Amen, beautiful. Well, I'm ready to preach God's word. Are you ready to receive it? Today the year was 1990, and Todd Smith, a longtime participant in the world of hip-hop and rap, was being overshadowed by the new rising gangsta stars of the new day and era of rap. And he was afraid. Todd was afraid he was losing his notoriety and his influence. And he actually to his grandmother, who raised him, that this was happening and his record sales were declining and he was certain that he was gonna be forgotten. And after she listened to him for a while, she listened and she listened and then finally, as he lamented, she stopped him and she said you know what, todd, just knock him out. And with that inspiration, ll Cool J wrote and released the Grammy winning little track, title track to this sermon series called Mama Said Knock you Out. It's the year that I learned if you can believe in you the way mama believes in you, you can go on and knock them out. Why don't you tell your neighbor hey, don't call it a comeback. And then to the one you've been ignoring all service, just say mama said knock you out. Well, you missed it. Don't do it now, team, you missed it.

We're here in week three of this series called Don't Call it A Comeback. And man, last week I felt like was a special weekend when we said don't call it a comeback, call it a revival. And how? The righteous. The key passage of this series is Proverbs 24, 16, and it says that the righteous will fall seven times, but they'll get right back up. And it says that the righteous will fall seven times but they'll get right back up. And the reality is that is what an overcomer does in this world, that is what a follower of Jesus does in this world. We don't live, we're not going to live sinless lives, we're just trying to sin less. And we're not going to be perfect, but we are living for the perfecter, the author and the finisher of our faith. And so today we're not just celebrating, we're not just celebrating moms, but we're actually celebrating every woman in this house, every mother, every grandmother, every spiritual mother, every woman who stands in the gap for someone that she loves and will rise up and declare to the people around her mama said knock you out. And this is a Bible story that I want to share with you. But it's not just a Bible story, it's a battle cry. So we don't call it a comeback, we call it a battle cry Because I want to talk to you about the way that a woman, and specifically a mother, can shape the spiritual destiny of her family with nothing more than her obedience, her courage and her voice. Tell your neighbor mama said, knock you out.

I want to tell you today, in just a little bit of time, that I have about a woman named Deborah, and you can follow along in your notes and read about Deborah in Judges, chapter 4 and 5. And I want you to get this picture in your mind. Israel is the chosen people of God. You might say in our family, when we talk about the chosen of my parents, it's the baby of the family. That's me. I can say it because I have the mic. So you might say that Israel was the baby of the family. They were the chosen people of God.

And although they were chosen, we read about Israel in a lot of ways. They're up and they're down. They get up and then they fall down, they. But they always seem to get back up again, because God is the God of comebacks, god is the God of restoration. And so here are God's people, god's chosen.

They've been oppressed for 20 years by King Jabin and his military muscles, sisera. Their homes have been invaded, their freedoms have been taken. The highways are so dangerous no one wants to travel on the highways. The enemy is not just outside the city walls, but the enemy is in the atmospheres, in their peace, in their identity. And sometimes it feels so much like our own life, like we know that there's an enemy that is seeking to kill and destroy and steal, and we feel that enemy in so many ways. And I'm just gonna tell you like we live in times that there's no doubt the end times, but times that it seems like the enemy is prevailing. But we have a promise in our life that on this rock, the foundation of the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of our life, upon that rock the church is built and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

And so, in the middle of all of this chaos, under the shade of a palm tree, sits a woman. She's not in the war room, she doesn't sit on the throne, she's not in the war room, she doesn't sit on the throne, she's not wearing a crown, but she's under a tree and her name is Deborah. And what really gets me as I read through these passages of Scripture is the Scriptures don't call her a prophet or a warrior, but they refer to her as a mother. Judges 5-7 says this Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I Deborah arose, arose a mother in Israel. Wow, just like when I said that verse, the lights came on. It was like let there be light crescendo.

Listen to that passage of scripture. Village life had ceased until a mother arose, until a mother got back up and made a declaration. While the men were hiding and the leaders were passive and the people were silent, deborah saw something that was revealed to her and rose up and didn't just see it, she called it out, because mothers have this God-given instinct to see beyond what's in front of them. How many know your mom has eyes behind the back of her head, man, I'll never forget one time my mom was getting after me, yelling at me for not yelling but like scolding me for something, and I was making a face at her and she turned around. She said don't you ever make that face again? And I knew by the snap of her finger I was in trouble In church. My dad pastored the church in Grand Rapids and my mom played the organ for our worship services, a little different than what this stage is. But she would sit on that organ and play and if I were messing around and cutting up in church, she would snap that finger and point at me and give me a look. And I knew that look because mom saw beyond what was actually happening. I think my mom knew before I was going to act up and was trying to warn me with that point and that look.

But mothers see beyond what's in front of them. They sense when the enemy has entered their home, not through the front door but through that screen or that device, through that accompany or circle of influence of friends around their children. They notice when the joy is missing from the dinner table. They discern spiritual warfare and the subtle changes in tones and temperature in their room. And Deborah, she didn't just see the problem, she called it out and she called somebody up.

And when we read in the passage of Scripture in Judges, chapter four, just for time's sake, trust me on the story Deborah calls Barak and she says listen, it is obvious that God has called you to lead the army of God against the enemy. So rise up and go into Sisera and defeat them. And she says I'll make sure that when you get there you'll win the battle. She wasn't gonna go fight the battle, but she was gonna ensure through her prayers, through her voice, that victory would be won. And I'm gonna tell you. I just wanna challenge moms today. I wanna challenge women of this house. Deborah literally said to Barack Mama said knock you out. Ll Cool J wasn't so original, after all.

Deborah actually said it first Get up and go, defeat the enemy. She doesn't pick up a sword, she doesn't steal a spotlight. She points someone else and says this is your time. God is with you. Get up and go. I want to just encourage moms to rise up. Mothers are divine encouragers. They speak words that ignite destinies. They push children to believe when doubt speaks loudly. Come on, moms, let's rise up. And don't you know that scripture is full of women who, when they rose up and spoke something, it changed victories for their family, even for their nation. Last week I mentioned it when I said this would be the title of today's sermon that Rahab.

The Bible says Rahab was a harlot in Jericho, but she had compassion and she hid the spies of Israel in her home. When the army came to find the spies and she hid them. And because she hid them and protected them, the Bible says that those men said if we're coming and she knew it. By the way, rahab knew that the Israelites were going to win the war before the Israelites even began to fight. She knew all those years in advance. All those years in advance, she knew that Israel would win, would defeat her town, her city, her Jericho was going down and she knew it. And she said before you leave, promise me that my family will be protected. Mama said knock you out, promise me that you'll protect my family. And they said you know what? If you'll put this purple rope out your window when we come to defeat the city, we will protect you. Now, don't you know? The Bible doesn't say it. The Bible says one line that her entire household was saved. But don't you know, mama rose up and mama made sure every single one of those kids and everybody connected to her house were going to be in that house.

Listen, moms, you don't have to be shy about making your kids come to church when they're little, and you don't have to be shy about compelling your kids to come to church when they're older. Just because they grow up and move out doesn't mean you don't have a voice in their life to say you need to be in church. Moms don't ever give up. I watched my mom and my dad pray for over 30 years for the salvation of my brother and they never gave up For 30 years. They prayed that prayer For 30 years. And my brother and my sister-in-law are in Houston today with my mother on Mother's Day and I know they're watching this sermon and I'm so thankful. I'm so thankful I have a mom who never stopped praying for any of it my sister, my brother, my other sister, for me she never stopped. She prays for you more than you pray for you. I can promise you that Mama don't ever stop.

Rise up. Rise up. There was Rahab. There was Ruth. Ruth was a foreigner. Ruth was not an Israelite, she was not from Israel. Ruth was not an Israelite, she was not from Israel. But she married a young man from Israel but he died and when he died she really could have done anything she wanted. And her mother, naomi, was like I'm going back to Israel and Ruth said I'm going with you. And Naomi was like no, you don't have to go with me. No, mama said, knock you out because I'm going with you. And Ruth said your people will be my people and your God will be my God. And don't you know what? Ruth became the great-grandmother of David because she refused to sit down and go away quietly. She rose up and she made a declaration of who would be her God. And it changes for generations when you make that declaration.

And then there's Tamar. Tamar is the mother of twins. One of the twins was Perez, and Perez is in the lineage, if you read Matthew, chapter one, of Jesus and Tamar. Her first husband died and there's this, this custom that in the family, if someone dies, they're they're supposed to take care of and keep the family name going on. And the Bible says Judah disregarded that pledge. But you know what, even though the people around you would disregard God's promises, god will never give up on his promise for you. And Tamar held onto that promise and flexed a little muscle herself and ends up with a son in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

Listen, moms, you might feel overwhelmed, you might feel like you might feel underqualified, you might feel like it's not working out, but I'm just gonna tell you knock them out, knock them out, knock them out. Deborah turd a war song into a worship song, judges. Chapter 5 is a worship song and the Bible says because of Deborah, because she stood up, israel had peace for 40 years. Mom, when you rise up, there's generational blessing that follows. And I want to close with this story and I'm going to read it if it's okay with you. I don't normally read a lot of my messages, but I want to read this because I think the story is so powerful and thank God I print these notes in like 25 so I can read them. So powerful and thank God I print these notes in like 25 so I can read them.

In the night and early morning of August 8th and 9th, the Japanese column slipped into the channel between Sawah and another area I can't read, undetected. By 1 31 AM they signaled every ship attack. Among those battered awake by the exploding shells was a 19-year-old Navy signalman, 3rd Class Elgin Staples, of Akron, ohio, on board the New Orleans-class cruiser, the USS Astoria, swept into the air and out of the sea from concussive blasts. Staples found himself dazed, wounded by shrapnel to his legs, but alive thanks to his M1926 inflatable rubber life belt strapped around his waist. I began treading water, he says, trying to stay calm as I felt things brushing past my legs, knowing that if a shark attacked me any moment would be my last. And the sharks weren't the only danger the powerful current threatened to sweep me out to sea.

Rescued nearly four hours later by the destroyer, uss Bagley, staples and other survivors were tasked to return to try to salvage the heavily damaged and burning Astoria, which was now attempting to beach itself in the shallow waters. Those efforts failed and Astoria took on a dangerous list before finally sinking at approximately 1,200 hours, putting staples back into the water still wearing that same life belt. More than 200 men were lost aboard the Astoria, with the Allied dead totaling over 1,000. 709 were wounded. He was picked up by the USS President Jackson the following day and evacuated to New Caledonia, and it was only then that Staples felt safe enough to remove his lucky life belt. To his surprise, he discovered that the belt that had saved him from drowning twice had been manufactured by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in his hometown, akron, ohio. But soon the connection ran even deeper. Returning home on leave shortly after battle, staples reunited with his mother, vera Miller Staples. Staples reunited with his mother, vera Miller Staples, in 2001,.

Recurring Staples writes about this, recounting the story. He writes this next. After a quietly emotional welcome, I sat with my mother in our kitchen table telling her about my recent ordeal and hearing what had happened at home since I had gone away. My mother informed me that, to do her part, she had gotten a part-time job at the Firestone plant and, surprised, I jumped up grabbing my life belt from my duffel bag and I put it on the table in front of her. Take a look at that, mom. I said it was made right here in Akron at your plant. She leaned forward and, taking the rubber belt in her hands, she read the label. She had just heard the story and knew that in the darkness of that terrible night it was the one piece of rubber that had saved my life. When she looked up at me, her mouth and her eyes were open wide with surprise. She said, son, I'm an inspector at Firestone and this is my inspector number. And she could hardly lift her voice above a whisper. How incredible that. What mom did to help make ends meet around the house, to help do her part for her country? She inspected the very life belt that would save her son, not once, but twice in C?

Moms, you never know. You never know what that prayer will do. You never know what that word encouragement will do. You never know what that compelling stand-up mama said, knock you out inspiration will do. I'm gonna tell you don't give up, moms, because God has called you into this season, into this time and into this church to help raise us up and lift us to a place that God is calling us. Mama, please tell us, knock somebody out. Tell us that over and over again. Can you receive that word today? Let's pray.