Gospel-Centered Worship (2)

Introduction

Over the past several weeks, we looked at our freedom in Christ, our call to holiness all motivated by the gospel.

What can we do? - chap 8

Why should we do it? - chap 9

What should we do? - chap 10

Now Paul will shift to address issues of gathered worship.

Head coverings - chap 11a

Communion - chap 11b

Spiritual gifts - chap 12-14

Raises the questions:

How should we worship when gathered?

Does it matter?

Does how we worship make a gospel difference?

What does our corporate worship say about our individual hearts?

1 Corinthians 11:2–16 (ESV)

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. 4 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 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.

The consensual view of this section of Paul's letter is that it is so enigmatic that its original meaning may be beyond recovery,

— Mark Finney, “Honor, Head-coverings and Headship: 1 Corinthians 11.2-16 in its Social Context,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament, p. 31.

10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

The Flow:

— Setting for the issue is corporate worship.

— Purpose of corporate worship is to give God glory so that we reorder our lives around him.

— The issue is individuals attempting to seek their own glory during corporate worship - specifically, a misuse of gender roles miscommunication of the Designer - more specifically, women wearing or not wearing head coverings.

— The solution is a refocus on God’s glory through gospel order.

— Purpose of corporate worship is God’s glory

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Why Corporate Worship?

A lifting of the eyes.

Psalm 121:1–2 (ESV)

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

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.

Seems kind of random unless it pertains to what will come next.

The major issue is: What does κεφαλή (head) mean?

1. Source

2. Authority

So much ink has been spilled trying to decipher Paul’s meaning of κεφαλή that I think we miss the main point.

ILLUST - Dad: “You need to look both ways before crossing the street. Suppose there was a car coming. . .”

Child: “What color is the car?”

Dad: “About to be red if you don’t look both ways!”

Something meaningful can be learned by what Paul is saying — he’s not using a hypothetical scenario — the head of every man IS Christ. . .

But the main point Paul is moving toward is:

How we worship communicates something about Who we worship.

ILLUST - Different corporate worship services:

Movie church

Charismatic church

Liturgical church

Seeker sensitive church

(Not saying that these churches have it all wrong or that we have it all right. What we do see here is that what we do matters!)

Did you ever wonder why we worship the way we do?

types of songs we sing

cross being visible

pulpit and Bible central

altar rails

*Your relationships can communicate something about Christ.

Husband is head of wife not man head of every woman.

I believe it is speaking of willing submission to loving authority. Husband is under authority.

If being under headship is limiting of one’s gifts or purpose then God limits Christ and Christ limits men.

Ephesians 5:23 (ESV)

23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

Mark 10:44–45 (ESV)

44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The main point is how we worship communicates something about who we worship, but that does not make Paul’s illustration untrue.

This is why it is absolutely horrific when men or leaders in the church misuse their God-given roles by demanding subordination of women and others, or worse through abuse.

It gives the exact opposite of a reflection of Christ and does not fulfill what this verse intends.

I wonder if Paul were to write to the churches today if he might write to the men and emphasize that they are to be the head of their wives the same way that Christ is the head of the Church.

Paul would use the same teaching with a different emphasis.

The way you worship affects the way we worship.

4 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.

Men - no head covering

Women - head covering

praying or prophesying with “head uncovered:”

getting rid of external cover - veil - wraparound shawl

but -15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.

hair cut short

but - But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head.

hair ‘loosened’

but - 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head

Would seem external cover is most logical and fits context the best.

Roman men sometimes would pull loose ends of toga over head as act of worship — sometimes they would cover ears. Sometimes head covering for men was used to denote social status.

A married woman who had her head uncovered in public would have brought shame to her husband.

It would indicate singleness, availability, prostitution.

Remember, Paul had spent considerable amount of time with the Corinthians after he planted the church and before he moved on — so it is presumed that they had proper worship attire during that time.

Why the change?

Women exercising their new “rights” in Christ?

Men allowing the chasing of status to follow them into the church?

TRUTH: Individual hearts affect corporate worship.

Participate. / Not participating.

More devotion than duty.

Service instead of selfish.

Gospel-centered rather than culture-flavored.

Our worship should display the gospel.

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.

Paul goes past cultural convention and lands in the creative order.

Not saying women do not have the image of God.

Genesis 1:26–27 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Not saying men have more value.

Galatians 3:28 (ESV)

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

There are actually a lot more freedoms given women in 1st C Christian worship than before.

There ARE two distinct genders both with equal value and unique roles.

When husbands and wives display willing submission to loving authority as well as authority that uses its power to lift the other person up, then a counter-cultural picture of the gospel is displayed to a dying world that desperately thirsts for true life.

(Paul is speaking to believers and not unbelievers — of course unbelievers will not follow all of God’s ways in worship - they aren’t yet truly worshipping God.)

Why is this important? It shows the

Importance of order in worship

Preeminence of biblical authority for worship

Priority of God’s glory in worship

“In the end, Paul's gospel-centered solution is the glory of God seen in gathered worship. Every single element of Christian worship—baptism, communion, Scripture reading, singing, praying, prophesying, preaching, collecting offerings, blessings and benedictions, etc.—ought to be for the glory of God. Our worship practices are ways to imitate Christ who never kept glory for himself. He was always in the habit of returning glory to the Father. Paul's solution for the Corinthian church, then, is a gospel recovery of God's glory as seen in God's good design for man and woman. Our worship gatherings are to be all about giving glory to God, and him alone! Soli Deo gloria.”

— Themelios

Proper worship requires biblical wisdom and personal humility.

God’s wisdom

Your humility

13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head 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.

God’s wisdom

“Judge for yourselves.”

How do we make decisions in areas of gospel freedom? We ask, “What will bring God glory?”

Your humility

“Inclined to be contentious”

Worship that focuses on self is false worship.

Does everything we do point to God’s glory in the gospel?

When people visit Granger MC worship service, do they see relationships that display God’s grace, show willing submission, and serve as Christ served?

Find someone new - ask them.

Individual hearts affect corporate worship.

When we do this, we will be able to have worship that lifts our eyes — off of ourselves, off of each other, off of our jobs, our problems, the world around us, and our eyes are lifted up to our help:

Psalm 121 (ESV)

A Song of Ascents. 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.