Cornerstonekaty

1 Timothy 2:8-15

When I was originally thinking about this topic, my mind went to the passage in Proverbs 31, listed in your bulletin. It is an excellent explanation of a godly woman. And we will look at it this morning. But as I pressed more into the topic, another text seems more to the point. It is a controversial text, and often disdained by modern, secular people. It’s one of those texts that you read and say, “what did he just say?” because it seems so condescending when read through a modern lens.

The text I’m talking about is 1 Timothy 2:8-15.

 

This week we will look at Covenant femininity. It wraps up the last 3 weeks as we are considering some of the unique equalities and differences between men and women and looking at some reasons for those differences. The simple truth is that men and women are different by design, and that design contributes to the development and glory of God’s kingdom.

Unfortunately, these differences have become the subject of much controversy. There are a lot of reasons for this historically, such as the evolution of technology, philosophical shifts, and cultural changes. As much as these factors have shaped the controversy, the core problem is simply our corrupt nature, which would seek to use these differences to gain an advantage rather than serve each other.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

In light of our cultural climate, taking a look at what the Bible says about masculinity is in order. So what do we find? Simply put, there are times when masculinity is the God-given trait for defending and advancing the kingdom of God.

Galatians 3:28-29

When I set out to do a series on the Covenant family, I wanted to offer a practical guide for families and their place in kingdom living. That’s why we looked first at Genesis 17 to see how God’s plan of redemption revolved around the family, and the promises of that redemption flowed through families. Then we turned to the covenant relationship between a husband and wife to find that they have different, but complementary roles within that structure that God ordained as a means of maturing in Christ likeness. You’ll have to go back and listen to those sermons for the details. Then we looked at the responsibility of parents in the training of their children to become inheritors of these great promises. (This is an absolutely critical teaching that is often forgotten even in the church today. Too many assume that it is the church’s responsibility to train their children and want to leave a church when they don’t like the way the church is or isn’t doing that. While the church is called to equip families to train their children, it is primarily the parents’ role to train their children.)

This morning we turn to look more closely at the differences between men and women within the covenant. I think this is an important topic given the great amount of tension and disagreement that exists within our culture and even within the church on it.

That tension is felt within our own denomination and these verses have been at the center of it. The two sides have come to be known as egalitarian and complementarian. The reason this verse is at the center of it is because of the equality now present between men and women with regard to the covenant promises. Egalitarians argue that this equality has implications that extend to who can hold office in the church. Complementarians argue that this equality falls within a particular context central to the larger argument Paul is making. So, who is right?

The point Paul is making is this: Because Christ has ushered in the New Covenant, all believers are heirs of the Kingdom!

So, why is this so important and how does this help in our understanding of men and women?

Psalm 46

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

We began this series talking about the covenant God made with Abraham and how the promises of that covenant were not for him alone but also for his children and his children’s children. God would make him into a great nation through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed. When the promise is first given, we aren’t told how this blessing would come through Abraham’s offspring, only that it would. It is the New Testament that makes explicit that the ultimate fulfillment of that promise would come through Christ. 

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)

(which means, by the way, that Christ, not the modern-day Israel, is the source of blessing. Instead of saying, “those who bless Israel will be blessed,” we should be saying, “those who bless Christ will be blessed.”)

But in the time leading up to Christ, Israel as a whole prefigured the work that Christ would do on behalf of the nations.

Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? (Deuteronomy 4:6–8)

Israel, as a nation, would bring blessing to the world by showing the glory of a culture and society with God as their God. Given this calling, you can see how vital it is for God’s people to live out their faith by keeping God’s commands, for only in keeping them would this be evident to the world. Jesus explains this as fundamental to kingdom living in the Sermon on the Mount when he says,

 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13–16)

This is a big part of why there is such emphasis on keeping God’s commandments. (It’s not the only reason or even the first. The first is because God himself is holy and we are made to reflect His image as we live in relationship with Him). 

Put another way, Moses writes,

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ (Exodus 19:5–6)

So, if Israel is to be a kingdom set apart, keeping faith is essential, and the family structure is God’s instrument to train up the future generations to keep God’s commands and be this light of the world.

He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; (Psalm 78:5–7)

You cannot start soon enough, which is why that sign of the covenant was applied to infants. It reminds us of who these children are to become.

Our children are meant to inherit the Kingdom! So let us prepare them. So, how do we do this?

Ephesians 5:21-32

Marriage is foundational to accomplish God’s design. It was the first human relationship that man experienced in God’s creation. So even before considering marriage within the context of God’s covenant of grace, we see it’s importance in the purpose of our creation.

There are three mandates that define man’s purpose according to the creation account:

• the spiritual mandate, in that he is created as a reflection of God to walk in relationship with God,
• the social mandate, in that God created a woman for the man with whom he would have companionship and a partner suitable for
• the cultural mandate, to fill the earth and subdue it, exercising dominion over the creatures.

So the marriage relationship is foundational to our ultimate purpose in creation. That affects every marriage, regardless of whether you are a follower of Christ or not.
So as we consider marriage within a covenant family, we are considering what it means in addition to our original design, given our new identity, our future inheritance, and our obligation within the covenant.

To tackle this, we’re looking at a classic text preached at many Christian weddings. It provides a beautiful picture of how the husband and wife are to relate to each other in light of the relationship between Jesus and his bride, the church.

In this text we see the blueprint for a beautiful marriage, which is a blessing to the couple, the family, and the world. So, what do we see that make

Genesis 17:1-14

We’re starting a new series this week. It’s called the Covenant family. You might be asking, “what is a covenant family?” I’m glad you asked! A covenant family is one with a special relationship with the Lord for a distinct purpose.

So the follow up question you may be asking is this: “Is my family a covenant family?” If you are here this morning as a follower of Christ, then the answer is yes! You have been made a part of the family of God, which is a family related by covenant with God. This is good news and has huge implications for how your family is to live. That’s what this series as a whole will look at in the coming weeks. We will look at what this means for your marriage, for raising children, for understanding the covenant role of a husband and a wife.

As we start this series, we’re looking at a foundational text in Genesis that sets the stage for understanding the covenant family.

Psalm 106

The events of this week have grabbed the attention of our nation, perhaps the world. Specifically the assasination of Charlie Kirk. Politics aside, he was very outspoken with his faith in Jesus Christ and a model for us all in that. The news of his death was shocking. As troubling as this was, it wasn’t the only tragic news of the day. There was also another school shooting near Denver, Colorado. Both events are destablizing. They contribute to the growing sense of uncertainty about the future of this country. I want to take a moment to speak to the Charlie Kirk shooting as it seems to have taken hold of this country. Some are overwhelmed with grief and perhaps even anger. Others are cheering, which is disturbing. I can understand people not liking Mr. Kirk because of his outspoken views. But to cheer his death reveals a false placed faith. While ideas and ideologies are powerful, they will never be a true savior. And I think many people, even many Christians, have fallen into such thinking. Ideas are important, but ideas alone do not have the power to fix the root of our problem, which is our sinful nature; our corrupted hearts. There is only one way a heart can be changed—and that is by the God who made it.

So what do we do with our sadness and anger in such a time? If you don’t believe in the God revealed in the Bible, then you are left in a dangerous position. Such sadness and anger can easily lead to anxiety and despair, or worse, violent acts. When justice seems evasive, there is a great temptation to turn to the sword and go after it yourself. Without faith in the Biblical God, this is a logical outcome.

But if you believe in the biblical God, the one revealed to us in Scripture and in Psalms like this, then you have another path. You can walk a path of peace and love and compassion that others cannot. And the reason is quite simple: we have a great God!

This is what this Psalm extols. While it is true all the time, this truth only allows us to walk a path of peace and love and compassion when we remember it. Hence, the invitation in the opening line to our own soul.

Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great!

Revelation 3:7-13