Designed Places in Worship
Notes
Transcript
Building a computer - Windows 95
Each component has a specific place
God has a specific design for everything
Bee - shouldn’t fly, but it does
Every part of the bee is designed with a specific role in mind
The legs are designed to grab pollen
The stinger is to protect the hive from intruders or invaders
The eyes shows what is around the bee
Every part is important, and everything in its place is vital for the bee to survive
The bee doesn’t start use it’s wings to eat
Its legs don’t replace the wings
The stinger cannot pump the blood through the body of the bee
The lungs do not sting
God has made us with a specific design:
We don’t walk on our ears and listen with our feet
God has a design for the family, government, and the church
He’s the Designer, the Creator, and knows what should go where and how things work together
Let all things be done decently and in order.
God has a design - a purpose and plan for each vital part of the church
Paul opens the context of what he will address next over the following chapters - worshipping God together
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
Paul addresses the church with praise - you’re remembering what I taught you and you’re keeping the ordinances
Baptism
Lord’s Supper
LET’S WORSHIP GOD!
Let’s follow God’s design for the church
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Have you ever wondered? How can we, as a church, show glory to God in a practical, every service manner?
Glory - beauty or majesty - Honour by respecting what He desires or has said
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
God breathed - spoke
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
God spoke and used men as writing tools to give us His Words
As a church, we have the opportunity, to glorify God by giving honour, respect, to His Words and following His design
The knowledge of headship
The knowledge of headship
The God designed order
1 Cor 11:3
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
Christ
The man has a head, Christ, who by virtue of the fact that He is God, absolutely and eternally, takes priority and preeminence over the headship vested in the man. The man is answerable for his actions, ultimately and inescapably, to Christ.
Every man will give an answer to the Lord
Man
By the same token the woman is answerable to the man
This does not imply male superiority or female inferiority
It’s a simple design of natural fact
It gives respective roles in society, in the home, and in the church
God’s order - all attempts to defy it can only lead to breakdown and chaos
Press A and then B - I want to press B first - the manufacturer can only state that that is not going to work - it is not how we designed it
The designed order of God
God has His own order within the Godhead. This is not an order based on being.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each eternally, equally, and essentially God
There was a voluntary subordination of Christ:
Phil 2:7
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phil 2:6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
No reason for resenting the subordinate role He voluntarily assumed in becoming man
John 8:29
And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
This opens up in our hearts a freedom to know where and how we can serve.
Travelled to churches - arrive the church would be setting up for a special meal or a special service - flurry of activity - driving for hours - how can we help? Just rest. You are our guests. We appreciated the gesture, we wanted to serve and help. Felt like the fifth wheel of a car - just there waiting to be called upon in the case of a flat tyre
When we know God designed the church, it shows us our areas of service and how we can serve God’s people
The display of headship
The display of headship
Man displays his leadership
1 Cor 11:4
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
Since before the time of Paul, the Jews would wear a head covering
Yarmulke - yaa-muhl-kuh - cap on their heads while praying or reading Scriptures
The Holy Spirit here is striking a blow to the very culture of that day - exactly the opposite of what the religions demanded
Man is free with Christ and he has the role in the church to lead as he follows Christ
In prayer or preaching - he should not have his head covered
Men teach the next generation how to respond to God
Woman displays her submission
1 Cor 11:5
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
If and when a woman takes a public part in church worship she must cover her physical head in order to honour the man who is her spiritual head
A symbol a submission and witnesses that she is functioning, in a public capacity, under the authority of the man.
That covering is:
1 Cor 11:15
But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
This does not mean women cannot have a part in public ministry, but rather how to do so showing honour to God’s design in the church
Philip the evangelist had 4 daughters that prophesied:
Acts 21:8-9
And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
God desires church worship to be done orderly. The church in Corinth was a chaotic in part because of the interruptions that women were creating:
1 Cor 14:34
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
Paul taught Timothy that women are to:
1 Tim 2:11-15
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Aquila and Priscilla, husband and wife, taught a gifted preacher named Apollos the way of God more perfectly
Women are vital to the church. Paul taught Titus:
Titus 2:3
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Titus 2:5
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Women teach through their response to leadership how the next generation should respond to the church
Their is no discrimination here with God. God is showing the roles that each have in the church and importance of each.
God loves the world - men and women equally
1 Cor 11:5
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
Shaven - shave with a razor
WW2 - Germans occupy France and other European countries - some women consorted and helped the invasions. After the war their fellow citizens showed their anger at such compromise by seizing the women and shaving off all their hair. They then became objects of public shame and disgrace.