Mother's Day Service - The Weight of the Work of God - Sis. Tressia Wright

I'm encouraged that all we have to do is speak the name. There's times that you're yelling it out, "Jesus, I need your help. I need your strength. I'm weary. I'm broken." Then there's other times when you're in a moment of solitude and you just have to whisper Jesus. That's all I can do. All I can do is whisper the name Jesus. But it doesn't matter how you approach him. It doesn't matter what your posture. Whether you are yelling out in confidence, God, I know you're going to do it. I know you're going to work. I know you're going to meet my need where I'm at. or if it's in brokenness and darkness and weariness where all you can do is say, "Jesus, he is going to show up with the same power and the same authority, the same purpose of ministering to you, of helping you, lifting you up as you continue in a good work. He loves you and I am thankful that we have the opportunity to be here today together. loving him. I'm thankful for what he has already done ministering to mothers here. But I've got to tell you something. He's not just here to minister to mothers today. He's here to minister to every person that has walked into this place with a hungry heart. He's ready to meet you here today. So, at any point in this, I guess you call it a sermon. I have a hard time calling it that. Any time in this lesson. You feel that need to call on him, please do. Jesus, I need you today. I need you today, Jesus. It's good to see you at APC this morning. Happy Mother's Day to all who are celebrating. I'm thankful today to have my mother with me. She is one of my best friends. She has been a help to me. All right, I can't look at her. She has been a help to me through my whole life, including this morning. When I was too nervous to even function, she came over early and helped get Lincoln ready. So, I honor her today. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you. Happy Mother's Day to my mother-in-law, Regina. You all see her running around with Lincoln every Sunday while Peter and I are, I don't know, trying to do something. She is always there. She brought the biggest bag of snacks and toys to keep him entertained. And she raised the man of my dreams. So, I honor you today, Regina. Happy Mother's Day. I love you. Uh, but for now, we're going to get back to what the Lord has for this service. Amen. So, I'd like to direct your attention to Numbers chapter 7 verses 1-9. Numbers 7 1-9. When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it in all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. They brought as their gift before the Lord six covered carts and 12 oxmen, an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle. The Lord said to Moses, "Except these from them that they may be used in the work of the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man's work requires." So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gersinites as their work required. He gave four carts and eight oxen to the Meorites as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ethomar, son of Aaron the priest. But Moses did not give any to the Kathites because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things for which they were responsible. For the next few moments, I would like to speak to you on this topic. The weight of what is holy. The weight of what is holy. Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be in your house with your people today. Thank you for every mother that is here. Thank you for every family that has come together in your name. Pray Lord that you would meet with us today Jesus that you would help us that your word would go before us as a seed God. Let it be planted in good soil of our hearts God that it would take root and produce good fruit in our life in Jesus name. You may be seated. Some of you may be thinking, uh, really, Tresa, Israelites for Mother's Day? Shouldn't we be in Proverbs or, I don't know, a nicer chapter? And don't worry, we will get to Proverbs. Don't worry, we will get to Proverbs. But for now, let me give some context to our uh our Numbers passage. The Israelites had just been delivered from Egypt. They had crossed the Red Sea. They have settled at Mount Cyani. There, God entered into covenant relationship with them. God gave Moses and Aaron very clear instructions about what it looks like to live in covenant relationship with God. And the Israelites, they did their best. That's all we can say. There were purity laws, sacrifices, daily practices that the Israelites were meant to live by to continue being in relationship with God. See, the God's presence was so holy and so pure that any person who was unclean, if they got too close, they would die. And God's presence lived among the people. They had built a tabernacle at the very center of their camp, meaning to symbolize God being the center of their whole lives. And there was this cloud that settled over the tabernacle, indicating God's presence was abiding there. And really in the tabernacle, in the innermost part was the the the Holy of Holies. This is where God was. So, this big old cloud was above the tent, okay? Uh indicating God's presence was there. And then if it moved, the Israelites would pack up all of their things and they would follow it. And then where the cloud would settle, they would set up camp again just as they were instructed. uh meaning meaning they're following God's presence, keeping him the center of their lives, following his leading and listening when he said, "Okay, this is far enough." Okay. God was ready to move his people to the promised land, the land that was promised to Abraham way before them. Each tribe was responsible for the care and the protection of whatever part of the tabernacle was assigned to them. Uh Aaron was to go into the Holy of Holies and pack up everything in a very specific way. See, if like I said, if an unclean person were to walk into that Holy of Holies, they would die being exposed to just this raw awesome power of the God of the universe. And so Aaron the priest would go through specific um rituals and sacrifices making him clean enough to walk into that place. And the Lord gave him instruction. Okay, you've got this and that and that in here in the Holy of Holies and you need to wrap it up real carefully in this kind of material and then you move this thing over there and such and such. And so, uh, uh, Aaron was the one responsible for packing the Holy of Holies because they're getting ready to go. They're getting ready to move. But the Kathites were the ones responsible for moving these objects. Okay. The objects in the holy of holies were the ark of the covenant, the lampstand, the table, the altars, and the curtains. So these are no small objects that they're carrying around. These are heavy. So Aaron the priest comes to the Kathites and he's like, "Yeah, the Lord uh let us know. So, he wants you guys to carry these things, okay? But be careful because if you touch them or you look at them wrong, you're going to die. So, just careful, but like this is your job. Uh oh, also, God wanted me to let you know that he wants you to be kind of the front of the convoy. He wants the ark to be the one following his presence. Right? So, just directly behind that big cloud that's moving. We want you right there in the front with your big old dangerous arc that you're carrying. And uh don't touch it. Be careful. You know, you got to carry it a certain way, but you also got to keep up the pace because we're trying to follow the Lord, right? So, they're like, "Oh, wow. Okay. Okay. We can do that." Uh so, on the day that they were packing up, getting ready to go, everything's ready. Everything's packed up in in the orderly fashion according to what the Lord instructed them. And the Kathites are kind of hanging out. They're looking around seeing like, "Oh, what are you guys carrying? What do you guys have going on?" And I imagine it this way. They get a cart. They get a cart. and oxen. Do you see what? Why don't we get a cart? We've We're carrying the ark. Do you know how heavy that is? That thing is big. That thing is covered in gold. And they get a cart and oxen. We've got to carry this thing on our shoulders. And they get a cart. But this was the Lord's design. The Kathites were given the responsibility of transporting the holiest objects according to God. And these things could not be merely carted around, especially not by oxen. Instead, they are carried reverently and with particular care and caution. God's design doesn't always make sense to us. And I think the Kathites probably felt that way when they saw them handing out carts and oxen to people. Things in God's design design that don't make sense to me. Spiders. Mosquitoes. Why? Why mosquitoes? What purpose? None. There's no there's no purpose. Maybe to help us um practice patience. I don't know. Tornadoes, if you know, you know. Not a fan of that part of God's creation. Uh, as a woman, I am not particularly fond of God's design of the woman carrying the baby. Not my favorite. Uh, it is a blessing and it's a miracle and I but not not a not I wish my husband could experience that kind of miracle because it is the it is a tough miracle to carry. I tell you what. Uh, another part of God's design. I am not thrilled with his design of childbirth. Thank you, Eve. You know, he said in Genesis that woman would now have pain with childbirth. So, I would love to know what it was before Eve messed it up for all of us. Maybe it was like a walk in the park. I don't know. Um, it's not that now. So, thanks a lot, Eve. That's fine. Maybe it wasn't that bad. I don't know. Maybe it was it wouldn't have been worse. That doesn't make sense. So, even after that baby is born, mom is still the one carrying him around. Mom is his safe place, his comfort, his regulator. And us moms have come up with some really handy ways of carting that baby around. Um, when Lincoln was born, I've got a year and a half year old, one and a half yearear-old, whatever. When Lincoln was first born, I was so nervous. so nervous. I would carry him real gently and then I'd just lay him on a surface and I'd just look at him and then he'd cry and I'd pick him up because that's really what he wanted and I'd walk him to another part of our house, another room and I would lay him down on another surface and then I just look at him. That was probably like the month, the first month of Lincoln's existence was me just okay. But I grew in confidence eventually. Um, you know, he gets more comfortable with me and I'm more well really he's more comfortable in the world and I'm more comfortable with him. And I got to a point where I felt like, okay, I I want to kind of get back to my rhythm. I want to get back to what I can contribute. I want to get back to cooking and cleaning and laundry and whatever, you know, pulling my weight in our home. Um, but it was different this time because now it's got I've got to figure out how to do it with this little person and I can't, you know, you only have two hands. So, I discovered baby wearing. Has anybody ever done baby wearing? Brian's over there pointing at Michelle. Yeah, it's like a little kangaroo in a kangaroo pouch. It's so cute. And uh they make all of these little wraps and backpack looking things that you just stick your baby in and then you're handsree. It's beautiful. Women have been doing it for centuries. And um I was like floored whenever I was able to really I got to get some stuff done. And that freed me to do that. Um but as baby grows, they get more mobile. We are in that stage. They they don't want to be tied up in that little kangaroo pouch anymore. They want to go. And if you've seen my kid, his favorite thing right now is to run. I'm surprised he's not running right now. I look back there and I don't see him. That makes me nervous. So, he's a runner. Peter and I will sit in different parts of our house and Lincoln, he gets going in just his left arm. And he's fast, man. He's He can get places. I tell you what. So, uh, but anytime that he gets like a bump or a bruise, he falls down and he jumps up. Or maybe he gets a little bit too far, he turns around looking for me and he'll come over still looking for that that safety, you know, and that love and that comfort. Eventually, kids get bigger and grow in confidence and independence. They no longer run to you for every bump and bruise and they are now eager to get out of your sight and go do whatever they want to do, right? Uh the mom is no longer there for that comfort and care. And she still does give comfort and care, don't get me wrong, but not in that same way as when they are young and and very dependent. Now they look to you for emotional safety. They rely on you for growth in healthy relationships, healthy lifestyles, and making choices that will propel them into a healthy future. So really, what I'm saying is a mother's work is never done. So here we go. Proverbs 31. I told you we would get here. Proverbs 31 reflects a lady working diligently with great intention, with purpose, with strength, dignity, and grace. She carries or she cares for her household. She cares for her children. She works hard both in the home and outside of the home. She's educated. Both her husband and her children honor her, respect her, and call her blessed. She speaks with wisdom and she is confident in her future. But out of all of her accomplishments that are listed throughout this chapter, it ends with Proverbs 31:30. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting. But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. All of those other things are great, but the thing that makes this woman praiseworthy is her love and dedication to the Lord. There's endless work to be done as you serve your family. There's always areas of improvement and growth, but scripture lays out the order clearly. The mother who is praised is the one who fears the Lord. All of her other work and efforts are effective, helpful, and necessary. But the highest quality, hear me on this, the highest quality of a mother is when she aligns her life with God's purpose and calling and carries her family along that journey with her. Deuteronomy 6 1-9 says, "These are the commands, decrees, and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children, and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you. and so that you may enjoy long life here Israel and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in the land flowing with milk and honey just as the Lord the God of your ancestors promised you. Here you go. We know this one here. O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul. And Lincoln likes to say, "With all of your strength, these commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts." They've got to be on your hearts first. They're to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as a symbol around your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates. We're going to skip down to 20. In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees, and the law the Lord our God has commanded you?" Tell him, "When we were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand." 24 says, "The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God so that we might always prosper and be kept alive as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God as he commanded us, that will be our righteousness." Tell your kids. Tell your kids about your testimony. Tell your kids about where the Lord has brought you from. Tell your kids about how he was a comfort to you when you were broken and hurting. Tell your kids about the time that he met you with peace when you were anxious and worried for the future. Tell them how he provided for you when you didn't know what was going to come next. Tell them about every good work. How he has filled you with his spirit and has changed your life. And if you have not been filled with his spirit, today can be the day for you because he is still working and he wants that testimony to start even today on Mother's Day. Tell your kids, teach your kids truth. Teach your kids. This is truth. The world will tell you different. Your friends might tell you different. Your education will teach you different. But listen to your mama. The word of God is truth. There is only one God and his name is Jesus. And he died to save us. He loves you and he wants to be in relationship with you, baby. This is what it looks like to live for the Lord. This is how we dress modestly. This is how we live out gender distinction. This is how we honor the Lord as a living sacrifice. This is how you pray. Show them. Tell them. Teach them. This is how you pray. This is how you fast. This is how you tithe. This is how you study the word. No, honey, you can't be a part of that group. No, honey, you can't talk like that. No, honey, you can't miss church for that. Why? Because we are meant to honor God. Our lives are meant to have Jesus at the center. It's not legalism. It's not controlling. It's not harmful. It is the weight of carrying what is holy. These conversations are hard. I know they are. I know they're hard. I know you don't want to look at your child in disappointment on their face when you tell them, "No, we can't do that. No, I've got to draw a line in the sand right here." And they can't understand yet. But one day, one day when they come into that wisdom and understanding on their own, they'll look back and say, "My mom laid out a path for me. She told me, she taught me when I couldn't know for myself. This is the weight of the holy work of God. Mom, we can't afford to offload this responsibility to pastor. We can't afford to offload this responsibility to the children's department. We can't offload this responsibility to the youth pastor. Please don't. Mom, we can't offload this responsibility to dad. but instead partner with your spouse in teaching your babies. This is our weight that we carry. You have carried that baby from the beginning of its existence. And it is your responsibility to carry the weight of the holy calling that comes with being a parent. the responsibility of raising that baby to know his creator, to know the King of Kings, to know the Lord of Lords, and for them to know that he loves them more than we ever could. Would you stand with me? And musicians can come. This responsibility never goes away. No matter how old your baby is, teach them. Show them. It's our calling. It's our greatest work. So let's go back to our numbers seven. So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gersinites as their work required. And he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Meites as their work required. But Moses did not give any to the Kathites because their work required them to carry the weight of the holy things of God. Our work requires us. Our work as a parent requires us to carry the weight of the holy things of God. Mom, you're doing an eternal work. This is a deep work that has endless endless outcomes for eternity. Raise up a minister. Raise up a minister. You can raise up your children to be a lot of successful things, but raise up a minister. This is our weight. This is the calling. This is the purpose. Raise up a preacher of the gospel. Raise up a pastor. Let it be your kid that pastors a church. Let it be your kid that goes into an unreached area. Raise up a missionary. Raise up a worshipper. Raise up a worshipper. But it starts with you in your home. Teach him. This is what it looks like to worship. This is what it looks like to raise your hands and to praise the Lord. This is what it looks like to pray. This is what it looks like to have discernment. This is what it looks like to read the Bible. Raise up a worshipper. Raise up a light in a dark world. This is our calling as Christians. This is our calling as apostolic believers to raise up our families and to send them out to minister to a broken, dark, and hurting world. Hide God's word in their heart. Pray in your home. Let your family be familiar with the presence of God moving and working in your home. Let them hear your prayers over them and over your family. Carry the weight. Carry the weight. It's heavy. I know it is. But carry the weight. It's a bigger responsibility. And it could be easier to just say, "Yeah, that's fine. You can go do that." Carry the weight. Lead them and guide them. They need the structure. They need the help. They need your voice. Would you carry the weight? We want to spend some time in the presence of the Lord, reflecting and responding to his word today as he has already ministered to us. But for right now, I'm asking I'm going to ask the mothers to step out into the aisle and it's Mother's Day and I'm speaking to mom, but really I want you to look a little bit further and say this is everybody's weight. We all hold this responsibility. And so no, we're not just putting it on mom and in a month, no, we're not just going to put it on dad. But really, what we need to do is come together in unity in God's word and say we will together carry the weight, speaking the truth in love to our children and to our family. And by doing that, we are speaking the truth and love to our communities, as pastor says, to our field around us. We are being a light to people that are hurting and broken. Thank you, moms, for coming in the center. Now, if you have a mom that is here with you or if you are here with your spouse or just somebody you love, would you go over and we are going to bind together and we're going to pray again because there's nothing wrong with praying again. So, if you would get together with your mom, with your loved one, your family, your spouse, we want to take some time lifting each other up because we can't do it on our own. It's a heavy weight. They had a whole tribe carrying that ark. They didn't It wasn't one person. It wasn't two people. They had the whole tribe carrying that ark, getting it from one place to another as they were following the leading of the Lord. So, we take some time, lift each other up. We want to pray strength, peace over our moms today, over our families today. Let it be settled in your heart. Jesus, I surrender every work that we do in our home. Everything that we do for our family, God, I surrender it to you, Jesus. Pray, Lord, that you would take it and that you would use it and that you would break it and you would mold it for your glory. God, I pray that you would have your spirit move and work in our home, in our family, in our marriage, in our kids. Give me wisdom, Jesus. As I'm trusting you, as I'm looking to you for help and for direction. We can't do it on our own, God. We need your help. We need your leading and guiding. Thank you, Jesus. I will be what you've called me to be. I'll say yes. Lord, I agree. My desire passionately is to be what you've called me to be. That's what I'll be. I will be what you called me to be. I'll say yes. Lord, I agree. My desire, passion is to be what you called me to be. That's what I'll be. I will be what you've called me to be. I'll say yes, Lord. I agree. My desire passionately is to be what you've called me to be. That's what I'll be. I'll say it. Yes. Yes, I agree. I'll say yes. Yes. I agree. Say yes. I'll say yes. Yes. Yes. I agree. I'll say yes. Yes. I agree. I will be what you've called me to be. I'll say yes. Lord, I agree. My desire passionately is to be what you call. I wonder if we could all lift our hands right now. Not just the moms. Sing this together as disciple makers. Oh, I will be what you've called me to be. I'll say yes, Lord. I agree. My desire passionately is to be what you've called me to be. That's what I'll be. You lift your hands right now and thank the Lord for that high and holy calling. Not just the one to motherhood, but the call that he's put on all of us to make disciples. We thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for your word and for your strength today, oh God. We thank you, Jesus, for your word and your help and clarity this morning. We honor you. Thank you, Lord, for every mom that's here today who's committed to carry that holy call.