Speaking and Listening in Church

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.880 You may be seated. Please turn your attention to First Corinthians, chapter fourteen. 2 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:14.759 I'll be preaching the end of this chapter this morning. This is versus 3 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:20.359 twenty six through forty. As we continue, I'm working through this book, 4 00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:26.000 this letter. Remember the setting of this letter as you turn their First Corinthians 5 00:00:26.039 --> 00:00:31.480 Fourteen, Verse Twenty Six on the Apostle Paul had planted this church in Corinth 6 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:37.039 but had received word that some of the things that he had said and emphasized 7 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:44.520 and preached and taught we're being undone, some on purpose, some of course, 8 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:48.920 by the schemes of the devil, perhaps some by accident, just that 9 00:00:49.079 --> 00:00:55.920 regular old fleshly nature in us that tends to tends to disorder and to sin. 10 00:00:56.679 --> 00:00:59.799 And he speaks to them, he spakes to the Corinthians and a whole 11 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:04.159 host of matters and speech and gives them encouragement, helps them to see themselves 12 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:08.040 again in light of Christ and who he is, to apply that word to 13 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:14.359 their life together. And so we come to the another section of this morning. 14 00:01:14.359 --> 00:01:18.040 As Paul's been dealing with spiritual gifts, our unity in the body of 15 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:23.480 Christ. He continues that and finishes this section, this portion of his word 16 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:29.239 in chapter fourteen. We begin in Verse Twenty Six. First Corinthians Fourteen, 17 00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:34.599 verse Twenty Six. What then, brothers, when you come together, each 18 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:38.439 one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue or an 19 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:45.519 interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in 20 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:49.000 a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each 21 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:53.840 in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to 22 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:57.840 interpret, let each of them keep silent in Church and speak to himself and 23 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:02.640 to God. Let two or three prophets speak and let others way what is 24 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:07.400 said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first 25 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:13.039 be silent, for you can all prophesy one by one, so that all 26 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:16.039 may learn and be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to 27 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:22.800 the Prophets for God. It's not a god of confusion, but of peace, 28 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:25.719 as in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent 29 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:30.639 in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be 30 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:34.680 in submission, as the law also says. If there is anything they desire 31 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:38.479 to learn, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is shameful 32 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:42.719 for a woman to speak in church? Or was it from you will, 33 00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:46.319 or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you 34 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:51.520 the only ones that is reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet 35 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:57.520 or spiritual he should acknowledge the things that I am writing to you are command, 36 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:01.400 a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he 37 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:07.360 is not recognized. So my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy and do not 38 00:03:07.400 --> 00:03:15.240 forbid speaking in tongues, but all things should be done decently and in order. 39 00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:21.840 Amen, may God bless his word to us. Well, Paul begins 40 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:25.879 this section with a question. Right, he says. What then, brothers? 41 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:29.439 Why does he say this? Well, as I mentioned before, he 42 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:35.479 says this after dealing for several chapters with various commands and instructions about how they 43 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:40.520 are to act and in worship. And that question then, and all that 44 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:46.680 he's been saying about how God has put us together into something that we could 45 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:51.479 call a body, a body with different members, a body with different gifts. 46 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:55.439 How is that body supposed to work? We comes now to some final 47 00:03:55.479 --> 00:04:00.400 applications and, based on what he said about God's spiritual gifts in his church 48 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:04.439 and the body of Christ and the love that holds us all together. He 49 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:10.039 gives us some specific applications of how that is to play out and he reminds 50 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:15.120 us something about the character of God and how that applies in our worship and 51 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:18.399 in the life of our church. And before we look at some of those 52 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:25.720 specific applications, we had to take a second just remember that details matter, 53 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:30.639 that what we do in our lives as Christians, whether we consider them a 54 00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:35.879 small detail or a big thing, they matter to God. Our relationship to 55 00:04:35.959 --> 00:04:41.959 God is to a particular God. Our relationship to God is to one who 56 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:49.040 is is not some abstract power, not some vague spiritual force. Our relationship 57 00:04:49.079 --> 00:04:54.759 to God is to the Triune God, who is a certain way. He 58 00:04:54.920 --> 00:04:58.560 is as he says. He are not a god of confusion, but a 59 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:00.199 god of peace, and we could say, of course, many other things 60 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:05.439 about him. And as we worship him, it is right for us to 61 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:11.439 ask what does he want, what does he like? Not only is God 62 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:16.560 a not only as God have a particular characteristics, in a particular will and 63 00:05:16.600 --> 00:05:21.439 these kind of things, but he also is sovereign over us. Right, 64 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:28.319 we did not form this body he formed it. He we are not the 65 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:31.639 head of the body. He is the head of the body. He is 66 00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:35.439 sovereign over us, are our catechism, as we were talking about in our 67 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:40.920 Sunday school last week, teaches us that he also has a propriety in us, 68 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:45.639 which means to say he has an ownership of us. Propriety there is 69 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:51.879 used like the word proprietorship right, a sense of owning. God has purchased 70 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:57.000 us, the Scriptures say, with the blood of Christ, the blood of 71 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:00.439 his own son. And so, for all these reasons and or God gets 72 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:04.040 to say what we do and what we don't do, how we worship, 73 00:06:04.040 --> 00:06:10.879 how we organize ourselves, how we relate to one another and to him. 74 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:15.120 The gods, the false gods, the idols, it doesn't really matter. 75 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:20.000 They're all made up anyway. There are unmet creatures of our own imaginations, 76 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:24.160 our own idolatry, and, as you see, there are all kinds of 77 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:30.199 things and activities that people do in relation to tell idols. But to God 78 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:34.279 it's different. God calls us together in a certain way, God orders us 79 00:06:34.279 --> 00:06:40.040 in a certain way, gives us particular sacraments, he gives us particular books 80 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:44.639 of the Bible, why? Because he reveals himself to us, he wants 81 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:53.279 us to know him, to love him, and so, as God reveals 82 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:57.800 himself to us, scripture teaches us how we ought to govern ourselves, and 83 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:01.519 that includes in worship. Now, some of those things are expressly set down 84 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:06.120 in scripture. Right, preach, pray, sing. Some of those things 85 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:11.759 are mentioned here. Some of those things we've Sung about this morning. Other 86 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:18.000 things are given to us, we understand by good and necessary consequence reasonable deductions 87 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:24.560 from the commandments of God. There are also circumstances in our government and in 88 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:30.040 our worship, circumstances that are common. Our Confession says to human actions and 89 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:36.399 societies meant to our be are to be ordered according to certain things. Those 90 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:42.519 include the light of nature and natural law, a Christian prudence and the general 91 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:46.399 rules of the word. And we see the Apostle Paul doing that kind of 92 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:51.800 practical application work here in our chapter, and it's very helpful to us not 93 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:56.279 only to see the way he's thinking and working but of course to receive the 94 00:07:56.279 --> 00:08:01.600 specific applications he gives as well. All that to say, we ought to 95 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:05.120 begin with a passage like this, or anything any other similar passage, with 96 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:11.800 a spirit of humility, spirit of submission, a spirit of listening to the 97 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:16.879 Lord and what he desires for us, and one of the things that he 98 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:20.759 desires. One of the principles that's mentioned here and has been mentioned in several 99 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:24.160 of the chapters preceding this, is that everything ought to be done for building 100 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:28.680 up. And what a great thing. How often we find ourselves in our 101 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:33.080 society, in various places, whether that's at home or at work, particular 102 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:39.440 relationships, where we find that people are often tearing down us and others, 103 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:43.080 where it's a competition, in a race to the top, sharp elbows, 104 00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:48.600 all the time, people using their gifts and their talents not to build others 105 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:54.080 up but to tear them down, to claw their way to first place. 106 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:58.960 The church is different, Paul says it should be different. The order that 107 00:08:58.039 --> 00:09:03.440 God has made, the beautiful body that he's putting together, is one in 108 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:07.799 which all the parts of the body are working together for the strength of the 109 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:11.559 body and the health of the body. We're not just a bunch of marbles 110 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:16.240 in a bowl, sort of resting next to one another. We are woven 111 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:22.960 into a tapestry of grace. We are woven together into something that is greater 112 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:26.200 than all the parts, a beautiful picture of God's work in us, and 113 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:33.200 a stronger a stronger thing as well. Right, when you take two or 114 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:37.039 three chords and you tie them together, that's a chord that is not easily 115 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:41.159 broken, the scripture saying. We know that also from the light of nature. 116 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:46.200 Right, it's stronger, it's more resilient, it doesn't give up as 117 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.480 easy. And so this is what God has done. All right, we 118 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:56.000 don't just gather ourselves together hoping to be strong, hoping that we will be 119 00:09:56.039 --> 00:10:01.480 able to put something together that will withstand the changing times or the the sin 120 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:07.440 in our lives or the schemes of the devil got we are here because of 121 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:13.360 what God has put together, and he's put it together to build each and 122 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:18.080 every one of us up. And as he gives us these gifts, he 123 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:22.399 says, this is verse Twenty Six. Let all things be done for building 124 00:10:22.519 --> 00:10:28.159 up. Take your word, take your gift, Take Your Song, take 125 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:31.720 your prayer, take your confession and bring it into the church and let it 126 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:37.279 be for the building up of your brothers and sisters in Christ. This is 127 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:43.279 not a show, it's not a performance, it's a building up and it's 128 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:48.759 the worship of God. It reminds us of why we're here. It reminds 129 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:52.919 us of what God is doing. It reminds us of the Gospel, of 130 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:58.879 the good news that the church does not exist because we have forced it or 131 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:03.480 willed it into existence, but the church exists because of what God has done, 132 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:09.000 what God has willed and what God has brought together. He did that 133 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:11.200 by the work of his very own son, who died for the church, 134 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:18.120 who gave him very life for his bride. Let us love him, thank 135 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:24.360 him, hold fast to him and seek him in every way. That good 136 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:28.879 news that God gives to us in Christ, this people, that he has 137 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:33.200 made us, this bride, that he has clothed and purified and prepared. 138 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:39.440 This is the Gospel Basis for why we are here today. It's the Gospel, 139 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:45.000 it's the good news on the power by which we come and we think 140 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:48.879 about every aspect of our life together as a family, as a church, 141 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:54.600 as a body, as a bride well, but that principle in mind and 142 00:11:54.679 --> 00:12:01.279 the reason and the purposes and the particular nature of God in our hearts. 143 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:05.480 Paul gives us some specific applications which are very much tied to all of these 144 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:11.399 things. The first one is this principle which we touched on last time, 145 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:18.600 is that worship should understandable. Right. He says, as he has mentioned 146 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:24.720 previously, if anyone speaks in a tongue there needs to be interpretation. We 147 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:31.000 don't conduct our services in Latin. That's not because Latin is a bad language. 148 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:35.120 It's a wonderful language and we'd all do well to learn it. But 149 00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:43.519 we reject, reject untranslated Latin services because we don't know Latin, because we 150 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:50.080 know English and because God wants to be understood, because the scriptures say if 151 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:54.720 there is a tongue that is spoken, let it be interpreted. We must 152 00:12:54.759 --> 00:13:01.639 be able to hear God's word. It needs to be understandable to us. 153 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:07.240 Now the end and these and untranslated language does not build up it because, 154 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:11.639 Paul said in the last chapter, it's like a noisy gong or a or, 155 00:13:11.879 --> 00:13:15.480 in the earlier in this chapter, a clanging symbol. It's not a 156 00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:20.919 help to us. Notice lesson revelation, teaching. These are all appropriate and 157 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:26.639 commanded, but what language we speak is not. This is an example of 158 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:31.919 the circumstances of worship. There's this principle, right, this prince. First 159 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:37.440 you have the the element of worship, say teaching, for example, or 160 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:41.399 prayer. You have the principle which says it needs to be done for building 161 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:46.440 up, and then you have a circumstance which is well, what language do 162 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:52.200 we say it in? There's no particular preference on no biblical preference for Latin 163 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:56.159 or Spanish or English or any other language. But how do we choose which 164 00:13:56.240 --> 00:14:00.799 Huo's based on the principles of God's word, Christian prudence in the light of 165 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:03.399 nature? We look around and we say, what do most of people here 166 00:14:03.480 --> 00:14:07.679 speak? Okay, we'll do that. And if you're struggling to speak that 167 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:11.480 language, what can we do to make that understandable? What can we do 168 00:14:11.559 --> 00:14:16.039 to translate it and make the worship of God and the word of God accessible? 169 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:20.919 These are the things that we think about and how we apply God's will 170 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:28.159 for us in his desire to understand him and to know him. The understandability 171 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.639 or the importance of us being able to know God's Word is emphasized when he 172 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:35.600 talks about prophecy. He says in Verse Twenty Nine, let two or three 173 00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:41.600 prophets speak and let the others way. What is said when some Bundy speaks 174 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:46.879 in church. When the word of God is expounded on and applied, we're 175 00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:50.960 not supposed to just let it go in in one ear and out the other, 176 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:54.320 or bounce off of us like a rubber ball of a wall. We're 177 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:58.639 supposed to weigh it, to think about it, to hold it in our 178 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:01.759 heart. It's to compare it with the scriptures. It is to be not 179 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:11.399 only understood but taken in wide thought about and, of course, lived. 180 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:16.759 This reminds us that just because we don't have a speaking role in church doesn't 181 00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:22.039 mean we don't have a role. All of us come to worship. You 182 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:26.200 do and I do. When we join together to worship God and we come 183 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:31.720 around his word, we are all changed by it and we are all required 184 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:35.039 to respond to it in our own ways, according to our own callings and 185 00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:41.480 gifts. A second application Paul gives to us, which we ought to think 186 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:45.960 about and apply in our services as well and our worship and church life, 187 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:50.480 is a pretty simple one, but important. He says people should not be 188 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:54.559 speaking at the same time. Right, it seems like kind of a no 189 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.320 brainer, and yet it happens sometimes. We should not speak at the same 190 00:15:58.360 --> 00:16:04.559 time and the number of people should be limited Paul when he says two or 191 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:10.519 three prophets is not a hard number. He's not saying only two prophets or 192 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:15.039 only three prophets, but he's giving a range and he calls us to be 193 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:18.879 thoughtful about this and maybe keep it on the smaller side. Presumably you could 194 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:26.559 have more people if the words were shorter. Pastors and Ordination Services should maybe 195 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:32.159 take note of this. That so it depends. We have to be thoughtful 196 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:37.039 about this thing, but it's important that we need to pay attention to people's 197 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:41.320 attention spans, how long we can sider in a chair for what we're used 198 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:45.440 to and and these kinds of things. These considerations are not beyond what God 199 00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:51.799 cares about. Again, he wants us to understand him and to know him, 200 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:56.200 and if we order our services in such a way that makes that extremely 201 00:16:56.240 --> 00:17:02.759 difficult or impossible, Paul says that is something that ought to be corrected. 202 00:17:03.119 --> 00:17:07.759 That leads to a third application Paul mentions, which is something like this. 203 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:12.039 We could put it as no interrupting because it is meant to be heard. 204 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:17.480 That applies to the languages that we use. It applies to the number of 205 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:22.599 people and the amount of words that are said. And also applies to speaking 206 00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:26.759 over one another and that kind of thing. The service and the word of 207 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:32.000 God must be heard. Now, in the early church, when the services 208 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:36.039 were often held in private homes, you can imagine why this might have been 209 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:40.359 difficult. If you've ever had a large group gathering in your home, you 210 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:45.519 know that kids tend to play, there are people preparing food, other people 211 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:48.839 maybe around the corner in another room, catching up in a hallway. This 212 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:53.440 happens in our church plants sometimes. When we start at churches and small were 213 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:59.559 we smart start our small groups and homes and you know there's a lot of 214 00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:04.200 things going on. It's a very practical thing to remind everyone that when it's 215 00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:08.640 time for teaching, when it's time for the word of God, when it's 216 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:12.319 time for worship, that we ought to be careful and to make sure that 217 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:18.480 one another can be heard. So this is something that we still is very 218 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:22.160 practical today. Yes, of course we need to be patient with one another 219 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:29.079 if a baby's upset or somebody's chatting in the echoing foyer. You know, 220 00:18:29.160 --> 00:18:33.160 we deal with these things as they come. We don't need to be overly 221 00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:37.119 stiff or overly formal. And occasional a men or Hollelujah. These are good 222 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:41.759 things. We ought to praise the Lord, but it does mean that on 223 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:47.480 our interactions we need to show the kind of love and honor and respect for 224 00:18:47.559 --> 00:18:51.359 the word. Why does Paul say this? So that we may all be 225 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:56.680 encouraged. If you don't get the encouraging message, it's pretty hard to be 226 00:18:56.400 --> 00:19:02.480 encouraged. And so this is the reason why, if we have a particularly 227 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:04.680 noisy child, we take them out. If we need to have a side 228 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:10.279 conversation for some reason, we we exceit the worship service, not because we 229 00:19:10.359 --> 00:19:12.559 don't like each other or love each other, but because we love each other, 230 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:18.759 because we honor and respect of the word and we desire that interruptions on 231 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:23.240 not take precedence over the word of God and the things that we do here, 232 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:29.200 while still being patient and knowing that we have to be patient with one 233 00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:36.599 another. God is not the author of confusion, but the author peace, 234 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:38.799 he says, and so the things that we do in our worship ought to 235 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:45.200 tend toward that end. He talks about this in relation to other people who 236 00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:48.720 come into the service. Remember this from last time when we have when we 237 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:52.319 bring our family members and our friends and visitors come, do we want them 238 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:56.359 to come and be confused? Do we want them to come and miss out 239 00:19:56.440 --> 00:20:00.279 on encouragement and blessing, or do we want them to hear the word of 240 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.920 God and to see that not only from the hear that, not only in 241 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:07.119 the words that are said, but in the way that we act and the 242 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:12.759 way that we conduct ourselves? This brings us to the final application that Paul 243 00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:19.039 mentions. He a final application he Paul Mentions for public worship is directed in 244 00:20:19.079 --> 00:20:23.599 particular to the women of the church. Paul tells us that when the women, 245 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:27.519 tells the women that when the church comes together, as in all the 246 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:33.880 churches, women should remain quiet and submit themselves to what they hear. Now 247 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:37.200 this, of course, applies to men as well. Paul has just been 248 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.519 emphasizing that silence and not interrupting, being submissive in these sorts of things are 249 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:48.400 important. We also know from the proverbs and many other places that being submissive 250 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:52.400 and learning and quietness are virtues. They are how we learn, how we 251 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:59.079 grow. They are to be a commended and sought after. This, of 252 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:02.880 course, is not a mindless silence, as we've talked about before, as 253 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:07.440 we sang earlier my soul, weights and silence for the Lord and expectation of 254 00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:12.880 hope and promises mentioned there. Our my our silence is that of trusting, 255 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:19.680 of waiting, of faithfulness. Our silence and worship is wigh, thinking and 256 00:21:19.960 --> 00:21:25.759 receiving. So, along with the men in the church, the women also 257 00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:29.680 are to remain silent into way what is said. They are to listen and 258 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:34.519 to be submissive to their teachers, taking their questions home, not interrupting and 259 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:41.519 thereby bringing embarrassment and shame on themselves and the whole body. There is a 260 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:45.559 remaining question, though, which is why does Paul make this special emphasis to 261 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.079 the women? Right, if this applies both to men and women? Why? 262 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:52.680 Why does he speak to women in particular? Why does he address them? 263 00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:56.880 Well, he doesn't say exactly here why that is, and so we 264 00:21:56.920 --> 00:22:02.160 have to think, based on context, based on other passages, why that 265 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:06.960 might be. I'm some people supposed that it was because of these the busyness 266 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:11.920 in these early homes when women might have been most likely to be disruptive as 267 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:17.000 they worked in service and preparation of food and hospitality. I don't think this 268 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:22.279 is right, or at least a primary explanation, because it doesn't account for 269 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:26.240 all the churches, not all, which were meeting in this way, also 270 00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:33.319 in this situation, that the women would be ignoring the teaching or unable to 271 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:37.480 receive it because of busyness and not not having questions about it, as he 272 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:41.640 says. So it doesn't quite fit. I don't think quite fit what he's 273 00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:47.039 saying. They're a more likely possible reason is that at the time there was 274 00:22:47.400 --> 00:22:52.960 a feminist movement called the new women, and these new women were in some 275 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:59.000 ways responding to a problem in their society in which women were not treated well, 276 00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:03.519 in which men were given all kinds of passes for deviant behavior and abusive 277 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:07.920 things. But the way that they were responding was not in seeking good and 278 00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:15.279 godly freedom for themselves or their their natural rights as women and people made in 279 00:23:15.319 --> 00:23:18.799 the image of God, but they were seeking to be just like the men 280 00:23:18.839 --> 00:23:23.920 and having right to act in deviant and bad ways. These women at the 281 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:29.519 time, in Corinth and in other places we're seeking to show themselves just as 282 00:23:29.559 --> 00:23:36.480 capable at good things, like learning and and growing in other ways, but 283 00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:42.400 also in bad things, in in sexual deviance, in in being rude and 284 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:49.480 being clamorous and other things. It's, of course, wonderful to have women 285 00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:55.519 in the body of Christ who are students of scripture, pay attention to details, 286 00:23:55.519 --> 00:24:00.319 who can pray and seeing and prophesy, as Paul has commanded them to 287 00:24:00.359 --> 00:24:03.960 do. We see this not only in his commands but in other places as 288 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:10.720 well. What is not wonderful, however, is to have the the kind 289 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:18.440 of rebelliousness that these new women were showing, to have a rebelliousness in particularly 290 00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:22.839 in relation to the offices of the church, which are for qualified men and 291 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:29.519 not for women. May Have. Paul may have in mind, in particular, 292 00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:34.599 the pastor or the wives of pastors or elders or people who are working 293 00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:41.079 in ordained offices, and then their wives asserting authority over them, acting not 294 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:48.799 as allies and helpers but seeking to embarrass those who are in there called offices. 295 00:24:49.079 --> 00:24:55.160 This like this. The conclusion for this comes from another pot passage, 296 00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:59.599 and first Timothy, where Paul says I'm he does not permit a woman to 297 00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:03.839 speak, but she used to remain silent, and he specifies that by saying 298 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:11.079 not exercise authority over a man. This prefers to church offices in particular, 299 00:25:12.680 --> 00:25:18.920 and that brings us to some careful applications using this passage. In other words, 300 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:25.480 to say that women must stay silent at all times is a and abuse 301 00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:33.319 of God's word. Why? Because it requires us, that view requires us 302 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:38.799 to reject the clear commands that he has made when he requires men and women 303 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:45.559 to speak in worship even, and another places as well. Where do we 304 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:49.839 see that? We see that here in First Corinthians Eleven, for example, 305 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:56.640 where he talks about women prophesying and praying. He talks about it in Colossians 306 00:25:56.680 --> 00:25:59.319 three hundred and sixteen, where he speaks to all the church, men and 307 00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:02.920 women, and he says to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 308 00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:07.799 to teach one another, singing psalms hymns and spiritual songs, making melody 309 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:14.039 in your heart to the Lord. We are to teach. Men and women 310 00:26:14.119 --> 00:26:17.720 are to teach. In other words, men and women are to encourage one 311 00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:21.359 another and speak the word of God. Men and women are to sing and 312 00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:26.640 to pray, and these things are sometimes done speaking out loud in worship even, 313 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:32.759 as we have all done by the Lord's command here today. These commands 314 00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:37.480 to that I'm mentioning are not for men only, and we have examples in 315 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:41.119 the scriptures of this happening, in people, both men and women, being 316 00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:47.880 obedient to these commands. Therefore, since we have the command to both men 317 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:53.839 and women to fullheartedly do these things, we must fullheartedly reject the silencing of 318 00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:59.559 women in all ways and all places on the basis of this command, because 319 00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:04.359 to do Huso is to reject the other clear commands and examples of the Lord. 320 00:27:04.920 --> 00:27:08.839 So, to put it in a provocative way, does the Bible allow 321 00:27:08.839 --> 00:27:17.400 women to speak in worship? Know, the Bible commands it. So then, 322 00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:22.160 what is Paul saying here right if he says so clearly to not speak, 323 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:25.440 what does he mean when he says in another place to speak, in 324 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:30.119 another place not to speak? I think you're left only with one viable option, 325 00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:33.720 one option we have to throw out right away, is that the Bible 326 00:27:33.799 --> 00:27:40.000 contradicts himself itself. We've just read that God is not an author of confusion, 327 00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:44.680 but it got an author of peace. We've been reading how God desires 328 00:27:44.759 --> 00:27:49.079 himself to be known and understood so that we might come together, so that 329 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:53.200 we might know Christ, so that we might worship him. God is not 330 00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:57.240 of speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Nor is Paul and so 331 00:27:57.279 --> 00:28:04.000 we can easily reject that. Happily, there is another, another and a 332 00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:08.440 better, easier answer, and it is this that when Paul speaks about women 333 00:28:08.599 --> 00:28:12.720 not or when Paul writes about women not speaking in Church, he has, 334 00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:18.119 UN very in mind a very particular type of speaking. It's not a blanket 335 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:22.160 statement which would exclude the other things in which he's commanded, but it's a 336 00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:27.920 particular kind and it's that of speaking as one who exercises authority in the church, 337 00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:33.200 in other words, it's acting like a pastor or an elder or Deacon. 338 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:40.759 This is what he commands women not to do. Now, this order 339 00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:45.160 in which the offices of the church are for qualified men is something that he 340 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:51.960 doesn't explain here and describe and give arguments for. I'm not in depth anyway, 341 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:56.319 but he assumes it and it is explicit in other places, particularly in 342 00:28:56.359 --> 00:29:00.359 the pastoral pistles, where Paul speaks to Titus and Timothy and tells them here's 343 00:29:00.440 --> 00:29:06.319 how the churches are to be ordered, and he gives qualifications for the offices 344 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:11.759 which do not are not all our let me put it this way, because 345 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:18.599 qualifications for the offices, which include the the the officers be men there. 346 00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:23.519 He says that these officers, ordained officers, must meet various qualifications and one 347 00:29:23.559 --> 00:29:29.599 of them is being male. In addition to these qualification lists, he says 348 00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:33.440 explicitly in this context of Church order, that he doesn't permit, as I 349 00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:38.799 mentioned before, women to exercise authority over men. So, like the requirement 350 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:44.160 not to remain or to remain silent, this is not a blanket statement. 351 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:48.039 Women can, of course, exercise authority and all kinds of positions and do, 352 00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:55.279 but not in church offices. Now, the scripture is so clear and 353 00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:59.359 so plain on this. We could stop there and just say, well, 354 00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:03.759 this is how the Lord has ordered things, and I think this is I 355 00:30:03.799 --> 00:30:07.119 will give a reason why in a moment, but I just want to remind 356 00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:11.200 us of something. I didn't know what Oler has was going to say about 357 00:30:11.200 --> 00:30:15.920 the moon earlier, but it's a it's a good example. Right. They're 358 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:19.599 all kinds of ways in which God orders both creation and the church, some 359 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:25.200 of which we understand very well and some which we don't understand at all, 360 00:30:25.559 --> 00:30:30.000 and it's okay. It's okay not to understand everything that the Lord commands and 361 00:30:30.039 --> 00:30:36.680 to understand his reasons for it. Do you know why the Moon rises exactly 362 00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:41.079 when it does. Can you explain why and how can you personally predict exactly 363 00:30:41.079 --> 00:30:45.480 when it's coming to come again and not look it up? Maybe one of 364 00:30:45.559 --> 00:30:52.000 us in here, but probably not most of us. And yet we can 365 00:30:52.039 --> 00:30:53.799 stand there at the base of the ring cons and we can look up and 366 00:30:53.880 --> 00:31:00.119 marvel at the goodness of God. We can rest in the peace of his 367 00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:03.720 order and then the lack of confusion that in the way that he has placed 368 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:07.119 thing in this in this world. It's a good thing, even when we 369 00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:12.640 don't understand it all, and that applies in the church as well. Kids, 370 00:31:12.720 --> 00:31:18.039 you know this all the time right you're constantly getting rules and things that 371 00:31:18.119 --> 00:31:21.599 you don't understand. Why does it have to be why does the dishwasher have 372 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:23.240 to be loaded this way and not that way? Why do I have to 373 00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:26.799 do this tour in the morning and not at night? Why do I have 374 00:31:26.839 --> 00:31:29.799 to go at school at this time and not at this time? All of 375 00:31:29.839 --> 00:31:33.400 these things, and yet what do you do? You submit to your parents 376 00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:37.200 and you listen to them because you know that they are they're doing what is 377 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:41.759 best for you, as best they can anyway, and the same is truth. 378 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:47.160 Is God, only better unlike me, a father who fails in many 379 00:31:47.160 --> 00:31:52.279 ways. God is our perfect and heavenly father who never fails and who orders 380 00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:57.319 everything perfectly in every way. It's okay for us, as Christian simply to 381 00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:05.440 say yes, Dad. It's really okay now. Doesn't mean that we don't 382 00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:08.839 strive to understand the deeper things. As children who are trying to grow up 383 00:32:08.839 --> 00:32:14.400 into maturity, that's a good thing to do, to understand the reasons why, 384 00:32:14.440 --> 00:32:19.000 to get behind the logic and the theology. God wants us to understand 385 00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:24.000 those things. But when we don't remember that, it's okay to say yes 386 00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:30.880 dad, yes, father, thy will be done on earth as it is 387 00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:37.240 in heaven. With that being said, we can now ask why does God 388 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:43.480 command it this way? Why does God command that it is men who hold 389 00:32:43.680 --> 00:32:49.400 ordained offices? This is a deep question and a hard one to answer, 390 00:32:49.559 --> 00:32:53.119 but I think one reason the Lord commands it is that it's consistent with God's 391 00:32:53.119 --> 00:33:00.599 almost universal representation of himself as a male and in particular in the form of 392 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:06.720 his son Jesus. This aspect of God's representation is carried on through the apostles, 393 00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:10.599 who in turn required of those who follow them in the offices of Pastor 394 00:33:10.599 --> 00:33:15.079 and elder and Deacon. This, of course, does not make women in 395 00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:21.200 the church any less important or useful. Indeed, the women were not called 396 00:33:21.240 --> 00:33:25.119 to be apostles or elders. We see them in the scriptures using their gifts 397 00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:30.839 in so many were important ways, and they are listed and identified in the 398 00:33:30.880 --> 00:33:36.039 scriptures. They are called cold laborers by Paul, along with Paul, what 399 00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:42.680 an honor and a privilege that would be. The first instances of human evangelism, 400 00:33:42.680 --> 00:33:46.319 the prophetic, the speaking of the word of God, was done by 401 00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:52.960 women, those wonderful women who spoke, who saw the resurrection of the Lord 402 00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:58.880 and went and told the disciples at the command of God, women who are 403 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:05.279 instrumental in training future pastors like Apollos and Timothy. For this reason, are 404 00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:13.280 hymnal rightfully include Psalms and and him tunes written by women. When I prepare 405 00:34:13.320 --> 00:34:17.480 for teaching, I'm not afraid to listen or read books and commentaries written by 406 00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:22.440 women, and here at Covenant we allow women to participate in anything that is 407 00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:29.880 not restricted to an ordained person. I emphasize this because, in our zeal 408 00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:35.559 to keep the Lord's commands regarding his offices, like Pharisees. Sometimes we can 409 00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:39.480 go beyond the limit that the Lord has said, and this, according both 410 00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:43.800 to scripture and our confession, is something that we ought not to do. 411 00:34:44.360 --> 00:34:49.159 We should never add to or take away from what the Lord has said. 412 00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:53.119 In other words, if Jesus doesn't make gender a qualification for using a certain 413 00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:58.719 type of spiritual gift, neither should we. Prophesying, praying, singing, 414 00:34:58.760 --> 00:35:05.639 teaching, hospitality, evangelism, encouragement, serving administration, all of these and 415 00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:09.960 more, in the exercise of these gifts are open to both men and women. 416 00:35:10.280 --> 00:35:14.960 It's fine if men and women gravitate towards this or that thing, but 417 00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:21.079 we must be careful not to purposefully or accidentally put boundaries around people where the 418 00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:27.760 Lord has given freedom. That is important in our obedience to him. This 419 00:35:27.880 --> 00:35:30.960 is a core principle, I might add, of presbyterianism and the reformation in 420 00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:37.400 general, and it preserves the the offices and the worship and the sacraments and 421 00:35:37.440 --> 00:35:43.000 all these other things that we believe are so important. We must not put 422 00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:46.119 boundaries where the Lord has robbed freedom. We must not add to what the 423 00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:52.400 Lord has said. In the flip side of this is equally true, just 424 00:35:52.480 --> 00:35:57.920 as important. We must not give freedom, allow ourselves freedom where the Lord 425 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:06.039 puts boundaries God, because God has clearly made gender one of the qualifications for 426 00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:10.280 holding office, and so we must respect that. Now I know and you 427 00:36:10.360 --> 00:36:15.079 know that the world will and does deride us for this. They will throw 428 00:36:15.159 --> 00:36:22.079 up all kinds of things and arguments about this or that and and say why 429 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:28.480 we're so horrible for believing this, for saying yes father on this issue, 430 00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:31.559 and they may whine and say it doesn't make sense and it's not fair, 431 00:36:31.599 --> 00:36:36.880 but it really we have to remember that our decisions about what we do and 432 00:36:36.920 --> 00:36:40.519 what we don't do aren't based on a popularity mead and we don't have a 433 00:36:40.840 --> 00:36:45.639 temperature over here. We're sort of gage how our culture is thinking and then 434 00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:51.159 align ourselves with that. Right. The way we make our decisions about what 435 00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:54.119 we do and worship and church, government and all of our body life and 436 00:36:54.199 --> 00:37:00.960 our personal lives is on what the Lord says. Come what May. We 437 00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:05.760 simply respect the order God has made and, of course, try to understand 438 00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:09.519 it better and better. When we don't, we end up in all kinds 439 00:37:09.599 --> 00:37:14.840 of trouble, just like in the natural world. If you decide to go 440 00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:16.719 against God's order and you see the moon rising, you say, well, 441 00:37:16.719 --> 00:37:22.119 it's daytime. To me, you're going to have trouble, and in the 442 00:37:22.199 --> 00:37:25.679 church as well, if we go against God's order and we reject the things 443 00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:31.440 he has done, if we if we creed is unholy or profane the things 444 00:37:31.480 --> 00:37:36.199 he is called Holy, we're going to end up in trouble, like we 445 00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:39.360 talked about with the Lord Supper, like we talked about with a spiritual gifts, 446 00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:44.280 like we talked about with preaching and speaking and the ministry in the Church 447 00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:47.719 and all these other issues Paul has been up Britain bringing up into our attention. 448 00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:54.760 And so, likewise, here we have clear instructions to in scripture and 449 00:37:54.800 --> 00:38:01.159 we must submit ourselves to them, remembering that we do so because the Lord 450 00:38:01.239 --> 00:38:06.679 is building up, because the Lord is good, because the Lord has is 451 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:13.599 a god of peace and not confusion, and it's on the basis of that 452 00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:19.639 order, that that good order, that Paul gives instructions here. He wants 453 00:38:19.639 --> 00:38:22.639 women to respect the offices of the Church and, of course men as well, 454 00:38:22.679 --> 00:38:28.880 and not to try and undo those rules by speaking as those with authority. 455 00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:31.440 Of course, men also are to respect this order, whether they are 456 00:38:31.559 --> 00:38:37.639 ordained or not, they must respect the officers of the Church and give honor 457 00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:40.760 where it is due. All, of course, under an in the Lord. 458 00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:45.320 We are all to be good learners, we are all to be silent 459 00:38:45.400 --> 00:38:50.559 at times, submissive and ordering ourselves in the church life so that it may 460 00:38:50.599 --> 00:38:57.280 be built up according to the word of God. To bring things to a 461 00:38:57.360 --> 00:39:01.719 close, then, one of the things is that this passage emphasizes in all 462 00:39:01.760 --> 00:39:07.559 these different applications is that the speaking and the listening as it happens, both 463 00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:14.559 informal services like this and around the edges, during fellowship times and Sunday schools 464 00:39:14.599 --> 00:39:17.920 and things like that, all the speaking and all the listening that goes on, 465 00:39:21.159 --> 00:39:23.760 we are we and our will is not at the center of that. 466 00:39:24.760 --> 00:39:30.679 We are not a toastmasters group coming together to just improve our speaking ability. 467 00:39:31.519 --> 00:39:36.559 We're also not a bunch of friends around a fire pit or a game table 468 00:39:36.719 --> 00:39:42.360 just gaping for fun these both these things are fine to do, but they 469 00:39:42.400 --> 00:39:46.639 aren't the center of what church life is. The center of what church life 470 00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:52.199 is all about is God speaking into the world. Even as he spoke at 471 00:39:52.280 --> 00:39:57.079 creation when he said let there be light, and there was light, he 472 00:39:57.119 --> 00:40:00.679 again speaks into the world a saving word, the word of Christ, and 473 00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:08.239 creates something new, a new body that is ordered according to his good pleasure. 474 00:40:08.440 --> 00:40:13.039 That's what we come to, that's what we are here for and why 475 00:40:13.119 --> 00:40:16.559 we are here, and so we come to open our minds, our hearts 476 00:40:16.599 --> 00:40:21.440 and sometimes our mouths, and prayer and singing and teaching and these kinds of 477 00:40:21.480 --> 00:40:27.119 things based on that. The good news that just as at the beginning, 478 00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:31.519 when the Lord spoke and didn't spoke and took what was disordered and confusing and 479 00:40:31.599 --> 00:40:37.440 created order and peace, so also he has done so in the church. 480 00:40:38.800 --> 00:40:45.199 I think it's fair to say that if we were to identify two or three 481 00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:49.960 core values of a church, of a good church, one of them ought 482 00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:54.800 to be good order, living and striving for things. As he says here 483 00:40:54.800 --> 00:41:00.800 at the end, all things should be done decently and in good order. 484 00:41:01.480 --> 00:41:06.639 You remember, back in First Corinthian seven, Paul speaks about a marriage and 485 00:41:06.719 --> 00:41:08.599 singleness and these kinds of issues, and he says, I say this for 486 00:41:08.679 --> 00:41:13.400 your own benefit, not to lay any restraint on you, but to promote 487 00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:21.199 good order and get this secure your undivided devotion to God. Isn't that amazing 488 00:41:21.239 --> 00:41:30.519 that he pairs good order and this fantastic piety right. The definition of a 489 00:41:30.599 --> 00:41:37.159 pious and a godly life, undivided devotion to the Lord. The one supports 490 00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:43.920 the other, the one leads to the other. Paul similarly says in Colossians 491 00:41:44.000 --> 00:41:46.920 too. Five he says to the Colossians, I though I'm absent in body, 492 00:41:46.960 --> 00:41:52.639 I'm with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and your 493 00:41:52.679 --> 00:41:57.360 firmness and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Paul looks at the Colossians 494 00:41:57.440 --> 00:42:05.559 and he's he's really happy. He rejoices when he sees their firmness of faith 495 00:42:05.599 --> 00:42:10.119 and their good order. Why would that be so important to him? Why 496 00:42:10.159 --> 00:42:15.960 would it make his heart sing when he sees not only their firmness of faith 497 00:42:15.159 --> 00:42:22.880 but their good order? Because God is not an author of confusion. And 498 00:42:22.920 --> 00:42:27.639 when we are dwelling in God and when we are being changed by God and 499 00:42:27.679 --> 00:42:31.320 when we are being sanctified by him according to the Work of Christ in the 500 00:42:31.360 --> 00:42:37.519 Gospel, he is ordering us, our affections, our lives, our worship, 501 00:42:37.519 --> 00:42:42.760 our offices, our minds, our doctrine, all of it. He 502 00:42:42.840 --> 00:42:46.119 is ordering it, not just for the sake of being a neat wreaker of 503 00:42:46.159 --> 00:42:52.920 being obsessive about putting things in their proper place, but putting things in their 504 00:42:52.920 --> 00:42:58.360 proper place so that they can reach their proper ends. And what is our 505 00:42:58.360 --> 00:43:06.960 proper end? What is our highest and undivided devotion to God? That's why 506 00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:10.840 good order matters, that's why thinking about these things in the details of our 507 00:43:10.880 --> 00:43:19.559 worship and our government matters. That's why God emphasizes these things. And so 508 00:43:19.639 --> 00:43:25.159 if we see failings in ourselves in these matters, if we see hard hearts 509 00:43:25.199 --> 00:43:32.119 and unsubmissive hearts, if we find in ourselves difficulties and to order our church 510 00:43:32.119 --> 00:43:38.400 life here at covenant in these ways, it's okay in this sense that, 511 00:43:38.559 --> 00:43:44.400 because God is who he is and because he's promised to do what he's promised 512 00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:50.199 to do in Christ, and because his Holy Spirit is in us, the 513 00:43:50.280 --> 00:43:54.199 Lord and Giver of Life, as we confessed earlier, bringing about this body, 514 00:43:54.199 --> 00:43:59.719 creating this church, we can go to him, we can listen to 515 00:43:59.760 --> 00:44:02.119 him, we can submit to him, we can wait on him and know 516 00:44:02.199 --> 00:44:07.159 that the God who is not an author of confusion but of peace, he 517 00:44:07.199 --> 00:44:10.199 will work in us, he will grow in us and he will bring these 518 00:44:10.239 --> 00:44:17.000 things about us. So beloved. Let's learn to put our faith in him 519 00:44:17.039 --> 00:44:20.400 and the things that he has done, the things that he is doing, 520 00:44:20.440 --> 00:44:23.440 in the things that he has promised to do. Let's pray