Godly Roles / Lord's Supper

If you have a bible open it up to 1 Timothy 2.

I have titled the message this morning.. Godly Roles. Pray with me…

So if you remember from a few weeks ago I have titled this sermon series God’s playbook for the church. And God want’s us to use these three books, and examine what we are doing at this church and see if we are doing things God’s way..

If there is anything I know about you guys is you want to be people of the book. Amen?

So do I and Paul today is discussing probably one of the most hated texts in the all of the bible. Why is this? Because it talks about Gender Roles. It talks about things that many people have tried to twist throughout church history, especially in the last 100 years or so.

I believe change is necessary in the church, but not changing the word of God, and its meaning to us no matter the situation or the culture we are in.

Now conservative scholars and myself believe this text is strait forward for the most part, but is challenging due mainly to the culture we live in.

Listen to how some of them describe this text…

One man said… these verses speak into a controversy that has divided society and Christian thinking for the last generation. Ever since the baby boomers’ sexual revolution in the 1960s, there has been intensified conflict over the role of men and women. So a passage in the New Testament such as this one, that is explicitly about men (as males) and women (as females), is bound to attract attention. How does this passage fit into the cultural shift that has been happening in Western society? Is it part of the old that needs to be swept away, or part of the new that needs to be embraced, or is it something that will need reinterpreting to be accommodated to the present reality?

Another man said… If (you're looking for a passage of Scripture that runs directly counter to the prevailing wisdom of our culture, then 1 Timothy 2:8-15 is a good place to start. Our culture is terribly twisted on issues of gender and sexuality, and the pressure for the church to compromise and conform on these issues is great.

Another Pastor captures the seriousness of these realities:

He said.The most important revolution of the [last] century has been the sexual revolution. ... Contraception replaced conception.

Pleasure was separated from responsibility. It was as if a license was given out, legitimizing the bending of every part of our lives around serving ourselves. Since that time, divorce, remarriage, abortion, premarital sex, and extramarital sex, as well as homosexuality have been accepted by increasing percentages of the public. Pornography is huge business. This is not just a problem with society out there. Many churches have found their members plagued by failed marriages and illicit affairs, by so called private sins that turn into public disgraces, some of which are known, some of which are not yet known.

Another Scholar said.. We live in a culture, on a world, and (sadly) amid a church marked by rampant sexual immorality, skyrocketing divorce, the degradation of marriage, and the confusion of gender. The current debate over homosexuality and same-sex marriage is just one example of these disturbing trends. But these issues are much larger than mere politics.

Another pastor reminds us, the results have been disastrous: Confusion over the meaning of [manhood and womanhood] today is epidemic. The consequence of this confusion is not a free and happy harmony among gender-free persons.. The consequence rather is more divorce, more homosexuality, more sexual abuse, more promiscuity, more social awkwardness, and more emotional distress and suicide that come with the loss of God-given identity. (Piper, "Vision," 33)

Lastly another man said.. The issue of manhood and womanhood strikes at the core of who we are and who God is, which makes a passage like 1 Timothy 2:8-15 sound laughable to the world. However, this passage is essential to the church. God's Word is not out of line, and it is not out of date; it is true and right and good. May we repent of our unbelief and arrogance and gladly submit to God's good design.

I wanted to read you all that because I believe God through his word teaches us that he has created us for Godly Roles specific to our own gender, and that he gets to define not us..

And before I read you the text this morning what I want you to see as our main idea is this…

God has created men and women to serve his church in specific roles in order to bring glory to him.

1 Timothy 2:8–15 ESV

8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 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, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

Several points this morning I want you to take note of the first is this…

Godly Roles calls for godly living.

This charge is for both men and women, we seem to see in the text that maybe both were having issues regarding several things.

For the men it is possible that they were not stepping up the way they were called to in the church and it seems that Paul is indicating that these men may have been divisive.

And Paul does not just say pray he tells the men pray lifting holy hands without anger and quarreling..

It was common during the Old Testament times for people to lift up their hands you see it in churches today, and while lifting up hands is acknowledging our need for God. Paul uses this as an illustration to pray in a Holy Way.

The Psalmist in Psalm 24:3-4

Psalm 24:3–4 ESV

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

God desires us when we pray to be undefiled to not be caught up in anger or quarreling.

If we are going to truly pray to God we have to be free from anything that may not be honoring to him.

Timothy as I have mentioned is dealing with false teachers. Dealing with problems that could very well in his own ministry be causing him to be angry causing him to not have peace with others. And this had to be the case in the church, its the case in most churches. And so Paul is making it clear if you want to embrace the role God has called you to you have to be living a holy life and in the case of prayer you need to come to the Lord with a pure heart.

The Psalmist says.. Psalm 26:6

Psalm 26:6 ESV

6 I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord,

Godly roles starts with Godly prayer, and Paul does not end there. He goes to talk about the roles of women.

One man said.. "Likewise" indicates a correspondence between Paul's exhortation to men in verse 8 and his exhortation to women in verse 9. One man explains the connection this way: "Just as Christian men needed to be warned that their interest in vigor and discussion should not produce strife and dissension (v. 8), so Christian women needed to be warned that their interest in beauty and adornment should not produce immodesty and indiscretion.

So why would Paul say these words during that time and does it matter when it comes to living out godly lives today?

Looking back to Paul’s time the city of Ephesus was a city that had a-lot of sexual immorality. And during that time some women would do what ever it took sometimes to be noticed. Paul says women need. Notice the word need, its not a suggestion here for Paul women need to dress themselves with respectable apparel. Just like men need to pray with Holy Hands.

So Paul says. To be modest, have self control, not with braided hair, and gold or pearls of costly attire. Paul is not saying these things so we can be legalist. he is trying to teach Timothy to teach the church that what a women are wearing should not cause anyone to stumble. Peter says something like this in one of his letters..

1 Peter 3:3–4 ESV

3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

God cares most about the heart.

So does this apply today? Yes. Clearly. But different based on the context we live in.

Ill never forget one of my friends from another church I use to be at many years ago say I come here looking for Jesus and all I see is these women dressing in practically nothing. Causing me to take my eyes of him. Godly living is a requirement for the Godly Roles we have been given.

Paul stresses in verse 10. That you should not only have proper attire, but proper behavior. Many of us can look the part but not act the part.

Thinking about this call for men and women should really cause us to think what we believe, how we practice our belief and the condition of our heart is going to dictate how we approach our roles as believers in Christ.

For the Christian what we are talking about today is a matter of the heart, and we must ask the question is what God’s word says the most important thing in determining how I am going to approach all of my life, and is it going to guide me into the role in which I am called. Whether that is prayer, dress attire, or anything else.

To continue with that thought I want you to write this down…

God has different roles for men and women.

I want you to notice the word different as I unpack this this morning. This is where the text start’s heating up in this secular world. There is a clear obvious difference between man and women. And for some reason we have traded the beauty of those differences in the name of equality at least that is what many call it.

Paul in verse 11, calls for women to learn quietly and with all submissiveness.

Now again we have to ask ourselves about the context and the application for today.

In context what does this mean… So quietly and submissiveness have to stay together.

And I say this because Paul is teaching that the role of pastor/elder is for men, but learning about God is for men and women. Paul expects the women in the church to learn to be taught in the church, and this in itself is a-lot different than many were use to during the time. See during that time women were looked down upon. In many greek and roman circles they believed women were not equal to men, nor did they have the same opportunities as men.

And Paul is not saying that at all, but he is saying women have a different roles, and one of those roles is to learn quietly, you could say respectively.

There may have been an issue in the church with women causing issues in the worship service that we are not sure of but what we know is Paul wants them to not teach in an authoritative way when men are there, and Paul wants them to not undermine the pastors or elders in that place.

That is a call for men as well. To be respectful to when the word of the Lord is being taught. To submit to it, but in verse 12 is where Paul gets more specific.

1 Timothy 2:12 ESV

12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

We see a doubling down on the quite part, but Paul is stressing this distinct role that men and women have and focusing on the fact that women should not have the same authority in the church than men. This is the great controversy of our day even in the SBC.

But notice what he says… He does not prohibit all teaching which is important he is prohibiting authoritative teaching like that of a pastor over a man.

Women can be and are fantastic teachers of God’s word, and they have an important role in the church that is needed greatly.

Even later on we will discuss when Paul focuses on the role that women had in Timothys life, and the role they have in other women's life.

listen to those verses.

2 Timothy 1:5 ESV

5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

Timothy whom Paul was addressing had a grandmother Lois who poured into the lives of her grandson, for the grandmothers in this room never take for lightly the responsibility you have for your grandchildren, always finding ways to point them to Christ.

Same goes for mothers.. you have just a short time in the home with your children. make use of that discipling them training them for the rest of your life.

Timothy is reminded by Paul of the wonderful women who takes their role seriously to raise up men and women of God.

Another verse 2 Tim 3:15

2 Timothy 3:15 ESV

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

I have already told you about my daughter and how she is already beginning to grasp some Christian truths, and overtime that will be a bridge to one day knowing the Lord by faith.

Take your roles seriously.

One more verse.

Titus 2:3–4 ESV

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,

There should be this this generation after generation teaching from older to younger so that women learn how to be godly women from other women.

And in case you don’t believe me today that women should not be in the same roles as men.

Paul makes it clear by saying this..

1 Timothy 2:13–14 ESV

13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

Lot to unpack there… Listen to me here Paul uses this argument to Timothy that in the church men should be over women by tying it to God’s own creation on how he made man then he made women.

This is crucial to understanding this. Because an argument could be made that this is all cultural though it would not be a good one if these verses were not here. But because they are we need to understand that God has given man a specific role in the church, and he has given women a specific role in the church.

One man said… Verse 13 tells us what God has done… Verse 14 tells us what Satan has done. God established an order of creation, and Satan subverted that very order.

Think about that.. God the creator of all things made Adam, then he decided to make a helper Eve whom was made of the man, and they were to have dominion over God’s creation, but when Satan entered and the fall happened he went to Eve, made her question the word of God, and Adam when he could have been the leader fell off and they ran from the one who created them.

So what do I think this means. I think Satan loves when things go against God’s order.

Reading this week I was stuck by many things as you have already heard in this sermon, but this man drives the point home I have been trying to make he says this…

Paul appeals to this agency and order in creation and the fall to show that Adam's leadership in the first marriage was established in part on the basis that God created him first -a principle known as pri-mo-gen-i-ture if anyone wants to know what that means it means the right of succession belonging to the firstborn child, especially the feudal rule by which the whole real estate of an intestate passed to the eldest son. This was very common in the ancient world.

Because this ordering is a part of God's original creation and is deemed by God to be "good," Paul views it as the paradigm for all marriages to follow. God intends a certain order in the husband-wife relationship. The order of creation establishes the husband as leader in the first marriage and in all marriages to follow.

The order in marriage has wider implications for church leadership, which is the point Paul is pressing in 1 Timothy 2:12 Paul appeals to the nature of marriage to establish a point about leadership within the church.

This is not an accident, and it corresponds with what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 concerning marriage, "headship," and order within the gathered assembly. The pattern for leadership in marriage is the basis for an all-male eldership. The gender norms of the eldership must follow the gender norms for marriage. If this were not the case, the church's leadership structure would be at odds with the leadership structure.God has established for marriages within the church.

Sin came into the world when the Serpent strove to assault God's order. Like-wise, to subvert the headship principle that God established at the very beginning would be to subvert God's design. This is why he prohibits women from teaching and exercising authority within the gathered assembly. The prohibition is not because of deficiency of intellect among women. Know that..

Nor is it due to some situation specific to the Ephesian church. Because this prohibition is rooted in the order of creation, it is a transcultural principle to be observed for all times and ages. Male headship in marriage is not a result of the fall but is a part of the order of creation. So also, then, is male eldership in the church.

So why does this matter today…

We have to answer that question? Because If we don’t know our roles as biblical brothers and sisters we are going against God’s word. Next week we will talk about elders deacons more, but today we have to know why this matters in the local church, especially one like this Church that holds to complementarianism.

I believe the bible from cover to cover teaches us that God has created men and women with complementary roles, and this matters, because of the creation order, but it matters because we need men and women to do different things in the church, not everyone is called to pastor nor is everyone called to be a mother, or grandmother, or list goes on and on.

God has created us with equal worth, but not the same role, God has created us with equal worth but not the same role, and when we see beauty in that we can be the church that God wants us to be. Matthew Henry pointed out beautifully “The woman … was not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him … and near his heart to be beloved.

The SBC just met and removed churches who were ordaining women, powerful churches, lots of money, but collectively we had messengers that said we are going to believe the bible even in a world that doesn’t

I was talking to a fellow chaplain at OU this week, and we had a conversation and he has a much different background then me, but he said once you start compromising on one thing its going to be the next and the next, and let me tell you something if you have at all been paying attention to what has been happening in other denominations this text is often the first to go, this text is the first to go, they are saying we don’t care about God’s truth in this, and then guess what happens next the approval of Gay marriage, the approval of sin after sin.

The way the church is led matters to God. And because it matters to God it should matter to you. God has different roles for men and women.

Last point this morning is this…

We see Gods order in the plan of Salvation.

v15 is widely debated between scholars I read so many thoughts on this text this week.

1 Timothy 2:15 ESV

15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

We know from the word of God that you are only saved by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works, so laddies sorry if you have birthed a child you are not saved based on that. I know many of you who did birth a child or two would say thats gotta count for something right? And it is an important role in deed.

Some scholars say that this is alluding to the birth of Jesus Christ, but that seems like a stretch to me.

I believe within the context of the word especially in 1 Timothy here Paul is saying women who live out this role they are called to you believe in Christ by faith who have self control, and love and live upright will be saved. Only faith in Christ saves, but they will display Christlikeness because of their great salvation.

Laddies in the room watching online God called you to a noble role, even if you never birth a child or never get married you can be a women a God, and this text shows you how you can do that today…

Gods order was most clearly seen by one man, and that one mans name is Jesus. Who unlike Adam and Eve followed God’s word perfectly, never asking did God really say that like the Serpent the Devil the accuser does. But who lived so perfectly that he could die in our place even though we go outside of his order, of his role for us, and rising from the dead purchasing salvation for all of his children.

And when he purchased his bride he gave us the power to follow his design, his order, and that is where we see our main idea come back in God has created men and women to serve his church in specific roles in order to bring glory to him.

So before you leave here today you have to ask yourself have I brought glory to him by repenting of my sins, and believing in Christ by faith.

And have you believed and followed his order in the church. We want God to dictate what we believe about our very own roles, even if that means going against the culture and even those in our churches.

Let us pray…