City Church Charlottesville Sermon Podcast
Called, Equipped, Empowered & Entrusted || Relationships || 7/14/24
- Welcome to City Church. We are a biblically based, relationally driven, spirit led church, encouraging everyone to follow Jesus, grow together, and serve others. We're excited to share this sermon with you today, and you can always find out more about us online at citychurchceeville.com. - Glad you're here today. I'm excited to open the word with you. And before we do that, we have a custom. More than a custom. I think a conviction that we should stand and pray together the kingdom, pray the Lord's prayer. So because you just sat down, let's stand up again. Let's get the thighs working a little bit. Let's pray together. And let me challenge you with this. Like it can be attempting just to kind of read this and just kind of rolls off the tongue. I wanna challenge you to try to mean every word as you read it, to pray these words sincerely. Let's do that together. Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth in Charlottesville as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, amen. Please be seated. You know, if you've been with us this summer, you know we're in the middle of a series entitled Relationships from a Kingdom of God perspective. Last week, you came in the room and you received an envelope like this. If you're with us, something like this. And inside had all these different gifts, spiritual gifts that God's given. And we talked about God's divine design for the church, that his heart is to see us all called, equipped, empowered, and then by faith to use the gifts he's given. And that our conviction at city church, as your pastoral team, is not to do it all ourselves, but to call you to partner with us, to be faithful in this day, in this time, in the city, using the gifts God's given us to see his kingdom grow. We continue this series this week, stepping into the letter that Paul wrote to Timothy, like we have the last few weeks, letters that Paul wrote to both the Timothy and Titus, these pastoral letters, to help younger pastors manage the mess that was the first century church. They were growing pains. It was challenging, trying to figure out this new way of life and we're following Jesus, and this is different than what was, and now how do we, and you don't know what that's like, 'cause you're in a church, and you've been in churches where there's never any mess. Relationships are flawless, perfect. Now, just like the first century church, as a 21st century church, we need wisdom on how to do relationships, and that's why we're continuing to look into God's word for that. So, first century growing pains required a letter from Paul, 21st century challenges do too, and that's why we're gonna open the word. This letter, first Timothy, was written to a guy, Timothy, who we don't know a ton about, but we get descriptions here and there. Paul met Timothy on one of his missionary journeys when he was in a town called Lystra, and he could see in Timothy great promise. He invited Timothy to join him on his journeys, and he became a kind of an understudy with Paul, to learn how all the good news meant, and how to live it out, and how to lead others in that. But we also have these details that's pretty interesting about Timothy. His faith journey didn't start with Paul. It started with his grandmother and his mother, his grandmother, Lois, his mother, Eunice, who raised him in the faith. His father was Greek, but his grandmother and his mother took an interest in making sure he knew the faith, raised him up in that, and when Paul came along, he was ready to step out and journey with Paul. Eventually, Paul left him on assignment in the city of Ephesus, and the letter, first Timothy, is a letter Paul is writing back to Timothy to give him some advice, some wisdom on how to lead well. It's full of wisdom. We're gonna grab hold of just a snippet today and use it as a springboard to talk about our relationships, life in the church in the 21st century. So here it is, these are words that Paul wrote to Timothy, first Timothy chapter two, starting in verse 11. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man, she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve, and Adam was not the one deceived. It was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner, but women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with propriety. Perplexed. (audience laughs) Yeah, so I think you're sitting in here with me or you're joining us online and you're probably affected in a few different ways about what we just read. First, I think you could be, I don't know, maybe you're familiar with these words, and maybe you just don't like them. It's like, you know, I knew that was in there, but I didn't expect to go there today, Keith. Thanks, and so maybe you've wrestled with these words, maybe you found some peace or you've studied and you know, like, okay, I hear that, but I also know, I know what that really means. And, or maybe, you're not familiar with these words and you're hearing for the first time, you're like, what kind of church am I sitting in here? What's going on? This is weird. Maybe you find yourself, I don't know, offended by what you just heard, 'cause this doesn't sound nice or kind, it sounds not good, right? Or maybe you're sitting here and you're thinking, okay, wait, I've been at City Church for a while. I know that occasionally there are women who stand up here and they don't stand up here silent. They actually share and teach the word of God. They preach here at City Church. They lead in various capacities at City Church. So wait, so I know this is who we are, but then I read this and I'm wondering like, how can I, and you're just, you're thinking, how do I reconcile these things, like, well, there's a temptation when we come to passages like this in scripture and I just wanna name it. Some of us, we come to this and we're like, well, you know what, I don't really think that's for today. I really think that's like, you know, that's just written and not everything in the Bible is really maybe inspired and let me tell you, that is not our approach at City Church. We don't throw the God-breathed words out when they're difficult to understand. Instead, our practice as a biblically-based church is to lean in, to linger a little longer, to ask the questions that help us to arrive at some understanding that's genuine. We believe all scriptures God-breathed and it's useful for teaching, for review, can correct and trade. Those are words Paul actually writes to Timothy in this letter. So we believe that. And that's why we're gonna linger here a little longer. I believe Paul was up to something in writing this letter to Timothy that we need to understand. As we grab hold of a deeper, broader understanding of God's heart for all of us in the church today. So in order to do that, I think it requires a healthy hermeneutic. And you're like, what? I've left my healthy hermeneutic at home. So that's a language we use in ministry. For those who read scripture, a hermeneutic is a lens. It's a lens with which we read the word of God. And surprise, surprise, you have one, all right? When you read scripture, you read it with a lens. But a healthy hermeneutic is one that refuses to just pick and choose words from the word of God to apply. Instead, a healthy hermeneutic refuses to read any single part of scripture apart from the whole. It's the firm conviction that I can understand this verse if I have a good understanding of the whole. And I can understand the whole better if I'm willing to touch every verse. Does that make sense? It's a broader perspective, but it's a healthy way of reading scripture. So I want to call you to that with me this morning, a journey, starting here with these words that Paul wrote to Timothy, but then stepping back a little bit and taking a broader view as well. I think you'll be blessed by that. I know I've been blessed by it this week. So we'll step back. You don't have to stand up and actually take a few steps back from your Bible. But I'm going to take you on a journey. When we arrive at moments like this in scripture that seem perplexing to us, I think one of our best practices, and the first step in grabbing hold about like a healthy lens for scripture is to look at Jesus. Jesus is, according to Paul, the image of the invisible God. He is, as a Coleridge put it years ago, he is the fundamental doctrine of true theology. If you're wondering what God thinks, what he would do, what his heart is, the answer is Jesus. Look to Jesus. That's why we're encouraged to get it again. Fix your eyes on Jesus. So with that in mind, I want to just kind of walk back through the Gospels with you and wonder at this question, how did Jesus interact with women in ministry? What was his heart for women? How did he engage with them? Well, in the beginning, John tells us was the word. And the word was with God, the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. But when the time had finally come for the word of God to become flesh, God chose Mary to be the first who carried the word of God. And she carried it him faithfully and raised him faithfully. It's hard to exaggerate the importance of Mary's ministry to Jesus. Or I think how much God must have thought of this woman Mary to entrust to her his son, the word. But that's not where God's great favor and blessing to women stops. Now, just a few episodes in the Gospels I want to bring to your attention. In John chapter four, we had this moment when, or actually, before we get there, in Luke chapter two, just eight days after Jesus is born, he's at the temple, the holy place. And in that holy place, do you know who God chooses to be the first to preach a gospel sermon about his son? Anna, the prophetess, a widow who had lost her husband early in life, and it spent the balance of her life worshiping and praying at the temple. And when the baby Jesus was brought to the temple, she raised her voice and declared with great joy, here he is, this is the one in the temple, the first to carry the good news was an old widow. God entrusted with the job. At Jacob's Well, in John chapter four, we had this amazing moment where Jesus is sitting alone at the well, his disciples have gone into town, and a woman who's an outcast, an outsider, wonders out to the well. And Jesus strikes up a conversation with her, which is a big no-no, a social no-no. In those days, men didn't talk to women, and Jews certainly didn't talk to Samaritans, but Jesus spoke to the woman. And more than just speaking to her and asking her for some water, he saw in her great potential. By the end of that episode, Jesus had given the woman a commission to go back to town and bring the entire town out to meet this man, the Messiah, who had just changed her life. God chose her to carry good news to her town and bring them all out for a chance to put their faith in Jesus. And it's not all you think about other moments in scripture that I think are really profound. It's hard to beat Resurrection Sunday at the empty tomb. And Jesus could have chosen anyone to reveal himself for the first time, to share the greatest news the world would ever know, the stone was rolled away, and Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. She didn't recognize him at first, but he called her by name. And her heart had to just start beating within her wildly, and you know she was given a job? Carry this good news back to the disciples and tell them. Again and again and again, Jesus called, equipped, empowered, entrusted women with good news to share. And not just occasionally, but in profoundly important moments in the life of the church. But we were talking about Paul, right? And maybe you think, well, yeah, but that was Jesus, like Paul's, he's the one that wrote this letter, or how do we make sense? Well, you might be surprised to learn that Paul, he invested and entrusted women with these profound responsibilities in the very same way. In fact, how many of you guys love the letter to the Romans? I mean, it might be your favorite. A lot of people it is, there's like this heart, just disturbing passage, especially in Romans chapter eight that just makes people that come alive, right? But the whole letter is profound. Did you know that letter was carried from Paul to Rome by Phoebe? The woman that Paul entrusted with this letter, you and I still read today. And that act of entrusting Phoebe with this letter wasn't just to say, hey, you're gonna be the postal carrier that gets it from here to there. Now there was an expectation, as she carried this good news, she was ready to answer questions people had about it. And when Paul speaks about her, at the end of the letter to the Romans, he talks about how much he trusts her, and that she has refreshed him and other saints and that they ought to be ready to do the same for her. So there's Phoebe who Paul entrusts with the word of God. But there's also Priscilla, you know, about Priscilla? Usually we don't say Priscilla without saying Aquilla. Try it, it's fun. Priscilla and Aquilla, it would be a wrap today, right? We would just be spitting bars, right? Priscilla. Priscilla first arrives on the scene in the book of Acts with her husband, and Paul is in Corinth. And while he's in Corinth, he's a tent maker, right? He doesn't get paid to do this job of carrying the gospel. Instead, he builds tent, sells them, and then that's how he supports himself. Well, Priscilla and Aquilla are tent makers too, but there's so much more than that. Just like Paul, they're also teachers. And in fact, go even further, while they're teaching in Corinth, they end up in Ephesus. And in Ephesus, there's a young teacher named Apollo's who is a fantastic teacher. Like he's just, he's drawing crowds, he's sharing the absolute. But Priscilla and Aquilla notice he's not teaching the whole gospel, he's missing some things. And so Priscilla and Aquilla, they invite him into their home, and that's where they teach him the things he's missing. And then over and over again, when Paul mentions Priscilla and Aquilla, he refuses to name Aquilla first. Always Priscilla and Aquilla. Priscilla is a sign of great respect and honor for this woman who was not just a teacher in the first century church, but a teacher of teachers in the first century church, playing a phenomenal and profoundly important role. We talked about Phoebe, we talked about Priscilla. Oh, what about some of those you might not know about? Later in Romans chapter 16, Paul refers to Junia, an apostle who would have been entrusted with leadership of the church in Rome. All of the things that Paul did, he pointed to Junia as an example for him, somebody he respected as one of the apostles. Beyond Junia, there's also a mention in the letter to the Philippians of Eodia and Cintake. And you're like, oh yeah, we all know about Eodia and Cintake, right? No, all right, who is that? You're thinking, Bible trivia time, raise your hand if you know, it's all right if you don't, okay, a few. Eodia and Cintake are these women who were having some kind of disagreement in the church in Philippi. And so Paul writes, and in the letter to the Philippians, Philippians chapter four, he pleads with them, look, look, look, resolve your differences, like get along. But as he's saying that, he makes it clear, he sees them as great pillars in the church who have been partners with him, contending for the gospel, making sure that it's heard throughout the Roman Empire. There's also this reference in Acts 21 and Paul is finishing up his last missionary journey, stops in Caesarea at the house of Philipp the Evangelist. And you know who's there? Who's playing a vital role in that church? Four daughters of Philipp who are prophetesses, who are receiving timely words from the Lord and sharing them with the church there, even with Paul as he's passing through. So think about this, not just Jesus, but Paul, have this way of life where they are routinely entrusting, calling, equipping, empowering, entrusting women to be vital parts, essential parts of seeing the gospel shared, preaching the good news. So how do we reconcile that with the words that Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2? I think two things. First, context and second, courage. Context and courage. First, let's talk about context a little bit. It's important, again, when we read this letter that we remember, let's see, let me double check back at the beginning of 1 Timothy, Paul in Apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God to Keith, that pastor in Charlottesville. No, that's not what it says. Your name's not there either. Remember, as we're reading this, we're reading a letter Paul wrote to Timothy. They're part of a longstanding relationship, and Timothy is in Ephesus, which is the Roman Empire about 2,000 years ago. So context helps us understand what's being written and perhaps all the context we've just grabbed, the way of life that Jesus and Paul demonstrated in ministry will help us as well. So hold on to that, but let me tell you a little bit about the context they were living in. First, in the first century, Mediterranean world, women were not at the top of the social ladder, right? Women were instead at the lower rung ladder. And in an honor-shame culture, there was an expectation. You were born into a station. It was faithful for you to accept that and be the very best version of that you could be. It was shameful, on the other hand, to reach for more or to attain less. There were firm expectations, right? So that's a part of the culture. Hold on to that. In addition to that, there's the Jewish context that's also important. I mean, you know, the church, the followers of Jesus grew up in the Jewish faith, most of them. And then they stepped out of that into this new way, right? And as they did, they had a way of life they were living. And just as Jesus constantly crossed boundaries and advocated for a new way of welcoming women and empowering them, there was still a way of life in the Jewish church. You may have noticed in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says again and again, you've heard that it was said, but I tell you, you've heard that it was said, but I tell you, you know, Jesus used that way of teaching because there were some things about the way the Jewish people were practicing their faith that needed correction. And Jesus went about treating women in ways that most in Jewish culture just didn't. He welcomed, called, equipped, empowered women in new ways. And that was refreshing. And it was important to see the church grow. There's more than just a Mediterranean context and a Jewish context, there's also the Ephesian context. Ephesus was a unique city. In fact, we have some snapshots of life in Ephesus in Acts. Paul's traveling through Rome on his missionary journeys. He ends up in the city called Ephesus and a riot breaks out. I mean, not a small one, like people are going crazy. For hours, they just keep shouting, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians." Great is Artemis of the Ephesians, it's bananas, all right? People have gone crazy. This Artemis of the Ephesians, there was a temple. One of the wonders of the world. That where she was worshiped the goddess of fertility. And worshiped there was different than what you and I are accustomed to. Women were used in ways that was unholy and they participated in ways that was just not the worship we know and love. The worship God's called us to. So that too is a part of the context of what's going on here. So all of those things contribute to the situation in Ephesus. And even more, there's a clue at the end of Paul's letter to Timothy that gives us even greater perspective as to why Paul might write these things. I wanna call you to it. In first Timothy chapter five, verse 13, Paul is in the middle of talking about a problem. Now again, I wanna remind you, before we read it, Paul is writing a polemic, okay? And remember, these letters Paul is writing and the letters he writes to the Ephesians, to the Galatians, Timothy, and Titus, there are problems in the church. Paul is writing to address them, to help them. And so there's clearly a problem. Paul identifies it, I think, in first Timothy chapter five. Verse 13, wait, that's wrong. First Timothy five, 13, hold on, I'm looking for it. Okay, now this is it. He's talking about young widows who are talking a lot. And he said, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house and not only do they become idlers, but also busy bodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. Now hold on to that, hold on to everything we just said and then remember what Paul said in first Timothy chapter two, verse 11, women ought to be silent. I'm standing before you today as someone who is the product of many women God has used, called, equipped, empowered, and trusted to teach, to encourage, to serve. And I would not be standing here today without their contributions. What's more, Timothy wouldn't have been either. He owed his faith to his grandmother and to his mother who poured into him from an early age and made sure he knew these truths. So how could Paul say what he said? How could Paul live the way he lived and still say these things, write these things? Well, if you want a deep dive into these exact words and how to make sense of them, I want to put you on to a resource that I think could be helpful to you. It just looks like a barcode or a QR code, right? If you want to snap that, you can, right now. It's okay, you can take out your phone. We aren't watching for people who have their phones, we encourage this kind of thing. If you want to learn more about, like a word-by-word understanding of this, this is a book written by a man named Craig Keener. He's a scholar, I really trust. I know many on the staff read his work, and he's profound. This book is called "Paul, Women, and Wives." And he grabs all the things that Paul has said, like this that are like, "Hey, what's that?" It's kind of perplexing, and he helps us make sense of it with context. And so it's not a light read, but I think it's a really good one. So I want to encourage you to, I have the book, I'm willing to loan it to you, but I already gave it to Blake, all right? So he's got it, you have to fight him for it, if you want it, all right? But it's a great, we don't have time to really delve into every single word, but I want to share with you three convictions I have, okay? About what Paul is saying, and then celebrate with some good news, okay? First, I believe Paul was not saying that women everywhere should be silent for all time. Whew, good, right? You're like, all right, great, that's good. I mean, that's absurd, especially in line with everything else that Paul did, and everything that Jesus did, right? That just doesn't make sense. Let me tell you also that Paul didn't point Adam, I'm sorry, in the order of creation to put women in their place. That's not what Paul's doing here. Instead, I believe Paul is pointing to the enemy among us, who has always been at work to deceive, and he's warning him, look, in your very church you're leading there are women who have been deceived, and you need to recognize this for what it is. You're at risk to fall as a church, so you've got to address this, and that's Paul's heart. Third, Paul didn't write that women can go to heaven if they bear children, but that, and you have to really look for this, I think it's there though, and I think this is how Paul intended it, but that the curse was being reversed in Christ. You'll remember when the fall happened, God had an honest conversation with Adam and Eve. Look, childbearing is gonna be different, and the people of the first century who would have heard Paul say these words about being saved and childbearing wouldn't have thought like we do of like salvation, they would have thought about the very real mortality rate that was a part of life on the earth. But God was at work to reverse that curse, which is why what follows is so important. In 1 Timothy chapter two, verse 15, Paul calls women to faith, love, and holiness with propriety, faith, love, and holiness. That's the call. So what do we do with this? And you were like, hey Keith, you said there was some good news, where's that? Like let's hear that. This is the good news. About six and a half years ago we moved to this church because women are empowered, they're called, they're equipped, they're entrusted to be full participants in the church. I can look at my wife and my daughters, and I can say thank God, you're seen, you're known, and you are empowered to be a difference maker here in the kingdom of God, full participant. We left a lot of people we loved in Alabama to come be a part of this. And it's been so good. I wanna challenge you to put feet to your faith. And first I wanna talk to the man in the room. Man, I want you to stand up. I wanna challenge you to be men who appreciate the giftedness God has placed in our sisters. Appreciate it, see it, recognize it, call it out in your wives, in your daughters, in your mothers, in your sisters. When you see it, say, I see it. And God wants to do great things with that gift he's given you. More than that, beyond appreciating it, I wanna challenge you to partner with them. Because that was always, and it has been forever God's heart in the garden, that Adam and Eve, Keith and Martha, men and women everywhere would faithfully accept the commission God has given us to be stewards of his creation and now of his church, to faithfully lead and serve. So appreciate the gifts and partner with the women in your life, who you can see have been so gifted. Women, I wanna encourage you to stand now. And I wanna challenge you too. And it starts with this. (gentle music) Welcome the gifts God has given in your life. Don't run from them. Instead, no matter how old you are, if you're a sixth grader, or if you're not a sixth grader anymore. The challenge is to say, look God, what do you have for me? Like I wanna know, and I'm here to receive from you whatever gift you have, bring it Lord. But don't just ask for the gift. Walk by faith. Be bold. Whatever gift he's given you, don't shrink from it. Instead, embrace it, take it, use it, and run full speed for the glory of God. Hey, I'm so thankful for women at City Church who are leading and serving. I'm thankful for Lori Kramer, who has been at camp all week, teaching young lives, women, and will probably drag herself home tomorrow, or whatever, just tired and worn out. But she's been using the gift God's giver. I'm thankful for other women who have stood here and shared their gift of teaching for Amy McCartney and Erin Herman and others, right? I'm thankful for women on staff here at City Church like Darcy Becker, who works behind the scenes so faithfully using the gift God's given her. Or for Fran, who is constantly about the work of creating spaces with the gift of hospitality. So all of us can get to know each other. There are so many deacons who serve alongside me, women of great faith and giftedness who are running full speed to see the kingdom come, to see God's will done. It's a good thing to be a part of a church family. Where men and women together answer the call to lead and serve and use the gift God's given. As we worship, I wanna challenge you to worship wholeheartedly and to listen, to be faithful in a ways of challenging you to today as men and women who love the Lord with all our hearts. Let's worship. (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music)