GOD’S PLAN FOR WOMEN
A Sunday school class was discussing King Solomon. People pointed out that though Solomon had been so wise, he made some foolish choices. Finally, the teacher asked, "Are we picking too much on Solomon?"
One older saint replied wryly, "Ah, with all those wives, he was used to it!"
Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor, said something that I will never forget, "Not having a goal is more to be feared than not reaching a goal. I would rather attempt to do something great and fail, than attempt nothing and succeed."
Prov 29:18 "where there is no vision, the people faint."
I have a burning passion within me to see every child of God discover God’s vision for his or her life and then go for it! I remember about a year ago seeing a church sign that read, "All some people do is grow old." And I thought boy, is that ever true and the real shame is that a lot of those people are sitting on church pews.
God has a BIG VISION for every one of His kids! It’s our responsibility to find out what it is and then go for it!
I. God has a plan for your life!
A. Jer 29:11-14 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest."
GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU IS THE BEST PLAN.
a. So get God’s plan and then go for it!
b. You can’t come up with a better plan for your life than God! Turn to your neighbor and tell her, "you can’t come up with a better plan for your life. God’s plan is the best!"
c. So we would be very foolish to try to go after any plan other than God’s plan for our lives!
THE FIRST STEP IN DISCOVERING GOD’S PLAN IS TO PRAY AND SEEK HIS WILL AND PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE!
a. He said in Jer 29:12 "In those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest."
b. Notice that He said, "when you pray...when you seek me...look for me in earnest."
c. In other words, this has got to be of great importance to you and to me! This isn’t just a flippant little prayer we throw out to God, "oh yeah, God, I’d really like to know what you want to do with my life, so uh, just let me know, would ya?"
d. We must pray and we must EARNESTLY seek Him!
YOU MUST AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE.
Don’t just let life happen to you! I want to see women get set free from this ca-sera-sera mentality that satan has bound us up with.
a. There are too many women in the body of Christ who just kind of go through life and live according to "however the cookie crumbles." Well, I’ll just kind of see how life plays out and whatever will be, will be. Whatever happens, happens I guess.
b. Satan has lied to women and convinced them because they’re women, they are limited, that their lives aren’t as important and therefore, they don’t need to be concerned with goals in their lives
WOMEN ARE VERY SPECIAL TO GOD AND EXTREMELY IMPORTATNT IN CARRYING OUT HIS PLANS ON EARTH.
a. Don’t think for a second that just b/c you’re a woman that you are off the hook!
b. Read the Bible ~ God used women mightily in the Kingdom in many different ways and He hasn’t changed! HE still wants to use women mightily! HE wants to use YOU mightily in His Kingdom.
FIND GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE AND THEN GO FOR IT!!! WHATEVER IT IS HE HAS GIFTED YOU AND CALLED YOU TO DO, DO IT! DON’T LET ANYONE STOP YOU FROM WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO.
Which brings us to a very controversial issue in the church today: WOMEN’S ROLES IN THE CHURCH
I’m very fortunate to have such a wonderful, loving and nurturing husband. I thank God for the man I’m married to! I realize how blessed I am, because I know that men like my husband are very rare in the world today. For those of you who are single, "don’t settle for less than God’s best! Wait on God and let Him choose your mate for you."
I want to give you a brief history of my journey down this road called "women’s roles in the church."
In 1988 I surrendered my life to Christ as a college student in Kansas. I think I have a pretty interesting testimony and one of the interesting things about it is that while I was living a life of sin, this voice kept speaking to me in my mind and this is what the voice said, "you will never be happy or fulfilled until you’re serving God in full-time ministry." I would be out drinking and partying with my friends and this voice would go off in my head. So finally, like the prodigal son, I came home and I immediately knew that God had called me into full-time ministry. However, I quickly realized that the church world was not nearly as open to women in ministry as to men. So I became very confused about my giftings and callings which led me into a detailed study on WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY SAYS ABOUT WOMEN’S ROLES IN THE CHURCH. Because you see, I had this wonderful husband on one side, saying, "kelly, you need to get your credentials, you need to lead, you need to preach...you need to use the gifts God has given you." Then, on the other hand there was this large majority in the church world saying, "NO, you can’t lead, you can’t teach, you can’t preach...YOU’RE A WOMAN! BE SILENT!" So, after several years of confusion, depression and a lot of tears and frustration, I finally got a clue..."GEE, WHY DON’T I SEE WHAT GOD SAYS."
Today I want to share with you my discovery after an in depth Biblical study on
WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE VERY CONTROVERSIAL "GENDER" ISSUE:
Satan always works to suppress and oppress people, especially God’s people. Unfortunately, many in the church world have bought into satan’s lie and it has worked for centuries to suppress women and keep many of them from fulfilling God’s plan for their lives. However, Christ came to set you free, not to force you into a mold and make you into something or someone, you’re not.
The great preacher, Todd Hudnall has said on many occasions, "Religion suppresses and devalues women, God doesn’t."
I recently read an article by J. Lee Grady ( a Christian Writer) on this very issue and I’d like to share some of his article with you.
"Too many years have passed for most of us to remember that Christian leaders in the late 19th and early 20th centuries aggressively opposed the effort to grant women the right to vote in the United States. One preacher, Horace Bushnell, predicted in his book, Women’s Suffrage, that if women started voting, their brains would swell, and they would eventually lose their femininity and their morals." Grady goes on to say, "This strong church bias against women in leadership is peculiar when we examine Jesus’ own inclusive attitude toward the women who followed Him. Jesus affirmed the equality of women in the midst of a culture that denied them basic human rights. HE called women to be His disciples during a time when religious leaders taught that it was disgraceful even to teach a woman."
For centuries women in the church have been taught that they are very limited in what they can do in life because of their gender. My prayer for this message today is that women will be set free from every lie of satan and released to be who God has made you to be and do what God has created for you to do! Throw off the limitations that have been placed upon you and discover the joy of using your God-given gifts to fulfill God’s purpose for your life.
Before I go any further, I want to make it crystal clear that what I am saying today, is you need to discover what gifts and callings God has placed in you and seek His will and purpose for your life. And with over 300 ladies here this morning that can mean over 300 different things.
If God’s calling upon your life is to raise up Godly children and be a strong, supportive, stay at home mom and wife, THEN DO IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND REJOICE IN IT!!!
If God’s calling upon your life is to be a missionary to Africa, THEN DO IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND REJOICE IN IT!!!
If it’s to homeschool your children...teach in the public schools...run for public office...be a doctor...be a builder...be a preacher...a couselor...whatever it is...do it! If God says do it...we need to do it and forget about what someone else may say.
NOW, I’m also NOT saying that you just forget about your family and run off to fulfill God’s will for your life.
Your husband is the spiritual head of your family and he needs to be in agreement with you. So if he’s not there yet, YOU DO NOT FORCE YOUR WAY! You lay down your right to do so and you lovingly submit while praying for God’s direction in your life and for God to deal w/your husband’s heart.
I’m also NOT SAYING that If you have young children at home, you run off to Africa to be a missionary or go to school to be a doctor...or follow after a full-time career that is going to destroy your family and home life. There is a perfect time and a season for everything in God’s plan. You have to get God’s plan and do it God’s way.
But ladies, it is simply WRONG to make a blanket rule that every woman’s role in life is to have babies and be a stay at home mom and wife. Now for many, that is God’s calling! And it is an extraordinarily high calling. It should be taken very seriously! But to say that every woman’s calling is the same, is not Biblically Correct.
II. EXPOSING THE GENDER MYTHS WITH BIBLICAL TRUTHS
TRUTH #1: There is neither male nor female in Christ.
Gal 3:26-29 "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
If there is neither male nor female in Christ, then we are equal in His sight. We are NOT our bodies! We are spiritual beings living in these human bodies.
Your gender does not make you higher or lower than another. Man’s corrupted and fallen nature has mandated this ungodly superiority over women that tries to devalue and suppress women.
However, submission is without a doubt a requirement for every born-again child of God.
I am not for a second saying that b/c we are all one in Christ we need to go out with the attitude, "I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR" the only one we have a right to roar at is the devil.
a. Eph 5 speaks to all believers when Paul says, "submit to one another out of reverence for God."
b. The Bible instructs every believer to live lives of submission: submit to those who lead you spiritually, to those in gov’t, to parents, to one another, wives to husbands b/c they are the spiritual head of your home.
c. Remember Jesus said, "he who wants to be greatest, must be the servant of all."
The basis of submission is submitting ourselves to one another, or "giving way" to one another. Submission is giving way to somebody else. Anne Atkins, in her excellent book Split Image, says, "Before we can hope to be good husbands or wives, we must learn to be good Christians. We must all become self-sacrificial and submissive."
TRUTH #2: Men and women are both acknowledged as spiritual leaders in the body of Christ.
1. 1 Cor 16:15-16 "I urge you, brethren-- you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints--that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us."
2. Paul had already mentioned women as some of his co-laborers and now he’s telling all of the brethren to submit to everyone who works and labors together with them.
3. If women were not allowed to serve as spiritual leaders, then Paul would have clearly specified that. Instead, he speaks of the "household of Stephanas" in which there were certainly women, he says that "they" devoted themselves and that the brethren is to submit to "everyone" who works and labors with them. He would’ve have worded it much differently had women not been acknowledged as spiritual leaders.
4. He would’ve ended instead like this, "submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us, as long as it’s not a woman."
a. 1 Sam 16:7 "For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (NKJ)
b. It matters not to God, what gender you are, He’s only concerned with two things: your availability, obedience and your heart.
TRUTH #3: Women are allowed to teach and speak, even to men.
Acts 18:26 a new believer named Apollos was teaching, "So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Luke makes it clear that Aquila and Priscilla both explained the way to Apollos. Priscilla was teaching alongside her husband the way of God to Apollos. Says nothing to imply that Priscilla was asked to keep silent because she was a woman.
Priscilla knew the way of God every bit as much as her husband. She knew God! If God could use a donkey to speak His words in the Old Testament, he can certainly use a woman who knows Him and is willing to be used of Him to speak the Word of God to edify and build others up.
TRUTH #4: Men and women are both acknowledged as ministers in the cause of Christ.
1. Rom 16:3 Paul instructs the churches to, "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus" * notice that Paul mentions Priscilla first (amazing in the culture of that day)
2. The greek word for workers here is: 4904 sunergos (soon-er-gos’); a co-laborer, i.e. coadjutor: an assistant bishop
3. According to this greek meaning, Paul considered Aquila and Priscilla co-ministers together with him. He put them on the same level as himself. He didn’t acknowledge Aquila as a minister or a bishop and say, "and his wife is Priscilla, but she’s not a co-laborer with us, she’s under us in submission to us because she’s just a woman."
TRUTH #5: Women are also called of God and allowed to serve as pastors.
1 Cor 16:19 "The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house."
Aquila and Priscilla were pastoring a church that met in their home. Notice that Paul doesn’t say, "Aquila greets you, with the church that is in his home." Paul did not separate the two but acknowledged them as a ministry team.
Eccles. Tells us that two are better than one b/c they have a better return for their work.
Satan knows this so he works hard to keep women SILENT (through religion) b/c he knows that if women are released to use their gifts, the kingdom of God will further advance.
III. GREAT WOMEN OF THE BIBLE
A. DEBORAH was a prophet and a judge over Israel.
Judg 4:4 "Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time."
Deborah was not only a prophet but also a judge over Israel!
If God would not permit women to speak, teach or have any authority over men, why did He make Deborah a judge? No one can deny that His hand was upon her. He spoke to her, through her and used her mightily to carry out His plans. I don’t read anywhere that, "this was not God’s plan, to use a woman, but He used her anyway."
Deborah was so respected for her anointing and spiritual insights that Barak, Israel’s military commander, refused to go into battle without her.
B. LOIS & EUNICE a godly mother and grandmother who made a great impact through being an incredible influence to Timothy.
1. Paul commends these two women for shaping this young man’s ministry through their godly instruction and example.
2. God was able to make an eternal difference through Timothy b/c of the influence of this mom and grandma who took their callings seriously.
3. There were so many godly women in Scripture who’s high calling was wife and mother and b/c of their commitment to God’s plan, their impact is still reaching us today.
a. so if that’s God’s call upon your life, don’t you dare despise it! Rejoice in it!
C. PHOEBE was a deacon.
1. Paul commended her to the church at Rome and told them to receive her in the Lord to work among them.
2. He used the same word for deacon in reference to Phoebe, Stephen and Philip.
3. She was sent by Paul to carry out specific plans, probably related to evangelism and church planting.
D. MIRIAM was a prophetess and a leader with her brothers.
In Micah 6:4 tells us that she was a God appointed leader in Israel. God is speaking to Israel, "...I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam."
Exod 15:20 Miriam was also a prophet and a worship leader.
Miriam is another woman prophet and leader, so God evidently spoke through her as well. Proving again that the body you dwell in, does not qualify or disqualify you from being used of God in any way.
a. remember God looks on the heart, He doesn’t care what your gender, race, or bkground is...
E. HULDAH was also a prophet and a leader in Israel.
II Ki 22:14-15 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah...And they spoke with her. Then she said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ’Tell the man who sent you to Me,"
King Josiah sent Hilkiah, his high priest to receive instruction from Huldah.
a. The king sent these men to a woman to inquire of the Lord through her.
b. These men realized that God could use a woman to speak His word and His truth to them.
c. Josaiah, was a godly king. He feared God, so if God didn’t use women to speak to men, Josaiah wouldn’t have sent his men to her.
F. ANNA was also a prophet of God.
Luke 2:36-38 "Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess...She was of a great age... a widow of about eighty-four years, who...served God with fastings and prayers night and day...she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
This tells me four very important things:
a. It makes no difference what gender you are
b. It makes no difference how old you are (84)
c. It makes no difference whether you’re married, single or widow
d. If you will make yourself available God can and will use you.
GOD IS SIMPLY LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN AND WOMEN!!!
a. Luke says that Anna spoke to all those who looked for redemption!
b. Anna’s gift as a prophet was validated by Luke. It’s also interesting that he validated her chastity, virtue and devotion to God in vs. 36 & 37. Could it be that there were ungodly women claiming to be prophets, seeking their own glory and honor and Luke wanted to be sure that everyone knew that Anna was a godly woman?
G. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS AS WELL:
Acts 21:8-9 Luke speaks of Philip’s four daughters who prophesied.
a. you have to ask yourself, "Why did Luke even mention these prophetesses if they were not allowed to speak, but to keep silent?"
b. if women were not allowed to speak (and to prophesy is to edify, exhort and encourage which would definitely come under the category of speaking) then, Luke would not have acknowledged them.
c. Luke was validating the gift that was in them.
Mark 16:9-10 & John 20:17 when Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, and He sent her to go and speak to the brethren (men and women)concerning Him.
John 4:7-42 Jesus reaches out to the precious Samaritan woman and then uses her to bring the message of the Gospel to her city and many believed b/c of her word. (v.39)
a. Jesus didn’t tell her to keep silent.
b. If she had, many would not have been saved.
in Romans 16 Paul also commends other female ministers such as Tryphena, Tryphosa and Junia...
V. SHOULDN’T WOMEN KEEP SILENT IN THE CHURCH?
1 Tim 2:12 "I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to be silent."
In this vs. Paul says that women must be silent but in other epistles he encourages and approves of women operating in these gifts publicly. Therefore, we must look deeper to discover the context of the passage.
a. Obviously this stern restriction on women in 1 Timothy doesn’t apply to all women in all situations.
b. Many Bible scholars believe that Paul was dealing with a serious heresy in the church at Ephesus when he wrote 1 Tim 2:12.
c. Certain women teachers at Ephesus were spreading dangerous teachings and some were even suggesting that women were superior to men and that Eve was created before Adam.
d. Paul commanded Timothy not to let these women spread their false doctrines.
e. Yet we know that he was more than willing to allow trained, Bible-believing women teach.
1 Corinthians 14:34 "let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak."
a. Many Theologians and Bible scholars believe that Paul was calling for order b/c women were disrupting the church meetings with loud, argumentative chatter.
b. Other Scholars believe that v. 34-35 were quotes that Paul had taken from a letter they had written him and in v. 36 he answers it with sarcasm by saying, "what! Did the Word of the Lord originate with you?"
a. In other words: who do you think you are to suppress godly women and keep them from God’s call and purpose?
Joel 2:28 declares that both your "sons and your daughters shall prophesy when the Holy Spirit is poured out."
However you interpret it, you cannot pull out one or two verses and use them to create a blanket rule that restricts women from being able to use their God-given gifts, abilities and callings when throughout the Old and New Testaments we see women serving and being validated in such capacities.
So in a nutshell, what I’m saying to you today is:
1. EARNESTLY SEEK GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE AND DO IT!
We are all unique individuals and God has a unique calling for each of us
Don’t put God in a box and don’t put people in a box
Allow yourself and other people the freedom in Christ to be who He has made them to be
2. ALWAYS WALK IN LOVE, HUMILITY AND SUBMISSION TO GOD AND OTHERS.
We are to follow Jesus’ example who came as a servant and laid His life down for others
That means that as the Apostle Paul said, "though I am free from all men, I make myself slave to all that I might win the more."
If you are in a church that does not allow women the freedom to use their gifts in certain areas, you need to lovingly submit to the leadership there or you need to pray about leaving.
We are NEVER to stir up strife and division, but to submit to those who lead us spiritually
3. DON’T LET YOUR PRIORITIES GET OUT OF WHACK.
God first
Then your husband (if married)
Then your children ( if still at home)
Then your ministry calling
Below is a list of books on this subject:
"Beyond Sex Roles" Gilbert Bilezikian
"Women in the Church" a Biblical Theology of women in ministry. Stanley J. Grenz & Denise Muirkjesbo
"Women Ministers" According to Scripture Judy L. Brown Ed.D.
"10 Lies the Church Tells Women" How the Bible has been misused to keep women in spiritual bondage
J. Lee Grady
