God’s Plan for Order in the Church: Part 3
Men are called to do a hard thing: be in dependence to God by committing to prayer. Women are called to do a hard thing: manifesting good works, thinking less of self and more of Christ. What is a godly woman to to do in Christ’s Church? She is to teach other women, but not the men. Not a question of capability, but of preserving order in the church. Headship in the family, church, and civil contexts. Meaning of word “teach”. She is to manifest good works, but not authority. Priscilla and Aquilla: informal discipleship along side of husband, but not teaching, preaching, or...
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How should godly women adorn themselves? With modesty, self-control, good works, and quiet submission. Growing from selfish to selfless; focusing on others needs, not your own. Distinction between male and female. Adorn is a similar word to “cosmos”; bringing order, arranging things in order, in a way that is respectable. Modest is a “sense of shame”; not flashy, gaudy, or drawing undue attention to yourself. Adorning yourself with moderation, discretion, and wisdom for the situation. Historical context of the passage. Three principles for dress: heart, head, husband....
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Example of order in a Battleship: knowing your job and doing it. Why did God say for men to pray? Why not evangelize, tithe, etc? Men are independent. Prayer creates dependance. Men are self reliant. Prayer forces them to admit uncertainty. Men are overconfident and can fall into sin. Prayer leads to conviction of sin. Men are called to have a sense of urgency regarding prayer. They are to pray “in every place” the church is gathered, either in worship or fellowship. Posture of prayer. The men of the church are to be the pioneers in healing relationships. Text: 1 Timothy 2:8-10...
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The pattern of what a church is to do: teaching, fellowship, sacraments, prayer. The early Christians were determined to learn all they could from the appointed preachers. God has put something within us that desires to be in relationship, in covenant; we are hungry for fellowship. They received their food with glad and generous hearts. Prayer humbles us before the Lord. In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. Text: Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 The Reformers tell us that the two marks of a true church are: first, the faithful preaching and teaching of...
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