Pre-Positioned For Worship
God's Plan For His Church • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsYour heart condition before worship determines your quality of worship
Notes
Transcript
Pre-Service Reading
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
Recap
1. Confidently embrace hope in Christ, through God's grace, mercy and peace (1:1-2)
2. In a world full of optional truths, our goal is to know, teach, and live out God’s plan through Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. (1:3-7)
3. Here’s what I know: The amazingly good news of freedom in Christ is too good not to share (1:8-11)
4. When we experience God’s limitless grace, we can’t help but worship Him (1:12-17)
5. Out of the box prayer brings the Gospel out of the box (2:1-7)
Introduction
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 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. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a 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, with self-control.
PRAY
The big questions jumping out from this passage. “Does God ban women from teaching or having positions of leadership in the church?” “Are women saved through child-bearing?”
How are we to understand this passage?
How does it apply to the church today?
The best way to understand this passage is to take a little journey back to first century Ephesus (in modern day Turkey)
MAP (modern) PIC
PAUL’S 3RD JOURNEY PIC
Ephesus was the most important city in Western Asia Minor in New Testament times. It was called ’the mother city’ of Asia.
An estimated population of around 200,000 – 250,000, which was huge for those days
Its wealth and importance came from its location...it was at the crossroads of major trade routes.
The largest trading centre in Asia Minor, attracting people from all over the world.
The most important structure in Ephesus was a major temple to the Greek goddess Artemis (known in Rome as Diana), which was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. It was 425 feet long and 220 feet wide, with white marble columns 62 feet high and just 4 feet apart. All for the worship of Artemis
ARTEMIS PIC
Ephesian culture, finances, and daily life revolved around the worship of Artemis --- they had other gods…but she was the central focus
Therefore, when Paul went to the local synagogue and marketplace preaching Jesus as the only way to eternal life…He poked a stick into a huge hornet’s nest
In Acts 19, the silversmiths who manufactured little statues of Artemis for people to use in their homes, were in an uproar b/c Paul was leading a lot of people away from Artemis, to Jesus. Jesus taught that manmade gods are not real gods. There was an uproar, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians”
RECONSTRUCTION MODEL OF THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS PIC (Istanbul)
In Acts 19, the silversmiths who manufactured little statues of Artemis for people to use in their homes, were in an uproar b/c Paul was leading a lot of people away from Artemis, to Jesus. Jesus taught that manmade gods are not real gods. There was an uproar, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians”
The Artemis cult
A eunuch priest served Artemis, assisted by virgin priestesses.
This heavily-women-dominated religion was the reason why Paul insisted so much on women keeping their proper place in the church, and on men rising up to play their proper role in worship (1 Timothy 2:8)
As a fertility goddess, ritual prostitution played an important part in the worship of Artemis. Women’s dress, jewelry, hair, and make-up would have reflected elements of the worship of Artemis. So, from a Christian point of view, the temple was exceedingly immoral. http://resources.takingground.org.uk/ephesus-in-the-first-century/
Why did it matter to Paul what women wore to church?
Why did he tell them to learn in silence?
We will dive into that —
For the moment, the main idea is that...
Men were instructed to lift holy hands in prayer -- women were instructed to conduct themselves as true worshippers of God.
For this to become a reality, both men and women would need to come with hearts and minds pre-positioned for worship
Paul was instructing them regarding corporate prayer and worship
Big Idea: Your heart condition before worship determines your quality of worship
Transitional: Pure corporate worship that ushers us into His presence, begins before we come together…it means that we are...
PRE-POSITIONED TO RECEIVE
PRE-POSITIONED TO RECEIVE
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
…to come close to God and recieve from Him, men must pray
Men must pray
Men must pray
In verses 1-5, Paul urged the church to pray - petitions, intercession, thanksgiving…over all people, and those in authority. This would bring more opportunity to gain favor in the community, opening the door for the Gospel message to spread without hindrance.
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,
“Therefore....I want men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing” (v.8)
Men…take your place as people of prayer…set the example
…to come close to God and hear from Him, men must come with a humble heart
Men must pray with a humble heart
Men must pray with a humble heart
In the Jewish tradition, sometimes men would pray with their hands lifted, palms up, in a humble gesture of their need to receive from God
Holy Hands — come with a repentant and contrite heart — be men “after God’s own heart”
Physically showing oneself surrendering to God
Without anger or quarreling
Exposition: Perhaps the men of the church were arguing over doctrine…taking different sides.
Application
Coming before the Lord, lifting holy hands before Him, having laid our anger and other sin at His feet....positions us to hear from Him…to receive from Him
What is the most important result we can see from praying like this?
People coming to the knowledge of the truth of Christ and accepting His gift - God will open doors and clear the path when men pray like this
We see true men of God — strong men of God — placing Him and His plan above everything else in their lives — praying and worshipping Him without shame or sinful pride in the way.
Your heart condition before worship determines your quality of worship
Transitional: Let us pray and worship, having pre-positioned ourselves to receive from Him and to honor Him
PRE-POSITIONED TO HONOR GOD
PRE-POSITIONED TO HONOR GOD
As an old friend of mine used to say, “This is where the cheese gets runny” — this is a passage that makes people, on all sides of the matter, lose their sanity — I’ve seen it happen — I personally know of one marriage that ended in divorce, partially because of this subject.
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. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a 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, with self-control.
Exposition:
Have you ever heard people use this passage to suppress or discourage women from being involved in public ministry?
Why did it matter to Paul what women wore to church?
Why did he tell them to learn in silence?
To answer this, we need to know where these women came from — what was their perspective and experience as women from Ephesus?
Remember…Paul is writing this letter to a particular congregation, in a particular place (Ephesus), and for a particular set of reasons
He was addressing false teachings and harmful, worldly power dynamics taking place in the church.
The problem? They were not ready to teach…they needed to submit themselves to solid teaching and live to honor the Lord
Thus…simplify their dress and humble their hearts so they can learn and grow in Jesus
Nothing about their previous piety to Artemis should be reflected in their new life in Christ
Paul was instructing them because their worship gatherings were marked by false teaching and wrong actions — both men and women were contributing to the problem
Something particularly out of sync with the behavior of the women
It cannot be a coincident that that the only passage in the Bible prohibiting women from teaching scriptures appears in the only letters where where false teachers were focusing on women and manipulating them to support their cause
This passage is not a blanket ban, etched in stone, prohibiting women from teaching and leading in the church
The main problem is false teaching — not the gender of the false teachers
Obviously there were women in the church voicing false teaching one way or another
Paul’s point is that they should learn quietly and be in submission TO THE TEACHING and what it means
Some of the powerful and wealthy women supported church elders that were teaching false doctrine.
Wealthy women were accustomed to having male servants that they ordered around…so if the church met in their home...
They were educated, wealthy, and accustomed to getting what they wanted
Some may have formerly been priestesses and/or prophetesses in the cult of Artemis
Here’s the thing: Entering into teaching and leadership roles requires preparation through discipleship and biblical instruction, as well as mentoring and having spent enough time simply living as a Christian in the community of believers.
Paul banned the women in Ephesus from teaching and leadership because they were not ready yet…not because they were women.
When Paul referred to Eve being deceived - this make sense in light of the fact that these women had not been trained in the basics of God’s Word — they could easily be deceived.
Paul alludes to the story of the Fall in Genesis 3, perhaps somewhat pragmatically, in order to press the point that when one who is deceived (as Eve was by the serpent) leads and teaches, big problems result — Patrick Franklin
In context and in light of the Greek language, Paul does not say “I NEVER permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man — the tense and force of the Greek word translated “permit” implies, in context, a ban for limited amount of time for a specific reason.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.
Authority: authentein, in 1 Tim 2:12, means, “I do not (presently) permit a woman to teach or exercise authority inappropriately over a man
As Christians, both men and women are to submit ourselves to Jesus and the Gospel, and to one another as members of the family of God
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
Junia --- is referred to as an APOSTLE!
In Acts 2, during his sermon, Peter quoted the prophet Joel - I will pour out my Spirit on ALL people — sons and daughters will prophesy — even on my servants, both men and women…and they will prophesy...
In Acts 18, we find Priscilla, along with her husband, explaining the Gospel message to Apollos
Paul mentions two fellow workers in ministry — Euodia and Syntiche
Deaconesses and prophetesses are mentioned in others places
…here’s what know…Paul’s core message to both men and women was to come before the Lord in prayer and worship, in simple devotion
A Position of Simple Devotion
Lift up holy hands
Get rid of the trappings of this world that identify you with sinful actions and attitudes
Simple prayer and worship…accompanied by a life that demonstrates the heart of God (good deeds)
A Position that reflects God’s heart
Faith, Love, and Holiness
Challenge
Your heart condition before worship determines your quality of worship
Pray…lifting holy, ready to receive — expecting to receive
Pray with a humble heart before the Lord
Pray with a clean spirit - give your anger and attitude over to God
Worship the Lord with a simple devotion
Let go of the trappings of this world and come before the Lord in simple faith, love, and holiness
This means…pre-positioned
Having confessed, repented, and surrendered all to Him
Have a teachable attitude, ready to listen and learn before you do anything else