I appreciate you being here this morning. We're going book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, through God's word. And I want to, communicate the big idea for this morning. I just want you to maybe write this down or remember it. That, that God's ordering is not oppression. It's orchestration. I want to remember that God's ordering is not oppression. It's orchestration.
It's important for us to remember that as we go through, especially chapter two, the point of Paul's writing in first and second Timothy and Titus is to guard doctrine and guide people into it. And so this morning, as we do every morning, my aim and goal is to teach doctrine, to guard it and to guide our church into it. Teaching doctrine is very important. Because if one adds to the Bible, that's legalism. If one subtracts from the Bible, that's liberalism.
And if one ignores portions of the Bible that leads to heresy, because you just fill in the blanks of what's been ignored. And so chapter one was through Paul. God's word to the church. And two of the important things that Paul says, that the church's role is, is grace and doctrine. He says, I'm the chief, first of all, sinners. And God's grace overflowed, overwhelmed me. Grace is supposed to be part of the church and doctrine. He says, guard doctrine. Don't let bad doctrine be taught.
Teach good doctrine. And in chapter two, he changes a little bit and starts talking to the Christian rather than the church and to the Christian. He says there's a couple things that are super important for the Christ follower, and it's prayer and what living a life of devotion looks like. And that's what we're going to look at in chapter two. The reason Paul wrote what he wrote. He tells us why in first Timothy chapter three, verses 15, 14 and 15 he says, I hope to come to you soon.
Timothy was in Ephesus. Paul started a church there. Left Timothy in charge to lead it. Young man Paul, in his early 30s. And he said, I hope to come to you soon, but I'm writing these things to you so that here's the reason. If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God. A pillar, a buttress of truth.
He says, I want to be there with you, Timothy, but in case I can't, I want you to understand how the people in the church are to live according to sound doctrine. So? So this is the letter written to people in the church about how they live, what they do, how they orchestrate life within the church. And so it's important to look at this, at that, this through, through those eyes.
Chapter one doctrine is important because if we're not solid on doctrine, we'll settle for what tickles our ears or satisfies our peers. Like, if we're not solid on biblical doctrine, we'll end up being what sounds good to me. I don't know, everyone else thinks so too. So why not go with it? That's a really dangerous place to live. And because doctrine is important. I've written a little book called The Essentials of Christian Doctrine. It's in the Welcome center. You're welcome to pick one up.
It's free for you. I want you to to be aware of some real basics of Christian theology and doctrine. So we're clear on it. Because what I know, and you know this, too. What did Jesus come to believe directly shapes how that Jesus community will live? What you and I believe will shape how we live, what the church believes to shapes how the church lives functions. And so we have to be clear on doctrine. Chapter two is one of the most contested passages in Scripture in the New Testament, at least.
And so my goal in going through this this morning is to rightly divide the Word of God so that we understand God's standard of it and invite us to live according to the doctrine that is taught in God's Word. Remember last week I said that we rest under Scripture. We don't stand over it. And so my goal and my job every Sunday is to teach doctrine and invite us to rest under it and not assume we have the authority to stand over it. And that's what we're going to do this morning.
In order to do this. You follow along, Tom, in order to do this. I need to set it up with Genesis back at the very beginning. The way things started has a determining factor in how we understand the way things should be. And so before we get into first Timothy two, I want to set up back in Genesis and God's design. God designed maleness and femaleness. And those things are to take primary shape in the context of a marriage and a family.
Now our culture is very different from God's design, and that's why doctrine is important, because we need to be clear on doctrine, because the culture is going to get this very confused. And we know that confusion in the culture should not cause confusion in the church. Right? And the only way the confused culture doesn't cause confusion in the church is to be solid on doctrine. So role of the church, because our standard is not the culture. Our standard is God's word.
Now to set this up going way back when a boy grows up in a home. God's design. No culture screwed this up, no doubt, but God's design is that boy lives under the submit to the leadership into the authority of his father. That's God's design. When that boy grows up and marries, he leaves his father and mother. In Scripture and establish his own family and becomes the leader of that family.
When a little girl grows up in the home, she's to submit to the leadership and authority of her father, and when she gets married, she transfers that to her husband. May be clear this is not about women simply obeying someone because they're a male. This has nothing to do with a woman's role, and the culture has nothing to do with the women's role outside of the home or outside the church. This has to do with the role of the home and family, marriage and the church.
It's not about the woman saying, because you are male, I will gladly bow to you. It's not about that at all. It's about God's design for the leadership of the family, not about a strict obedience. Because someone's a male and someone's a female. You understand that? It's about design. Original design for leadership of the family. Submission has been gravely misunderstood because we've not understood the context of it, stemming from the Genesis account.
In the Genesis account, when Adam and Eve were in the garden pre sin. The devil shows up on the scene of the human scene and tempts Eve with bad doctrine. That was the temptation. The bad doctrine that the devil tempted Eve with was to question God's provision, his standard, his love, and his design, and beginning with Eve, forces that choice on all humans to doubt good doctrine and believe bad doctrine about God's love. His standard, his design, his provision from Genesis three on due to sin.
God's design has been continually distorted, and it's led to consequences for men and for women due to sin and the distortion of God's design. The consequences for men have been twofold. Either one passive leadership, both in the family and in the spiritual realm. We've we've just become passive as far as family leadership and child rearing and discipline and passive spiritual leadership. Looks like women do everything or.
In the in the in this this this role of men not passivity but rather domineering, demanding and abusive. And so that's the consequences that men have to be very careful of because of sin. Now the consequences for women are a little different. Bothered by this idea of submission to the authority over them. The tendency is to tend toward complete self-sufficiency and autonomy. Now, let me just clarify. I got to do a lot of clarifying today.
There is nothing wrong and nothing bad with a strong, independent, intelligent leader as a woman. I married one. Now nothing wrong with that. Ladies, please understand. The danger is when the seeking of independence means submitting to no one. That's the danger. And so. The gospel comes in and sets things right. Everything in Scripture points to Jesus. When we go through the Old Testament right now. We went through the book of Genesis, going through the book Access on Wednesday night.
We see Jesus all over the Old Testament because the Old Testament points towards Jesus. The Gospels are about Jesus. The rest of the New Testament points back to Jesus. So it's all about Jesus. And so this submission thing centers and originates in Jesus. Jesus, though equal with the father, submitted to the father not because there was an issue of lesser value, but just simply because of honoring God's order. You understand Jesus fully.
God submitted to the father not because there was a difference in value, but because there was an honoring of order. And so when we submit because we don't stand over Scripture, we rest under it. When we submit, what we're doing is presenting a picture of Jesus to the world. You understand? So obedience submission is not about obedience. It's about order and presenting the order of God to the world that's watching.
So that when Paul says in Ephesians two, families, wives, submit to your husbands as to Christ. I know the pushback that some women have. Well, I would, if I had a husband were submitting to this right now. Remember, we won't say that in this company, but that right. And that's why Paul says, submit not to your husband because he's worthy of it. Submit as to Christ, because Christ is worthy of it. Because you become a picture of Christ to the world. This is why doctrine is important.
Chapter one directions to the church Biblical doctrine and Grace. Chapter two the devotion of the Christian Prayer and ordering. Let me just read verses one through six will unpack some stuff. Chapter two, verse one. First of all, then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made, for all people, for kings and all who are on high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Paul says, for the devoted Christian in the context of the church, the first thing of first importance is that I urge you to pray supplications and prayers, to pray, intercessions and thanksgiving. He says, I want you to be a church and a devoted people of Jesus that prays when he says the word. Intercessions, that means a communication with intimate language, as if you're talking to your closest friend. It's familiar. So I want you to pray as though you're talking to your closest friend.
This intimate setting. It's not some high holy, reserved, you know, mantra. It's this intercession, this intimacy, this closeness and thanksgiving. One should never pray without giving thanks. To pray without giving thanks teeters on this idea that the one you're talking to is a resource, not a relationship. Thanksgiving makes it a relationship. And so he says, I want you to pray this way for all people.
And then he specifies for kings and all who are in high positions, presidents, senators as what are you talking about, Congressman? Governors, people in high positions. He said, I want you to pray for them. Intercede for them. Give thanks for them, It's so interesting to me that the one who wrote this is saying to pray for all these people.
And the ruler at the time was Caesar Nero, the one who was one of the most violent, abusive, repulsive emperors in all of Rome against the church, the one who would behead Paul. Paul is saying, Plead to God on his behalf. Not that God removes him, but that he is blessed with wisdom, that that he makes wise decisions, that he comes to faith and pray that their decisions allow us, as Paul says, to lead peaceful, quiet lives, godly lives, dignified in every way. Listen, I want our leaders.
I want the best things for them because as things go well for them, they usually go well for us. It's so interesting to me how the church navigated the past few presidencies, because the church has not done a good job on seeking intercession for Joe Biden. When he was at office, we saw intercession, most of us, for him to leave. But but not not for wisdom, not for discernment. Not because we cared about him. Same thing with Trump. It's so interesting.
These last couple election cycles, the church has just become more divided than ever because we focused on the man in the office rather than the kingdom of God. He says, I want you to be praying for these people and honestly be praying for them. One Because God desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth, because there's one God and one mediator, the man Jesus Christ. This is the point of it all for their salvation, because their salvation is for your good.
I could spend a lot more time talking. I'm not going to because there's a lot in here. We got to get through them. Let me go to verse. Where am I verse seven. Now look what he says. Verse seven, for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle. I'm telling the truth. I'm not lying. A teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
These are important words to pay attention to, because some of these words are going to come up later in his instructions to the church and to the disciples of the church. He said, God has appointed me to be a preacher and a teacher. Here's what we have to understand. Those two words are different. Most of the time in our context. Those are synonymous. We just think every preacher is a teacher, every teacher in the church, a preacher. And are you a preacher, teacher or whatever? Doesn't matter.
Paul uses two very different words to talk about what it is to be a preacher, what is to be a teacher. And when he says, God has appointed me as a teacher. The Greek word is crux, and it literally means ambassador. It means a herald of God's truth, of salvation to proclaim salvation to the unsaved. And it's what we do in Matthew 28. Proclaim to all the world. That's what it is to preach. Preaching is the the work that's done to the unsaved of the proclamation of salvation through Christ alone.
That's what preaching is. And then he says, I am also a teacher. Teach us a completely different word. The word Paul uses a dinosaur. Go. And it literally means doctrine. And so a teacher teaches the saved the doctrine of God. Biblical doctrine to the saved, not to the unsaved. Preaching to the unsaved about the proclamation of salvation. The good news teaching is doctrine to the saved. So they'll be firm on good doctrine, because what they believe about doctrine will determine how they live.
In acts 242. The Bible says of the first church that the the disciples gave themselves, it says, literally gave themselves to the apostles doctrine. It's the same word if teach us teaching. So teaching and doctrine are the exact same word. And so the church's role, the pastor's role is to teach doctrine to the church. Every Christ followers role is to preach the gospel to the world. And Paul says, I have been charged with both some people have been gifted in preaching and not teaching.
Some have been gifted in teaching and not preaching. Some few are gifted in both preaching the gospel of good news to salvation to the unsaved and preaching deep, profound biblical doctrine to the saved. And that was Paul. And so Paul starts to instruct men, instruct the church. And let's just look at what he says. I desire this is verse eight. I desire that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. And so after he says, this is who I am.
These are my roles. Then he starts to direct the disciples, man disciples and women disciples. And because of God's ordering, that goes back to Genesis one when he asked to direct men and women. Guess who he starts with? Men. So I'm going to start with you. And this way says to men. That in every place men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. Let me just untie this a little bit. There's three things here.
He says I want men to lift up holy hands, to lift up holy hands and pray to lift up holy hands. I know what most people are thinking. Well, this is he's not really talking about doing this, although that's what he said. He's really just talking about the attitude of the heart. And the reason we say that is because most men are so uncomfortable with this. And so we explain it away. And there's part of us that love to stand over Scripture rather than rest under it.
Now, does it mean the attitude of your heart 100%? It means I'm going to lift up Holy in absolute. My heart is lifted up before got 100%, but the outward expression is always a reflection of the inward heart. You know it is all through Scripture. The Scripture gives us examples of how people prayed people. They stood and they looked up to heaven, and they lifted their hand because their expectation was coming from there.
This was this was a position of prayer all through Scripture, as was this, the position of prayer. I'm going to kneel before God. And and this is my this is my way of surrender. If you take a knee, I'm going to rest before you. As was lame prostrate. I don't know if the camera and get me from here. But I'm gonna lay prostrate, face down. Why? Because what happens when it slows down? What do you do? I surrender, I'm not right. And it's. This is the way, God, I am laid out before you.
I'm completely certain the only thing that isn't taught in Scripture how to pray is this. Nowhere in Scripture is anyone seen sitting and praying, closing their eyes and folding their hands. Now I understand why we teach this to our children. Because they're squirrels. But hopefully at this point in our lives, we're not children anymore. And that this is how we pray.
And so, Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit from God, says, man, you have to take the leadership in worship and the expressions of worship because your families will follow your lead. You have to take the lead in expressive worship, and he doesn't mandate what it has to look like, but it has to. You gotta see, it's got to be apparent. And so he says, lift up the understand. Like, get out of yourself. Quit being so self-conscious and insecure and make it about him and not about you.
But Paul saying, lift up holy hands. And by holy hands he's saying, listen, men, your lies have got to be lies that are godly and humble and sacrificial and servant like, not domineering and demanding and dominating. Most of the time when women push back against the authority of their husband or someone in their life, it's because they haven't seen men with holy hands. I've seen plenty of men try to be domineering, but not men with holy hands.
And again, when he doesn't have holy hands, where to submit as to Christ, because he does have holy hands. And then he says, lift up holy hands. Pray men, men must take the lead spiritually. That is our job as a husband. We are the priest of our family. There's too many men that have relegated their lives to passivity, both in child rearing and child disciplining and child correcting, and in spirituality. There's too many women that relegated that.
I would love for a month for the women to stop leading in this church. Just stop teaching Sunday school. Stop the refreshment thing. Stop the worship leading. You know, I, I would love to see what would happen. When you'd like to see what would happen. Yeah. All the women's heads are doing this. The guy's like, no, like, why would you suggest that? That's heresy. Maybe men don't lead because women do it all. And so, ladies, you have my permission to stop. Let's see how the church does.
Men lead with a holy life and lead in worship. I said last week that abdication is never part of God's plan. Man, you hear me? Yeah. Who said yes? That was good. Thank thank you. Billy. So let's get to the tough stuff. Verse nine. Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness with good works.
Do you know many pastors that preach on the Sunday morning about first Timothy two? Yeah. Cowards is what they are. Here, here, here, here. Here's here's what, here's what, here's what Paul saying ladies, this is the point is make it your clothes should communicate your conversion. That's what he's saying. Just make sure you're close. Communicate your conversion. Parents, please teach this to your children. So, junior high, high school, college kids. You know exactly what I'm talking about.
The problem in this culture, and it's the same in our culture, is that saved people outwardly looked exactly like unsaved people. Dressed just as provocatively. Just as scantily. And Paul saying, make sure that that what everybody sees communicate your conversion. When he says women dressed with respectable apparel what is that's we get our word cosmetics from that Greek word. So he's not saying don't makeup, don't do your hair. No jewelry. Wear a bonnet skirt down to your knees.
Like, just become Amish and you're okay. That's not what he's saying. He's just saying, do what you gotta do. But just make sure that what you do communicates that you've been converted from the culture. Make sure that your outward appearance shows your inward conversion. In other words, spend more time on your soul than you do in the mirror. And I'm so thankful for the women of Flip Side, because some of you might hear me though I'm saying this with John. I got him.
This is such a dangerous message for me to preach. Some of you women have been walking with Jesus for generations, and you look like women who have walking with Jesus for generations. You present yourself with modesty and appropriateness and dignity and strength and honor. And it's not all about me. Look at me. Look at me. And it's not because you're old. It's because you're faithful. And many women don't get this right. So thank you. You're a great example for those coming up after you.
This is so difficult in our culture that celebrates, idolize and venerates the external and that curses and a voice and denying the aging. Ladies, thank you for doing it so well. Men, we have great responsibility in this with the women in our lives, and we will either help them do this or hinder them from this. By how we look at women, by how we respond to women, and how we respond to our own wives as they age. It's very important.
And if that's not touch enough subject, let me get on to the rest of this. And just remember that before we get to this, we don't stand over it, right? We rest under it. We have to understand that about Scripture and that when we talk about following Christ, it means we follow his ordering, not just his saving. Most people want to be saved by Jesus. They don't want to follow his ordering. And so we talk about following Jesus involves both. Doctrine determines direction.
And so we're going to look at his directing verses 11 through 15. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not fear. Why am I preaching on this? I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over man. Rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith and love and holiness and self-control.
Okay. You're ready? Yes. We miss. We miss what? The first thing that Paul saying here, Paul is saying here. Let her learn in that in the Roman culture, most women were uneducated and they had no hope of being educated. One of the things Paul is saying is let them learn. Now remember the context is the church. Let them learn. The context is the church setting. He said, let them learn at church, but let them process and talk about it at home with a man with holy hands.
Do you see how these tie together? The issue is the same issue with the church in Corinth, and the way the synagogues, the synagogue is the closest thing we have in the Bible to a local church. And Imma talk about that later. But just understand this for now. The synagogue was designed so that men sat on one side and women on the other, and sometimes women were even behind a veil like they weren't even seen at church.
And what would happen when the teacher of the synagogue was teaching doctrine to the people? Women would have a question because they didn't grow up with the background of education at the minute, and they would start talking during the sermon. Hey, what is he right about? What about this? And Paul's saying, look, just knock that off. Doctrines got to be taught and I want you to learn. But all these questions go to the diner afterwards.
Your husband, who has holy hands, talk that through with him. Talk about it in your huddles. Process it. Process it outside of here because it gets too chaotic in here to do it. He says, let them learn. It appears from verses 11 and 12 that the teaching function. I'm not talking about the preaching, the communication of the gospel to the unsaved for salvation. The teaching function in the church is to be done. Is a is a man's responsibility.
Hear me not do to worth not doing a difference in worth. Not because of difference in dignity, not because of a difference in value. We know from Scripture that men and women, male and female, are made in God's very image. So this issue is not an issue of importance. It's not an issue of intelligence. It's not an issue of gifting. It's not an issue of skill. It's not an issue of godliness. It's simply an issue of the expression of God's role of the it's God's expression of how he's ordered it.
We are equal. Would you agree? Equal in value, men and women? Would you agree? Yes, we're equal, but we're not the same according to God's ordering. When you look at this, it says, I don't permit a woman to teach. Remember the difference in those two words. Preach and teach. Paul knows what he's talking about. He uses those words specifically in verse seven. He uses this one specifically in 11 here. I don't permit a woman to teach or in verse 12.
He uses the same word like, I don't permit a woman to doctrine. Teaching in the context of the church or to exercise authority. When Paul uses that word, exercise authority. Again, we have to know doctrine. It goes back to Genesis because of sin. The curse God said to the woman, you will now desire your. You're a pain in childbirth, that your desire will be for your husband. That's what he says after the fall. That word desire doesn't mean, oh, I want you. It doesn't mean that.
It means you will now, because of sin, desire to have dominion and rule over your husband. How do we know that? Because you look at Genesis four seven when God is talking to Cain before he kills his brother Abel. God says to Cain, sin is crouching at your door and desires you. Is sin desires to have dominion over you. Sin desires to rule over you. It's the exact same word that God uses of the woman
after before you will desire dominion to rule over him. Now, a rejection of submission that Jesus Himself gave us in submitting to the father. You understand all this has to do with a prefiguring of Christ and the order of God. Let me address just a couple. I'm at the same point. I was in the first service. I got five minutes. Just buckle up. And let me address a couple common pushbacks against this idea of women not teaching in this setting. Doctrine.
I've heard it said, well, when Paul used that word, shall not teach. It's a present tense verb. And so it meant something for them in the present tense. It's not meant to be applied after that. Great idea. Wrong. And here's the problem. There's over 100 present tense of verbs in first Timothy. And if that were the case for the teaching part, it has to be the case for every other present tense of verbs, which would mean, therefore, that God doesn't desire people to be saved anymore.
That we should not pray anymore. That we shouldn't manage our households well anymore, and that we shouldn't desire a good reputation because those are all present verb that present tense verbs as well. So if you're going to apply to one that got applied to all, and certainly God still cares about people being saved, about praying, about marriage, our household, that good rotation, right? So so that one doesn't count.
I've heard people say, well, the problem was a uniquely Ephesian problem, and it wasn't meant to be applied to all churches everywhere. Here's the problem with that. Paul says the exact same thing to the church in Corinth, which was on a completely different continent. And so it wasn't just an Ephesian problem. This was a church issue. It was an ordering issue. I've heard people say, well, it's because there was a hyper feminized culture in Ephesus with the Temple of Diana or Artemus.
And the process, it was super hyper feminized. And it's pushing back. Paul is pushing back against the feminization of the culture. I'm like, well, welcome to American current day. But the problem with that idea, though, is that there was a riot in Ephesus, and it was the men who rioted, not the women. And the control of the civility of the city was under man's control, not woman's control. And so everything about Ephesus, though there was the temple of Diana, everything revolved around.
It was the men who were in control, not women. So it's not just a feminized issue. I've heard people say, well, Paul prohibited the women teaching false doctrine, but if they were educated and taught, good doctrine was okay. Here's the problem. Paul never details the teaching of good doctrine and bad doctrine for the prohibition about women teaching doctrine of the church. He doesn't make that distinction.
And that's the danger when we choose to stand over it, because it just flies in the face of the current culture. We start putting stuff in there that isn't there. I've heard people say that when Paul uses this idea of exercising authority over her husband. She was teaching without the husband giving her authority, but the husband gave her his authority. Teach. Then it was okay. Here's the problem. Paul doesn't say anything about a husband giving his wife authority to do this.
It's reading something into it because we've chosen to stand over it. You got to be very careful. I've heard people say this about this issue. Well, God's nonbinary, so it doesn't matter anymore about male female stuff. And I think, well, no, I understand what you're saying. God isn't male nor female. I would say you're right. He's fully male. He's fully female. We're created in his image, in the image of God. He created them male and female.
What I know about God is God wrote the genetic code and God knows the words he's using. And he chose to weren't. Use these words of male and female on purpose. I've heard people say, well, in Christ there's no male nor female. You're right. The problem with that argument is that reference Naughton or June or Gentile, male or female, that's in reference to salvation, not to order as far as salvation makes no difference. Male, female, Gentile, Jew slavery don't make a difference.
Salvation. But that's not what this is about. This is about ordering. I've heard people say this, this whole idea about when female submission is due to the sin of Adam and Eve. Because in Romans it says, now there is therefore no condemnation. Are you just pretty sure about that, pastor? Well that's true. The problem is this ordering of male female us goes back to pre-fall creation. Not after fall creation.
This whole idea that that presses in on God's ordering is part of a feminist scholarly agenda towards what we call the egalitarian view of men and women, of of leadership in the home. And the egalitarian view says this we're equal and we're the same. That's the egalitarian view. That's different from what's called the complementary in view. The complementary view says this we're equal, but we're different. We're equal in value, but we're different. Egalitarian says no, we're equal in value.
And we're the exact same. The problem is that there's a continual movement in this. That's the problem with progressives is progressivism has no end. There's no borders. And so in this progressive movement, from the complementary in view of equal but different, moving to egalitarian, equal and same. The progression now is to same and indistinct. And that's where we are in this culture. Men and women, we're not only the same, we're indistinct. And here's how it fleshes out.
Now boys can play girls sports because after all, we're indistinct. Now there's no gender bathrooms. You can go in whatever one you want. Same thing with locker rooms, because we're in distinct. Now we get to choose our gender because we're in distinct. Now, biological sex does not determine gender. Now someone can be non-binary. Someone can be gender fluid. Someone gets to choose their pronouns because the pendulum has gone from. We're the same value, but we're different.
To two, we're equal in the same. Now we're the same and the distinct. And the problem is, many people in church have gotten into this because it's taught in schools as if it is truth to kids. It's taught on the university campuses that if you don't believe it, you're just an ignoramus. And it's bought by people in the church because they've not been taught good doctrine. And it's no wonder why this generation is the most confused generation our world has ever seen.
And it's no wonder that there is such a vast mental health crisis. The Bible says we are equal men and women, but we're not the same. Not in the home, nor the church. And this is what we have to understand. Complementarity is not competition. It's completion. When Eve was made, God said of her, I will make for Adam a completer. So complementary in ism or equal, we're not the same. It's not competition, it's completion. And this is how God has completed his image in maleness and femaleness.
And so what about women's role in the church? What about what they did in the Bible? Great question. Let's talk about this. We don't have in this country a gender problem. We have a doctrine problem. God's not made a mistake. He didn't misgender anybody. He got the basics right. We stand under Scripture. We don't. We rest under Scripture. Don't stand over it. Just because the culture is confused does not mean the church should be confused.
So to those who struggle with this whole thing, our role is to love and disciple them to Jesus really well. Our role is not to debate, is not to post, is not to shame, is not to boycott, is not to demean, is not to roll eyes. Our role is to speak the truth in love and disciple people. Back to biblical maleness and biblical femaleness, and the biblical role of marriage between a man and a woman. And so, ladies, what your role in the church, what's the Bible have to say?
Listen, in the Old Testament and New Testament, both women have had promise and at roles as leaders, as prophets, as, as disciples, as evangelists, as worship leaders, as deacons, deaconess, as as prayer warriors outside the church. There's no difference what presidents. We had our first female presidents last year with Joe Biden. There. Like, there's no there's I gotta lighten the mood every once in a while. I gotta throw something out there. Whether you agree or not.
You just got gotta chuckle a little bit. Like, there's CEOs. Like, there's no difference in the church. All this stuff. Prophets, women, prophets, leaders, military, civilly, disciples, evangelists. Virtually everything. The only prohibition, the only parameter I think back to this if you understand scripture, but think back to the synagogue system. The synagogue system was after the the captivity where the nation of Israel was taking the captive to Babylon.
They didn't have the temple to worship at anymore. And so they established all these synagogues all over Babylon. And there were basically neighborhood little churches where they would gather together. And a teacher, the synagogue teacher would teach a doctrine in a foreign land. So they continue walking according to the order of God. When they came back from captive City, that synagogue system spread all over the Promised Land.
And though biblically Old Testament and new children, you have women as prophets and leaders and worship leaders and deacons and serving in all these leadership roles. The one place in all of Scripture, Old Testament and New Testament where you never see biblically a woman leading is in the synagogue because that's where doctrine was taught. So we got to be careful about making broad scope while they did this. So they can do this. We got to be careful. But here's here's what I want to say here.
Ladies, please understand don't miss the abundance of God for your role as leaders due to God's one restriction. That was Eve's sin. She missed the abundance of God. Eat from any tree because she got caught up with one restriction. Just not this one. Don't follow in those footsteps. Now, let me say this though. That was Eve's issue. The Bible holds Adam accountable for the sin of the world. The sin of the rule is not because of Eve's deception.
The sin of the world is because man's transgression. E Adam was at fault, not because he believed bad doctrine, but because he was passive. Eve knew God's rule. Eve knew God's law. Either God told her or Adam told her. She knew this is what God has said. But Adam neglected his wife and let her face the devil without protection and without his covering. And he's held responsible. We have to understand this, that ignoring God design does not liberate the church.
It fractures. It. This is the same in marriage. It's the same in our families. Ignoring God's design for marriage isn't liberate people. It fractures them. Ignoring God's design for for for family doesn't liberate people. It fractures them. This is what send us. So the flip side. Would a women get a do a lot because you're gifted and you're created to do so and you're skilled at it and they're called. I know one church that doesn't allow women to teach anybody above fifth grade.
It's a big church. I won't name names because you probably know it well. I will say this. I think we're pretty biblical in the opportunity women have in in ministry. Don't miss the abundance for one restriction. In our staff meetings every Tuesday morning, we get together. And right now there's three men who, me and three women who meet all together. And we take turns. And the ladies in our meetings lead us in the devotions of God's Word and what they're learning and what the word says.
We sat under something Heather brought a couple weeks ago from Ephesians, and it was beautiful and it was from God. This last week, Ali just joined us. She just graduated from Fresno State. Good job Ali. Ali led us and said, here's what I'm learning from God's Word. Here's what it means to me. Here's what it means for us. And guess what? We did? We listen to paid attention to our word. We're drawn into God's presence and instruction for how we live. I think we do a pretty good job.
Women, you want to lead, please. One of you become the prayer warrior for this church. Take over the first Tuesday prayer ministry. Guess who leads that? You want to lead? Step up and lead, ladies, please. You want to lead? We have a we have a we have a woman worship leader. Her name is Ali. That's what she does. She leads in worship. She's taking over the planning of it. The orchestration of it. She's our worship leader. You want to lead? Lead? You want to lead lead, please.
Someone would want to. You lead. Please be the baptismal coordinator. We'll let you lead to take over meeting with the people. Accept Jesus walking them through the steps of faith. Make sure they're got a relationship with Jesus. You show up at my house on a Saturday afternoon and set everything up. Get ready to go. You know who does that? Please, ladies, lead. Be a minister of the church. That way. You want to lead? Ladies, take over the tech ministry. Take over the over the audiovisual stuff.
Be the leader of that ministry. Pastor, the people in that ministry. You know, we're welcome to it. Anybody? You want to lead? Lead your huddles. Teacher. Huddles. Proclaim God's word. Teacher huddles. Go to those people you know. Lead. You want to lead. Take over the visitation ministry. There's the pastoral care. Be in charge of the pastoral care of this church, ladies. Go ahead. Like, don't miss the abundance for one restriction. Listen. God's designed is not up for provision.
It's up for joyful submission. And so, even in this area, we rest under God's Word. We don't get to stand over it. Let me just wrap this with. I'm almost. You know why God is determined. The role of teaching doctrine in the church setting like this is for the man. Let me tell you why. Let me tell you one reason. Second Timothy 316 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching. Okay, that's doctrine for reproof. That word is rebuking, correcting, training, righteousness.
The Word of God is profitable for teaching doctrine in the church, to rebuke and to correct. That's the purpose of teaching. On Sunday morning. To rebuke and correct. Have any of you ever been in the lead position of a church to lead from the lead position, those in your church and your close friends in rebuking them and correcting them doctrinally? If you have to do that? Do you know what it's like to have to teach and lead your very friends in rebuking and correcting? That's not fun.
Have any of you has the lead? Has it? Have any of you had to out counsel someone from your church? Have you had to sit down with someone face to face and say, look, these are the lines that have been drawn, and I need to ask you to worship somewhere else because all you're doing here is creating division, distance. Have you had to do that? It's not fun.
Especially in a committee like this where you still see him at the market and the diner and on the ball fields, when you share similar friends and kids, you don't share kids with them yet. You're different, you know. I know. Think about your home. Who should be the primary disciplinarian? Not that moms don't. Please. I got a lot of, like Asterix, not the moms. Don't. Moms discipline a correct to the I. My mama disciplined us, but I knew that daddy was coming home.
So in the home, the primary disciplinarian is that moms more naturally nurturers and planning the fun genders for the family. Dads have the role of rebuking and correcting and training and righteousness. And it's that way in the church preaching for the context of nonbelievers. Evangelism. Good news. Beauty. Grace. Redemption. Inviting to be part of the family. Loving love of God for the way we're kids. The great Commission preaching. Everybody do it. How about it? Please?
But teaching doctrine that rebukes and corrects God's order. It's been designed for a man. I'm not even going to talk about verse 15. The women childbirth thing saving. I'm going to save that for next week. I've covered enough. I'll save that one for next week. But but here's, here's let me trap up with this. Please understand. Order isn't oppression. It's orchestration. Okay? God's order is not oppression for anybody, it's orchestration.
And as we understand the order and submit to the order, it's an orchestra of beautiful music. Men and women, equal worth. Ordered to work. You understand? Equal worth. Just ordered work. And please, over all things. God's design is not a prison. It's an ordered platform for our protection. God's design for your marriage is not a prison. It's an ordered platform for your protection. God's design for the family is not a prison. It's an ordered platform for your protection.
God's design for your finances. This is not a prison. It's an ordered platform for your protection. God's designed for the church. And the leadership of the church is not a prison. It's an order platform for protection. Can stand. Listen, I love you. And I'm so thankful that God has allowed me to get to teach in this venue for us. Doctrine of the Scripture. And it's good. And it's for our protection. I appreciate you and I love you. And God's Word is good. Let's pray. Father, thank you.
Thank you that you've given us the opportunity to submit to you. Thank you that you have called us. Into a divine order. That is a beautiful orchestration of your image to the world. Forgive us for the times when we focused on the one and missed the abundance of it all. Forgive us for the times where we thought we had the authority to stand over your word, rather than just arrest under it. And, father, there are people here who for whom this issue really isn't an issue for them.
Like whatever. We're talking about it because it's in the Bible. But there's other stuff that they're pushing against your design. And father, I pray over all of us, whatever that issue is, that we would submit to your design, understanding that it's for our protection. It's not a prison that you haven't given us these commands in these parameters to hand tie us in hard times. You've given it to us for our protection and in submission to your word. And ordering is great Liberation and freedom.
Father, I pray that us men and women, male and female, would both understand that you are so good. Enable us to rest under your word. We love you, Jesus. Thank you that though the culture's confused, this church doesn't have to be. Thank you for your mercy that you've given us. Thank you for your grace. Father, I thank you for your mercy and grace over me. Above all. You're so merciful to me, father. Thank you. Thank you for your grace that you bestowed over me. We love you, Jesus.
Help us love you more. In your name I pray. Amen.