Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / How Men and Women Build the Church - Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Transcript

How Men and Women Build the Church - Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

0:01
Can you meet me in the book of 1st?
0:02
Timothy, please this morning. And we will be taking off where
0:06
we left off in chapter 2. Put your finger on verse 8 for
0:12
now. in a letter that is, Written for the purpose of
0:20
giving God's blueprint for the church for the local body.
0:24
What you are part of right here, right now.
0:28
And throughout the week and throughout your lives.
0:30
It helps us to understand that the Church of Jesus Christ is
0:34
made up of men. And woman.
0:39
That's not deep Revelation, is it?
0:41
And you might be think that's pretty obvious.
0:45
But what may not seem so obvious.
0:49
Is that though, the church is made up of men and women.
0:53
God has assigned unique specific roles to a man and to a woman in
1:02
the context of the church and in the context of the family.
1:08
And though there are many responsibilities that overlap
1:11
between the two Sexes. One thing is for certain that
1:16
God in his wisdom. has ascribe certain tasks to the man and to
1:26
the woman that must be honored and submitted to And if honored
1:32
and trusted know this, God will be glorified.
1:36
God will be glorified through our obedience and we will
1:40
experience as a church and as families are starting and
1:44
couples are coming together. And as a family, you will know a
1:48
joy. You will know Harmony, you will
1:53
know fruitfulness. You will know the fullness of
1:56
God's blessing when you and I choose to comply to his design.
2:03
of what he has in mind for a man and a woman and though equal in
2:07
dignity and though equal in value, we must understand that
2:13
they complement each other with their respective
2:17
responsibilities that are attributed to their genders.
2:22
It all begins here in this letter where we see now is split
2:27
and Paul's thought where he wants to now describe those
2:32
roles and he wants to speak to men separately, and he wants to
2:37
speak to women separately. And he speaking to a pastor
2:40
named Timothy to instruct men and women separately, and we're
2:44
not going to discuss all those roles and this letter doesn't
2:47
contain All of that but there is a concern that Paul has and he
2:52
wants to hit on those points. And there are unique temptations
2:57
that face a man in their roles and their unique temptations,
3:00
that a woman faces in her roles. And sometimes the temptation of
3:04
either one is to switch roles And to pursue the other person's
3:10
god-ordained task. But look at two words in verse
3:16
8, with me this morning, see what Paul says.
3:18
He says, I desire. You have a different
3:20
translation. Probably says, I will, I desire,
3:24
that's how this all begins as he begins to instruct.
3:26
Now, the different genders. Why is that important?
3:30
Why is Paul saying I desire important?
3:33
Here's why it's important because Paul's not speaking in
3:36
subjective impulse. He is declaring a message with
3:42
Apostolic Authority. When Paul says I desire, we have
3:47
to understand that he is laying down The rules as a mouthpiece
3:52
mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit. He's not an opinionated
3:55
self-govern leader that saying, you know, I kind of think this
3:58
is how it should happen. Paul is an ambassador of Christ
4:01
speaking on behalf of headquarters in heaven.
4:05
He is an apostle. He is a man amongst other
4:08
Apostles that were given the role.
4:11
The Holy Spirit, Divine role of what laying down, the Bedrock of
4:16
the church, establishing the foundation of the church for all
4:21
ages. So we have to get this clear
4:24
from the beginning. Paul is not speaking primarily
4:27
to a culture and just to a culture.
4:30
Paul is not even speaking these rules that pertain merely to a
4:34
specific time in history. What Paul's about to say is for
4:38
all ages and for all churches of all, cultures of all, nations of
4:42
all time. So when pauses I desire, we have
4:46
to filter that by understanding, he's a representative.
4:48
So it's not Paul's desire. It's God's desire through Paul.
4:53
No this this morning. If you haven't known it already,
4:56
you will know it. Soon enough that Paul's desire
5:00
which is God's desire has been and will continue to increase
5:06
and being challenged by other people's desires and their ideas
5:10
of what a man should be in terms of responsibility and tax within
5:15
the church and within the family.
5:16
What a woman should be in terms of biblical Womanhood in terms
5:20
of responsibilities within the church.
5:23
And her primary role in the family, it's going to be
5:26
attacked more and more just give it a few years and you're going
5:30
to see well. We're going to describe the next
5:33
couple of weeks, be assaulted like a tsunami.
5:39
But that's not our concern, is it?
5:42
Because we want to know what God's desire is and we want to
5:46
trust that God is all-wise. God is all-knowing.
5:51
God is love. And God is in charge of his
5:54
church. Not man, not a charismatic,
5:59
pastor. Not what the general Community
6:04
believes or the popular vote. Is when Paul says I desire, he's
6:08
setting the tone. This is what the Lord desires,
6:12
this is what God has in mind and trust that it is for His glory
6:16
and for your good. So Paul Begins by saying I
6:19
desire. And what he's about to do now is
6:21
address the men he's about to speak to the men of the
6:23
congregation. So I will do that this morning.
6:26
I'm going to look in the eyes of men this morning.
6:28
I'm going to address the men. What does Paul say to the men?
6:32
I desired then that in every place the men should pray.
6:38
Lifting. Holy hands without anger or
6:40
quarreling. Now we got to understand this
6:43
carefully or else we're going to fall into some confusion.
6:45
If you were here a couple weeks ago we understood that we
6:47
discussed a whole message on the church's needs to pray.
6:52
That the church, the local body needs to prioritize the ministry
6:55
of prayer, that we can't afford to neglect, such a privilege
6:59
that God has given us and the power source of all other
7:02
Ministries and all other longevity in the church.
7:06
And so for Paul to say something such as I desire meant to pray
7:12
This word man is not a neutral term.
7:14
This is not equivalent to. I desire mankind to pray or
7:17
Humanity to pray. We know that to be true because
7:20
in verse 9 is going to address the woman separately.
7:23
So he's not saying men, meaning a term for all people to pray,
7:27
he speaking specifically to males and then he's going to
7:30
address the woman and the next verse.
7:32
And so this is focused on the boys. and we think to ourselves,
7:40
Why? Why is he telling men to pray?
7:44
We just spent a whole week discussing how the church needs
7:47
to pray. Wasn't that enough Paul?
7:51
Let's understand what he's not saying number one.
7:53
What Paul is not saying in this verse as that men should pray
7:56
and woman shouldn't. This isn't this isn't a way for
8:00
Paul to narrow the command of prayer within the church to say
8:03
it is the spiritual responsibility of men to pray
8:06
and woman should be caught up in other spiritual disciplines.
8:09
This isn't? This is a thing that woman can't
8:11
touch. This is something that is not
8:13
necessarily a call for the ladies.
8:17
If that was the interpretation Paul would be severely
8:19
contradicting himself because there are many scriptures that a
8:23
test otherwise and so you know this one we discussed that when
8:26
we talked about prophecy First Corinthians 11 verse 4.
8:31
What does Paul say every man who prays or prophesies with his
8:35
head covered, dishonors his head but every wife who prays or
8:39
prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head
8:43
since it is the same as her head were shaven.
8:47
I know that just reading that verse, so many people like just
8:49
tell us what that means. Please, when we talked about
8:52
this last time, people just want to know what Paul meant by
8:54
covering. We'll get to that one day.
8:57
But let's focus on the fact that they were praying here, that in
8:59
the public sphere, the woman were praying just as much as the
9:04
men were in the public gathering of the church, when Jesus
9:08
Promised the coming of the Holy Spirit.
9:10
And before he ascended into heaven, he looked at a number of
9:14
disciples as you wait in Jerusalem to receive this
9:17
promise before you go and do anything else.
9:20
And so, they all stuff themselves in the upper room,
9:22
120 of them. And we have to understand that
9:24
it wasn't 120 disciple males. What does acts 1:14 tell us all
9:29
these with one Accord were devoting themselves to prayer
9:32
together with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus and
9:36
his brothers. So here's a mixture of mingling
9:39
of both male and female praying and seeking the face of God
9:42
together. So this morning, we're one step
9:45
closer to understanding what Paul is saying here.
9:47
When he says I desire, that men should pray in every place.
9:51
What does he mean by this? Remember we dealt with the first
9:55
few verses of this chapter about how the church should pray.
9:58
That's clear. That's understandable.
10:02
So this verse following tells us that it is very likely that Paul
10:07
had in mind to bring order to that public gathering of prayer.
10:11
That when the church has an official meeting to seek the
10:15
face of God, what Paul is saying with this versus that men should
10:19
be the one officiating and leading and guiding in that
10:22
meeting. That's exactly what he's saying.
10:25
It's a very simple as that that the men should assume the role
10:28
of leadership in such a way. Way that he would guide and
10:32
steer the meeting and officiate that expression of worship on
10:36
the public sphere. And that is consistent with
10:40
Paul's understanding of the role of a man within the church.
10:43
And within the home that he is, the initiator that he is, the
10:46
leader that he's the head. And that is something that we
10:50
experience on a weekly basis. If you come here on a Wednesday
10:53
night when we pray, you see that you see male leadership starting
10:57
and navigating and closing the meeting and everything in
11:00
between that is men and sometimes woman, praying more.
11:04
And so, this is not to say men are better prayer warriors than
11:08
woman. Hannah is a woman in the Old
11:10
Testament that would attest. Otherwise, And different woman
11:14
in scripture. This is not even saying that
11:16
woman when they come together, just as woman, can't pray,
11:19
unless a man is present, that's absurd.
11:22
All this is saying is that when there is an official Gathering
11:24
of the saints that the man should assume the role of
11:28
leading, that public expression of worship and conduct the
11:32
exercise of a leader. Very simple.
11:37
But we have to understand this command and a broader scope.
11:40
That's the narrow understanding in terms of the context of the
11:43
church. But I think there's another
11:45
heartbeat behind this. We can understand it to say that
11:51
since men are called to be leaders.
11:55
In the home. In the church, you better
11:59
believe that that comes with a load of responsibility.
12:03
You better believe that in the general sense, you are now
12:05
called my brother's to be the provider and the protector.
12:12
Of your communities and your respective families, to provide,
12:16
not just physical bread, but spiritual bread to protect, not
12:20
just in the physical sense. But in the spiritual sense, what
12:22
you allow in your home, will you allow your children?
12:25
Your wife should be exposed to you are the priest of your home.
12:31
and knowing that and teaching on that and Paul as a man, though,
12:36
not a husband understanding that Makes an interesting command
12:40
here with that significant role assigned to a man.
12:43
No matter what you do and no matter how much you pursue
12:47
biblical manhood, do not forget to rely on God.
12:53
In your pursuit of being a true man of God.
12:58
It's an encouraging thing. It's as though this command is a
13:01
nudge to men to saying, listen, don't forget to draw from the
13:08
grace of God. As you desire, to be a better,
13:11
father, a better husband even as a single man, just a better
13:16
disciple. Don't forget to know how to
13:20
receive his help. Don't forget to receive his
13:24
imparting. Mercies don't think that you can
13:28
just live this life independently from him as manly
13:30
as you are or as manly as you think you might be.
13:35
You know the pursuit of biblical man has its own Temptations.
13:39
And here's one of The Temptations.
13:41
The goal of that is to be a leader and to be a leader
13:44
doesn't mean you just tell people what to do.
13:46
That's not the biblical description of a man being a
13:48
leader. The better term is a servant
13:50
leader sacrificial, love being expressed through practical
13:55
means of Grace and love. You are now laying down your
13:59
life in every way possible and that includes Great Lengths of
14:05
Suffice. That includes days where you
14:08
don't eat, as much as you want, or you want to sleep as much as
14:11
you wanted, that includes you just carrying your cross.
14:15
Because you are carrying your family.
14:18
On your shoulders, you are serving your community as a man.
14:23
You're not flimsy and your commitment.
14:26
You're a man of your word. You get your hands dirty, you
14:29
serve, you set an example for others, including women.
14:35
Young children as it comes. And here's the temptation as you
14:39
pursue that. And as your mind is fixed like I
14:42
want to be a man of God. I want to be that kind of a
14:44
person. You can build up, such a
14:47
understanding of being a person to be relied on Right.
14:53
You want your shoulder to be something that your wife can
14:56
rely on and lean on and your children to come to, and you
15:00
build up, such an understanding and such a mindset of being
15:04
relied on that. You forget to rely on God
15:06
yourself, that almost this idea of being strong means that in
15:14
some sense though, you wouldn't admit it, I don't really need to
15:17
pray. I don't really need to pray.
15:22
And that's a dangerous thing. Because before anything else.
15:27
My brother. Before a father, before a
15:30
husband, before a disciple, a brother to sisters or brother to
15:35
her brother as your single at this point before anything else?
15:37
No, this you're a man of God. You walk with God.
15:45
You commune with God? You studied the word of God.
15:49
You discipline yourself to fellowship with God, to
15:52
represent God. You like Enoch walk with him.
15:57
That's your primary identity. And God desires you to be a
16:02
leader, not in the sense that you live independently from any
16:07
source of help. That you would know something of
16:11
his molding and is melting, as you rely on him in that place.
16:16
And so here's the understanding that you and I as men Desiring
16:22
to be a provider and protector for others, have to understand
16:25
that God wants to provide and protect you.
16:30
God wants to impart something and you deposit, something and
16:33
you so that you can be a vessel that will overflow into others.
16:36
That is not possible. Unless prayer is a reality in
16:39
your life. And there's so many examples to
16:44
think of in the scriptures and I think of one, I think of a
16:48
husband who had a wife that was Barren and she couldn't produce
16:52
children year after year, after year and all that added was more
16:56
sorrow, more sorrow and more sorrow upon our heart because
17:00
she's looking around and she sees another wife having babies
17:03
at your she is empty. Fruitless James Hannah.
17:09
Her husband's name is elkanah. The Bible tells us very clear
17:14
that elkanah loved his wife, he cared for her and you almost get
17:19
a snippet of his attempt to meet her emotional needs.
17:23
When he sees that she's clearly distressed of the fact that
17:26
here's another year that I can't, I can't have my own
17:28
offspring. So, what does it tell us?
17:31
In 1st Samuel. 18 and I'll Kana her husband set there.
17:36
Hannah. Why do You Weep?
17:40
Why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad?
17:45
Am I not more to you than ten Sons?
17:49
You see what he's trying to do here.
17:50
He's taking his wife by the shoulders gently saying, honey,
17:54
listen, Stop looking at the negative in life.
17:58
Look at the positive. Look, you have me.
18:01
Am I not worthy more than ten Sons is that?
18:04
You can tell this is a man, right?
18:07
And he's trying to he's trying to console her and we can praise
18:10
him for that and we can applaud that some say the elkanah was
18:15
insensitive I don't see it that way.
18:17
I think he's trying his best to really redirect her and to focus
18:22
on the brighter side of things. But I can't help but think that,
18:26
as much as elkanah was trying to do his best, he could have done
18:29
more. And you might be thinking how
18:31
can you say such a thing? This is literally outside of elk
18:35
on his hands. He can't give life.
18:37
It's only God who can do that. So how can you, how can you say
18:41
that all kind of could have done more?
18:42
Because I backtracked in my Bible and I realized that there
18:46
was another man and the same predicament as elkanah and
18:48
Hannah, another woman who is Barren, in fact who didn't have
18:52
a child for the first 20 years of her marriage.
18:55
She was empty and void of children.
18:59
But she had a husband. And his name was Isaac.
19:05
And in Genesis 25, verse 20 we read and Isaac was 40 years old
19:09
when he took Rebecca. and in verse 21, it says, and Isaac
19:15
prayed the Lord for his wife because she was barren.
19:23
And the Lord, granted his prayer and Rebecca.
19:25
His wife conceived. I see a man who saw a need
19:33
something that was outside of his hands, and we don't know if
19:36
he consoled her on a verbal level, like elkanah that.
19:39
I'm sure he did. But he took it to the next
19:41
level. he looked at his wife and he looked at his inability, he
19:47
gets on his knees in his room, he gets before God He says, oh
19:51
God. Give my wife a child.
19:56
Oh God, I pray for her. And I intercede for her.
20:03
And he's doing what men should do.
20:06
And that's know how to take the needs.
20:08
Whether he is able to perform that need or not.
20:10
And come before the Lord and say, Lord, I pray for her, I
20:15
pray for my children. I pray for my church.
20:18
And God tells us in this verse that the basis of the answer
20:22
came from a man's cry. And I look at elkanah L kind of
20:28
story and I wish almost that he would have prayed that he would
20:32
have got before God. But what do you see?
20:36
You see what many women are experiencing in their day?
20:40
There's a void in a relationship.
20:43
Between them in their husbands of knowing how to come together
20:45
before God or the man coming before God for herself or even
20:49
for himself. And you know what she does is
20:51
says in the very next verse there in first Samuel chapter
20:53
one that she gets before God. And she weeps bitterly before
20:57
God. And God answers her prayer.
21:03
I find that many wives are in that predicament.
21:07
That they can't find the grace to grab ahold of their husband.
21:10
And the husband can't initiate that knowing how to bring things
21:12
before the Lord. And so, she finds herself alone
21:14
and know this. If that is your situation, God
21:17
will hear your prayers just as much as his He's no respecter of
21:21
persons but men miss out on the privilege and the honor of
21:24
operating in that role as a priest and seeing the blessings
21:27
of God flow in and through his life into his family's life Men,
21:31
You're called to be prayer warriors, as much as anything
21:33
else. And we see that this is Paul's
21:41
desire for men. You know what, the desire for
21:43
this church is, here's the desire that husbands would know
21:46
how to get together within the church and pray together as
21:49
husband's to be better husband's better fathers in their
21:53
families. That current and future
21:56
business. Men of this church, we know how
21:58
to get together and seek the face of God, that they may be
22:01
honorable in their workplace and that they may be profitable, not
22:05
just in the financial sense but with their influence to be a
22:08
testimony to those around them that men would know how to get
22:13
together and seek God. And I can tell you this, there
22:21
is nothing more beautiful than seeing that.
22:25
I was reminded of a testimony of a man who was speaking at his
22:28
father's funeral. I was watching it live stream
22:30
because I was familiar with the family, to some degree, big
22:32
funeral, and the son got out there to testify about his
22:35
relationship with his dad, and he had set up one part and it
22:39
warm my heart so much that when he was in high school as a 16
22:43
year old boy, he would wake up very early to get to practice on
22:45
a daily basis and he remembers one particular morning where it
22:49
was still dark outside. Like it was this morning when
22:51
you woke up early, hopefully, when you woke up early, And as
22:56
he tips toes through his hallway and he comes down the stairs in
23:01
the discreet Silence of that early morning, before the sun
23:04
would even come up. He heard something behind the
23:07
walls of one of the rooms on the main floor and it was always
23:11
muttering but you couldn't make make it clear.
23:13
So here he is with his gym bag ready to leave and as he comes
23:16
closer to the door, he hears his father on his knees weeping.
23:24
For specific people that he knew needed to be saved.
23:30
And here's a 16 year old boy. Now in his 50s testifying before
23:35
a Congregation of the godliness of his dad.
23:39
Now, he was a man who knew how to come before God on behalf of
23:42
his family and behalf of his ministry and seek the Lord.
23:47
Do you think he would have forgot that when he went to
23:49
basketball practice? He didn't forget it years later
23:50
when he was at his funeral. I believe a lot of problems
23:55
within the home within the church can be solved when men
23:58
begin to pray. The problem is many either don't
24:02
see the need to pray. or men have convinced themselves that
24:09
Energy should be given to otherwise and that's fine.
24:12
We need spread ourselves in all practical means.
24:16
But Paul saying, you don't understand what's ahead of you
24:18
as a leader, it's time to get on your face before.
24:20
God, And we talked about the priority of prayer and we talked
24:26
about how God desires men to pray and the church to pray, but
24:31
he wants him to pray in a specific way and we talked about
24:33
how important it is and why people don't prioritize it.
24:35
But here at this point, if you're convinced as a man and as
24:39
a woman that you want to pray, you really want to be a woman of
24:42
prayer, man of prayer because this is principal for both Paws.
24:46
Now going to describe the effective way to pray and how
24:49
even though you want to pray you cannot experience answers to
24:52
your prayer based on a certain On premise.
24:54
And so here's what he says, I desire that in every place.
24:57
The men should pray lifting, holy hands.
25:02
Lifting. Holy hands is Paul saying that
25:04
every time you praise you have your hands up.
25:07
And the moment you bring them down you're not really praying.
25:11
This posture of worship was a very known custom in the Old
25:17
Testament. You see that even described in
25:19
certain acts of prayer through those pages.
25:23
You see that there was a lifting of hands to express something of
25:26
neediness and desire, In a receiving and a surrender before
25:32
God. And so we have every right to
25:34
express that kind of physical manifestation of a heart Posh
25:38
that says, I need you. God, and you lift your palms
25:41
towards having you say I'm empty.
25:43
I need you to fill these hands with Grace.
25:46
Provision need help wisdom. But it's not saying that that's
25:50
the only way to pray because here's how you.
25:52
And I have to understand what Paul is saying here, Paul is not
25:55
concerned as much with the posture of hands and prayer.
26:01
Paul is much more concerned about the Holiness of those
26:03
hands. Concerning how it affects
26:06
prayer. Hens in the Bible, often
26:09
symbolize our daily Affairs. The things we touch the things
26:14
that we do. What Paul is saying here is that
26:19
Holiness in your hands are the keys to answered prayers from
26:23
heaven. I want you to turn to a certain
26:29
scripture in the Old Testament to help clarify that go to the
26:32
book of Zechariah Zechariah is the book before, Malachi and
26:36
Malachi's. The book before that page that
26:38
says New Testament. So it's a second last book of
26:41
the Old Testament and go to chapter 7, I want you to read
26:44
something with me that is emphasizing this point.
26:49
Go to chapter 7 and then go to verse 9 and see a prophecy that
26:55
was made rather prophetic Declaration of judgment.
27:01
Let's see what the Bible says. Zechariah 7, verse 9 says, thus
27:07
says, the Lord of hosts rendered.
27:09
True. Judgments show, kindness and
27:13
mercy to one another. Do not oppress the Widow, the
27:17
fatherless, the soldier nor the poor and let none of you devise
27:21
evil against another in your heart.
27:23
Do you see what he's saying? He's calling for righteousness.
27:26
He's calling for practical righteousness.
27:30
But look at the indictment verse 11, but they refuse to pay
27:32
attention and turn a stubborn shoulder and stop the ears that
27:36
they may not hear what descriptive language.
27:39
It's almost like somebody's tapping on your shoulder to get
27:41
your attention. This is what you're doing.
27:44
That's what he's saying about. The people topping your
27:46
shoulder, you're going. Don't touch me.
27:47
I'm busy here. They turned a stubborn shoulder.
27:50
And what is he saying? Here verse 12.
27:52
They made their hearts. I like this translation.
27:54
Diamond hard. Diamond hard, who made their
27:59
hearts diamond-hard. The people made their hearts
28:01
diamond-hard less. They should hear the law.
28:04
And the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit,
28:08
through the former prophets. So he's saying they plug their
28:12
ears and saying, I don't want to listen to God's word on this
28:15
particular issue. So what is the indictment?
28:18
What is the Judgment there for great anger came from the Lord.
28:21
You want to know how God manifests his anger and one way,
28:23
here's one way. Great anger came from The Lord
28:26
of hosts and he says, in verse 13, as I called meaning, as I
28:30
gave my word. And they would not hear so they
28:34
called, and I would not here. Says the Lord of hosts.
28:42
That's the judgment. I gave my word.
28:46
I gave my standard. I gave my commands and that is
28:48
God's way of speaking that Bible in your hands is how God speaks
28:51
to you and me. And God says, I've given my
28:54
words through the spirit through the prophets and they willfully
28:57
disobeyed. Here's my judgment.
29:00
I call you don't answer. Call me all you want.
29:05
I'm not going to answer. Wow.
29:09
Now if we know the value of prayer, we realize that this is
29:12
a great great cost that this is not a light thing.
29:15
Now, this doesn't strike your heart or mind if we have not
29:18
experienced the glories in prayer, if you have not come to
29:21
the place where you have commune with god with such intensity as
29:25
he's revealed himself, this isn't mean much to you.
29:27
If you haven't seen God, miraculously answer prayers as
29:30
you've got on your face before him.
29:31
This doesn't mean much to you. So it's not much of a threat to
29:33
say, okay, I call he doesn't answer.
29:36
What's the big deal? Let me move on with my life.
29:38
That's a sad way of living. That's a very sad way of living
29:41
to not know the blessings from prayer but if you know the
29:44
blessings of prayer, if you know the power and prayer, you read a
29:48
verse like that and it takes your breath away.
29:52
And you go. If I don't answer he won't
29:57
answer if he calls my phone over and over as I get to this word
29:59
as he preaches it from the pulpit and I don't obey then if
30:02
I call he's not gonna answer. That's right. and so, when Paul
30:07
says lifting holy hands, you know what he has in mind that if
30:10
a person lives in conscience willful unrepentant sin, You can
30:17
stretch your hands 24/7. Tilt, your elbows are sore.
30:21
You can shout till the veins in your neck are about to burst in
30:24
your blue in the face. There is a brass above your head
30:28
and heaven will be sealed from your voice.
30:36
That makes a lot of sense in light of the context of First
30:38
Timothy, why? Because he's dealing with the
30:40
public sphere of worship. He's dealing with the church
30:44
Gathering and prayer in that environment.
30:47
So he says he has something in mind when he talks about holy
30:50
hands. There's a lot of things that we
30:52
can come to when we understand how hands being holy are dealing
30:54
with people money ourselves. But this is what he has in mind.
30:57
He says lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling with
31:05
who With the people that you're sitting beside this morning.
31:11
What's the idea picture this for a moment that on a Wednesday
31:14
night we come together to pray and hear.
31:17
You have one man against another that just argued 10 minutes
31:20
before the meeting and did not reconcile.
31:23
And then another part of the room, you have one sister
31:25
against two, three other sisters because those sister spoke
31:28
behind her back, and she found out and they haven't talked for
31:30
the past two weeks. And here, we are now conducting
31:32
a prayer meeting. Say o, God, give us Grace.
31:35
And, oh God, forgive us for our sins, and O, God answers, and oh
31:38
God reconcile, the Lost. To you.
31:42
You know what God is saying? I'm not going to do anything
31:44
until your first reconciled to one another.
31:49
That's what he's saying. And so again it's another part
31:54
in the Bible that emphasizes a Biblical truth, from cover to
31:58
cover horizontal relationships affect the vertical one.
32:02
And so we better understand our, my hands clean in my dealings
32:05
with one another. It's going to affect how your
32:07
hands are lifted up before God. And this is another way of
32:13
understanding it to do. You understand that there's
32:15
another danger when you come into a public prayer meeting
32:17
with anger in your heart. I'm taking my anger, I'm not
32:20
talking about mere emotion. I'm talking about a resentment.
32:23
I'm talking about even hatred. Almost a bitterness because
32:27
there has been an issue that has not been solved or at least
32:29
communicated that kind of a thing unresolved issues.
32:33
You know, what happens in a prayer mean that that's a
32:35
potential risk. At least the prayer meeting
32:37
isn't a prayer meeting. It becomes a preaching meeting.
32:42
Saying what do you mean? I'm saying that people take
32:44
advantage of the fact that they are praying out loud to not.
32:47
Pray to God, a preacher of the person that is in the room that
32:49
they want to hear what they want to say.
32:51
Oh God, forgive us for being Liars. and for being gossips
32:56
Lord you see it all, you hear it, all you're aware of it all
33:01
Give us the fear of God, especially if he done it this
33:04
past week. And we begin to what?
33:08
Preach to each other. Rather than pray to God.
33:15
You know people pray like that, right?
33:17
It's not prayer. It's actually preaching.
33:18
They're giving a sermon and they're really talking to people
33:22
not talking to God and doesn't, what are you doing?
33:26
We minimize that risk. When we come with hearts that
33:29
are clean and hands that are clean knowing that horizontally
33:32
on a human to human level, there isn't anything there.
33:36
I'm I'm a clean slate. So I'm going to come before God
33:39
with that Purity in that innocence and just I'm able now
33:41
to focus on him. Clean hands, holding hands,
33:46
lifted up before God. Listen, your hands.
33:48
Have to be clean before yourself before.
33:51
Man before they can ever be considered as a site before God.
33:57
Very simple truth. And now after Paul deals with
34:00
men, being men of prayer, men, assuming the role of leadership
34:06
within the church and conducting the service of worship and
34:08
prayer. He now turns his attention to
34:11
the woman so now guys, you're off the hook.
34:15
It's time for the ladies. Let's read verse 9 together.
34:19
Likewise also that women should Adorn themselves in respectable
34:22
apparel with modesty and self-control.
34:25
Not with braided hair and gold, or pearls or costly attire.
34:31
So, we just went from prayer to outfits.
34:36
And after reading a verse like that you and I might think that
34:40
Paul's main point here deals with your dress and nothing
34:46
less. Is that what Paul is concerned
34:48
about? Here's Paul's case not
34:53
concerning the rules of how a Christian woman should Adorn
34:59
herself. Well Paul is about to get at
35:02
though it includes that to some measure is what a woman's true
35:05
focus and life must be. We're her attention and her
35:10
priorities, and our purpose should be in life.
35:14
And here's here's the Temptation, right?
35:16
Men face. Their own Temptations as leaders
35:19
in the place of prayer, not being dependent, upon God or
35:21
Walking with God thinking like, Macho, I can do this myself,
35:24
that's a Temptation, they face. Here's a Temptation, a woman
35:27
faces, the pressures of this world, To conform in a certain
35:31
way to look in a certain way to expose yourselves in a certain
35:34
way. And to blend in, with what the
35:36
culture says true beauty, is when God himself has a
35:40
description of what true beauty is.
35:44
And so he's about to break this down and very practical terms.
35:48
He wants to address his sisters. And some have abused the verse
35:53
that I just read to mean, that woman should not properly take
35:57
care of themselves or that in the physical sense.
36:02
They should not attempt to be attractive in their apparel or
36:05
in their address, that is nonsense.
36:09
There's no biblical ground for that.
36:11
In fact, if you want a verse, here's one in Proverbs 31, we
36:16
left proverbs 31, don't we? A virtuous woman, a wise woman,
36:19
an excellent wife, who can find. And here's a description that
36:22
many Passover or many have interpreted in a different way
36:25
but I think it's planning. Clear.
36:27
It's in Proverbs 31 verse 22. What does it say?
36:30
She makes bed coverings for herself and look what it says
36:33
about herself. Her clothing is fine, linen and
36:36
purple. Before you pull out the credit
36:39
card. Let's understand this in
36:43
context. This is an insight to show that
36:47
a woman has a right to give attention to an outward
36:49
appearance. They should take care of
36:53
themselves, especially in light of a relationship with a
36:56
husband. You should, you should pursue to
36:58
be attractive for your mate. That's okay.
37:02
And you should pursue to be in dignity and respect a person
37:08
that's put together in the public sphere of life.
37:12
So let's just, let's just dismiss and shoo away.
37:14
The concept that Holiness and godliness is equivalent to
37:20
somehow being shabby and being disfigured to prove that you
37:25
focus on spiritual things. That's just not the case at all.
37:33
But as a father who has daughters God wants to speak to
37:38
his own daughters and provide a framework for this area of their
37:42
lives. Let me think.
37:43
Are we really going to talk about this on a Sunday morning?
37:45
Listen, it's important to God. This isn't a man coming up here,
37:52
giving his opinion. This is a verse in the Bible.
37:55
So it's important to God. And here are two dangers that
38:00
Paul sees concerning dress, particularly for a woman, ready.
38:06
Number one is immodesty. And number two is extravagance.
38:13
It is not rocket science. ladies and gentlemen, to understand
38:18
that a woman, can use her body, or can arrange her outward
38:27
appearance in a way that lures men not to be attracted, but to
38:33
lust after them, there's a big difference there.
38:39
It's not rocket science and I can almost hear the objections
38:43
because I've even heard them and different different places.
38:45
Not in conversation, just in Dialogue on a group level, not
38:50
here, but in different places where the objection tends to, go
38:54
something like this from a woman.
38:55
Well, This whole thing about modesty and stuff.
38:59
That's not a woman's problem. That's a man's problem.
39:02
He just needs to stop lusting. Let him fix his brain before I
39:08
fix my outfit, I have the right to dress however I want.
39:12
And if man has a problem with lust the let him figure that out
39:15
between him and God I ain't changing for nobody, something
39:19
like that. and here's the thing, you ready for this woman ladies
39:25
even you know, even you know, when another lady is dressing in
39:31
a way where she's trying to draw attention to herself
39:34
inappropriately, even, you know, so it's not time to blame men.
39:42
You even know when somebody walks in the room and they have
39:47
done something to themselves for eyes to be drawn to other places
39:51
other than her face even, you know, So, with that being said,
39:58
here's what God is concerned about modesty, and here's a
40:01
wonderful truth, you can be attractive and modest at the
40:04
same time. In fact, if you want to draw a
40:08
godly man, talking about a real, not a guy that goes to church.
40:13
Guys, go to church, not for God, by the way.
40:19
You want to track the man who loves God knows.
40:21
God, do you realize proverbs 31 was written by a mother to her
40:25
son? No, that a Godly Man will
40:30
consider. How you carry yourself with
40:34
dignity? And know that a Godly Man will
40:40
have a level of respect and you will win his attention towards
40:45
you. That is affected in direct
40:48
proportion with the honour that you give to yourself.
40:54
That as you pursue character and classiness.
40:59
As much as you might think that men might not have it all
41:02
together here. They are aware of how to read
41:05
that kind of language. And that's not limited to how
41:12
you walk into church. That goes into every sphere of
41:18
life outside of these walls, including your social media.
41:22
And know that modesty is not limited to what you wear, it's
41:25
how you carry yourself. The body language that you give
41:30
Men can read that too. Be assured that a woman who
41:36
fears God. Who fears God in this area.
41:42
No, this she carries a confidence.
41:45
And she carries a gentleness, a wisdom, a self esteem.
41:48
That will glow with the purified.
41:50
Beauty that will outshine any other fleshly goal.
41:56
And trying to lure men with your skin.
42:04
Modesty, you might be wondering, give me some rules.
42:07
Give me some guidelines. Come on, I'm not going to do
42:09
that because the Bible doesn't do that.
42:11
You just know. We all know we all have a
42:15
measure of understanding. You know.
42:21
And God will guide you into this as you seek Him for wisdom and
42:25
no this again, let me reinforce his Truth for a Godly Man.
42:31
Modesty is beautiful. And let me say this again,
42:37
modesty does not equal not being beautiful.
42:41
I just have to reinforce that modesty is not you not caring
42:44
about how you look. This is what clothing is all
42:47
about. Whether for male or females, you
42:49
know, clothing is not about what you can reveal clothing is about
42:52
what you conceal. Right, we clothe ourselves to
42:54
conceal not to reveal. and in that very practical measure, God
43:02
gives you full license to be able to display yourself.
43:08
Beautifully. But in modesty, And Paul second
43:14
concern is extravagance, so we see a mini list here.
43:18
Do me. What is this?
43:19
A with modesty and self-control? Self-control deals with
43:23
behavior. Not with braided hair.
43:26
Oh, did you braid your hair this morning?
43:30
And gold. Oh if it breaks along this
43:32
morning, Or pearls or costly attire.
43:39
So again, we might think that this is somehow God canceling.
43:44
Another layer of how I should pursue some kind of Elegance and
43:48
that I should be simple. And simple is good, there's a
43:52
beauty and simplicity but not simple in the sense that it
43:55
cancels out accessories and it cancels out the desire to match.
44:03
That's okay. That's not what Paul is saying
44:06
at all. Paul saying is that it's
44:09
possible for a woman to get so caught up in this area of her
44:13
life. That all becomes about her
44:18
fashion, that's her purpose in life.
44:20
And what happens is the church now becomes a model Runway
44:26
Because we're dealing with a context of the local church
44:28
where now a person can walk in. And all, she's really looking
44:30
for is praised for her looks and the attention on what she has in
44:37
the brands that she cares and what she bought and what's in
44:39
her closet and all these different things.
44:42
And Paul is trying to shift the focus from that place because
44:46
now it's possible for a woman's main motivation and coming to
44:49
the Gathering of the Saints. Not to come and worship God not
44:53
to serve the people of God. But to draw, Attention to
44:57
herself. And that her day is not made in
45:02
the context of the church. Unless she leaves there with, at
45:04
least three, approvals of how she looked that day.
45:08
Is it wrong to receive encouragement?
45:10
Is it wrong to be deemed as Butte?
45:12
No, that's not the focus. The motivation of a Christian
45:15
woman coming down to this point even to the point where she
45:18
loses. This is what Paul is concerned
45:19
about losing a self-restraint. In expenditures, even at the
45:26
expense of you dismissing, all other Godly Pursuit so that you
45:30
can, you can find your joy in that, I'll say hold on, you're a
45:36
Christian woman. Your identity is much greater
45:40
than that, it goes beyond that. You have great purpose in life,
45:47
and life is more than fashion. That's possible.
45:52
It's possible for a professing Christian to find more joy and
45:56
when she gets in her closet next week, after a shopping spree,
45:59
then coming closer to God and representing him rightly and
46:02
being a witness for the gospel. It's possible passing.
46:05
Your life is much more than Gucci in this or that.
46:08
I'm not start naming Brands. It's more than that.
46:10
All those Brands evil in itself. No, but when you live for them,
46:13
you've created a golden calf. That's what Paul is saying.
46:16
That's all he's saying. And so he says in the positive
46:19
sense, listen, if you're going to focus on anything, if you're
46:21
going to display yourself in any way, let it be with good works.
46:27
That's what he says right in verse 10.
46:28
But with what is proper for women who profess godliness with
46:32
good works, Because you adorning yourself with good works, is
46:37
more precious than jewels and you displaying the character of
46:42
Christ is more valuable than gold.
46:45
And listen to this. As a Christian lady, your golden
46:52
life is for people to see Christ in you.
46:55
Not what's on you. And so Paul saying, just
47:05
prioritize this area of your life and consider that as you
47:08
come to the house of God, you're coming to a house of not just
47:12
sisters but Brothers Take that into consideration.
47:17
Take that into consideration whenever you come into the
47:20
household of God. And this is part of denial of
47:24
self. Is it not to put others before
47:26
you and not just in cleaning up and doing different things even
47:30
in the place of dress? So woman who professes
47:39
godliness, you know what a preoccupation is with good.
47:42
Works her ambition, her purpose, her drive, her fulfillment will
47:46
be in the service to the body of Christ.
47:49
That's what she's caught up with.
47:52
And let's conclude with this point. as much as men are called
47:58
to lead within the church, if you don't know it now, You will
48:04
know it. Now the church apart from the
48:07
participation of women, cannot know.
48:10
Fullness of blessing and effectiveness.
48:13
I want to say in an encouragement.
48:18
That this church has been tremendously blessed by the good
48:22
works of our Sisters in Christ. and I want you to understand
48:28
that Paul writing this, As he saying about dress, don't make
48:35
the mistake that Paul is a man that thinks that women don't
48:38
have anything to offer the church except for babies and
48:41
good meals. The same Paul who wrote these
48:49
instructions and our culture that might seem extreme Also
48:55
said, in many places. Including this one.
48:59
I'm about to read from Romans 16.
49:01
Paul knew the value that woman had.
49:06
For the church and for his own Ministry.
49:10
Romans 16 verse 1, he says I commend to you our sister
49:13
Phoebe. A servant of the church.
49:17
That's an cry. That you may, welcome her in the
49:20
Lord, in a way worthy of the Saints and help her and whatever
49:23
she may need from you. Now, look what he says for.
49:26
She has been a patron of many out of myself as well.
49:32
That's a wonderful thing for Paul to say Paul is not only
49:35
recommending Phoebe as she's being sent to the churches in
49:38
Rome. Paul himself is testifying this
49:41
woman has been a blessing to my ministry as well and let me let
49:44
me reinforce that in this church are Sisters in Christ have been
49:49
a tremendous blessing and we pray that they will continue to
49:52
be and we have our own Phoebe in the house, by the way, And this
49:57
is what I want to say and I want to say loud and clear.
50:00
The professionalism, the consistency, the dedication, the
50:06
attention to detail. And the overall effectiveness of
50:10
the many Ministries that represent United, Evangelical
50:13
Church can be stemmed from the compassionate hands of dedicated
50:16
woman. And so I can say confidently
50:22
from this Pulpit that we are grateful for our Sisters in
50:24
Christ. That continually take a verse
50:27
like this seriously in their lives and I can speak on behalf
50:30
of the brothers and say, thank you.
50:33
So, thank you so much. So Paul, now, with these brief
50:38
instructions is not finished with his instructions concerning
50:41
the roles of men and women in the church.
50:44
Next week, we're going to get into something that's a little
50:46
bit more debated. Amongst people even within the
50:48
church and that deals with the authority figures within the
50:51
home and within the local body. But I think this suffice is for
50:55
now. Let's seek the Lord as men and
50:57
women of the church. Lord, we come before you and we
51:05
humbly receive your instructions as men and women.
51:09
And father, we are thankful for your wisdom to know what exactly
51:12
we need to be more effective in our christ-like Ambitions.
51:17
And so, as Menlo, we pray for a Grace to be men of Prayer.
51:23
To know how to rely on you as people rely on us.
51:27
And Lord. As woman.
51:31
May you give every lady the wisdom to know.
51:36
How even in the the fabric and even in the physical sense, they
51:41
can honor and glorify. You may you be considered even
51:44
in their planning of dress. And may they be more preoccupied
51:48
in this life with things that thieves cannot steal and moth
51:51
cannot destroy. Me the adornment made the beauty
51:55
of every young lady in this place.
51:58
Be glistened by a christ-like conviction and a desire to serve
52:04
the body of Christ. And Lord May the harmony of.
52:11
The blend of men and women. In this church continue to be
52:13
experienced. As we honor our roles and
52:15
respect one another God, we worship you in the very
52:18
practical sense of how you give these instructions, because you
52:21
care about how your church is displayed before the world solo,
52:25
we give you thanks. As we sing to you in Jesus name
52:28
we pray. Amen.
52:11
The blend of men and women. In this church continue to be
52:13
experienced. As we honor our roles and
52:15
respect one another God, we worship you in the very
52:18
practical sense of how you give these instructions, because you
52:21
care about how your church is displayed before the world solo,
52:25
we give you thanks. As we sing to you in Jesus name
52:28
we pray. Amen.