Sermon Tone Analysis

Mother’s Day – 2010 – The Softer Side Of God

Intro:

A few years ago Sears ran a big marketing campaign to try to encourage more sales from women.

They called it, The “softer” side of Sears.

The concept was one where by people would realize that along with the Craftsman tools and guy stuff, there was also another side of Sears that would appeal more to the ladies.

God as mother.

Not trying to encourage a rewriting of the Bible with Gender neutral language as some would like to do.

Jesus called God Father and every place God is mentioned in the Bible it is with the masculine pronoun.

Not once in the Bible is God addressed as mother, said to be mother, or referred to with feminine pronouns.

On the contrary, gender usage throughout clearly specifies that the root metaphor is masculine father.

We are told that we are created in God’s image.

Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

What is God's image?

Scripture describes God as "rock," "lily of the valley," "rose of Sharon," "fortress," "honey," and a wide variety of other images.

Each image helps us understand a bit more about God, though none of these is totally God.

For us as humans, the searching for images takes a different turn as we are told early on in Genesis that we are "created in the image of God."

As we begin looking for the human images of God in scripture, we find "eyes" and "ears," "feet" and "fingers," "hearts," and "minds" and "mouths."

This anthropomorphic language is given to us in both male and female descriptions of God.

In fact, the divine nature includes the perfections of both genders.

So, even though God reveals Himself mainly in Scripture from a male perspective, we do know that He is neither male nor female and we do some times see glimpses of His softer side.

The feminine aspect of who God is.

A couple of Scripture passages that teach that God is neither man nor woman are found in Numbers 23:19 and 1 Samuel 15:29.

Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man that he should speak falsely, nor human that he should change his mind.

Is he one to speak and not act, to decree and not fulfill?"

Both of these texts stress the absolute fact that God is someone true to his word.

God is not human, and therefore He is not prone to acting contrary to what he has said or changing his mind (as humans do).

God is neither man nor woman.

Jesus said as much in John 4:24 when He said that “God is Spirit and His worshippers must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

In spite of the fact that God is neither male nor female, what we see in Scripture that God’s Word uses language that is distinctly male and female to describe God.

So, being Mother’s Day, I thought we would spend some time this morning in the Bible looking at the Scriptures that speak directly to the qualities of God that we might more readily equate with the characteristics of a mother.

Yes, the Bible does reveal God to us in a masculine sense.

But what can we learn about God today and His more feminine side.

I. God Is Able To Give New Birth.

Deuteronomy 32:18 refers to " You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

Just as each of us had a mom who gave birth to us, we have a God who greatly enjoys new beginnings and new birth.

In the beginning of time God, the Bible tells us, created heaven and earth and everything that exists.

Look around, everything you can experience, all of life is as a result of God who brought it into existence.

The same is true for each person.

You were not an accident, or a mistake.

The Bible tells us that God knew you before you were even formed in your mom’s womb.

God is never surprised by a baby being born.

He doesn’t even wait with anticipation to hear if it is a baby boy or a girl.

He knows it all.

The softer side of God is one of a beloved mother who has been through the birth pains and now is able to hold her baby in her arms and look at that child with such awe and admiration.

Especially rich in its use of maternal imagery is the second part of Isaiah.

Isaiah 42:14 depicts Yahweh as saying, "I cry out as a woman in labor, gasping and panting."

What a beautiful attribute and characteristic God has chosen to share with women.

We know, of course, that God also provides new birth for us on a spiritual level as well.

New birth given to each of us when we receive Christ.

Look with me over at John chapter 3 and look at what God says via His one and only son about being born spiritually.

Read

–Nicodemas – John 3

We learn from this passage that God delights in creation and new birth as part of who He is.

Today, as we honor mothers, we can also remember to honor and praise God for this view of His softer side.

His love, His compassion, His gentle delight in all things new.

APPLICATION: Let me ask, you obviously have experienced life physically.

God created you and knit you together in your mother’s womb.

He loves you so much.

Have you been birthed a second time?

Have you experienced a spiritual birth?

Jesus couldn’t have been much clearer that every human has the potential of two births.

Once physically and a second time spiritually.

II.

God, Like A Mother, Provides Security And Sustenance.

(Psalm 22:10)

Psalm 22:10 says of God, "You have been my guide since I was first formed, my security at my mother's breast.

To you I was committed at birth, from my mother's womb you are my God."

The image of a woman holding her baby close and breast feeding is one that brings about a sense of a tender moment where a child is sure to feel secure and comforted.

The Psalmist is saying that God, when we consider His softer side, is like that.

When we allow God to draw us near and be our sustenance and our security we, in essence allow Him to be our all in all.

Ah, I’m right where I need to be! Safe and secure

As we celebrate and honor mom’s today we see a glimpse of God’s softer side in this attribute of holding us near and protecting us securely and providing our all in all.

Providing everything we need.

God has blessed us by giving mom’s this same attribute.

This ability to bring security and guidance to their children.

Let’s face it, most moms have a built in ability to guide and direct their children.

Some are better at it than others.

But even the most lacking mother has some sense of guiding their child.

APPLICATION: Are you seeking your security in Christ?

Or are you looking elsewhere?

The masculine side of God is given in the imagery of the psalmist in Psalms 20:7 -

7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

The bottom line is that it is possible to place our sense of security in other places and things.

Our bank account, our good looks, our intellect… the list goes on.

Today, as we think about the softer side of God we need to focus on the idea of placing all our senses of security first and foremost in God.

III.

God Provides Contentment.

(Psalm 131:2)

Psalms 131:2 (NIV)

2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

The psalmist applies this language to God, suggesting a maternal image of God.

Hebrew children were often not weaned till three years old.

When a child is breast feeding it cannot hardly sit on its mother’s lap without moving and searching for milk.

There is a constant hunger for more from mom.

When a child is weaned there is a sense of contentment and assurance just in being in the presence of mom.

No need for something more, no craving, no demanding need.

Just a comfort that comes from being close to mom.

In this verse we see God as the mom.

He is the one who can provide for our every need and too often we fret and twist and turn and crave and demand from Him like a child that is not yet weaned.