R645A Becoming A Godly Mother

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton as we head to the book of John, chapter 4. Now today's topic, don't let it fool you, is called becoming a godly mother. However, as the son of a mother, as the husband of a mother, as the father of a mother, I tell you, today's message is rife with insight from Scripture that'll help us all not only appreciate the women in our life better, but for those of you that are women, understand how God's calling on you is very unique and wonderful. That's all coming up as we open God's Word together with Dr. Don Wilton about becoming a godly mother. While we do so, know that we're here and are able to pray for you anytime at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. And now today's message from Dr. Don Wilton. You know, moms, it occurs to me that you have stood and applauded us beyond reason, and we could never thank you enough.

I want you to take your Bibles this morning and turn with me to John's Gospel in chapter 4, the Gospel according to John in chapter 4. I'd like to tell you something about myself before I introduce our subject tonight. I am a father.

I have three wonderful children. But I believe with all my heart that there is a very big difference between being a father and being a godly father. I want to speak to you today about becoming a godly mother.

But what we're going to discover is that God is going to speak to our hearts today, and I want to invite you to open your heart to the Lord and hear what God has to say to you through His Word. I'm going to read to you just a few short verses concerning a remarkable encounter between a woman and the Lord Jesus Christ. This particular passage does not tell us that this woman was a mother.

It's very possible that she was considering the circumstances that we read about. But something happened in this encounter between this woman and the Lord Jesus Christ, and what she became I think is of singular significance. In fact, I'm going to submit to you that the Bible doesn't tell us all the details about what she became, excepting the fact that she did become a believer. Her life changed dramatically, and later on from verse 35 and 39, the Bible tells us very clearly that the testimony of the same woman was instrumental in leading other people to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. I want to read to you just a few verses, John chapter 4 and beginning at verse 13.

The woman said to him, in that case, sir, give me this water. May the Lord write His Word upon our hearts. I want to speak to you this morning on becoming a godly mother. Mothers are very special.

We could talk about them all day. This story here somehow speaks to my heart, not just about womanhood, not just about motherhood, but about my own life. And I believe that what Jesus Christ is trying to show us here is simply this, that when you take a drink of the water that Jesus gives to you, that you change from being just a wife and just a mother, just a man, just a husband, and you become godly. As I began to think about this, I thought of a number of questions to ask, and the first one we're going to ask is a very good one. Who is a godly mother?

We need some type of definition this morning. Well, when I began to ask myself the definition of a godly mother or how we could describe a godly mother, I began to think of so many people in our own congregation. I thought of someone like Miss Lois Wallen, who's gone on to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. What an incredibly precious lady.

I loved Miss Wallen. She was a dear lady, now with the Lord Jesus Christ, and I can only imagine David and Teresa or myself and many others who knew her trying to describe what a godly mother is all about. I came to the conclusion that we could probably fill up a couple of books describing the character of a godly mother. I'm going to give you five characters of a godly mother just to help us to understand what took place here in John chapter 4. What was this all about, this encounter between the Lord Jesus Christ and this Samaritan woman? Well, number one, I'm going to submit to you that a godly mother has taken a drink of Jesus' water.

Any questions this morning? A godly mother is someone who has actually taken a drink of Jesus' water. Here this lady came and she had this encounter with Jesus. There was a well there, and she evidently offered him something to drink, and Jesus said to her, Listen, you can go ahead and you can drink of that water.

You're going to receive temporary satisfaction. But I want you to know that if all you do is drink of the water of that well, you're going to thirst again. But if you drink of the water that I give to you, something is going to happen to you that not even you will necessarily understand, but you need to do it.

Because without that water, you can never become the kind of person that I intend for you to become. And I'm going to submit to you today that the number one character of a godly woman is that she has taken a drink of Jesus' water. Number two, a godly mother is one who is determined to honor him with her life.

And the emphasis here is on the word determined. Because if one analyzes and one understands life, life is fraught with all kinds of obstacles and problems. You talk to the average mother today and they will lay before you the challenges of life, from physical challenges to spiritual challenges to personality challenges, the ups and downs, the rollercoaster of life, the pain, the sorrow, the suffering. But here is what sets apart a godly mother. A godly mother is determined to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with her life. And that word there, determination, lends itself to a spiritual resoluteness, an unswerving determination within the heart of that mother that no matter what she does or what she says or where she goes or who she touches, that she's going to honor the Lord with her life. That's the mark of a godly mother.

Number three, a godly mother is faithful to her husband. And you might say to me today, well, pastor, what's so remarkable about that? Well, what's so remarkable about that, my friend, is that many men are jolly difficult to live with. Now, that's excluding me, of course. But there are some men that I know that are just jolly difficult to live with.

Now, folks, listen to this. All around the world today you've got mothers who have lived with men who have caused them nothing but pain and grief. Some in the most severest sense of the word and some through all the trials and the tribulations of life. Some with untold unfaithfulness and with all kinds of things that are brought to bear upon that marriage, a godly mother is someone who is faithful to her husband because she is drunk of the water that Jesus gave to her. Number four, a godly mother is committed to rearing her children in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here again, the operative word here is the word commitment. You'd say to me, pastor, what is so remarkable about that concerning a godly mother?

Here's what's remarkable. Folks, we live in very difficult times. Most of us can identify with the difficulties that confront motherhood today. Many mothers could stand up and testify if they could concerning, yes, a whole lot of joy, but a whole lot of pain associated with motherhood. All kinds of pain, there is not only the physical pain that accompanies motherhood and childbearing, but there is the pain that is associated with bringing up sons and daughters as they go through all the echelons of life.

The changes brought about by the advancing age, moving into their tweenage years and becoming teenagers and, oh, we say, goodness me, you got a teenager in your house. But what we don't often say is the incredible impact that has upon mother. It's one thing to pass around jokes and to smile at one another, but it's another thing to be engaged actively in motherhood. A godly mother is committed to rearing her children in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I will guarantee you this morning that there is at least one person sitting here today, that the only reason that you're here today is because mother insisted that you come. Oh, ma, excuse me, boy, you get your clothes on right now, we're going to church.

I like that, don't you? I remember when I was growing up and my mom and dad, we served a church overseas, my dad did, and the parsonage was right next to the church. Brother, chairman of deacons, Keith, this was wonderful. I mean, listen, the church was here, the parsonage was right there. I became convinced at a very early age that I didn't need to go to church, I could just lie in bed and listen to my dad preach.

I mean, he would bellow forth. I thought this is the most wonderful thing, but I tell you, my mother had another idea. I remember times, folks. Son, you get up, it's time to go to church. You know, I'm grateful for a mother who was committed to rearing her son in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ. A godly mother, my friends, she is not offset by all the things. She doesn't step back because son or daughter takes a fall, she steps forward. She doesn't point a finger and blame and get in your face. She's there to offer a remedy and to help and to be alongside and to show where to go. A mother who is committed to rearing her children in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord.

That's a godly mother. That's powerful insight from Dr. Don Wilton, our teacher here on The Encouraging Word. Don't go away. He'll be back with more insight in just a few moments, but he wants us to remind you that we are here 24 hours a day, available to pray with you and connect you with resources that will change your life for the better.

You'll find resources like the fresh new book from Chuck Colson, kind of his final words. Now he's with Jesus. He and Dr. Wilton had a wonderful shared passion for prison ministry, but you'll see a collaborative effort from Dr. Wilton and Chuck Colson on our website right now at www.tewonline.org and this will be a tremendous tool for you to be a better, bolder, and yet more compassionate witness in the culture in which we live. The details are on our website at www.tewonline.org and please know that we also stand ready to pray with you anytime, 24 hours a day. The phone number is 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. And anytime, day or night, Dr. Wilton says it's imperative that any of us, and all of us, have someone as a 2 a.m. friend to encourage and pray with you.

And perhaps you don't have someone in your life like that. Let us be maybe a prayer supporter to help you pray for that right person, to pray for someone who can come alongside you and be that kind of prayer partner. Maybe an accountability partner. All of the opportunities to pray for one another are on our website www.tewonline.org but also available at the end of this number, 866-899-9673. We would love to pray with and for you.

The number one more time, 866-899-9673. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Number five, a godly mother demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit. Going to Galatians chapter five, you read about what the apostle had to say to the church at Galatia. It's a wonderful thing to think about the fruit of the Spirit, love and joy and peace and long suffering and kindness and tender heartedness, all these attributes which are exhibited in the heart of a godly mother. A godly mother is somebody that no matter what the circumstances, she's always there. She shows you how to have the right attitude because she demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit. She helps you to channel your anger.

She helps you to develop the right relationships. A godly mother is somebody who teaches her daughters and sons not to have a gossiping tongue. That's a godly mother. A godly mother says, no, my son, no, my daughter, that's not how you live. A godly mother says, this is what you do. This is how you conduct yourself.

This is the way you walk it. And not only does a godly mother say those things, she herself leads in those things. I thank the Lord for godly mothers, don't you? Well, if that's somewhat of a definition of what a godly mother is, our next question is how a mother becomes godly.

How does that happen? Well, I think here in this encounter here in John chapter 4, it was no accident that Jesus met up together with this woman. It's a remarkable story, really. It's remarkable for a lot of reasons, and I'm not today trying to put this into context, but it's remarkable because she was a Samaritan to begin with. Samaritans and Jews didn't quite like each other, they hated one another. You want to understand the animosity between the Samaritan and the Jew? Go and have a look at what's happening between Israel and the Palestinians.

Same thing. They just simply hate each other. Well, it was remarkable not only because this was a Samaritan and a Jew, but it was even more remarkable because Jesus was a man talking to this woman who was a woman. And even though it makes us uncomfortable to think like this, back in those days, my friends, women were considered less than capable. Women were not even considered worthy of engaging in any kind of conversation. Women, in fact, were considered incapable of holding a conversation.

They were treated like the Taliban treated their women in the Arab world. And I want to tell you something, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, came to make a statement that there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither bond nor free. We're all one in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. This was a remarkable thing. In fact, if you read further on down in this passage, you're going to discover that it ruffled the feathers of even the disciples. They were disgruntled at the highest order. They didn't like this. It disturbed them. It upset their status quo.

It threatened their treasury. It brought great disrepute upon the company of their committed believers because Jesus had stooped so low to have an encounter with the woman. But what I'm going to submit to you today is that what this encounter is all about, it's about one woman becoming a godly woman. How do you become a godly mother?

Well, I can summarize it and then go into details. You become a godly mother by taking a drink of Jesus' water. Now, do you have any questions about that this morning? You become a godly mother by taking a drink of the water that Jesus offers to you. Evidently, we know well what it means to drink from the wells that flow up around us in our world today, but Jesus said, you can drink of that water, but you'll thirst again. You drink of the water that I'll give you, you'll never thirst again. And this woman turned to Jesus and said, well, in that case then, sir, let me have a drink, please.

How do you become a godly mother? It's simple, by taking a drink of Jesus' water. Now, the question is, what did this water that Jesus gave her do for her? Well, number one, it quenches her thirst. It quenches her thirst. This lady was thirsty, spiritually. Jesus said, you drink of my water, my water is going to quench your thirst.

Number two, it saves her life. Jesus was saying to her, listen, lady, you don't have a life unless you drink of this water. Water saves life.

Number three, it softens her rough edges. You see, it's no mistake that this conversation had to do with water. Jesus symbolically talking about himself as the water of life. You and I know that one of the qualities of water is that it softens things that have become hardened. And here was this lady who came into the presence of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords with a hardened life, a life that had been scarred and marred by sin. And Jesus was telling her, you take a drink of this water.

Let me tell you what's going to happen. It's going to soften your rough edges. You take a drink of this water. It's going to quench your thirst. It's going to save your life.

But there's a fourth thing that Jesus was telling her. He said, you take a drink of this water. It will extinguish your fires. It extinguished her fires. That's what water does. Water is one of the greatest fire extinguishers.

You know, one of the times that I least enjoy in the United States is during those dry periods, especially when we see on television what happens in California and Montana and Yellowstone and these massive fires and down in Florida, what grieves our hearts is the ecological disaster that follows, animals that are destroyed. It just ruins the landscape. Well, how do they counteract these large fires? They get a huge airplane and they fly across a lake and they scoop up hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and they fly over that forest fire.

They just dump tons and tons of water. And what does that water do? It extinguishes the fire. Here's what Jesus Christ was saying to this lady. Lady, listen to me. The only means by which you are going to become a godly woman, a godly mother is if your fires are extinguished. Take a drink of this water. It will extinguish your fires.

Number five, it cleans her body. Well, we know about water cleaning our bodies. I do remember some months ago meeting with a man and his wife and they had manifold difficulties. And I do remember that lady saying in front of her husband to me, she said, Pastor, I feel so dirty, I feel so unclean.

My life is so scarred by the way in which we have lived. I feel filthy. This lady came to the Lord Jesus Christ and that's what she was trying to tell him and Jesus knew that already. Jesus understood the decadence of her life. He understood the sinfulness of her life and there she was standing before him saying, surely we could talk about this water, this physical water and Jesus was saying to her, you want to be cleansed in your body? Take a drink of the water.

At times the most powerful truths are the simplest ones. To be cleansed in the body, take a drink of the water. You're listening to Dr. Don Wilton and there's so much more wonderful insight to come from the book of John chapter 4.

We'll dive back in tomorrow as well. But today what you've heard, what the Lord has spoken to you about, is it time to make an adjustment, a course correction? You've heard Dr. Wilton as he's been teaching and preaching from the pulpit. But now as he steps into the studio, I pray you'd open your heart to what he wants to share next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ?

I'm so happy to hear that. Why don't you pray this prayer with me today? Dear God, I know that you love me very, very much and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on a cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin. Today I repent of my sin. I confess my sin to you and I invite you to come into my heart and into my life by faith. In Jesus' name I pray. If you prayed that prayer, let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God.

This is wonderful. I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying for you and how very important this is for me. Call us so we can talk to you and connect you in the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey. If you just prayed along with Dr. Wilton to give your life to Jesus or rededicate your life to Christ, welcome to the family of God, welcome back, and welcome to an opportunity to see your life change for the good because God is ready to work in and through you like never before. As a matter of fact, Dr. Wilton would love to pray for you and put some free resources in your hands that will help you in God's Word discover how you can not only make this decision, something that sticks, something that you stay committed to, but something that will revolutionize you in a loving way from the inside out. These resources are absolutely free and available by calling right now at 866-899-WORD. The number to call is 866-899-9673, and these resources are powerful tools from Dr. Wilton that will help you grow. You can also connect with us on our website at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org for those free resources and other great resources like this. Hello, everybody. You know, my friends know me as Don Wilton, pastor, friend, neighbor, dad, husband, grandpa. But I'm going to tell you people all around the world just like you know and identify Dr. Billy Graham as that man that God used to reach so many people around the world for the Lord Jesus Christ. I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Graham in a very personal and intimate way, both as his friend and as his pastor. In fact, for many years, I drove up to his home in Montreat, North Carolina, and visited with him every Saturday. Just like friends do everywhere, we sat together and ate together, walked, talked. We discussed politics, friends, places, people. We laughed our heads off.

We did everything one could possibly imagine. That's why I wrote this wonderful book, Saturdays with Billy. It's all about a personal relationship. And I hope and pray that Saturdays with Billy will be a blessing to you, will inspire you, and will encourage your heart, just as Mr. Graham encouraged my heart and changed my life. God bless you, my friends. It's a powerful book. Whether you read it or get it on audio, it's available at www.tewonline.org. While you're there, discover more about Dr. Don Wilton and why Dr. Billy Graham chose him to be his pastor the last 20 years and the integrity of not receiving a penny from those books you buy, not a penny from salary. If you give to The Encouraging Word, and I encourage you to consider doing so, every penny goes to the mission of sharing the love of Jesus and seeing lives changed around the globe every day. Discover more at www.tewonline.org.