Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME240511S
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00:14 [ "Joyful, Joyful" begins ] 00:17 ♪ 00:23 ♪ 00:30 [ Congregation singing ] 03:21 ♪ 03:28 ♪ 03:36 ♪ 03:44 >> ♪ When peace like a river 03:50 attendeth my way ♪ 03:55 ♪ When sorrows like sea 04:00 billows roll ♪ 04:06 ♪ Whatever my lot, 04:10 thou hast taught me to say ♪ 04:15 ♪ It is well, it is well 04:21 with my soul ♪ 04:27 ♪ It is well 04:31 >> ♪ It is well 04:34 >> ♪ With my soul 04:37 >> ♪ With my soul 04:40 ♪ It is well 04:43 ♪ It is well 04:46 ♪ With my soul 04:59 >> ♪ My sin, oh, the joy of 05:04 this glorious thought ♪ 05:09 ♪ My sin, not in part, 05:14 but the whole ♪ 05:18 ♪ Is nailed to the cross, 05:22 and I bear it no more ♪ 05:27 ♪ Praise the Lord, 05:30 praise the Lord, O my soul! 05:38 >> ♪ It is well 05:41 >> ♪ It is well 05:44 >> ♪ With my soul 05:47 >> ♪ With my soul 05:50 >> ♪ It is well 05:53 ♪ It is well 05:56 ♪ With my soul 06:18 ♪ And, Lord, haste the day when 06:23 my faith shall be sight ♪ 06:28 ♪ The clouds be rolled back 06:33 as a scroll ♪ 06:37 ♪ The trump shall resound, 06:41 and the Lord shall descend ♪ 06:47 ♪ Even so, it is well with my 06:53 soul ♪ 07:03 >> ♪ It is well 07:06 >> ♪ It is well 07:10 >> ♪ With my soul 07:14 >> ♪ With my soul 07:17 >> ♪ It is well 07:20 ♪ It is well 07:24 ♪ With my soul 07:34 ♪ It is well 07:38 >> ♪ With my soul 08:08 >> Good morning. Happy Sabbath. 08:11 Our Scripture reading today 08:12 is found in Proverbs 4:5-9. 08:21 "Get wisdom, get understanding. 08:25 Do not forget my words 08:27 or turn away from them. 08:29 Do not forsake wisdom, 08:31 and she will protect you. 08:32 Love her, 08:34 and she will watch over you. 08:36 The beginning of wisdom 08:37 is this -- get wisdom. 08:40 Though it costs all you have, 08:42 get understanding. 08:44 Cherish her, 08:45 and she will exalt you. 08:47 Embrace her, 08:48 and she will honor you. 08:50 She will give you a garland 08:51 to grace your head 08:52 and present you 08:54 with a glorious crown." 08:55 Amen. 09:02 ♪ 09:15 >> Please stand. 13:07 Does anybody in here know 13:08 a God who can perform miracles? 13:11 Do you know a God who is strong 13:12 when we are weak? 13:13 A God who heals us 13:14 when we are broken? 13:16 If you know the same God I know, 13:17 I invite you to sing with us 13:18 for our next song. 13:20 Amen. 13:21 ♪ 20:02 ♪ 21:01 >> If you have a Bible 21:03 somewhere nearby, 21:06 would you open it to Judges 5:1? 21:10 Judges 5, beginning 21:12 with verse 1, page 170, 21:14 in the red pew Bible 21:15 that's probably sitting 21:16 somewhere nearby where you are. 21:18 Page 170. 21:19 170, Judges 5, 21:22 beginning with verse 1. 21:25 We are going to read the lyrics 21:27 to a song 21:30 that was written for an event 21:32 that has already occurred, 21:33 at least in the timeline, 21:35 in context there. 21:37 And these two people that are 21:39 going to be singing this song 21:41 are going to teach us 21:43 some important lessons. 21:45 Let's take a peek here. 21:47 Judges 5:1 says, "On that day, 21:52 Deborah and Barak, 21:54 son of Abinoam, sang this song. 21:58 'When the princes in Israel 21:59 take the lead, 22:01 when the people willingly offer 22:03 themselves, praise the Lord. 22:06 Hear this, you kings! 22:07 Listen, you rulers, 22:08 I will sing to the Lord, 22:09 I will sing, 22:11 I will make music to the Lord, 22:13 the God of Israel. 22:16 Oh, Lord, when you went out 22:18 from Seir, when you marched 22:20 from the land of Edom, 22:22 the earth shook, 22:23 the heavens poured -- the clouds 22:24 poured down water. 22:25 The mountains quaked before 22:27 the Lord, the one of Sinai, 22:28 before the Lord, 22:30 the God of Israel.'" 22:33 Pause right there, please. 22:37 Do you see what Deborah 22:38 and Barak are doing? 22:40 First of all, they grab 22:41 the people's attention, 22:43 invite them to listen willingly 22:44 to what the Lord has done. 22:46 And then they begin to tell 22:48 about the great deeds 22:49 of the past that God 22:51 has done on behalf of Israel. 22:53 The references here, you know, 22:54 "When you marched out from Seir, 22:55 when you marched 22:56 from the land of Edom," 22:57 this is probably a reference to 22:58 when they were in the 22:59 wilderness, headed 23:00 towards the Promised Land. 23:01 God made many miracles on their 23:03 behalf, providing for them 23:05 in miraculous ways. 23:06 Things went well 23:08 until Israel apostatized 23:12 and they turned from God, 23:14 and God had to turn them over 23:16 to their enemies, 23:18 the Canaanites. 23:20 And that's where we pick up 23:21 the song once again -- verse 6. 23:24 "In the days of Shamgar, 23:25 son of Anath, 23:27 in the days of Jael, 23:29 the roads were abandoned; 23:31 travelers took to winding 23:32 paths. 23:33 Village life in Israel ceased." 23:38 Pause again, please. 23:41 Things were so bad 23:42 during this particular 23:43 reign of the Canaanites 23:44 over the Israelite people 23:46 that they could not even live 23:48 in the places they had lived 23:50 for quite some time. 23:51 The villages there, it's a 23:52 reference to not walled cities. 23:54 In other words, so dangerous 23:56 were the times that if you 23:56 didn't live in a defended city, 23:58 you had to move to one. 24:00 And so village life ceased. 24:01 They went other places, and they 24:03 couldn't even use the main roads 24:05 that had been used for years 24:06 prior to that point, 24:07 because they had garrisons 24:08 of the enemy all along them. 24:10 And so if you were looking 24:12 to get from Point A to Point B, 24:14 you had to find a different 24:14 path. 24:15 You had to go through hill, over 24:16 dale, through the woods, 24:17 et cetera, hiding, staying under 24:18 cover so that you could make it 24:20 safely to your destination, 24:21 hopefully. 24:23 And this situation continues. 24:29 Well, let's keep reading. 24:32 Verse 7 again, "Village life 24:33 in Israel ceased, 24:35 ceased until I, Deborah, arose, 24:41 arose a --" what? 24:43 >> Mother. 24:44 >> Mother 24:45 "Arose a mother in Israel." 24:49 Now, even if we don't know 24:53 the entire context 24:54 of this story, 24:56 even if we don't know 24:57 the full context of this song 24:59 that Deborah and Barak 24:59 are singing, 25:01 is something strange going on. 25:04 Because think about it. 25:05 Of all the words that one 25:08 could choose to describe oneself 25:10 as a military victor -- I mean, 25:13 they could have chosen "hero," 25:14 "leader," "champion," "warrior." 25:18 The one word that Deborah picks 25:21 is "mother." 25:25 Now, ladies, 25:26 please don't be offended here. 25:27 I'm simply going to point out 25:28 the irony of this text. 25:30 As we're going to shortly see, 25:31 the events 25:32 that Deborah and Barak 25:33 are singing about culminated 25:34 with a tremendous military 25:35 victory for God's people 25:36 in pitched battle. 25:38 It was a battle which culminated 25:40 with the destruction of 25:41 Sisera -- that was the enemy's 25:42 commanding officer -- and 25:44 over 1,000 of his soldiers. 25:46 So, you tell me, 25:47 is the first word 25:48 that comes to your mind 25:50 to describe the winner 25:51 in a military conflict "Mom." 25:58 Okay, if the answer is yes, 26:00 maybe we should chat afterwards 26:01 about your childhood. 26:02 There may be some issues 26:03 that come up 26:04 from the militaristic upbringing 26:06 that you experienced there. 26:07 I mean, what do you get 26:08 for a mother like Deborah 26:10 for Mother's Day? 26:12 I mean, maybe a new AK-47. 26:14 You know? 26:16 You know, a new flak jacket, 26:17 a rocket launcher? 26:18 You know, something to go 26:19 with her formal evening gown, 26:20 combat boots? 26:21 I don't know. 26:22 I don't know what you get 26:23 for her, right? 26:24 But we can at least begin to see 26:26 how odd it is 26:28 that Deborah says essentially 26:30 all was haywire in the land 26:33 until [Chuckles] there arose, 26:36 of all things, a mother. 26:39 A mother in Israel. 26:43 What could Deborah have 26:44 possibly meant? 26:46 How is what Deborah 26:48 did in this story 26:49 so exemplary of motherhood 26:51 that "mother" is the title 26:53 she chooses here to describe 26:54 herself and her actions? 26:56 And might she consequently 26:57 have something to offer 26:59 the mothers of our day? 27:03 Let's see 27:03 what the Bible has to say. 27:05 Turn back one chapter 27:07 and one page in your red Bible. 27:08 It's page 169, Judges 4, 27:11 beginning with verse 1. 27:14 We're going to read at least 27:15 a portion of the story 27:16 that generated the song we just 27:18 read in Judges 5. 27:20 And as we do, we are going 27:22 to discover two things 27:24 that allowed Deborah 27:26 to exemplify key traits 27:28 of motherhood -- two lessons 27:30 of biblical motherhood. 27:32 Let's begin here. 27:33 Verse 1 of Judges 4 says, 27:35 "After Ehud died, the Israelites 27:37 once again did evil 27:39 in the eyes of the Lord. 27:40 So the Lord sold them 27:42 into the hands of Jabin, 27:43 a king of Canaan, 27:44 who reigned in Hazor. 27:45 The commander of his army 27:46 was Sisera, 27:47 who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 27:50 Because he had 900 iron chariots 27:52 and had cruelly oppressed 27:53 the Israelites for 20 years, 27:55 they cried to the Lord for help. 27:58 Deborah, a prophetess, 28:00 the wife of Lappidoth, 28:02 was leading Israel at that time. 28:04 She held court under the 28:05 Palm of Deborah, 28:06 between Ramah and Bethel, 28:07 in the hill country of Ephraim, 28:09 and the Israelites came to her 28:10 to have their disputes decided." 28:13 Pause there, please. 28:16 A couple of important things 28:17 to note here. 28:19 First of all, Deborah is one of 28:21 a very small group in Scripture 28:23 that was both a prophet 28:24 and a judge, 28:25 a prophet and a ruler. 28:27 In fact, 28:28 only only Moses and Samuel 28:30 qualify in that same category. 28:32 So Deborah is in some rare air 28:33 here. 28:35 Secondly, her name in Hebrew. 28:38 Do you know what the name in 28:39 Hebrew, Deborah, actually means? 28:43 Bee -- B-E-E, like like 28:46 honeybee, right? 28:47 What's the adjective 28:49 that we often put before that? 28:51 Blank "as a bee"? 28:52 "Busy." That's right. 28:54 You know, busy bees, right? 28:56 The idea of a bee [Buzzes] 28:58 going from flower to flower 28:59 and back to the hive and 29:00 all of these things in there. 29:01 This busyness, 29:02 and certainly that would qualify 29:04 as a descriptor for Deborah. 29:06 I mean, she didn't even have 29:07 office hours. 29:08 She didn't even have an office. 29:08 She sat under a tree 29:10 so that everybody had maximum 29:12 access to her. 29:13 Anybody that had a dispute 29:14 or that needed advice 29:15 could come and see her. 29:16 She was very, very busy, 29:19 this mother in Israel, 29:20 with her "children" 29:22 and their care. 29:25 To which I say, I am so grateful 29:27 for moms who are so busily 29:28 dedicated to their children's 29:29 needs. 29:30 Amen? 29:31 >> Amen. 29:32 >> It is not an easy job. 29:34 Now, I've never been a mother, 29:35 but I've seen one 29:36 at least in action up close 29:37 for a number of years now, 29:39 and I've seen many others, 29:40 and this is not an easy job. 29:41 It's interesting, particularly 29:43 if someone is -- if a mom 29:45 is a stay-at-home mom, 29:47 often people will joke 29:49 about their employment status. 29:51 Now, gentlemen, if it's been 29:53 a long day for the mother, 29:54 I wouldn't recommend this. 29:56 I wouldn't recommend this, okay? 29:57 In fact, let me just describe 29:59 the situation here 30:00 by reading a short poem. 30:01 Caryl Kerber, who I'm guessing 30:04 was a stay-at-home mom herself, 30:05 wrote this describing her life. 30:10 She said, "Make the beds, 30:11 bandage heads, 30:12 straighten up the room; 30:14 wash the windows, cut the grass, 30:15 see the tulips bloom. 30:17 Drive the children to school, 30:19 drive them back again. 30:20 Have the Cubs to meeting 30:21 then I clean the den. 30:24 Serve on my committee, 30:25 attend the PTA. 30:26 Forget to buy the children 30:27 shoes...can't do it today. 30:30 Pay the bills, write a note, 30:31 fill the cookie jar. 30:33 Oh, dear, I forgot to go and 30:34 have them grease the car. 30:36 Catch up on the ironing, 30:37 scrub the kitchen floor. 30:38 Answer phone and doorbell, 30:40 need I list some more? 30:42 My pet peeve I must admit, 30:45 you surely will agree, when 30:46 someone asks, 'Are you 30:48 employed?' I answer, 30:50 'No, not me.'" 30:54 [ Chuckles ] 30:57 One of the most underpaid jobs 30:59 in the world is being a mother. 31:01 And the busyness required 31:02 and the energy required, 31:04 I mean, this is, you know, 31:05 Deborah is exemplifying this 31:07 for her children in Israel. 31:08 Don't leave the sanctuary today 31:10 before you tap a mother 31:11 on the shoulder 31:12 and say, "Thank you for all 31:13 the busyness you engage in 31:14 for the sake of your children." 31:17 But, lastly, this 31:18 "busy as a bee" wordplay 31:20 doesn't stop there. 31:23 Some commentators have pointed 31:24 out that in verse 4, 31:27 where it says she was the wife 31:28 of Lappidoth, 31:30 it should instead be translated 31:32 a little bit differently. 31:33 You see, the word "Lappidoth" 31:35 literally translates as "torch," 31:38 like a burning torch, or 31:40 "flashes" like 31:41 a flash of lightning. 31:43 And therefore, instead 31:44 of translating the phrase 31:45 as "the wife of Lappidoth," 31:47 it should actually be translated 31:49 as "woman with a fiery spirit." 31:53 Do you know any women 31:55 with fiery spirits? 31:57 I do. 31:58 My home is ablaze 31:59 most of the time, alright? 32:01 I have three women 32:02 with fiery spirits 32:04 that are inside -- this energy, 32:05 this power, this authority. 32:07 And if this is 32:09 the correct translation, 32:10 it is a pretty good description 32:11 of Deborah, because notice 32:12 where her fieriness leads 32:15 this mother in Israel. 32:17 Verse 6. 32:22 "She --" Deborah -- "sent for 32:25 Barak, son of Abinoam, 32:26 from Kedesh in Naphtali, and 32:28 said to him, 'The Lord, the God 32:31 of Israel, commands you." 32:34 Okay, so, this is straight 32:34 from God -- straight from God 32:35 here to Barak. 32:37 "'Go take with you 10,000 men 32:40 of Naphtali and Zebulun 32:42 and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 32:43 I will lure Sisera, 32:45 the commander of Jabin's army, 32:47 with his chariots 32:47 and his troops, 32:48 to the Kishon River, 32:49 and give him into your hands. 32:53 Barak said to her, 32:56 "If you go with me, I will go; 33:02 but if you don't go with me, 33:04 I won't go.'" 33:09 Now, those of you mothers 33:11 that have children that are 33:12 of walking and talking age, 33:14 you can probably remember a 33:15 scenario similar to what Deborah 33:17 is experiencing right now. 33:19 Perhaps you've been on a camping 33:20 trip, and you're in the tent 33:22 and at last everyone is asleep. 33:24 You're dozing off yourself. 33:26 It's like 1:00 in the morning, 33:28 and you hear this sleepy, 33:30 languid voice. 33:31 "Mommy?" 33:34 And at first, you ignore it, 33:36 hoping that they'll go back 33:37 to sleep. 33:39 A few seconds later, "Mommy?" 33:42 "Yes, dear?" 33:45 "I need to go to the... 33:49 bathroom." 33:53 "But, sweetie," you say, 33:55 "we just went 33:56 before you went to bed." 33:58 "I know, but 33:59 I need to go again." 34:02 And in your mind, 34:03 you're doing calculus. 34:04 The number of bears 34:06 per square mile in the forest 34:08 where you're at, and thinking, 34:09 "Is it safe?" 34:10 And you decide 34:11 that it's safe enough. 34:12 And so you say, "It's okay. 34:14 You can go ahead 34:15 and go to the bathroom." 34:18 "But, Mommy, 34:19 I want you to go with me." 34:22 And this is what Barak 34:23 is doing with Deborah, okay? 34:26 This mother in Israel 34:27 has her "son" right here. 34:30 And he's been commanded by God 34:34 Himself -- by God Himself. 34:35 She makes this crystal clear. 34:36 And remember, 34:37 Deborah's authority was well 34:38 established by this time. 34:39 She was a prophet 34:40 and a judge in Israel 34:41 and recognized as such. 34:43 So when she said, "God has 34:44 called you," that's what it 34:45 meant. 34:47 And Barak doesn't buy it 34:47 completely. 34:50 "If you go with me, Mommy, 34:52 I'll go; 34:53 but if you don't, I won't. 34:54 I don't want to go, 34:55 I don't want to go." 34:59 And notice what Deborah does. 35:02 And please listen carefully here 35:03 in the next part of this story, 35:04 because if ever there was a 35:05 biblical message for the mothers 35:06 of our day and, frankly, 35:07 for the fathers as well -- 35:08 your day is not here yet, 35:09 fathers, but you can eavesdrop 35:11 on what's coming next here -- 35:12 it's right here in Judges 4. 35:14 Take a look here at verse 9. 35:19 "'Very well,' Deborah said, 35:22 'I will go with you, 35:24 but because of the way you are 35:26 going about this, 35:27 the honor will not be yours, 35:30 for the Lord will hand Sisera 35:32 over to a woman.' 35:34 So Deborah went with Barak 35:36 to Kedesh, where he summoned 35:37 Zebulun and Naphtali. 35:38 10,000 men followed him, 35:40 and Deborah also went with him." 35:45 Two lessons 35:47 that we begin to uncover here 35:49 about biblical motherhood. 35:51 And the first lesson is this. 35:54 Wise mothers 35:56 prepare their children for war. 36:01 Wise mothers prepare 36:02 their children for war. 36:06 And notice that Deborah did this 36:07 in at least three ways. 36:09 First of all, she acted 36:10 as a judge for their disputes. 36:13 Again, she was under that tree. 36:14 She could -- People could come 36:15 and ask for advice and to solve 36:16 their disputes, et cetera. 36:17 And really, this was simply 36:19 a way to convey 36:20 the teachings of God. 36:22 This was a way to be able 36:23 to show the ways of God, 36:24 the values of God, 36:25 and help to inculcate them 36:26 in her children. 36:29 She also went with them 36:30 to the site of battle. 36:32 She knew the battle was coming, 36:33 so she goes with them to the 36:34 site so that she can be there. 36:36 She shows support for them, 36:37 that she believed in them, 36:38 that she was there to give 36:38 counsel, et cetera. 36:40 And number three, she was 36:41 honest with them. 36:44 She was honest with them. 36:45 Deborah made it crystal clear. 36:47 "I will go with you," she said, 36:48 "But because you did not take 36:49 the Lord at His word, the payoff 36:52 for you will be less than it 36:53 otherwise would have been." 36:56 And all three of these were 36:57 invaluable ways that Deborah 36:58 prepared her "children" 37:00 to engage in war -- 37:02 physical war, physical combat. 37:05 Now, blessedly, 37:06 for our context here, 37:07 those of us that are sitting 37:08 here in this room right now, 37:09 and probably most of the people 37:10 at least, that are listening, 37:11 we are not called to prepare 37:13 our children for physical war 37:15 in a military-like way, 37:17 but we most certainly are called 37:19 to prepare our children 37:20 for spiritual warfare. 37:22 Absolutely. 37:24 And indeed, 37:25 Deborah's three tactics here 37:26 have solid spiritual 37:28 applications 37:29 for spiritual warfare, as well. 37:30 Children, for instance, do need 37:32 moms who will act as wise, 37:33 Bible-based judges in their 37:34 disputes. 37:35 Children will, at times, need 37:37 moms who will go with them to 37:38 the scenes of spiritual warfare, 37:40 that will inevitably arise over 37:42 time, to guide and support them. 37:44 And, yes, children will need 37:45 moms who are honest with them 37:46 about the consequences 37:47 of their choices. 37:51 And with that as a foundation, 37:53 there are still more ways that 37:54 moms can prepare their children 37:56 for spiritual warfare. 37:58 And I'm going to call in 37:59 the big guns. 38:00 I'm not a mom, 38:01 but I know at least one, 38:03 and I would like to invite 38:04 another woman of fiery spirit -- 38:06 my wife, Darlene -- to come 38:07 and join me here up front 38:09 and to share with us 38:10 a little bit more about 38:12 how we can prepare our children 38:14 for war. 38:15 Hi. 38:17 >> Hi. 38:18 >> Hi. 38:21 >> So, through the years 38:22 as a mom, 38:23 I have thought and prayed a lot 38:26 about my role as a mother. 38:29 And one of the keys 38:30 that I have come up with 38:33 to preparing our children 38:34 for war is realizing 38:35 that we as mothers ourselves, 38:38 we need to be prepared. 38:40 I love how Deborah 38:41 is an example of this, 38:42 in the passage that Shane 38:44 just read a few minutes ago, 38:45 verse 7. 38:46 "Village life ceased. 38:48 It ceased in Israel until I, 38:51 Deborah, arose, 38:53 arose a mother in Israel." 38:55 She could have said "arose 38:56 a leader, "arose a judge," 38:58 "arose a woman," 39:00 "arose a prophetess." 39:02 But she said "arose a mother." 39:04 She was not apologizing 39:06 for her role as a mother. 39:08 It was her highest honor 39:09 and her clear identity. 39:11 And she was not underestimating 39:13 the strength and power 39:14 it gave her, 39:15 not just for her own children 39:17 but for her whole nation. 39:19 In order for us, as mothers, 39:21 to prepare our children for war, 39:23 it is vital that we don't 39:25 underestimate or apologize for 39:27 our role as a mother. 39:29 In "Adventist Home," page 231, 39:32 Ellen White says, "The king upon 39:33 his throne has no higher work 39:36 than that of a mother. 39:38 The mother is queen 39:39 of her household. 39:41 She has in her power the molding 39:44 of her children's character, 39:46 that they may be fitted 39:48 for the higher, immortal life. 39:50 An angel could not ask 39:51 for a higher mission 39:53 in doing this work. 39:55 She is doing God's service 39:56 for God. 39:58 Let her only realize the 40:01 high character of her task, and 40:02 it will inspire her with 40:04 courage. 40:05 Let her realize the worth 40:06 of her work and put on 40:08 the whole armor of God, 40:10 that she may resist 40:11 the temptation to conform 40:13 to the world's standard. 40:14 Her work is for time 40:16 and for eternity." 40:18 Often, in the day-in-and-day-out 40:20 heavy load of motherhood, 40:22 we forget what an important 40:24 work that we're doing. 40:25 And then -- I'm sure you could 40:26 all share stories, too -- 40:28 sometimes we get a little 40:29 glimpse of something that 40:31 our children have been learning 40:33 without us even realizing 40:34 that we were teaching it. 40:36 One day, one of our daughters, 40:38 who was maybe 4 years old, 40:39 exclaimed with joy, 40:42 "Christmas and Sabbath 40:43 are my favorite days." 40:45 And it struck me 40:46 because I hadn't even realized 40:48 the impact we were having on her 40:50 just by doing 40:51 our daily practice, 40:53 our keeping Sabbath 40:54 the way we do. 40:56 Another time, 40:57 someone from our church 40:58 asked my 3-year-old 41:00 what I say to her 41:01 in the morning. 41:02 That made me kind of nervous 41:04 because I didn't know what I say 41:05 to her 41:08 I, in my head, was thinking, 41:09 "Maybe I say, 'Go back to 41:11 sleep,' 'I'm tired,' or 41:13 something like that." 41:15 But without missing a beat, 41:17 she said, "My mommy says, 41:19 'Good morning, Sunshine.'" 41:21 And it struck me again 41:22 how important it is, 41:24 the little things that we say 41:25 and that we do. 41:27 Now, I'm not a perfect mom, 41:29 and I've done plenty of things 41:30 that have made me sad. 41:32 But when we recognize and accept 41:35 the incredible impact of our 41:36 God-given role as mothers, we 41:39 are empowered, with God's help, 41:41 to prepare our children 41:42 through their -- through 41:43 our actions, 41:44 both big and small, 41:46 for the many wars 41:47 that they will face. 41:50 Another way that we prepare our 41:51 children for spiritual warfare 41:53 is to appropriately 41:54 immerse them in God. 41:56 I homeschooled both of our girls 41:58 until fourth grade, 42:00 and I well remember the feeling 42:01 of that first day of school -- 42:03 probably the same as someone 42:05 bringing their child 42:06 to kindergarten. 42:07 You just want it to go so well, 42:08 and you want your kid to fit in. 42:11 I remember watching my daughter, 42:13 and she was with a couple 42:14 of other little girls, 42:15 and one of the little girls 42:16 said, "We're hotties." 42:20 And my daughter just looked at 42:21 her with a completely blank 42:23 look on her face, with no clue 42:25 what she was talking about. 42:27 And then there was the chatter 42:28 about movies and music 42:30 when we didn't even have a TV. 42:32 We wanted so much 42:34 for our girls to fit in. 42:35 And truly, 42:36 we had a wonderful school 42:38 and they made 42:39 really wonderful friends. 42:41 But our girls did not 42:42 always fit in, 42:43 and we had to talk about it 42:45 and make a conscious decision 42:47 to accept that, 42:48 to choose that it was better 42:50 to sometimes be on the outside 42:53 than to be on an inside 42:54 that would weaken them 42:55 in their battles. 42:58 You know, the devil immerses 42:59 our kids in evil. 43:01 He finds every single avenue 43:03 possible to influence 43:04 our children. 43:06 Why would we not immerse 43:07 our children in God? 43:10 Why would we not give our child 43:12 every opportunity 43:13 to strengthen herself for battle 43:15 by immersing her in good? 43:18 Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says, 43:21 "These commandments 43:23 that I give you today 43:24 are to be on your hearts. 43:26 Impress them on your children. 43:27 Talk about them 43:28 when you sit at home 43:30 and when you walk along 43:31 the road, when you lie down 43:32 and when you get up. 43:34 Tie them as symbols on your 43:35 hands and bind them on your 43:37 foreheads. 43:39 Write them on the doorframes 43:40 of your houses 43:41 and on your gates." 43:43 Another way that we, as mothers, 43:45 can prepare our children for war 43:47 is to specifically seek 43:49 to strengthen 43:49 our children's weaknesses. 43:52 As a young mom, 43:53 I read the following quote 43:54 from "Child Guidance," page 39. 43:57 "A wise instructor 43:58 will give special attention 44:00 to the development of the weaker 44:02 traits, that the child may form 44:04 a well-balanced, 44:06 harmonious character." 44:08 It struck me when I read it, 44:09 because I think, especially in 44:10 our culture right now, 44:12 we try to develop 44:12 the strong traits. 44:13 We see, "Okay, she's good 44:14 at this. 44:15 I'm going to really, 44:16 really teach her this 44:17 and she'll become a pro at it." 44:19 But instead, this counsel is to 44:21 give us -- for us to give 44:23 attention to the weaker traits. 44:25 Not only do we prepare our 44:27 child, by doing this, to face a 44:29 wide variety of situations 44:30 in life, we also give him 44:32 confidence that he can take on 44:34 new and daunting tasks. 44:37 One year, when one of our girls 44:39 was in elementary school, 44:41 she started shedding tears with 44:43 frustration when she had to 44:45 do math in the evenings 44:46 for her homework. 44:48 And she had always done well 44:49 at math, so that surprised me 44:51 and I couldn't understand 44:52 what was wrong. 44:53 But it was consistent 44:54 and it was pretty severe. 44:56 And so one day 44:57 I made the decision 44:58 that I would set aside time 45:00 each night, indefinitely, 45:02 to help her with her math. 45:04 So I sat down with her 45:05 in the evenings, 45:07 and we studied math -- 45:08 the math book and the questions 45:10 and the examples 45:10 until she got it. 45:12 And she got it. 45:14 It wasn't just me feeding 45:15 her the answers. 45:16 She learned so much 45:17 in just a few nights. 45:19 She had gained 45:20 so much confidence 45:21 that she no longer needed 45:22 or even wanted my help, 45:25 and she charged forward 45:26 and has had very top grades 45:28 in math ever since. 45:30 Honestly, 45:30 I hadn't anticipated that. 45:32 I thought that I would probably 45:33 be sitting with her 45:34 for the entire school year. 45:36 But in thinking back on it, 45:38 even at the time, 45:40 I noticed -- I was like, "Wow. 45:41 This is how we equip 45:43 our children for battles. 45:45 We take the time to develop 45:46 their weakest traits, 45:48 and being prepared 45:50 in math is important." 45:53 But what about preparing 45:54 our children for eternity? 45:56 That's infinitely 45:57 more important. 45:59 >> Amen. 46:00 >> Amen. 46:01 >> And again, why do we do 46:02 all of this? 46:05 Deborah knew that her children, 46:07 the children of Israel, 46:08 would soon be headed to war, 46:11 and it was her task, 46:12 consequently, 46:13 as a loving mother in Israel, 46:14 to do all that she could to 46:15 prepare them for it. 46:17 Blessed will you be, modern-day 46:20 mothers in Israel, 46:22 if you do the same. 46:25 I wish I could say differently, 46:27 but the fact of the matter is, 46:28 is that all of our children 46:29 are headed into war. 46:32 The devil is like a roaring lion 46:34 seeking who he can devour. 46:36 And our kids are on his meal 46:38 list if he can have them. 46:40 I say we deprive him 46:41 of the meal. 46:43 Let us equip our children that 46:45 when the time for battle comes, 46:47 they will be ready. 46:51 The story of Deborah continues. 46:54 Look at verse 11, please. 46:55 And this time, let's read 46:56 up through verse 16. 46:59 Judges 4:11. 47:02 "Now Heber the Kenite had left 47:03 the other Kenites, 47:04 the descendants of Hobab, 47:05 Moses' brother-in-law, 47:07 and pitched his tent 47:08 by the great tree in Zaanannim, 47:10 near Kedesh. 47:11 When they told Sisera 47:13 that Barak, son of Abinoam, 47:14 had gathered up to Mount Tabor, 47:16 Sisera gathered together 47:17 his 900 iron chariots, 47:19 and all the men with him 47:20 from Harosheth Haggoyim 47:21 to the Kishon River. 47:23 Then Deborah said to Barak, 'Go! 47:26 This is the day the Lord has 47:29 given Sisera into your hands. 47:31 Has not the Lord 47:32 gone ahead of you?' 47:34 So Barak went down Mount Tabor, 47:35 followed by 10,000 men. 47:37 At Barak's advance, 47:38 the Lord routed Sisera 47:41 and all his chariots and army 47:42 by the sword, 47:43 and Sisera abandoned his chariot 47:45 and fled on foot. 47:47 But Barak pursued the chariots 47:48 and army as far 47:50 as Harosheth Haggoyim. 47:51 All the troops of Sisera 47:53 fell by the sword. 47:54 Not a man was left." 48:00 A second lesson that Deborah 48:02 teaches us about what healthy, 48:03 biblical motherhood looks like 48:05 is this. 48:07 Wise mothers prepare their 48:08 children for war, and then 48:11 increasingly set them free to 48:13 fight, on their own, in Christ. 48:18 It's not just the preparation, 48:20 in other words. 48:21 There is a deployment, 48:22 if I can further the analogy 48:24 here. 48:25 They increasingly, with this 48:26 training, set them free to fight 48:28 on their own, in Christ. 48:32 Did you see what Deborah did, or 48:33 rather what Deborah didn't do, 48:35 when it came time 48:37 for this battle? 48:39 Verse 14, she says to Barak, 48:40 "Go!" 48:42 In other words, "You go. 48:44 I'm going to stay here. 48:45 I'm not far away. 48:47 I'm still available for counsel. 48:48 I believe in you, but I'm not 48:50 going into this battle. 48:51 You are." 48:53 Now understand 48:54 the dynamics here. 48:56 We don't know this for certain, 48:57 but probably -- probably -- 48:59 one of the reasons 49:00 that Barak wanted Deborah 49:02 to go with him 49:03 is kind of as an amulet, 49:05 a good-luck charm. 49:06 Right? 49:08 He was essentially saying, 49:09 "I'm not sure 49:10 if all the men will follow me 49:11 into battle with enthusiasm. 49:13 Maybe they don't believe 49:14 that I was called by God. 49:15 But if you come with me, 49:17 it'll show your stamp 49:18 of approval and everybody 49:19 will think, 'Ah, look, you know, 49:20 Deborah approves of him. 49:21 Therefore, the Lord will 49:22 grant us the victory.'" 49:23 Deborah was not 49:24 a good-luck charm. 49:26 Deborah had no interest 49:27 in that role. 49:28 She knew that the only person 49:29 that was going to win the battle 49:31 that day was the Lord. 49:32 And in order 49:33 for that to transpire, 49:35 Barak had to develop faith 49:37 that was his own. 49:39 And so she essentially 49:40 says to Barak 49:42 that she knows his faith in God 49:44 will not form as it should, 49:46 unless he is given 49:48 the opportunity to exercise it 49:49 without her holding his hand. 49:53 Oh, the implications 49:55 for parenting today. 49:57 But this, too, is 49:59 above my pay grade, 50:00 so I would like to invite 50:01 Darlene once again 50:02 to come and share briefly 50:03 about this particular point. 50:10 >> The point of setting 50:12 our children free 50:13 is a hard one for me. 50:14 I think it probably is 50:15 for most moms, but I like 50:17 how Deborah did it. 50:20 Barak fought his own battle, 50:22 but she stayed close to support 50:23 and to guide. 50:25 And it strikes me 50:26 as a very wise thing to not push 50:28 our kid out of the boat 50:29 and say, "Sink or swim." 50:32 Instead, we allow our child 50:34 a little bit of space 50:35 to venture out on their own, 50:36 but then pull them back 50:38 if they need help, 50:39 if they can't handle it, 50:41 then slowly, once again, 50:42 we allow them to venture out 50:44 and increase their independence 50:46 as they are able to. 50:48 They are bound to experience 50:49 hurt, mistreatment, heartbreak. 50:52 It's hard on our mamas' hearts, 50:54 but we can have -- but 50:55 we have to let them experience 50:57 the natural consequences of 50:59 their decisions and also just 51:00 the realities of life. 51:03 Still, through this process, 51:04 we are teaching them 51:06 and providing for them. 51:08 This is an example 51:09 to them of what God is for us. 51:12 Listen to Psalm 139:5-10. 51:15 "You hem me in behind and 51:17 before, you lay your hand 51:19 upon me. 51:20 Such knowledge is too wonderful 51:21 for me, too lofty 51:23 for me to attain. 51:25 Where can I go from your Spirit? 51:26 Where can I flee 51:27 from your presence? 51:29 If I go up to the heavens, 51:30 you are there; 51:31 if I make my bed in the depths, 51:33 you are there. 51:34 If I rise on the wings 51:35 of the dawn, if I settle on the 51:36 far side of the sea, even there 51:39 your hand will guide me, 51:41 your right hand 51:41 will hold me fast." 51:44 Notice that David said, 51:45 "Such knowledge is too wonderful 51:46 for me." 51:48 Done right, this is not an 51:50 oppressive or overly hover-y 51:52 type of protection. 51:54 It produces confidence and 51:55 independence in our children. 51:58 So, how do we do it right? 52:00 I can't say exactly. 52:02 Shane and I haven't done it 52:03 perfectly, but we do have 52:06 some things that we've learned 52:07 that have worked well for us. 52:09 Here's an example. 52:10 From the time our girls 52:12 were very young, we lived 52:14 and taught the importance 52:15 of service and mission, 52:17 not only locally 52:19 but also internationally. 52:20 I read the girls dozens of books 52:22 about missionaries, 52:23 and their little hearts 52:24 were drawn to mission work. 52:27 When one of our daughters 52:28 was quite young, she decided 52:30 to have a lemonade stand 52:31 by the road to sell lemonade 52:33 and raise money for ADRA. 52:35 She gathered her friends 52:37 and started a club, 52:39 and they -- and she worked hard. 52:41 It was demanding 52:42 for a little girl, 52:43 and often, she had to do 52:44 most of the work by herself. 52:46 Sometimes her friends didn't 52:47 show up or there weren't 52:49 very many customers. 52:51 Always she was tired afterwards, 52:54 and she didn't feel like 52:54 cleaning up. 52:56 Sometimes when I saw her fatigue 52:59 was to the point 52:59 of discouragement, 53:01 I would help her. 53:02 Many times, 53:03 I would keep an eye on her, but 53:05 leave her to work on her own. 53:08 By helping her with her dream 53:10 and stepping back to allow her 53:12 to learn the lessons of service, 53:14 hard work, and trust, we helped 53:16 her gain invaluable experience, 53:18 and we are watching her put that 53:21 experience into practice today. 53:23 As the mother of young adults, 53:25 I find this letting go to be 53:27 one of my greatest challenges. 53:29 A friend of mine recently said, 53:31 "My daughter is mine 53:33 to pray for, not mine to keep." 53:36 I guess that is something 53:38 that God is trying to teach me 53:39 right now, too. 53:41 And I love how he carries us 53:42 and grows us through motherhood. 53:45 He tenderly hems us moms in, 53:46 too, you know? 53:49 One last quote that I find 53:50 so encouraging and motivating, 53:53 from "Messages to Young People," 53:54 page 330. 53:56 It says, "When the 'well done' 53:58 of the great Judge is pronounced 54:00 and the crown of immortal glory 54:02 is placed upon the brow 54:03 of the victor, 54:05 many will raise their crowns in 54:07 sight of the assembled universe, 54:09 and, pointing to their mothers, 54:10 say, 'She made me all I am 54:13 through the grace of God. 54:15 Her instruction, her prayers 54:17 have been blessed 54:18 to my eternal salvation.'" 54:20 >> Amen. 54:21 >> Amen. 54:24 You know, right now, 54:26 in the days that we live in, 54:29 there are so many important 54:30 posts that the Lord longs to be 54:33 able to send his people to. 54:35 Places where there is not 54:36 much support. 54:38 Places where difficulties 54:39 abound. 54:41 Places where we need people that 54:44 know what it means to have faith 54:45 in Jesus on a personal level. 54:48 You know, right now, 54:49 in the Adventist Church, 54:49 we have a tremendous 54:50 lack of pastors and teachers. 54:52 We don't have enough to fill 54:53 the open positions. 54:55 It's not the only answer, 54:56 but I tend to think that one of 54:57 the most foundational answers 54:59 lies with us and what we do 55:02 with our children. 55:03 And, moms in particular, 55:05 God has blessed you 55:06 with immense influence. 55:08 Be the kind of mom 55:10 that continues to gradually 55:11 increase the responsibility 55:13 of your children, 55:14 spiritually speaking, 55:15 as well as in other ways, 55:16 that they may become the kind of 55:18 person that God can send 55:20 wherever He needs them to go. 55:26 Tomorrow is Mother's Day. 55:28 Of course, every day ought to be 55:29 Mother's Day, correct? 55:30 Right. 55:31 We should honor them 55:32 all year long. 55:33 But tomorrow is, indeed, 55:34 that special day. 55:34 And as such, Darlene and I 55:36 want to encourage you, 55:37 if you're a mom listening right 55:38 now and you are seeking to 55:40 prepare your children for war, 55:41 and maybe you're discouraged, 55:42 maybe there's obstacles 55:44 that have come into your way, 55:45 we just want to say, 55:46 keep going, keep going. 55:47 God is on your side. 55:49 God is looking. 55:50 He marks every tear, every 55:51 difficulty that you're facing. 55:52 He knows all about it, 55:53 and He has power 55:54 on your behalf to give, 55:56 and He longs to give it to you. 55:58 And if you're a mother 55:59 that's seeking to to do this -- 56:01 this gradual increasing 56:02 of responsibility -- 56:03 and maybe you're not sure 56:04 how to make the next move, 56:05 and you're not sure 56:06 what the next step is, 56:07 understand that, again, 56:08 God is on your side. 56:10 The wisdom of the universe 56:12 is there at your disposal. 56:13 Ask for it. 56:14 We will be praying for you, 56:15 as I know many others of us 56:16 will be, too. 56:17 You are a mother ordained by God 56:20 to raise her children. 56:22 What a high calling that is. 56:25 My prayer for each of us 56:27 is that this weekend, indeed, 56:29 we will give mothers, 56:30 both ours and others, 56:31 their due this weekend 56:32 and always. 56:34 And may each mother arise 56:38 as a mother with a fiery spirit 56:40 that leads their children, 56:42 with God's power, 56:44 to fulfill God's purposes. 56:47 >> Amen. 56:50 >> I'm Shane Anderson, 56:53 the lead pastor here at 56:55 Pioneer Memorial Church. 56:57 At Pioneer Media, we have been 56:59 blessed by the financial support 57:01 that comes from our viewers 57:02 like you, that enable us 57:04 to continue this ministry. 57:06 We've made a conscious decision 57:07 not to continually appeal to you 57:09 for that support. 57:11 However, keeping this ministry 57:12 going takes money to support 57:14 our staff and technology needs. 57:16 If God has blessed you 57:18 and you would like to further 57:19 the work of this ministry, 57:20 we invite you to partner 57:21 with us. 57:23 You can donate on our website, 57:24 pmchurch.org. 57:27 Then, click Giving at the top. 57:29 Then, select Media Ministry. 57:32 Or call the number 877-HIS-WILL. 57:36 Again, that number is 57:37 877, the two words "His will." 57:40 My prayer is that the God 57:43 who has blessed you will 57:44 continue to pour into your life 57:46 the gifts of His joy 57:47 and His hope. 57:49 Thank you, and I'm looking 57:50 forward to seeing you right here 57:52 again, next time. 57:54 ♪ 58:00 ♪ 58:09 ♪ 58:17 ♪ |
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