Sermon Tone Analysis

Some of the rules that we are going to see today from God’s Word for men and women in the church are not just mere rules.

Why?

Because they reflect the sort of difference and complementary design God has had for us His image bearers from the very beginning.

In fact, this is exactly the ground work that we laid out last week as we went back to the creation order to see how God has uniquely designed man and woman.

Once we have a great understanding of the first few chapters of Genesis, and God’s natural order of things than as I said last week, we will see how everything else throughout God’s Word about being a man and woman makes more sense.

Before we get any further into this message I want you to know where I am heading because I see this from God’s Word.

As your pastor I lineup as a complementarian.

What that means is that I believe God’s wonderful plan and design for a man is to lead, serve, and protect.

We do this in our homes and in the church, so that women can thrive under this leadership as they too work to teach God’s Word in other areas according to the wisdom and beauty of God’s created order.

However what we see today in our culture is that there are several problems to this stance.

-First of all I want to begin by saying that our culture today has rejected God.

They have rejected what His Word tells us about life and the guidelines that God has graciously given to us about life and how to live.

Our culture rejects the truth of God’s Word and the moral boundaries He has laid down for mankind.

Culture rejects God’s role for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

Marriage means very little today, that’s why when things get difficult so many people just get divorced.

Family means very little today, male authority doesn’t mean much today, female submission doesn’t mean anything.

Individuals go around defying God’s plan.

People today deny gender exists and there is less and less interest to honor God.

There is so much defiance today in our culture and because of that there is this inclination to be independent and to seek our own rights that we forget about the good plans that God has for us.

So, this is the first problem we have.

-The Second Issue we have seen for many years is the way some men have led.

I would go as far to even say some pastors and elders have led this way.

They have led with an oppressive, abusive, massaginist mindset which is wrong and sinful.

This of course causes women to be hurt, angry, and have a lack of trust from then on with men and leaders.

Of course this is not how God has designed men to lead.

Godly men would never lead this way because they lead as Christ led by being a servant to all.

But ultimately God has designed men and women different.

God has given the man the headship.

He tells men to lead their homes and to lead the church.

People that have a hard time with this, and with authority have a hard time with the Trinity.

What we see from God’s Word is that there is this wonderful plan of Headship.

Here is how Paul addresses this.

So the order here is:

-God the Father.

-Then Christ, not that Christ isn’t part of the God head but even Christ was submissive to God the Father.

-Mankind.

All mankind are to submit to Christ and someday every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

-Man.

Men that means we are too submit to Christ.

We follow Christ and we are to be the leaders of our homes.

-Woman.

Women are too follow the lead of their husband.

There are a few exceptions.

Women if your husband asks you to do something immoral, illegal, or sinful of course you don’t do that.

If your husband is abusive physically or verbally call someone and get out.

You don’t need to be in that environment.

So this is the headship or order.

Please here me today, this order has nothing to do with value or equality as we talked about last week.

Genesis 1:27 tells us that both man and woman are image bearers.

So, this has everything to do with God’s divine order.

So Adam was created first, then Eve was created.

Ladies First.

So, I want to begin today by starting with the Ladies.

What is the Biblical strategy for Women and for Women to serve in the church?

Then we will look at the man’s role.

So, what exactly does the role or roles of women look like within the church and their families?

Turn with me to Titus chapter 2.

Teach other women to be godly.

Be reverent, don’t slander or be a gossiper.

Don’t be addicted to alcohol.

Teach what is good.

Train the young women.

How?

To love their husband and their children.

Be self-controlled, be pure and kind.

Be submissive to your husband, so that God’s Word is not reviled (slandered or defamed)

Then in the home we see some similar attributes.

-Women are called to modesty.

-Women are called to good works.

-Women are called to discretion.

-Women are called to godliness.

-Women are called to submit to their husbands.

But what exactly does this look like today within the church?

Great Question.

-Women should help minister to the sick and the dying.

‌-Women should help those who have mental or physical disabilities.

‌-Women should share their faith.

‌-Women should open their homes to other women to offer help, guidance, counsel etc...

‌-Women can help organize, design, plan, and come along side others.

‌-Women can pray in church.

‌-Women can serve on committees in the church.

‌-Women can minister to single moms and abuse victims.

‌-Women can bring meals, care packages and throw baby showers like no one else can.

‌-Women can do sports ministries, lead Women’s Bible Studies and teach systematic theology to other women..

‌-Women can lead mission trips.

‌-Women can teach children and raise their own kids to the glory of God.

‌-Women can help the widows in the church and they can care for those struggling with the remorse of abortion.

‌Let me be clear, there are hundreds of things that women can be doing in ministry!!!

*So, is every role available for women?

Can a Woman Preach in the Church?

No! Turn with me to 1 Timothy chapter 2. We have already read this, but I want for us to look at this again.

First Timothy is one of the three pastoral letters that the Apostle Paul sent to Timothy so that his work would continue on.

Timothy was like this spiritual son to Paul and even though Timothy was young and gifted we find that he had a lot to learn as it came to leading the church at Ephesus.

In fact, the church there was in need of some order in worship as well as some doctrinal correction that was desperately needed because of some false teaching.

Paul’s letter to Timothy was written sometime around A.D. 62-66.

It was there to help Timothy on matters of church leadership.

It dealt with matters such as proper worship, to qualifications of elders and deacons, and advice on how to confront false teaching.

Also we see a similar text in 1 Corinthians.

This means that women are not to speak in regards to the authoritative preaching of God’s Word in the church on the Lord’s Day.

It’s important to note here that in the Old Testament all of the Priests were Male, the Kings were all male, all of the judges were male except one, and most of the prophets were male.