Life in the Father's House                                                                                        Memorial OPC, Fall 2008

Lesson 5, "Fulfilling Our Roles as Men and Women"                                              Pastor Matthew Judd

 

The Proposition

God has designed men and women differently in order to "fulfill different roles in His plan. Therefore, if we as Christian men and women want to please God with our full potential.. .we must understand [and put into practice] the unique functions for which we have been designed" (p. 96).

"Because the church and the relationships within it are a representation of God's character to the watching world, it is essential for the witness of any congregation that men and women fulfill their designated roles" (p. 96).

The Role of Men in the Church

"Today's churches will rise to the standards of their Lord only if they have men who are...":

1. Loving Leaders

2. Effective Teachers

3. Godly Examples

Key Points:

• A vacuum of loving male leadership in Christ's church is an indication of weakness and sickness. Why do women aspire to leadership positions in the church? There may be many sinful reasons that arise from the women themselves, but the primary reason is because men abdicate their God appointed role, sit back, and do nothing.

• Leadership in the early church was not a glamorous position - persecution started with them.

• Leadership in the early church meant servanthood - washing feet, etc.

The Role of Women in the Church

God has not made women inferior to men! Rather, He has made them different from men. "Some of the main parts God has designed for a woman to play in His body are...":

1. Submissive Learners

2. Gifted Trainers

A. The Training of Children

B. The Training of Younger Women

3. Skilled Hostesses

4. Humble Servants

Key Points:

• "The difference between men and women is not one of quality or ability, but of function" (p. 109).

• "The direction and instruction of the church is not a burden that women must bear. They should be grateful to God for that, and joyfully seek to fulfill the many other crucial ministries to which they have been called" (p. 111).

• "Certainly if raising children is a special ministry for women, women ought to, if possible, have children.. .if they do not have children of their own, they should find some children and help to 'bring them up'" (pp. 112-113).

• When one's children are raised she should be using her experience to help train and teach the younger women. Indeed, a woman's ministry is not done when her children leave the nest, it is only beginning.

 

1 Timothy and the Household of God

 

1. God, Our Father

 

 

 

 

 

2. Common Benefits Enjoyed by the entire Household

 

3. Unique Roles and Responsibilities According to the Household Pattern

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. The Cultivation of the Gifts and Abilities of All

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography - Books for your bookshelf, books for you to read:

DeMoss, Nancy L. Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free. Chicago: Moody Press, 2001. A practical and relevant book studied by the ladies of MOPC in 2006. In our Church Library.

Hughes, R. Kent. Disciplines of a Godly Man. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2001 (revised edition). A fine book on pursuing a Christ honoring walk as a man of God.                                                                 ^

Hunt, Susan. The True Woman: The Beauty and Strength of a Godly Woman. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1997. D. James Kennedy writes, "This book goes to the center of all that it means to be a godly woman. Every American woman should have the opportunity to read it." In our Church Library.

James, John Angell. Female Piety: a Young Woman's Friend and Guide. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1994 (reprint from 1860). A 19th century work that extols the high calling of women by Jesus Christ.

Mack, Wayne A. Strengthening Your Marriage. Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 1999 (second edition). Very good at setting forth the roles and relations of men and women (husbands and wives) in a practical way.

Peace, Martha. The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective. Bemidji, MN: Footstool Publishing, 1997. A challenging book on pursuing godliness as a woman. Excellent for both those who are married and unmarried.

Piper, John and Wayne Grudem, eds. Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1991. Two articles are especially relevant to men and women in the church: chapter 13, "The Church as Family: Why Male Leadership in the Family Requires Male Leadership in the Church," by V. S. Poythress, and chapter 20, "The Family and the Church: How Should Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Work Out in Practice?" by G. W. Knight III.

Scott, Stuart. The Exemplary Husband: A Biblical Perspective. Bemidji, MN: Footstool Publishing, 2002 (2nd  edition). This is the companion volume to The Excellent Wife. Candid, convicting, challenging.

Wilson, Douglas. Reforming Marriage. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 1995. Douglas Wilson writes in a provocative style. Some of what he says must be carefully weighed, but his practical writings are generally helpful if read with open eyes. His chapters on "Headship and Authority" and "Duties of Husbands and Wives" are well worth reading in our day of cultural egalitarianism. In our Church Library.