.
And I really want to focus in on specifically the fact that the Spirit is being poured out upon the daughters and upon the handmaidens.
Okay, so he's very careful to mention both, right? He's saying it's the sons and the daughters. It's the old men and the young men and the handmaidens.
It's men and women, young and old, that have the Spirit being poured out upon them in order to prophesy, right, which is just another word for preaching.
And what I want to preach about tonight is women in ministry. Women in ministry, I thought about calling it the labor of women, but we probably all just think of childbirth if I said that, right?
So you're already smiling, right? So I said, you know, scratch that title, okay? So we were going with women in ministry because women do play an integral part in the local New Testament church.
They have a very vital role in the work of God. It's never to be underestimated, and it's not something that we often point out, okay? And the last thing I would ever want is for women in this church to feel like they're second class or second rate or that, you know, they don't have an important role in this church.
They do, and in all churches, and in the work of God. They're not excluded from that. They're not ignored in the work of God. Now, obviously, the primary role of a woman is to be a wife and mother, okay?
That is the primary role that is what she's called to do. That's commanded throughout Scripture. If you want to keep something, well, actually, we're done in Acts, but if you would go over to Titus chapter two.
In the beginning, a lot of this, you know, this isn't anything new. In fact, none of this is anything new, but these first couple points I'm going to make, you know, these are points that I've made often from this pulpit from time to time and needs to continue to be made.
That women's primary role, a woman's primary role is to be that of a wife and mother, okay? And not in a kind of you better do it kind of way. I'm not trying to, you know, scold anybody, but we're trying to, you know, emphasize that because the fact that that is important.
You know, you have to have that, and that's something that's being incredibly devalued in our society today. They, you know, women are treated as second class or something if they elect to stay home and raise their children as the Bible commands them.
You know, but that is what the Bible says, and that's, and it's not to devalue women. You know, that's something that's given unto them that only they can do, okay?
If you look there in Titus chapter number two, look at verse three, it says, the aged women likewise, and if we read all of Titus chapter two, you'd see that every age group, every basic general demographic is being met here.
Young men, old men, young women, old women, and likewise. That's a good word. I'm going to bring that into my modern vernacular. You know, he's aged.
...of good things that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Now, I know that'll hurl up every feminist and liberal who hears it, but this is what the Bible says, okay? And it says that the aged women are to be in behavior, right, that they may teach the young women to be sober, to do these things.
So the teaching that women do, even when it comes to this primary role of motherhood and being a wife, is done through an example, right? That's one way in which women can instruct other women is through the example that they set, right?
That's why it says the aged women that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, that their behavior, their conversation, the way they conduct themselves should be one that is instructive to the younger women who would observe them, right?
And obviously, you know, there's plenty of room there too for, you know, more, I guess, intimate, you know, communication or instruction, right? More one-on-one instruction. You know, what ladies are always doing that, they're always getting together discussing, you know, homeschooling, everything else that comes along with being a wife and mother.
There's a lot of, you know, more detail. But it does show us here that in general, the reason the elder women, the aged women, should be holy and not be any of these other things, to be a teacher of good things, they should be in behavior, right?
They should have this godliness about them so that they could be an example to the younger, okay? So before I get into, you say, wait, this is women in the ministry, right? Well, this is a role that Paul is laying out in the biblical church.
This is something that should take place. Younger women who are, you know, just starting out in wifehood or motherhood, whatever you want to call it, wifedom, you know, coming to church, you know, they're maybe trying to figure out the way they ought to do it according to, you know, a biblical standard.
They have to be able to come to a church like this and just through observation and through communication and, you know, having discussions with other ladies in this church, they should be able to pick up on that, right?
Because that is a kind of ministry that we have here, right? Because, you know, that's just part of life. And part of life is raising a family, how to do that.
Obviously, men have their role to play. The Bible says that this is the wife, the role of the wife and mother, and it is their primary role. It's where the emphasis is given.
However, as we read in Joel 2 and as was quoted in Acts 2, we see that there's also a role for women in the ministry when it comes to prophesying, that the spirit is being poured out upon them and they are to prophesy, okay?
That's something that the Bible said that God would do. That's what he said, Joel. I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your handmaidens and your daughters shall prophesy, right?
So there is some kind of preaching that's supposed to take place. Now, let me clarify and say that that is not to take place behind the pulpit, okay?
Another unpopular opinion. I'm just covering all the unpopular opinions today. Let's just make as many people as we can mad.
You know, I doubt anyone here is mad about it, right? But let's, you know, get everybody on internet land mad at us.
But it does say very clearly that women are to be keepers at home and not to fulfill the role of a pastor, okay?
You're there in Titus if you want to go over to 1 Corinthians chapter number 14. 1 Corinthians chapter number 14.
The Bible says in 1 Timothy 5, I will, therefore, the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion for the adversary to speak reproachfully, for some are already turned aside after Satan, okay?
So that's pretty strong language when Paul is saying they're not doing this, they're being turned aside after Satan, okay?
Oh, you're saying they're meeting in the middle of the night in black garbs and burning candles and sage and doing seances, they're turned aside after Satan?
No, he's saying they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing according to the Bible. They've been duped by this world, they've been duped by Satan to forsake their God-given roles and they're going after Satan, right?
That's pretty strong language, right? Say, well, I just, you know, it's just not what I want for my life. You know, I just don't, wife and motherhood, that's just not something that I want.
I don't want to be a keeper at home. I don't want to bear children and guide the house. You know, I don't want to, that's just not what I want for me.
You know, maybe later in my life, you know, I want to pursue a career. What you're really saying, according to the Bible, is that you want to be turned after Satan.
I mean, I mean, that's, that's what he's saying in first Timothy five. I know you're not there, but he's saying that they ought to marry, bear children and guide the house.
And anything else is being turned aside after Satan, right? It's just like, whoa, okay. That's pretty intense.
And look, I understand that people are in different situations, that this is the ideal, but, you know, nonetheless, that's the language that Paul uses in the Bible.
But that is a role that women have, right? To be a wife, to be a mother, to instruct other ladies within the church and be an example of that, if nothing else.
That's definitely a ministry that women have. That's women in ministry, okay? That's the primary role, but it's not the only one, okay?
It's certainly not behind a pulpit. And I'm clarifying this because it says in Joel, it's quoted in Acts, that they will prophesy.
Okay? And he's not talking about getting up and preaching behind a pulpit. The Bible's crystal clear on this, that women are not to preach in the house of God.
They're not to get up behind a pulpit and instruct others, okay? First Corinthians, where I have you go? Are you in First Corinthians?
First Corinthians 14, I believe it is, verse 34, let your women keep silence in the churches, okay?
And then there's that, then there's that colon there, which, so the thought continues, but you could just as easily put a period at the end of that statement.
That's a complete thought. That's a complete sentence. Let your women keep silence in the churches.
You know, so it's a mystery to me when you have women who go to some college, you know, some Bible college somewhere,
they go to some seminary, they get some theology degree, and then they get up behind a pulpit and start preaching God's word in a church.
You know, it's like, well, wait a minute, how can you do that? Look, you say you have a problem with women preachers?
As long as they're silent when they do it. And that's kind of a conflict of interest there, isn't it?
Should we try it? Let's try having a service where I don't speak.
You know, and see how long you guys stand there staring at me, or sit there staring at me. It's going to get awkward really quick, right?
So the nature of being a pastor, you have to violate this command right out of the gate. Let your women keep silence in the churches, okay?
And I know, again, that's not popular, but that's what it says.
And I've preached about this, and they've had all kinds of cute ways out there today to try to wiggle out of this,
and oh, Paul was just a misogynist, it was just a culture that they were living in at that time.
You know, the word of God is pure, the word of God is true, the word of God is eternal, it does not change.
You know, this is something that is rock solid, okay?
It was once widely accepted and widely understood, but my, how times have changed.
It goes on and says, for it is not permitted of them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience as also sayeth the law.
So he's appealing back to the law, right, which we looked at when we were going through Genesis chapter 3.
We were talking about how the woman's desire would be unto her husband, right?
So this is from the beginning, this is the way it was supposed to be.
It goes on and says in verse 35, and if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
So it's behind the pulpit and in the pew, right?
Now, again, it's not, it doesn't mean that ladies, as soon as you cross the threshold of the door, you gotta zip it, right?
Obviously you can come in here and, you know, I get it, sometimes I try to sprinkle in some humor and ladies chuckle and laugh.
I'm not against that, you know, that's fine, obviously.
But, you know, one, it's not behind the pulpit, I think that's pretty clear.
But the other one is, if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
Is that, you know, when the preaching is going on, women shouldn't be objecting or even voicing their approval, in my opinion, to the preaching the Word of God.
Okay? And praise God, I've never had to correct anybody during a sermon about this.
But my, you know, I've sat in services where I wish the pastor would have, you know, where I guess he was just so desperate for amens that he just permitted the women to amen his sermons.
And, you know, you can call me whatever you want, but it was just, to me it was just irritating.
You know, as a man, to sit there and have to listen to a woman like voice her approval of what's being said from the pulpit.
So I'd always try to out amen her, you know, and do it that deep voice, Amen!
You know, I'd really get it in there.
Because she had that, you guys have heard me do it, you want to hear me do it.
Amen. That's right. Amen.
You know, it was just like, oh, quiet, you know.
So that's not very nice. Well, you know, that's what the Bible says.
It is a shame for women to speak in the church.
You know, and I'll just be honest, as a man, I don't need women to approve what I'm saying up here.
Whether they like this or not. If there's a time for you to amen, it's right now, ladies.
Hey, it's a shame to speak in the church.
You know, if you want to say Amen to that, I'll permit it this once.
Okay? No takers?
Oh, there we go. That's the last time that ever happens.
Right. Well, now I'm glad you agree with it, right?
So, anyway, obviously we're joking around a little bit tonight.
But, you know, it's not a problem here. But it is a problem in other places.
This isn't the thrust of the sermon, though.
The Bible does say, let the woman learn in silence is all subjection.
I suffer not a woman to teach nor usurp authority over the man.
That's 1 Timothy 2.
So you say, well, what's the deal here?
Why is he saying in Joel, why is Peter quoting in Acts that women, that handmaidens, that daughters are going to prophesy?
Right? Because women do have a role in ministry.
It's just not behind the pulpit.
Okay?
It's not preaching the word of God.
However, they are commanded, as we all are, men and women, to preach the gospel.
And let me just say this, is that the preaching of the gospel is the most powerful preaching that there is.
Okay?
Now I understand that there's something to be said about powerful delivery of a sermon.
Like you have preachers that can get up and in the fullness of the Holy Ghost deliver powerful, moving sermons that convict us and motivate us.
Obviously those are powerful.
But those are powerful in a different way, aren't they?
They're moving.
Maybe they inspire us.
Maybe they convict us.
Whatever it is.
But there's nothing more powerful than preaching and saving a soul.
That's the most powerful preaching that there is.
When you can go out with the gospel and literally change somebody's eternal destiny.
You know, that's not something you're typically going to do behind the pulpit.
Because typically you're preaching to people that are already saved.
Now obviously it's still powerful.
If it's filled with the Holy Spirit and it can have an impact on people and it can change lives, the preaching of the word of God behind the pulpit.
But the work is already kind of done once you're saved and you show up at church.
That powerful change has already taken place.
That's why the preaching of the gospel really, when you think about it, is the most powerful preaching that there is.
Not in the sense of the way in which it is delivered.
Often it is delivered very meekly, very patiently, very kindly.
We don't preach at the door like I'm preaching now.
At least I hope not.
That might be your issue.
If you're not getting one saved, maybe it's because you're just too much of a firebrand at the door.
That's where we're supposed to be in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.
Pretty much that God might grant them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
That's what we do at the door.
It's a different type of preaching.
Nonetheless, it is powerful.
And that's where women have discovered what they are to be doing and not to be doing in the house.
If you want to go over to Philippians chapter number 4, it won't be a very long sermon tonight.
But again, I'll remind us that the preaching that's to be done by the ladies is the preaching of the gospel,
which is the most powerful preaching that there is.
Obviously, God did give us apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints
for the work of the ministry for edifying the body of Christ.
So God has given us these teachers, these pastors, these preachers.
And that is a powerful ministry as well.
It has an impact.
But what else are they there for?
Why do we have preaching for the work of the ministry so that the work of God gets done?
This morning was a perfect example of that.
The preaching that took place this morning was a sermon that was designed to motivate us to continue preaching the gospel.
And tonight it's kind of in the same vein.
It leads the church in a certain direction, holds a standard, guards the door, keeps wolves out, keeps sheep in, so on and so forth.
But it's for the work of the ministry.
So really what matters in a church is the work of the ministry.
That's the most important thing.
That's why we have pastors and evangelists and all that.
So here's the thing.
What's really important is the work of the ministry.
That's something that ladies share in.
The most important aspect.
You know, women have just got such a burr under their saddle to preach the word of God.
It's like, great, let's go.
Let's go out there and preach the gospel.
But often, that's not what they're wanting to do.
They want to get up behind a pulpit, not in this church, and just preach from the pulpit.
And let me just come out and say, often when you have a woman pastor, they're false prophets anyway.
The one that occupied this building prior to us was passed to Murray.
Right, Mary, Murray?
You know, they're a bunch of four, what is that?
That stupid farming thing, the Foursquare or whatever.
I don't know. No one knows what I'm talking about.
Part of some Pentecostal movement, preaching a false gospel, you know, preaching repent of your sins.
You know, that kind of stuff.
That's who they were associated with.
You know, so quite frankly, I don't have respect for that.
That's putting it lightly.
But, you know, if ladies really want to preach, you know, the most powerful preaching you could do
is out there on the highways, in the byways, out there in the hedges, out there in the lanes and alleys of this.
Don't go to the alleys. Stay safe.
Going out there and preaching the gospel to people because that's the work of the ministry.
Paul told Timothy, watch thou in all things and do reflections, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry.
You know, do the work of an evangelist.
That's obviously as there's command to do, that's just, that's all, he's the one that's supposed to do it.
That's a dumb way to look at that, right?
Do the work of an evangelist, yes, but that's a command to all of us to go out and evangelize.
So ladies can have, they can help make full proof of their ministry just as much as Timothy, a pastor,
can make full proof of his ministry.
Also the reason I'm preaching is sometimes I think ladies kind of let themselves off the hook when it comes to soul winning.
They're like, well, you know, I'm just, I'm a mom and I'm a wife and that's, I'm fulfilling my role, that's it, right?
And I understand that, you know, that's a very important role and there's, you know, I'm not going to see her
and say that busy wives and mothers need to be out X number of times, you know, throughout the year, okay?
In life, there's seasons and things come up, okay?
And I understand that, but we can't, they also don't want to go to the other extreme and just say,
well, you know, it's just not for me. No, you need to make full proof of your ministry.
You need to go out there, you need to let God pour out his spirit upon you and prophesy
and do the most powerful thing that any Christian can do and preach the gospel
and the fullness of the Holy Ghost and let God save souls through you.
You know, that's an amazing thing, you know, when you see God working in your midst like that.
Did I have you go to Philippians? Okay, Philippians chapter number four, verse two.
He said, I beseech Euodius and I beseech Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
I entreat the also true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, right?
So Paul here is saying, hey, you need to help these women who labored with me in the gospel.
So Paul had women in his ministry that were helping him.
What, were they help, were they filling in the pulpit when he was sick?
Was he taking a preaching class and telling them how to form an outline
and teaching them the word of God, how to get up and deliver a sermon? Nope.
The women that Paul was admonishing his true yoke fellow to help was women that labored with him in the gospel,
meaning they were out there with him preaching to the lost with Clement also and with my other fellow laborers.
So women in ministry can be fellow laborers with the rest of us, with evangelists, with pastors,
with the likes of even the Apostle Paul. You know, that should be a message to all of us,
is that when you're out there laboring in the gospel, preaching the gospel, you're in good company.
You are following in the footsteps of great men like the Apostle Paul and others.
You are his fellow laborer, right, whose names are in the Book of Life.
You see, women are an important part of ministry. They're a very important part.
If you would, in fact, go over to Romans chapter number 16, Romans chapter number 16.
I'll remind you of something. In Acts, right, when Paul was in Thyatira and he went down to the river
where women were washing their clothes, right, they were doing the laundry down by the river, right?
Think about that, ladies. Next time you complain about your front end loader or whatever,
your front loading washing machine, you know, it acts up.
Oh, I've got to call, you know, the repairman to come over here or whatever, you know.
At least you're not having to walk down to the river to wash your clothes, right?
But anyway, Lydia was down there, a seller of purple, and worshiped God and heard us,
Paul and those that were with him, whose heart the Lord opened.
She attended to the things which were spoken of Paul.
And when she was baptized in her household, she besought us, saying,
if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there, and she constrained us.
And then, you know, I'm reading this to you, but later in verse 40, it says,
and they went out of the prison, right, because that's when Paul and Silas were in the prison
and the angel frees them, you know, the Philippian jailer, right?
And when they went out of the prison, they entered in the house of Lydia, right,
the lady that they had mentioned previously that had gotten saved.
And when they had seen the brethren, they comforted and departed.
So Lydia is a seller of purple. So back then, you know, we say, what's a seller of purple?
Well, it's a woman who's selling like dyed garments, which were very expensive, right?
So she's a woman of wealth. She has some affluence, right?
So she has, and apparently her house is big enough to host the brethren as well.
So it's like they're having church there, right?
So you can see that's another way in which she was using her God-given abilities,
the blessings that were in her life, to serve God in that way, right?
Look at Romans chapter 16, verse 1.
I commend you unto Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church.
So Phoebe, that's a woman's name, you know, because she's a sister, right?
That's clearly, I know today, in the day and age we're living in,
you know, people can get confused about that, you know.
Yes, I just assumed Phoebe's gender, right, because they called her sister, right?
I'm going to continue to do that.
I commend you unto Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church,
which is at Centria, right?
So again, here's a woman, a lady, okay, being referred to as a servant of the church, okay?
And I don't think it was just because she filled a pew with a bunch of babies, right?
Which is a ministry nonetheless, okay?
But it's because she's serving the church in some way, you know.
Lydia served by opening up her home and hosting Paul and taking care of them, meeting their needs, right?
Even Jesus had women which ministered unto him of their substance, okay?
So they took what they had and they ministered to even men of God.
Like that's something that, you know, maybe isn't, you would necessarily see so much today
because we're such a prosperous society, but when there was a need for things like food and shelter even,
that was something that people would do.
They'd open up their homes and that was considered being a servant to the church.
That was a ministry, right?
And that might take different forms today, you know.
Ladies might help around the church with, you know, decorating or cleaning or whatever it is,
you know, just in different ways, okay?
You know, I'm doing the cleaning these days, but you know, whatever.
I don't mind, okay?
That might change someday, who knows?
But anyway, you know, Phoebe here, she is a servant of the church.
It doesn't say exactly what she was doing, but you know, it just shows us there's many ways
in which women can be a help to the ministry.
He goes on and says that you receive her in the Lord as becometh saints and then you assist her
in whatsoever business she hath need of you, right?
So Paul, and again, he's writing this to the Romans in general, right?
So he's telling men this too.
He's like, hey, if Phoebe asks something of you and she has need, you help her in that, right?
You help her in whatever business she hath need of you, for she hath been a suckerer of many
and of myself also.
She's been helping Paul, you know, taking care of their needs.
Greet Priscilla and Aquila.
Everyone remembers them, right?
Priscilla and Aquila, great helpers to God.
He mentions them again, I believe, in 1 Corinthians.
It's a similar greeting.
Who have for my life laid down their necks and to whom I give thanks,
but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
Who are all the churches of the Gentiles thanking?
Priscilla and Aquila, right?
Not Aquila and his wife, you know.
It was Priscilla and Aquila.
You know, she was known by name to the apostle Paul.
She was known by name to the churches of the Gentiles
because of the fact that she, like Phoebe, is a servant of those churches
and a servant of the ministry of the work of God.
Likewise, it says in verse 5,
Greet the church that is in their house.
Salute my well-beloved Epinatus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
Greet Mary, who bestowed much labor on us.
So there, again, another woman being pointed out in a positive light by the apostle Paul
and others, and he's commanding others to be mindful of these ladies,
to greet them, to assist them, to be mindful of them
because of the labor that they had wrought on others,
because they are women in ministry, okay?
You know, and really, you know, say, what prompted the sermon?
Really, it's what I saw yesterday out soloing.
And I just want to take a minute, you know, in the sermon and just express,
you know, it was a very proud moment for me, if I can use that word.
To see so many ladies out at our soul-winning time yesterday.
You know, and obviously, it's always great to see everybody out,
and I appreciate the men. The men know that too.
But I know, especially when some of those ladies, you know, several of them, really,
are mothers of young children, you know, with busy schedules
that took out the time preaching the gospel to that last door,
and I think it was the last door of the entire day.
And she got some of those.
This band of women and young children just come marching by in front of her house.
That's what you're in for. No, I'm just kidding.
Right? But at that exact moment, you know, she was saying something like,
well, you know, church, and I said, well, you know, there you go.
We got lots of kids. She had several young.
There's, you know, there's several of our, I won't say half,
but there's several ladies in our church walking by.
Well, you know, that wouldn't have happened if women, if the ladies there had just decided,
well, you know, my only ministry is just to, you know, keep house.
That is a ministry. You know, that's something you're supposed to do.
That's your God-given role, right?
But that's not all you're called to do.
You know, you're called to go out and preach the gospel.
You know, it was great to have, you know, ladies come down from Tempe, you know,
and help with, you know, some of the ladies that maybe weren't as experienced in soul winning,
and they were able to kind of, you know, learn the ropes and see how it was done.
It was great to see, you know, the maidens that we have here helping with the young children, right?
That they, as the moms were up there preaching at the door, you know,
they were keeping the kids distracted, playing with them.
You know, that all, you know, all works together.
That's all part of the ministry of preaching the gospel, right?
Helping one another to labor in that.
Because, you know, I'm not downplaying it. It's a lot.
It's a lot, you know, for a mom to go out there and to, you know, either take the kids or leave them at home
or whatever it is, you know, with dad.
That's probably a whole, you know, set of, a whole other form of anxiety I can only imagine.
I don't know why, you know, what's the worst that could happen, you know?
I'm not that irresponsible. Most dads aren't, right?
We'll keep it locked down for a couple hours, okay?
We'll survive, you know, the worst things that could happen is they're going to eat a bunch of pizza rolls or something.
Who knows, right? Build a fort out of the couch cushions or something.
You know, maybe we'll find something under those cushions.
You know, a bunch of crayons.
But, you know, I'm just saying, you know, I get it, right?
I'm not saying like, hey ladies, you moms, you need to be out there several hours every Sunday.
It's like I get it, right, that life's busy.
But they shouldn't just check that off and just say, well, you know, I'm not called to ministry.
I'm not called to do that.
It's a great example that you're setting too for your children to see, hey, this is what's important to mom.
Going out there and preaching the gospel is important to her.
There must be something to this, you know?
And obviously the men, you know, set that same example when we do it for our children as well, okay?
But, you know, we don't want to just use the fact, the busy mother excuse to just check out of the ministry, okay?
Say, well, you don't know, I've got all these kids.
It's just hard for me to go anywhere and do anything with them.
Well, hang on a second.
You know, if you can cart your kids around to the grocery store and field trips and, you know, the bowl, you know, I don't know,
if you're going to the bowling alley, that's on you, whatever.
The roller skating rink, whatever, you know, if you bowl, I'm not against you, that's fine, you know, whatever.
But you get what I'm saying?
It's like you could take them everywhere else.
You can go there for hours walking around stores, doing everything else, right?
So sometimes it's like, well, if you can do that, then why can't you go soul winning every once in a while?
Why can't you go out and preach the gospel and labor in the ministry like everybody else?
Because God will pour out his spirit upon you, you know, and you can do that work.
And quite frankly, you know, women often are some of the best soul winners.
Can I just say that?
And maybe it's not just because, you know, of their demeanor or whatever,
or because they just have an edge on preaching the gospel,
but a lot of times just because by virtue of the fact that they're a woman,
people might be more prone to give them an ear, you know?
You know, some dude comes to the door, it's like, hey, you know, who's this chick at my door?
She showed up at my door, I'm going to listen to whatever she has to say, right?
You know, obviously, you know, that's kind of a joke.
But I think that is kind of a part of it, though.
People drop their guard around women.
They drop their guard around children.
I know for a fact that there are people that would have treated me so much worse if I didn't have my children with me.
Now you know why I bring you. No, I'm just kidding.
Right?
But I don't know, it's been a while since I told the story.
Can I tell a story?
Okay.
All the ladies are, amen.
Tell the story.
Right?
When we first started the church here and we went soul winning back behind the old building back there up on First Avenue.
I think it was First Avenue, I can't remember the address anymore.
You know, 2666.
We went back soul winning and I had Karen with me, remember this story?
Yeah, she just heard me tell it.
And I knocked on this guy's door and the guy was lisping, I mean, the guy was a fag.
Okay?
I'm sorry.
It was obvious.
Right?
And I'm just like, you know, benefit of the doubt.
And I can't remember exactly what I said, but I phrased things a little differently.
I said, well hey, I mentioned the gospel and he just got this look on his face, like his eyes widened.
And it was like there was this demon in him.
Now I'm not saying this is 100% the case, but it literally sent chills up my spine watching this play out in front of me.
Because this guy was, if he wasn't a homo, he was incredibly effeminate.
I mean, look, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
Nine times out of ten.
I mean, if he wasn't one, he was trying to be one.
Okay?
And I said something a little different about like, hey, you know, we're out preaching the gospel.
I said something about the gospel.
And he just had this like reaction and literally he was like, his face got all big, his eyes got big.
And he was speaking, although he had a lisp, he enunciated clearly, he didn't have a stutter, he didn't stammer.
Okay?
And he literally was like, it's almost embarrassing to do it, but he went like that.
I'm not even exaggerating.
He's like, like that.
When I mentioned gospel and it was like, and I watched his eyes.
He looked at me and then he looked at my daughter and then he looked back and he was like,
it was like you could see this internal turmoil going on with him because here's this,
here's this, you know, white male bringing up the gospel to him.
And I could just imagine the demon within just like, let me out, let me get him, you know.
And then, but the human side of him is seeing this sweet little girl.
Karen was even sweeter than she is now because she was so much littler.
You know, Karen doesn't remember.
I don't know.
She's probably trying to crush ants in the driveway or something that she's prone to do, you know.
And, but I could see him just kind of going, eh, eh, eh, eh, no.
You know, and he just kind of like got it out and like, no thanks.
Like, and then like closed the door and went away.
And I just remember being like, okay, like what was that?
You know?
And then I thought like later I was like, well, what if Karen hadn't been there?
Like maybe it would have been like the Seven Sons of Skiba kind of situation where like,
you know, like, ah, and throwing himself on me and I would have ran away naked and wounded.
You know, what a sight that would have been.
You know, but it probably would have been different.
Maybe he would have just let, not a pretty picture, I admit.
Okay.
But maybe he would have just let that, that, that, that, that human side of him would have
just been like, hey, it's all, it's all good.
Let him have it.
Right.
The difference, what made the difference?
Having, you know, the damsel, having the maid, having someone out there laboring in the ministry
that was a girl, a woman, right?
Women can kind of bring down people's guard, make them less defensive.
I understand it's not always the case.
There's some real miserable cusses out there in this world.
They don't care, you know, man, woman, boy, girl, they'll let you have it.
Right.
And those are some miserable people.
Anyway, women have a role to play, you know, and women, honestly, they make great soul winners.
God can use them every bit as anybody else.
And to that end, they will be rewarded as much as anybody else will.
Okay.
Women are not going to, it's not like guys have dibs on eternal rewards.
As I preached this morning, the different ways in which our rewards will be manifested.
It's not like, you know, God's only got so much to go around and once he gets through the men,
you know, then he'll get to the ladies.
Women can have just as much reward by being obedient to the word of God
because, again, every man's work shall be tried so as by fire, right, by the word of God.
So if a woman is lining up with the scripture and doing what she's supposed to be doing more than a man,
she gets more, she's going to end up with more reward.
Okay.
Go over to Proverbs 31, I'll close there.
Proverbs 31.
Again, the Bible tells us in Galatians that we are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Where there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female,
for you're all one in Christ Jesus.
When it comes to heaven and being rewarded for our works, it's a level playing field.
Okay.
And my old pastor used to say this from time to time.
I remember he said that there's going to be some godly mother out there who's, you know,
rewarded more than even the most, you know, successful preacher, right,
because it's not about the role that we play on earth.
Well, I mean, it is, but it's like when we get to heaven, it's not about, you know, well, what were you on earth?
Were you a pastor?
You know, were you a man?
Well, then, you know, you get more reward just by default of being a man.
You know, there's neither male nor female.
We are all one in Christ Jesus.
And we all have, you know, women can be rewarded just as much as anybody else, right.
I believe there will be women that are rewarded for being a wife and mother,
for being obedient to the word of God, because that's what our rewards are based upon, right.
Our awards are based upon whether or not we have done that which was commanded of us, okay.
And that's what's commanded of women.
I believe there will be a reward for that, and we all know motherhood has its own rewards, right.
Anyway, Mother's Day sermon will come later.
But look at Proverbs 31, verse 30, which is, of course, talking about the ideal, the virtuous woman, right.
And it says in verse 30 of Proverbs 31,
Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Okay.
And obviously it talks about in that chapter how her children and her husband will rise up and call her blessed, right.
If a woman fulfills these roles or strives to be that virtuous woman, you know, she's going to be a blessing to her family.
She should be, at the very least, and hopefully is, appreciated by her family, her husband, her children, as she ought to be.
But even if she's not on this earth, not appreciated by those that should appreciate her,
she shall nonetheless be praised by God.
I believe that.
Verse 31, give her the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates.
And obviously, you know, you could apply that saying, well, let's talk more about her reputation, you know, let her own works praise her in the gates.
That's like a place of public concourse.
You know, let her have a good reputation.
Obviously, that applies.
But a woman, I also will believe, I believe, will be praised in heaven, will be rewarded, or not rewarded, every bit as much as anybody else.
And they have every bit as opportunity to go out there and do the work they can.
You say, well, you know what?
Maybe the busy wife and mother is only going to be one that brings forth thirtyfold, right?
Because as we talked about this morning in that parable in Mark 4, you know, maybe she's only going to bring thirtyfold, she's not going to bring a hundredfold.
But nonetheless, the Bible says that's good ground.
You know, and over time, that same lady can potentially, if she's consistent, win over the course of her life many more souls than maybe somebody else, right?
Life has a way of balancing it all out, I've noticed.
Maybe people that are young and when they're single and they're zeal are winning a lot of souls.
Well, you know, as they get older and get married, they're going to slow down a little bit, right?
And that'll get towards the end, I don't know, right?
But here's the thing, the point of the sermon tonight is that women, it's about women in ministry.
Women have a role to play and it's great to see ladies in this church seeking to fulfill that role.
Not just as wife, not just as mom, but also as a soul winner, also as a preacher of the gospel.
Also as somebody who can have God's spirit poured out upon them and can take the glorious gospel of salvation to a lost and dying world and save people.
Just as much as anybody else in this church, it's great to see that, I want to see that continue.
That kind of thing builds ministries, it really does.
You know, what's going to, and again, I don't ever want to give the impression that we go soul winning to build the church, okay?
Because we don't. But that nonetheless is a byproduct of soul winning.
As we go out there and knock doors, you know, it's just inevitable that people are going to learn about our church and want to come here.
And then find out what we're about and quickly leave. No, I'm just kidding.
That's how you're going to reach people, in a sense, right? Maybe find somebody who's already saved, you know?
And the more people we have out there doing that, it's just eventually, you know, it's a matter of time, right?
So, let's not cut our demographic in half and just say, well, ladies, you know, the only thing you're permitted to do is to just, you know, stay at home and raise kids.
That's not what Bible teaches. Primary rule, but nonetheless, they also have other functions to fulfill as well.
And that is one of soul winner.
And let me just say this in closing, is that, you know, we as husbands ought to facilitate that.
You know, let me preach at the Med for a minute, is that, you know, if you have a wife that desires to go to church and to fulfill God's will in her life,
you know, that's an incredibly huge blessing.
You know, there's so many other things that ladies can be wanting to do with their lives these days.
And if you have a wife that wants to go out and preach the gospel, you know, you should try to make that happen.
You should try to help her with that.
You know, that's why, you know, often when my wife says, hey, you know, can I go on Saturday?
I just say, absolutely go.
You know, go meet the group and go and I'll stay home with the kids because it's not as often that she has the ability to do that.
You know, she doesn't have as much opportunity as I do.
So, when opportunity arises, I want to make sure that that's just no questions asked.
You know, absolutely go.
Unless there's something pressing, I get it.
But, you know, we as husbands too, we ought to help with that, you know.
And as a church, we ought to help with that, okay.
And I know I'm kind of droning on going on here, but since I'm on the subject, let's just bring it up, okay.
You know, if you're out there with ladies that are soul winning and we tried to do our best about this yesterday,
is that, you know, stay with them to some degree.
Make sure somebody's keeping an eye out there.
You know, I know several of them are probably packing heat.
But, you know, we don't want it to come to that.
You know, we don't want it to have to come to like a shootout, right.
A standoff in the middle of the street where, you know, some Baptist gal in a skirt is like just, you know, firing away and, you know, turning her gun sideways.
You know, I'm like, bluck, bluck.
You know, it's slinging lead, all right.
We don't want it to come to that.
So, guys, when you're out there, if there's some ladies that are soul winning, be mindful of that, you know.
Because, you know, what if we're kind of dismissive and just go, oh, yeah, you go that way.
They're on the other side of the block or something and something happens.
That's going to be discouraging.
They're going to say, well, I'm not going to go soul winning.
You know, who knows what could happen out there.
Or husbands might be a little less, you know, inclined to let their wives go if they think that their, you know, their wife and children are going to be put in danger or in harm's way.
So, you know, keep that in mind too.
Let's help them.
I mean, that's what Paul was saying, you know, to those people in Romans and elsewhere where we looked.
He's saying, help these ladies.
They labored with me in the gospel.
You know, whatever they need, you know, help them.
You know, help assist them in whatever business they have.
Let's assist them when they're out there doing our father's business.
You know, when they as a child of God are endeavoring to preach the gospel like the rest of us.
Let's go ahead and close the word of prayer.
Dear Lord, again, thank you for this great church.
Thank you for people who love the lost.
Lord, thank you for the ladies in this church who seek to fulfill your will in their lives, Lord, as wives, as mothers, and as examples to others in this church, and as soul winners, Lord.
And thank you for the salvations that were, that occurred yesterday and today through the efforts of this church.
And Lord, thank you for the many more souls that we'll see saved throughout the years.
We ask that you bless us now as we go. In Jesus' name, amen.
Alright, we'll go ahead and sing one more song before we go.
Alright, can you open up your song book to song number 129?
We'll wind our Sunday evening service by singing song number 129, a familiar one, Rock of Ages.
Again, that is song number 129.
Sing it out.
Rock of Ages.
Alright, good singing.