5/11/25 - Biblical Womanhood
Mother's Day • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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I’m going to start the message with a disclaimer this morning.
I have no right to be standing here preaching about biblical womanhood
The last thing women need is for some man to tell them anything
If I could get a dollar for the amount of times I’ve heard the phrase
“A man must have designed this”
Then you would understand
Let me say upfront, ladies
I have perhaps studied more for this message than I had for most
Not to understand women
That’s a pipe dream
We don’t have enough time for me to try to explain that topic
and I’m not brave enough to go there
Mother’s Day is one of those times where I get nervous about what to say
There are the women that have had 1-6 children and are barely surviving
and then there are the women that have no children
either because they haven’t gotten started yet
aren’t married
or are unable to
So to talk about mother’s and not talk about womanhood
has the potential to alienate some women
that haven’t gotten that title of mom
So I picked a safer road and am speaking about Biblical Womanhood
and I’ll give you my observations of the materials that I’ve studied
albeit they’ll be from a male perspective
so if you happen to disagree with my perspectives
you can email at Lhuertas@rileyscreekbaptist.com
Elanor Roosevelt once said, “Women are like tea bags, you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.”
The women in my life that I’ve had a chance to observe
I witness the explosion of strength and inner resolve when the hot water comes.
It puts many men to shame
How all women have the ability to work through
sickness, pain, emotions, distress, and multitasks
is beyond my ability and above my pay grade.
Women have the ability to
work with a cold and with cancer at the same rate.
Women have been equipped with such an innate capacity for influence
that they have the capacity to change the world for good.
There is a mirage that men have all the power , control, and influence
I would venture to say that even the most powerful stories of men
always have a woman of influence behind them
Men may go through a mid life crisis
and they begin to collect cars, or something else.
Most times the cars they are collecting
they aren’t buying it just because it’s a fast or beautiful car,
they are buying it to impress a woman
even if they won’t admit that’s why they did it.
Even song writing from men is all about women
and usually song writing from women is all about ditching men.
Taylor Swift built an entire empire on bad relationships.
Major wars have been fought over women.
Epic movies finish by reuniting a man with a woman.
History has been shaped by women.
Policy has been influenced or decided by women.
Nations have been run by women.
Major companies are being administrated and run by women.
A woman by the name of Sojourner Truth,
an American abolitionist and activist
for African American civil rights in the 1800s once said,
“If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again.”
So who better to be the example of Biblical Womanhood than the first woman, Eve
The First Woman
The First Woman
Now, you may be saying,
That’s not the greatest example of biblical womanhood
after all she was the one that caused the broken world
we live in today.
I hope that by the time we finish this message
you have a different perspective.
God created men and women differently
not just the physical features
but the emotional, and purpose are different as well
Women are created with a multifaceted purpose
as a multifaceted creation.
A Multifaceted Creation
A Multifaceted Creation
When you look at the creation of the first woman in the Bible
God created man out of the dust of the earth
Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
at basic level, The Creator took a handful of dirt,
and threw Adam together
The Hebrew word for God forming man is yasar
It means to form, as a potter
A potter creates something for one function
a pot has only one purpose
a cup has only one function
pottery is delicate as most men are.
Perhaps not in a physical way,
but in our purpose and focus.
When you use a cup as a hammer, it breaks to pieces
when you give a man more than one thing to do
we also fall to pieces
But when God made woman
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place.
Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man.
He made woman from the rib he had taken out of the man
and they have been arguing where to eat ever since.
I’m sorry that was too easy to let go by.
Again, lhuertas@rileyscreekbaptist.com
He created her with His own hands
The Hebrew word for making a woman is banah
it means to build, as a house, a temple, a city, an altar.
There is a complexity implied here
The man may have one function
but the woman is multifaceted
and can carry out multiple functions
There was a survey done at the beginning of the pandemic a number of years ago
The survey included over 19,000 moms
to find the estimated value of of a mother’s work
by tracking real-time market prices of all the jobs they perform
The median annual salary for stay-at-home moms that year was $184,820
rising $6,619 above the pre-pandemic median.
The study gave consideration to traditional roles –
like housekeeper, dietitian, and facilities director –
and newer roles –
like network administrator, social media communications.
In the end, the mom role includes more than 20 different positions.
Here is just a sampling:
Chief Financial Officer
Child Care
Housekeeper
Laundry Manager
Van Driver
Meeting/Event Planner
Kitchen Manager
Staff Nurse - RN I
Conflicts Manager
Interior Designer I
And if you factor in pay premiums that companies offer
like bonuses, overtime, and hazard pay
due to the increased intensity of the work,
a stay-at-home mom could earn more than $200,000 annually!
and the big statement by all women is
show me the money!
And let's not forget all the working moms out there!
The data shows that they are spending on average
54 hours per week managing things on the home front
in addition to the hours they put in at their job outside the home.
When you add it all up,
they are spending a total of 107 hours each week split between work and home.
The survey results show that stay-at-home moms
work an astonishing 106 hours per week on average
which means they are working 15 hours a day 7 days a week.
I’ve mentioned this book before,
Shaunti & Jeff Feldman wrote a book called For Men Only
Guys, this is an invaluable resource in relationship building
The authors wrote,
“Picture this, you are on your computer, moving between six or seven open screens on your desktop
Perhaps you are juggling three or four Word documents
a spreadsheet or two, and your home budgeting program
In addition, your e-mal program and internet browser are running
and your computer is playing your favorite YouTube program
It’s digital grand central station
Imagine that some of the files are weeks old
and have been running in the background the whole time
Even worse, your computer is infected with spyware
that keeps causing annoying advertisements to pop up
The best you can do is minimize or ignore them
so you can focus on the other half-dozen tasks you are actively juggling at any given time
This is a woman’s emotional and mental world
and it’s multitasking at it’s best
Ladies, if you were to ask your husband, boyfriend, brother, father or some other male in your life
hey, what are you thinking?
what’s going on in that brain of yours?
you have a fifty-fifty shot that they may say,
“There’s nothing going on. I’m not thinking about anything.
My mind is blank.”
and we aren’t lying.
Guys, ever have a woman just jump topics in the middle of a sentence before?
We think, she’s going off on a tangent
she’s losing it
she’s not paying attention
she’s not being respectful
but remember, we can only handle one window open at a time
She’s into five or six at the least
Notice in the Genesis account that women were fashioned with the rib of Adam
this is a lateral creation
women weren’t created any lesser than men
There was no form of subservience
Eve was created as an equally esteemed member of the human race
When God introduces humans together
they were both created in the image of God
and they are listed as equals
equal in responsibility
equal in kingdom leadership as well.
Kingdom Leadership
Kingdom Leadership
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.
That means that from the very beginning
A Biblical woman is an essential part of God’s rule on earth
God rules it all
humans at this time were under His authority equally
Without a ruler there is anarchy
and that Ruler, God, placed authority into the subjects of His kingdom
So they ruled together, equally as husband and wife
This is called the dominion covenant
God removes Himself from the direct management of what He created
and releases that to humankind,
both male and female
That means that women are an essential part of God’s plan
of God’s rule on the earth.
He’s given both men and women the leadership
and the power to make decisions.
Those decisions come with both blessings and consequences.
God honors those decisions
even if they are wrong. or go against Him
because He said, ‘Let them rule”
One of the issues of why this isn’t currently working right now
is that people are confused about why we are here on earth to begin with.
Culture has been introduced and following what is called hedonism
the pursuit of pleasure and self indulgence.
It means that we have bought into the lie that
we exist to pursue our own personal pleasure and happiness.
In God’s kingdom, however, personal happiness is a perk, a benefit
not the goal or the driving force of who we are.
Happiness is not the reason we exist.
The reason we exist is to advance God’s kingdom
both male and female.
Tony Evans says it this way,
“God has invested His image in His men and women and placed them on display. A kingdom woman is to reflect Him and His kingdom in such a remarkable fashion that people want to know more about the kingdom she represents. She has been put here to reflect God’s image.” - Tony Evans
This past week while on vacation
We walked by and through a ton of different shops
each shop had in it a bunch of stuff on display.
Some of the front windows had these display windows
so that people passing by can get a glimpse of what was inside.
The kingdom of Disney, or the kingdom of Macy’s
or the Kingdom of whatever shop was there.
The store managers spent a lot of time and resources
displaying what their kingdom has to offer.
I wish that more people realized how much God’s kingdom has to offer.
That means we should spend as much time and effort
to display to the world what we believe about God.
So when people see us
they want what the kingdom of God has to offer.
So a better question is
what are you displaying to the world?
Are you displaying to the world what you want them to see about you?
or are you displaying to the world the kingdom of God
that God has entrusted you to display?
When Satan enters the picture
His first move was to dethrone God
and he’s not picking the weaker one of the two
Watch how he does this
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”
Did you catch the difference?
Most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God made
Those words, Lord God, talk about Yahweh, master and absolute ruler
But when Satan spoke to Eve the words change
“Did God really say...”
He strips off the name Lord
and tries to reduce God’s rulership
by beginning with a subtle and effective twist on His name
He was trying to push Eve out from under God’s kingdom order
When Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit from the tree in disobedience
They were making the choice of removing the aspect of Master and Ruler
and by doing so, they lost their intimacy with God and with each other
That’s why we can only have that back when we align ourselves under God as Lord God
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Eve eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
wasn’t in violation to her husband
Because she and her husband had equal ground
She decided to act out on her own
rather than according to God’s rule
Helpers
Helpers
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
When we read through this verse
Many times we read this as women are lesser than men
The word in Hebrew translated as “helper fit for him”
hits a little differently when we look at it throughout the Bible
It usually means help that comes from God the Father
“There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.
We wait for the Lord; he is our help and shield.
I am oppressed and needy; hurry to me, God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
It’s the same word used 21 times in the Old Testament
There was a second word added when it talks about Eve
that word means “Before your face, in your view, or purpose”
A completion or counterpart to
All that said meaning
God created Eve not as a servant, maid service, or a slave to men
God created Eve as a strong help comparable to that of God the Father
The same word chosen to use for women’s purpose
is the same word chosen to refer to God’s purpose or intention
God uses a ton of imagery describing Himself
that is in feminine terms as well
God like a woman in labor
“I have kept silent from ages past; I have been quiet and restrained myself. But now, I will groan like a woman in labor, gasping breathlessly.
God like a midwife
It was you who brought me out of the womb, making me secure at my mother’s breast.
I was given over to you at birth; you have been my God from my mother’s womb.
God like a woman seeking a lost coin
“Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’
I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
God like a mother
Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth so you should tell me, ‘Carry them at your breast, as a nursing mother carries a baby,’ to the land that you swore to give their ancestors?
As a mother comforts her son, so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
Another thing to remember about women
God created Eve not Adam
Adam had not part in the creation of Eve
other than to take a nap
and that trend continues even until today
As a matter of fact, Adam didn’t request Eve to be created
It was God who said
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.”
Eve’s first calling was to God
Her role was to be collaborator in the dominion mandate
She isn’t just a companion
God also created a divine structure to things
Adam was created first, then Eve
Adam was in the position of ultimate responsibility
which is why after they ate the fruit of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil
God went looking for Adam first
So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
God created a divine order
Let me say up front that
order has nothing to do with equality
remember God created both man and woman for different purposes
but the y are to help each other
and multiply ministry by
using the gifts, talents, abilities, and strengths
that He created in each of them for His kingdom
There has to be someone in charge
Paul put is bluntly
Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions just as I delivered them to you.
But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.
We’ll talk m,ore about his on Father’s Day
and as a preview, you can also read 1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
Guys, if your prayers aren’t being answered
check your relationship with your wife
more about that in a few weeks
The bottom line of all this is to encourage women today
you have more power than you think you have
your identity is in Christ
You have been given power and authority by God
As long as you stay in alignment with Him
and His commands to advance His kingdom
whether or not you ever get married
You will receive the blessings of God
Be on display for God
That means whatever you share or wear
should be a display of Who God is
Ask yourself when you leave the house
Will people see God or me in what I wear?
Will people see God of me in my attitude?
Will people se God’s kingdom or me by my actions?
Will people see God or me in my speech?
It’s a wonderful day to celebrate mothers and women
I hope that today as we celebrate
we celebrate the one who created to be
a helpful, multifaceted created leader
for the purpose to advance the kingdom of God
Let me thank the church for allowing me some time away with the family
I’ve learned a bunch of stuff while away on vacation
some of which I’ll share at different times
but one of the things I learned is how strong my wife truly is.
Being able to manage four kids, myself included
and keeping it all in order and organized is amazing
I can’t do what I do without her with any effectiveness
She allows me the time to think and plan
She is the queen of the castle
which I think is why some of the residents don’t ever want to leave
Guys, today take a day and celebrate the women that surround you in your life
celebrate your moms if they are still here
celebrate your wives, as they take care of you and everyone else
celebrate your daughters if you have them
to raise them in the admonition of the Lord
so that they all can grow to be Biblical Kingdom women
Ladies, let me leave you with this illustration
In late 2000, Indra Nooyi was working late at PepsiCo.
At around 9:30pm her office phone rang.
On the other line was a member of the corporate board
who informed her that she would be the next president of the company.
Nooyi was one of the first women to break this level of the corporate glass ceiling.
Nooyi recounts what happened when she arrived home
to share the big news of her promotion.
I went home to tell my family that I was going to be president of PepsiCo,
and Mom opens the door.
She was living with me at that time.
I said, “Mum, I have got news for you,”
and she said, “Before the news, go get some milk.”
I said, “It’s ten o’clock in the night. Why should I get milk?”
You know you never question your mum.
I went and got the milk, came back,
sort of banged it on the countertop,
and I said, “I had big news for you.
I have just been appointed president of PepsiCo,
and all that you care about is the milk.”
She just looked at me and she said,
“What are you talking about?
When you walk in that door, just leave that crown in the garage,
because you are the wife, the daughter, the daughter-in-law,
and the mother of the kids, and that’s all I want to talk about.
Anything else, just leave it in the garage.
Don’t even try this with me anymore.”
Ladies, leave your crown in the garage of the worlds identity
and wear the crown that God gave you as a woman,
a mother, a wife, a daughter, a daughter-in-law
because that crown of kingdom work
is more important to display.
Happy Mother’s Day!
