Calling All Leaders, Both Male and Female

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer. I did not marry a weak superficial woman. I'm not raising my daughters to be weak supervision. Women want this church to create either.

Yes, we are here to help you ladies be better wives and mothers role God has given you, but we are also passionate to see those of you whom God has called to be leaders. Those leaders, as always, I'm your host Molly benefits are so glad you're back with us today is passionate about introducing people to the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially in passages like the one that were looking at today where the book of Judges in our teaching series is called broken saviors. When God inspires a woman to step forward and get leadership and ministry. How can the church help her become all God intended. This is a hot topic today and pastor JD's response is informed by a fascinating story in the book of Judges. If you'd like to follow along with the transcript of each message you can find them free of charge@jeanniegreer.com. Let's get started with today's message titled calling all leaders, both male and female here stating that are new to our church.

I have been on December 25, 2009 we finally squeaked in the little boy right at the buzzer. You guys can pray for Adam, my son, I saw myself on the deck is always stacked against him. The house for mom's instead of one who dressed him up like a princess secure him around our house. He is a pastor's kid and then on top of all that he shares a birthday with Jesus. So I thought you got a lot to overcome in his life pretty late in developing his speaking and his walking abilities ghoulish multiply compared our daughters. Some people a lot and lastly why I think that was is very simply, there was no reason at all for him to do any of those things himself of the first four years everywhere. He wanted to go. One of his four moms carried him around and between them enough words transpire in our house that neither add nor I feel like we have a lot to add but anyway that is the world that I live in and I share that because this passage in the book of Judges today has very special significance for me as a dad of three very smart, very silly say high-spirited daughters. This passage speaks to what I hope for them. What I dream for them.

What I pray over them. It is the story of Deborah, the only female judge now guys do not zone out because I'm telling you there is plenty in here that you can learn from two of you have a Bible Judges chapter 4 is where we are going to be judged up before and five where to look at the story of Deborah and Barack, Deborah and Barack Judges 41. The story begins again. The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Now that left-handed Ehud was dead. Number left-handed Ehud was the southpaw Savior. We looked at a couple weeks ago that delivered Israel well as long as he was alive for 80 years.

The people follow God when he died. They wandered back into their their ways and so the Lord sold them into the hands of Jacob and the king of Canaan, who reigned in a sore sister, the commander of David's army had 900 chariots fitted with iron is remember I told you the first week that chariots of iron in those days were like the tanks of modern-day units like the Panzer tanks and so they could mow down hundreds of foot soldiers. Israel didn't have any of so Sisera has a decided tactical advantage over Israel. So he cruelly oppresses the Israelites from 20 years now Israel cried to the Lord for help verse for now. Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lapidus was leaving Israel at that time she held court under the palm of Deborah creatively named in the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided to visit a gold and white dressers and a blue and black dress.

They would ask her questions like that.

Just out of curiosity, how many of you gold white just raise your hand if you blue and black you cut her crazy and I wore a gold shirt just in honor of it this weekend but she settled things like that for them. So she sent for Barack and said to him, Lord brought the Lord God of Israel command you go and take with you 10,000 men, I will lead Sisera into your hands. Barack said to her, if you go with me. I'll go but if you don't go with me. I will go so Deborah responds, you gotta read in this very deep sigh.

Certainly I will go with you, but because of the course you're taking the honor will not be yours for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman. Now he were the key night had separated from the Kenai to pitch this to you by the oaken zoning which is near Kadesh that Aranda be delicate and out of nowhere right were talking about Deborah Moroccan and imminent battle.

Now all of a sudden we learn about his cunning Hebrew can't get along with the other key night sincerely take his trailer with his wife and he moves out to the desert but it's not a random detail at all as I will show you so meanwhile back at the palace. Verse 12 Deborah directs Moroccan the Army down to a region at the base of Mount sobor the River basin, which is another important detail all show you in a moment.

Verse 14 then Deborah said to Barack go this is the day the Lord has given Sisera in your hands is not the Lord God ahead of you and the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and flat on foot to find out in chapter 5 that the reason Sisera had to flee on foot was a sudden rainstorm and come in the river flooded so Sisera's 900 chariots of iron got stuck know what is remarkable about that is all this took place during the dry season when it never rained.

Had there been any chance at all of rain. Sisera would never have taken his 900 chariots down into a river basin. So what you see is that God sends essentially a snow in July is how it would be for us, and in a matter of just moments. He was a little moisture takes Sisera's huge tactical advantage and turns it into a liability. So Sisera is now running on foot and with his 900 chariots and bind them any comes verse 17 of the 10 of John L wife of Heber, the Kenai remember them. Sisera would never have run anywhere near an Israelite city so now he's running out of the wilderness and there you have no Heber the guy the king along with the other two nights and his wife that affects their trailer out there you know about themselves. Gile went out to be Sisera and said to him, Lord, and right and don't be afraid, so he entered her tenancy covered him with a blanket. I'm thirsty.

He said please give me some water. She did give him water. She opened up a skin of milk and she gave him a drink and covered them up there. There been more your man needs a little nap. Got me to start to sing a little lullaby. He drips off to sleep. Verse 21 been Gile Heber's wife pick up a tent peg and a hammer went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep. She drove the peg to his temple, and to the ground and he died. I'm not sure that last sentence was necessary to be honest but you don't come and visit. If you don't know the story and neither did he.

That's got a point, she walked outside and said no and that's the end.

Now you read that you say what a smashing salvation story, but what is there that we can learn from and I know some of you say Matt seems really silent.

Stories like this in Judges of I understand I come back to that for the M but here's the question what piercing truths can we learn from Deborah Barack and Gile.

Five of them okay for some of the longest number one God gives to women the same spiritual gifts he gives to men. That's one of things you learn from that story. Is it a story is much as perhaps any in the Bible gives you a glimpse into the role that God has for women in his kingdom. Deborah is called profit. She is a wise and respected leader in Israel. Some people have said that the only reason that Deborah was a prophet is because there was no men. There were no men around to lead, which somehow indicates the moral degradation of Israel, but there is nothing in this passage that would indicate that it's true that you see Barack demurrer waiver in his faith. But even before that Deborah was an established leader and teacher in Israel. She's not there because Barack has failed.

She is there because she is wise in the spirit of God has anointed her and set her up to be a leader which leads me to emphasize something we believe very strongly here at Summit search and that is that women have access to every spiritual gift that may have access to. You see, there is a myth alive in certain parts of the church that men in the church ought to be taught deep, rich theology and women to learn how to match their curtains with the pillows on the couch or how not to feel sad on rainy days.

I sold one Christian Alder point out that anytime you go to a Christian women's conference, and they teach of the book of Ephesians.

The only part never focus on is Ephesians 5 of Paul talks about how wives are to relate to their husbands as if the rest of the book is written for men and just that one chapter is written for women, the entire book of Ephesians and the whole Bible for that matter, is written to women and you women need to learn all of it. I did not marry a weak superficial woman. I am not raising my daughters to be weak.

Superficial women and I do not want this church to create them either.

So our ministry here at the Summit search aims yes we are here to help you ladies be better wives and mothers.

If that is a role that God is given to you, but we are also passionate to see those of you whom God has called to be leaders, condos, leaders now having said that, in both the old and new Testaments. God establishes certain positions that he wants only men the play and others that he wants only women to play in the Old Testament, for example, women could not be priests for you see right here in the store that Deborah won't leave the Army when Barack demurrer. She didn't say well I'll do it now. She encourages him or did you notice that when she is introduced in chapter 4. She's identified as the wife of Lapidus.

She the writer never does that, for the man.

Writer never says Joshua, the husband of Kim or Barack the husband of Michelle on the stuff that Aranda named their that is the Hebrew way when he does that, indicating that she has an identity and a whole led by her husband, even though she is the most important person in all of Israel.

Arguably, the wisest and the best leader.

She has identified herself in a home led by her husband, because that is a role that God has given him to play in the New Testament.

Paul says very clearly a person of the two and three that women should not serve in the role of pastor or elder at the church but that does not prohibit them from leaving in other spheres or from exercising all the same spiritual gifts that men have, including leadership and teaching.

Just not in the capacity of pastor elders. There's a really controversial statement of Paul's letter to Timothy chapter 2 verse 12 Paul says in a church, a woman should learn with all submissiveness, we read that we say, what does that mean, let me tell you what it can't meet. It can't mean that with women do not speak prophetically in the church for teach or even teach mixed audiences. Here's how I know that we see them doing that all through the New Testament there called prophetesses are all Deaconess Priscilla in acts 18 is said to be the tutor of the great preacher Apollo's Paul tells you exactly what he means by that statement in the next couple verses.

Unfortunately, in English Bible. There's a break between person to be doing first Timothy three that somehow mask for us are usually mask the flow of thought.

Paul tells you exactly what he means by that statement in chapter 3 when he's says right after that the women are not to be the ruling elders in the church. That's all that he means.

Of course they teach. Of course they prophesy. Of course they explain the Bible we see that happening all through the New Testament, just not in the capacity of pastor elders. Tim Keller says it this way. God forbids one kind of role in the church. The women as he did in Israel. We must not jump from that to forbidding all teaching – the women and we shouldn't assert all sorts of specific tasks are off-limits to women.

For example, working outside the home are teaching males over 12 are speaking in front of church services is better to say that everything a man who isn't an elder can do a woman and you also get right back to moment here on MetLife. JD Greer, you're one way you can be sure to continually God's word, saturating your life is to participate in our daily email devotional from Pastor Jamie. We all use encouragement first thing in the morning to remind us of God's love. That's part is that it follows along with our teaching here on the program you can type deeper into all the world. Learning and share with others. Sign up for this free resource.

Jamie reared.com/resources JD GRT are.com/resources now. Let's return for the conclusion of today's message.

Once again, here's a false dichotomy put forward in the church on one side you say what you do you believe there is no distinction of roles all the other side you believe women can only serve in some kind of diminutive role because women don't have the capacity to leave. We need to reject that dichotomy at this church, and instead adopt what the Bible puts forward as our standard women are equals without being equivalents. The Bible teaches equality of position. The quality of gifting, but with distinctive roles to play in the family and the church so specifically to the women of the Summit church. I want to say three things number one God has a calling on your life.

Yours is not simply to sit on the sidelines and make coffee and have kids, do you know what that calling is have you risen up to obey it. Like Deborah, you need to get into the fight and not just sit on the sidelines and tear for the men number two you are a leader with spiritual authority. I know a lot of women who are entirely too dependent on their husbands never take spiritual responsibility.

That's not what you see in Deborah here you see a leader of the highest caliber. She is the wisest and most courageous person in all of Israel. Number three you can do all of this while respecting God's order as you see Deborah do here she refuses to take positions that God had assigned to men and she identified herself in a house, headed by her husband. You see, we need to reject both sides of the dichotomy that God doesn't give the women the same gifts he gives the man or that there's no distinction of roles in the church I mentioned that I have three daughters, one of things I pray for them literally that they will become Deborah's that is literally how I have it written down in my prayer journal.

I prayed over Karis Allie and riots God will raise them up to become Deborah's because we need a lot more Deborah's in this church and in the kingdom of God. We need Deborah's in the home, speaking courage into their children and their husbands. We need Deborah's in ministry there calling us to give and pray and go and sacrifice and did in the fight and leading us in that I thought of a dozen women at our church. I can use to illustrate, but I chose to because I didn't have time to get either their permission. So these are the two that I knew that I could just do it and they would just go along with it. One is Jenny Warner sitting right here in front of me to lose my personal prayer to a minister and she helps lead our prison ministry. I thought of Bonnie Strohm who is now on our staff. She was a corporate executive in a very high position of vice president.

A large corporation right here. He resigned that he came to help organize and lead in our missions ministry here at the Summit church. I did not get the permission but I figured if if Barack could shut Deborah in the battle. I can bring these ladies forward and lease usernames and they would complain about it.

We need more Deborah's in society, to rule and lead and teach with wisdom and courage and faith. Memory say to you.

Maybe you're married to a Deborah maybe or maybe her lap, and if you need to platform her like lapidary. He's kind of the unsung hero in the story gets one mention because he did what he did he allow her to bless Israel the way that she did. Maybe you're married to a lapidary can that's the way that your to serve the kingdom of God Cindy Peterson who leads our women's ministry here told me this. Just this week.

She said you know two years ago when I came on Stafford Summit church lead women's ministry.

She says I told you this but I actually made up my mind to say no. I just felt like there was so much going on in our family and our lives in John's life and ministry that I was like I couldn't just that my husband John sat me down and said, one day I have to stand before God and I have to answer for how we steward stewarded these leadership in teaching gift that God gave you Cindy. Do not make me stand before God have to explain why you sat on the sidelines and I did not give you the ability to bless the Summit church. The way that God is gifted you to bless the Summit church there man of you that are married to this kind of woman and you need to platform her and you need to be behind her and you need to release our that is lesson number one God gives to women every spiritual gift that he gives to men there's more. Though this is number one. The coaches longest the others are in the next chapter. Chapter 5 is Deborah write a song and in that song are four important lessons for both men and women, by the way if you happen to be one of those people who thought women should never teach you in church you should probably excuse yourself during the section because this entire chapter is written by woman and so you might have a conflict of conscience or you just change your mind and community at number two when the leaders lead when the leaders way the people praise the Lord that the first thing she says chapter 5, verse one. Deborah says when the princes and Israel take the lead.

When the people willingly offer themselves. Praise the Lord, my heart is with willing volunteers among the people. Then in verse 13 she begins to list out the various tribes of Israel, and she talked about which ones join the fight which ones did not. For example, verse 14 from Ephraim.

They came to help verse 15 the Issachar faithful, followed us in the battle. Verse 18 the people from Zebulon buddy from Zebulon risk their very lives. Verse 17. However, Gilead remained in Jordan and Dan Dan. Dan lingered with the ships. Blessed are the ones she said he step forward in faith. The fight now you can apply this to both men and women but specifically she talks about the men because Prince as princes, not friends of the princes is is male. She saying when the leaders lead when the princes leave and the people praise the Lord to let me direct this point specifically for the men we have a lot of men hanging back by the ships that ought to be out in the fight is one way of reading Genesis 3 the story of the original sin in which you see the original sin as beginning with past 70 on the part of the man in refusing to take the leap got it given the man instructions that they would eat of every tree, except for this one. And when Genesis 3 opens up you see the serpent having a conversation with Eve and we are tempted to think that Adam was somewhere you know raising crops are doing quiet, something here's Eve. I'll talk with the state, but the way it's written, the economy didn't become clear and in English but in Hebrew is is that Adam was with her when this conversation was happening in with her means.

He was standing right beside so he's watching this thing go down. He's on the serpent have a conversation with Eve.

He knows that God has said the day that you eat of it you will surely die.

So he's the let her take the first bite like a crash test dummy like owner shall dropdead know what she did now takes up to the first the original Sanders one way of reading it where you could say before there was a sin where anybody actually did anything wrong. There was a failure of the man to do anything.

The temptation of men, the great temptation to man is not that you do something evil. The greatest mentation of men is that you do nothing. Even Barack here demurs at first they won't go without her. The great temptation of man is not to do evil is to do nothing. The same is true today. We got a lot of guys who are not bad guys there just hang about motherships when they ought to be out leaving in a fight you what a great example of this, the international mission board whom we send most of our missionaries through says that for the last five years in a row. When you look when you look at the places in the world that are the hardest to reach the places where is the most dangerous to spread the gospel. Women applicants to those places serve as places outnumber the men for the one praise God for the women that are stepping forward to do that.

Where are the guys that are hanging back motherships who ought to be out leading in the fight is when the princes lead that we praise the Lord. Deborah says men God has given you a crucial role to play. That cannot be replicated by anybody else, and if your family is gonna praise the Lord is going to be because you stepped forward to leave every sociological study of its type done points to the fact of the leadership of the father is the greatest determining factor in how the kids turn out. For instance, one study that I have right here in front of me and I shared it with you before, says this. If a child in a family is the first one to come to faith in Christ and a family. There is a 3.5% chance that everybody else in the family will become Christian.

If the mother is the first one to come to faith in Christ and the family. There is a 17% chance that everyone else in the family will become Christian.

If the father is the first want to come to faith in Christ. There is a 93% chance that everyone else in the family will come to faith is when the princes lead. She says that we praise the Lord. When the princes advocate their duties.

The people suffer sitting on the sidelines not only robs you of rewarded put you under a curse you active in the kingdom of God.

Your time you leverage your talents to be of use in the kingdom of God about your treasures in your resources, how much of your resources. How many are engaged in the expanse of God's kingdom you want to know the difference between a budget that God blesses him one that God does not has a lot to do and how much of what God is giving you is engaged in the expanse of God's kingdom. Do not tell yourself that you're okay as long as you're not committing crimes as long as you are somewhat regular at our church attendance is more than one way in God's eyes to be winded wickedness can come from what you do but wickedness can just as easily come from what you failed directly addressed his congregation at the cemetery. These principles in Judges 4 and five apply to any church, yours included you're listening to Senate life where the gospel of Jesus Christ is our central focus of today's message is titled calling all leaders, both male and female and there's much more to learn from this passage to listen to this program again or to digging deeper on your own. Check out the helpful resources. JD Greer.com Pastor JD. We all have so many questions about life, about the Bible about how to live in today's world and in our newest resources to answer some of these questions that keep us up at night right just about got big questions and we need to know how to give answers. Peter tells us that be ready to give an answer when we get asked a lot of these question so we created this new resource that will help you answer some of the more challenging ethical or theological questions that you get asked by your kids by your neighbors or maybe things it does come up from your out of your own heart. If a couple of examples are like when is it okay to get divorced and is there such a thing as unanswered prayer. You might remember, volume 1 of this book also called honest questions quick answers now. That's volume 1. This value to you indicate that you want.

Also, volume 1. It'll give you instructions about how you can get a hold of that that first volume as well just go right now the JD Greer.com to reserve a copy of one both volumes today give to support Senate life with a gift of $35 more to say thanks by sending you the brand-new resource we put together 16 quick answers from pastor JD like he was just telling give online copy Greer.com or call for T20 866-3350 T20 Molly benefits come back the same time tomorrow when pastor JD right here on