one of your things. I get a ton of sleep. I get a ton of gratitude from my children. I get a ton of unsolicited help with the housework. Oh, you don’t have to hurry up. We’re going to be right on time. Can someone please throw something at the TV? Thanks for doing the laundry, everyone. I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. Can you use your outside voice? Stop. Fight. Fight. Fight. The floor of this vehicle is so clean. I can’t believe it. Oh, good. Another trip to the grocery store today. Let’s go.

So that was some kind of parallel multiverse that doesn’t exist. Amen. So mums we love you and literally if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t be here. So praise God. I want to share with you today from Hebrews chapter 11:23. And it says by faith Moses when he was born was hidden for three months by his parents. Because they saw he was a beautiful child. And they were not of the king’s command.

So this is an interesting verse actually in Hebrews chapter 11. It talks about the heroes of the faith. The whole purpose of Hebrews chapter eleven is to talk about the importance of faith. Says in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it’s impossible to please God. He says in Hebrews 11:1 by faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things unseen. And to prove people who had faith in history they list the number of people who exercise their faith. Talked about Abraham in that passage of scripture. Talked about many others. Heroes of the faith that by their exploits, they qualified as people who live by faith and qualified as people who are actually pleasing to God.

And one of the instances that is actually put in here is Hebrews chapter 11 verse 23. Where it says by faith Moses when he was born was hidden for three months by his parents. Because they saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid of the king’s command. Very interesting. This is actually a story taken out of Exodus chapters 1 and 2. And so we’re going to have a look at it to see what actually happened. In Exodus chapter 1 verse 22, it says, so Pharaoh commanded all his people saying, every son who was born, you shall cast into the river. And every daughter you shall save alive.

In Exodus 2 verse 1, it says, and a man of the house of Levi went and took his wife, a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him 3 months. So, basically, the story goes that they were commanded by Pharaoh to actually kill every newborn boy and Hebrews 11 says that when his parents saw this, they actually hid him but actually, when we look at Exodus chapter 2, it’s not his parents that hid him. It was his mom. His mom was considered a hero of the faith for being a mom. There’s nothing wrong with just being a mom. Let me tell you, need faith.

Mums need faith to actually be the mothers that God has actually called them today to be. And so today I’m continuing the series. I started on Mother’s Day in 2020. On Mother’s Day in 2020 I did a message called the faith of a mother. Looking at the life of Timothy. Timothy was actually the disciple of Paul. Paul said to him I could see in you. His mum was a single mom and Timothy actually said sorry and Paul said to Timothy, I can see the faith of your grandmother and mother in you and because of that, he became the great man of God that he’s called him to be.

So, two years later, I’m continuing part two of that series called The Faith of a Mother but at this time, we’re actually going to look at Moses’s mother to see how she exercised faith, why she was considered one of the heroes of the faith listed in Hebrews chapter 11. The lady’s name is actually not mentioned there but it’s mentioned elsewhere in scripture. Her name is Jochebed and there are three ways that she exercised faith in this situation and so we’ll continue to read now from Exodus 2 verses 3 to 10. Says when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him. Dobbed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off to know what would be done to him. Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside. And when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she the child and behold the baby wept. So she had compassion on him and said this is one of the Hebrew children. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her go. So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages. So the woman took the child and nursed him and the child grew and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter. And he became her son. So she called his name are saying because I drew him out of the water.

In this passage of scripture, we can see that there are three ways that Moses’s mother exercised her faith. Three things that Moses’s mum had faith for. Three things that mums today, Christian mums have to have faith for as well. The first way she exercised her faith was she had faith for protection. Faith for the protection of her child. Pharaoh commanded all his people saying that every son who’s born should be cast into the river. So when she conceive saw the child’s beautiful. She hid him for 3 months. So, the law said, you’ve gotta cast him into the river.

As soon as she had that baby, she said, Ain’t no way I’m doing that. I don’t care what Pharaoh says. I am protecting this child. And in the same way, she exercised her faith for protection. Mothers exercise their faith for protection all the time. I think when we think of protectors, we often think of fathers but I’ll be honest, there ain’t nothing scarier than a fired-up mama bear. You know what I’m saying? Fathers can fire up but when you get when you mess with somebody’s babies I’m here to let your mama bear rises up. But I want to let you know that’s actually put in her from God. That’s actually something that mums do.

You know what? I’ve even learnt this with Trish and that sort of thing with our boys and if she knows something’s wrong. I gotta get involved in this. It’s like what have you got to actually you know have that position? It’s like nothing. There’s just intuition on the inside. So no something’s gone wrong. Something’s happened with my kids. I’m going to step in and I’m going to get involved. She exercised her faith for protection.

You know a friend of mine Pastor Russell Evans who preached at our church last year. He talks about how his mum she was very prophetic. She always knew when he was getting in trouble or doing something wrong. And he remembers one time when he was actually with some friends and they were going to the movies. And he knew it would be a movie that his parents would not like. But he thought he was going to sneak in there anyway. At home, the Lord spoke to his mother and said Russell is at this movie theatre watching this movie. And so he went she went to the cinema and she went and she’s walking down the aisle looking down the aisle.

Russell. Russell. Is Russell Evans in here? You can see him just sliding down in his seat like oh my mum. She didn’t know why but she just knew. She was there to actually protect him. I know with my own mum. There have been many times when she’s just pushed people aside. She decided I’ve gotta protect my son. Or actually, protect my daughter I remember one time when our first son was born. His name is Amos and it was quite a traumatic birth. He was actually breach and basically what happened was that he was at one hospital and then we had to drop and Trisha was you know, Trisha was trying to give birth. We actually had to take him and her over to another hospital and it was very traumatic and she is screaming in the car as I’m driving her to this other hospital. I remember we were going up to these traffic lights. It was Mackay. There are not many. We went to the traffic lights and as we drove up there, she’s got, she was yelling out. Lord, stay green. Stay green. Stay green and by the time we got there, it was red. And so, we’re waiting there and she is screaming and that sort of thing and so we went around and there was people waiting for us. They took her up and she had to have an emergency cesarean and that sort of thing and I was really shaken up in that sort of thing and so, what do you do when you’re shaken up and you’re 30 years of age? You ring your mom. So, I rang my mom. I said Trisha’s having the baby and I told her what’s happened. Now I was in Mackay. My mom’s in Melbourne. Okay? I rang her up. I said, Trisha’s having the baby and I told her the circumstances and she goes to me, are you okay? Soon as she said that, I started crying on the phone. She hung up. Next thing I know, that afternoon, she was in Mackay and she came in and she sorted things out and she made things happen. Why? Because that’s what moms do.

Mom, we want to thank you for all the times you’ve done it for us, for all the times when the kid didn’t, when it embarrassed them for all the times when the kid didn’t understand, that’s actually what mums do. They fight for their children and that’s exactly what was happened here. That’s what Jochebed did for her son, Moses. Remember, another time I was playing AFL football and I know some of you think we don’t tackle in that game but we actually do. And I was playing and I remember at the time, I was going to tackle this and he ran at me and he swerved and so then all I did was I put my arm out. And as I put my arm out all of a sudden he hit my arm and my shoulder popped out the front. And it dislocated. I was writhing in agony. I went into the trainer’s room. This is just local football. Went into the trainer’s room.

You could see my shoulder out like this. It was a very severe one. I actually had surgery about six months later because there was a hole in the muscle capsule and that sort of thing. My mum’s a physio. And I go in their training table. Next thing I know my mom barges into the male-only change rooms and she comes into the trainer’s room and then the trainer said, Benny, we’re going to have to put it back in and my mom who’s a physio said, no, you’re not. And so she said, you’re coming with me and so I went with her and she took us to the hospital and then we got it all fixed and sorted and that sort of thing and you know, mom doesn’t do that all the time but sometimes, there’s just a time when a mom’s gotta step in.

There are just times when mums just gotta protect her children. Jochebed said you know what? I don’t care what Pharaoh says. There is no way that is going to happen to my boy. And because of that, she was listed as one of the heroes of the faith simply for being a mum. The second way that she actually exercised faith. When she had faith to let go. Faith to let go. Says in verse 3 of Exodus 2 but when she could no longer hide him. So she hid him for 3 months. She took an ark bullrushes for him. Dobbed it with asphalt and pitch. Put the child in it and laid it in the reeds by the riverbank and his sister stood afar off to know what would be done to him.

He’s 3 months! She weaves a basket puts him in it and leaves it in the reeds by the river. In Egypt. I don’t know what kind of wildlife. Would be there. I reckon there could be anacondas. You know when I was a couple of months ago had COVID and I was home for a week and that sort of thing and it you know I felt really hammered actually and didn’t do much. So all I did was watch TV the whole time and I was lucky I had Foxtel. Uh and so decided that I was going to watch every episode of Swamp People. Swamp People’s awesome. If you’ve never seen it, it’s awesome. It’s one of the few shows where they have subtitles for people speaking English.

And so this was one where it was called Serpent Invasion. It was a whole new series. It was three series I watched every single one of them, every episode and basically, they went to Florida and there was an inundation of these anacondas and pythons all through Florida. They were going they’re hunting to capture them and these things were like 10, 12, 14 feet long and they’re in water like that deep and in the grass, you can hardly see em and all of a sudden, they grab em and they pick em up and they speak in English but there’s an and then they pick it up like this and that sort of thing.

That was in Reeds. His mum left him in a like a little bin in the reeds in Egypt. Yeah. If we did that now, that’s abandonment that’s abuse, and she’s listed as one of the heroes of the faith. She exercised faith in letting go. In letting go. We are in the era of helicopter parenting. Thinking that we have to be there all the time everywhere In order to protect. But at some point, we need to let him go a little bit. It’s okay. I’ve sent your sister to keep an eye on you. but at some point, we have to let go. At some point, we have to trust the Lord. At some point, we’ve gotta say, Lord, my child is not just dependent on my control. My child is also dependent on your hand upon their life.

She exercised faith by willing to let it go. Now, she provided a safe environment as she could. She made sure that that basket had actually had asphalt in it and that it wasn’t going to leak. She made sure that his older sister was there keeping an eye on it and not sure if she’d be able to fight off the anaconda but anyway, made sure that he was there but she would have fought every urge that she had in her body to hold on and control. One of the things I’ve observed is this, sometimes if you hold onto your kids for too tight, too long, they actually force their way out. There has to come a time at some point we’re willing to step back and trust our children to the Lord.

And the Bible says that she was listed as one of the heroes of the faith. The third way that she expressed faith as well was faith for the future. Faith for a child’s future. Verse 5 it says then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And the maidens walked along the riverside and when she saw the ark among the reeds she sent her maid to get it. When she opened it saw the child and behold the baby wept. So she had compassion on him and said this is one of the Hebrew children. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, go. So the maiden went and called the child’s mother.

Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages. So the woman took the child and nursed him and the, and the child grew and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter. And he became her so she called his name Moses saying because I drew him out of the water. She leaves Moses by the banks of the river. His sister is keeping an eye on him. All of a sudden how amazing. Pharaoh’s daughter the princess of the nations starts walking past. She sees the baby. She would have known that he’s a Jew. I won’t explain why. But she would have known. Three months of age. Things happen in the first couple of weeks that make it pretty clear but we won’t go any further.

Her father had commanded that they all die. her father had commanded that they all be killed. but she had, I would have thought if I was the daughter, if I was Miriam, that was Moses’s sister. I would have been freaking out. Oh no, the last person I would want to come and see him is this lady. But she actually had compassion on him. Then all of a sudden, Miriam came to her and said to her, listen, I know someone who can look after him till he’s old enough. So what did she do? She took him and she brought her to his mum and her mum. And she nursed him and weaned him and she got paid for it.

First senate payment ever and so she weaned him. It was probably for 2 to 3 years, she was looking after her child. But at the end of the time, she was going to have to hand it back. There’s a similar story and it’s a story of the prophet Samuel. The Bible says that his mother Hannah and his father Elkanah made a vow to the Lord and so when Samuel was born because she was unable to have children. She said, I’m going to commit him to you all the days of my life and when he was born, she looked after him until the age where he was weaned and then he was taken to the priest Eli to be looked after there and raised up in the house of God.

So she had the privilege of bonding. She had the privilege of nursing her child. but at some point, she knew I’m not just letting go and coming back. I now have to completely leave him in the hands of the Lord. She had to have faith in God’s future. She had faith that God would protect him. This was probably nowhere near in her plans but she had to exercise faith for his future. As parents and as mothers, we gotta trust that what we put in our children in the years that we have them will eventually bear fruit for their future. We don’t have them forever. We don’t have them under our control all the time. But we’ve gotta trust that what we put in them will actually come to pass in their lives.

I’m sure she would have been singing songs over him. I’m sure she would have been singing songs and and and things like that about their Jewish heritage and that sort of thing. Doing whatever she could to be able to pour into his life before he actually went and lived in the house of Pharaoh. And for that time and season, that’s what she would have done. But at some point, she had to let him go. Proverbs 22 verse 6 says this. Train up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old he will not depart from it.

That doesn’t mean they won’t depart from it when they’re young. That doesn’t mean they won’t depart from it at some point. But it’s a promise from the Lord. What you put in that child. Even if they rebel and walk away like the prodigal son. At some point, they’re going to come back to what was put on the inside of them. And as parents, we need to have faith for the future and as mothers, I want to encourage you that what you’ve put into them may not look like it’s happening right now. It may not look like it’s working But what you’ve put into them will eventually come to pass. I told you before about the last message I did in 2020. Says in 2 Timothy 1 verse 5. Paul writes to Timothy and says when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you. Which dwelt first in your grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice. And I persuade is in you as well. He’s saying, you’re a result of what was put you. And when you’re the person doing the putting in, you don’t always see it come to pass and come out.

I reckon Jochebed, Moses’s mum would have lived with guilt her entire life. Her entire life thinking, did I do the right thing? Her entire life thinking did what I do end up making a difference. Was it right? And that’s why I’m so blessed by the fact that when it comes to listing the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, she’s like, her husband is mentioned. He’s just tagging along like most blokes. And they are mentioned, that she may have never known most of her life that what I did made sense or worth it. But we have to trust that what we put in is eventually going to come out.

That’s why for some of you here today, I want the Lord, I felt the Lord speak to me for you today, for some of you. Don’t leave that, don’t live your life wondering. Don’t live your life with that guilt. Most feel guilty. I haven’t done enough. Have I been good enough? Sometimes they judge and other people judge their job by the season that their children are going through right then. But I want to encourage you and let you know that you can have faith for their future. That what you put in them will eventually come to pass. Amen?

It says that when they’re old they won’t depart. Maybe they’re still young right now. Maybe you’re in an up-down season with them right now. But I want to declare and prophesy to you today. On Mother’s Day 2022. That what you put in them will eventually come to pass. And you can have faith for their future. So those of you living here under guilt. Those of you living here under shame. Those of you who are living here under condemnation. I want to honour you today. And let you know that when it comes that in the end I believe you’ll be able to look back and realize it was worth it. I actually did do the right thing. We are now no longer under condemnation in Christ Jesus. Amen.

We no longer need to live with guilt and shame. Don’t judge your performance by other people’s standards. Don’t judge your performance by what the snapshot of what other people see. And I want to encourage you today. I promise you, you did not put your child by a snake-infested riverbank and hand it over to someone at three years of age but she was considered a hero of the faith. How much more mom should you? Amen. Praise God. I want to pray for your moms. I want to pray for you today. No more guilt. No more shame. No more embarrassment. Trust the way you’ve put in them. God will bring to pass. Amen.

Love the story of one of the early church fathers named Augustine. And he was an absolute rebel. And he was an absolute recalcitrant. He was a drunkard. He was a glutton. He was a winebibber. He was a womanizer. And he had a mum who continually prayed for him. And the moment that she was about to pass just like he turned around. Became one of the great early church fathers. You know, think about that story sometimes and thought, I wonder if she lived her life knowing that that’s what’s going to happen. Not allowing the guilt and shame to come upon her, amen?

Mothers, we want to honour you today. You’re doing your best. And you’ve done your best. You’ve probably done better than Jochebed. And if the Lord thinks she’s a hero of the faith, I think are too. Amen. So, if you’re a mom today, I want you to stand. I want to pray for you. Doesn’t matter if your children aren’t here. I want to pray for you and I’m just going to pray that God will continue to help you to juggle, and to do all everything that we do as parents and I know for those of you that with your children that have left home, I know this for a fact talking to my parents. You never stop being a mom either and sometimes it’s even worse because they’re not on your roof. You worry a bit more, don’t we? And so, I want to pray you and I pray for God to be with you. Amen. And could you stretch your hands towards and if your spouse or mom is standing next to you, be really awesome if you put your hand on their shoulder or tap them or something and we’re going to pray for them as well. Father, in Jesus name, I pray for every single mom here and I thank you Lord God that they may sometimes think they’re not doing a good enough job but I know lord in your eyes, they’re a hero and in their children’s eyes, they’re a hero as well. So, I ask and pray for everyone and I declare your blessing and favour, lord. We honour them today, Lord God and I ask and pray that you would continue to lead them and guide them in all that they do. thank you for them and I bless you, Lord. Bless them, Lord. In Jesus’s name. Amen. Amen.