Sermon: Why God Created Mothers

Summary: By God's wisdom that created a beautiful, orderly world with a

delicate
balance and symmetry, God also created women because man was incomplete
without a
woman and would not be able to fulfill God's plan of being fruitful and multiplying
to fill the earth. Along with manhood, womanhood is a reflection of the character
of God.

Know: Motherhood is part of God's integral design for humans to carry out God's
purposes in the world

Feel: Esteem for motherhood

Do: Identify reasons God created women. Also identify God's first commands
given
to mankind and how motherhood fits into those commands. Discuss qualities of
godly
motherhood and why they are important to God's plan. List ways to honor the
biblical
ideal of motherhood and encourage it.

Text: Gen 1-2 Various

Scripture Reading: Prov 31:28-21

Intro:
1. Today is Mother's Day
a. Motherhood is a unique and special experience
b. See if you can relate to this...
- Recipe for baking a cake (with your child's help)
- Maybe you have a teen, listen to Kids are Dogs, Teens are
Cats
c. Motherhood can be most demanding and yet most rewarding role
d. Motherhood can bring with it the greatest joys and the greatest
sorrows
- First step, word, day of school, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc -
special
- When they go on to graduate, get married, have children, etc.
- If child dies, Mother's Day become more about child than
mother
- Today we are reminded that motherhood is a blessing
2. In honor of mothers, will explore question - "Why did God make Mothers?"
 a. Many have offered answers, some cute, funny or sentimental
- Moms are the only ones who can find lost things
= Like the kids who can't find clothes in morning
= Flustered, Mom says, "Sit on the bed, I'll get your
laundry"
= Dad also says, "Where are my clothes?" She tells
him to
sit on the bed too
= Children look up at Daddy, "Mommy is dressing all of
us"
- Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them
- Dad is such a goofball, have to have Mothers
- List goes on
b. Does Bible give any indication why God made mothers?
- Maybe not directly, but we do have some indications
- Will look at those this morning
3. God made mothers to complete his creation. How? Several things...

I. To complete Man
A. Does this suggest man is incomplete without woman?
B. Look at the text: Gen 2
1. Gen 1 - God created light, dark, trees, sky, sun, etc. it was
good
2. (Gen 2:18) - Not good for man to be alone
a. In all of the marvelous beauty, something was
missing
b. (v.19-20) - Adam named all the animals, but no
suitable
helper was found for him
- I wonder if Adam contemplated male and
female
species of the various animals?
- I wonder if Adam actively looked for his own
counterpart?
c. Man didn't have a partner, God said this was not
good
3. What did God do?
a. v.18 - Said, "I will make a helper suitable for him"
b. (v.21) - God took from his "side" and fashioned
woman
- Translational note: ul*x@ nearly always
means "side"
- Used of side rooms in a building, side of the
ark. . .
- God took from his "side"
c. What does "side" communicate?
 - Not take from feet, that he would walk all
over her
- Not take from head that he would lord it over
her
- Took from the side, to be companion, friend,
partner
- This a complementarian relationship - One
completes the other
d. (v.22-24) God brought her to the man, became one
flesh
C. ILL: How many times you referred to spouse as your "other half?"
1. This is a very biblical phrase is it not?
2. Guys, sometimes refer to her as your "better half" - also
biblical
a. How is that biblical?
b. Think about it, you made of mud, she is made of
you
D. God's final completing act of creation is marriage
1. The two become one
2. When you destroy it, you destroy the crowing act of creation
a. You become half a person, part of you ripped away
b. Those scars remain with you and may affect you
deeply
- Can affect future relationships
- Can affect friendships
- Can even affect your children and
grandchildren
c. No wonder Jesus said - What God has joined
together, let
not man separate
3. Got to have husband and wife - Become one by God's
design
4. **This is only way man can fulfill God's first direct
commands...

II. To complete Family

A. Shortly, the wife also becomes a mother
B. This was not optional for the Man and Woman
1. What is first commands to humans in scripture? (Gen 1:26-
28)
a. Be fruitful, multiply
b. Fill the earth, subdue it, rule over it
2. Cannot have dominion over the earth without multiplying
a. One man and woman cannot do it all by themselves
b. The command to be fruitful and multiply and fill the
earth
 is repeated several times in Genesis
c. They are made in God's image, and were to fill the
earth
with the reign of God - Fill earth with goodness of
God
3. So, the wife who becomes mother has important role
a. Help fill the earth with glory of God through their
children
b. Fill family with glory, community, town, country,
world
c. Mother's help to shape the future
4. Look at the important roles mothers played in scripture
a. May think of Moses' Mother, Hannah, Elizabeth,
Mary
b. Many other mothers - In the books of Kings
- (2 Kng 12:1) - Typical citation also lists
mothers
- Mothers are not inconsequential
C. ILL: Mothers can have a profound impact on the world
1. 1865 William Ross Wallace wrote poem - What Rules the
World
a. Most probably never heard of him, or have heard
poem
b. Probably heard one line from his poem -
c. "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that
rules the
world."
d. Expresses the truth that mothers have profound
impact
on the world
2. You might be thinking of some of those well-known
mothers...
a. Abraham Lincoln's mother - He said, "All that I am
or
hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."
b. George Washington's Mother - He said, " All I am I
owe to
my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the
moral,
intellectual and physical education I received from
her."-
3. Want to mention Mother you never heard of - Susannah
Wesley
a. 19 children, 9 survived.
b. She set aside time for each child alone every night.
 Monday reserved for one child, Tuesday the next,
etc.
c. Son John asked her what sin was. Listen to her
answer:
"Take this rule: whatever weakens your
reason, impairs the
tenderness of your conscience, obscures your
sense of God,
or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in
short,
whatever increases the strength and authority
of your body
over your mind, that thing is sin to you,
however innocent
it may be in itself." -- Susanna Wesley (June 8,
1725)
d. Two of her sons, John and Charles, led a Revival in
England and forever changed the culture of
England,
effect felt around the world
4. Truly, mothers have a profound impact
D. No wonder God created the woman
1. Man could not fulfill the command to fill the earth alone
2. Godly mothers help to fill the earth with the glory of God

III. To Complete His Image

A. Question - Is only man in image of God, or both man and woman?
B. (Gen 1:27) - "Man" includes "male and female"
1. Both male and female are made in the image of God
2. Scripture most often uses fatherly imagery for God
3. Sometimes scripture uses motherly imagery for God, Is
66:10f
4. Both Father and Mother reflect parts of the character of God
C. ILL: What does "Mother" conjure up for you?
1. Pie story - Tutor teaching Math
a. Q: Suppose your mother baked a pie & there were
seven
of you, 2 parents 5 children, what part of pie you
get?
b. Child answered - 1/6 of the pie
c. Tutor said, I'm afraid you don't know fractions well,
there
are seven of you
d. Child said, And you don't know my mother well, she
would say she didn't want any pie
 2. Mothers serve selves last, eat cold meals, get less sleep
than
everyone else
3. Magnet story - Teacher teaching a lesson about magnets
a. Demonstrated an actual magnet, what it can do
b. Next day, had a quiz question: "My name has six
letters,
the first letter is M, and I pick up things. What am
I?"
c. Over half of the class wrote, "Mother"
4. May have many memories of mother or mother figure in your
life
a. Whether hours spent teaching Algebra
b. Snacks after a long day of school
c. Ice Cream after an injury or hurt
D. This nurturing kindness reflects character of God
1. Children don't just learn about God from Fathers
2. Children also learn about God from Mothers

Concl:
1. Why did God make mothers? To complete his creation - Man, Family,
Character
2. God's love is like a mother's love - relentless (inv)