Praying Men, Godly Women, and the Creation Order

I invite you to turn your Bibles to first Timothy will be continuing in our study of first Timothy chapter 2 first Timothy chapter 2 verses 8 to 15 starting in verse eight I desire that in every place that men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, rather she is to remain quiet for Adam was formed first, then Eve and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor yet. She will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self control. Please be seated as pray heavenly father we come to you the name your son and we thank you for the apostle Paul. We thank you for his apostolic authority that he gives us through his word that we can study it and know it and that we can conform ourselves to the will of God, we ask that you would give us open ears and hearts this evening that we would hear your word and receive it with humility and with joy.

We ask that you would continue to encourage the men and the women in the church as we continue to serve you and honor you, honoring you with a heart of love and a heart of faith your sins and we pray, amen's here. I thank you because it's Mother's Day. I knew the passage that I had to preach this evening and I thought did someone put me up to this, but I would have to preach on verse 11 and 12 on Mother's Day, of all things, but I was there when they handed out the passages in. As I began to study this passage. It actually is very passages very positive for men and for women, but I heard this passage preached from Dr. David Hall at Midway Presbyterian Church in Powder Springs, Georgia. When I joined the PCA back in 2012 I come out of the Methodist Church and I had always always had a female pastor, whether it was an associate pastor or senior pastor. I had always had a female in leadership in ordained leadership, but he read the passage and he explained, from creation. The passage that we have before us and I remember I was sitting next to a girl that was in reform University Fellowship. The our denomination's college ministry and I should been raised in the PCA and II wrote on the bulletin. Do you believe this and she said let's let's talk afterwards and she said after the benediction.

She says not only do I believe it but I would never go to a church with a female pastor because this text is clear that God created male leadership within the church is a God ordained role in the church. I I was. It was a shock. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had always benefited from women in the church. I was raised in the church from birth and there was always I've always had good women in the church taking care of me in the nursery. Teaching me as a young man I always benefited from these women raised me in the church and so now I'm sitting under the preaching here in this church service and I'm hearing for the first time, not an interchangeability between men and women but a distinct gender role between men and women that has been ordained from the beginning.

And as I go into it. I have to admit that men and women are distinct, we are equal before the Lord. But there is a distinctiveness between men and women.

There are some things that men can do that women cannot. There's yet to be a woman in the NFL. There is yet to be a woman in the Navy SEALs. There are things that women can do that men cannot now father and to see Rachel give birth to a son is incredible but that is a thing that we men simply cannot do some things that men can do.

Women can't, and vice versa. Women can do certain things that men cannot, and that is because God has made us in a very distinct way based on biology even that scandalous today.

Think about the current political climate site is if I was to say God made male and female.

Some would say that's a political statement say no that's a biblical statement. That's the world, pushing up against us.

And I'm happy to push back and just read God's word were God says that he created them male and female, and so the culture can lose their mind if they want to, but will just plant our feet and we will stand on God's word and stand with the apostle Paul.

What I want to show you tonight from this passage and I think this is the accurate teaching of the text that Paul prescribes a male authoritative leadership by his apostolic authority and this is the model to be seen in the local church. We just finished up verses 1 to 7. And Paul is talking about continuing life within the church.

He's organizing the structure of the church and are praying for all men. That is all mankind. The word there in the Greek is anther possible meaning mankind generally is where we get the word anthropology, the study of man, the study of man kind. But now in verse eight there is a shift in the Greek and the word is an air or Andros meaning a man or a husband. This is distinct from a general term for mankind and now he is addressing in verse eight that there is infighting within the church. I desire than everyplace that men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger and quarreling for the women in the church.

There is a concern about immodesty and at the time.

Apparently there was a problem among some of the congregations where there was infighting among the men and there was immodesty among the women and so now Paul is saying that were to lift holy hands without anger and without quarreling.

There should be peace within the local congregation. Thinking back to the sermon on the Mount, Jesus said if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift, and there before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift worship is to be marked is marked by peace and unity among the body of Christ if we have issues with one another, we must address them with one another is an example here is that he is saying that he lifts holy hands so this is an example where God work Paul is saying we are to lift holy hands in the house of God and this is not the only way to worship God as many examples of the Bible of men standing or sitting or kneeling.

One of our Episcopalian and Anglican friends with Neil have kneelers built into the pews within the church from one was ordained as an Anglican priest and he lay prostrate that is facedown the ground when the shape of a cross as many ways to pray when men fall on their faces before God in the Bible. This is lying down, prostrate, that is, with their nose to the ground and the point is that we have reference, they were expressing physically what our heart is pointed to God that we are loving God with reverence with honor and that we love the Lord and so prayer is seen here in the local congregation led by men and they are raising hands that describes having holy hands. There is no fighting. There's no hypocrisy there hands that are washed clean by the grace of God there coming to the Lord in faith.

David talks about this in Psalm 24 verse 4 to 6. He was clean hands and a pure heart is not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. These hands are expressing the sort of holiness that God gives to us by faith we are pray to God with a clear conscience. Likewise, women are to adorn themselves in respectable attire with modesty, self-control, and not braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire. First Peter chapter 3 has a parallel passage of this. Do not let your adorning be external. The braiding of hair and the putting of gold jewelry, but the clothing you wear, but let your adorning be hidden be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. I grew up with a brother I never had a sister and a cousin, but I've never watched a mother talk to a daughter about modesty, but in a sense I think that generally common sense prevails and again admitted to leave their homes.

I think that men need their wives to support them in this, but men need to teach clearly not abdicate their responsibility and neglect of their daughters, but they need to teach them what modesty is and again. It's common sense. It may help you with a short list here for women. Is it too short. Is it low-cut is it too revealing. I would say for both men and women. Is it formfitting to the point that it draws unnecessary attention and cause others to stumble. I was say generally you know immodesty when you see it as tight as to tells the older women are to disciple younger women.

I think that women can definitely encourage younger women in their modesty at the time it was braided hair and gold, pearls, costly attire, so it was about showing how much wealth you have men I think can be just as immodest with $5000 suit and a Ferrari.

I think there's a way to communicate in a flashy way that draws attention to yourself and draws attention away from God and so there's a couple of different looks at this this modesty is in a sense it's about extravagance, but I'm not suggesting that we look particularly drab.

I think that if someone was to sort of dress in tattered clothing and that too would be the same issue.

It's drawing unnecessary attention on the same issue but on the opposite side young women read this passage is more about modesty and sort of a sensual way and I think of our young men.

It might be pushing the limits might be wearing an edgy T-shirt with various phrase on if it's offensive or perhaps a Jack Daniels logo or something that might alarm the congregation as to why are they wearing that wire. They needlessly knocking against the goats challenging authority and what express or expresses is, there is a heart issue. Beneath that Paul is telling us to address to communicate an internal reality that we are serious about worship that we love the Lord. What this immodesty can communicate though is that we are wanting others to look at us as opposed to the Lord. I had lunch with Eric Swan this week and we were talking about his time teaching at Cabarrus County high school and tell me that when he goes that he wants to encourage the students to be serious about their education. So it was a coat and tie and he asked a student what what you think I'm trying to communicate where I wear a coat and I were a tie-in.

One of the students was that I think you seriously think you're really serious about were doing. Harry said that's exactly it.

There's an example that teachers are to set leading by example and communicating to the students that this is serious. Take your education seriously and part of this going into worship with respectable apparel, is to say that we are taking worship very seriously. Just the same way officer and officer candidate school polishes his belt buckle and presses his shirt in a very specific way. This is to express a seriousness about his work as a military officer and Paul is pointing out these specific examples and how disunity and sin can manifest itself in the local congregation, so I want to encourage you, as were approaching worship not only do we prepare our physical appearance in the morning.

My hope is that we also prepare our hearts and that our clothing would reflect a heart of sincere love for Christ then verse 10 tells us that women who profess godliness. They are to adorn themselves in the adorn themselves with good works. Women are called to adorn themselves or with good works in Scripture is very clear that we have all that we need for second Timothy 316 all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for proof or correction training in righteousness, that the man or woman may become pleat equipped for every good work we have in God's word, not only examples, but everything that we need to understand what is good works before God.

Pausing to commend the widows in first Timothy five having a reputation for good works. If she has brought up children shown hospitality wash the feet of the saints has cared for the afflicted and has devoted herself to every good work. We heard about Rahab this morning she was commended for hiding the spies we heard about Ruth the Moabite woman who served her mother-in-law faithfully. Then she would later marry Boaz would be the great-grandmother of King David. With Dorcas that is also known as Tabatha in acts chapter 9, she was full of good works in acts of charity.

Lydia thigh attire.

One of the early church early church mothers in the book of acts. She and her entire household were baptized. She was a successful businesswoman pivotal for spreading the gospel in the book of acts.

These women were active members in the first century church. They were serving the Lord loving their families.

But what Paul teaches here in first Timothy two is that there is specifically a divinely appointed leadership within the church, which consists of preaching and teaching with authority in the public worship of God and he is telling women that they are to benefit from the labor of the elders in the local church who teach and exercise authority in that church. This is scandalous to hear but they are to learn quietly in submission to the elders of the local congregation, especially today, this is my most this is the most controversial passage of had to address and phone enough. There is no controversy prior to the 1960s to read this plainly and believe it is to stand with 99.9% of the history of the church were talking about 2000 years of New Testament history and 3000 years of church history going back to the patriarchs. We see that there is a consistent testimony throughout history, believing that men are to lead within the local church and to simply read the text plainly a womanist learning quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or have exercise authority over a man. She must be silent here. The word Greek.

The record is goon a, which means woman, or wife, he is not permitting women or wives in the church to exercise authority in the public worship of word and sacrament, but I have to address the many misunderstandings of this passage because there are already objections in the hearts and minds, perhaps even in this room, but certainly in our culture. Some would just say that Paul is simply wrong in a like Genesis they don't like Paul.

He's got a problem with women's others in the thrown outings comes from the Pharisee of pharisaical background. He's got these rabbinical hangups that he learned back in his Judaism and so they just don't like Paul. So they just reject the verse simply second would be that Ephesus is the source of religious feminist worship. There was a temple for the goddess Diana.

She was the got the Roman goddess of fertility and so Paul might be here being reactionary to all this pagan worship at the time, but it was not a bastion of feminism in Ephesus there was a regular civil magistrate that was lent, led by men.

There was a church that was led by men. The simply not true third attempt to do to address this is to say it's not that will not have authority to not have abusive authority. The Greek word here is often Teo which is the only existence of this word in the Bible that does give us pause. Where else can we see this word in Greek antiquity to find out exactly what is the dictionary definition of often Teo and as we have done our research George Knight goes in as a commentator and says the common use of this word is to have authority it's not have abusive authority. It's it's just not have authority again. It's the plain reading of the text.

1/4 attempt is that Paul is using this in the present tense. It's a temporary arrangement. It's only for Ephesus to have all these problems in Ephesus and so he's only doing this for a temporary time. But then Paul uses the same present tense. In Romans chapter 12 where he says, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship. So II think that present tense used, there can be a long-standing truth in the Christian faith, and so finally I think this is one of the one of the tanks that the Methodist Church is taken and I'm I want to address it. Galatians chapter 3 verse 28.

This is pointing to a radical quality that men and women have in our salvation in Christ.

And I agree men and women are equal before the Lord. Women like men have value and dignity and worth in verse 28 of Galatians 3 says that there is neither Jew nor Greek, God has no preference for Jewish ethnic Israel. God loves the Gentiles as well is neither slave nor free, that is, there's equality between slave and for a free person. There is no male or female. Again, there's equality between men and women, for you are all one in Christ, we are equal in the eyes of God. Yes and amen. Praise the Lord, and if you are Christ and you are Abraham's offering offspring, heirs according to the promise. Yes, this is a good teaching, but again this equality in our salvation does not negate distinctive roles within the church.

Yes, God makes both men and women in his own image, but that does not erase the fact that clearly in Scripture, we are equal before the Lord and given distinctive roles within the church. So as we go in now.

This passage, a woman, motion, learning, quietness and full submission. What is prohibiting is preaching is in the teaching elder role of authoritative preaching and teaching in the public worship and the gathering of God's people in the church.

This exercising authority has been given by God to elders within the church teaching and ruling elders are used in the New Testament to describe the careful and authoritative transmission of the biblical truth.

This text is very clear that even there is an attitude that needs to be addressed, where women are to learn quietly and in full submission.

If we are speaking we are not learning. And so what this passage is saying that women are to be quiet so that they can hear so they can listen, they can learn they can benefit from the teaching that is being administered by the elders two things.

This is not saying this is not saying that women are is not referring women teaching outside of the church.

Some apply this text to institutions outside of the church.

Women in law enforcement, women in government when they're not even be teachers. Some might even get to the point to other not to run businesses. I think Proverbs 31 shows an industrious woman. There's a debate there, but I'm addressing tonight is strictly within the confines of the church.

Secondly, it is not say that any man within the church by virtue of being a man can exercise authority over any other woman within the church. A man cannot say I'm a man, so therefore you're a woman listen to may submit to my leadership Ephesians 5 talks very specifically about wives submitting to their husbands within the confines of marriage. Here women are to learn quietly and to submit to the elders within the church. That's not even to say that women can't teach, if anything you're commanded to teach Timothy or Titus chapter 2 verse three commands that older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine there to teach what is good to train the young women to love their husbands and children to be self-controlled, pure working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Acts chapter 18 we see Priscilla alongside her husband, a Kula teaching a man instructing him privately within the home.

Phoebe is one of the more common objections due to the men only deacons she is called a deacon in some translations for Romans chapter 16.

Other translations might call her a servant. The Greek word is deacon Austin.

This is a general sense, a servant, men and women generally within the church can be a deacon off when they serve the church but where there is a specific application of being a first Timothy three deacon Austin is a man of one wife, the office of a deacon. This is a distinct office different from Phoebe serving the church. Phoebe cannot be a man of one wife. She is a deacon. Austin, the informal generic sense than what someone might say, what were women led to doing your church that are they allowed to do anything.

Yes, actually winter commanded too many things just like I said Tennessee Titus to the commanded to teach younger women in Matthew 630 commanded to pray the Lord gives the example of how to pray, we confess our sin, men and women together within the local church to a public corporate confession of sin.

Women are commanded in Hebrews 10 to stir one another up to love and good works. Winter commanded to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3. And after that the burden is laid on men to lead, teach, to preach and the command for women is to benefit to learn to be in the church sign of that would be the scandal Bakken. In Paul's day we made it.

Women are learning where they learning in this and in the church with the Christians what you mean. It was strange because there was a time where pagan cultures would not allow women to be educated and so historians are realizing that Christianity actually was one of the best things for women in the first and second century women were being educated by being in the local congregation as a fellow brother and sister in Christ equal before God another claim someone might say, is that women are are are forced into marriage so like all those other ancient religions that force women into things and when there submissive there. That's abuse. It's a form of abuse and the Bible says otherwise. Women are not forced into anything. If we go back to Genesis, the first book of the Bible were Rebecca is asked if she will marry Isaac. The question is will now go with this man. There is a question of consent and she agrees to marry him. Women are not demeaned by marriage, if anything, there is a mutual spiritual oneness in marriage first Corinthians chapter 7 verse four says that wives do not have authority over their own body, but the husband does does. There is there is the feminists are high-fiving that women do not have authority over their own body, but there husband has that authority was finished the text. What is essay. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does the man and the woman are united in marriage as one and they are a mutual relationship, oneness, ownership of one another within the covenant of marriage. There's a full equality in first Peter chapter 3 verse seven is far from viewing women with disrespect.

We see verse seven.

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way. One commentator said study your wives, watch her understand her understand what makes her upset understand what makes her smile examine her study herby be of be an expert on your wife know her. In doing so, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you for the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered, stumbled into another great verse it says that women are the weaker vessel and is been great debate on this and I want to go ahead and address it because here I am on this verse.

This is what it means simply in a general sense if you were to line up all the men and if you were to line up all the women you would see generally that men are physically dominant. Again, there tall women and there are short men, but there is in a general sense when you look at many look at women. Men tend to have a physical dominance over women and what can happen is that a cousin I husband in sin can use this physical dominance against a wife and sin against her and so we are told here in this passage to show honor to women as the weaker vessel and again one of the many roles of the church of the of the session of the leadership of the church of the officers if there was to be the sort of abuse in the church.

The leadership needs to know the role of the session is to confront this type of sin. We do not put women out in front of a physical altercation involving violence. Men are to step up.

They are to lead they are to protect women and they are to intervene in this sort of situation calling men to repentance.

And then if need be based on the severity of the situation calling the police reporting this for to the civil magistrate and for her safety.

Women do not need to confront men, especially abusive men.

What we are called to do as men is to protect women from such circumstances, I heard this example and I was set a new Christian, someone said when someone tries to break in your house. You don't send out your wife in the name of equality and say I got the last intruder.

Now it's your turn.

And it's only funny because we understand exactly what it means that men are called to lead in their call to lay down their lives. Wives are to submit to their husbands, but husbands are to lay down their lives for their wives like Christ laid down his life for the church elders are called to shepherd the flock to the cultic protect the congregation from spiritual danger that is false teaching. They must also protect them from physical danger as well. But God establishes these roles throughout history. This is not Paul in his own context. In Ephesus throughout the history of the world and you see the Bible telling us about the men that leave the church going back to the temple worship. There were priests they were assisted by the Levites. This is a God ordained task to lead worship God placed this authority into the hands of men you have Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses leading Israel out of Egypt and you have Joshua, his successor again consistently throughout the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. There are men leading in the church and even when women did need to step up Deborah in judges is an example where there were no men that were willing to lead men abdicated their responsibility.

They neglected their role and she was an exception and step forward and had to lead when no men were willing to lead in Israel. Isaiah 3 says, talking about judgment on Judah and Jerusalem my people. Infants are their oppressors and women rule over them. It's a mark of judgment against God when men will not step up and lead in their homes and their churches and in their nations, and so God has chosen these profits. These priestess kings.

All these men to lead in the church and going into the New Testament, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. He appoints 12 apostles to follow him. In acts chapter 6.

We have seven deacons that are chosen in the early church and ask chapter 20 Paul is preaching at the local church in Truax as what we see now coming up next month I'll be able to address in first Timothy three the qualifications of elders within the church. The first thing the man must be is a man of one wife.

Above reproach. So Paul is teaching this and he is going back to the garden of Eden to teach it. For Adam was formed first, then Eve and Adam was not to see, but the woman was deceived and became the transgressor balls basis for the roles within the church again or not his opinion but it's going back to the created order back in Genesis 1 we see that God is creating he's creating day and night of the sky and the ocean earth see in vegetation the sun, moon and stars creates male and female. This is all very good. That is God's quote after each day of creation. It is good. And then what we see in this in Genesis 2, is that he retells the story and creates Adam in verse 15 and he is alone he is alone in the garden by himself and for the first time in the Bible God says it is not good. Adam is alone and it is not good. And so what does God do God says I will make him a helper fit for him. God created man the word each and then he created Eve. The word Isha Eve came from the rib of Adam. She was created to work alongside Adam to subdue the earth to tend the garden and to be fruitful and multiply through childbearing and Adam needs Eve for this work. I hear these stupid quotes like women need men like a fish needs a bicycle kind of a common feminism line and no II think men need women like in need. Women and vice versa.

There is a need for men to have a companion to have one that works alongside them in the goal here is the cultural mandate is Genesis chapter 1 verse 28, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it soon after what we see after it is good and Adam and Eve are together and he is thrilled. What we see is the fall of mankind. Even Genesis chapter 3 verse six.

He says the tree is good for food.

It was a delight to the eyes and the tree was to be desired to make one why she took of the fruit and ate. And she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate Eve initiated the fall, but again it was Adam who stood by idly. It was his passive nature.

It was his unwillingness to lead yes she first send but Adam was quick to follow her. We fail in our first parents, and the result of it would be that the work for Adam would be good but it would be very difficult, and then for Eve the curse for her was that you shall desire your desire shall be contrary to your husband, and he shall rule over you again. As a result of the fall. A woman's desire to rule over her husband and have authority over him, but he failed and I understand where we as men make mistakes just like Adam and I can understand a wife being irritated with our past 70 in our neglect. This reminds us that we are still called by God to lead our families to lead our churches and we are not to neglect our role of leadership we confess our sins and we move on and lead as the head of the home. Verse 15 she will be saved through the childbearing. If they continue in faith and love and holiness and self-control. This again a lot of interpretations for this passage. Some would say that women are saved by having a baby in the church.

That's heresy. Some believe that Paul is suggesting that their salvation by works, which is inconsistent with his consistent message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Other say that women cause the fall through Eve the way she witnesses interesting the way that she redeems himself is by having covenant children and adding to the children of God, where she messed up she redeems herself by having children that will be redeemed by faith and adding to the church of God, these are the last two interpretations and I think both of these have merit and good men believe in both of these number one they can meet the community childbearing and bringing up children are important symbols for the role of women. Paul once women understand they do not have to reject their homes and families in order to have worth in God's sight or enjoy all the benefits of redemption rather there to work out their salvation and fear and tripling as they fulfill their calling in the home. This is about having the right heart. Having the right attitude about faithfulness to God in a God appointed role as a woman and as a mother in the church so it's about embracing the role not fighting against God's God appointed role, but again with submission with humility. With love, obeying the Lord.

Secondly, there's there's even a note in the Reformation study Bible says this is doubtful but I think this is a very good interpretation of this passage technically in the Greek, she shall be saved through childbearing, it actually is a definite article. It is the childbearing or the childbirth, so if a woman in the church is to be saved. How might she be saved through the birth.

What is the birth in the Bible.

What child bearing.

Is there that is in the front of our minds is the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. If she is to be saved. She has faith in the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. She is having salvation by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ she's believing in Genesis chapter 315 that Christ will ultimately be victorious and that he will redeem his people.

All those that believe in him. So finally I want to encourage men here lead leader homes. Protect your family from physical danger, of course, but as well as the spiritual danger of false teaching where we do not know.

We study we research we understand God's word. Men in the church are called to pray we can lift holy hands we can bow our heads, but what it is is that we go to the Lord not quarreling with one another. Where there is a problem with relationships horizontally is a problem vertically as well. We have to be right with one another within the church having unity with each other and then we go to the Lord with no anger and no quarreling to the women I will encourage you to learn in the church be here among us, studying, knowing, loving Christ figuring out how what obedience to the Lord. Looks like adorn yourself, not with sensual clothing or extravagant clothing as to draw attention to yourself, but adorn yourself with a beautiful character and godliness that expresses good works learn quietly so that you may hear the may understand and benefit from the teaching and preaching administered by the elders and local church if we are in false doctrine come and speak to us if you think we have something wrong in our teaching where willing to hear and if we are teaching faithfully. We ask that you listen quietly as the word is proclaimed through preaching and teaching as we think about the word submission. I want to remind you of this. Children submit the parents and wife submit a husband's workers submit to their boss.

The elder submit to the Presbytery Presbytery submits to the denomination as a whole and every one of us all the way up the line submits to the Lord Jesus Christ who from eternity past this part of the plan of God that the sun would submit to God the father and that he would come in of the world he would lay his life down willingly and bear our sins and doing so he gives us a perfect righteousness that is only in Christ. And because he submitted himself to the father. You and I can look to the Lord Jesus Christ and say you were mine.

You have redeemed me and I'm crucified with Christ. Let us delight in this role, and let us submit to God and to his word and to parallel this to marriage.

Wives submitting to their husbands are playing the role of Christ submitting to the will of the father.

So let us all personally grow in holiness and character and let us submit to the Lord in all humility) heavenly father we do come to you in a beer son who is our Lord was her savior was our Redeemer. We ask that you would write this truth our hearts. We asked that we would humbly submit to your word that we would gladly submit to the Lord Jesus Christ as he knows our hearts. He knows our struggles.

He knows where we fall short where we do. There is grace there is mercy is only found in Christ. Please guide us and direct us to your word that we might be a church that honors you holy your sons and we pray, amen