God's People Are To Honor Their Mothers (Ephesians 6:1-3)
Introduction:
1. Throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, much is written about "honoring mothers." 2. Since today is Mother's Day, perhaps this is a good time for us to study passages that reveal God's will on this important subject. 3. The first point we need to make is that . . . Discussion: I. GOD HAS ALWAYS REQUIRED HIS PEOPLE TO HONOR THEIR MOTHERS
A. In the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12) God commanded the Israelites to honor their mothers. B. During His ministry Jesus endorsed this commandment (Matthew 19:19). C. The New Testament requires Christians to honor mothers (Ephesians 6:2). D. By examining these few verses we see that God has always required His people to honor their mothers. E. For our second point we need to determine . . . II. WHAT DOES HONORING MOTHERS INVOLVE?
A. Honor: to revere, to esteem, to show respect B. Honoring mothers includes: 1. obeying their instructions a. See Ephesians 6:1 b. Jesus set the example for us (Luke 2:51). 2. caring for them. a. See: 1) Proverbs 23:22b -- "despise not thy mother when she is old" 2) 1 Timothy 5:4, 16 b. Jesus also set an example for us in this regard (John 19:25-27). C. We understand from the Scriptures: 1. that God requires His people to honor their mothers 2. what is involved in honoring mothers. D. For our third point we want to show how . . . III. A PERSON'S TREATMENT OF HIS MOTHER WILL AFFECT HIS SPIRITUAL WELFARE
A. Let us first consider the negative side. 1. See Proverbs 19:26; 20:20; 28:24 2. In Matthew 15:1-9 Jesus showed how the Pharisees did not honor their mothers. a. They developed a tradition that allowed them, in their minds, to disobey God's command to honor their parents. b. Jesus said they were hypocrites and their worship was vain. 3. See 1 Timothy 5:8 4. A person's spiritual welfare will be adversely affected if he does not honor his mother. B. Let us turn our attention to the positive side. 1. See Proverbs 1:8-9; 6:20-22; Ephesians 6:3 2. A person's spiritual welfare will be positively affected if he honors his mother. Conclusion:
1. God has always required His people to honor their mothers. 2. We understand what is involved in honoring our mothers. 3. Let us remember that our spiritual welfare will be affected by the way we treat our mothers.
