God's High Calling for Women, Part 2

Women have a very very important place in the economy of God, and they are on equal level with the men in terms of spiritual life would not rule but to say they have a different role does not and does not their spirituality, wife and mother and daughter. One pioneer in the feminist movement went so far as to say this. She said the Bible and the church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation, but if you were to actually dig into God's word would you come away with that view. Bottom line, does Scripture teach that women are less valuable than men. John MacArthur gives you the biblical answer today as he continues his look at the unique role God designed women to fill in the home and in the church he calls you study here on grace to you, God's high calling for women and now here's John when we say a woman has a different role in society and in the church that a man we are not in any sense diminishing her spirituality.

There are many rules and societal there are many functions in society and one great distinguishing line in all those functions is that between man and woman. Anybody with any mentality at all knows that you could talk about equality till there's no more people left to talk to and you can do all you can to bring about that equality but no man is ever going to produce and bear give birth to a baby obviously to the most to elect men and women have a different role and how playing can something be what to say they have a different role does not depreciate and does not diminish their spirituality in any sense, but think about role for a minute. In the Old Testament, let's talk about that aspect. There are no women kings listed in the kings of Israel and there are no women kings listed in the kings of Judah.

There are none. It would seem to me that that is a fairly significant statement about leadership. There are none. There are no women priests in the entire Old Testament none. There are no women who wrote a book or a portion of a book in the Old Testament none 39 books know one of them or will or even a portion of one of them was written by a woman go to are named after women Ruth and Esther. They were not written by women. There is no woman in the entire Old Testament who had an ongoing prophetic ministry that fascinates me as well. There is no woman who had an ongoing prophetic ministry who winds up in the minor prophets are the major prophets or who stands alongside Elijah and Elisha, or any other great teacher or leader of the Old Testament with an ongoing ministry out people today want to advocate women preachers will say, but there are several women mentioned as prophetess in the Old Testament that is correct. There are five, and I'd like you to listen carefully as I described those five to the first woman listed as a prophetess, is Miriam Miriam is called a prophetess in Exodus 1520. Miriam is the sister of Moses. She is called a prophetess because and only because she on one occasion led the women of Israel in a great hymn of praise with timbrel and dance wherein God gave her a revelation to speak a very brief but at that time she was a mouthpiece for God.

God chose to speak to those women at that time of praise through her. We know of no other occasion where she ever acted in the prophetic office and had no ongoing prophetic ministry. The word profit or profit tests or to prophesy means to speak forth, obviously having reference to speaking forth the word of God.

On that occasion and she did, but shows no ongoing prophetic work. The second of the five women called prophetess is a woman named Deborah who appears as a unique instrument of God in Judges chapter 4 and verse four.

She is there called a prophetess only because she was used by God to give a direct revelation from God to man a Dirac. She gave that direct revelation on that unique occasion in the battle that was going on and thus at that moment she was a prophetess she was speaking on behalf of God. God used her at that time to speak that message to an individual.

Miriam gave her prophecy to women. Deborah spoke her prophecy basically to a man, but again we know of no other occasion wherever she engaged herself in any kind of ongoing prophetic work. The third woman mentioned and called prophetess is holding H UL DAH she's mentioned second Kings 2214 and following and second Chronicles 3422 and following parallel passages.

She's got a prophetess only because she was given a revelation from God. As Deborah was to be given to Hill Kai the priest about the coming judgment on Jerusalem and Judah God spoke through her on that occasion we know of no other such occasion.

None other is ever recorded about her and we know of no ongoing prophetic ministry.

The fourth woman called a prophetess is a woman named Noah Dyer she is mentioned in Nehemiah 614 and is called a false prophetess so we eliminate her.

She was antagonistic against the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem would've been an ally of San ballot and Tobiah and the enemy to try to keep the Jews from rebuilding their city. She was a false prophetess and there have been many women false prophetess is to be sure, the fifth one mentioned is the wife of Isaiah and in Isaiah chapter 8 verse three. His wife is called a prophetess only because she gave birth to a child whose name had prophetic meaning she never spoke a prophecy. She simply gave birth to a child whose name had prophetic meaning and she is called a prophetess, only in that sense you can see from that illustration of the wife of Isaiah that the word prophetess was used in a somewhat general way so you have five mentioned. One is a prophetess simply because she gave birth to a child whose name at a prophetic meaning. Another is a false prophetess and three are called prophetess, because on one occasion, they spoke a word on behalf of God. But there is and I repeat again no ongoing prophetic ministry of the woman in the Old Testament. What does that tell us without women kings without when the priest without women authors of Scripture and without women prophets we learn very much about God's design for the role of man and women. Please keep in mind this is not to speak depreciating in any way the woman's spiritual capability is talking about her role and will fill that out as we go down through the rest of the press.

No woman in the Old Testament is seen in an ongoing role of leadership under the authority and the plan of God, or in any public preaching, teaching ministry, but women were used by God in many, many areas now we come to the New Testament. Listen to what show you in the New Testament, which parallels that the same inequality of blessing and privileges in the New Testament the same thing.

Is there, let's go to Galatians chapter 3 and this is the passage that seems to be creating the controversy.

Galatians 3 verse 28 and this is where people advocate women ordered ordination women elders and women preachers and all that.

This is where they like to go there is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither bond or free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

That's pretty simple and I don't have a problem with that and you don't and no one really should all it's saying is that we are all one in Christ.

In what sent in what sense are we wanting Christ will you need to read the context to find out what he's talking about. So you go back a little bit and you find out that he's talking about salvation you go back. For example, well, you could go back to verse 13 Christ has redeemed us and he talks a little about redemption.

You can go back to verse 22. The Scriptures concluded everybody understand and then the promise by faith of Jesus Christ is given to them that believe in corsets. Another way to look at salvation. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are at the end of verse 24, justified by faith that is were made right with God through our faith. Verse 26, where all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. We've all been baptized into Christ. We put on Christ. So the equality and the oneness he speaks of. Listen carefully, is that we are all one in the sense of salvation see that is nothing to do with the role of a woman or a man.

We are all one in Christ.

The point is, everyone can come to Christ doesn't matter if you're a Jew or a Gentile. Doesn't matter if you're a bondslave or a free man doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman, you can all receive eternal life in Christ is that not the obvious intent of the passage of course were all sons of God, where all the seed of Abraham that is were connected to Abraham was sort of like the father of those who have faith where all errors. Chapter 4 verse six of chapter 4 were all sons.

We all possess the Holy Spirit the whole passage before and after is talking about the wonderful reality of salvation in Christ, which is available to all people, Jew, Gentile, blonde free, male or female. That's all it's talking about is nothing to do with the role of women in the church. And it certainly doesn't mean when you become a Christian RUBDOWN. I mean, do we preach that when a Jew becomes a Christian, he ceases to be a Jew, or if you're a slave you become a Christian, you're no longer slave or of your freemen to become a Christian are no longer free men know whatever you are you are your Christian Jew or Christian Gentile your Christian freemen or your Christian bondman your Christian manager Christian woman you don't stop being a man or woman know those distinctions are obviously made to and so it's a ludicrous distortion of Scripture to try to take that passage and advocate through it that roles are equal when it's not even talking about roles.

It's talking only about spiritual life available through the grace of God in Jesus Christ. There is no question that there is spiritual equality. The New Testament, all of the commands of the New Testament. All the spiritual promises of the New Testament all the blessings of the New Testament.

All the accountability of the New Testament spiritually in terms of how we live and what God will do in response to it is enjoined upon men and women.

It is not isolated to men only, but to men and women so we have all the same spiritual resources. All the same spiritual promises.

All the same spiritual responsibility and I'm not even there. Take time to go through all the New Testament and explain it to you everything you read in years for men and women never is that distinction sorted out in terms of spiritual responsibility or blessing or capacity, but though there is a quality again, as in the Old Testament and the spiritual duties and spiritual blessings. There is still a difference in roles and roles. For example, in the New Testament, there is no woman preacher, none there is not a woman, pastor, teacher, there is not a woman. Elder, there is not a woman evangelist. There is not a woman who wrote and you have 27 books in the New Testament, any portion of the New Testament. All 66 books written by men, and the New Testament is consistent with God's plan for women, as revealed in the old no woman is an evangelist.

No woman is a preacher, teacher, no woman pastor. The congregation no woman takes the role of an elder.

There is not recorded in the text of all the New Testament a sermon delivered by a woman or teaching given by 19. They are not prophets they are not evangelists, and so women will come along say, but but but what about the four daughters of Philip and asked 21 nine it says and Philip had four daughters, virgins who did prophesy. It does not say they were prophets.

It does not say they were evangelist, it does not say they were missionaries. It does not say they were elders does not say they were pastor teachers. It said they prophesied some time. Someplace like Deborah or Miriam by God's design and God's holy purpose.

They gave a word from God. We don't know why or how we don't know whether they spoke in unison like a quartet or whether they spoke independently of each other. We just know that there was a time in the place when God spoke through the listen Mary the mother of the Lord Jesus herself spoke prophetically when she received from the word of God himself.

The response your member in the presence of Elizabeth and she poured out. What is become known as her Magnificat. Her glory to God.

She gives an utterance that is divine inspiration in that sense, Mary prophesied spoke forth the word meet, spoke forth the word of God, and I'm sure there were many occasions when other women spoke forth the word of God in first Corinthians 11 five it even says a woman who prays or prophesies should have her head covered.

There were times and places for women to pray and to speak forth the word of God.

It says in acts 217 and in the latter times quoting from Joel women will prophesied says your daughters will prophesy, your young men will dream dreams and your daughters will prophesy the words. It would mean speak for there are times and places when women speak the word of God. I hope every woman in this church does that, but that is distinctly different than being identified as a pastor teacher, Elder evangelist apostle. There are no women apostles. There are no women disciples. There are no women pastors evangelist etc. etc. that has to be noted and no women wrote any part of New Testament Scripture. They have different roles.

Does that mean that they were inadequate spiritually.

Not at all not at all were going to get to it women but do you realize that men are in most cases the product of women not only physically, and that says they're all products of one, but in terms of their character development. They are most strongly influenced by women Timothy who learned at the feet of his mother and grandmother is a product himself of a woman who learned the word of God and who spoke it for, but that is very much different than taking the role intended for men in the church. Melanie speak a little further about the equality of sexes so that you're not misled by this in no sense is a woman second class in the New Testament. For example, Jesus first led a woman to the knowledge of himself and John for the first person he ever exposed his Messiah ship to was a woman not just a woman but a wicked woman who had a whole handful of husbands and was living in adultery it was to that woman of Samaria he met at the well inside car that he brought the wonderful truth of who he was and I believe broader salvation in Luke 13 in Mark five Jesus healed women. He had just as much compassion on them, as he did on men.

He was just as concerned to heal them.

As he was men.

Jesus taught women. Luke 1038 to 42 shows him in that role of teaching women he was ministered to. Personally, it says in Luke eight verse three that a whole group of women surrounded him and offered him their care of their support and sustenance. I don't know what their ministry was maybe that maybe they provided food and lodging and perhaps it repaired close and perhaps came alongside to pray, but the traveling band of disciples would be Jesus, the disciples in a whole group of women but at no time do those women preach or teach. They had a role there, but that role is distinct from the role of Christ in the 12, when a sinful woman was dragged before Jesus. He defended that sinful woman for gave her sin loved her redeem her and then chastised the men and the critically condemned her without condemning themselves for the same sin.

Jesus called women to the highest priority in life and that was to obedience.

He called women to be obedient. Luke 1128 is an illustration of that when Jesus rose from the dead, to whom did he first appear manner woman first appeared to woman.

Jesus called for women to be evangelized for going to all the world. Mark 1615 preach the gospel to every creature that includes women in first Peter three.

He said yes women are the weaker vessel. That's by the design of God. Physically there weaker sure mentor to be their protector and their to be their strengths. But even as the weaker vessel.

He said you two are heirs together of the grace of life. When it comes to inheriting grace from God. You inherited together.

The fruit of the spirit of Galatians 5 is for men and women. The blessings of obedience or for men and women in with Paul, in Romans 16 all the people who helped him in his ministry. The list is full of women you see beloved women have a very very important place in the economy of God, and they are on equal level with the men in terms of spiritual life, but not role on that's why he says let's look at our text.

Let the women learn they have to learn why, how else can they speak it to their children. How else can they give counsel to others. How else can they be used to bring people to Christ. How else can they live obediently the glory of God.

How else can they be blessed.

How else can they be enriched, but the women learn.

This does not rub out the difference difference is the same there. It's their gods designed and I want to be clearly understood that when we say there's a difference between the role of a man and a woman. We are in no sense saying there's a difference in their spiritual capacity or their need to know the word of God. So Paul says let the women learn and we shall be committed wholeheartedly to that so that they can fulfill their role. Father, we can't express in words what a joy it is to be a part of the fellowship where there are godly men and godly women to be part of the church where the women of the learned and live the truth of your word where they know the freedom of Christ to be a part of a fellowship where there is neither Jew nor Gentile bond or free male or female to know that all of us together.

Enjoy the blessings of spiritual life in the world. All of us enjoy the richness of the precious word I thank you Lord through the many years for the women who have learned who have read the books and listen to the tapes and studied on their own group heard the teaching and who is a result of that are serving effectively for you and their families and their areas of life and responsibility, and even in the church. I thank you father for that I thank you for these godly women who understand both the high priority of spiritual equality and also very clear definition of the role you designed for them. Bless the Lord, and honor them for that faithfulness.

I thank you.

Also, Lord, that you been so clear in your word that these things are so obvious to us as we look at your holy book. Help us Lord to be a part of the solution not the problem. Help us to clearly define the place of man. The place of woman so that each can come to the fullest satisfaction of living out the divine intention may we know that any perversion of that terrible tragedy as it alters your plan violates your will and brings great distress to people who otherwise would be fully satisfied in the place of your design make us willing Lord to be what you want us to be rejoicing that privilege and to fulfill the role that you've given us in order that your kingdom right that we might be blessed in your name and this is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us today. John MacArthur continued his study that's looking at the special rule and the privileges God has given women the title of this series, God's high calling for women well. As John pointed out today in God's economy. Men have a unique leadership role both in the home and in the church. And yet, that doesn't mean that women don't have influence. In fact, Jon. I know you'd say that, in one sense women wield far more power and influence than men ever will will yeah the obvious design of God is that intimacy in a family is at a level with the mother that is beyond what it is with the father, just the just the nursing mothers attachment in association with the child look even in our family with our four kids when the kids wanted information about some doctrine or some theology or they know wanted me to analyze something going on in the world or help them with the some no temporal issues.

They would come to me, but when I was a heart ache. They would go to their mother to imagine that a woman makes a greater contribution to her children by leaving the home is just bizarre to be in that home pouring your life into children is God's design for you women are saved through childbearing.

Paul says, that doesn't mean that having a baby saves you what it means is there saved from the stigma that sort of is on them because Eve is a woman led the race into sin there saved from that stigma by childbearing and then if they raise those children in love and godliness and virtue that is the great influences the character of your children that you as a mother mold look the men they have to go to work.

They have to go outside the home, do what they do whatever it takes to provide for the family and that leaves the mother as the primary influence are constantly in the home that is the high priority.

The fact that so many women have abandon the home. In this culture, you can attribute the chaos of this culture the disastrous chaos of this culture largely to the fact that women have abandon the role that God designed for them.

They've abandoned you cultures abandon God to start with and then women have abandon the home and you have a completely disoriented generation of youth that are growing up with no understanding of what life really should be like. So this is the high calling without parallel. I would just encourage you I have a book called the extraordinary mother so I would like you to get a copy of it. If your mother this is a good time because I think Mother's Day is coming up very soon.

Dutiful hardcover gift book you can order a copy for your mom or your grandmother or perhaps your wife even and give it as a gift. The extraordinary mother. I believe that if you, your wife or your mom is a Christian or even you as a mom you're Christian you want to be that extraordinary mother.

I think this book will help you the extraordinary mother available from Grace to you. It's a great book to each woman in this book reveals something valuable about what it means to be a godly woman and a Christ exalting mother. It's an ideal resource for any woman looking to grow in her faith. So let me encourage you to pick up a copy of the extraordinary mother when you contact us today. Place your order online@jidety.org or you can call our toll-free number 855 race the extraordinary mother costs nine dollars in hardcover and shipping is free to receive the extraordinary mother in time for Mother's Day or to send it directly to your mom is a gift in your name.

Order today our number again 855 race or go to TTY.org also know that broadcasts like today's can reach communities across the United States and throughout the English and Spanish speaking world because people like you are standing with us were grateful that even in these uncertain times we are able to connect men and women with timeless biblical truth and that is happening because friends like you are supporting this work as you are led and able you can express your support online@tty.org or call 855 race.

Thank you for your prayers. That's really your most important ministry to us now for John MacArthur.

I'm Phil Johnson reminding you to watch Christine television this Sunday. Check your local listings for channel in time and make sure you're here tomorrow when John continues his look at God's high calling for women. Don't miss the next 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on racing