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There’s no better way to honor the women of
GBC, and our guests, than to lift up today some great truths that God
inspired to be written in His Word, for your benefit.
[Read text]
Would you agree w/ me that Satan has pointed
all of the artillery of hell at the home? Think about it:
Immorality / adultery / fornication /
homosexuality / abortion / militant feminism / juvenile delinquency /
sexually transmitted diseases…these are all sins hatched in hell, and they
all have 2 things in common:
They are:
1.On the rise
2.Aimed at destroying the family
Good news today: God has a plan!
“When all else fails, read the directions”
(men aren’t the best at this…putting together a toy, navigating a road trip,
but this is for the ladies today anyway!)
v. 1 “become”
Ladies: have you ever told someone their
outfit was very “becoming?” The word become in v. 1 literally means that
she “beautifies” sound doctrine.
v. 10 “adorn”…this word in the Greek
is the word from which we get “cosmetics” in English. If you really want to
be beautiful, not just outwardly, but also inwardly…more than you need Mary
Kay, or Merle Norman, you need to live God’s way, according to God’s plan.
Put on the lipstick of a kind tongue / blush
of purity and innocence / foundation of Godliness / eyeliner of compassion /
mascara of sincerity
Let’s look today at the things which adorn /
become / beautify sound doctrine. And I hope that every woman here today
will leave w/ a bag full of spiritual cosmetics, with an irresistible
spiritual attraction that will ‘catch the eyes’ of a lost world beyond our
doors.
1.Her Mandate*
v. 3-4 “teach
the young women”
There’s no way around it…what the young women
of GBC are supposed to learn about Christian Womanhood, they are not
supposed to learn, primarily, from this pulpit, this preacher…but rather
from their elders right here.
Our older women have a God-given
responsibility to teach the younger women how to be good wives / mothers /
homemakers. The younger women also
have a responsibility, according to
this passage, and that is to listento the older women, and to avail themselves to their wisdom.
Our 1 on 1 discipleship ministry is just beginning, and several of our
mature ladies are right now offering to disciple some of our younger ladies,
or some who are new Christians. This is God’s way, and He’s smiling at
this!
Who is teaching the younger Christian women
of today? Who is shaping their family values?
I’m afraid that in many cases it’s someone
like Oprah. The world is sending all kinds of negative messages to our
younger women:
“If you’re not happy / satisfied w/ the old
goat…just leave him! After all, you have a right to be happy”
We need some older women who have
been married for years to step up and say, you have the right to keep your
commitment / vow before God…and…it’s not your love that sustains your
commitment, it’s your commitment that sustains your love!
We need some older women to say, we’ve had
our share of problems, bigger ones than you’ve had, and more of them, but it
has worked because of commitment.
The world says: “If this pregnancy is
unplanned, then simply destroy the evidence.”
Older women must respond: “the circumstances
which surround a pregnancy do not determine the value of the child.”
Or, “I experienced an unplanned pregnancy,
now let me tell you what they’ve done w/ their life, and how the surprise
goes on day after day!”
Like my mom could say, “Though I had many
female difficulties, and doctors warnings about bearing children, my
unplanned pregnancy is today preaching in Decatur, IL!” And it didn’t
stop there, for after having me my parents naturally said, “well, we can’t
top that”!…but then had another surprise, and today, my little sister Jami
and husband, Josh are serving the Lord!
There’s probably not a woman in the house
that appreciates the old English word used here, “aged”! We’re not talking
about the elderly…But by definition, we’re talking about those of you whose
children have left the house, or soon will leave.
If you fit that category, the Bible today
reminds you of your mandate. It’s not a suggestion, or an idea if you’re
interested, it’s a command…and if you are not investing your life into the
lives of these younger women / not involved in the ladies’ ministries, then
you’re not fulfilling all of your God-given responsibilities as a woman.
Why should I?
Her mandate…
2.Her Motive*
We don’t have to guess, it’s right here:
End of v. 5 “That the Word of
God be not blasphemed”
You say, what does that have to do w/ it?
Simply put, the best thing you can do to
improve the influence of this church in Decatur, IL, is
to help build strongfamilies!
Every time the community learns of a family that falls apart at GBC, it
contradicts, undermines, and marginalizes what we teach and preach here…it
hurts our influence.
We’re preaching that Jesus is the answer to
the world’s problems / that Jesus is the solid Rock on which to build a
marriage and home…but for the most part, the world doesn’t listen to what we
say…but oooooooh how they watch what we do!
And Paul is saying that when we allow homes
in our church to disintegrate, the Word of God is blasphemed.
Now, don’t misunderstand, we’re to
help the hurting! That’s the right thing to do / that develops influence
too…that man or woman whose spouse left them can remain a testimony to God
by remaining in church, and remaining close to God, and we have many like
that.
But it’s a shame when it happens right under
our noses, when there WAS something we could do about it…but we
didn’t!
Her mandate/motive…
3.Her Manner of life*
v. 3 “as becometh holiness”
“behavior”=fragrance…you should have the
fragrance of holiness eminating from you.
In the OT, the priest went into the holy
place to burn incense to the Lord, and even when he departs the tabernacle
and rejoins the others, the fragrance is still on his garments. And anyone
who gets around him knows, he’s been in the holy place…he’s been w/ the
Lord!
There’s an ora, a glow about a Godly woman,
as the beauty of Christ just radiates from her life!
“not false accusers”
literally: not a gossip (form of insanity:
“you know me, I don’t gossip, but…” and then they proceed to gossip.
Anytime you do something and don’t even know what you’re doing…that’s got to
be a form of insanity!)
“much wine”
immediately, the social drinker says, there
it is, it’s ok to drink, as long as in moderation…I drink, but not much!
Well, before you get too carried away,
remember that in Bible days wine was used medicinally (see message on social
drinking) like what I call Baptist Bourbon (NyQuil). When Kimberly
was sick she took it / 2nd night / getting better / 3rd
night / got suspicious when I saw her mixing it w/ her soda!
In a broad sense, Paul is saying, don’t be a
slave to an addiction, don’t be given to it.
Mandate—older teach younger, younger look to
the older
Motive—Word of God be not blasphemed
Manner of life—life a holy, wholesome,
healthy life
4.Her Message*
What, specifically, are the older supposed to
teach the younger?
v. 4-5
sober / discreet (v. 5)=serious minded, level
headed, good judgment
No wonder her husband safely trusts
her in Prov. 31, he trusts her to make good decisions, run the house well,
and use time wisely.
Joke—man said, “if the stove were as hot as
the TV around here, a man could get a hot meal!”
Joke—couple just finished honeymoon, she
confessed, “I’m not a great cook, all I know how to make so far is meatloaf
and banana pudding”…she sets it before him / he says, “no problem, just tell
me which is which!”
Well, the Bible doesn’t say you have to be a
great cook, but it says you should be level-headed, serious minded, and use
good judgment…not like the guy that said, honey, you must think I’m a
perfect idiot / she says, no dear…nobody’s perfect!
“Love husband”
Do you really have to learn to love?
Remember how it was back then in
Bible days. Today we fall in love and get married…back then, it was
reversed, arranged by parents! And though’ we don’t do it that way today,
the fact remains, according to the Bible, you can learn to love him!
Behind every command of God is the
omnipotent, powerful hand of God to enable you to do ANYTHING He commands,
if you’ll obey and try, w/ His help!
If you’ve been married, or were married, 30
years or more, please stand…remain standing…give them a hand!
According to God, it’s your responsibility to
teach the younger women how to love their husbands…how they can make it for
30 years, and more!
Take a look around, now. Chances are these
that are standing went thru what you go thru, and yet they stayed married,
because they were committed. And look at the guys they learned to love!
Give the Lord glory for that!
“Love their children”
Do you really have to learn that?
Well, you tell me. I think the womb
should be the safest place on earth…but is it?
Then there’s the modern mother today who
says, I love my child too much to spank them.
She needs to be taught what real love
is. Prov. 13:24 “He that spares the rod, hates his son”
The public school system that raised most of
the young women of today, is the same one which kicked God out when they
were young…and to think that it’s capable of teaching sex-ed correctly is
absurd. It’s not up to the school…and we need some older women who will
teach the younger women, by example, and in word, how to be chaste! And we
need mothers who will do the same for their daughters. I’ve actually known
Christian moms who gave their daughters contraceptives. Don’t you know that
sends them the WRONG message? “If you can’t be good, be careful!”
“Keepers at home”
Interesting phrase coming from 2 Greek
words: one meaning home, the other meaning worker…home workers!
I realize that many women go to work…and many
have to.
But make sure you’re working for
needs, and not greeds. Working for a higher standard of living is not worth
the trade-off to your home.
Don’t be afraid to step out on
faith. If your kids are still at home, it may take some sacrifice, and it
may not work out on paper, but God will reward you for doing what’s right.
My wife may have a college degree, but she
realizes that homemaking is a God-ordained / God approved occupation…there
is no higher calling on the face of the earth, than to be a wife and mother.
What’s God’s will?
I Tim. 5:14 I will therefore that the
younger women marry, bear children, guide the house…
Certainly some have to work, and the last
thing I want to do on Mother’s Day is put you on a guilt trip, so don’t
receive it any differently than God has said it.
The home is under attack today. And so,
when all else fails, read the directions.
Aren’t you thankful today for mothers / women
of God? As Mother’s Day, today is a day to honor them…but as the Lord’s
day, it’s a day to glorify God…and what would glorify Him more than for
women to recommit themselves today to their mandate, to teach, and learn
from each other, to have the irresistible glow of Godliness, the attractive
scent of one who’s been w/ God, the fragrance of holiness!
Lost: God’s way for the woman is-- #1, that
she be born again. It would be wonderful to have a woman saved
today…perhaps a mother’s prayers would be answered today and her child would
be saved!
All Sermons and Slideshow Presentations Copyright Jerry
Shirley and Grace Notes Ministries unless otherwise credited.
