1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,840 You're listening to the Bridgetown Church podcast with 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,840 Pastor Chris Ochoa where our vision is Jesus, our mission is 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,760 people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in. 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:12,600 Let's dive in. It's Mother's Day. 5 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,480 My name is Chris Ochoa. I'm the pastor of Preaching and 6 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,160 Vision here at Bridgetown Church. 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:20,480 We're going to do things a little bit different today. 8 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,280 We have an abbreviated meet and greet because we want to make 9 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:26,880 sure we can get the most done as possible in our short amount of 10 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,240 time together. Our time together this morning 11 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,960 is going to be structured a little bit differently than our 12 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,680 usual Sunday gatherings. Today's Mother's Day and as a 13 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:43,400 church body, we want to celebrate you moms, you warriors 14 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,320 at home who are taking care of your kids, taking care of your 15 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,160 husbands, taking care of your home. 16 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:55,520 We want to celebrate you today. With that being said, me as your 17 00:00:55,520 --> 00:01:00,800 pastor, I would be naive and remiss to not include those who 18 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:08,080 today it's it's not an easy day. I'm keenly aware that today it's 19 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,520 not a celebratory day for a lot of moms out there. 20 00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:16,440 Maybe you, maybe this is your first Mother's Day without your 21 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,720 mom. Maybe you as a mother, this is 22 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,640 your first Mother's Day without your, your child. 23 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,840 I'm keenly aware that today is not celebratory for some women 24 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,960 here. In fact, today it might be the 25 00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:34,240 hardest day that you've had in a long, long time. 26 00:01:36,320 --> 00:01:40,160 It's a day of grief, a day of her, a day of longing. 27 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,440 And we would be remiss if we didn't think about you today. 28 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,640 So what I wanted to do this morning is we wanted to do some 29 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,680 heart care. And I wanted to point you 30 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:53,840 specifically for those who are dealing with grief this morning. 31 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,000 I would wanted to point you to the hope of Jesus. 32 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,640 I don't want to forget you this morning. 33 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,320 So with that being said, I'm going to do things a little bit 34 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,920 differently today. Now at Bridgetown, we love the 35 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,639 Bible. As your pastor, I love the 36 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,960 Bible. I believe that it's impactful. 37 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,240 It changes you to be the person that God's called you to be. 38 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,760 And we aim to submit our lives under the authority of scripture 39 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:22,760 and the direction of its author, the Holy Spirit. 40 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:24,160 That's what we believe about the Scripture. 41 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,040 It's in that spirit. First Corinthians chapter 14, 42 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,880 Paul addresses the Corinthian church about an orderly service, 43 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,680 and here's what he says. He says what then, Brothers, 44 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,240 when you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a 45 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,880 revelation. Let all things be done for 46 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,480 building up. Let two or three people speak 47 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:47,760 and let the others weigh what is said. 48 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,440 Let all that's done be for the building up of the church. 49 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,200 Well, it's in this spirit that we will do a split message 50 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,360 today, a split sermon in an orderly fashion, just as Paul 51 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,040 commanded in First Corinthians 14. 52 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,520 It has been placed on the heart of one of our sisters here, 53 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,880 Elena, to share her story and what she's currently walking 54 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:12,480 through in this season of her life. 55 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,720 It's a testimony of loss, but it's also a testimony that 56 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,440 culminates in the hope of Jesus. And we want you mothers here 57 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:26,040 today that are dealing with grief to hear from Elena. 58 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,480 Now, why are we doing this one? For the mutual encouragement of 59 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,760 our women here sitting in darkness today. 60 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,040 Then also for Elena herself, because she wants you to know 61 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,560 where she's at and how what God's been doing in her life. 62 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,680 Understand, Elena, she's not a pastor. 63 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,480 She's not a teacher, nor does she sit in any other 64 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,040 professional position. What she is, she's a dear sister 65 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:59,520 in Christ who wants to share her story of hope and hope that 66 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,480 appoints you to Jesus, you who are struggling today. 67 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,520 So here's what it's going to look like on today. 68 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,480 Elena's going to come up and share her story. 69 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,400 And afterwards, I'm going to come up and with our remaining 70 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,400 time, I'm going to give you a biblical perspective, the 71 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,200 biblical mandate for what it means to be a woman and the call 72 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,440 to motherhood. So that's what we'll do today. 73 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,600 When, without any further ado, here is Elena. 74 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:49,840 Is this on? OK, so I'm going to start by 75 00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:53,360 asking you something. Have you ever had to trust God 76 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,840 in a season where that didn't make sense? 77 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,760 Where your heart was grieving and your faith was being 78 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,840 stretched at the same time? Or a season where loss kept 79 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:07,320 showing up and you didn't have answers? 80 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:11,080 Because this past year, that's exactly where I found myself. 81 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,160 For those of you that don't know me, my name is Elena. 82 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,160 My husband Daniel and I started coming to Bridgetown back in 83 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:23,320 2023, and we've been blessed by this church family in the past 84 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,240 year. God has been telling me that I'm 85 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,120 going to share my story, but I didn't know when or where that 86 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,760 was going to happen until a few weeks ago. 87 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:33,960 He put it on my heart to talk to Pastor Chris. 88 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,040 So side note, I didn't plan on being here today. 89 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,360 Mother's Day is that easy for me. 90 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,680 So when I talked to Pastor Chris, I thought, OK, we'll pray 91 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,040 about it in a few months I'll be up here. 92 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,920 But he said how about Mother's Day? 93 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:01,840 And I was like, the one day I wasn't going to be here and I 94 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:06,160 just knew it was from God and that was God's plan. 95 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:11,080 So here I am. I'm going to back up a few years 96 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,400 here. Back in 21, I had to start 97 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,040 caretaking for my dad. He ended up becoming bedridden 98 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,680 and was on Hospice. That same year, my mom was 99 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:25,880 diagnosed with breast cancer. I found myself being a full time 100 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,760 caretaker as well as a therapist. 101 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,040 In that year, Daniel and I got married and even though we had a 102 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,600 lot on our plate, we wanted to start a family. 103 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,560 A year later, trying to conceive, we found ourselves out 104 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,440 of fertility clinic to get tested. 105 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:49,160 I read a devotional that day and it was about Sarah and Abraham 106 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,680 and basically the part of Sarah compromising. 107 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,680 As I went in we talked about testing IVF and when we left 108 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:04,320 that day I felt God tell me don't be Sarah, don't compromise 109 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,240 and trust in Him. Our test came back clear, 110 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,560 everything was good except I had a polyp that needed to be 111 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:15,120 removed. Later that year in May God 112 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:19,840 started to give me promises and showed me a pastel rainbow as a 113 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,920 symbol of his promise. So anytime I saw that it was a 114 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:27,400 reminder of His plan. Later that year in November we 115 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:39,640 were pregnant. Our baby was due in July and 116 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:43,800 Daniel and I were going to be parents on December 19th. 117 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:52,360 We went into our appointment and I just had a weird vibe and a a 118 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:57,440 bad feeling and when the doctor came in he told us that our 119 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:06,080 baby's heart was not beating. In that moment I felt like my 120 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:08,520 world stopped like in the movies. 121 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,000 Instantly I shut down trying to block any emotion. 122 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,920 I didn't understand why God would give me a baby just for 123 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:24,560 this to happen. Did I really hear the doctor say 124 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:26,280 that my baby didn't have a heartbeat? 125 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:31,000 Why us? For the next few days I cried 126 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,760 and I felt like my worst nightmare has happened. 127 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:40,080 We had to go through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with 128 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,000 smiles on our faces even though we were broken inside. 129 00:08:44,039 --> 00:08:46,600 And on December 28th I miscarried at home. 130 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,640 The feeling of losing your baby is the worst feeling in the 131 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:56,000 world. A feeling a piece of you is 132 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,000 gone. The hope, the plans, the name 133 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,120 you had was all taken in one moment. 134 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,280 As a mom, you start to question what did you do wrong? 135 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:10,000 I felt I failed to keep my baby safe. 136 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:13,800 I questioned did I do too much, did I stress? 137 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,840 And people can tell you it's not your fault, but it's hard to let 138 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:23,960 it go. Thank you, I questioned God a 139 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:29,120 lot and I don't didn't understand why he allowed us to 140 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:33,320 go through all this. During that week though Daniel 141 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:38,040 and I both saw a rainbow. I saw one over our house and 142 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:42,040 Daniel saw one with his mom and a stranger even tapped him on 143 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:45,360 the shoulder and told him turn around you need to look at that. 144 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,680 I feel that that was God showing him the promise. 145 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,640 And in that midst of pain, we had a sense of peace. 146 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:58,120 In 2024, we had a little bit of a healing year. 147 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:05,840 We named a star after our baby and people kept praying for us. 148 00:10:06,560 --> 00:10:09,520 I didn't tell Daniel, but I was discouraged that we weren't 149 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,480 pregnant again. In August of this year, my mom 150 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:15,880 was now diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 151 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,480 Getting news like that changes your life. 152 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:23,680 I started to focus on how I can make each day count and my focus 153 00:10:23,680 --> 00:10:26,920 was no longer on getting pregnant, but on my mom. 154 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:33,920 In 2025, it was rough. In the beginning of the year, my 155 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:37,440 mom got sick, one of my dogs and a close friend of mine passed 156 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,200 away. And in the middle of February I 157 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,360 found myself having a mental breakdown. 158 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:48,560 I was upset, broken, crying. I thought I was losing my mind. 159 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,880 I realized soon after I wasn't having a mental breakdown. 160 00:10:54,400 --> 00:11:01,920 I was pregnant, but I had to ask God why now with everything 161 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:07,160 happening at that time, Angie gave me a verse. 162 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:12,080 It was Psalms 41 through 3 and it says I waited patiently for 163 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,200 the Lord to help me. He turned to me and heard my 164 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,360 cry. He lifted me out of the pit of 165 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,200 despair, out of the mud and the mire. 166 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:23,080 He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked 167 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,280 along. He had given me a new song, a 168 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:30,120 hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done 169 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:34,720 and be amazed, and they will put their trust in the Lord. 170 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:40,880 Angie then prayed over me and in that moment I felt God mourned 171 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:46,760 me that I would be attacked. On week 6, we went to the 172 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,320 doctor's appointment and we heard a heartbeat. 173 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,040 Tears rolled down my face, but in a sigh of relief, we had a 174 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:59,000 healthy baby. A week later, however, my aunt, 175 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:03,240 my mom's sister, passed away. If you're keeping count that's 176 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:09,160 lost #3 on April 16th, we went to our next appointment and 177 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,760 during the ultrasound the technician just kind of pushed 178 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,040 on my stomach, which I thought was a little weird. 179 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,520 And we went into the other room waiting for the doctor. 180 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,280 The doctor questioned if I was in pain or bleeding and I said 181 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:28,200 no, and he proceeded to tell us that our baby's heart had 182 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:33,840 stopped. Daniel asked what does that 183 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,520 mean? And the doctor looked in a cold 184 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:41,880 way and said your baby's dead. My worst nightmare was happening 185 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,280 again. My world stopped. 186 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,840 I went home and I was broke down, fell to my knees sobbing 187 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,680 but found myself praying to God asking God those same questions. 188 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:57,320 Why let me get pregnant for this to happen. 189 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:06,360 All I kept hearing God was say trust me and and one way I said 190 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:08,680 that means nothing to me at this point. 191 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,560 And he reminded me to read Psalms 41 through 3. 192 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:17,800 And I realized at that moment that when he said that I was in 193 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,320 the pit of despair. It was not from my first 194 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:24,040 miscarriage, but now. So I kept holding on to the 195 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,440 promises that he's given me on Easter. 196 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,360 I asked for clarity. Do I grieve or do I pray for a 197 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:35,400 miracle? Angie was given words that God 198 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:38,840 told her to share with me. I'm going to share just a few. 199 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,920 He told her to sit. Let me know for that child she 200 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:48,280 is caring, has my heartbeat that I have placed in her womb. 201 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:50,920 That child that I have placed in her womb shall live. 202 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:55,440 And that verse I gave her the word was for now, for today, for 203 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:59,800 Elena and Daniel to hold onto it my truth, our lives and for 204 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:01,360 their faith to give birth to a miracle. 205 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:07,760 In that moment I just again felt God say trust me and I had some 206 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,440 hope. But we went to our next 207 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,760 ultrasound and there was still no heartbeat. 208 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:20,400 I questioned God, you said that my baby would live what is 209 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:24,640 happening? And at that moment again, I 210 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,720 found myself like just sobbing, breaking down on the floor. 211 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:31,840 A part of me felt like I had been lied to. 212 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:34,560 I planned to not come to church anymore. 213 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:38,080 How can I listen to a sermon and believe anything that's said up 214 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,080 here? But then at the same time I 215 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,360 found myself journaling again, talking to God. 216 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,200 On May 12th, God told me to read Job. 217 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,000 And I told God I don't want to read Job. 218 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:59,920 I know what Job means. So I obeyed and I read and there 219 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:04,640 is one part that stood out to me and it said, do you still want 220 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:09,120 to argue with the Almighty? Right away I was convicted. 221 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:13,440 Who am I to question God? Who am I to listen to, to not 222 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,840 listen to what He's telling me? Why do I listen to the enemy but 223 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:21,480 not Him? At that moment I surrendered my 224 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:26,040 baby to God. I asked Him to give me strength 225 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:29,720 to grief and I felt like God was telling me again to trust His 226 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:33,800 plan. I woke up the next day with 227 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:37,680 cramping and symptoms. I was hemorrhaging and needed to 228 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:41,640 have surgery that night. I went through the first surgery 229 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,040 and then found I was losing more blood. 230 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,160 I started to feel weak, scared and thought I was going to die. 231 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:54,440 The doctor told me I needed to have a second surgery and if it 232 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,320 didn't work I would have a hysterectomy. 233 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,400 Thank God the medication did work and that didn't happen. 234 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,960 As I was recovering, I still had to take care of my mom and dad. 235 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:11,840 My mom's health was declining at this time, but I pushed it all 236 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:15,440 down because I needed to stay strong for her. 237 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:25,960 My mom was my best friend, my confidant, my biggest support, 238 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:30,640 and even though I was grieving my baby, I put that aside 239 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:32,400 because I had to focus on my mom. 240 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,360 Four months later, my mom passed away. 241 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:45,160 I felt like my heart was crushed at this moment. 242 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,960 I thought about the book of job and started to feel like my life 243 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,760 was falling apart. I started to think about how I 244 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:55,880 cannot go through another loss, but a part of me felt like my 245 00:16:55,880 --> 00:17:02,040 job season wasn't wasn't over. My hope was fading. 246 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:08,839 Sorry. I was trying to reconnect with 247 00:17:08,839 --> 00:17:13,960 God, but I found it difficult. Like I said, I felt my job 248 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:15,960 season wasn't over and I was right. 249 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:24,359 In November our bird and my dog who was my baby boy both passed 250 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:28,319 away. I beg God stop the loss. 251 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:32,120 I asked what was I missing. Why are you keep taking things 252 00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:38,040 from me that I love? As the year ended I was numb but 253 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:43,920 still trying to heal. In the beginning of the year I 254 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,520 had another loss. The sibling of my golden passed 255 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:51,120 away. This is number 8 if you guys 256 00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:56,040 lost count. All the grief that I had been 257 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:57,800 dealing with came up at this time. 258 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,360 I felt like I was going to throw up and I couldn't breathe. 259 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:07,800 Grief can be a lonely place. Not many people are comfortable 260 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,080 with someone who is dealing with grief. 261 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:14,040 So I would text a small group of friends and talk to God when I 262 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,560 needed support. I went through some depression 263 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:19,320 and I felt like I would not recover. 264 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,960 In the beginning of the year, I did a Bible study with some 265 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,240 friends called Not What I Signed Up For. 266 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:29,920 It talked about Joseph's story and how God uses our 267 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:34,160 opportunities to help us grow in faith to depend on God. 268 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:39,800 I started to learn that when I prayed for my family members, my 269 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:44,200 dogs, or my babies, I was still trying to control what happened. 270 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,360 I said I was surrendering, but I didn't fully surrender until I 271 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:52,840 had no other choice. I had faith but was still trying 272 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:56,400 to manipulate the outcome. In this study, I learned in 273 00:18:56,400 --> 00:19:00,560 Genesis 5020, what was intended to harm you, God will use for 274 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,520 good. This has become a verse that I 275 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,840 am reminded, I remind myself of often. 276 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:11,160 People have asked me if I've felt like Job through all of 277 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:15,680 this, and a part of me does. But I didn't lose my health and 278 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,520 I didn't lose my house. So I don't like to say I'm too 279 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:22,360 much like Job because I'm OK in those areas. 280 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:29,720 During my season, I kept telling people that I wasn't done and I 281 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:34,960 felt like the losses were still coming, but people also 282 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:36,920 followed. How did you get through this? 283 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:42,240 And my simple answer is God. My heart was shattered and I was 284 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,440 reminded in Psalm 3418 the Lord is close to the broken hearted 285 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,480 and close to those who are crushed in spirit. 286 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:53,320 There is nothing I could go through that God would not meet 287 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:58,480 me there and support me. Don't forget I question God a 288 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,520 lot. I got angry with Him, I yelled 289 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:06,880 at Him, but I still went to Him. My faith wasn't strong 290 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:08,440 throughout everything I went through. 291 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:12,680 My faith varied in size. Some days it was big and other 292 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:14,440 days it was the size of a mustard seed. 293 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,000 The one thing that didn't change was the fact that I talked to 294 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,840 God. I shared every emotion I had. 295 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,760 I don't have answers to why I lost my babies. 296 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:29,480 I don't have answers to why I lost my mom or had eight losses 297 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,680 in one year. But I do know that I serve a God 298 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,480 that loves me and was with me during those times. 299 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:37,960 He was wiping my tears from my face. 300 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,160 He was holding me as I wept in grief. 301 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:44,720 Faith isn't believing God will give you what you want when you 302 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,120 pray. But faith is believing in God 303 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:50,480 and trusting His plans when they look different. 304 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:58,200 Some of you think, why did Angie tell me why my that my baby 305 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,880 would have his heartbeat and that it will live. 306 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,920 And earlier this year, God showed me my baby does have his 307 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:11,320 heartbeat and my baby does live, just not in the way that I 308 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:15,000 wanted. Daniel and I don't know what our 309 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,880 future holds. All we know is God has given us 310 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,960 a promise. We hold on to that and trust God 311 00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:26,400 keeps his promises. And Daniel, 3/18, it says even 312 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:31,800 if God is still good. In my story, I've learned that 313 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:36,120 even if I had eight losses in one year, God is still good. 314 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:40,560 Even if I don't have a baby, God is still good. 315 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,760 Even if and fill in the blank, God is still good. 316 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,520 So if I can ask you those questions again, have you ever 317 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:52,720 had to trust God in a season that didn't make sense? 318 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,560 A season where you lost, kept showing up, and you didn't have 319 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,720 answers? So if you find yourself in that 320 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,040 season that doesn't make sense or you're dealing with loss, 321 00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:07,280 you're not alone and you could still trust God even here. 322 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,960 And remember, even if God is still good. 323 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,680 There we go. This morning Chris will be 324 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:42,800 preaching on the topic of Biblical motherhood. 325 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:45,840 Our sermon texts will come from various places throughout the 326 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:48,160 Bible. I will read these scriptures 327 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:49,680 now. Please follow along on your 328 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,520 phone or on the screen as I read. 329 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:54,880 Hear the word of the Lord Genesis 2. 330 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,080 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to 331 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,080 work and keep it. Then the Lord God said, it is 332 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,080 not good that the man should be alone. 333 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,200 I will make him a helper fit for him. 334 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,240 So the Lord God caused a deep sleeve to fall upon the man, and 335 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,120 while he slept he took one of his ribs and closed it up its 336 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:16,200 place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord had 337 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:18,960 taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the 338 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,040 man. Genesis 1. 339 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,440 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God. 340 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:29,560 He created him, male and female. He created them, and God blessed 341 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:33,200 them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill 342 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,080 the earth, and subdue it, and have a dominion over the fish of 343 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:38,920 the sea, and over the words of the heavens, and over every 344 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,080 living thing that moves on the earth. 345 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:46,920 Matthew 28 And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in 346 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:50,240 heaven and on earth has been given to me, Go there for it, 347 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,400 and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the 348 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,400 name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 349 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:59,280 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 350 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:03,000 And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. 351 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:08,080 Titus 2 But As for you, teach what accords with sound 352 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,560 doctrine. Older women likewise are to be 353 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,360 reverent in behaviour, not slanderers or slaves. 354 00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:15,960 Too much wine. They are to teach what is good 355 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,720 and so train the young women to love their husbands and 356 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:23,440 children, to be self controlled, pure, working at home, kind and 357 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:25,000 submissive to their own husbands. 358 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:27,280 That the word of God may not be reviled. 359 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:38,750 This is the word of the Lord. Elena, that was a beautiful 360 00:24:38,750 --> 00:24:42,070 story. God is good. 361 00:24:43,430 --> 00:24:45,230 I'm reminded of first Peter chapter 3. 362 00:24:46,070 --> 00:24:47,910 Peter says, you know, you want to know what a strong woman 363 00:24:47,910 --> 00:24:50,240 looks like. Like the women of old, like 364 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,760 Sarah, they do three things. They love their husbands. 365 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,480 They hope in God and they fear nothing. 366 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:00,360 They hope in God and they fear nothing. 367 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:03,120 Elena continue to hope in God and fear nothing. 368 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:08,960 He's for you this morning I wanted to give you a an 369 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:13,120 overview, a biblical overview of what it means to be a woman and 370 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:16,600 the call to motherhood. I don't know if you've seen it 371 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:22,240 or not, but in our culture, in the news, in social media, in 372 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:26,200 your random discourse throughout the day, it seems like 373 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:28,240 motherhood has fallen into disrepute. 374 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:31,560 Motherhood has fallen into disrepute. 375 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:37,160 It's not popular to be a mother today. 376 00:25:38,120 --> 00:25:41,840 There's things like movements called the anti natalist 377 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,720 movement or let's not have babies. 378 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,440 Let's not have babies because the economy is rough, there's 379 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,920 wars everywhere. Why would I bring a baby into 380 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:55,440 this screwed up world? There's a rise in our young 381 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:00,600 people today, especially young women of I don't need a baby. 382 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:05,200 That baby is an inconvenience to me in my life and my dreams of 383 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:10,240 what I want to do. Is this the biblical call for 384 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:13,560 what a woman is to be this morning? 385 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:16,800 I want to accomplish 2 things in our short time together. 386 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:23,200 I want to expand our view of motherhood as worship to God. 387 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:29,400 And then two, I want to contend. My contention is that you ladies 388 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:34,160 are at your happiest. You'll be at your happiest. 389 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,840 You're most satisfied when you live out your design of 390 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,440 motherhood. Now what does that mean? 391 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,320 Well, let's talk about it. An iPhone. 392 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:51,440 I have an iPhone SE You have a cellular device? 393 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:55,280 Oh, yeah. For all the Android people out 394 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:59,200 there, I'm sorry. Your iPhone is designed for 395 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:03,840 communication, to make phone calls, to surf the Internet. 396 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:06,560 It's not designed for anything else. 397 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:13,240 It's designed for communication. Now, a shovel is designed to dig 398 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,880 holes. What happens if I use my iPhone 399 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,480 as a shovel? It's not going to work. 400 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,880 An iPhone works at its best when it works according to its 401 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,040 design. It doesn't work well as a 402 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:30,200 shovel. Good luck building a sand castle 403 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:34,360 on the beach, scooping it out with your little 6 inch iPhone 404 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:40,360 SE. Your design determines function 405 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:44,000 in the same way you look at your body, your lower back. 406 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,480 A lot of people out there, you're suffering from lower back 407 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,560 pain. Well, I came from a the physical 408 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:51,320 therapy realm at Kaiser Permanente. 409 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,480 That was my previous job before becoming a pastor. 410 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:59,520 You have your low back pain over constant overuse year after year 411 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,320 after year. The problem is low back pain 412 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,800 stems from everybody bending over at the back. 413 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,680 While your lower back was not designed to bend, your lower 414 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:14,640 back was designed to brace. That's what your abdominal is 415 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,760 for, your abdominal muscles, and then your lower back is designed 416 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,280 to brace. It braces the twisting motion. 417 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,240 What does bend are your knees and hips. 418 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:26,320 So that's why when you're doing a proper squat or you're 419 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,600 supposed to pick something up from the floor, you're supposed 420 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:33,520 to bend at your hips and bend at your knees, not your lower back. 421 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:37,840 Your lower back is not designed to bend like that. 422 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:42,560 Design determines function. Things function at their best 423 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,760 when they function according to their intended design. 424 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:54,280 But beware, and the improper function of something can 425 00:28:54,280 --> 00:29:02,240 maladaptively alter the design. If I bend over at my back year 426 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:08,280 after year after year, I'm going to be bedridden at the end of my 427 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:12,160 life. If I use my phone for something 428 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:16,760 it's not designed for, to build a sandcastle on the beach, I'm 429 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,600 going to have dents in it. It's no longer going to work. 430 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,240 We have a term for this. It's called maladaptive 431 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,000 patterns. And you think about this in 432 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,720 life, it's a term that can be applied to all sorts of things. 433 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:31,360 Maladaptive patterns, maladaptive movement patterns 434 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:35,680 like we just talked about with your body, maladaptive social, 435 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:44,920 social behaviors, drug use, pornography, things that can 436 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:49,560 alter your brain. Your brain is not made for that, 437 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:55,080 but it can alter the synapses in your brain to where I need to do 438 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:58,160 these things in order to feel OK. 439 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:02,920 Maladaptive patterns, improper function Can maladaptively 440 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:10,040 maladaptively alter your design? Now our current culture has many 441 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:14,920 opinions on motherhood. I call them maladaptive 442 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,000 patterns. Maladaptive patterns on what 443 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,400 motherhood looks like. What does it mean to be a woman? 444 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:27,480 We must reject and have We must reject these opinions and have a 445 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:31,920 biblical basis both for womanhood and motherhood. 446 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:35,680 Who are you ladies? Who are you? 447 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:40,400 What are you made for? How do you live out that vision 448 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,520 that God has for you? Well, we go back to the 449 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:45,000 Scriptures. We go back to the Bible. 450 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:48,440 So here's our overview of our sermon this morning. 4 quick 451 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:50,560 points. We're going to talk about God's 452 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:58,120 design for motherhood, God's design for women, motherhood as 453 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:00,480 a calling, and then motherhood as a ministry. 454 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,080 So let's begin. Our first text this morning is 455 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:07,000 Genesis chapter 2. It reads this. 456 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,440 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to 457 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:14,080 work it and keep it. Then the Lord God said it's not 458 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:18,120 good that man should be alone. I will make him a helper fit for 459 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,480 him. So the Lord God caused a deep 460 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:24,320 sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his 461 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:26,480 ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 462 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:29,960 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man, he made 463 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,600 into a woman and brought her to the man. 464 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:37,760 Now in this text before us, we see God giving man a task. 465 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:41,160 What's that task? God created Adam to steward, 466 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:44,480 cultivate, and have dominion over the Garden of Eden. 467 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,520 Adam, I've created this beautiful garden. 468 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,400 I want you to take care of it. I want you to bring out all the 469 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:53,400 potential. I want you to make it beautiful. 470 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:57,040 Take care of it, man. From the very beginning, we see 471 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:00,800 God has desired to work with humanity in partnership. 472 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,720 He doesn't need Adam. God doesn't need anybody. 473 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,560 He could do whatever he wants. For some reason in the counsel 474 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,800 and the wisdom of God, he decides to work with people. 475 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:12,840 It brings them glory to work with people. 476 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:16,560 In the same way that I can easily make breakfast in the 477 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,160 morning for my family. But when my daughters want to 478 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,600 help, even though it multiplies the time it takes to make 479 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:27,920 everything by like 10, they want to make it with me in in the 480 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:32,960 same way God designed man to work in partnership with him. 481 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:38,800 Now says here in verse 18, the Lord God looked at man and 482 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:40,360 looked at this task and said, you know what? 483 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:44,480 It's not good that this man Adam is alone. 484 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,400 This is the first time that God says something's not good. 485 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:52,640 The rest of the creation narrative it always ends with 486 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:54,640 and it was good and it was good and it was good. 487 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:58,320 The only time that God says it's not good is when he sees the 488 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:01,160 task he's given Adam. He sees Adam, they're all alone 489 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:03,560 and he's like, this is going to be too hard for this guy, 490 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,920 especially this guy. He's going to need somebody. 491 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:11,160 God views the creation of Adam as incomplete. 492 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:15,760 He's incomplete. He's missing something or 493 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:19,440 someone to help him accomplish the task set before him. 494 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:24,680 So God causes a sleep on Adam and he creates woman. 495 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:29,680 Her name is Eve. With a specific design in mind. 496 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:36,880 Do you see it here? I will make him a helper fit for 497 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:42,200 him. A helper helper. 498 00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:47,880 Women, what is your design? What are you made for? 499 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,000 You're made to help other people. 500 00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:57,480 You're made to help. Now lest we think that this role 501 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:01,480 as helper denotes an inferior status, understand this In the 502 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:04,840 Old Testament, the exact same Hebrew word used for helper will 503 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:11,800 be used 21 * 15 of those times it's used of God aiding divine 504 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:15,639 help. This does not denote inferior 505 00:34:15,639 --> 00:34:18,320 status. What it does do is give your 506 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:23,120 God-given role. So you're made to help. 507 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:25,719 Now begs the question, well help who? 508 00:34:27,159 --> 00:34:30,000 Who do we help? Who do you help ladies? 509 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:34,880 The answer the man and the men need your help. 510 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:41,960 Eve is brought to Adam as his helper and she is fit for him. 511 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:45,199 She's compatible. She's like the missing puzzle 512 00:34:45,199 --> 00:34:50,800 piece to his life. She's complimentary to what he 513 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,440 is. She is his helper to accomplish 514 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:57,440 the task that God gave Adam to beautify the Garden of Eden, to 515 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:02,600 steward it, to take care of it when Adam, when Eve is brought 516 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:07,800 to Adam, at that point, mankind is now complete. 517 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:13,400 Now as a side note, you're made to help ladies. 518 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,920 A word to young women. Here's a word to young women, 519 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:19,880 what I would tell my daughters and what I will tell my 520 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,360 daughters. What does this mean for you? 521 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:28,440 It means get to work, get to work. 522 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:32,560 You're made to work. Ladies, avoid a passenger 523 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:35,720 Princess mentality. That's not who you're made to 524 00:35:35,720 --> 00:35:38,240 be. The Proverbs 31 woman, we always 525 00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:41,640 talk about this example, this standard of what biblical 526 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:46,320 womanhood looks like. Throughout the whole text, a 527 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:50,280 common thread is woven through and it and it it's this idea 528 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:54,160 that she works with her hands. She takes care of everything. 529 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:57,520 You think about it in the ancient Israelite culture, who's 530 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:00,040 taking care of the family business, the family farm, the 531 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,000 home, everything. When the husband's going to war, 532 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:09,360 it's her. Young ladies, avoid the 533 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:13,840 passenger Princess mentality. Avoid becoming an influencer. 534 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:16,440 I'm just going to say it. I'm going to tell my kids and 535 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:19,560 don't become an influencer. Do something with your life. 536 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:22,040 God's made you to do something great. 537 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:27,280 You're made to help people. I kind of imagine it like this. 538 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:30,440 What did it look like when Eve was brought to Adam? 539 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,800 It's almost like Adam. There he is, tilling and 540 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:38,320 gardening, the Garden of Eden. He's got the rake upside down. 541 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:40,840 He's like, oh gosh, this is taking forever. 542 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,000 My lower back hurts. I'm bending over too much. 543 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:48,120 There she is, Eve. She sees him with the rake 544 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:52,640 upside down and she says, what are you doing? 545 00:36:56,240 --> 00:36:58,520 I don't know. Give me that. 546 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:02,360 Let me show you how to do it. I kind of think that that's how 547 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:04,920 it went. But this idea that Eve, when she 548 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:09,480 shows up on scene to help Adam, she completes him. 549 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:15,600 At that point it becomes poetry. Eve completes Adam and she's 550 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:17,760 made to help him steward the garden. 551 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:23,000 Women, beware of your current culture. 552 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:29,560 When they tell you who you should be, You need to reject 553 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:35,240 the white noise of influencers, social media, and popular 554 00:37:35,240 --> 00:37:38,320 discussion. I know you're doomed scrolling 555 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:42,600 every night before bed for hours on end. 556 00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:48,160 Here's a cultural maladaptive pattern, if you will, of who 557 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:53,400 culture says you should be. 1 bad maladaptive pattern that the 558 00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:58,000 culture popularizes is internalization. 559 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:02,600 Internalization. This is the idea, young ladies, 560 00:38:02,720 --> 00:38:06,280 that the focus and center of your life is you. 561 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:10,760 You do you. You live your best life now. 562 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:15,720 This is all about your peace, your career, your freedom. 563 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:18,760 That's what the culture is telling you. 564 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:25,240 It's this mindset. Don't tell me what to do or who 565 00:38:25,240 --> 00:38:29,040 to be. Hey young ladies, you don't need 566 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:30,320 them. Just cut them out. 567 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,400 Cut the toxic people out of your life. 568 00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:38,880 You don't need men. You're better than that. 569 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:43,200 You would do whatever it takes to keep your peace. 570 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:48,120 That internalization, that popular culture is telling young 571 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:50,680 ladies on how to live, who to be. 572 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:54,080 Do you understand that? These thoughts, these words, 573 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:56,480 they're repackaged. It's just a repackage. 574 00:38:56,480 --> 00:39:01,280 Live from the garden. What did the serpent tempt Eden 575 00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:03,240 with? What did he say to her? 576 00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:09,640 Did God really say, Did God really say that this is who 577 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:13,240 you're to be? What I'm doing is taking you 578 00:39:13,240 --> 00:39:16,120 back to the scriptures. Yes, this is what you're made 579 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:17,360 for. This is what you're designed 580 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:20,520 for. You're designed to help other 581 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,920 people. You're designed to be selfless. 582 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:27,000 You're designed to think about other people, not yourself. 583 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:31,600 Don't internalize. Don't cut people off to build up 584 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:35,800 your empire, to build up your career, to build up you and 585 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:41,080 yourself, to keep your peace, because I promise you it will 586 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:45,640 manifest in loneliness because you're made to help other 587 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:50,160 people. What I'm arguing for is that 588 00:39:50,560 --> 00:40:01,320 function, properly understood function stems from your design. 589 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:05,240 That when you carry out your proper function, you will be at 590 00:40:05,240 --> 00:40:09,480 your happiest. Now with that said women, you 591 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:11,480 are created by God to help others. 592 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:15,640 This design in you is a sacred that that's going to run 593 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:17,560 throughout the tapestry of your life. 594 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:22,800 And whether you know it or not, this brings God glory. 595 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:28,720 You are glorifying God when you are living this way now because 596 00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:30,560 your design should determine your function. 597 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:33,240 You are therefore at your happiest when you're helping as 598 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:37,320 God intended. God desires that you would 599 00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:41,840 cultivate a helpful heart toward other people of generosity, 600 00:40:42,720 --> 00:40:48,160 kindness, selflessness, grace, and love. 601 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:51,160 Now you are called to get to work. 602 00:40:51,720 --> 00:40:54,200 You are. You don't have to stay at home 603 00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:56,240 to be a stay at home mom. I'm just going to say tell you 604 00:40:56,240 --> 00:40:57,560 that right now, you don't have to be. 605 00:40:57,840 --> 00:40:58,840 You can. That's awesome. 606 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:06,080 What I'm biblically reminding you of is have your career, have 607 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:10,120 your family, have your financial freedom, but through it all 608 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:14,960 serve for the sake of others. You serve for the sake of 609 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:19,760 others. That's the design for women. 610 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:25,200 Now, motherhood. Motherhood is an expression of 611 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:29,200 that design of the woman. Let's go to Genesis chapter one. 612 00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:33,400 It says this, So God created man in his own image, in the image 613 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:35,920 of God. He created him, male and female. 614 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:39,800 He created them and God blessed them and God said to them, be 615 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:43,520 fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and 616 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:46,120 have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of 617 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:48,560 the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the 618 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:52,000 earth. Here we see that men and women 619 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:55,720 are created in the image of God as a partner pair. 620 00:41:56,080 --> 00:42:00,040 They share the same status as divine image bearers, but the 621 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:03,440 roles are different. Together, they both complete 622 00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:06,680 humanity. What does Adam mean in Hebrew? 623 00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:11,160 It means human, human Adam. Adam means human. 624 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:13,400 What does Eve mean? It means life. 625 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:21,040 Together they make human life. If you miss 1, male or female, 626 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:25,840 you're missing part 50% of what it means to be human. 627 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:30,760 You complete one another. God gives this pair made in his 628 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:32,880 image. He pronounces a blessing on 629 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,840 them. He gives them a mandate to 630 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:40,040 expand the Garden of Eden before Adam. 631 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:42,120 I've made you to take care of the Garden of Eden. 632 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:43,680 Now I'm going to. I'm going to make it higher. 633 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:45,200 Now that she's here, she's going to help you. 634 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:50,400 We're going to make the rest of the earth like Eden. 635 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:56,640 I want you to multiply it, fill it, beautify it and rule it. 636 00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:01,840 This is a divine blessing from God to hit this partner pair, 637 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:06,400 this man and woman made in his image to rule and reign on his 638 00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:10,320 behalf, to make the rest of the earth like the Garden of Eden. 639 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:14,480 He says be fruitful and multiply to the man and the woman. 640 00:43:15,360 --> 00:43:19,800 This is a divine blessing to procreate, to have babies. 641 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:24,080 The woman is therefore called in her role as the divine image 642 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:27,480 bearer to participate in this creation mandate through 643 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:31,560 motherhood. This is the design of women 644 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:36,960 through motherhood. Understand Church, that true 645 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:40,600 womanhood will extol the virtues of God. 646 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:47,200 It extols the virtues of God. Women are created in God's image 647 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:50,720 and that are designed to mirror Him in ways that man just simply 648 00:43:50,720 --> 00:43:53,880 cannot. Man cannot image God in the ways 649 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,640 that a woman can. The main expression of womanhood 650 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:04,800 alongside helping is motherhood. Women are called to 651 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:06,840 childbearing. They're called to childbearing. 652 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,960 Now, before you throw tomatoes at me, we're going to expand 653 00:44:10,960 --> 00:44:12,440 that a little bit. What does that mean? 654 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:15,720 Childbearing. Women are called to 655 00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:18,200 childbearing. They're called to fill all of 656 00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:21,680 creation with little mini humans, little mini images, 657 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:23,840 little mini representations of God. 658 00:44:24,640 --> 00:44:30,200 God desires a family, a family of image bearers that bring him 659 00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:34,200 glory. And as a woman bears and raises 660 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:38,480 children, that woman is actually worshipping God. 661 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:45,840 To rear children to birth, to discipline, to teach, to 662 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:50,400 instruct, to raise up a child in the way of the Lord, is worship 663 00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:55,680 to God as Creator. You are marrying Him in his 664 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:58,400 design for you when you child bear. 665 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:04,080 Well, now that begs the question, what about women who 666 00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:08,800 have suffered the loss of a child or cannot have biological 667 00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:12,960 children or have no desire for biological children? 668 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:17,240 How do they participate in imaging God through helping and 669 00:45:17,240 --> 00:45:23,840 motherhood, through embracing the Gospel, Through embracing 670 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:25,160 the gospel. And here's what I mean by that. 671 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:29,000 One of the most remarkable moments in the Gospels is John 672 00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:32,600 19. Jesus is hanging on the cross. 673 00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:36,880 In John 19 verse 26 through 27, it says this. 674 00:45:38,080 --> 00:45:41,680 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved 675 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:46,520 standing nearby, he said to his mother, woman, behold your son. 676 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:50,640 Then he said to the disciple, Behold your mother. 677 00:45:51,640 --> 00:45:55,680 And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 678 00:45:56,760 --> 00:45:59,000 Let me set the scene, tell you what's going on here. 679 00:45:59,960 --> 00:46:03,280 This is one of Jesus final discourses from the cross and 680 00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:05,480 it's remarkable. He's speaking to his mother 681 00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:08,160 Mary. Mary's at the foot of the cross, 682 00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:10,800 watching her son be brutally executed. 683 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:17,960 As Mary watches her first born child, her baby boy, her heart 684 00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:21,480 and her soul. As she watches him fade away on 685 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:25,760 the cross, Jesus lifts his head and speaks tenderly to her. 686 00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:30,600 And here's what he says. He tells her that John, who's 687 00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:34,680 standing nearby, the beloved disciple, is now her son. 688 00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:41,440 He then looks at John and he says, Mary, she's now your 689 00:46:41,440 --> 00:46:47,240 mother. This is a pivotal moment in the 690 00:46:47,240 --> 00:46:51,240 Gospel narrative because it's strange things happening here. 691 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:55,720 It is at this moment where Mary ceases to be the mother of 692 00:46:55,800 --> 00:47:02,080 Jesus. Here Mary is no longer the 693 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:05,800 mother of Jesus. She is now his disciple. 694 00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:12,840 Jesus is no longer Mary's son. Jesus has become her Lord. 695 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:18,200 Mary is now a disciple. You see what's happening at the 696 00:47:18,200 --> 00:47:22,280 cross here. As Jesus says to Mary, Mary, 697 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:24,520 behold your son. Son, behold your mother. 698 00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:30,200 He's inaugurating a new family. John and Mary are not 699 00:47:30,200 --> 00:47:32,800 biological. They're not biologically 700 00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:35,080 related. Yet what he's doing is he's to 701 00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:38,000 taking two people who were formerly strangers. 702 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:41,480 And because what he's doing on the cross through the Gospel 703 00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:45,760 he's inaugurating, he's birthed and giving birth to a new 704 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:48,880 family, a family of his disciples. 705 00:47:50,360 --> 00:47:53,040 Jesus expands the calling of motherhood. 706 00:47:54,760 --> 00:47:58,560 Now the family of God has expanded beyond merely the 707 00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:02,320 biological family. You think about Matthew chapter 708 00:48:02,320 --> 00:48:05,840 12 where people are trying to silence Jesus. 709 00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:08,960 They're saying he's saying all these outlandish, crazy things. 710 00:48:10,680 --> 00:48:14,760 They say, Jesus, your mother and your brothers are they're 711 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:16,400 they're calling for you. You should go home. 712 00:48:17,520 --> 00:48:19,000 Stop speaking. Go, go home. 713 00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:20,480 Your mother and brothers are calling for you. 714 00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:25,720 Jesus looks at the crowd and he replies, Who are my mother and 715 00:48:25,720 --> 00:48:29,360 my brothers? I'll tell you who my mother and 716 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:32,200 my brothers are, those who do the will of my father. 717 00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:40,000 You see, he's not downplaying the role of a biological family. 718 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:43,200 He's calling his disciples to think bigger. 719 00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:47,760 It is no longer about a biological family, it's about a 720 00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:53,200 spiritual family. The family of God is based 721 00:48:53,200 --> 00:48:58,040 around adoption. We who were once strangers and 722 00:48:58,040 --> 00:49:01,920 foreigners to God have now been adopted by God into his family. 723 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:07,440 So through the Gospel motherhood now extends beyond only bearing 724 00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:12,360 biological children. Your call women to help and your 725 00:49:12,360 --> 00:49:17,280 call to motherhood now expands beyond merely having your own 726 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:20,640 children. It's now a spiritual endeavor 727 00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:25,400 and Jesus in Matthew chapter 28. The reason why we read this the 728 00:49:25,400 --> 00:49:28,000 Great Commission. Remember, we read Matthew 729 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:32,600 chapter, I'm sorry, Genesis chapter 1 about God giving Adam 730 00:49:32,600 --> 00:49:36,160 and Eve a a mandate to make the world like Eden. 731 00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:39,640 Hear Jesus with all authority gives his own mandate, the Great 732 00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:42,160 Commission. He says, go therefore, and make 733 00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:45,240 disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of 734 00:49:45,240 --> 00:49:48,680 the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them 735 00:49:48,680 --> 00:49:50,640 to observe all that I've commanded to you. 736 00:49:51,120 --> 00:49:54,760 And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age, with all 737 00:49:54,760 --> 00:49:58,840 authority here, the Lord Jesus, He now gives his disciples a new 738 00:49:58,840 --> 00:50:01,440 mission that Harkins back to the original creation mandate. 739 00:50:02,320 --> 00:50:05,760 Women, you are called to participate in this endeavor 740 00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:08,680 just as you were called to participate in the beginning. 741 00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:12,800 The Great Commission now reframes motherhood. 742 00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:18,040 Motherhood becomes discipleship. Motherhood is now discipleship. 743 00:50:18,920 --> 00:50:25,120 Here's a sobering fact. Moms, your children, they're not 744 00:50:25,120 --> 00:50:28,840 believers. I know we like to think that our 745 00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:33,080 our kids are like the pride of our eyes and the greatest thing 746 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:36,840 ever, but understand until they've confessed Jesus Christ 747 00:50:36,840 --> 00:50:41,720 as Lord, they're not believers. They are not Christian. 748 00:50:41,720 --> 00:50:46,200 By extension, the goal of your motherhood for your children is 749 00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:50,240 discipleship. It's not to give them their best 750 00:50:50,240 --> 00:50:51,000 life. Now. 751 00:50:52,400 --> 00:50:56,400 This is so tempting. We want what's best for our 752 00:50:56,400 --> 00:50:58,160 kids. We want them to come to become 753 00:50:58,160 --> 00:50:59,960 doctors. We want them to become lawyers. 754 00:50:59,960 --> 00:51:01,920 We want them to be financially set. 755 00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:07,000 But why? All those things are temporary. 756 00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:10,160 Do they believe in Jesus? Do they believe in the gospel? 757 00:51:11,560 --> 00:51:15,120 The goal then, is that you disciple your children in such a 758 00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:18,680 way that they would one day believe in the gospel and 759 00:51:18,680 --> 00:51:25,160 embrace Jesus Christ as Lord. Your goal, mom's, is to aim for 760 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:31,120 holiness, not happiness. Holiness, not happiness. 761 00:51:32,400 --> 00:51:35,000 Ice cream in the morning makes my daughter's very happy. 762 00:51:39,080 --> 00:51:45,480 It should never be. I'm calling you women to view 763 00:51:45,480 --> 00:51:48,840 your motherhood now because of the gospel through the Great 764 00:51:48,840 --> 00:51:53,080 Commission to view motherhood as ministry, ministry. 765 00:51:54,560 --> 00:51:58,400 Titus chapter 2. Here's the charge for you 766 00:51:58,400 --> 00:52:01,600 mothers. But As for you teach what 767 00:52:01,600 --> 00:52:05,360 accords with sound doctrine. Older women likewise are to be 768 00:52:05,360 --> 00:52:08,880 reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much 769 00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:11,160 wine. They are to teach what is good 770 00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:14,320 and so train the young women to love their husbands and 771 00:52:14,320 --> 00:52:18,720 children, to be self controlled, pure, working at home, kind and 772 00:52:18,720 --> 00:52:21,600 submissive, submissive to their own husbands that the Word of 773 00:52:21,600 --> 00:52:26,280 God may not be reviled. Here Paul displays motherhood as 774 00:52:26,280 --> 00:52:28,240 a ministry. What does motherhood look like 775 00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:33,160 in the family of God? He calls on older, mature, 776 00:52:33,800 --> 00:52:37,240 spiritually filled women of faith to disciple those who are 777 00:52:37,240 --> 00:52:44,800 younger, especially young women. Now listen women, as I wrap up, 778 00:52:45,400 --> 00:52:47,920 listen to this, here's here's the gist of my message this 779 00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:48,920 morning. Here's what I want you to 780 00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:53,880 understand. Women, some of you are called to 781 00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:58,080 be biological mothers and God will provide the grace that you 782 00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:01,200 need for that. Some of you are called to be 783 00:53:01,200 --> 00:53:05,320 adoptive mothers and God will provide you the grace that you 784 00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:09,760 need for that. But all of you are called to be 785 00:53:09,760 --> 00:53:13,480 spiritual mothers, and God will provide the grace for that. 786 00:53:15,440 --> 00:53:22,520 Is it controversial for me to say that you won't know your 787 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:27,520 biological children forever? Remember harkening back to your 788 00:53:27,520 --> 00:53:30,640 biological children, they don't believe in Jesus right now if 789 00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:32,320 they've not yet professed Him as the Lord. 790 00:53:33,400 --> 00:53:35,200 Is it weird to think about this thought? 791 00:53:36,160 --> 00:53:38,840 You won't know your biological children forever, but you will 792 00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:42,560 know your spiritual children forever because they're in the 793 00:53:42,560 --> 00:53:45,560 family of God. The prayer for you mothers is 794 00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:48,160 that one day your biological children will become your 795 00:53:48,160 --> 00:53:51,240 spiritual children as well. That's the prayer. 796 00:53:52,400 --> 00:53:56,720 So some ways that you disciple your spiritual children. 797 00:53:56,720 --> 00:54:01,560 How do you do that here? According to Titus, you teach 798 00:54:01,560 --> 00:54:06,040 them the Scripture and you preach to them the gospel every 799 00:54:06,040 --> 00:54:10,320 day. You discipline them when they 800 00:54:10,320 --> 00:54:13,160 are not walking in step with that gospel that they profess to 801 00:54:13,160 --> 00:54:16,800 believe. You loved them when they're 802 00:54:16,800 --> 00:54:19,640 struggling with their faith, when they're walking through 803 00:54:19,640 --> 00:54:21,800 darkness just like you've walked through darkness. 804 00:54:21,840 --> 00:54:27,440 You love them through it. Some meditations I want for you 805 00:54:27,520 --> 00:54:33,400 to understand as we end that motherhood is an expression of 806 00:54:33,400 --> 00:54:37,200 the woman's design. You are made to. 807 00:54:37,680 --> 00:54:43,400 You are created in partnership with men to image God when you 808 00:54:43,400 --> 00:54:48,440 help and when you child bear. The women are imaging God just 809 00:54:48,440 --> 00:54:54,400 as they are designed to do. Motherhood then becomes your 810 00:54:54,400 --> 00:54:57,320 worship unto God and he is glorified through it. 811 00:54:57,680 --> 00:55:01,560 How do you glorify God? You image him through 812 00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:08,000 motherhood. He often calls himself Israel's 813 00:55:08,000 --> 00:55:11,880 spiritual mother, if you will. Jesus as he's weeping over 814 00:55:11,880 --> 00:55:15,720 Israel, he says, O Israel, Israel, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 815 00:55:16,080 --> 00:55:19,000 the town that kills its prophets and the people I sent it, how I 816 00:55:19,000 --> 00:55:22,120 long to gather you in. Like baby chicks, like a mother 817 00:55:22,120 --> 00:55:30,720 hen gathering in baby chicks. When you biblically express your 818 00:55:30,720 --> 00:55:33,760 motherhood, you are worshipping God and he's glorified through 819 00:55:33,760 --> 00:55:38,680 it in Christ. Motherhood has now been expanded 820 00:55:38,680 --> 00:55:40,920 beyond having merely biological children. 821 00:55:41,800 --> 00:55:45,400 God has begun a new family through the gospel, through the 822 00:55:45,400 --> 00:55:50,960 life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are united through the 823 00:55:50,960 --> 00:55:55,520 head that is Jesus Christ. The family of God, understand 824 00:55:55,680 --> 00:56:00,680 now supersedes your bloodlines. His family has expanded. 825 00:56:02,840 --> 00:56:06,800 Some are called to bear biological children, some are 826 00:56:06,800 --> 00:56:11,600 called to bear adopted children. All are called to bear spiritual 827 00:56:11,600 --> 00:56:17,360 children. I would be remiss to give a word 828 00:56:17,360 --> 00:56:23,280 to the men as we end if I didn't give a word to the men. 829 00:56:25,080 --> 00:56:28,760 Men, we'll talk to you in like a month at Father's Day, but just 830 00:56:28,760 --> 00:56:31,320 for now. So women, moms, make sure 831 00:56:31,320 --> 00:56:34,800 they're here and they don't watch golf or something, Bring 832 00:56:34,800 --> 00:56:37,280 them here. A word for the men. 833 00:56:37,280 --> 00:56:43,000 Now if the woman was created to help others, to just pour out 834 00:56:43,160 --> 00:56:46,640 for helping others, well then who helps the woman? 835 00:56:50,320 --> 00:56:54,840 Man, it's you. This is the the beauty of the 836 00:56:54,840 --> 00:56:59,720 design. You're called to sacrifice for 837 00:56:59,720 --> 00:57:03,120 her. You are obligated to take care 838 00:57:03,120 --> 00:57:07,400 of her. She is the helper made to help 839 00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:11,280 you as she pours out day after day after day. 840 00:57:12,720 --> 00:57:17,320 Men, You are called to help her and to take care of her. 841 00:57:17,880 --> 00:57:23,560 You have a duty, men, to call these women to the sacred task 842 00:57:24,280 --> 00:57:30,400 of womanhood and motherhood. And then it is your calling to 843 00:57:30,400 --> 00:57:34,240 put your wives and mothers in the best position to succeed at 844 00:57:34,240 --> 00:57:38,760 that calling. That means helping them take 845 00:57:38,760 --> 00:57:43,840 care of the babies. Let mom go to the spa. 846 00:57:46,440 --> 00:57:50,200 Let mom go to Panera Bread and order a cup of coffee or 847 00:57:50,200 --> 00:57:53,800 something. You have a duty men to make sure 848 00:57:53,800 --> 00:57:57,400 that your wives and mothers are in the best position to succeed 849 00:57:57,600 --> 00:58:01,360 to fill out their to live out their calling of motherhood. 850 00:58:02,920 --> 00:58:09,760 Is motherhood worth it? Yes, resounding yes, motherhood 851 00:58:09,760 --> 00:58:11,680 is worth it. Is it hard? 852 00:58:13,160 --> 00:58:19,800 Yes, it's worth it when God curses Eve in Genesis chapter 3 853 00:58:19,800 --> 00:58:21,520 because they ate of the forbidden fruit. 854 00:58:22,200 --> 00:58:24,240 The calling doesn't change. He says you're still going to 855 00:58:24,240 --> 00:58:26,160 have a child. You're still going to 856 00:58:26,280 --> 00:58:29,960 childbearing. That word in Hebrew, we, we, we 857 00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:32,560 tend to think about, Oh, there, there's, there's pain in 858 00:58:32,560 --> 00:58:34,880 childbearing, meaning there's pain in birth. 859 00:58:34,880 --> 00:58:39,040 That's why women go through war, giving birth to a child. 860 00:58:39,680 --> 00:58:42,480 No, the word in Hebrew isn't a specific instance. 861 00:58:42,840 --> 00:58:48,880 It's child rearing, meaning from birth to end, from birth to end. 862 00:58:49,960 --> 00:58:52,720 Your childbearing, your childbearing doesn't stop when 863 00:58:52,720 --> 00:58:56,760 you push your children out. That's when it begins. 864 00:59:00,440 --> 00:59:03,200 Motherhood is hard, but is it worth it? 865 00:59:03,200 --> 00:59:06,200 Yes, motherhood is sanctifying because guess what? 866 00:59:06,560 --> 00:59:11,880 You stop thinking about yourself and you live out that vision 867 00:59:11,880 --> 00:59:15,880 that God has for you of helping, helping other people, helping 868 00:59:15,880 --> 00:59:20,200 these little humans eat, sleep and grow. 869 00:59:21,080 --> 00:59:24,200 Motherhood is sanctifying. Motherhood is satisfying. 870 00:59:24,200 --> 00:59:26,280 Why is it satisfying? Because it's what you're 871 00:59:26,280 --> 00:59:29,400 designed for. As you live out your design, 872 00:59:29,480 --> 00:59:34,280 what you were designed to do, when you function properly, you 873 00:59:34,280 --> 00:59:37,840 will be at your happiest. And when you were at your 874 00:59:37,840 --> 00:59:40,440 happiest, living out your God-given design, guess what? 875 00:59:40,440 --> 00:59:45,760 Motherhood is glorifying. Motherhood today becomes 876 00:59:45,760 --> 00:59:47,840 worship. It's worship unto God. 877 00:59:47,840 --> 00:59:51,320 And He is well pleased when you mother well. 878 00:59:52,080 --> 00:59:54,400 So this is a call, a call to mother. 879 00:59:54,400 --> 00:59:57,360 Well, this is a call to continue in exhortation. 880 00:59:58,440 --> 01:00:00,400 We have mothers here who are amazing. 881 01:00:00,480 --> 01:00:02,360 We have spiritual mothers here who are amazing. 882 01:00:02,800 --> 01:00:06,240 I am here to remind you that your work is not in vain. 883 01:00:07,520 --> 01:00:11,720 God is well pleased with it, through all the tears, through 884 01:00:11,720 --> 01:00:15,240 all the lack of sleep. Through all the anger and 885 01:00:15,240 --> 01:00:17,640 frustration, God is pleased with it. 886 01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:19,520 When you're living out the design He has for you, 887 01:00:20,200 --> 01:00:22,720 Motherhood is worth it. And today we celebrate you. 888 01:00:24,520 --> 01:00:28,400 We love you, moms. We hope you enjoyed this 889 01:00:28,400 --> 01:00:30,960 message, and we'd love for you to join us in person every 890 01:00:30,960 --> 01:00:33,680 Sunday at 10:30 AM. For more information and 891 01:00:33,680 --> 01:00:35,880 updates, visit wearebridgetown.com. 892 01:00:36,160 --> 01:00:38,160 Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next week.