Women in Worship, Part 1

The last time we were in 1 Timothy we discussed men in worship. That you are to be leading, the first to raise your hands in prayer, the first to belt out a mighty fortress is our God.

Today we are going to examine the demeanor of women in worship.

1 Timothy 2:9-11.

Adornment

Women are to be adorned.

Sometimes we have the mindset that women shouldn’t be beautiful, shouldn’t be dressed nicely.

That to be a godly modest woman she needs to wear a gunny sack and no make up.

God made women with a feminine beauty.

The beauty of women, reflects the beauty that is found in God.

The goal of the culture and feminism is to make women more masculine, and men more feminine

They want a world where we end up with people who are egalitarian blobs.

The men aren’t masculine and courageous, and the women aren’t feminine and beautiful.

Let’s not fall into that trap in the church.

To understand what I’m saying when I say adorned, let’s look at Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 16:10-14

This is God, describing Israel as a woman.

Do you see the beauty that God is describing, not as something to be ashamed of, but as something to be cherished.

Sometimes we look at the verse in 1 Timothy or in 1 Peter and say, “see! women aren’t to wear jewelry.”

Jewelry and adorning, are not something that is wrong, or else why would God give it and use it as a description of His blessing on Israel.

God saw the beauty and nature of women as something to be cherished and even amplified through adorning.

Men this means do not give her a hard time when she buys a new dress. (Why are you spending money on that!)

Don’t make fun of her for spending time putting on makeup. (Why does it take you so long to get ready?)

Appreciate the time she takes to make herself look beautiful for you.

God has created women that way.

She is taking time look nice for you.

Encourage and thank her for that.

There is a range to femininity

It doesn’t mean you have to wear makeup.

It doesn’t mean you have to wear dresses.

It doesn’t mean you can’t wear overalls.

You don’t have to be a size 2.

But you still look like a woman.

You are recognizable as a woman.

v. 10

Be adorned with what is proper.

What is proper?

Internal & External

Modesty

v.9

Respectable apparel

Though we say that women’s beauty shouldn’t be hidden, at the same time, we don’t believe women should be scantly dressed eye candy who only want men to lust after them.

We need to find the middle ground.

What does modesty look like?

There are modesty laws put out there by Christians that are…stupid to say the least.

Have heard people say, women can’t wear a purse. It might cause men to stumble.

Don’t put on chap stick, it will cause men to stumble.

Necklaces might cause men to stumble.

Men, we need to control our eyes, and our lust.

Titus 2:11-12

Titus 2:11–12 ESV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Becasue we are saved, therefore God calls us to be self controlled. That means it is your job to control where your eyes go, and where your mind goes.

We must learn to be disciplined.

Don’t watch shows, or look away from the provocative women that they try to put on the tv all the time.

Though men do need to be self controlled.

Women, you need to make sure that you are being modest.

Men love to lust, but women love to be lusted after.

The bible does give standards of modesty.

It doesn’t use the word modesty, except for here in 1 Timothy. But it does say nakedness.

What is modesty? Don’t be naked.

What is nakedness?

Habakkuk 3:13

Habakkuk 3:13 ESV

You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah

This verse speaks of the Lord, conquering His enemies.

He lays them bare, he removes all defenses and exposes them to open shame.

It does mean, nakedness. From where?

From neck, to thigh. Those places being exposed is what is considered being laid bare, being naked.

Genesis 3:7

Genesis 3:7 ESV

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Adam and Eve are naked, so they make loin cloths to cover their nakedness.

Genesis 3:21

Genesis 3:21 ESV

And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

God makes tunics for them, showing them the standard by which they should be clothed.

Salvation

This is all a demonstration of sin nature as well.

Our sin nature exposes us to shame before a holy God.

Makes it so we can’t stand in His presence.

But just as God had clothes Adam and Eve taking away their shame. He clothes us in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, removing our shame.

Men and Women both sin

Men like to lust, women like being lusted after.

When you come to church especially. Dress in a way that is beautiful, but isn’t flashy or provocative.

If you have a quarter in your pocket, and you can tell if it’s heads, your cloths are probably to tight.

Yes adorn yourself, bringing out the beauty that God has given you. But use wisdom while doing it.

Our goal is to worship God, don’t let what you wear detract from that.

Gold or pearls or costly attire

v.9

Don’t try to show off your wealth with your clothes.

If your outfit cost more than a car, you need to re-think your priorities.

At that point, your cloths are about status, not accentuating your beauty.

Internal Beauty

This is what is stressed more than anything.

v.10

With good works.

Understand that feminine beauty, is not something that starts on the outside, and works it’s way in.

It starts on the inside, and works out.

1 Peter 3:3-6

Not in the things that you wear, but what you do.

A beauty that doesn’t fade, that comes from within.

A gentle, quiet spirit.

This is the inner beauty radiating out.

This is a woman who is humble enough to let her husband lead, and is comfortable with his leadership. Encouraging him, and helping him towards success.

This doesn’t mean that you agree with every decision your husband makes.

If you go along with decisions that you agree with, that isn’t submission. It’s getting your way.

You weigh in on the decision making process, you give sound advice.

In the end, you let him lead, and you give encouragement.

BTW, men. This means you must lead.

Don’t become lazy and make your wife do all the work.

When she asks you a question, don’t just say, “I don’t care, you decide.”

When she asks your opinion, she’s asking you to lead.

Understand that obedience to your husband is obedience to God.

For the order of headship in the home is established by God.

Sarah called her husband lord.

Proverbs 11:22

Proverbs 11:22 ESV

Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.

Something beautiful in a way that doesn’t matter, but ugly in the ways that do.

What do good works look like within a church service?

v.11

Quietly with all submissiveness

We already covered submission

Quiet

There are some to believe this means women shouldn’t speak at all.

Let’s look at other references by Paul to understand the way he thinks and what he is trying to get across by influence of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:34

This passage is a good verse to help us understand the entirety of what Paul is speaking about.

Some say, see it says they can’t speak. They shouldn’t talk at all.

Let’s get more background

1 Corinthians 11:4-5

I believe 11:2-16 is speaking about in a church service.

Here it doesn’t say that they can’t speak in a church service. But that they must have a head covering on to speak in church.

A head covering was not cultural, I do not believe it was a metaphor.

It was something on her head to show she was under authority.

The Greek works are different hair and covering.

I see this as a covering.

The head covering is worn (1) to show that a wife is under her husbands authority, v.10 says that it is a symbol of authority.

(2) Women’s hair is given to her for her glory, so a head covering is to cover her glory.

Paul spends 15 verses speaking about how women can speak in church if their heads are covered.

Back in 1 Cor 14:34.

I don’t think he would make that point and then turn around and say that they can’t speak at all in church.

So what does Paul mean?

v.40, all things done in order.

This rebuke that Paul was giving, was a rebuke saying that there is disorder that is taking place.

We aren’t sure what type of disorder was taking place, but we see that women were most likely making statements or asking questions that were leading to the chaos within the church service.

This verse is saying, rather than being a disruption during the church service, you need to sit and listen, those questions can be brought up to your husband as your spiritual head or at a later date.

In 1 Tim 2:11.

We would believe that the statement is the same.

That part of women being submissive is that they aren’t being disruptive during the church service.

They are quietly learning, not trying to draw attention to themselves.

If you have thought, opinions, those don’t need to be voiced during the church service. They can be saved for later.

This is the demeanor that glorifies God within the church service.

Let us make sure that we attempt to glorify God in all that we do. Let us live by His standard, and not our own.

May the way you dress, the way you speak, and the way you behave, bring glory to God.

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