Know your Role and Love your Lord
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Personal introduction
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I want to take a moment and say thank you to our deacons and their wives. They do a great job in their individual respective roles and in praying for and serving the church as needed. Can I get you men to stand with your wives for just a moment.
These are the deacons of LBC Rafal and his wife Annie, Dave and his wife Kim, Joe and his Heather, and Dan and his wife Talie. If you ever have questions about LBC, or need anything these are the people that will be glad to serve.
You can be seated.
We are going to be continuing our series ReThinking Church today in 1 Corinthians 11.
If this is your first day, let me catch you up.
The book of 1 Cor was written by the Apostle Paul in 55 Ad. That’s about 5 years after he planted the church at Corinth. He is writing back to them to address some things, like disunity and immorality, that he has heard about happening in the church and a list of questions that they sent to him.
The past 3 weeks we have been on the topic of Christian Liberty. I chose not to close out chapter 10 this week becuase it stays on that same line and while there is great truth in there, it would have been a reiteration of about 3 weeks worth of message and believe it would be good for us to move onto chapter 11 and see what God says here.
Growing up I was a fan of the WWF, World Wrestling Federation…now known as World Wrestling Entertainment. Based on what I remember of it, I can’t recommend it for kids today and honestly adults should question it but that was the attitude era and I hear things are different now.
Either way, if you watched wrestling then or movies in the last decade or so, you’ve heard of a guy named Dwayne Johnson or The Rock.
I used to love imitating him. He had some awesome catch phrases and that eyebrow thing…do you know what I’m talking about?
One of his catch phrases was “Know your role and shut your mouth.” I said that too many times as a kid, young adult, and decided I probably shouldn’t title a message that but todays message is derive from that sentiment with a little more grace.
KNow your role and Love your Lord.
Paul has switched gears from Christian Liberty, and is now addressing matters that are culturally significant and driven from the heart. I’ll explain what we are reading today with proper context and application and I want you to see how important that is to the passage. It would be easy to read this and come up with something completely different that would affect our everyday Christian Life.
let’s see what Paul wrote and how it impacts us today
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
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.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
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.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
1 Cor 11:1-6
EXEGETE:
Let me first point out that the breakup of the chapters are not Holy Spirit inspired. It’s believed that this first verse goes with the previous chapter. You see the use of the word now in verse 2 indicating a break in thought. We will be starting with verse 2.
Paul celebrates the Corinthians. He has been pretty direct with them thus far in the matters he has had to address and now he is about do it again. Being a masterful communicator as inspired by the Holy Spirit it would seem that he is seeking to soften the blow here.
He is thanking them for their prayers and remembering what has taught to them. The ordinances that he is speaking of isn’t just speaking of the biblical ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper, which we will talk about the latter next week.
He is speaking of traditions that has been taught to them.
Over the last 30-40 years or more there has been growing movements inside of Christianity towards the traditions of the past.
I think today you are going to see why…and why that’s ok. Traditions aren’t bad. Why you have them and their effect…now that is where we can apply a good or bad label.
Paul then goes into a specific tradition that it is believed he was written about.
He first starts with the most important part of any tradition, the heart of the matter.
Every man is under the headship of Christ. Every woman is under the headship of man, and Christ is under the headship of God.
Now, I know that statement can cause you to feel emotions of anger, frustration, and others because it flies in the face of much of what you will hear in the world.
So let’s examine this biblilcally and understand why it exists.
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1 Cor 14:33
God isn’t a God of confusion, He is a God of order. As a God of order He has established roles for, well everyone.
Let’s look at the last person to be told they are under the headship to set us up for understanding the others.
Christ is under the head of God.
Now, we know Jesus and God are one. Along with the Holy Spirit of God they complete the trinity where they are all God, coequal, coeternal, and all powerful.
If that is the case how can Jesus be under the headship of God?
Notice they are equal in being but separate in role.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Phil 2:5-8
Have the mind of Christ…who was equal with God but made himself a servant.
Christ was a servant. He put himself under the headship of God. So for someone to say to allow yourself to be under the headship of another is beneath you…as a believer in Jesus you are then raising yourself up above the one you call God and believe died on the cross for your sins.
Now let’s jump back to verse 3
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.
Every man is supposed to be under the headship of Jesus. this means we do not do what we want when we want. It mean we live, we love, and we lead in accordance with what brings God glory. We are not free to sin or abuse the role God has given us.
The head of the woman is the man. Becuase of our culture I’m going to have to spend a few minutes explaining this one.
Men and Woman, all of mankind, is equal in the eyes of God. You are of no less value because of your role. You are of no less importance to Jesus becuase of your role. You are of no less important becuase of your role. All of you, men and women, are created by God, capable of being redeemed by Jesus, and loved by the Father.
So what does it mean to be under the headship of another?
First, there is a responsiblity on the head to obey the one over them. Jesus said he came to bring glory to the father. When he was 12 and left in a temple he said he was about his fathers business. Had Jesus not obeyed the father he would not be in the position he is in.
Men, you are not entitled to headship if you are not obeying your Heavenly Father and following after Jesus. What’s that mean? If you aren’t perfect your wife shouldn’t follow your lead? no. It means that if in your role as head of home you are being sinful jerk and not seeking to follow the Lord at all, then the woman in your life chooses to follow Jesus rather than you and there will be conflict.
Women, does being under the headship of man make you less valuable? nope. Inferior? Nope. Less important? nope. To say any of those things based on the context of this verse would be to say that Jesus was that compared to God the Father.
Ladies, it does mean the role you have by God is under the headship of man. Remember, this doesn’t authorize abuse of any kind. It is the order God has placed in this world that originates at the flood.
Being under the headship of another means following their lead.
Verses 4-6 begin speaking about the physical symbolizes of the culture that identified the willful submission to this order as compared to the culture at large.
It was a headcovering or their hair.
Illustrate:
During the time this was written it ws common for men to cover the heads in worship to pagan God’s with a toga that woudl come up over them. Also, Jewish Custom required the wearing of a yamacha during worship and some more devout people would wear one all the time.
For a woman, Long hair was the covering that was the sign of willful submission to the headship of Christ and husband. This was because if a woman was found in adulterly according to Jewishh custom, she had her head shaved. Also, if a woman was a prostitute at the temple, she would have very short hair.
Paul was telling them, don’t do things in your culture that reflect the world in such a distinct way.
For instance, if I came in here wearing a dress or a wreath on my head like some pagans do, or a buddhist monk outfit, that would be the equivalent of not wearing the covering. Or if I grew out my hair like the Jews do with the curls on the side of their head.
Those types of things would make you question my allegiance to Christ right?
Apply:
This is the rubber meets the road on this passage: Are you under the headship of Christ or are you not? Ladies, being under the headship of man is being under the headship of Christ.
Does your life reflect that? Do your words to your friends, ladies and men, reflect submission to Jesus as a servant or a rebellious spirit as you share all the things you wish you could do or your spouse was but isn’t.
Being a servant in the kingdom of God is the highest honor one can have. It is the role Jesus had, it is the role he told the disciples “The lest of you will be the greatest”
Do you choose to live in that role though?
I. We are all in the role of a Servant
I. We are all in the role of a Servant
Each person who professes faith in Christ is supposed to be a servant. A servant of God, a servant of others.
All are equal in the eyes of God, loved by God, and redeemed by Jesus. Submission in the kingdom does not make a person inferior or of less value. It elevates them.
Paul then goes into some more details regarding the roles of each gender and how headcovering relate to that.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
1 Cor 11:7-12
Exegete:
Here we have a reiteration of the man being the image and glory of God and the woman being the glory of the man.
God created man first and then from man, God created woman. The woman was created because, let’s face it guys, we coudln’t do it alone.
Notice in verses 11 and 12 though. The way in which Paul describes this he goes back to level the playing field.
Even so is the man by the woman....Woman may have been create after and from man but just like my mom said “I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it.”
We all have a mother.
Then the truth bomb at the end of verse 12… “but all things of God.”
Paul is writing to the church in Corinth and detailing out a countercultural view of the roles of men and woman. No…not one of oppression and servitiude. No, not one of inequality or inferiority, One of equality.
This was counter cultural for the time
Not just between genders…but between social status.
You see when you gather with other believers it odesn’t matter which side of the train tracks you come from.
West End or chippens hill. 90210 or 90059 (Compton).
Why? Because regardless of the role God has for you as a man or woman, your identity, your worth, and your value are not found in them. They are found in God alone.
Illustrate:
One of my favorite authors and speakers is John Maxwell. He has written many books and one of them is called: The 5 levels of leadership.
In this book he decribes leadership on 5 different levels and how to lead from each level and get to the next.
The lowest level of leadership is title.
Ever had someone that was given a title and obviously didn’t know what to do with it? Maybe a manager at McDonalds or Assistant to the Regional Manager at your local paper company?
It’s the person who isn’t leading from anything other than their role. I have this title and bless God that means you listen to me.
Leading from the title of your role is the equivalaent of living from your title or role.
Are you living from your position as a child of God, redeemed by His blood, and saved by His grace? Or are you finding yoursefl living from your role as a man or a woman.
Saying or thinking things like “I’m the man of this house, I can yell and scream if I want to.” or “I’m a woman and you will respect me because of it.”
Maybe your not to that extreme but you can relate to this.
Apply:
As counter cultural as these statement were then, they are now as well.
Why? Because they go against our basic human nature and instict of pride.
It rubs you the wrong way to give up your position of power or authority and hand it over to another.
The man won’t keep me down, no man is going to tell me what to do, my parents don’t know what they are talking about, I do what I want...
That’s called a spirit of rebellion
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.
1 Samuel 15:23
Jesus did the exact opposite of rebel he submitted…and calls to do the same.
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:24-26
When Jesus carried his cross…that was him wilingly placing himself in one of the most humiliating positions possible.
Why? Because he wanted everyone to see him as the perfecct son of God? The lion of Judah? no.
Because in His time on earth he was here to glorify the Father. He lived out His role not because it did anything for him, but because of what it did for the father and us.
Because
II. As Servants of Christ we should reflect our master.
II. As Servants of Christ we should reflect our master.
Paul wrote and said follow me as I follow Christ. We follow Christ and prayerfully follow the example of other believers around us. Why?
Because we should represent our master, our Lord to everyone.
27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Phil 1:27
We reflect our master by how much we live like Him. Jesus lived like a servant to all not one that was to be spoiled by all
Paul closes this section by writing
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
1 Cor 11:13-16
Exegete:
Simply put Paul is telling them, look around. Look at the woman, the hearts of the women that are uncovered. I wonder if anyone told Paull…Paul we can’t judge them by their looks…Listen folks, I’m not telling you what to wear and when to wear it, but I do believe that the Holy Spirit of God inspired Paul to write these words, not to judge a repentant prostitute or woman caught in adultery whose hair is growing back out, but see the hearts of a person who is living a lifestyle in opposition to the Bible and ask themselves if that makes sense to be a person that is praying to God and worshipping Him.
I’m not tell you, nor is Paul writing to you the Corinthians and saying you get right before you get to God.
You come to God in all of your brokenness and he accepts you. Then as you live for the Lord you’ll see your life change.
In that culture womens hair was giving as a covering for her and it was her glory.
he closes this section with a strong statement: IF any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
He is saying that if someon in the church there is going to argue over this, the churches of God don’t have that type of contention because they seek unity.
This is obviously not a disagreement over opinion or tradition. This is a matter that means much to God.
What is it though? The length of our hair? no.
I believe this all points back to the heart of the believer and the willful submission of him or her to the Lord.
Illustration:
I had someone tell me recently about a story where they knew a teenager that aid “I can’t stand these people telling me what to do. I can’t wait to turn 18 and join the military.”
That young man is in for a rude awakening.
However, there are plenty of people in the military that don’t like being told what to do. That’s why they have Non-Judicial Punishments, court martials, and things of the like.
When a person in the military decide to wear their cover in such a way that it is not in line with the regulations regarding it they are going to get corrected and have to respond with respect and submission to the authority over them or…they have a rebellious spirit about them and get to recieve correction.
As Christians, the Lord deals with our hearts. and the state of our hearts is known by what comes out of our mouth and what actions we take.
Application:
The Corinthian were being addressed about a specific action that was an outflow from their hearts becuse of the cultural context it was set in.
This is not a passage of instruction on wearing headcoverings in the service for us. It definitely was a literal thing for those in Corinth.
For us, I belleive the timeless principle that we should keep in mind is
III. Our Master wants our hearts, not our opinions
III. Our Master wants our hearts, not our opinions
The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write all of this in this section addressing an outward action driven by the hearts of the people at Corinth and closed it with, if you are contentious about that…we don’t tolerate contention over matters of the heart. That’s not a tradition of those who follow Jesus.
Still isn’t.
How have you tried to reason with God this last week when you have sinned? What about when you were disobeying the things God has called you to? When you allowed fear to overcome your willingness to witness to someone. When you allowed your anger to lead to sin in your marriage or with your children? Maybe behind the wheel of the car.
When have you rebelled against the order God has set when it pertains to genders? When have you tried to give God your opinion of how you should be served rather than serve?
When have you said “someone else can volunteer to help with that” or “I just don’t have the time for what you want me to do God?”
We are too busy giving God our opinions rather than our hearts. God only does one thing with your opinion when it contradicts Him, He trashes it. When you give God your heart, he cherishes it. He molds it and uses you in a way you could never imagine.
Time of Response
Time of Response
What opinions of yours have been blocking God from getting to your heart? What have you been rebelling against?
Are you here this morning and your opinion of God has been that of an overlord, figment of imagination, or some far off deity that doesn’t care about you?
God is real, he loves you, and sent Jesus to die for you so that He could love on and mold your heart. The Bible says His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways. What He has dor you when you remove your opinions from blocking Him and trust and accept Jesus as Savior will change your life.
Will you accept His free gift of salvation today?
Christians? Will you stop giving God your opinions and give Him your heart? He will do something greater with it and you ever could.