Great stuff folks. With God's word open in front of us, remember a number of years ago hearing someone refer to themselves as an Ikea kind of Christian.
Now if you want to get what they're talking about, have a think about the last time that you found yourself building a little bit of flat pack furniture.
So one of your experiences was anything like mine, which happened about three or four weeks ago. I'm trying to build a bed for a spare room.
And if you've had an experience of anything like mine, here was the inner battle I faced every time I turned over a new page of instructions.
In my mind I'm thinking to myself, reading the instructions, thinking to myself, do I really need another daul?
You know what a daul is? You've got to learn the lingo with these Ikea flat packs, haven't you?
Do I really need another daul? Does it really matter that the kind of size of screw that I need to put in that joint?
There's got to be some kind of mistake here because the instructions don't quite seem right to me.
Does it really matter that I've got that head poured back to front and upside down?
Does that really matter for how this thing's going to turn out?
Somebody hand me the phone because I'm calling customer services because these instructions don't quite seem right.
Ever had that experience?
You see, what my friend meant, this person meant, when they called themselves an Ikea kind of Christian,
was that they had seen the goodness in following the Creator's design.
And as we take in this passage in 1 Timothy today, that is Paul's plea to this church in Ephesus,
particularly as he thinks about men and women.
How God has made them purposefully different,
and how they are to wonderfully work together in the church.
This is what this is talking about, in the church, not in the world, in the church.
Now here's two things I think we need to be aware of as we come at a passage like this.
Firstly, we need to be aware of the cultural waters in which we all swim,
and how they have influenced how we automatically think about so much of this stuff.
It's a bit like, if you were to ask a goldfish in a bowl,
and you say, do you like the water in which you're swimming?
And a goldfish would turn around to you if it was able to speak,
and it would say, what's water?
Because sometimes we get so used to, don't we, just the environment in which we live,
that we don't even notice that we are growing up in a certain culture that thinks a certain way.
So we need to be aware of the cultural waters in which we're swimming,
and we need to be aware of the church waters in which we're swimming.
And we should expect the timeless word of the eternal God
to challenge our ever-changing culture in the way it thinks.
We need to be aware of the church waters in which we swim,
because some of us here today, we will have never thought about this stuff,
let alone heard it read.
I think that's fair to say.
Some of us will never have thought about this stuff.
And on the other end of the spectrum,
I'd imagine some of us have grown up in church circles here,
where I don't think I'm exaggerating too much to say this is probably all we talked about growing up.
And so I think what that calls for is you bring our cultural waters in which we're swimming
and the church waters in which we're swimming,
if you bring them together,
friends, what this means is that we come to this passage today with great humility.
And we choose to put ourselves under God's word, not over it.
In other words, we don't tell God's word what it should say.
We listen and we respond appropriately.
And we come at this with a great love for one another.
If nothing else, this passage today, I hope,
by God's spirit, inflames our love for one another
and our desire to see one another flourish.
And so here's my aim today.
I've got one aim.
It's to help us see the beauty
in being IKEA kind of Christians.
Because this little section, remember,
is tied so closely to
verses 1 to 7 of chapter 2,
which was all about
the church sharing God's heart
that the peoples of the world
would come to know Jesus.
It's so closely tied to it.
And I think how the peoples of the world
are going to see us in action
is a big factor in our witness to the world.
So the world should be able to look in and see
a counter-cultural, Christ-like community
of men and women together seeking to glorify God
and enjoy him forever.
So this stuff on men and women
is part of that bigger mission
that we saw in the opening verses of chapter 2.
Now, to get into this today,
come with me and look at chapter 4,
verses 3 to 5.
Opening chapter of this letter,
we thought about the false teaching
that was doing the rounds in Ephesus.
And we kind of get little clues
throughout the letter
as to what the subject
of that false teaching was.
And we get another little snippet here.
Some of the false teaching
that's doing the rounds in this church
is that marriage is a thing to be avoided.
You see it?
Chapter 4, verses 3 to 5.
Some people are saying marriage
is a thing to be avoided.
And you can imagine the spill-on effects
of that kind of teaching.
So I'd imagine it's going something like this.
People are saying truly spiritual people
are the ones who have set themselves free
from the old shackles of God's dusty old design
for men and women.
And why would you subject yourself
to limits on your life?
What you can do, what you can be.
Think about how you can flourish
if you go it on your own.
And imagine that kind of teaching
is going down a storm in Ephesus.
And you can be quick to join the dots
and see that it's a teaching
that would go down a storm in Edinburgh today.
Paul counters this, verse 4, chapter 4.
He says, everything God created is good.
Do you see that?
Everything that God created is good.
And so to this church
who are maybe beginning to believe
the false teaching, he says,
get back to being Ikea kind of Christians
and love it.
And so what he does
is he firstly turns to address
the men in the church.
And here's what he says, verse 8.
Effectively he says,
stop squabbling
and start praying.
It's interesting.
See, when you read Acts 19,
and you can go home
in your own time and do that,
when the gospel first hit Ephesus,
the message of Jesus
first hits this city,
the men that you meet
in the marketplace there
who caused this rabble,
what are they doing?
The two things that they're doing
in Ephesus,
they're raising their voices
and they're being angry.
Right?
That's the two characteristics
of the men that you meet
in Acts 19,
what they're doing.
It might be part and parcel
of what it means
to be a man in Ephesus
in this day.
I don't know.
But could it be
that some of those attitudes
of being angry
and raising your voice
have made their way
into the church?
And that's why Paul says
to the men,
he says,
don't be about disputing
or anger.
Do you see how he specifically
goes for those things?
Don't be known for being angry.
Don't be known
for your arguments.
I don't know what's going on
in the background here.
It's almost impossible to tell
if it's not for the little clues
that you put together.
Could it be that the men
in this church
are being envious
of one another?
Could it be that they are
gossiping about one another
behind each other's backs?
Could it be that
they love nothing more
than an intellectual argument
and winning it?
Could it be that
they're competing
with one another in prayer?
Who can pray better?
Who's got more impressive prayers?
Whatever it is,
Paul says,
guys, you've got to stop it.
What are you doing?
You've got to stop it.
The anger that's in your heart,
the competition
against your brothers
if you're somebody to beat,
you've got to stop it.
You've got to put aside
your petty scrobbles
and you've got to get praying.
I love that simplicity
of that command
to get praying.
Right?
Get praying for the peoples
of the world.
Again,
did you see it so tightly linked
to what's come before?
Get praying for the peoples
of the world.
Get praying with
and get praying for
your families.
Get praying for your sisters
in the church.
Now here's what I want us
to see.
According to Paul,
you see how a godly man
is not somebody
who can lift big at the gym.
Do you see how
a godly man
is not somebody
who's got the drive
and the aspiration
to climb the corporate ladder.
He's not somebody
who's handy
with a black and decker drill.
He's not somebody
who runs the roost at home.
He's not somebody,
dare I even say,
who's even married.
That is not what defines
a godly man.
Oh friends,
would we see
that a godly man
is one who will
get on his knees
and pray.
Do you see that?
And do you feel
the challenge
if you're a guy here?
Are we known
in this church,
the men,
for those who will
get down on our knees
and pray?
And are we known
for increasingly
cultivating
by God's grace
a humble
and a teachable spirit
that loves
to declare
its dependence
on God?
And let me just say
that if you think
about the bigger
Bible story,
Genesis 1 and Genesis 2
which we'll come back to.
Friends,
that's what Adam
was created to do.
Not to live
independently
from God
but to live
in relationship
with God
as he carried out
the mission
which God
had gave him.
And that's what
was ruined
at the fall.
We thought about it
a few weeks ago,
our natural inclination
towards independence,
no political connotations
given, okay?
But it's our natural
inclination,
isn't it,
to do it our own way,
to be a self-made man
to which we always say,
what part of you
did you make?
It's why
if we want to know
what it is to be a man,
we look to Jesus.
Don't look to the world.
We don't look to CR7,
right?
We look to Jesus
because Jesus
is the one
who perfectly
modeled this
and he is the one
who redeems us
from the curse
of the fall.
And what it means
to be sanctified
is to grow more
into his likeness.
and letting those
attitudes spill over
into how we relate
to and view others.
Do you know what I thought
was the most beautiful thing
and this is going to stay
with me for the rest
of my days.
I'll use this as a sermon
illustration every time
I don't preach here,
right?
I'm not going to look at him,
I don't embarrass him.
Stuart was up here last week
and do you know what I loved?
He talked about the passage
in God's word
which made an impression
on him.
Do you remember where he went?
John chapter 4.
How Jesus treated
a woman
who was an outcast
in that society
and how he treated her
with dignity,
how he knew her
inside out,
how he gave her respect,
how he loved her
and I love how he said
that was Jesus in action
that drew me to him.
For as I take it,
guys,
if we are being made
more into his image
then we should see
more of him
in our lives
as God's spirit
transforms us.
You know,
this is going to affect
how we view
particularly our sisters
in the church.
Now,
this is what I saw
on Sky News
the other day.
I don't know if any of you
saw this.
I think it was on Twitter.
I can't remember
but the question was
and I think it was
in the context of
violence against women
in our society.
The question
was something like
is porn
part of the problem
to view
how men view women?
Is porn
part of the problem?
I remember hearing it
and thinking
I cannot believe
that's even been asked
as a question.
men,
may it be
something that the world
would see something
different
when they come in here
and they see
how we treat
our sisters in Christ.
How we just
treat women
like Jesus treated them.
May the world
look in and see
how we are for them,
how we listen to them,
how we value them,
how we protect them,
how we give ourselves
in the church
for their flourishing
particularly in the context
of their walk
with Jesus.
Agreed?
Agreed.
The challenge here
is men,
are we
praying?
You feel the challenge?
Are we
praying?
Are we absorbed
in silly competition
against one another?
Is there anger
that's lingering
in our hearts?
Are we being led
and fed
by our pride?
Stop squabbling
and start praying
says Paul.
Oh man,
how counter-cultural.
I want a witness
to the world
this community
will be
if the men
start behaving
like this
considering what
the men
in Ephesus
were like.
And to the woman
in the church
he says,
in the context
he says,
stop distracting
and start serving.
You read the round
on this?
Women in the first century
were famous
for their elaborate
hairstyles
and their expensive
clothes.
It almost become
a kind of status symbol
as you walk
around town
everybody looks at you
and they know
who you are
and they know
what you're worth.
Again,
is Paul putting
his finger
on a cultural
norm,
a cultural attitude
that has tiptoed
its way into the church
in the way
that the women
here are behaving?
In terms
of how they're
conducting themselves.
Now whatever
they're doing
in the background
here,
do you see
it's disrupting
things.
Maybe for the men
I imagine
as well as the women
it's distracting
from the main thing
how they're behaving
and I think as well
it's causing
divisions in the church
how they're conducting
themselves.
I know what he's
talking about
and be clear
what he's not
talking about.
He's not talking
about promoting
ankle length skirts
or anything like that.
That's not what he's
saying.
He's saying to the woman
think about
others.
What is it
that you're
prioritising
in your life?
Dear sisters
here today
what are the
things that
you might be
doing
in here
out of here
that are
a cause
for distraction
and division?
I tried to do
a little bit
of research
on this
asking
different
women
in the church
I don't
know
if this
is going
to hit
I'm not
a woman
you'll see
okay
what is it
you love
to talk about?
What is it
you talk about
when you
hang out?
What is it
you talk about
when you go
for coffees?
Is it
houses?
Is it
wallpaper?
The different
things that you're
planning on doing
to your house?
Is it
who's got
the better
buggy?
Is it
jobs?
Is it
schools?
Is it
friendship groups
that you're
in or
not
in?
For whatever
it is
think about
it.
That's what
Paul was
saying
think about
it.
Wouldn't it
be a great
thing to
do
to have
in your
mind
the next
time you
meet
one of
your
friends
whatever
it is
in the
church
that
encouraging
one
another
towards
godliness
was
central
to your
conversation
because
the timeless
principle
I think
here
is that
godliness
is beautiful
in God's
eyes.
Godliness
is beautiful
in God's
eyes and
the fruit
of the
spirit
man that's
what we
all need
as you
too are
transformed
more into
the likeness
of Jesus.
That's why
I think he
calls the
woman in
this culture
again think
about how
counter-cultural
this community
is going to
be.
He calls
them to
be known
for their
good deeds.
Listen I
love this
quote by
Elizabeth
Elliott
I've used
it before
but I
love it
she said
this
she said
the fact
that I'm
a woman
does not
make me
a different
kind of
Christian
underscore
that
but the
fact that
I'm a
Christian
does make
me a
different
kind of
woman.
So Paul
here he
talks to
the men
and he
talks to
the woman
and offers
two
counter-cultural
yet
wonderfully
attractive
ways
that they
can uniquely
and together
adorn the
beauty of the
gospel in
their city
of Ephesus.
Do you
see it?
We need to
take that
into the
next section.
Now it's
worth saying
as we
come to
this section
that many
dear brothers
and sisters
around the
city and let
me just say
personally some
of my best
friends see
this very
differently what
comes up here
and some of us
here this
morning will see
this differently.
We need to
acknowledge that
and in a
world that
handles its
differences with
people by
saying tolerate
we need to
see that Jesus
calls us to
handle differences
in the body
of Christ by
saying love.
Demonstrating
that love
that would
even die for
its enemies
that Christ
showed us on
the cross.
We need to
carry that
with us and
yet having
said that
we've got to
wrestle with
this stuff.
I just
take a line
a byro and
just score it
out of our
Bible.
We've got to
think about
what he's
saying and
to get what
he's saying.
We need to
see the
context in
which he
draws on in
the passage
here.
Do you see
it?
He says he
talks about
Adam and
Eve.
Again, do you
see it in the
passage?
He's talking
about Adam
and Eve which
is code for
Timothy to
get his Bible
and turn to
Genesis.
Remember these
two know each
other really
well.
Timothy knows
what Paul is
getting at.
Get to
Genesis.
Get to
Genesis.
And you
turn to
Genesis 1 and
2 and you
will see two
truths there.
I think that
Timothy has to
draw upon here.
Two truths
about men
and women.
Firstly,
equality.
They are
both made
beautifully and
equally in
God's image.
And if you're
here today and
you're feeling
worthless, you're
thinking, is life
worth going on?
Am I really
valued?
Would you know
that you are
made in God's
image?
Whoever you are
here today, it's
why as God's
people, we
care about all
peoples of the
world.
We care about
life and all
its forms because
every human being
is stamped with an
inherent dignity.
It's not one that
you've earned.
You just have it
because you've been
made in God's
image.
You'll see
equality between
men and women.
Every human being
made in God's
image.
And you will see
complementarity.
Now, I couldn't
think of a better
English word.
Not only we've got
one, complementarity.
God brings Eve on
the scene as a
helper to Adam.
Now, before you
jump on the
conclusion that
that's derogatory,
remember throughout
scripture God
refers to himself
as the helper to
Israel.
So it's
dignifying.
And God has
given Adam the
role of stewarding
and cultivating
creation.
filling it
under God's
rule and for
his glory.
And as Adam
leads, as God
has commissioned
him to do,
Eve comes
alongside and
the two of
them can do
better the
thing that Adam
could not do
on his own.
Eve brings
something to
the table.
She brings
something to
the game because
of the way that
God has uniquely
wired her which
perfectly suits
the way that
Adam has been
designed.
It's
complementarity.
Now, if you're
struggling to
picture that,
let me just
give you
something to
carry with
you.
This is
where I
love being
Scottish.
Okay?
Because I was
brought up in
Cayley's.
The guy does
his role and
the woman does
her role and
together it's a
beautiful dance.
It's growing up in
the stuff.
Or you want to
change the analogy.
Do you notice
when we sang
this morning as
we brought the
male and female
voices together?
Do you notice
how beautifully
they're harmonised?
In my role, I've
spoken at women's
coffee mornings,
I've spoken at
men's breakfast,
both of which
involve singing.
I remember hearing
both of them and
thinking, you two
should really meet
because your voices
do something
together which is
beautiful.
I think this is
what Paul is
talking about when
he's talking about
equal yet different.
And of course
that's exactly,
to stretch you a
little bit, what
we find in the
Godhead, isn't it?
Father, Son and
Spirit, we sang
about it this
morning.
Our God is
three in one,
all three equally
God but different
roles.
And if that is
who our God is,
then it would
make logical sense
if we're made in
his image that we
see something of
that complementary
design built into
the very DNA of
what it means to be
a human being.
And yet that's
what went wrong
at the fall in
Genesis 3.
So you see,
Paul writes here,
we need to get
into this,
Adam was not
the one deceived,
Eve was.
So Eve ate the
apple that God
had forbidden
them to eat.
But listen to
this, I don't
think this is as
much a dig at
Eve as it's a
dig at Adam.
Because the
picture that you
get if you turn
to Genesis 3
is that Adam
is hiding in the
background as all
this is unfolding.
Adam is there,
he should have
been the one to
jump in and
said, Eve,
listen, we don't
do that.
Listen, our God
is so good,
he's told us how
we're to live,
he's told us what
we're not to do to
show our love for
him, we don't do
that.
And yet Adam,
Eve takes it and
she hands some to
him, the image you
get is that Adam's
hiding in the
background when he
should have been
standing up and
speaking and
leading.
And he's the one
that God holds to
account.
He says, Adam,
where are you?
And I take it
as Paul's replay
in this scene
and I take it
Paul is saying
that this church
need to rediscover
something of the
beauty of that
original
complementarity.
Now, don't miss
the fact that
Paul in verse 11
is encouraging
the woman in the
church to learn.
Don't miss that.
Please don't miss
that.
So hugely
counter-cultural
in this day,
in the Greco-Roman
world to
encourage women
to learn.
It's so
counter-cultural.
Paul is so
pro-woman here.
And I take it
that when Paul
uses that word
quiet in verse
12, he can't
be envisaging
absolute silence
because he's just
used, you see,
the same Greek
root word nine
verses earlier
at verse 2 of
chapter 2 when he
was talking there
about living a
life of godliness.
So I just don't
think absolute
silence is what
we should read
there.
So it would
seem strange,
wouldn't it,
if Paul was
meaning something
different.
And when he
says submissive,
the choice of
putting yourself
under someone,
friends, that does
not mean that a
woman has to
submit to every
man, get that
underscored.
I think in this
instance, it's a
reference to the
elders and the
public teaching of
the church, and
that calls exactly
the same on the
men.
Paul knows that
women have a
vital role to
play in this
church if it's
going to grow to
maturity.
And add to that
the fact that
elsewhere we see
him encouraging
women to teach
the younger
women, he's
encouraged them
to pray and
prophesy.
Some of Paul's
closest and
most dearest
co-workers are
women.
And yet I
take it what
he does
envisage is
that both the
authority and
the teaching
role in the
church is one
that he sees
right for men
to take based
on Genesis 1
and Genesis 2.
And the fact
that he roots
that instruction
in Genesis,
not Ephesus,
I think means
that it's a
timeless principle
because it's a
creational
principle.
Now what does
that mean for us
today at
Brunsfield?
Well it means
that we'll
continue to
encourage our
dear sisters to
participate when
we gather together
publicly like
this.
Leading things
like small group
Bible studies,
leading various
ministries that
we'll see next
week and kind of
come under the
umbrella of
deacon,
participating up
front on Sunday
and leading
worship,
reading,
praying and
speaking.
And we've been
so blessed as
we've journeyed
over the years
seeing women use
their gifts in
those capacities
on Sundays
and I hope
that by
Kate's
appointment you
see the
strategic investment
we're making
in women's
ministry and
seeing the
women of our
church flourish.
And yet friends
when it comes to
the office of
elder,
which we'll see
next week,
and the teaching
of the Bible
when we gather
together as a
church,
I think this
timeless principle
kicks in
and leads us to
conclude that
these roles should
be taken up
by men.
And not just
any men,
got to get that
right,
we'll see it
next week
where we'll see
God-loving men.
In our world
where there's a
leadership crisis,
the leadership
in the church
is vital.
Men who ooze
Christ-like
character,
men who have
been tested
and approved,
men who have
committed themselves
to sacrificing
themselves for
the good of the
church family
and seeing them
grow.
Do you see
Ikea kind of
Christians?
Let me just
say,
just swimmer
there,
when Paul
talks about
childbearing
at verse 15,
I take it
that's a
direct shot
at the
false teachers
who are
seeking to
downplay
marriage
and who
are by
implication
who are
downplaying
motherhood.
Now let me
just,
just because
we're in the
context of
motherhood
because,
listen,
dads were
called to
do exactly
the same.
Let me
just say
to you,
if you're
here today
and you're
a mum,
if you're
staying at
home to
look after
the kids,
if you've
stopped work
to look
after them,
if you're
sacrificing
yourself for
them,
if your
days are
changing
nappies
and running
errands,
falling into
bed at
night shattered,
all because
you long
for your
children to
grow up to
come to
know Jesus,
I want you
to know that
that is a
wonderful
call.
In our
culture,
one of the
things that
we have
is a very
core of
identity,
is it not?
When you ask
people,
you say,
what do
you do?
And friends,
how often do
those who are
in this
category,
do we kind
of reluctantly
say that
we're at home
looking after
the kids,
right?
I think this
calls us to
see that that
is a wonderful
thing.
And I take it
that's exactly
what Paul is
saying to
those women
in Ephesus.
Do not let
them downplay
the false
teachers.
what a
glorious thing
it is to
be a
sacrificial
mum.
Reject that
false teaching,
reject it,
and keep
going with
the grain
of God's
good design.
Now listen,
we've covered a
lot here today,
Kate,
I hope you
recognise it,
I could only
do so much
justice to it
in half an
hour,
and that's
why we
need to
be in our
small groups
thinking this
stuff out
together.
But let me
just close
by bringing
us back to
the big
thing.
The big
thing.
Now some
of you might
remember if
you're old
enough,
in 1992
there was a
book that
was released,
I can't
remember the
guy's name,
it was
American
Relationship
Guru called,
is it
John Gray?
I can't
remember.
You'll know
the title,
you know
the title,
Men Are
From Mars,
Women Are
From Venus?
You heard
that before,
that book?
Well let me
just take the
joke, it's
kind of been
a joke in
our culture
isn't it?
Let me
take the
joke and
turn it
around for
us as we
finish and
put it to
us as a
truth.
Now I
take it
that as
we live
our lives
together as
men and
women, as
we exhibit
what it means
to live under
the lordship of
Jesus together,
friends I
take it we
should show
the world
that we're
not from
here.
We show
the world
as we live
our equal
yet different
lives that
together we
are from
heaven.
Just think
how much of
a counter
cultural
community this
will be in
Ephesus.
And think
how much
of a
counter
cultural
community
this will
be in
Edinburgh.
What is
Paul saying?
He's
encouraging
them to
go with
the grain
of God's
good design.
And he's
pleading with
them to
be a key
kind of
Christians.
So let
me pray
and then
we will
close our
service.
Okay, let
me pray.
Heavenly
Father, we
thank you
so much
Lord for
your goodness
to us.
And I
just pray
Father that
your spirit
would be
moving amongst
us today.
Lord, we
long to be
those kind
of disciples
who are
fully submitted
to Jesus.
Lord, I
recognize that
much of what
we've spoken
about today,
it will come
at us in
unique and
in different
ways.
And so
Father, I
pray as
one who's
just pleading
that you
would do
your work
by your
spirit, that
you would be
bringing comfort
and challenge
and forgiveness
and healing
and restoration
and a
longing
for a life
that glorifies
you in every
way.
So Father, I
just thank you
for your
precious word.
While we
recognize that
it is eternal,
we recognize
that we are
finite.
And so
Father, I
pray today as
we respond to
this, that
you would help
us continue to
be disciples
who glorify
Jesus to the
watching world.
Father, help
us to love
one another, we
pray in Jesus'
precious name we
ask.
Amen.