Matt Hagee - Mom, You Are Enough
Today, I want to take a few moments from the book of Luke 1, and let every woman in this sanctuary know and those who are watching know, mom, you are enough. Oftentimes, we want to disqualify ourselves from being adequate for the job at hand because of something we've endured or something that someone had said to us or for feeling like we'll never match up or compare to what the standard of greatness is. Consider individuals who are successful at one thing, but whenever they're compared with other company, they don't want to be in the same conversation. Men, who like to golf, whenever they're asked, "Are you a good golfer"? They say, "Well I'm no Jack Nicklaus, but I do like to play".
And so it is with most women. I'm not sure that there's one that I have ever met on the face of the earth, when someone asks you, "Are you a mom"? That you would answer the question, "I am a mom just like Mary, the mother of Jesus". And it's because we hold her in such high esteem based upon the fact that she was the one who carried the Son of God, not only in her womb, but in the early stages of his life. But today, I want to show you, based on the Word of God, because the Bible says that God is no respecter of persons: that the same qualities and the same characteristics that God saw in Mary who was in the town of Nazareth whenever she was announced by the angel that she would carry the Son of God, the same things he saw in her are the same things that he sees in every mother in this room and every mother who is watching. First and foremost, Mary was by no means perfect: she was just the right woman for the job. And in this room, there are no perfect mothers, but there are the right women for the job.
Now before you get mad at me for calling Mary imperfect, think about this fact: she lost Jesus. It's in the Bible. They took the boy to church, and when they were on their way home, Mary looked at Joseph and said, "Do you have Jesus"? And Joseph said, "No, I thought you had Jesus". And she said, "No. I said I had James and John. Where's Jesus"? Now how many of you've ever had that conversation? Now the thing that's ironic to me about this is that Paul told Timothy that all scripture is written by the Holy Spirit. So whenever they lost Jesus, God looked at the angels and said, "Write that down. I want to make sure we remember it". She wasn't a perfect mother. She was just the right mother for the job. And she was the individual that God chose. And he chose her and encouraged her with these words, and I want to encourage you today with these same words. He said, "The Lord is with you". Say that with me. "The Lord is with you".
That's the first thing that every mother in this room needs to know. "The Lord is with you". He's on your side. He's got your back. He's watching over you. So many moms today are concerned about the world that their children are growing up in. They're afraid of the things that are in your child's future. They're afraid of the unknowns. They're afraid of the dangers. They're afraid of what they're hearing and what they're seeing. Don't be overwhelmed by all of the things that you see. Don't be overcome by what you think are the unrealistic expectations of your responsibility. Rejoice today, because the God who created heaven and earth, the burden bearer, the provider who is more than enough, the protector who said he'd give his angels charge over you, that is the same God who has said, "He's with you".
When you don't know what to do, the all-knowing, all-powerful, Almighty God, that God is with you. Some of you may feel alone today. You may feel abandoned today. The closest on earth may have turned their back on you. You may feel forgotten, but the Creator of heaven forgets no one. He said, "I will be with you even to the ends of the age". He said, "Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God". It's the same with you today. You have nothing to fear, because you have found favor with God. He's with every mother who's in this room. The same God, who poured out his favor upon a teenage girl in Nazareth, is the same God who is seated on his throne today, pouring out his favor on you. Through the eyes of faith, no matter what the circumstances may be, you can rejoice in this fact: the Lord is with you. And if God be for you, who can be against you?
The second thing that every mother needs to know is that your child was chosen for you, and you were chosen for your child. I think it would be kind of fun if we could just do a trade-kids day. Because it apparently seems that most of the time, parents know how to fix everybody else's kid's problem. But that's not how it works. God chose you for your child, and God chose your child for you. In verse 31, Mary hears the angel say, "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son". She didn't even get to have a gender-reveal party. She already got told what it was. And then he says, "And you shall call his name Jesus". She didn't even get to pick the boy's name. "You will conceive and bring forth a son".
Now people consider this the immaculate conception, and indeed there is a miracle that takes place in the life of Mary. But don't let this thought get lost on you today. Science can explain how children are born. But every child who is born is a miracle of God's grace. We've allowed science to dilute the miracle of motherhood. We want to explain how all of the chromosomes and everything matches up and crosses, and all of the reasons why this process has done this, and why all of these things take place. We've gotten so much science involved in it that now we can create an excuse to eliminate it without giving it a chance to breathe. But don't ever forget this: God Almighty is the Creator of life, and all life is in the blood. And the birth of every child is a miracle testimony that God is not weary with mankind.
What every mother needs to remember is that God chose you for your child and he chose your child just for you. He chose you to show your child the love of God. And he chose your child to remind you that you need God's help. Luke 2:52, here's what it says about Jesus. It says, after he was born, "He increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with man". This is the verse that theologians use to describe what the Bible calls "The missing years," because we knew Jesus as a child, and then we don't see him again until he's 30 in the beginning of his earthly ministry. Well, where did he go? What happened? It says it right here: Mary took care of him. She taught him. He grew in wisdom. That means that she taught him the things he needed to know. He grew in stature. That means she physically took care of him. He grew in favor. That means that she spiritually led him. He grew physically, spiritually, and emotionally because he had a mother who was watching over him.
Mom, God can trust you with your children, because he chose you for your child. But what God wants you to do is not just be trusted with your child: God wants you to trust him with your child. There comes a point in your child's life where you have to let go and let God. Why? Because the only person who's held that baby longer than you is God Almighty. I remember when my children were born. I wanted to be the one to hold them. I'd spend about a week just carrying them around. Why? Because I was so jealous that Kendal got to carry them for 40 weeks without me even touching them. But the only person who has carried your baby longer than you is God Almighty. Jeremiah 1:5 tells us very clearly, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you: before you were born, I sanctified you, and I ordained you".
Therefore, God, knowing your child before he was formed in the womb, he was carrying them in heavenly places before he ever let you hold them. And there comes a time when God expects you to trust him to carry your child when you can't be there to help them along. You're not going to be able to control every outcome in your child's behavior and in their life. But believe me, the book of Philippians says it loud and clear. "He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it even to the day of Christ Jesus". If God is in your child's life, you can trust God: everything is going to work out and be alright. There are a lot of mothers here today that they worry. Oh, I just don't know if they're going to make the right decision. I'm worried about the road that they're on.
Believe me: God knows the direction that they take, and he can make a way where there seems to be no way and carry them when you can't. That's why Proverbs says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when they are old", say that with me, "And when they are old". Now understand that in this verse, there is no set time for old. There are some kids that grow up way too fast. They're 15 and they act like they're 55. And then there's some 55-year-olds that act like they're 15. The Bible doesn't say that on this certain date. But the Bible does say, at some point in the maturing process, all of those dots are going to connect, "And they will not depart from the path of God" that you set them on at an early age.
There are three things that every mother cannot do. First and foremost, you can't stop believing in your child. Even when things are unbelievable, you can't stop believing in your child. Consider what Mary does. First and foremost, she's going to have a child and she's never been with a man, unbelievable. This child is going to be the Son of God, unbelievable. He's going to sit on the throne of his father David forever, unbelievable. And with all of these unbelievable things, what does she respond? She says, "Be it unto me according to your word". Now there's an entire sermon in that one sentence, because how many things in the lives of a believer would change if we would just say, "Lord, be it unto me according to your word"? But Mary put her faith in the Word of God, and she believed in the promise that God had placed inside her child.
How do you know that? Because the first place she goes is to her cousin's house, Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the wife of the high priest. In the Old Testament, the law of Moses stated that if a woman was caught pregnant outside of marriage, and she was confirmed to be pregnant outside of marriage, she would be stoned to death. Elizabeth's husband, Zachariah, would have been the guy that would have done the examination and announced the verdict. She ran right to the judge and the jury's house. Why? Not because she's guilty, but because she believes in what God has told her. Mom, the most powerful thing that you can do for your child is believe in them, and believe in the promise of God in their life, and speak to that promise every chance that you get.
The world is filled with doubters. But don't ever let your child believe that you doubt them. Every one of us are going to face impossible circumstances. Let your voice, mother, be the one that says loud and clear, "I believe in you. I believe that God has a plan for you. I believe that you were born for such a time as this. I believe that you can when others say that you can't. I believe that God is on your side. I believe that you were born to do great things. I believe that you were fearfully and wonderfully made. I believe that God could use you to change an entire generation. I believe you are a warrior created to face adversity and make history. I believe that you are a chosen vessel of the Almighty and that his hand of favor is upon you".
Whatever you do, mom, don't stop believing in God's promise for your child! And at times, that will be the most difficult thing for you to do, because your life experiences and the things that you've endured have caused cynicism and hardness in your own heart, and you want to protect them from being hurt the way that you've been hurt. Believe me: there is no greater shield or protector than God Almighty. Your job is not to prevent. Your job is to believe. Mary said, "Be it unto me according to your word". She runs to Elizabeth's house.
What happens when she gets there? She walks into the room and Jesus is in her womb. And in the womb of her cousin, Elizabeth, is John the Baptist. John the Baptist is the forerunner of Jesus Christ. And the Bible says that when Mary entered into the room, the child that was in her womb so filled the womb of Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit, that the babies were jumping and leaping and cheering for each other. And Elizabeth, feeling this baby alive inside of her, looked at Mary and said, "Blessed are you, for you have believed the fulfillment of the things which the Lord has told you".
Immediately, Mary knew this thing that's inside of me is of God. And she put all of her faith and all of her trust in everything that she had heard, and her child changed the world. When nothing makes sense, just keep on believing. When it seems that the world is against them, just keep on believing. When all you have are questions and no answers, just keep on believing. Why? Because the God who promised you is faithful. And he has not broken a promise that he's ever made, and he will not begin with you. Throughout the ministry of Jesus Christ, Mary believed in him. Mary believed in him in John 2 at the wedding of Cana. Go read the story. Mary finds out that the wedding is about to run out of wine, and so she goes and she finds Jesus. Why? Because she knew that he could fix the problem.
Now this is a real problem. And the reason it's a real problem is because there's no heb on the corner where they can go get resupplied. This wedding feast is a time of honor for the family, and there's going to be a great dishonor if they run out of stuff. And so she goes to Jesus, and she says, "We have no wine". And this is a typical mother/son confrontation. Jesus says, "What does that have to do with me"? And she totally ignores him. She doesn't explain that uncle Harry forgot to go get the extra case out of the cellar, none of that. She just grabs him, drags him into the kitchen, and she says, "Whatever he say to do, do it". She looks at other people. She doesn't even explain it to her son. She just says, "He'll fix it". Shh, "Jesus" and if you don't know what that means, then you don't know.
What does Jesus do? He tells the people in the service of the wedding feast: he says, "Bring the vessels, fill them up with water". He says, "Draw some water out," and it turned into wine. He sped up time. He added ingredients that were missing. He demonstrated his power of conversion, but why did he do it? He did it because his mother asked him to. She knew he could fix it. And because she believed in him, he did. When his ministry was over, he's been crucified, he's been resurrected, where do we find Mary? "They were gathered in the upper room and there were 120. And Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there with them". Why was she in the upper room? Because she still believed in him. He said, "The Holy Ghost will come upon you and you shall receive power when I have ascended to the father". She heard what he said and she believed that it was going to happen. And that's why she's waiting in upper room for the Holy Spirit to fall. Mom, don't ever quit believing in your child.
Another thing that no mother can do, don't ever quit praying for your child. It says, "Mary kept all of these things in her heart". Think of everything that's happened to this young girl. An angel shows up and tells her, "You're going to have a son. The son is going to be the Son of God. This is what his name's going to be. This is what his destiny is going to be". She has this baby in a manger in Bethlehem. Shepherds come from afar and worship. Angels coronate the day that this baby is born. Wise men come from the east. All of these things are happening in Mary's life. And the Bible says, "She keeps them in her heart". She doesn't post them on Facebook. "She keeps them in her heart".
And I believe that there are things that every mother keeps in their heart. And the things that you keep in your heart, you should share only with God. I know mothers who are concerned, "My kids don't like going to church". Don't worry: they're in good company. Dad grew up in a world that was so filled with religious rules that the faster he could get away from them, the happier he was going to be. He went to church because he was forced to go. But he didn't go because he wanted to be there. And he told his parents: he said, "The day I turn 18," which was the age that he could make his own decisions, he said, "I'm leaving and I'm not coming back".
As a matter of fact, he wanted to go to west point. And at that point in time, senator Lyndon Baines Johnson had to sign his letter suggesting that he was a fit candidate. That letter went off, and it came back rather quickly that he had been fully accepted, based on his academic record, based on his recommendation, and based on the fact that he had a full-ride football scholarship. He was on his way. He walked into the house one day with that envelope giving him his acceptance to west point military academy, and he waved it in front of his mother's face, which was a mistake. He said, "You see this"? He said, "This is my ticket out of here". And he said, "And as soon as I graduate, I'm gone".
She didn't wring her hands and throw herself into a fit. She didn't emotionally fall to pieces and say, "You don't love me". She looked at him and said, "I'm going to talk to God". And she said, "I'm going to pray for you every day, because I believe that God's plan is different than your plan". And she said, "And I'm going to talk to him and we'll see who wins". Believe me: that woman had eyes that would x-ray your soul. But that's exactly what she did. She didn't go pacing the floor in an emotional manipulation. She went down on her knees and said, "God, if you don't reach my son before he leaves this house, he'll be gone forever". She had no idea what God's plan for her son was, but she knew what God had intended from the beginning: that in his life or in someone's life, God was going to pour out a calling of ministry. At the age of 17, dad is sitting in the back of his father's church. They had a four-week revival.
Some of you don't even like the idea of Sunday night. And in this four-week revival, as they had every night, they gave an altar call. And dad won't even tell you who was preaching. Dad won't even tell you the message that was spoken. What he does know is that he was doing his mathematical homework in the back of the church, because when you're a Pentecostal kid, the only place to do homework is at church during revival. Service was over. And suddenly, he wanted to know God in heaven more than he wanted to breathe. It had nothing to do with the sermon. It had nothing to do with the songs. It had everything to do with a mother who refused to quit praying when others said, "There's just no hope".
Today, grandma Hagee's watching from heaven. And what I believe is happening in heavenly places is that there are people from all over the world that this ministry has touched. And they're coming up to her on this day, saying, "Thank you for praying. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for making sure that the plan of God was fulfilled in his life, because the message that God gave him reached my son. The message that God gave him changed my life. The message that God gave him touched my marriage. The message that God gave him changed an entire generation".
The point that I'm making to you, mom, is this: God has given you a child, and what you do with that child is your gift to God and the next generation. Whatever you do, make sure that every one of your children know, I love you, I believe in you, and I'm praying for you, because those three things have the power, not only to change that child's life but change the world. Can we stand in the presence of the Lord?
Heavenly Father, today, I thank you for the families that are represented in this room. And I thank you for the mothers that you have blessed every family with. I pray today, as they carry the weight of the world upon their shoulders, that they would have the confidence to cast all of those cares upon you. And I pray that whenever they're weak, you would be their strength. I pray, whenever they've lost their joy, that you would come and comfort them. I pray, Heavenly Father, that everything that they ask in faith, believing for their children and their children's children: that it would be done: and that the angels of the living God would pour out favor upon them physically, financially, emotionally, and in every way. God, thank you for the contribution that these women have made in our lives. And thank you for how you are blessing them, based upon your word. It's in Jesus' name, that we receive this. And all of God's children said, amen.