Church Ladies: The Most Powerful Women in the World, p.2

Let's go to first Timothy chapter 2. As we continue going through this New Testament epistle.

This is a a letter that was written from the apostle Paul to a younger pastor Timothy. He has left Timothy in the esteemed and cultured city of Ephesus to oversee the church their function as the pastor there and he's giving to miss it Timothy some specific instruction about things to do in the church that the church might be more of what God wants it to be in effect, that it might be beautified using the churches of God's wisdom, the churches of God's power. The church is to make a true and accurate statement of God to the world.

Therefore we are always reforming the church to biblical fidelity so that it will more accurately display God's wisdom, and display God's power to the world is what Paul's doing. He's helping the folks 2000 years ago in the church at Ephesus also helping all of us today to know how to take the bride of Christ. The church and beautified her so that she is the accurate reflection of her groom. Jesus cries that we come to it in the letter know we got it divided up today.

Of course, in chapters and verses.

It was originally written that way, but it does help us keep up with where we are and are expositional preaching through the book so we go to chapter 2, the first Timothy. And we begin in verse nine and go through verse 15 and this will be part two of this expositional section and I've entitled it church ladies the most powerful women in the world church ladies the most powerful women in the world.

Paul writes to the church a deficit and in verse 90 says likewise.

I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim. The godliness on woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness, but I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet, for it was Adam who was first created and then Eve.

It was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being the seed fell into transgression, but women will be preserved or saved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity and self restraint now know there's been a lot of comedic use of the title church ladies saw things on television. Other places because there are there it back, but there are some funny church ladies out there but that's not what I'm talking I'm talking about ladies who been born of the spirit ladies who have been changed by the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit so that their hearts are changed.

They have redeemed hearts and so they had the capacity to both appreciate and embrace God's wisdom over millions wisdom. So here to see in this text God's wisdom for ladies and primarily for ladies sphere and responsibilities in the local church. So if you're not born again. If God hasn't changed you and given you a an appreciation and even a treasuring of God's wisdom for your role in this is going to be odd to you. It's going to be foreign to you. It's going to be difficult for you, but even for the truly converted godly woman. It's a stretch, and it's a challenge and that's why we talk about the fact that when you become a Christian, you didn't just repent, you became a repent or you continually find biblical truths and continually talk true to yourself. I continually try to get yourself in your thinking, your heart and mind and in your behavior lined up with the word of God that we begin by talking about the fact that in our present culture and far and far too much in the organized church itself.

There is an all out on relenting attack on biblical womanhood and biblical motherhood. We laid out several things that prove this, but I don't need to prove this. It's it's all over Wyoming. How forceful, thorough and unrelenting the railing and reviling against women are the concept that women ought to honor the God ordained roles of women and culture in the home or even in the church now as we look at this I brought out two women for you to consider. I brought out even list the humble package this now. I wanted you to CE the in her heart condition in the garden of Eden when she send the actions she performed out of that heart condition and the consequences of those actions. Satan comes into the garden. Satan's clever and crafty. He knows not to go to Adam he knows Eve is an easier prey.

So in effect challenges, even the garden about the commandment God gave Adam and Eve about not eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and he says they did God really say that not amplifying and paraphrasing the story all right got really say that this got really not want you to do that.

Eve butterfat really the reason God doesn't want you to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because even the day you eat of it, you'll be like God, Eve, God's holding you back. That's in effect what Satan say God is robbing you of your fulfillment. God is being oppressive toward you, Eve ate why don't you stand on your own 2 feet.

No need to run to Adam, who is your head ordained by God and get his counselor's guidance in this, you make your own decision, Eve Bay. I am woman hear me roar and Eve assumes headship.

Eve does not go to her husband.

Eve should've said the Satan timeout.

This is and about which grocery store I buy the groceries that this is a very important issue.

I need to go to the one God's places my spiritual authority. She did and she was independent she acted as head she succumbs to the crafty and clever manipulations of Satan. She takes of the tree and then she eats and she gets to Adam and he eats now listen to me. I'm only dealing with even not Adam because that's what our New Testament text is dealing with.

I'm in no way saying that Eve's responsibility is more than Adams. Adam sinned Adam willfully sin antibiotics could should get a little closer watch on his wife.

Adam shouldn't of followed her headship and leadership on this issue.

This anointment would God save so Adams very guilty and very responsible in the text bears that out.

In many places, but the text today is dealing with Eve so you have even her heart condition, not submissive taking headship taking control, calling her own shots you have her actions. She actually acted that way and ate of the tree and then we have the consequence and don't forget this. She bears a son his name is Kane.

She bears another son his name is a ball and a banana and a jealous rage carrying killed and murdered Abel and thus the sin and ruin and destruction begins in the world and it's continued to this day, Eve's heart Eve's actions brought terrible sin, consequences, and ruined into the earth. Then I said, there's another woman. I want you to consider. Mary the virgin Mary who ball biblical accounts didn't act like Eve. When God gave her special commission. She was sweet she was humble.

She was yielded and she did what God said and she birthed the sun and unlike Kane, she birthed the son of God, not Eve was not special. I met Mary was not special.

Mary was not unique and superior to other women just for that point in time, by the grace of God because she was a born again child of God. She was honorable to God in a submissive way and God used her mildly and through her offspring. The that the calls of CN and ruin in the world is reversed. Jesus came to stop sin. Jesus came to reverse the cause of destruction and evil in the world and I said Everywoman lines up under Eve. Her heart actions and consequences are Mary her heart. Her actions and her good consequence to her child. Now we come to our text that we've Artie looked at I where Paul is writing to these ladies and he says here in Rome and one I will talk to you about your heart, your hairdos in your him live I your heart, your hairdo and your hemline's. This is were going over material would already be gone, but he tells all aces and all of the women in the church.

In verse nine to adorn themselves. That is to dress themselves properly dormant here has the idea of unfurling a banner. Ladies, when you dress, he says you're making an announcement about who you are, what he saying here and your daughter of the king you're a child of the one true God of holiness and dignity in order and what is proper pieces now dress yourself that way. Don't dress like the women of the world.

Dress like a daughter of the king.

He goes on and builds on this not only the word adorn but uses the word proper.

Here comes from the word cosmos.

It means order or propriety what is seemly what is becoming what is seemly what is right what is orderly. Since you are made in the image of God in order reflect the one true and holy and righteous God uses dress that way that he uses another word modestly pieces now dress modestly and generally have the same idea will partly has the same idea we use the word modest today, but has more of the idea of the heart disposition. It literally means to have an honorable shame in your heart.

Godly ladies should walk this earth with an honorable shame. That is, they would be ashamed to clothe themselves in such a way that misrepresents the God they know love and serve it say it's it's up its holding of a shame fastness and honorable shame in their heart that they would not want to do that then uses the word discreetly here. He just keeps building amplifier upon amplifier took to let the ladies of the church understand what he means, but the word discreetly in verse nine means of sound mind, literally.

You could say ladies don't dress like you've lost your mind. Don't dress like you forgotten your thinking who God is and what he's like.

That's what's very important and we spent a lot of energy here.

Grace life teaching ourselves about the attributes of God when he did know what he's like, so that we reflect him appropriately to many church ladies are churchgoing ladies dress like they've lost their minds. Aces ladies don't dress that way. In verse nine, the last partner he contrast this with the women of the age. He said you know that the women in Ephesus. This cultured city. They are so extravagant they are so excessive their value and their worth in life is based on their outward appearance. They'll take their hair they'll roll their hair up in the most extravagant ways to put pearls and jewels and gold up clasp in their hair because that's all they've got. He's not saying all adornments are wrong, but he is saying your different you have a beauty they don't have. So be careful that you're not associated the way they adorn themselves because they adorn themselves merely externally inured to be adorning yourself internally that reflects out externally and I emphasize to you ladies that Tom, the great aspect is the heart the heart the heart yes there are certain links of skirts and dresses, it ought not to be worn there certain types of things it ought to fit not fit certain ways depending on the situation, but Tom, it's the heart attitude that I love my God, I want to honor human be appropriate and proper. In my representation of him in my address. I ended by us challenging our older ladies always with grace with kindness and with humility, but be more intentional to talk to our younger ladies about proper dress for real woman of God. Now II list go to new material. II is good works and godly women, good works and godly women would go to verse 10. He continues talking to the ladies and he says, but rather by means of good works, which is proper there set proper word again. For women, making a claim of godliness. In verse nine aces ladies don't dress in a way that's improper for a woman of God. In verse 10 he says not going to tell you about the way it is proper for a woman of God to adorn herself is you need to adorn your life. Ladies with good works with good works.

A godly woman. Her beauty and attractiveness is seen by the pattern of her conduct, not so much by the pattern of what she wears on the outside. Now let's remind ourselves that the context is the local church and ladies. Certainly, your life should be filled with honorable good works that please the Lord, but whatever else you're involved in your good work should be centered in serving the Lord in his local church for you grace like Church of the show's you see the lady that is a 50% attend on Sunday morning only, so I'm talking to some of you but yet she's known in the community that she dresses to the nines. That is not what a Christian lady should be acting like and that's what Paul's pointing out there's a key truth here. And that key truth is the good works God's ordained for you to do should be fill your life but it must not, it must absolutely include and be centered in God's local church. I would like to challenge and charge our ladies this morning.

I want you to be cautious ladies cautious of independent women ministers and independent women ministries. I was trying to think and you Mike can bring me one to my that I had thought about what I tried to think about the women ministers and ministries I've known through the years that are divorced from their husbands oversight and the oversight of a healthy local church and particularly the elders of healthy local church and I find that these ladies when they get popular and money comes in, and their ministry to grow if they don't stay accountable like Jeff Nodland is accountable to my elders.

I don't do anything in a printer there anything else without my elders blessing us away. God ordained us to function how much more should ladies if they feel God has a spiritual ministry for them function under the blessing of the local church in the local church elders and you like what I'm saying is when when ladies get independent of this they're going down a wrong track, and almost inevitably given enough time, they end up espousing unsound doctrine and unsound practice in their ministry now all the women of the church at Ephesus under Timothy's oversight were women who profess godliness and good works, therefore, is the proper outworking of the true inner profession of these ladies, let me ask you something ladies do you want the first thing people think of you to be most she always dresses wonderfully. She always dresses beautifully. That's not wrong. I'm just saying you want that to be the primary thing people think about you or do you want the primary thing they think about you to be. She is a humble and faithful servant of Jesus Christ. I think the point Paul is making here is if you ladies in the church at like the Ephesian ladies of this culture. Paul's writing to if you put that much work and effort and time and money and in an extravagant outward appearance. You don't have time to do the good works God's called you to do as a woman of God. Not that the outward beauty and the torments are all wrong, but they just didn't time for both that and the good work should be doing for God and the church now want to spend some time in Proverbs because the woman described in Proverbs 31 is a sterling example of the good works that are to be a godly woman's chief adornment Proverbs 31 woman is a sterling example of the good works that are to be a godly woman's chief adornment before we get to 31 billing.

These will be on your screen to help us out. I want us to look at Proverbs 1122 what to verse this is Proverbs 1122 the writer says as a ring of gold. Enough swine snout so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. Wow, what a vivid picture that is I have been shopping there are places to three times lately and I'm noticing women are wearing rings in their no. You saying that and I'm not saying that's necessarily evil or even wrong, it just in my background. I grew up working on for idea that's I palpate my bills and pay my car payment is a high school got working for a guy who had 300 head of cattle and and and the only thing I remember with no strings where homes are heifers. That's just the truth that's my orientation.

And now, in this culture that would've been the case, and I assume some godly ladies had some nose rings and I fight. I think we can prove that biblically they did, but in my orientation it you know I think about it. Laura, our heifer and the reason you put a ring to pick our heifer's noses so you can pull them around so you can control them.

Far too many of our ladies are being pulled around and controlled by the wrong entities anyway.

He says the writer. Proverbs says in Proverbs 1122 like a ring of gold and of swine snout puppet back at their former brother like a ring of gold in the swans that so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. So he says this is a beautiful woman and she makes herself up so beautifully, but she doesn't have sound judgment concerning her morals concerning her activities concerning what she does with her life. It was like taking a gold ring and put it on an old dirty nasty bald head and rubbing around in the muck and the Myron the dog of the ground upon is women of God need to have the kind of hard and good works that speaks loudest in their clothing compliments that I didn't crowded out. It is, is not as you and again I'll bring up the women of country music. I'll bring up the women of popular music are rock music, whatever it is I'll bring up the women of Hollywood. You know what you see you see a gold ring and swine snout's.

They're beautiful there beautiful women no discretion, no doubt, sound judgment, no wisdom, no dignity, just filthiness a ring of gold in the swans now ballast in Proverbs 31. Let's look at this. A lady who is the sterling example of how good works are godly woman's chief adornment.

First of all, he says here in his writing to a young man he wanted a young man to grasp some things he says. An excellent wife who can find a limit stop. I think it's easy to find a wife. It's hard to find an X an exit want to confront any says for her worth is far above Jules Bay in that interesting. Here we have jewelry mentioned again and that's the same thing Paul was talking about to the church at Ephesus here to Timothy to patent search… He said you know these aphasia ladies are all about the jewelry not wrong probably is. That's all there about. They don't have any substance, and here's the Proverbs 31 woman, she may very well will have worn jewelry that's not the issue is just that she has substance far beyond the new year of adornment's there something to her. She's not just cosmetics and worldly adornment now. Proverbs 3117.

She girds this text says that's kinda clothing a garment, but she girds herself with strength in her arms are strong ladies, let me say simply the Bible speaks of women being soft. God made Eve soft peace talks about women being submissive, but I will tell you what the Bible also talks about those very same soft submissive women being strong. There is a string to a godly woman that confounds the world the powerful strength. It's a wonderful strength as a mighty strength. This Proverbs 31 woman she's known she's has all the attributes you would look for in a godly mom and a godly wife but they notice her string godly strength. Proverbs 3125 builds on this strength and dignity are her clothing noticing. And that's her dormant. That's her clothing at strength and dignity and she smiles at the future now. Proverbs 3121. She's not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

Now the point is here she's she's centered in her household that she has other enterprises I told you before to be a godly woman is not as simple as saying I don't work outside the home. I wish more of you only work with in your homes, but I don't know God's will. There it gets difficult when you noticed in the biblical structure for home and for marriage life. Sometimes when both work but I've known godly ladies who did things outside their home. This lady do some things outside her home, and I seem to manage it okay, but I am tired of seeing our ladies run down and beat down because they got one authority in the world and one authority at home.

So what I'm saying hears me and if you can if you're letting your wife do this you need to have a lot of deference a lot of understanding and a lot of encouragement and support for centered in her home then Proverbs 3125 strength and dignity are her clothing. I'm sorry I done.

Proverbs 31 2022. She makes coverings for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Now, here we go with actual literal garments earlier. Her clothing was her dignity and her strength, her overall godliness and good works now insist but she didn't dress. By the way, notice very nicely in this day linen and purple were very expensive fabrics, so she knew how to put on the date dress when her husband took her empty. She knew how to look beautiful, but it never outshined her inner beauty.

I think that's the point. Everything is orderly.

Everything is appropriate going back to Paul's words in Ephesus.

Everything is modest. She lives with that beautiful balance of nice clothing and adornments but never does this outer garment outshined her inner and then verse 20 chapter 31 verse 11. Rather, the heart of her husband. Trust in her and he will have no lack of gain. Part of her good works as a godly woman is that she honors the headship of her husband, and therefore is an invaluable asset and blessing to his calling in life is a sense in which she conforms to the calling of her husband. She makes sure she undergirds him and that another word she's never a competitor to him. She is a complement for him.

She's never trying to upstage him and that's why it says the husband there and where we verse 11. Her husband trust in her and he will have no lack of gain. And then in verse 23 Proverbs 3123 and her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land that the porn is the result of this woman's good works in her home, and toward her husband is the key element in his success in the community.

The powerful truth there.

There is a weakness in man whereby God knew we needed a helpmate and then diminish our hit headship, but we so need these ladies in our lives. I've said this before but it just penetrated me when I heard this testimony. Most of you many of you will know the name Megan Kelly. She was a news lady on Fox News and she went to another network and now she's out.

I think for while not doing anything but tell she was married to a physician and they divorced and now she's in her second marriage and her her her first husband was interviewed and he didn't sound like he had bitterness are are all against her, necessarily, and I said why did you and Megan Kelly get divorce. He said because we both needed a wife. We both needed a wife. She needed somebody to come alongside her and her help me to support her in her career. I needed somebody to come alongside me, help me in my career enters what enough of us to go around interesting statement now, here's here's a powerful thing that shows you how true church ladies are the most powerful women in the world that is that this Proverbs 31 lady is a lady that had an enduring legacy because of her good works, not because of her extravagant our show we are fancy clothing, though she clothed herself very well. But that wasn't the main thing we see this in Proverbs 3128 through 31. Notice what happens to this lady. Her children rise up and bless her. Her husband also, and he praises her saying many daughters have done nobly but you excel them all. It's as if her husband and her children, and if this concludes her children's children and her children children children. They all can not honor this woman enough for her wisdom and her commitment to biblically defined good works and they go on and say in verse 30 of Proverbs 31 charm is deceitful. Nothing wrong with charm but it ain't the main thing charm is deceitful and beauty is vain. Nothing wrong with beauty, but you don't base your life as a godly woman on outward beauty, but on this. The last part of verse 30, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

I did you see that promise. Ladies, she shall be praised. Satan throws out the lie to you. You want to be well thought of you want to be esteemed you want to be praised. In today's world and do all these things, not all of them are necessarily wrong or evil but are you committing to make sure you do what God says is wise and right, she shall be priced. Notice verse 31 of Proverbs 31 give her the product of her hands and let her works, not her looks is not unimportant, but is not the primary thing let her works praise her in the gates. So now we have all of her family lineage and her husband, and the gates means the community. She has now gave esteemed and an enduring legacy in the community. God saw to it. This is the kind of good works.

Paul is talking about for the ladies in the church at Ephesus, not ladies Galatian 69 I think is a great verse for you to hang on to Galatian 69 tells us let us not lose heart and doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary because I know what's happened is a pastor you don't even stick if I go out in the world and even mentioned some of these biblical truths about God's role for women.

I've scoffed at him, derided I'm ridiculed nobody reluctantly agrees with this. Nobody supports this didn't get you anywhere in due time.

In due time, you will reap if you do not grow weary keep on keeping on God's way is right God's way is wise and God's way is best. Ladies listen to the pastor this morning I cared deeply that you in your lives. Well, with sweetness, with thankfulness with blessedness with the honor you deserve to receive or being a woman committed the biblical good works. So Paul says the ladies instead of adorning yourself like the world wants you to do on yourself, I'm challenging you and charging you to adorn yourself that what is proper and fitting for godly one that is to adorn your life with good now.

This is goby three parts but I will say two things enclosing number one meet preaching this this morning has absolutely nothing to do with it being Father's Day. But God knows what he's doing. Amen. I started exiting the text and this is where we got now charge you ladies and I know we have had a strong emphasis in the last year and 1/2 or so to reaffirm and recommit ourselves to biblical womanhood and biblical motherhood in the church and I applaud our ladies for that kind of a heart. But what has God said to you this morning are you out of balance. If you're like your pastor you get out of balance. Sometimes you get livid over this way and you're thinking you need to move back over to where the Bible is there ladies out there in the world and I don't mean to be ugly and I don't mean to be demeaning, but they think godly meekness means they have to dress themselves like their pitiful that's not what the Bible saying this. Proverbs 31 woman had Linda and Scarlett that wouldn't pitiful so there's some women to get appearance and I have to I have to dress like I'm countercultural, almost. That's not it would say so you Bob out of balance on that in then there's women over here and quite honestly in your heart and that's where it starts. You had way too much emphasis on the outer while that's not wrong, but have not had enough emphasis on the inner beauty of good work and so were always repenting and getting linebacker. That's what God calls us to the pastor. Some of the finest Christian ladies in the world and I know that because I know the way you receive the truth of the word of God. So let's keep pressing on.

Look, even when the enemy is coming on like a flood against us must keep raising of the standard against and you know ladies with the key is as you get to your senior years and the women in these worldly churches the worldly churches that have succumbed to Lynyrd Skynyrd pantomimes the key people come to church. What ticketless blasphemous nonsense you come to this church to hear so the rock music you need go somewhere else. By the way I like some southern rock music, but not God's house not anywhere close to the glory and dignity and honor of our God in history.

The ladies in these worldly churches ago scoff at you go check them out when their 6776 and 83 see if their children and their children's children and their children's children's children and their husbands and even the community since that was a great concert trying to help us in due time.

In due time, you will reap. You don't grow wary now I want I want it in balance you like that word balance. Did you know that because the Bible is full about some of you in here are going to go too far in correction don't do that.

Be prayerful. Be methodical in your steps.

If you need to repent of something I'm not saying they're not something you might not draw sublime segment. I'm not going there anymore. I'm not doing that IMO there may be some of that. Let's always call her sister back to the wisdom of God. Ladies listen, God loves you and cares for you and wants to bless you more than you can cut possibly comprehend. He just want you to trust us wisdom, trust is West and as time goes on you will be the powerful women who impact the world for good in God's glory. You'll be like Mary not like Eve and make a positive and saving influence on the world instead of a ruining and destructive influence on the world