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hmm welcome to everyone it's good to be in the house of our God on the Sabbath day just one brief announcement this Saturday May 18th at 9 o'clock we'll have the church workday here so everybody is encouraged and invited to attend that well for our call to worship you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 113 Psalm 113 I'll pick up reading in verse 1 the psalmist says praise the Lord praise o servants of the Lord praise the name of the Lord blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore from the rising of the Sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised the Lord is high above all a high above all nations his glory above the heavens who is like the Lord our God who dwells on high who humbles himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth he raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap that he may seat him with princes with the princes of his people he grants the barren woman a home like a joyful mother of children praise the Lord amen well please take your hymn book and turn to hymn number 253 Jim number 253 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well let us pray our blessed God in our Holy Father we come into the house of the Lord on this day to praise and glorify your great name we confess that you are Most High that you are from everlasting to everlasting that you our Father Son and Holy Spirit the Blessed Trinity the god of our salvation the God who has had mercy upon us the God who has received us freely through Jesus Christ our Lord we give praise to you for the redemptive work of the Savior we give praise to you for his life of obedience for his death at the cross and for his resurrection the third day and we give praise for his current session now at the right hand of God Most High where he ever lives to make intercession for us and where he serves as our advocate we bless you for these mercies we bless you for these graces we bless you for the many gifts that you have bestowed freely upon us we know it's not due to art worth it's not due to our merit or our law keeping it's not because we've earned it but it's because you are a God of absolute and unrivaled and majestic grace we acknowledge that you chose us in him before the foundation of the world we acknowledge that it wasn't because of our holiness or our blamelessness that your salvation came to us freely by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone and we give praise to you for these blessed truths we ask now that you would help us to focus our attention upon you help us Lord God to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ help us to fight and resist those wandering thoughts that often invade our minds and hearts and work in the worship of God and give us the grace Lord to be humble before you to be reverent in your present presence and to be full of joy and Thanksgiving to express that gratitude through Psalms and hymns for what the Lord God has done in our hearts and we would pray that today as we gather together you would be in our midst for God as the prophet or as rather Moses to go into the promised land without you would be an exercise in vanity in futility God to gather here without the presence of our of our great God of Christ in the midst of the lampstand it's just an exercise in futility so please REM the heavens and come down be found in our midst encouraging our hearts strengthening us with might and the inner man so that Christ may dwell richly in our hearts through faith and that we may indeed know that communion with our great and holy God we ask that you would be merciful to forgive us of all of our sins we confess with the Hemme writer that we are prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love we confess the blessedness of John's words in his first epistle that he writes these things so that we may not sin but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous and we know God that knowledge does not promote or produce in us license that God it does promote in produce in us hopefulness and encouragement in that reality that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared so we pray that you'd even minister that to us now cleansing us from all of our sin and unrighteousness causing us to to see the blessedness of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that one in whom we have acceptance we pray for those who've come here this morning that are still dead in their trespasses and sins we ask and call upon you in your sovereignty and in your power you would make sinners willing in the day of that power that you'd open hearts and produce conviction for sin and show forth the glory of Jesus Christ as the savior for sinners and may you encourage and may use strengthened and may you help each and every one of us spiritually to skin fast and those things that you've called us unto for God we are wearied by the various things that we see in our world we are wearied by the various saying things we see in our own hearts in terms of remaining corruption and we call upon you to fortify and to strengthen us and to fill us with your Holy Spirit that we may serve you as we ought we pray for those in our myths that are struggling physically we just commit them to you we know that you not only look after the inner man but you look after the outer man it well and we pray father that you would undertake on behalf of those suffering that you would encourage them and strengthen them and help them even in the midst of these trials to to look upon a gracious and a merciful God we pray as well father that you would be gracious and merciful to each of the families in this congregation we thank you that you blessed us richly with little ones with children with young people and our Father our heartfelt desire and our longing before you is that they would know the Lord Jesus Christ that they would come to the Savior in their youth that they would know the forgiveness of sins and they would receive that righteousness that righteousness of Christ imputed to them and received by faith alone may you do that work father which is an impossibility with us as parents and grandparents but God we know that you are in the business of saving sinners and we just ask that you would be merciful in this case we also pray our Father for your blessing upon other churches in our community we thank you for the ones that are faithfully proclaiming your word and we pray that you would prosper them that you would add to their numbers such as should be saved and that father you would receive glory as your people gather together in this community and we pray for this community we have many needs we have lots of sin and lots of things in this town that do grieve us and we would pray that the gospel preaching that goes forth would be attended by sinners and they would be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and our Father we pray for those nations that are steeped in false religion those nations that are steeped under or ruined under for bad oppressive government we prayed for many in the last hour and we just commit your people unto you unto you Lord God we know that there are many suffering for the cause of Jesus Christ many shot in church parking lots just for gathering together we often take these liberties for granted and shame on us Lord God help us to reflect upon how good we have it here and may we indeed be drawn out to pray for those who do not enjoy the benefits that we have be merciful to the persecuted Church be merciful to those in chained those suffering those dispossessed from homes and businesses those in prison we ask father that they would continually set before themselves that that glorious Savior that they would run with endurance that race that is set before them that they would be looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith that one who for the joy set before him nevertheless endured the the cross he despised the shame and father we pray that you would help us all to relate to this in a way of encouragement and in a way of strengthening and may your word go forth throughout the earth today conquering and to conquer may men from every tribe tongue people a nation come to know the father through the son in the power of the Holy Spirit and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you can turn with me to Psalm 30 to be that psalm 32 Bravo will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we could turn in your Bibles to John 15 for our scripture reading this morning John 15 John 15 beginning in verse 1 I am The True Vine and my father is the vine dresser every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away and every branch that bears fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine neither can you unless you abide in me I am the vine you are the branches he who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit for without me you can do nothing if anyone does not abide in me he is cast out as a branch and is withered and they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned if you abide in me and my words abide in you you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you by this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit so you will be my disciples as the father loved me I also have loved you abide in my love if you keep my Commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept my father's Commandments and abide in his love these things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends you are my friends if you do whatever I command you no longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing but I have called you friends for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you you did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should be or that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you these things I command you that you love one another if the world hates you you know that it hated me before it hated you if you were of the world the world would love its own yet because you are not of the world but I chose you out of the world therefore the world hates you remember the word that I said to you a servant is not greater than his master excuse me if they persecuted me they will also persecute you if they kept my word they will keep yours also but all these things they will do to you for my name safe because they do not know him who sent me if I had not come and spoken to them they would have no sin but now they have no excuse for their sin he who hates me hates my father also if I had not done among them the works which no one else did they would have no sin but now they have seen and also hated both me and my father but this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law they hated me without a cause but when the helper comes whom I shall send to you from the father the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the father he will testify of me and you also will bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning amen well Jesus teaches many things to his disciples prior to his departure for the cross and then that period of time in which he spends more a concentrated time with that but then he ascends on high he goes back into heaven he sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father and one of the things that he regularly emphasizes in this Upper Room discourse is the relationship between himself and the father and how the Spirit proceeds from the father and the son so Christ is encouraging his disciples with theology proper he is encouraging them with the doctrine of who God is he is letting them in as it were on that relationship between the Father Son and Holy Spirit as a means by which they will be encouraged and strengthened to engage in the task at hand namely preaching teaching making disciples and planting churches one of the other things that he emphasizes here is the necessity of fruit in the lives of God's people now we can't quantify that and say after the end of a year you should have produced you know 10 apples or something like that but the typical trajectory with the people of God is that when they are justified freely by God's grace sanctification occurs God not only author's justification the God author's sanctification in fact Jesus says without me you can do nothing and one of the things that Christ highlights here is on a fruitfulness and then he speaks to one of the means by which God produces fruitfulness in the lives of his people he he prunes us there's a reason there's a method there's a rationale for the difficulties that the people of God undergo it's not as if their father is having fun at their expense it's not as if he's in some sort of a sadistic twisted state of mind or frame where any likes to inflict his children there is pruning to be had in the lives of God's people so that we will bear fruit if we never have any resistance if we never have any challenge if we never have any difficulty whatsoever we're not going to be good fruit bearers it's the same sort of thing when you have children you have to let them eat dirt once in a while you have to expose them to certain things now I see some of the mothers horrified at that proposition but the point is they've got to build up their own immune system they've got to leave that state of absolute fragility so that they can indeed go forward if we as God's people don't recognize God's plan for our lives in pruning us so that we will be fruit bearers the moment something difficult comes we are tempted or inclined to collapse in our fragility later in this sermon the Lord Jesus or in this discourse is going to say to his disciples in this world you will have tribulation that's a promise in fact here at the end of John 15 he says that if they hated me they're gonna hate you a fragile snowflake Christianity is not the sort of Christianity proposed by the Savior it's not what is envisaged by the New Testament rather all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution how does Jesus tell his disciples to deal with disciples you need to take up your cross daily and follow me now in the context the cross that Jesus says to take up isn't some difficulty in your life it's not you know this burden of repetition when it comes to colds and the in the cold and flu season that's my cross to bear no Jesus is saying Jesus is declaring you need to be willing to die for me that's what price meant when he says take up the cross daily and follow me in many respects brethren in the West our Christianity is pretty soft it is pretty indulgent it is pretty much a devoid of the sorts of threat and persecution and opposition that we read of happening in China that we see happening in Sri Lanka that we see going on in Mayan Mar that we see going on all over the earth we need to adopt that mindset that is presented to us by our Lord Jesus Christ and when bad things happen do not freak out do not fall apart and do not lose it the Lord God most high prunes his people and as I've explained this text in the past sometimes it's like the lady in the bonnet with their little snippers out there doing that work of pruning other times it's a guy that has no clue what he's doing taking a chainsaw and taking it to rose bushes to tear them down that's the way God operates we like the snippers we like the gentle and there is a pruning effect from that but once in a while the chainsaw is necessary for persons like us so let us not be the kinds of people that lose it when the Lord God is purposing to prune us for fruit bearing and for maturation in the Christian faith well let us pray our Father we thank you that you work with us that you work in us both to will and to do according to your good pleasure may we recognize your purposes for us we know that you didn't choose us because we were holy and blameless but you chose us so that we would become holy and blameless and God that is a difficult task with unholy and blame worthy people and so we acknowledge your handiwork we acknowledge the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and we confess what Jesus says here apart from him we can do nothing help us to recognize this bankruptcy help us to recognize this dependence and help us to always pray for the Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts and lives by his Spirit and we ask this in Jesus name Amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn to psalm 119 m that's 119 Mike and we'll stand together for 119 M [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we could turn with me in your Bibles to Titus chapter 2 Titus chapter 2 God willing we'll return to the book of Acts next week but we're going to look at Titus chapter 2 the duties of Christian women specifically verses three to five but we'll have cause to refer to other parts of this particular chapter so I'll read beginning in Titus chapter two at verse one but as for you speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine that the older men be sober reverent temperate sound and faith in love and patience the older women likewise that they be reverent in behavior not slanderers not given to much wine teachers of good things that they admonished the young women to love their husbands to love their children to be discreet chaste homemakers good obedient to their husband own husband's that the Word of God may not be blasphemed to be sober minded in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works in doctrine showing integrity reverence in corruptibility sound speech that cannot be condemned that one who is an opponent may be ashamed having nothing evil to say of you exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters to be well pleasing in all things not answering back not pilfering but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in the present age looking for the Blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works speak these things exhort and rebuke with all authority let no one despise you amen let us pray father we thank you for the written word we thank you that it's profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousness and as we survey this passage of scripture we pray for the ministry of your Holy Spirit give us wisdom give us grace give us the ability to apply these things in our own lives both women and men and cause us God to reflect upon your goodness that you have saved us you've called us to yourself you've given us forgiveness you've given us life eternal and you've given us your wonderful law as a pattern for our sanctification and we pray now that the Spirit would work out in us and that we would indeed pursue the things that are pleasing in the sight of our gracious father not because we hope to be saved but because we are saved and we want to express gratitude thankfulness and worship and praise and and glory to our God to forgive us now for our sins and our transgressions and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well Titus is what's called a pastoral epistle along with 1st and 2nd Timothy Paul writes these letters to young pastors in ministry situations and he gives them particular instructions on how they are to function as gospel ministers in Chapter 1 he sets forth the qualification for elders in verses 5 to 9 he wants Titus to appoint elders in every city on the island of Crete that's where Titus was laboring so he's on the island of Crete there's cities on Crete that have churches but then I have elders yet and so Paul gives him instruction on that and then in verses 10 to 16 he highlights for Titus how he's supposed to expose and refute heretics those who contradict the Word of the Living God and then here in chapter 2 at verses 1 to 10 he instructs various people groups peoples group that people's people groups that make up the life in context of the church notice in the first place he says the older man secondly he highlights older women and then the younger women and then the younger men Titus himself and then bondservants now all of these things are connected intimately to verses 11 to 14 in other words the theological basis for Christian ethics is the gospel of our salvation we simply read the passage wrong if we think that by these instructions Paul is saying you to be this you need to be that you need to function in this particular way in order to be saved no we've been saved by the grace of God that grace of God that's appeared to all men that grace of God that has taught us how to deny certain things and that grace of God that has promoted in us a desire to do certain things specifically live in light of the commands given there in chapter 2 verses 1 to 10 and so I did want to address specifically our ladies this morning with reference to verses 3 to 5 I want to note first of all the instructions for older women in verse 3 secondly the exhortations to the younger women in verses 4 to 5 and then finally again just a brief survey of the basis for these instructions in verses 11 to 14 now I would imagine some are thinking wow I got for Mother's Day a pastor yelling at me and telling me how I'm supposed to obey God's law well I'm gonna try not to do that too much but I can't promise you that I won't do it at all this is an encouragement this is hopefully an inducement to do what God has called you to do we all need these reminders are not beholden to Mother's Day I want to wish you all a Happy Lord's Day because that's what it is but it is in our minds that we ought to think in terms of our moms once in a while and this happens to be the day on the calendar to do that so I think it's fitting and appropriate to remind ladies of their specific responsibilities but men do not tune out and do not do this oh great pastor Butler is gonna deal with some things I've been too cowardly to bring up don't treat your wife that way don't don't think or say oh yeah honey did you did you hear that you need to be faithful in the in the home making business honey did you hear that you need to make my waffles huh don't do that you should be able to hear this and sympathize with the plight that your wife goes through it's no easy task to be a wife and a mother especially when it's to people like us and to kids like ours I mean it's a high calling and it's unfortunate that motherhood and and wafer II I don't know if that's the way to say it has fallen on hard times I don't know why is other than a god-hating generation that attacks the very foundation of society and motherhood and being a wife and being faithful as older women in the context of the church is a very high and noble calling and we need to embrace that so men don't nudge your wives and say oh you ought to pay attention men you ought to pray for your wives that they be the women that are described here and you need to encourage them and you need to be the kind of husband that they want to engage in this sort of activity toward now note first the instructions for older women excuse me in verse 3 there are virtues and there is an activity notice the virtues indicated in verse 3 a she is to be reverent in her behavior she is to be reverent in her behavior that's not just in public worship but that's in all of life there's a reverence about her there's a dignity about her just like the older man in verse 2 the older men be sober reverent we ought not to be given to you know foolishness and frivolity now that doesn't mean she can't be happy she can't joke she can't laugh she can't enjoy play and that sort of thing but the overall demeanor and characteristic of her heart and life is one of reverence she is also secondly in terms of virtue to be faithful in her speech notice what Paul says there in verse three the older women likewise that they be reverent in behavior not slanderers literally it's not Devils the devil's function is to accuse the devil's function is to slander the devil's job is as the one who is a liar from the beginning and so the older women are cautioned against devil-like behavior she's to maintain control over her tongue and she is not to be a slanderer John Calvin makes the comment that talkativeness is the business of a woman especially as she gets older now I wasn't going to quote that because it sounds particularly sexist or chauvinistic in this age or in this Jen raesha but I think at least as I've surveyed the New Testament more often than not the prohibition against gossip is directed toward women now that is not to say that men don't gossip men certainly do gossip and we need to stop but in terms of her speech she shouldn't be a slanderer she shouldn't be a devil she shouldn't be the sort of person that says did you hear did you hear did you hear brethren that stuff kills churches more often than not it's not a pastor coming into a pulpit and saying Jesus is a created being that kills churches I know that can happen but in reformed context it doesn't typically happen but what kills churches is devilish talk it's slanderous talk it's gossipy talk it's this burning desire to spread things that are none of your business Paul says to Titus you need to tell them to be reverent overarching concern in terms of their demeanor but you need to tell them to control their tongues and then she is to be moderate with alcohol she's not to be given to much wine doesn't mean she can't ever drink wine the Bible doesn't say that the Bible condemns drunkenness it doesn't condemn lawful moderate use of the gifts that God has given this prohibition obtains for the elders and obtains as well for the Deacons and it's something consistent throughout these pastoral epistles now note the action she is to engage in according to verse three she or the older women likewise that they be reverent and behavior not slanderers not given to much wine now notice teachers of good things so older women are to be teachers of good things now I think it bears repetition because I'm sure I said this recently don't as a younger woman sit back and wait for all the older women to email you to text you to call you and to show up at your door to teach you how to do things you might actually have to go up to them and say hey how about if we get together for coffee and you show me how to do certain things it's not the onus isn't on the older women to go find all the younger women and teach them but they need to be able to teach and we need to appreciate the context in which Paul is speaking there was a ruckus this past week over women preaching there's a woman by the name of Beth Moore who said that she's going to be preaching in a Southern Baptist Church on Mother's Day and rightfully so she took a lot of flack for that and she said well I've only ever preached about 14 or 15 times in 40 years that would be akin to you and I saying well I've only ever murdered about 14 or 15 times the amount of sin isn't the necessary thing it's the prohibition against something that we need to respect now when Paul says that the older women need to be teachers of good things the contact specifies visa V verse 4 that she is to be a teacher of younger women now she can certainly teach children as well but I want us to remember what the Bible says concerning this particular topic in the first place a woman is not to serve as an elder in the church again persons get offended by this but we shouldn't maybe it's because you know I was reflecting upon this as a child I don't think my parents ever told me you can be whatever you want to be I don't know if that was a reflection of bad parenting on them or a realism maybe they understood the writing on the wall this guy ate the brightest bulb in the chandelier he may not be able to do everything that he wants to do or what he desires we almost take it as an offense for somebody to say look you're not qualified to do that that doesn't mean you're a terrible miserable horrible person it just means that you don't have a skillset necessary to engage in a particular activity is that offensive is that make us want to cry does that you know make us raise our fists at God I wanted to be an astronaut God but but I can't go up to the top of the of a ladder and I don't like this it's not fair no we don't do that when it comes to stuff like that we don't complain to God that we're not Cowboys because we don't know how to ride horses or we never want to we just don't do that but when it comes to these particular things people lose it or you can't tell me what I can or 10 do but Paul can tell you what you can or can't do and when it or not to serve as elders in churches first Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter what the qualifications are uniquely male they are uniquely man secondly she is not permitted to teach or exercise authority over a man again I'm not making this up fact you can turn there to first Timothy chapter 2 just so nobody sides with Beth more and says oh how bad pastor Butler is because he's on the opposite side of her the Apostle Paul is on the opposite side of her and she needs to take heed to that notice in verse 8 of 1st Timothy 2 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands and may I just say the men pray when we gather together for prayer meeting it's not a paused meeting it's not a silence meeting when we gather for prayer brethren we're there to pray that's the point a prayer meeting to call upon our great God it's to to unburden our souls before the one who says to cast your cares upon me because I care for you that's what Paul stipulates when men gather for prayer I desire that the men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting now notice in like manner also that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel with propriety and moderation not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing but which is proper for women professing godliness with good works now note verse 11 let a woman learn in silence with all subjection of the chapter to 1st Corinthians chapter 11 it's very first Corinthians chapter 14 as well but notice what Paul does here when he argues with reference to this prohibition verse 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man but to be in silence he doesn't say well because Ephesus has a cultural problem with pushy and obnoxious women he doesn't argue based on culture he doesn't argue based on society he doesn't argue based on the Empire he argues based on God notice in verse 12 or verse 13 for Adam was a formed first then Eve and Adam was not deceived but the woman being to see Phil into transgression so creation Adam made first and fall the fact that that that Eve was deceived that stipulates with reference to God's order in this world that men preach and teach the gospel in the church now if you have tuned out I would invite you to tune back in and stay with me because I think that this is crucial we're seeing persons fall by the wayside on very clear teaching like this I mean if we miss this women in the pulpit if that's what we're ready to allow what else are we going to allow I'm not saying all women are terrible that's not the argument it's not to say that all women aren't as smart as all men that's not the argument the argument is that in God's world there is a created order there is a structure there is a way about things and we must observe that and we must respect that and we must own that we must operate according to that so back to Titus chapter 2 it's delimited it is specific it is highlighted who she is to teach at the end of verse 3 she is a teacher of good things and then in verse 4 that they admonished the young women the church must not disregard the regulative principle of worship God regulates how sinners redeem sinners are supposed to come to him in the worship of God we wouldn't allow a lot of things the banner of the regulative principle of worship we ought never to allow him in preachers and again that's not to say that women are terrible that women are bad that women don't know theology that women are always susceptible to deception I've preached on first Timothy two before and have dealt with that whole idea where in Eve was deceived I don't have time to rehearse all of that but that is the purpose for which Paul prohibits women teaching in the context of the church it's not Ephesus it's not the Roman Empire it's God's Word it's God's order it is the structure that he is embedded in creation now notice what the women the older women are to teach the younger women so we've seen the instructions for older women verse three now we'll move to the exhortations to the under women in verses 4 and 5 in the first place she is to engage in faithful domestic relationships look at verse 4 it's intriguing that they admonished the young women to love their husbands to love their children now when the Apostle Paul deals with husband wife relationships in say Ephesians and in Colossians he emphasizes that husbands love their wives and he emphasizes that wives are to submit to their own husband's in fact at the end of verse 5 he tells them again that they need to be submissive to their own husbands not every husband God is protecting you ladies so I'm Muslim culture where you're subject to all men know you obey and submit to your own husband there's one man that God has given you that you carry out these responsibilities to now that doesn't mean you're a irreverent you know wine bibbing wretch around everybody else but the point is is that God protects women God is Pro women Paul the Apostle 1 has called a novelist George Bernard Shaw said he was the eternal enemy of women he realized that in this context the stuff that Paul is speaking to in terms of the protection of women would have been counter-revolutionary with reference to the Roman Empire he is out for women's rights he is out for feminism as it's properly defined he is pro women seeing that their responsibility is to the man that God has given them but notice she is told to love her husband she is told to love her children George Knight says it is noteworthy that the list of characteristics for young women begins with love for husband and children this section thereby fills out the instruction to wives and Ephesians Colossians and 1st Peter where the emphasis falls on fulfilling the role of submission and where love on the part of wives is not mentioned it may seem strange for older women to be called upon to teach under women to love their husbands and children but this is put into perspective when we realize that Christians are constantly being taught in the New Testament to love whether it be God or fellow Christians and neighbors and it could possibly kind of flow this way you need to love your man and you need to love your children so that when you seek to carry out the remainder of the virtues and the duties that I'm going to prescribe but it's not stoicism it's not Spartan ISM it's not a grin and Barrett ISM it's born out of love the lord's why do women younger women function the way they do in obedience to the law of God it's because they love their husbands it's because they love their kids see when you get married it isn't for what you get when you get married it's for what you give see that's another thing we lost a long time ago in the Western world it's all about us it's all about me it's all about my knees that's not what marriage is supposed to be marriage is about giving to the other person that's why typically I asked the young people or the older people that come to get married are you prepared to give yourself in and it's not just women giving themselves for men it's men willing to die for their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her the paradigm with reference to marriage in our Bibles is not coming to the altar so I have this II ticket to get whatever it is I want it is rather I have found the person that my heart loves that has my affections that is I forget the queen of my empire I don't remember what to the Empress of my affections I think that's it I have found her and I want to give to her and conversely she has found the king of her affections and wants to give to him so Paul says love your husbands love your wives and as you consider this particular list instead of going oh are you kidding me this is what I need to do this is legit this is consistent this flows out of the reality that you love this human being that you love these little human beings and you might think it odd that a woman needs to be told to love her children I don't think that's odd at all as I understand society today I don't think it's odd at all to be suspicious as to whether or not mothers have a love and affection for their children the abortion numbers suggest otherwise the reality of child abuse suggests otherwise the crimes committed against little ones with mothers involved in it would argue that this command needs to be preached from the rooftops to this society women you are to love your husband's and you're to love your children and I love the way Gil fleshes out this love for children he says not with a fond foolish and uncover and affection now give Gilson credit I don't think he doesn't I don't think he means you can't roll around on the floor and tickle your kids I don't think he means that I mean a picture of Gil might suggest otherwise he just looks miserable I mean you you look at a guy I mean they say this is a great picture the particular Baptist well whoever publishes the Gil works Baptist standard press I think they have this picture of John Gill and they say we're you know privileged to have this picture he looks rough he doesn't look like the sort of guy that would fall on the floor and tickle his kids but he was a godly man so he fell on the floor and tickled his cat's he's not suggesting that you ladies don't do that what he is suggesting is that it's not only a motive it's not only emotional it's not only unprincipled it's not only rolling around on the floor and tickling that it is in support it is obedient to the Word of God he says not with a fond flesh and uncovered affection but so as to see their real good and not only their temporal but spiritual and eternal welfare to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and to use and keep proper discipline and government over them for otherwise amidst all the fondness of natural affection a parent may be said to hate a child proverbs 13:24 which says he who spares his rod hates his son but he loves him disciplines him promptly you are not doing your children any favor and you are not expressing biblical love to them if you are not seeking to restrain their passions this world desperately needs mother's loving their children enough to restrain their passions to bridle their lusts to be that that hedge of protection over the little ones so that they are not left to themselves to do the sorts of things that young sinners unattended will do now notice he highlights some particular virtues with reference to the ladies the younger women she is first to be discreet Solomon puts it in a very sort of illustrative way he says as a ring of gold in a swine snout so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion I mean kids you know what a swine is it's a pig you ever seen a pig with a ring of gold in its nose you'd say that seems odd don't typically see pigs with gold rings in their nose we typically see pigs on our breakfast plate we typically see pigs in the zoo or we think of pigs as you know oinking and doing the sorts of things that they do and you know falling in the mud and rolling about some may even think of pigs as being very intelligent I I hear that they are quite intelligent and terms of ant is that the animal kingdom but what you don't typically see is a ring of gold in its snout that would be unheard of wouldn't it well listen what Solomon says so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion now this particular virtue comes up in this list more than once the same man or and the old men are to be reverent in verse two the young men are to be sober-minded in verse six same kind of a same word a bit of a semantic range one popular dictionary defines it this way pertaining to being in control of oneself prudent thoughtful self-control pertaining to be in control of oneself prudent thoughtful self-control it's kind of like what Paul says with reference to the older women when he says that she's not to be addicted to much wine yeah it's not just prohibiting her from getting hammered day in and day out but it speaks to that larger framework of self-control self-discipline when Paul prohibits certain things from elders and deacons again the overarching concern is exercise self-control and if we think biblically will know that self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit so it really ought to promote in a woman to cry out to God for the presence in the power of the Holy Spirit so that she can operate navigate in her daily duties in a manner consistent with God's Word ladies you are to be discreet notice secondly she is to be chaste Paul says that verse 4 I'm sorry first 5 to beat discreet and to be chaste now again he doesn't flesh these out or tease these out or give us a million illustrations as to what he means by this the overarching thought is purity a certainly purity means on the one hand that she dresses appropriately in public worship first Timothy chapter 2 after Paul says I want the men to pray this way he then goes on to highlight what he wants from women in public worship and what he wants from women in public worship is that they adorn themselves in modest tea that they're not ostentatious that they're not coming in here saying you know everybody look at me the purpose for gathering on Sabbath day is to look to God not to look at you but to look at me not to be drawn away with anything else so Paul doesn't give concrete illustrations and lines and hair lines and all that sort of stuff but he does say don't spend a ton of money don't decorate yourself in such a gaudy way that everybody looks at you don't draw attention to you then we might extrapolate from that in first Peter chapter three not a public worship sort of setting but in terms of a woman's deportment in terms of the way that she carries herself let's Peter say it's it's very much the same don't don't spend a million dollars on your outfit don't draw attention to yourself in that way no it doesn't mean you need to be a prairie muffin it doesn't mean you need to dress in a gunnysack I mean that woman in Proverbs chapter 31 made money she dressed accordingly and I think that falls to into consideration too I mean if you were on a Walmart budget don't shop in Beverly Hills it's just the way it goes so these are the things that Paul addresses when it comes to younger women in the context of church in the context of society discretion chastity now notice thirdly what he says she is to be a homemaker she is to be a homemaker now the definition again according to be dag means to carry out household duties it means to be busy at home it means to carry out household duties that that's repeated twice so again I'm not saying that a man comes home he sits on his chair and he just you know vegetate dude you can help do things at home you know you can be nice just cuz her primary orientation is to serve in the home doesn't mean you get to just you know make it a mess so that she has more to do you know there's this man in the Bible called nay ball and a ball means fool and in my experience there's a lot of New Testament men that function as nay balls you can do a dish it's not going to kill you it's not going to reverse the created order it's not going to stop progress you can fold a shirt that that's okay you can cook an egg yeah I mean there's things you can do that doesn't stop the process but the primary orientation for a godly woman is to be a homemaker she's got a husband she's got children what Sammy by wit she expresses love for that husband and love for those children by being a homemaker notice in 1st Timothy chapter 5 there's an a desirable paradigm and an undesirable one for the Apostle Paul 1st Timothy chapter 5 at verse 11 Paul is dealing with the support of persons in the church monetary support he deals with the support of qualified widows those widows who have served those widows who have been faithful give to them but in verse 11 he says but refuse the younger widows for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ they desire to marry having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith and besides they learn to be idle wandering about from house to house and not only idle but also also gossips and busybodies saying things which they ought not therefore I desire that the younger widows marry bear children manage the house give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully you see the positive or desirable outcome is verse 14 the undesirable is verse 13 in other words this is not the way younger women should function verse 13 they learn to be idle they wander about from house to house not only idle but also gossips and busybodies saying things which they ought not so what's Paul's point with reference to the younger widows he's not saying I don't want the church to give him any money he says I want him to get married that's the best thing for a young widow is to get married I read somewhere once that at Puritan funerals the wife would be proposed to at the gravesite I don't know if I'm into that at this particular point but the idea was is that first Timothy chapter 5 was a reality and in a society where there wasn't a whole lot of earning potential for a young widow it was an act of mercy and kindness for somebody at the gravesite to propose to her and we hear these things we're horrified but there's great reasons behind it you see Paul says first time he 5:13 don't do this this is bad first of 8514 do this this is good and this is what you ought to be seeking after as young married women that love their husbands and love their children's younger widows marry bear children manage house give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully so back to Titus the benefits of this aspect of being a homemaker or being you know busy in the home is certainly an expression of love for husband and children it's certainly highlighted in proverbs chapter 13 who can find a virtuous woman it's a serious question he's not just you know throwing it out there who who can find that woman described in proverbs chapter 31 she's a gold mine she's a unicorn you find her you put a ring on her finger right away you take her to the altar you say I do and you provide for her and you love her and you treasure her because that's the kind of woman that God intended for women to be now as well Matthew pool makes this observation he says not spending their time and getting abroad but in looking to the affairs of their own families that's that 1st Timothy 5:14 model isn't it first of the 5:13 their Idol they go about from house to house their busy bodies or gossips they're saying things they ought not and then if you really think in terms of you know what Solomon says in the Book of Proverbs what's an identifying characteristic of the harlot what's an identifying characteristic actually it's not the harlot it's not a harlot I'm sorry I apologize it's an adulterous woman there is a difference between a harlot and an adult and ended an adulterous woman the one is harder to say but what Solomon says or characterizes her as in proverbs 7 he says she was loud and rebellious her feet would what they wouldn't stay at home what's the point what's the implication what's the legit illegitimate inference where they should have been her husband is away on business it's not her job to go out and entice a simple young lust-filled man and entice him to come to her back her feet should have remained at home she should have been busy doing the tasks associated with her sphere instead of being this loud and rebellious wretch whose feet wouldn't stay at home now I spend a little time here because as I said earlier for whatever reason we think it's bad to be a homemaker not we not me I don't I think it's the hardest job on the face of the earth I've seen a woman do it with five kids and I marveled why while she did it I'm thankful to God Almighty that she did it but the world has taught you ladies that there's something inferior about being a stay-at-home mom there's dignity you're raising human beings what's bigger than that and then maybe it's your own discontented 'no sin your own well you know I'm just doing this down here your husband's not out foiling crimes he's not out riding steeds he's not out gun fighting he's not out engaged it you know these romantic pursuits he has a normal humdrum job just like every other guy in the world it's not like there's oh my husband gets all this excitement and all the headaches associated with what you think is excitement Jay Adams in his little book I used this book for Christian premarital counseling I hope the kids read it or the young people read it but Jay Adams makes a point in there and I think it would be offensive not just to the world but to probably some of you he said something like this he says if I was a woman and I was a wife and I knew that for the next 50 years I was gonna have to cook food I would learn the science behind it I would learn why a water boils at a particular temperature I would learn how spices and and fats and oils and all these things work together to produce the best flavors what what's bad about that what's wrong about that something in us or something perhaps in women say well it's just not that elegant of a role there's nothing more elegant there's nothing more glorious there's nothing more worthwhile when Napoleon was asked what wrong with Francie said we need better mothers when you see a society and decay and declension it goes back to the family when you see a society it looks like ours it's mothers who don't control their kids at Walmart its fathers who don't love their wives the way Jesus Christ loves its church its persons that live as if there is no king in Israel and everyone does what's right in his own eyes and if you are in your mind or heart to say oh yeah it just doesn't seem as glamorous as a job as I'd like again ask your husband what he has to put up with you know Monday through Saturday ask your husband is your job glamorous it's not I mean there's a few glamorous jobs out there I mean if you're president yeah he's he's moving he's shotgun he's jiving there's a lot going on there I I I mean we couldn't say oh no that's Lammers but most of us are never going to be the president it's simply not the case you can be whatever you want to be that's just not reality and we need to own that so ladies I don't think you should ever be embarrassed by the reality that you love your man and you love your kids and you serve in the home that's what God's called you to that's the Lord's work I'm not you see this I have you open to Titus 2 I'm not making this up it's all right there Paul said it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit all scripture given by inspiration of God it is profitable for doctrine it's profitable for reproof it's profitable for correction and for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work and this is something that has dignity it is something that is blessed it is something that God smiles upon and the notice she is to be good again it's an overarching term it describes her character probably kind is in view here we see a parallel of the word of the word used at least conceptually in another context where it means kind we see that with that proverbs 31 woman the law of hath said or kindness or covenant love or mercy or grace is upon her upon her lips was a kindness about her no there's not yeah I'm making you waffles because have to know you do it cuz you love them and you want to can we ever want to do what we have to do yes we can want to do what we have to do in God's world that's perfectly acceptable you can find joy in it happiness blessing privilege and then notice she is to be submissive to her husband this is how Paul ends verse five or towards the end in terms of the virtues verse five to be discreet chaste homemakers good obedient to their own husband's obedient to their own husband's that means subject oneself be subjected or subordinated obey we see it in Ephesians 5 verse 21 there's the general principle that all of us need to submit to one another in godly fear but it's teased out specifically for the family with reference to husbands and wives in chapter 5 verses 22 to 24 women are to be subject to their own husbands we see that principle as well in the book of Colossians chapter 3 verse 18 you see it in first Peter chapter 3 in fact turn to first Peter chapter 3 perhaps we're not as well versed in that particular passage I tend to stick more with Paul than Peter I think it's good for us to see Peters emphasis here notice in 1st Peter 3:1 wives likewise be submissive to your own husbands that even if some do not obey the word they without a word maybe one by the conduct of their wives when they observe your chaste conduct have come accompanied by fear do not let your adornment be merely outward and I think the New King James accurately supplies words here do not let your adornment be merely outward merely is right that there is a sense sisters where it's okay to look good for your man that's what your man wants so look good for him that's okay but it shouldn't be merely it shouldn't just be external it shouldn't just be that it's not just that the barn is painted beautifully and inside there's a bunch of dead animals that that's not what's good a good paint job and a barn full of healthy live vibrant animals is to be desired and the notice he says do not let your adornment be merely outward arranging the hair wearing gold are putting on notice again fine apparel he doesn't mean or putting on apparel of course Peter wants you to put on apparel the emphasis is on fine apparel spending all your husband's resources on your fine apparel don't do that that's not an expression of love now note the comparative here arranging the hair wearing gold putting on fine apparel rather here's the emphasis here's the onus here's the focus rather let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is very precious in the sight of God for in this manner in former times the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves being submissive to their own husband's as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror see she is to be submissive to her own husband now husbands and wives share or have redemptive solidarity that means that husbands and wives are both saved by the same blood they're both saved by the same grace they're both saved by the same Savior and Peter highlights that first Peter 3:7 notice husband's likewise dwell with them with understanding you're gonna need a lot of it young man giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel and as note what he says being heirs together of the grace of life so husbands aren't more saved than their wives husbands aren't higher up on the rung of dignity and prestige than their wives Paul says the same thing in Galatians 3 you can turn there Galatians chapter 3 verse 26 for you're all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free there is neither male nor female for you're all one in Christ Jesus both point is that you have redemptive solidarity but that redemptive solidarity doesn't destroy functional distinctiveness just because you got converted and you were a slave in the Roman empire you couldn't go to your master and say I'm a free man now he'd have cause to disagree just because you were converted in the first century didn't mean you could now identify as a female because this idea of maleness and femaleness is is obliterate no redemptive solidarity does not mitigate against the reality that there are functional distinctions between husbands and wives functional distinctions between men and women and in God's world he men made men to lead in the home and in the church and he made women to submit in the home in terms of the church there's specific rules but it's not the the same sort of submission that you find in the home brethren this is God's world and we need to play by God's rules and we need to seek by God's grace to be obedient now look finely with me at the end of verse 5 to underscore the gravity of her calling the seriousness of her calling after giving the particulars after highlighting the specifics verse 5 to be discreet chaste homemakers good obedient to their own husband's notice that the Word of God may not be blasphemed pol does not say if you live this way your kids will give you really good gifts on Mother's Day if you live this way your husband will take you out for good dinner if you live this way life is gonna be peachy keen he doesn't argue that way he's not arguing in a utilitarian manner he's not saying do this and then you'll get this he says do this because if you don't the Word of God is blasphemy it means there is a theological undergirding there is a theological foundation there is a theological reason for why men are supposed to do what they're supposed to do and for why women are supposed to do what women are supposed to do when women do not do what they're supposed to do and at the same time professed faith in Jesus Christ they cause reproach upon the name of God it's like David remember when David sinned a Nathan reporter approved him what does Nathan say to david he says by this deed you have given cause to the enemies of God to blaspheme because when the nations around Israel heard of David's escapades they would say well what kind of representative of the God of Israel is he he's supposed to be sitting on your waste throne on earth and yet he functions the way that the thugs around him do he engages in adultery he engages in murder he engages in these sorts of operations to cover up his sin that's that's disgusting what's the same thing ladies when you do not live consistently with your profession of faith it's the same things men when you and I do not live consistently with our profession of faith persons are inclined to say well what's so good about Christianity they look like the rest of us they look like everyone else they're similar with the pagans and with the heathens again George Knight makes the observation Paul thus encourages godly conduct by saying that it keeps God's message from being evil spoken of therefore for a wife to fail to be submissive to her husband or to be unloving or impure etc would allow non-christians to say that Christianity makes people worse rather than better and therefore that its message is not only useless but bad there's that grand principle in Ephesians chapter 5 as well in terms of husbands loving and wife submitting what is that supposed to exemplify or display Christ in his church so when a man treats his wife like garbage the next-door neighbor says Christ must each is why a treat treat his church like garbage or when a woman doesn't submit to her own husband as on to the Lord the next-door neighbor is gonna say well that's the way the church functions with Christ unfortunately they're right on that one most of the time but it's unfortunate but reality you see what we do brethren sends a message in fact look at our passage look at 2:10 well 2:9 exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters to be well pleasing in all things not answering back okay pulse I mean come on we just don't do this do we not answering back it's in our DNA to answer back so why Paul tells us not to do it bondservants the very thing they will be inclined not to do be obedient to their own masters be well pleasing in all things be the best slave be the best bondservant be the best guy in that man's employ not answering back not pilfering he's not paying you to steal from him but showing all good fidelity now notice the purpose clause that they may adorn what the doctrine of God our Savior in all things so when a bondservant shows up to work when a bondservant doesn't answer back when a bondservant does everything that please is the master when the bondservant qissas greedy little mitts to himself and not pilfers from his employer he's adorning the doctrine of God our Savior see that's where I think we've missed it we think that the only way to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior is to be a missionary to China no bondservants can do this wives can do this the church corporately when they participate in the supper do what they proclaim the Lord's death until he comes there's other ways to adorn the doctrine than being a missionary in China or a pastor a preacher in a pulpit in a bondservant situation which I don't want to offend anybody with slavery that's what they were able to do now real quick by way of just a glance verses 11 to 14 this is the basis for the instructions live consistently the way Paul instructs you as old men as old women as younger women as younger men as Titus himself and as bondservants because of verse 11 here's the here's the explanation here's the reason here's the rationale here's the why why are we supposed to do this Paul for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all man now there's many ways that could be understood but suffice to say at this particular juncture probably means all kinds of men older man younger man older women younger women kings those are an authority all types of people the grace of God has appeared to them and what does that grace of God appear to them to first of all it brings salvation that grace that God makes appear to his elect bring salvation once we are in this state of salvation once we have been called out of darkness into marvelous light once we have by grace confessed faith in Jesus what does Grace teach us it teaches us to deny ungodliness it teaches us to deny worldly lusts it teaches us that we should live soberly we should live righteously we should live godly in the present age in other words all the instructions given there in chapter 2 verses 1 to 10 appropriate for the predict particular persons in the church that make up the church this is how you're supposed to function this is the general framework with specific direction in verses 1 to 10 for appropriate groups this is how you apply this is how you shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation this is how you hold forth the word of truth it's not just preaching on Sunday morning it's living Monday through Saturday it's the way that you function in the home it's the way that you function in the workplace it's the way that you function as an older man or as a younger man or as an older woman or a younger woman all of this adorns the gospel the doctrine of our God and Savior and while we do this we do it with this expectation we do it with this orientation Paul says notice in verse 13 looking for the Blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ something to ponder when you're making those waffles it's something to ponder when you're pleasing your master in all things it's something to ponder in your unglamorous work life when you're bored out of your mind looking forward to the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and yes it's a description of Jesus Christ as our great God and Savior and the reason why these things are possible the reason why these things are in our potential is because of verse 14 this Jesus Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works zealous to obey what verses 1 to 10 says so if there's no zeal in our hearts to comply with the written word of God if we look at the law of God and say oh what a bird and what a hardship what a grief what a what a bummer then it's questionable whether he gave himself for us those who have redeemed to say receive the redundant a redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ those who have been saved by grace I mean we might bristle a little bit against being told you know this is your lot in life but we come to it and we embrace it and we recognize it and we thank God Almighty that Christ did give himself for us and we are to be his own special people and we are to be zealous for good works were to be the kinds of people that do what God calls us to do so ladies be encouraged be be hopeful be helped and persevere and men please pray for your wives I want to end with a couple of thoughts first the need for such women for the benefit of husbands say well my husband doesn't deserve that well you married the wrong guy but you need to fit and fix it or stick with it actually you didn't marry the wrong guy God is sovereign and in Providence you got who you got you got who you got you need to make the best of it you know what's one of the difficulties in Scripture is that we need to obey God because God tells us to obey you say well Butler that that's just obvious well we oftentimes condition our obedience on the performance of others well I would love her the way that Jesus loved the church if she maybe waffles I would love her the way that Jesus loved the church if she ironed my clothes I love her the way that Jesus loved the church if she changed the oil in my car I'd really love her that we are not to condition our obedience to God on what other people do you need to you need to swallow that pill same with the ladies huh you know I'd submit to my husband if I'd submit to my husband when I'd submit to my no you need to submit to your own husband's as unto the Lord you need to love your wives as Jesus Christ loved the church not conditioned upon their obedience to the law of God again I think that's in our minds well if they this then all that no you have to this because God has called you to it so the need for such women the benefit of husbands the benefit of children they're your kids they're not the state's kids hopefully they never will be they're not the church's kids they're your kids and your orientation is to be toward them kids demand a lot of attention kids demand a lot of work and when you had those kids you signed up for that you can't get three years in and say well I'm not quite happy with this arrangement I want to send it back no you can't do that you need to be this kind of woman because your husband needs that kind of woman and your kids need that kind of woman secondly I want to encourage the ladies in our congregation you may think this has been short on encouragement first of all you must realize that your task is difficult oftentimes thankless and mostly under under appreciated but just about everyone it's a tough job and you're not probably getting accolades I mean you think of Mother's Day for instance again it's the Lord's Day Mother's on Father's Day it's gonna be the Lord's Day Father's every Sunday is his day you think about that one day out of the year you're gonna do something nice for your parent your mother shame on you every day should be Mother's Day every day you should esteem that one who actually has kept you alive that one upon whom you depend that one who feeds you that one who cares for you that one who loves you if it's one day out of the year that you say well you know thanks mom oh and shame on you be thankful for your for your mother for the ladies you must persevere in your calling and realize that the calling you have under God is a full-time multifaceted calling that is of the utmost importance is of the utmost importance think of the most important thing that a person can do again president Prime Minister I mean you could feasibly ruin an entire country that's bad but mothers can ruin human beings in a way that not everybody can fathers can do that as well have we have we rightly embraced the reality of what is involved in in bearing children it's a huge responsibility for living I raise humans Wow I you know make those little things that go on the end of shoelaces it's thinking about somebody makes those to put tape on mine the plastic fell off I'm sure it's a machine now but at some point somebody made those things raising humans is far more important than that raising humans is as important as anything so ladies embrace it as well you must guard against laziness I say this as a brother in Christ I say this as one susceptible to laziness I say this as one that realizes that laziness will not produce Titus to type women proverbs 31 27 she watches over the ways of her household and does not eat what the bread of idleness your children needs your instruction your example your discipline and your love and then finally the blessing upon such women this is from the sermon recently on the book of Proverbs from her husband her husband also and he praises her many daughters have done well but you excel them all brethren if you are not doing this occasionally with your wives you need to do this with your wives you need to encourage them you know what it's like all week to work and it's unglamorous and perhaps you feel a bit you know unthankful in your life and you haven't gotten a raise it would be nice if your boss said you know I really appreciate what you're doing don't say well I don't get that so why should she again nabe all don't live that way encourage her many daughters have done well and you excel them all praise Almighty God when you think about it that he actually gave you somebody who cares for you in the way that they do it really is an amazing thing isn't it that one person saddles up with another person and they ride off together in this world and seek by the grace of God to bring glory to him it is a it is a beautiful and a wonderful thing as well her children rise up and call her blessed proverbs 31:28 a and from her community and let her own works praise her in the gates well if you had been here yesterday morning you would have heard that there's a distinction between law and gospel I preached law this morning this was a lot of law ladies you are not saved by being this you are saved in order to be this you're not going to be this perfectly that's just my observation and that nevertheless will not disqualify you from heaven I want to show you one more thing in first Timothy chapter 2 a passage that I think is misunderstood at times I'm not sure this is absolutely positively correct but I think this is Paul's point after dealing with men praying in the church with women adorning themselves modestly in the church with the prohibition against women teaching or exercising authority in the church notice in verse 15 nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith love and holiness with self-control almost sounds like a works righteousness doesn't it almost sounds like ladies have babies and be faithful you can make it to heaven there's a there's a difference between the she and the day look at verse 15 nevertheless she will be saved in the childbearing if they continue in faith love and holiness with self-control I think Eve is the woman of verse 15 she I think Eve is the sheet will be saved in the childbearing the seed of the woman genesis 3:15 the conquering skull-crushing seed of the woman that would do damage to the devil that would do bring destruction to the devil she Eve will be saved in that childbearing if they christened women who have participated in that childbearing not actually having the baby but believing in the baby that was had they then continued in faith love and holiness with self-control in other words you're saved by grace through faith not by the way that you function in the home doesn't mean you want to function in the home in a particular way but remember the gospel after a heavy dose of law we always ought to be encouraged with the balm of Gilead your salvation is reliant upon God Almighty who sent his son the Lord Jesus who lived who died and who was raised again the third day so that we could have forgiveness so that we could receive a righteousness so that we could go to heaven so ladies the greatest encouragement I can give to you is the reality that Christ was crucified Christ is risen and that Christ has saved you now you by grace are to continue in faith love and holiness with self-control and if there are some here who haven't believed on Christ believe on Christ Eve was promised to be the mother of all living the woman would bear a seed and that seed would crush the devil himself and that seed is the Lord Jesus Christ and whoever believes on him will have everlasting life let us close in a word of Prayer father thank you for your word thank you for your graciousness thank you for the fact that you save us and that you equip us by the spirit and with the word to live in a way that brings glory to you we all confess that we all fall short in so many ways and we all confess our need our dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ so again please wash us in that precious blood refresh us with a view of Christ and the gospel and cause us to reflect upon these things and to live in a manner that is consistent with the gospel and we ask that you would go with us now bless families here bless individuals bless us and help us to sanctify the day and to come tonight to be encouraged at the worship of the Living God and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close by singing praise to God will sing number 564 564 we'll stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever amen God thank you for that redeeming work of the Savior thank you that you set your affection upon us you chose us in him and God how we praise you for these redemptive blessings go with us help us to rejoice in these truths and may they be a means of our of our encouragement and of our are up upholding and building and just cause us to glorify and honor you in this world and we pray through Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation