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e e e e e e e e e e e good morning everyone welcome back to free Grace Baptist Church quick perusal I don't see any unfamiliar faces but if you are here for the first time you're welcome as well we have a few announcements before we get started uh of course our evening service tonight at 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday night bible study is taking place at 7:30 as usual here at the church um we have the church work day happen happening next Saturday on the 18th of May at 8:30 p.m. approximately when it starts it'll be finished in the early afternoon Lord willing so if you're able to come out and help with tidying up and doing some little projects around the church that would be great there's still a few more slots available for the church lawn mowing schedule if you haven't signed up yet and you've been thinking about it jump on that opportunity before it's gone um and then we have a few wonderful announcements uh Pastor Kirk Patrick Jessica had a baby girl on Thursday by the name of Rose Abigail so Jessica gave birth to a baby girl and cam Porter is out there filling the pulpit today that's a blessing too that cam is able to to jump at these opportunities and help out and then Isaac is engaged to Jill probably most people are aware of that already but another thing to Rejoice about there are more Church directories printed just in case anybody that doesn't have any that we were down to the last few last last week but uh whim has had more printed so there are lots available if you don't have a church directory yet pick that up so we're going to move on to worship by turning to Psalm 25 in our Bibles for our call to worship Psalm 25 we'll begin in verse one and just read through verse 11 A Psalm of David to you oh Lord I lift up my soul oh my God I trust in you let me not be ashamed let not my enemies triumph over me indeed let no one who Waits on you be ashamed let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause show me your ways O Lord teach me your paths Lead Me In Your Truth and teach me for you are the god of my salvation on you I wait all the day remember O Lord your Tender Mercies and your loving kindnesses for they are from of old do not remember the sins of my youth nor my transgressions according to your mercy remember me for your Goodness Sake O Lord good and upright is the Lord therefore he teaches sinners in the way the humble he guides in Justice and the humble he teaches his way all the paths of the Lord are mercy and Truth to such as keep his Covenant and his testimonies for your name's sake O Lord pardon my iniquity for it is great amen we don't often hear Civic rulers like David King of a Nation confessing that their sins are great although we know they all should but uh it's a wonderful thing to read of a humble man in a high place let's go ahead and turn in our himels to Psalm 24b as in bravo 24b and we will stand as we sing this psalm P of praise the Earth and [Music] his the world and his Bel to the Lord for the SE foundations has and on the waters his oh shall out of the Lord God and the of His Ho the L of your [Music] with who swear to ID [Music] his Blessing [Music] receive salv shall rightous looking to to him is a blessing Grace all those by J are seeking [Music] your [Music] your great our glory to enter [Music] oh is the glor the Lord Mighty lord of the battle [Music] is [Music] your the great king of glory to enter his great king of glory can the Lord God of H of Glory [Music] is May seated let us turn to the Lord in prayer our gracious Heavenly Father we thank you for this beautiful and glorious day thank you that we are surrounded by such a the Splendor of your creation and that we can rejoice in the fact that we know the Creator who made all of this Lord how empty life would be if we thought this had just come about by chance and there was no Rhyme or Reason to it but indeed you are the the creator of the most beautiful things and Lord we thank you for your work of creation thank you for this creation of new life for blessing uh Kirk Patrick's with a little baby girl thank you for a healthy birth Lord we pray you'd bless them and encourage them to be their Joy this day Lord be with Cam as he shares there in the Pulpit we pray that he would preach with unction and Authority the word of God to the congregation there Lord we thank you for all the mothers here in our congregation this day as we remember Mother's Day and celebrate it we bless you for the fact that you have given us many children and and many mothers in this congregation that have born children many that are even now pregnant with children in their womb and we pray you'd bless those young ladies that are carrying little ones and bless those little ones we pray dear God that in due time each of these would be well Born Into the world healthy and strong and in due time we pray that through the preaching of the word and the work of the Holy Spirit they would also be born into the kingdom of God Lord this is the thing we Rejoice about most of all is the fact that you have not only create the creation around us but you have created new hearts and given us new Spirits those who have been called effectually by your Holy Spirit you have transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the son of your love and the the new creation is the most glorious of all things that you have done taking filthy rotten Sinners deserving of hell and Punishment and changing them and adopting them into your family we thank you for this great and marvelous work Lord we pray that you'd be gracious to our congregation here this day we pray that you would encourage us we pray that you'd bless Pastor Butler as he enters the pulpit and preaches to us anoint him oh God to share accurately and powerfully your word Lord we pray for those in our congregation that are struggling either here in our midst or at home or in the hospital unable to be with us in particular we pray pray this morning for Ted Faber I pray oh God that you'd be gracious to him and encourage his heart as he looks forward to the possibility of surgery today Lord we pray that you would give the doctors the surgeons wisdom and I pray oh God that that if indeed the surgery goes ahead that he would come through with with flying colors and you would use this for good in our brother Lord I pray that you'd be merciful to him this day L we thank you for for the good that you are doing all over the face of the Earth thank you for the good news we heard uh from Myanmar that these children 100 children and workers have been safely transferred through much potential Danger from the Orange Grove to the safer City we pray oh God that you would be gracious to them as all the uh as they set things up and get all the logistics organized to be able to continue to care for these people and as they look forward to the trip back to pick up more God I pray you'd be gracious and merciful and protect them and keep them out of Harm's Way Lord we thank you that you have sustained Peter we pray that you'd continue to St sustain this man and continue to cause him to be a blessing to those that he works with Lord we pray that the gospel would go forth this day from pulpits all over the world here in our own city of chilak we thank you that there are other churches today where men are preaching the gospel and where Saints are gathered and we pray that you would bless those congregations and bless our church plants encourage the brethren in surri and Armstrong in dren and Lord we pray that you'd also be with the other Brethren that we have communion with across western Canada we pray you'd encourage the the Saints of of like mind and bless the work there in Kenya thank you that it continues to go forward bless pastor ogallo and his fellow Elders I pray this day Lord we look forward to what you are going to do in our midst and we pray that you'd continue with us in worship Lord we pray that you would cleanse our hearts and make us fit we know that throughout the week we transgress your law and we thank you for the holy spirit that convicts us of sin and thank you for the cleansing blood of Christ that we have we think pray these things in Jesus name amen amen amen so let us turn in our himels now to number 560 we're going to sing the apostles creeds something that we learned a little more about during the conference a couple weeks back one of these uh statements of faith that has been dear to the church for many centuries 560 please stand with [Music] me the maker of of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ Our saor God Son of the hoost conce Virgin Mar for the son he in whom I have believe God Almighty free in [Music] one with the gra as the for but the still was empty on the third day he arose into made his ENT Mighty of his was right and he is till is coming he said final Jud will be to the living and the I confess the Holy Spirit as we said through Christ the son to a [Music] Salvation God the spirit in one the Church of Jesus holy [Music] cathol we are one through all thees theunion of the Saints I believe s are for that our will be raised with God is and let his [Music] praise may be seated please take your Bible and turn with me to Matthew chapter 26 for our morning scripture reading Matthew 26 we'll break it into two parts and we'll read today from verse 1 through verse 16 Matthew 26:1 now it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings that he said to his disciples you know that after 2 days is the Passover and the son of man will be delivered up to be crucified then the chief priests the scribes and the Elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill him but they said not during the feast lest there be an uproar among the people and when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper a woman came to him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table but when his disciples saw it they were IND digant saying why this waste for this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor but when Jesus was aware of it he said to them why do you trouble the woman for she has done a good work for me for you you have the poor with you always but me you do not have always for in pouring this fragrant oil on my body she did it for my burial assuredly I say to you wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her then one of the 12 called Judas es scariot went to the chief priests and said what are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you and they counted out to him 30 pieces pieces of silver so from that time he sought opportunity to betray him amen let's pray gracious Father in Heaven I thank you for recording in such details in each of the gospels the account of Christ on his way to the cross and thank you that he set his face as a flint to go to Jerusalem when his time was right to accomplish for us what none other could do the salvation of our souls and we pray oh God that we would ever be mindful of this and bless your name on a continual basis for the great work that Christ has done in Jesus name amen for our final hymn this morning we'll turn to 213 in the Himel 213 and stand as we sing glory be to God the Father glory be to God the son glory be to God the spirit God Al Mighty free one hallelu Hallelujah glory be to him glor be to us us from all sin and S glory be to B us us King with to hallelu hallelu prise that once was slain glory to the king of angels glory to the church King glory to the king of Nations and your praise hallelu [Music] hallelu to the king of glory sing glor bless PR [Music] Eternal of angels sints glory god his PR creation [Music] hallelu hallelu prise [Music] Mighty we can turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Titus Titus Chapter 2 our Focus will be verses 3 to 5 God willing we'll get back to our studies in John's gospel uh next Sunday morning but this morning we're going to look at the theological basis for motherhood and I want to make it clear that what Paul is doing here in Titus Chapter 2 is not giving instructions on how to get saved notice in chapter 2: 1 to10 he is basically addressing or telling Titus to address the various people groups in the church on how they ought to live and again it's not so that they may be saved rather it's because they have been saved and we'll see that as we move through the passage this morning so beginning in Titus 2 I'll read the chapter and then we'll pray verse one but as for you speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine that the older men be sober reverent temperate sound in faith in love in patience the older women likewise that they be reverent in Behavior not slanderers not given to much wine teachers of good things that that they admonish the young women to love their husbands to love their children to be discreet chaste Homemakers good obedient to their own husbands that the word of God may not be blasphemed likewise exhort the young men to be sober minded in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of Good Works in Doctrine showing Integrity reverence incorruptibility sound speech that cannot be condemned that one who is an opponent may be ashamed having nothing evil to say of you exhort bonder servants 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 Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and that it's profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousness we pray that you would thoroughly furnish us onto every good work that you would always cause us to reflect upon the order we're Justified freely by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and then we seek by grace to live in a manner that is consistent with that how we thank you for so great a Salvation how we thank you for the written and inherent and infallible word of God guide us now by the Holy Spirit forgive us for all of our sins and unrighteousness and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well just a reminder how Paul gets to where Paul gets here in Titus Chapter 2 notice specifically in Titus Chapter 1 he wants Titus to set in order the things that are lacking so basically he wants Titus to appoint Elders in the various cities in the churches of Creet so notice in 15 for this reason I left you in greet that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint Elders in every city as I commanded you and then he gives a list of qualifications that the Elder must be other words there must be a demonstrated capability on the part of the man of God in terms of these virtues then notice specifically in terms of his gift or ability in verse 9 he is to hold fast the faithful word as he has been taught and this for a two-fold purpose that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to ex ort and convict those who contradict so in other words the Elder must hold fast that word of Truth so that he can be a a guard of the sheep that are entrusted to his care he is supposed to be able by sound Doctrine to convict those who contradict but with that sound Doctrine he's also supposed to be able to exhort and encourage the people of God so then in Titus 1 at verses 10 to 16 he deals with that that that contradiction or that reputation of those who are mindful of their own ways those who are opposed to the grace of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and then here in chapter 2: 1 to10 he gives those positive encouragements and exhortations to the people of God on how they are to live and again the instruction isn't be a good mother in order to gain your way to heaven that's not what's happening in this particular passage he is saying you have been Justified you have been redeemed you have been saved by race and as a result of that you're supposed to live the way that the Apostle stipulates with reference to the various people groups that Titus ministers to it's very similar in in nature to 1 Timothy 5 so Paul there tells Timothy how to instruct various people in the context of the local church on how they're to live in light of the Salvation that God has freely given them so I want to look first at the instructions for older women in verse three and then secondly the exhortations to the the younger women in Verses 4 and 5 but notice with reference to the older women in the first part of verse three the particular virtues she is supposed to manifest the older women likewise so this is on the heels as the uh after the exhortation to older men so verse three the older men uh older women likewise that they be reverent in behavior that they not be slanderers and that they be not given to much wine so she is to be Reverend that describes her overarching demeanor not perfect not without blemish not absolutely without flaw but the general overarching nature of her life is to be one of reverence this is true of the older men as well if you notice in verse two that the older men may be sober reverent temperate sound in faith and love and patience and interestingly a lot of the virtues that we see commended here to the people of God in general are the sorts of things that the apostle stipulates have to be true of Elders and deacons Elders here in Titus Chapter 1 but elders and deacons in 1 Timothy chapter 3 in other words it's not the case that just the officers in the church should pursue these virtues they should be true of everybody in the professing people of God in other words it's not the case that a younger woman can be irreverent no you're to be reverent you're to have that demeanor you're to have that overarching disposition of a fear toward God and a love for others notice as well she is to be faithful in her speaking so the older women likewise that they be reverent in Behavior not slanderers this is a good interpretation it's literally not Devils the devil is an accuser and a slanderer this is to be obvious in the Deacon's wives according to 1 Timothy 3:1 and the violation of this is characteristic of those in the last days Accord according to 2 Timothy 3 and: 3 so The Godly older woman is to be reverent she is to be righteous in Her speech she is to be moderate with alcohol again stipulation for elders in 1 Timothy 3:3 and then again in deacons in 1 Timothy chapter 38 so it's not just the officers of the church but everybody is to be moderate everybody is to guard their tongue everybody is to have that pursuit of a reverence that is commendable before God and to others so those are the virtues the older women possess but then notice the conduct that the older women possess and I'm going to address something here that I think is necessary to address notice in 3B it says uh after not giving a much wine teachers of good things so she is to be a teacher of good things the older women in the context of the local church what does Paul mean does Paul mean that it's from those older women you have Waters to fish in order to get Elders in the church you get the professors you get the the the teachers you get the Seminary lecturers well the context is very clear who these older women are teaching notice in verses four and five that they admonish the young women so particularly in the context in verse three the older woman is a teacher of good things and the audience or her Target are the younger women in the context of the local church so in other words younger women in the local Church ought to be able to have coffee or get around the older women in the local church to be taught good things as well older women you don't sit you know stand in the pulpit and say you know you younger women gather around me because I've got nuggets of wisdom that's not what's in view here but the rank and file EB and flow of the people of God as they bump into each other the older people pass on wisdom to the younger people now I want to make a few observations with reference to this particular text in the first place she is not to serve as an elder in the church it's unfortunate that in our treatment as we go back to the regulative principle of worship tonight that that that I'd even have to deal with this it used to be settled it used to be a regular Assumption of all people everywhere that profess the name of Jesus Christ that 1 Timothy 2 was still valid for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and 1 Timothy 3 so I just saw this week a particular clip of a man who I think claims to be a pastor referring very negatively to me men like me who who believe that women are not supposed to be Elders or Pastors in the church it was quite unkind what he had to say I didn't fire off a nasty reply I'm just simply telling you that it wasn't a kind thing but again this is something that used to be common place but now more and more even good denominations or what were once good denominations are starting to dabble with women in office this is not an anti-woman Tye this is not chauvinism Paul was not the attorney enemy of women as George Bernard Shaw referred to but rather Paul understood that in God's world God made fish to fly and he made birds or he made birds to fly I always do that and fish to swim we want to correct that or invert that and we want fish swimming and birds flying what we do forget that illustration you get the point the Lord God in the created or made men to lead in the home and he made made men to lead in the church if that's offensive you've got a problem with God not me you you can't call me names I you can I can't stop you but the bottom line is in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth and he made man first and then he made Eve to function as his helper and we see that pattern established in the home from creation and Paul argues from there in Ephesians 5 when he tells wives to be submissive to their own husbands why because God made it this way when it comes to the local church same order 1 Corinthians 11 1 Corinthians 14 1 Timothy 2 1 Timothy 3 Titus Chapter 1 envisages male leadership in the context of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ so if we are thinking regulative principle of worship we do not have the right to violate what is written in God's word and to evade the very clear teaching of scripture at this point so this text is not calling upon a woman to serve as an elder in the church go back to Titus 1 ver 5 for this reason I left you in create that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint Elders in every city as I commanded you if a notice that next key word again a word that we don't like today in our generation but if a if a man is blameless who's supposed to function as an elder in the Church of the Lord Jesus it's supposed to be a man notice in 1 Timothy CH 3 same emphasis verse one this is a faithful saying if a man desires the office of a bishop he desires a good work and in both instances we see the man must be a husband of one wife he must be a onew woman man he must be sexually faithful he must ex exhibit Fidelity in that real in that realm so she's not to serve as an elder in the church but as well she is not to preach or teach in the gathered church so if you're in 1 Timothy 2 uh 3 back up just a little bit to 1 Timothy chap 2 two notice in verse one therefore I exhort first of all that supplications prayers intercessions and givings of thanks or giving of thanks be made for all men what's the church supposed to do according to the Apostle in the first place be a prayerful church we know this refers to the church as she's gathered for worship by what Paul says in 1 Timothy 3:14 notice there and then we'll go back to chapter 2 these things I write to you though I hope to come to you shortly but if I am delayed I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God which is the Church of the Living God the pillar and the ground and ground of the truth we don't have the right to go into God's house and tell God that we're going to change things around just like we don't have the right to enter into each each other's homes and tell us how we're supposed to function in our home I don't like the refrigerator there I don't like the couch there I don't like the kitchen table there well then get out this is my house and those things are where I decreed the same with reference to the Church of God why man thought he could take his Filthy Hands and drip them all over scripture and excise from scripture the very principles that God's installed for the worship of God I'll never know other than sin remaining corruption and just a a lack of earnestness in serving the living and true God so go back to chapter two so Paul says pray and then specifically in 28 he says I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting and then he gives instructions to women in the public worship of God in like manner also that the women Adorn themselves in modest apparel this is still as valid for today as it was then you're not supposed to draw attention to yourself sister in the public worship of God rather we're supposed to be able to give our minds and our hearts and our thoughts to God most high 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 let a woman learn in Silence with all submission and I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man but to be in silence so the opponents of this Doctrine will argue something like this well you know Ephesus there's a lot of problems in Ephesus Ephesus had some pretty obnoxious and pushy women and so Paul says I want to make sure that those obnoxious and pushy women don't get into the pulpit I I I don't permit that in the city of Ephesus I don't permit that where women have this this tendency to be pushy and obnoxious you see Paul doesn't argue from con uh culture Paul argues from Creation in other words what is established in Genesis chapters 1:3 is foundational for the creatures life on earth when we are remade in the image of God through redemption in Jesus Christ guess what ethics are to be Opera ative in the lives of God's people the stuff that God built into the created order in Genesis chapters 1:3 it's not some brand new list of Ethics in fact when you read the passages that deal with husbands and wives or men and women in the context of family or church the arguments always go back to creation and this is no exception so note the prohibition again in verse 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man but to be in silence here's your argument for Adam was formed first then Eve and Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived fell into transgression I don't think that Paul is saying that every single woman ever will fall into deception and transgression I don't think it's a blanket statement on a defect in woman's nature I I don't think that at all but I think it is an acknowledgment of God's intention in the created order that men lead in the family and Men lead in the church that's the point that the Apostle is highlighting here so in Titus chap 1 or Titus Chapter 2 when it says that the older woman must be a teacher of good things not as an elder in the church not as a teacher in the gathered church and she is not to exercise authority over men in the gathered church and again you can whine and cry and accuse me of chauvinism and all that sort of a thing but this was the common interpretation for most of the Christian church it's only the last couple of hundred years where we've got got Pastor you know Susie or Pastor you know L Linda not just picking names out here but the the various uh Pastor whoever that that that that that serves in the church this is this sort of been unconscionable or Unthinkable and yet today the bad guys are the one who actually take Paul at his word in 1 Timothy Chapter 2 she and the church has not to disregard the regulative principle of worship at this point oh but she's so gifted well then let her teach women and children she's so wonderful let her teach women and children and she can certainly teach children look at second Timothy CH 3 I'm sorry 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 5 well verse three I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience as my forefathers did as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day greatly Desiring to see you being mindful of your tears that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you which dwelt first in your mother Lois and your mother Unice and I am persuaded is in you also so these Godly women pass theological understanding and biblical knowledge down to Timothy and then notice again in chapter 3 at verse 15 and that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Lois and Eunice catechized Timothy Lois and Eunice took that body of Doctrine and passed it on to Timothy he learned it God saved him it's a wonderful thing so by all means ladies exercise your gifts in the context of your home and instruct your children in the fear of the Lord and certainly older women are to instruct younger women as our text specifically says now we'll turn there back to Titus Chapter 2 Note the exhortations to the younger women in Verses 4 to 5 so the older women woman is to be a teacher of good things well what good things are those Paul how to make sourdough bread sure D is great it's good for the gut good gut health that's what I'm told uh how to you know braid one's hair yeah sure whatever how to make dress all that's good but note the specific emphases that we find here in Titus Chapter 2 and I would suggest there's a three-fold emphasis first her domestic relationships in verse four secondly her particular virtues in 5A and then the theological basis for this in verse 5B but notice her domestic relationships and they're quite simple in terms of definition if you look at verse four so the older woman is to be a teacher of good things and then in verse four that they admonish the young women to love their husbands it's pretty simple thing isn't it to love their husbands it's interesting because this rounds out Paul's instruction to women and men in terms of their specific responsibilities usually the accent falls on submission in terms of a wife's role to her husband Ephesians 5 Wives be submissive to your own husbands as to the Lord I think it's assumed that she's going to love him so she is told those things that are more of a difficulty for her man is going to love his bride but he's specifically told not to be embittered against her he's told to lovingly lead her he's told those things that that probably aren't uppermost he he he does love her but he doesn't always voice that or demonstrate that as he ought so Paul deals with us where we need to be dealt with and with reference to a woman I can only imagine because she I happen to know one that's married to me it can't be an easy task to be submissive to your husband in all things that's got to be a rough go but with reference to the command of God Ephesians 5 is clear Colossians chapter 3 is clear First Peter chapter 2 is clear here we are told that she is to love him love him this is the sort of motivation this is the impetus behind everything else that follows in terms of her relationship to her husband now that doesn't mean your husband's perfect it doesn't mean that he's Flawless it doesn't mean that he's without blemish but it means that you married him and there ought to have been a reason for that and you need to make good on that commitment not only in terms of submission functionally but in terms of love dispositionally don't throw things at him don't throw his clothes out the front door don't purposefully burn his food or you know try to make life miserable for him if that's your pattern or your way you need to repent because that's not godly you need to love your husband even at times in his un liness remember husbands are told or commanded to love their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her well when Christ gives himself for the church it's not this lovely perfect being it is rather a blemished and and sinful lot so the husband and the wife both have a a tough road to hoe in terms of loving their spouse but again I like to think back to the to the to the front end do your diligence before you get married can I love this person the way God commands me to can I do what God calls me to in terms of marriage to this person I'd like to think more people would ask themselves that before putting a ring on on it before you know locking it down as it were you got to think through these things young people if you're not married today you're probably hoping aspiring that that'll be the case well don't just willy-nilly run into it but rather reflect can I love this person the way that God calls me to love that's not usually the way we do it is it can this person serve me the way God tells them to no no no no no no no no can I love this person the way that God commands me to love them and if you're a woman that means submitting your own husband that means fearing him not fighting you know fleeing from him but respect and honor if you're a husband can you love her as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her selfs sacrificially those are good questions I think at the front end to ask before you put a ring on him or her notice secondly she is to love her children and again this might seem foundational or axiomatic what what woman doesn't love her children brethren we live in the 21st century in North America there's a lot of women that don't love their children that is an unfortunate Grim reality that we're reminded of on a daily basis the fact is is that not all mothers love their children and the fact is is that God through the Apostle tells the mothers that they need to love their children John Gil says not with a fond foolish and ungoverned affection but so as to seek 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 Solomon there under the inspiration of the holy spirit says he who spares his Rod hates his son but he who loves him disciplines C him promptly again like Gil says it's not supposed to be an unfettered just love and affection and fondness Love Is principled Love desires the best for the object loved God so loved the world what he gave his only begotten son so you see that love demonstrable in terms of the particular application well the same is true with a woman she loves her children not so that they can grow up and to be a blight on the earth not so that they can grow up to be a a pain in the neck of a future your spouse but she loves him in such a way that Solomon commands that she brings him up in the training and admonition of the Lord you see that all through the Book of Proverbs and I hope some of you have these texts already written down and committed to memory it's not a brand new list that I bring every time I preach on these things but training begins early turn back to the Book of Proverbs just a few passages won't spend a lot of time there but it's good to have it in front of us in terms of motherhood and what is expected of us proverbs 4 verse3 when I was my Father's son tender and the only one in the sight of my mother he also taught me and said to me let your heart retain my words so the idea being is that while he's tender while he's the only one in the sight of his mother there's already parental Dru uh instruction going on and Solomon envisages not only the father instructing the child but also the mother instructing the child child as well look at Proverbs 19 specifically at Verse 18 Proverbs 19: 18 chasen your son while there is hope and do not set your heart on his destru note the Epic language that is employed by Solomon when it comes to child training when it comes to child rearing it's either you lose him or you bless and help him chasing your son while while there's hope that's probably not 18 when all he does is play video games and smoke pot in the basement you you haven't exercised the counsel given you by Solomon when it comes to chastening your son while there's still hope what age is that Pastor well you know the wicked go a strange from the womb speaking lies as soon as they are born that's not Augustine who said that it's not Paul who said that it's not Jim who said that it's it's David said that Psalm 58 we need to understand that Rebellion starts early bridges makes the observation Satan begins with the infant arms The Cry of passion is his first Stir of the Native corruption do we begin as early every Vice commences in the nursery the great secret is to establish Authority in the dawn of of life to bend the tender twig before the naughty Oak is beyond our power great counsel it's e easier to crush a a a a snake egg than and to deal with you know one of these massive pythons you see in people's addicts much easier to just stomp that egg when it's in there as well the neglect of corporal punishment is ungodly now I'm going to qualify all this you need to be wise we need to be cunning as serpents and and harmless as doves in this present evil age people will report people for disciplining their children and you need to be careful and you need to be cautious and you need to exercise wisdom in the pursuit of this but to do it the Bible commands that we must do it the Bible commands so the training I'm sorry the neglect of of corporal punishment is ungodly again 1324 it's a very simple principle he who spares his Rod hates his son but he who loves him disciplines him promptly pagans have the knowledge of this Brethren people that are non-Christian homes when their parents indulge them they know that something's wrong they understand that something's off oh your dad really loves you get he let you do that no if he loved me he wouldn't let me do that right so this is kind of a a built into the creation order thing that that a child needs discipline he needs instruction you don't open the fridge for your four-year-old and say just take out what you want for dinner or take him to the pantry and say just you know grab whatever is he going to grab a big thick steak that's fatty and good for him is he going to grab you know whatever veggie he needs to to help him in certain other areas no he's going to grab the snacks he's going to grab the cookies well no parent would do that and if you do you need to stop we do what's good for them Brethren and discipline and instruction and and and guard rails is good for them Gil says the Sin of old Eli 1 Samuel 2 and3 and both he and his sons suffered for it read that sometime Eli's Sons were wretches they didn't know the Lord and that now when I say they were wretches they also happen to be priests it's bad when you get a a wretch in the priesthood and that priest when you bring your sacrifice to offer it before Yahweh the priest rather throws his his fork in there and takes it takes it home and eats it or or when the priest lay with temple prostitutes that that's what Eli's Sons were doing and it caused vexation among the children of Israel the worst thing about it is that Eli knew it and did not restrain them he he didn't restrain them he didn't stop them they were running off a cliff and he he just let them go that's not the way we're supposed to parent well just let the kid find himself he's two how what do you mean find himself he can hardly find the bathroom and I'm going to allow life-altering decisions to be made by him we live in a backwards crazy world presently that a child has the wherewithal to make life altering decisions that affect them at at the most basic level it it's unfortunate but we can't ape the wisdom of the world we've got to resist it and refuse it thirdly the usefulness of corporal punishment is highlighted look at Proverbs 22 Proverbs 22 specifically at verse 15 Proverbs 22:15 foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child the rod of Correction will drive it far from him again Bridges it is not the sheet of pure white paper not the innocent or even the tractable creature easily Guided by Pro proper means that we have before us but a little heart full of sin containing all the seeds of future evil multiplying to a fruitful Harvest do you ever look at adults in our generation and kind of conclude that they weren't disciplined as children am I the only one here that that sees that it's like you're parents should have spanked you because whatever you're doing now reflects bad parenting on their part brethren we have the word of God when it comes to raising children it's a wonderful benefit he's given us the the wisdom of Christ through the vehicle of Solomon in the Book of Proverbs and as I mentioned earlier there is this necessary qualification concerning Corporal discipline be very careful and do not justify by abuse under the biblical doctrine of corporal punishment the commitment to biblical child rearing is not abuse nor should it be carried out as if it is abuse and then hide behind biblical text well I'm just doing what God Said No you're beating your child in a Godless way and you need to repent Bruce walkey says the cleaning Rod must be applied with warmth affection and respect for the Youth warmth and affection not Steely discipline characterized the father's Le in chap 4: 1:9 parents who brutalize their children cannot hide behind the rod doctrine of Proverbs so back to Titus Chapter 2 basically with reference to her domestic sphere she is to love her husband a husband lover and to love her children a child lover that's it that's the job now in terms of her particular virtues according to chapter 2 vers uh verse 5A it says she is to be discreet Chas Homemakers good obedient to their own husbands so let's just look at that first she is to be discreet similar to the old man being reverent verse two the same word and the young men are to be sober minded in verse six same word she is to be discreet so again you see the semantic range reverent or or sober minded one definition in the uh in the dictionary is pertaining to being in control of oneself prudent thoughtful self-control not to be out of control that means you can't flip out in your task you you can't just give up and walk off the job right again we we treat marriage and and Child R today very disposa but if we understand God's word as the people of God we need to take it very seriously relative to our responsibilities as well she is to be chased the idea is Purity in the moral sense the necessity for modesty and public worship we saw in 1 Timothy 2:8-10 and not just public worship First Peter chapter 3 envisages or enjoins that upon a woman professing godliness and in Proverbs CH 31 we read that the heart of her husband safely trusts her he's not suspect of her he's not suspicious of her why because she's discreet and as well she's chased notice thirdly she's to be a homemaker again I could preach this in other churches or in the world and people would be losing their minds right now if you're losing your mind thank you for keeping it in your mind and not yelling and shouting and and who what do you mean a homemaker what do you mean buying your wife a a vacuum for for Mother's Day or an iron you Beast is that beastly conduct is it bad I I I'm encour enourage to some degree when I see these videos on Twitter Twitter of women seeing they were lied to by feminism lied to just run rough sha right over it is a complete usurpation of God's established order it's a it's a bad bill of goods and and so some out there are waking up to this reality and thankfully so but the definition of the word that Paul uses here homemakers in the Greek it means Homemakers pertaining to carrying out household duties busy at home carrying out household duties I've never understood why this is bad i' I've never understood I I guess maybe it's some point in my life and you know back in before Christ times I might have thought but I just don't get it I just don't see why it's a bad thing for a man to be out at work and his wife to be at work in the home is that evil is that Wicked is that horrible well today it's being proferred as such what do you mean your your wife stays home with the kids that's a full-time job if a woman is a mother there you know there's no amount of compensation that would be just and that's not just saying it because I don't want to pay my wife it it's true constantly you know Brothers your wives have done things for your children that you're like man you say with Solomon in Proverbs 31 or AER you you know many daughters have done nobly but but you Excel them all this is a good thing Brethren so in terms of an illustration turn back to 1 Timothy 5 where again Paul is addressing various people groups in the context of the local church and notice in verse 11 511 now there's a bit of an odd sort of an interpretation that we might glean from this but I'll try and explain it as we go but refuse the younger widows for when they had begun to grow wanting against Christ they desired a mar having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith and besides they learn to be Idol wandering about from house to house and not only idle but also gossips and Busy Bodies 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 so on the one hand verse 11 he's condemning the younger women that are pining after uh marriage and then on the other hand in verse 14 he commends that these younger widows get married what gives Paul well obviously in verses 11 to13 you've got a class of young women that are not yearning to be remarried in the proper way they may have that desire but it's wanting they may have that desire but it's not regulated they may have that desire but it issues forth in the kinds of cont in the kinds of sins that are condemned here notice in verse 13 besides they learn to be Idol wandering about from house to house and not only Idol but also gosip and Busy Bodies saying things which they ought not so what's the ultimate corrective for a young woman who's lost her husband just get married don't go out and be an idle gossip bouncing around from house to house trafficking and lies and things that that you have no business speaking about but notice in verse 14 therefore I desire that the younger widows Mary be children manage the house give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully and you might say well Butler that's just you you're a man you don't have to do all that I try to help my beloved and try to you know cook and clean a little bit it's not murder I'm not trying to diminish ladies what you're going through but it's not like oh I can't believe I have to keep the house praise God you get to keep a house might just be a bit of a perspective shift so Paul says with reference to the virtues born by this woman she is to be discreet she is to be chased she is to be a homemaker she is to be good in a general overarching sense in light of 1 Peter 2:8 probably the emphasis is upon kind so she is to be discreet chaste Homemakers good or kind and then obedient to their own husbands you know how I know Paul's not the Eternal enemy of women the way George Bernard Shaw says to their own husbands not to every husband it's not subjugation on the part of the woman to every man that's out there Vis Islam to your own husbands husb husbands love your wives wives be submissive to your own husbands that's protection that's not bad that's a good thing and so Paul ends this particular list with that emphasis that he speaks of Elsewhere as I said in Ephesians 5 and as well in Colossians chapter 3 so the husbands and wives they share Redemptive solidarity it's not that men are intrinsically better we are joint heirs together of Salvation by Christ Jesus our Lord but there is a functional distinction as I mentioned in the home in the church God wants men or God decrees that men lead in that capacity and then that brings us to the theological basis two ways that we see this in verse 5B and then in verses 11 to 14 as I mentioned ladies if you're not a Believer here this morning the instruction isn't go home and be a better mom and then you'll be saved that's not what I'm saying if you're hearing me say that please don't hear me say that me instruction for you if you're an unbelieving woman is not go be a better mom and then God will accept you into his Heavenly Kingdom no that's not the instruction instruction is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ the one who provides Ransom the one who provides Redemption through his blood the one who justifies us freely by his grace so that we are forgiven of our sins and we receive his righteousness by which we now can enter into the presence of God so Paul is not teaching salvation by good mothering he's not teaching salvation by being a good older woman he not teaching salvation by being a good older man or a good younger man he's teaching salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and that salvation comes blessed of God not only with Christ's worked for us but the spirit's work in us so that once we are saved we start to see that man I made a mess of my life I actually want to do what God calls me to do I want to live in a manner that is consider with my High Calling in the gospel of our Salvation And so Paul grounds these ethical imperatives on the glory of God in the gospel so notice first at the end of verse five so the younger woman is to love her husband she's to love her child she's to be discreet she's to be Chase she's to be a homemaker she's to be good or kind she's to be obedient to her own husband then notice that the word of God may not be blasphemed notice that Paul does say if she does this and she has these virtues that'll be a happy home if she does this and has these virtues then she'll be a happy camper that's not his argument he's not arguing based on utility he's not arguing based on pragmatism he's arguing theologically a woman who professes saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and doesn't love her husband and doesn't love her children and doesn't manifest these virtues brings reproach upon the very word of God that commands her to do that remember that scene in 2 Samuel 12 after Nathan rebukes David for his sin what does Nathan Say by this you've given cause to the enemies of Yahweh to blaspheme other words the enemies look at it and they say well there's nothing significantly diff different about that Christian religion there's no difference between her and and my wife who's a pagan Listen to George Knight 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 you see sisters when you live the way God calls you to live again it's not first and foremost that you'll be the self-fulfilled woman or that your home will be the nicest home on the Block those might be corollaries those might be benefits and blessings but the primary emphasis is that you don't blaspheme God's word and then the second line of theological argument or the foundation for the imperatives that precede is in verses 11 to 14 four the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men the all men I take to be all kinds of men older men younger men older women younger women Kings and those who are in Authority 1 Timothy chapter 2 to all kinds of different people from every tongue and people and tribe and Nation the Sal uh grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men and what do that Grace teach us well once we're saved by grace once we come to the Lord Jesus it teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust we should live soberly righteously and godly in the present age we should be looking for the Blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ but then notice who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every l L Ed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works we're zealous to be what Paul commands in Titus uh 2 1-10 because of what Christ has done in saving us through his own precious blood get the theology correct it's not a list of morality wherein you do this and you'll be saved but it is rather what it looks like in the life of sanctification for those who by God's grace have believed the go go El of our Lord Jesus well in conclusion the necessity for such women why do we need such women as Paul tells us we need here I would say first for the benefit for husbands again you say well you know my husband doesn't deserve all that yeah that might be the case but you're not in marriage first and foremost to get you're in marriage first and foremost to give again an emphasis that for whatever reason we forgot all about when you're looking for that bride or you're looking for that bridegroom what what can he give me what can he do for me what what can you bring to the table what what can you produce what good are you going to convey in in this bargain right so for the husband it's a benefit when his wife does what Jesus says the benefit of the children why is that because if the mother is concerned about her children to the point where she's prayerfully instructing the child disciplining the child seeking to restrain his godlessness that's a benefit you can't con hurt your child you can't make your child be born again but by the grace of God you can restrain some of those passions you can hopefully produce in them at least something that is not a a threat to society around them and as I said in the the the earlier hour you know Jesus Likens the Holy Spirit to the wind you don't know where it comes from and you don't know where it's going what's he saying you don't control The Sovereign Spirit Spurgeon says yeah we don't know but we can open the window to let the wind in we can use the means to facilitate the wind coming and when it comes to the whole issue of bringing up our children no we're not sovereign we can't make them be born again we can hopefully plant or instill in them a lot of Bible knowledge and Theological knowledge such that when God does save them they've got a a vast amount of resources that they can they can draw from as well the benefit for the church strong churches ultimately depend upon strong individuals and strong families I'd argue Society is the same way when you see the decadence and the degradation of society around us you can trace that back through churches and families to individuals if people are messed up and families are messed up and churches are messed up it's going to be obvious that societies are messed up as well it's not rocket science Brethren and for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ the kinds of people that Paul calls us to be it's only going to be a benefit and then of course the Commendation of the word of God I would suggest secondly the perseverance of such women again it's probably not easy being submissive to your husband it's probably not easy to to do everything that God calls you to do now I want to make sure you know I'm not preaching Perfection you you got to be this lady or you're done no no sanctification is a process for each and every one of us and it's an EB and a flow we got good days and we got not so good days so I'm not trying to preach you out of the kingdom of God sisters trying to encourage you with reference to perseverance I would suggest you must recognize again something that is contrary to the spirit of the age the high calling and dignity of motherhood the high calling and dignity of motherhood again why did we lose that why is that bad I I stay home and I look after the home and I look after my husband I look after my children that's it th this culture is terrible with that it's horrible it's beastly it's vile it's reprehensible it's another indication that the family is under attack the devil doesn't want strong families the devil doesn't want strong individuals devil doesn't want strong churches or strong societies he wants a bunch of people that are all messed up listen to Spurgeon fathers and mothers are the most natural agents for God to use in the salvation of their children I am sure now he's not saying you can sovereignly change their hearts he's saying agents instruments there is an instrumentality faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God he says I am sure that in my early youth no teaching ever made such an impression upon my mind as the instruction of my mother neither can I conceive that to any child there can be one who will have such influence over the young heart as the mother who has so tenderly cared for her Offspring a man with a soul so dead as not to be moved by the sacred name of mother is creation's blot never could it be possible for any man to estimate what he owes to a Godly mother how can I ever forget her tearful Li when she warned me to escape from the Wrath to come I thought her lip eloquent others might not think so but they certainly were eloquent to me how can I ever forget when she bowed her knee and with her arms about my neck prayed oh that my son might live before thee Breen I'm not saying every mother is perfect some of us you know in the backgrounds that we come from this is an idealized version that we know nothing of experientially well let's seek by God's grace to make it known through our own conduct and and our own families and the way that we emide the truth of God's word and live in light of our High Calling in the gospel again the negative examples that we have had ought to promote in US man if that's what Mom was supposed to look like or that's what Dad was supposed to look like let's try to be that in our own context and not replicate the errors and the sins of our forefathers it just seems to be the way we ought to proceed as well you must realize that your task is difficult often times thankless and often appreciate unappreciated by many it's just the way it is you're not going to have you know your kids lined up every day oh Mommy thank you for such good service that's not at least it wasn't my experience with five CH oh thank you Daddy thank you m it wasn't that way it can be thankless it can be tedious it can be tiresome to answer the the same question for the millionth time and it's only 9:00 a.m. that stuff is hard you must re uh 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 usually in this sermon I quote Napoleon bonapart when he was asked what's the matter with France he says give us better mothers you get messed up moms you get messed up world it seems to go that way and dads too I'm not leaving them out and you must guard against laziness sorry ladies I think I've shared with you before my brother says you know oh on Mother's Day women get all kinds of encouragement and on Father's Day the guys get hammered well here's a bit of hammering don't get lazy too many time or too to too many you know things out there to get distracted with that we didn't have in a previous generation Facebook and phones in our pockets and all that sort of thing Proverbs 31:27 she watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness it's a tough job but you got to work it and then finally the blessing upon such women this comes from the end of proverbs 31 from her husband you know what the husband says to his wife many daughters have done nobly but you Excel them all that's the praise that is consistent with a woman who lives the way that God has called her to live many daughters have done no nobly but you Excel them all from her husband but as well from her children verse 28a says her children rise up and and call her blessed again probably not when they're five probably not on a regular basis probably not every single day but at some point and at some time these children are going to rise up and call you blessed as well from from her community in Proverbs 31:31 it says and her and let her own works praise her in the gates the gates was the place in the community where stuff happened the gates was the place in the community where things were known and sister so and so is quite the blessing to her husband what a what a wonderful gift by God to him and to the community and then from the Lord verse 30 charm is deceitful and beauty is passing but a woman who fears the Lord she shall be praised what a glorious promise to the women who by God's grace are saved through justification by faith in Jesus and are living a life of sanctification albe it imperfectly allbe it failing at times allbe it ebbing and flowing and sometimes you know kind of doing this and then by the grace of God pulling it out at the last moment but but there's a blessing pronounced upon you ladies that's most glorious so God is proom God is pro wife God is pro- Mother God is pro everything this culture tells us to be against so let us side with the most high when it comes to family when it comes to husbands when it comes to wives when it comes to fathers and mothers when it comes to the relationship of parents to their children and children to their parents the word of God is sufficient Brethren again we're not saved by obeying we're saved by grace through faith because Jesus obeyed and in him we have everlasting life well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word and its Clarity at this point of motherhood we pray for your blessing upon all the ladies here in our local church that you would encourage them you would strengthen them help them to be persevering in the midst of the challenges associated with childbearing as well we pray for the ladies that are pregnant we thank you so much that there's so many children here it is a joy and a blessing to come to the house of the Lord and to see so many little ones and to know of many more in the womb we just bless you and we praise you for your kind provision and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well you may uh stand with me and we'll close by singing the doxology of praise to God page 5 70 570 we'll stand as we sing [Music] together all blesss PR All Creatures here below hallelu hallelu PR praise Son and Holy Ghost hallelu hallelu Hallelujah hallelu hallelu the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace Father thank you for this glad hour thank you for the public worship of our blessed God I pray that you would go with us now that we would know your nearness as our good and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation e e