Disciples of Christ, Men and Women

So first, let's turn to Acts chapter 9, verses 32 to 43.

Acts 9:32–43

And let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word.

Heavenly Father, we humble ourselves before your Word again.

And we want to receive your Word as it really is.

Not the words of men, but the Word of God.

Amen.

Grant us the humility and faith that is necessary.

To take you at your Word.

To be challenged, comforted, transformed by it.

For the glory of your name.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Acts chapter 9, verses 32 to 43.

Acts 9:32–43

Now, as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.

And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you.

Rise and make your bed.

And immediately he rose.

And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and they turned to the Lord.

Now, there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which translated means Dorcas.

She was full of good works and acts of charity.

In those days, she became ill and died.

And when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him,

Please come to us without delay.

So Peter rose and went with them.

And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room.

All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.

But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed.

And turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise.

And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

And he gave her his hand and raised her up.

Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.

The main point of this passage is that the Lord Jesus Christ continues to work powerfully through his chosen witnesses

to turn many people toward himself.

The summary verse before this was chapter 9, verse 31.

It said that the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up,

and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

So our passage continues to tell us how the church was being built up and was multiplying.

It was in verse 33, it says that while ministering in Lydda, Peter found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, was paralyzed.

So he's been a paralytic for eight years, and he's a man and not a child.

So that means he wasn't paralyzed his entire life.

So something happened to him during his life, something tragic, perhaps a freak accident or a stroke.

And whatever the cause, Aeneas was bedridden now for eight long years.

And Peter says to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you.

Rise and make your bed.

And the paralytic in faith obeys this command immediately rising from his bed,

which he had not been able to get up off of for eight years.

And then Luke tells us another, even more remarkable story in verses 36 to 42.

Recently, a woman named Tabitha had passed away.

Her Greek name was Dorcas, which means gazelle.

She had died in Joppa.

She was a Christian, which is why she's called a disciple.

And since Lydda, where Peter was staying, was near Joppa,

they rushed some messengers to Peter to have him come to pay a visit.

And they urged him to come without delay, hoping, presumably, that Peter will be able to do something for Dorcas.

Peter arrives on the scene, kneels and prays to God and seeks his healing power.

And then he commands the dead body, Tabitha, arise.

And because Peter speaks with the authorization of the risen Lord,

even the corpse has no choice but to obey.

And Tabitha opens her eyes and sits up.

What's notable about these two instances of healing and resurrection is that they parallel the healing miracles of Jesus' ministry.

Peter's healing of Aeneas of his paralysis parallels Jesus' healing of the paralytic in Luke chapter 5, verses 17 to 26.

Luke 5:17–26

And Peter's raising of Tabitha parallels Jesus' raising of Jairus' daughter in Luke 8, 49 to 56.

Peter commanded Aeneas in verse 34,

Rise and make your bed, similar to how Jesus commanded the paralytic in Luke chapter 5, verse 24.

Luke 5:24

Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.

Peter asked everyone to leave the upper room that Tabitha was lying in,

as Jesus did in Luke 8, 51.

When he allowed no one to enter with him to raise the daughter of Jairus from the dead.

And Peter commands, Tabitha, arise.

Just as Jesus said in Luke 8, 54.

Child, arise.

And Peter takes her by the hand,

just as Jesus, in Luke 8, 41, gives her his hand and raises her up.

So the point that Luke is trying to make with these parallels is that it is Jesus who, by his Holy Spirit,

continues to do signs and wonders through his apostles.

Note the way Peter speaks to Aeneas in verse 34.

Aeneas,

Jesus Christ heals you.

Rise and make your bed.

Peter is fully aware that he has no power within himself to heal a paralytic or to raise the dead.

It's Jesus Christ himself who is doing these very things.

Look also at the outcome of these miracles.

After Aeneas is healing,

the result is not Peter becoming more famous

and gaining more fans and followers,

but repentance and faith.

It says in verse 35,

And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him,

and they turned toward whom?

Not to Peter, but to the Lord.

They turned to the Lord,

meaning they repented of their sinful ways

and reoriented their lives around the way of Jesus,

trusting in him and following his teachings.

The miraculous signs do not bring attention to themselves,

but point to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

And the witnesses of Jesus, including Peter,

do not turn people's attention toward themselves,

but toward Jesus.

We see the same pattern after Tabitha is raised from the dead in verse 42.

He says,

And it became known throughout all Joppa,

and many believed in the Lord.

The effect of these signs and wonders

is to turn people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Have you turned toward Jesus?

That means to reorient your life,

your entire life,

around him.

That means to repent of your sins.

Consider for a moment

the direction of your life.

Is it on the way of Christ?

Or are you doing your own thing?

Going about your own way?

No one is saved by proximity.

Having some Christian friends will not save you.

Having attended church worship on occasion will not save you.

Getting involved with Christian charitable organizations will not save you.

Have you personally turned toward Jesus in your own life?

Have you trusted in Jesus?

Have you believed in Jesus?

That means to entrust your entire life to him.

To put your faith in him

and nothing else for your salvation.

Paralyzed, Aeneas, on the one hand,

and dead, Tabitha on the other,

are both highly apt pictures

of our spiritual condition apart from Jesus.

Aeneas could never get off his bed

on his own.

Never.

Tabitha could not lift a finger

to do anything for herself.

Likewise, we can do absolutely nothing

to save ourselves,

and that's the consistent testimony of Scriptures

Ephesians 2, verse 4 says,

Ephesians 2:4

But God, being rich in mercy,

because of the great love with which he loved us,

even when we were dead in our trespasses,

made us alive together with Jesus.

By grace you have been saved.

God does not let us bring any of our own merit

of righteousness to him

because he has determined to save us

by his grace alone

for his glory alone.

None of us has sufficient merit

or spiritual, moral standing

to earn our salvation.

No one.

No one in this room.

No one in this entire world.

In fact, we all have a mountain of demerit.

We have a debt we could never hope to repay

because of our sins.

But Jesus died for us on the cross

and in our place

to pay our debt,

and he was raised from the dead

so that we might live forever.

So that we might have salvation.

That's the good news of Jesus Christ

that this healing and raising

of Tabitha and Ineos is a picture of.

Now let me turn to my second topical sermon

that I told you guys about

on women in ministry.

We are a complementarian church

which believes that men and women

have complementary,

interdependent roles

as opposed to interchangeable roles,

both in the home and in the church.

More explicitly,

we believe that in marriage,

God calls husbands to headship

and wives to helpership

in accordance with Genesis 2, 18-25

and Ephesians 5, 22-33.

Similarly, we believe that in the church,

God calls only men to teach

and exercise authority over the church

in accordance with 1 Timothy 2, 8-15,

which means at minimum

that only men may be elders and pastors,

while women are called

to utilize their various gifts

in other contexts of the church body.

And it's that latter question

that I want to address today.

What can women do in the church?

What does women in ministry look like?

This question was raised

by several members of our church

at our members' meeting in 2020

and so when we were first

scheduling out our series

in the book of Acts,

we had planned to address this

as a topical sermon

at this point of the book.

And we see the ministry

of many men throughout the book of Acts,

but the essential

and indispensable ministry of women

often is missed.

And so we're going to survey

the book of Acts

to look at women in the early church

and their involvement in ministry

and bring in other scripture passages

as well to illuminate this subject.

And though the sermon

is primarily addressed

toward our sisters,

men will find plenty to glean

from God's word

because much of this

applies to you as well.

So let's begin with the passage

that we already looked at today,

Acts 9, 36-43.

First, it says in verse 36,

Now there was in Joppa

a disciple named Tabitha,

which translated means Dorcas.

Before we talk about

the ministries of women,

we need to first address

their identity

as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Women in the church

are disciples of Jesus Christ,

meaning they are discipled

by Jesus Christ

and commissioned to make

disciples of Jesus Christ.

They are taught by Jesus

to follow Him in His way.

At the time of the early church,

Jewish rabbis

did not accept

women disciples.

For example,

Rabbi Eliezer

from the first century

expressed the popular

cultural sentiment

of the day

when he said this,

Rather,

should the words

of the Torah

or the law of God

be burned

than entrusted

to a woman?

Whoever teaches

his daughter the Torah

is like one

who teaches

her lasciviousness.

But in stark contrast,

Jesus

calls every woman

to be

His disciple.

In Luke 8,

1-3,

we see that outside

of the twelve apostles,

Jesus had a larger group

of disciples

that followed Him around,

a group that included

women like Mary Magdalene,

Joanna,

and Susanna,

among others.

And Jesus'

discipling of women

is beautifully illustrated

in Luke 10,

Luke 10:39

verse 39,

where when Jesus

enters the home

of Martha,

it says she had

a sister named Mary

who sat at the Lord's feet

and listened to His teaching.

To sit at the Lord's feet

is the technical way

of describing

the posture

and relationship

of a disciple

to his or her teacher.

Sitting at the feet

of a Jewish rabbi

was an exclusive

prerogative reserved

for His disciples.

And that's where

we find Mary.

Acts 22,

Acts 22:3

verse 3,

says that Paul

was educated

at the feet

of Gamaliel.

Gamaliel would not

have let Mary

sit at his feet

as one of his disciples,

but Jesus does.

He calls every single

one of you,

man and woman,

to be His disciple,

and He commissions you

then to make disciples

of Jesus Christ.

Mary's sister Martha

who was slaving away

in the kitchen

and was frustrated

and angry

with her sister Mary

for sitting at Jesus' feet,

listening to Him

and not helping her

in the kitchen.

So she storms

into the living room

and then confronts Jesus

and says,

Lord, do you not care

that my sister

has left me

to serve alone?

Tell her then

to help me.

But Jesus is unyielding.

He says,

Martha, Martha,

you are anxious

and troubled

about many things,

but one thing

is necessary.

Mary has chosen

the good portion

which will not be

taken away from her.

Mary had chosen

to be with Jesus.

She had chosen

to listen to Jesus

at His feet.

She had chosen

to be His disciple.

In effect,

Jesus is saying,

Martha,

I didn't come

into your house

so I could eat

the delicious meal

that you work hard

to prepare.

I came to your house

that you might be with me.

That you might listen

to me.

The word portion

is a metaphor

for portions of food.

Mary chose to sit

at the Lord's feet

to listen to His teaching,

literally to listen

to His word.

Martha was busy

doling out food,

but Mary had chosen

the better portion

of God's word.

She had chosen

the better dish,

the bread of God

rather than

the bread of man.

Many things

are expected

of women these days.

Many things demand

your time,

energy,

and attention.

But the late

Anne Ortlund,

wife of Pastor

Ray Ortlund Sr.,

counsels women

this way in her book,

Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman.

Quote,

Don't think of yourself

first as a wife

or a single person

or a mother

or a worker

in some field.

You will someday

stand before God

all by yourself.

of course,

God wants you

to be a faithful wife

and a mother

and a worker

and a student,

but never

to the neglect

of being

a disciple

of Jesus Christ.

Are you regularly

sitting at His feet?

Are you listening

to His Word?

Or are you too busy

to listen to anything

He is saying to you?

Rise up,

women of God

who cherish

the Word of God

and prioritize

the worship of God.

So first,

God calls women

to be disciples

of Jesus Christ.

Second,

God calls women

to be ministers

of mercy.

Verse 36 tells us

that Tabitha

was full of good works

and acts of charity.

Verse 39

gives us an example

of the good works

that Tabitha did.

It says,

All the widows

stood beside him

weeping and showing

tunics and other garments

that Dorcas made

while she was with them.

Of course,

every Christian man

or woman

are called to abound

in good works,

but good works

are also specifically

commanded

for Christian women

as their proper

spiritual adornment

in 1 Timothy 2

1 Timothy 2:9–10

verses 9-10.

It says,

Women should adorn

themselves

in respectable apparel

with modesty

and self-control,

not with braided hair

and gold

or pearls

or costly attire,

but with what is proper

for women

who profess godliness

with good works.

Same phrase.

The proper attire

for Christian women

is not expensive articles

and elaborate adornments

that bring attention

to themselves,

but rather good works

that serve others.

Christian women

should beautify themselves

not with things

that bring attention

to themselves,

but by paying attention

to and serving others.

in the same letter

in 1 Timothy 5,

Paul outlines

qualifications

for widows

who should be enrolled

to receive financial support

from the local church.

He says that,

among other things,

these widows

should have,

quote,

a reputation

for good works.

And he further specifies

these good works

by saying,

if she has brought up

children,

has shown hospitality,

has washed the feet

of the saints,

has cared for the afflicted,

and has devoted herself

to every good work.

The focus of good works

here seems,

in this passage,

seems to be

mercy ministries.

Rearing dependent children,

showing hospitality

to travelers,

washing the feet

of the saints,

caring for the afflicted.

Similarly,

the Greek word

that is translated

charity

comes from the word

that means mercy.

and most often

refers to giving

to the poor.

It's the same word

that was used

in Acts chapter 3,

Acts 3:2–3

verses 2 to 3,

to describe the lame man

asking for alms

from passerbys.

So once again,

in modern terms,

we might say

that Tabitha

excelled

in mercy ministries.

Her husband

is not mentioned.

We might,

she was surrounded

by widows,

so we could infer

that she was likely

a widow herself.

But she was not

disillusioned

or aimless

in the waning years

of her life.

She was full

of good works.

She had made tunics

and other garments

to clothe

the poor widows

around her.

She probably also

cooked for them

and nursed them

in their sickness.

Tabitha was a pillar

of the early church

in Lydda,

in Joppa.

And her ministry

was invaluable

and indispensable.

It's much like

the diacoma ministry

that we'll be

talking about,

we've talked about

in the past.

These widows

had been so well loved

by Tabitha

that they couldn't

let her go.

They got Peter

and God graciously

raised her from the dead

as a gift

to this church.

There are Tabithas

in our church.

There will be more

Tabithas in our church

in the years to come.

So rise up

to serve,

to do ministries

of mercy,

to wash the feet

of the saints.

Third,

women along with men

are called

to be prayer warriors.

Now turn with me

to the beginning

of the book of Acts,

Acts 1:14

chapter 1,

verse 14.

It says there,

all these with one accord

were devoting themselves

to prayer

and together

with the woman

and Mary,

the mother of Jesus

and his brothers.

In Acts,

we see Christian women

who are devoted

to prayer,

spending much

of their lives

praying.

19th century

Pastor Oswald Chambers

says this,

quote,

prayer does not fit us

for the greater work.

Prayer is

the greater work.

When we pray to God,

we are having

conference

with the King of Kings,

the Lord of Lords

himself.

what greater work

is there than that?

His authority

and power

infinitely exceed ours.

Does it not make sense

for us

to ask him

to intervene

and act

instead of taking things

into our own hands

and trying to do

everything ourselves?

I share this

with one of the

women's ministry sessions,

but there was

a great Christian revival

in the Scottish

Islands

called

the Hebrides

in the middle

of the 20th century

and it began

with two sisters,

Peggy

and Christine Smith,

82

and 84

years old

respectively.

Peggy

was completely

blind,

Christine

was bent over

with arthritis,

but they

were burdened

due to the

depressed

spiritual state

of their

village church.

They sensed

the Lord

speaking to them

about revival

from Isaiah 44

Isaiah 44:3

verse 3

and so they

began to pray

in their small

cottage

two to three

nights per week

from 10pm

to 3am.

After several

weeks of praying

in this way,

Peggy had a vision

of her church

being crowded

with young people

who at that point

didn't want anything

to do with the church.

And she also

had a vision

of an unknown

preacher

ministering

from the pulpit.

Peggy

then sent

for their

minister,

Reverend James

Murray McKay

and she told

him that they

sensed the Lord

was going to

send revival

and that we

must get

the churches

around in the

area to spend

some dedicated

time in prayer.

Pastor McKay

respected

this sister's

spiritual judgment

and he made

the call

to pray.

And then

later Peggy

Smith also

told her

pastor

James McKay

that he

was supposed

to invite

someone to

preach during

the revival.

But she

didn't know

who he was.

She only

saw her

face in

the vision.

And so

McKay made

some contacts

and found

Duncan Campbell

and asked

him to come.

Campbell

was at that

time already

involved in an

evangelistic campaign

on the island

of Skye

and conversions

were taking

place there.

and so

when he

received

this letter

to come

to the

village

of Barbas

he said

he couldn't

come.

And McKay

Pastor McKay

relayed this

to Sister

Peggy

and she

responded

Mr. McKay

that is what

man is saying

but God

has said

something else

and he

will be here

within a

fortnight.

And due

to a change

of events

lo and behold

Duncan Campbell

came

within 10

days

within a

fortnight.

and as

he preached

the gospel

and the

people

continued

to pray

for revival

the spirit

of God

descended

in power

upon the

Scottish

islands.

People

became aware

of the

palpable

presence

of God.

They were

captured

by the

reality

of eternal

things.

People

were lining

up to attend

church services.

They were

standing room

only and

many many

people

were being

converted

for the

first time.

It all

began

with blind

and arthritic

80 year old

woman

who had

no physical

vigor

who had

no societal

position

who had

no intellectual

clout

but who

had

spiritual

power

because

they had

direct access

to the

king of

kings

by prayer.

So

rise up

women of

God

prayer

warriors

whose

voices

may

not be

heard

in the

quarters of

power

in this

world

but whose

voices

are heard

and well

known

in the

heavenly

courts.

That

is the

more

powerful

voice.

That

is the

most

important

place

to be

heard.

I think

I have

a picture

of her

up there.

Peggy

and

Christine

Smith.

If you

guys

have

that.

Fourth,

women in

the church

may also

be called

to be

prophetesses

of God.

Prophets

of God.

Please

turn with me

to chapter

2 verses

14 to

18.

Sorry for

making you

searcher all

over scripture.

This is good

practice for

you.

We are

in the

same

book.

You

don't

have

to

look

far.

Acts

Acts 2:14–18

chapter

2 verses

14 to

18.

There

quoting

Joel 2,

Peter

explains the

significance

of the

outpouring

of the

Holy

Spirit

at

Pentecost

in

verses

17

to

18.

He

says,

And in

the last

days it

shall

be,

God

declares,

that I

will pour

out my

spirit on

all flesh,

and your

sons and

your daughters

shall

prophesy,

and your

young men

shall see

visions,

and your

old men

shall

dream dreams,

and on

my male

servants and

female

servants in

those days I

will pour

out my

spirit,

and they

shall

prophesy.

In the

Old Testament

period,

the Spirit

of God

came upon

a select

group of

people,

temporarily

to help

them fulfill

specific

charges that

God had

given them.

But in

the New

Covenant

Age,

the Spirit

of God

and the

power

comes upon

all those

who repent

and are

baptized in

the name

of Jesus

Christ.

Whether

they be

young or

old,

slave or

free,

male or

female.

This great

privilege that

in the Old

Testament was

reserved for

kings,

prophets,

priests,

judges,

is now

yours in

Jesus Christ.

And in

1 Corinthians

11,

Paul gives

specific

instructions for

how women

should prophesy

in the context

of the church

worship.

So clearly

he thinks that

there are

prophetesses

in the church

who ought to

share the

revelation that

God gives

them just

as we

have earlier

Jan and

Lauren share

the prophecies

that they

received from

God.

Acts chapter

Acts 21:9

21 verse

9 tells us

that Philip

the evangelist,

my role model

and aspiration

in raising

daughters,

had four

unmarried

daughters who

prophesied.

God's

father.

Where are

the women

who will

rise up

full of

the Holy

Spirit,

attentive

and familiar

with the

voice of

the Lord?

Fifth,

women in the

church may

serve as

patrons of

the gospel.

after Peter

is rescued

by God

from

imprisonment

in Acts

Acts 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12

it says

in verse 12

that he

went to

the house

of Mary

the mother

of John

whose other

name was

Mark

where many

were gathered

together

and were

praying.

Here Mary

was the

host

and patron

of the

local

gathering

of the

church.

We see

a similar

ministry

of women

in Acts

Acts 16:11–15

chapter 16

verses 11

to 15.

Please turn

there with

me.

This is

when Paul

is preaching

the gospel

in the

city of

Philippi

in Acts

Acts 16:11–15

16

verses 11

to 15.

It says

there

verses 14

and 15

one who

heard us

was a

woman named

Lydia

from the

city of

Thyatira

a seller

of purple

goods

who was a

worshiper

of God.

The Lord

opened her

heart to

pay attention

to what

was said

by Paul

and after

she was

baptized

and her

household

as well

she urged

us saying

if you

have judged

me to be

faithful to

the Lord

come to

my house

and stay

and she

prevailed

upon us.

Lydia was

likely widowed

or divorced

since her

husband is

not mentioned

and she

seems to

be making

business

decisions

independently

of her

husband

and as

seller of

purple goods

she was

well-to-do

and she

used her

house

and her

wealth

to serve

the church

and from

that point

on the

church in

Philippi

met in

Lydia's

house

house

and her

home

became

the

base

for

Paul's

subsequent

missionary

work.

We saw

a woman

playing

similar

helping

and

supporting

roles

in

Jesus'

ministry

as well

Luke 8

1-3

it says

that some

woman who

had been

healed of

evil spirits

and infirmities

Mary called

Magdalene from

whom seven

demons had

gone out

and Joanna

the wife

of Chusa

Herod's

household

manager

and Susanna

and many

others

traveled with

Jesus

and the

twelve

apostles

and

provided

for them

out of

their

means

end

quote

this

appears

to have

been a

common

practice

back in

the day

Paul says

in 1

1 Corinthians 9:3–6

Corinthians

9

verses

3-6

this is

my

defense

to those

who would

examine

me

do we

not have

the right

to eat

and drink

do we

not have

the right

to take

along

a believing

wife

as do

the other

apostles

and the

brothers

of the

Lord

and Cephas

or is

it only

Barnabas

and I

who have

no right

to refrain

from

working

for a

living

in the

context

of that

passage

Paul is

speaking

of the

apostles

right

a

traveling

missionary

right

to have

his

needs

furnished

by the

saints

so that

he could

refrain

from

working

for a

living

if you

keep that

context

in mind

it doesn't

actually make

sense

that all

of a

sudden

he inserts

the

apostles

right

to marry

and take

along

a

believing

wife

the phrase

believing

wife

is

I believe

a

mistranslation

the

Greek

phrase

is literally

sister

woman

and it

refers

to

women

who are

Christian

sisters

just as

the phrase

brother

man

a

parallel

phrase

a

mirroring

phrase

which is

used

14 times

throughout

the book

of Acts

invariably

refers to

men

who are

Christian

brothers

and not

to

believing

husbands

the

Wycliffe

Bible

translation

gets

this

right

and

fourth

century

pastor

Augustine

also

understood

that

verse

this

way

so

then

Paul

is

talking

about

an

apostle's

right

to be

accompanied

by

well-to-do

women

who provide

for them

out of

their

means

just as

Jesus

had

earlier

in his

ministry

earlier

in their

ministry

it seems

that in

the early

church

women of

means

who did

not

have

family

obligations

at home

often

travel

alongside

missionaries

to help

them

to provide

for them

to support

them

to finance

their trips

to take

care of

their lodging

and food

and likely

also to help

them with

visiting and

ministering

to women

these women

served in

the background

so didn't

get the

attention

and recognition

that the

apostles

received

but didn't

Jesus say

in Matthew

20

whoever

would be

great

among you

must be

your servant

and whoever

would be

first among

you must

be your

slave

even as

the son

of man

came not

to be

served

but to

serve

and to

give his

life as

a ransom

for many

didn't

Jesus say

in Matthew

6 that

those who

receive

recognition

from man

for their

good works

have already

received

their reward

but that

those who

go unrewarded

on earth

will be

rewarded

richly by

their heavenly

father in

heaven who

sees what

is done

in secret

so rise up

women of

God

women who

support and

do many

good deeds

for the sake

of the gospel

in the background

content that

their heavenly

father who

sees what

is done

in secret

will reward

them

rise up

women of

God

who store

up treasures

not on

earth

but in

heaven

as pastor

jonathan

lehman puts

it

european art

galleries are

filled with

paintings of

the great

men of

christendom

but heaven's

art galleries

could look a

little different

sixth

God

calls

women to

be mothers

of the

church

please turn

with me now

to acts

Acts 16:1–3

chapter 16

verses 1

to 3

it says

paul came

also to

derby and

to lystra

a disciple

was there

named

timothy

the son

of a

jewish

woman

who was

a believer

but his

father was

a greek

he was

well spoken

of by the

brothers at

lystra

and iconium

and paul

wanted timothy

to accompany

him and he

took him and

circumcised him

because of the

jews who were

in those

places where

they all knew

that his

father was

a greek

timothy

was paul's

son in the

faith he

accompanied paul

on many of

his missionary

journeys and

became an

indispensable and

trusted minister

of the gospel

paul heaps

high praises

on timothy

in philippians

2 19

to 20

saying i

hope in

the lord

jesus to

send timothy

to you

soon so

that i

too may

be

cheered

by news

of you

for i

have

no one

like him

who will

be genuinely

concerned for

your welfare

that's high

praise from

the apostle

paul

and who

raised a

faithful christian

man like

timothy

one of the

pillars of the

early church

we know that

his father

didn't bring

him up that

way

because his

father was a

greek

he was a

gentile

an unbeliever

it was his

mother

a jewish

woman who

was a

believer

in his

letter to

timothy

paul says

in 2

2 Timothy 1:5

timothy

chapter 1

verse 5

i am

reminded of

your sincere

faith

a faith

that dwelt

first in

your grandmother

lois

and your

mother

eunice

and now

i am sure

dwells in

you as

well

there's a

legacy of

faith that

has been

passed on

to timothy

through the

woman

in his

family

mothering is

a form of

discipling

a most

intensive

and immersive

form of

it

in 1

timothy

2

11

15

paul writes

that a

woman will

be saved

through

childbearing

if they

continue in

faith and

love and

holiness with

self-control

meaning if

she gives

evidence of

her faith in

the lord

jesus christ

by her

obedience to

her god-given

creational

mandate

she will be

saved

bible scholar

stephen

dempster

argues that

one of the

major themes

of the old

testament is

quote woman

against the

beast

he says

eve versus

the serpent

sarah and

rebecca versus

barrenness

tamar versus

judah

jockabed and

miriam versus

the pharaoh

deborah and

jael versus

sisera

ruth and

naomi versus

death

hannah versus

barrenness

jehoshabba versus

ataliah

and in all these

examples of

struggle these

women of faith

are engaged in a

battle to save

the people of

god

the victory

of esther

over

haman

dramatically

continues that

theme

throughout the

old testament

the seed of

abraham the

line of

david from

which the

promised

messiah would

come is

beset with

threats on

every side

and is

always seemingly

one tenuous

generation away

from extinction

and that

struggle continues

into the new

testament after

jesus is born

as mary battles

herod who

massacres the

innocent male

babies in his

futile attempt to

wipe out jesus from

the planet

but the promise of

god prevails and

jesus the promised

one of genesis

3 15 the seed of

the woman who

will crush the

satan's head the

serpent's head

comes survives

redeems god's

people by dying

for them on the

cross and being

raised from the

dead

mothering is one

of the most

selfless things

that any human

being can do