Attitudes in Approaching the Lord

God’s of Living Based on WhatPattern You Are, Authority & Submission Not on What You Used to Be Corinthians 11:2-16 11 Corinthians 6:1-11 October 14, 2018 June 24, 2018 Background: Paul had deep concern over three disruptions that were doing damage to the church. One was the attitudes and actions of people during the Lord’s Supper. Another was the attitudes of some of the women about matters of submission and authority and their own actions in public worship. A third disturbance which Paul will address is confusion over and misuse of spiritual gifts in the church. THE BIG IDEA: God’s Word declares that Christ the Son’s submission to God the Father shows men how to submit to the authority of Christ and wives how to submit to the authority of their husbands. If men fail to learn to lovingly lead and women fail to gladly submit, neither will be able to fully follow Christ. In these matters, there are timeless principles which never change and cultural expressions which change often. uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. Cultural Expressions (specific behaviors that communicate something specific in a given times and aren’t always ‘timeless’): • “Head covering” • A woman’s hair “up” or “down” • A woman shaving her head • A man having “long hair” • Christians should not try to blur all distinctions between the sexes. For a Christian man to appear gay or pagan dishonors God and His design for men; for a woman to appear lesbian or unfaithful dishonors her husband and God and His design for women. Timeless Principles: • 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (ESV) 11 2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head • • • 4 • • • • Worship that honors Christ will also honor the people with whom we gather. If we are disrespectful and dishonoring of people we are with, we will also dishonor the very Lord we say we’ve come to worship. God has established patterns of authority and submission that begin with the Son’s submission to the Father. As the Son submits to the Father, the man submits to the Son. As the man submits to the Son, the woman submits to her husband. The Son’s submission to the Father shows us that this is not about superiority and inferiority. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal, but have different roles. Submission and authority only works if they are expressed in mutual love. God’s design is for there to be obvious differences in the outward appearances of men and women. Christians should be willing to reject appearances that our culture associates with ungodly behaviors. God’s design is for there to distinctions in the roles of men and women within a marriage and a church. There is no difference in the lostness and spiritual need of a man or a woman. Both are saved by grace through faith in the person and work of Christ and stand equal in the same spiritual relationship with God.