Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Lord
willing, I'd like to preach both services out of 1 Corinthians
11. This first one, I'd like to look
at verses 1 to 3. and then verses 4 to 16 in the
second. The Apostle Paul has dealt with
many questions that the church at Corinth had concerning the
order of worship, the right thing to do. Last time he dealt with
eating meat offered to idols. Is it right? Is it wrong? He
said it's right if it's nothing more than a piece of meat. But
if you're in a service or in a situation where someone has
made that meat that that they've offered you, somewhat of a token
of their allegiance or worship to a false god. Paul said, don't
do it. Don't even enter into that. We come out from among them. Or if it's going to be a hindrance
to a weaker brother, don't do it. Understand if it causes his conscience. I don't know if that's the right
thing. Paul said don't do it. Don't let your liberty be a hindrance
to someone else. We are free in Christ. There's nothing wrong with eating
and drinking anything that God has permitted for food. But we want to be careful not
to be offensive unnecessarily. It's over the gospel. There's
no compromise over the gospel. But things that just don't matter. Paul said, don't be offensive
for no reason. Whether therefore you eat or
drink or whatsoever you do, Whatever you do it, do all to the glory
of God. Give none offense, neither to
the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God, even
as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit,
but the profit of many, that they may be saved. So Paul starts off and really
the last part of that last verse of chapter 10, really, Verse
1 of chapter 11 probably would have been better connected to
that, but these chapter differences, they're not inspired. It was
just a book. It was a letter. But Paul says
in verse 1 of chapter 11, Be ye followers of me, even as I
also am of Christ. Now obviously he's not saying
that to exalt himself, but we've got to remember that he's speaking
as one, he's an apostle. Paul has been personally called,
personally called by the Lord Jesus Christ out of the sin of
darkness and unbelief. And he was commissioned personally
by the Lord and personally sent by the Lord. He taught the gospel,
he heard the gospel. By his natural ear, yes, but
oh in his heart, he was taught by the Lord himself. Paul the
apostle was caught up, the scripture says, to the third heaven, to
paradise. Paradise. Now do you remember,
that's where the Lord told that thief on the cross, he said,
today, you'll be with me in paradise. So for Paul to be caught up to
the third heaven, that's where the glorified Christ sits. Can you imagine? I can't either. That's where the angels reside. Holy, holy, holy. That's where the departed saints
are. In that place called the third heaven. And the scripture
sets forth that here's the apostle Paul. And he's speaking under
the inspiration of God. And he says, now you be followers
of me, take the admonition that I give you. But he said, only
as far as I follow Christ. Only as far as I speak concerning
these scriptures. Now, without a doubt, going through
this book, the church there at Corinth, as I said, had written
Paul, a letter or letters that communicated with him. And they
had asked his advice on these public matters concerning worship. And the reason being is because
of the false teachers that had entered in and the bad principles
and practices that had started to prevail. Paul, he'd said in
1 Corinthians 7.1, Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto
me, He dealt with some issues. He dealt with some things that
needed to be dealt with. Things that we need to hear.
He dealt with schisms and factions between brethren. He dealt with
the issue of making the simplicity of the gospel to be the only
issue. If there's an issue and it's
not the gospel, then I'm going to tell you something. Just forget
it. We're wasting our time. He blamed them for allowing an
incestuous person to remain in that assembly, in a position
of leadership. Paul said, we can't do that. He rebuked them for going to
court. You know, between each other
they were suing one another and going before pagan judges and
he dealt with the issue of marriage and the maintenance of their
ministers and like I said last time, the meat that was offered
to idols? Is that right? Is it wrong? What
do you do? And so they sought the Lord's
guidance and direction through the apostle, through Paul. And obviously they had adhered
to his advice. I know the scripture says, you
know, obey them that have the rule over you. your ministers,
your pastors, you know, as they follow these scriptures. A pastor
has been sent of God to be the ambassador. We are ambassadors
for Christ. What does an ambassador do? He
says exactly what the one that sent him told him to say. That's all he does. We are ambassadors
for Christ as though God did beseech you. Be ye reconciled
to Christ. So whenever Paul is speaking,
he's not somebody who says, well he's just a man. Yeah, you're
right, he's just a man, but he's a man sent of God, taught of
God, commissioned of God, blessed of God. And these words that
Paul is speaking, the words are inspired. A man is a frail creature,
but these words were inspired. So Paul said in verse 2, he said,
I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and
keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you. Now, you know, we
always think of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's table,
which they kept. They kept. Now, you're going
to have to deal with them and just after this passage that
we'll He's going to start dealing with some abuses that they had
started to have there concerning the Lord's Supper, and he's going
to deal with it again. But when he says, I praise you,
or I applaud you, or I commend you, because you remember me,
you're mindful of my instruction. You're mindful of the precepts.
You're mindful of the doctrine that I brought you from the Lord. I delivered unto you that which
I received of the Lord." That's all he's saying when he's dealing
with the Lord's Supper. But he said, I praise you that
you remember me in all things and keep the ordinances. You
keep these traditions. You keep these instructions.
What? Of how order is to be maintained
within the body. We're a family right here. This is the family. of God. This
is a church. This is a body. This body and
bodies in different churches where we're all collectively
one body. But this is a local assembly.
And Almighty God has been pleased to maintain order. How is it to run? How are we to act? As these scriptures set forth.
This is what God has called me and other pastors to do. To set
forth the truth of Almighty God. So he said, I praise you that
you remember me in all things. Keep the ordinances as I delivered
them to you. Now, Paul, the apostle, is getting
ready to deal with another issue. And it's going to begin in verse
4. Lord willing, I'll pick it up in the next message, but I
want to I'm going to say something about verse 3 because what he's
doing is he's setting the foundation of what he's about to say. He's
going to deal with it. They've asked him a question.
And I can tell you what the question is. They're going to ask him
about whether or not it's right for a man to stand up and preach
covered with a covering hat. Is that right or wrong? And the
second thing he's going to deal with is, is it right or wrong
for a woman, it says that prayeth or prophesieth, and there were
women that obviously did, taught the children, taught other women.
Is it right or wrong for one to pray or prophesieth in the
bounds of scripture concerning a woman? Now obviously, no woman
is to stand up in front of a pulpit. and preach to men and women.
That's not right. I know the false religion's got
women preaching now. And that's contrary to Scripture.
That's not right. It's not right. The woman is
not, and I'll tell you why in just a minute. But it's not right. So ladies, I tell you, if I'm
ever gone, don't ever wonder whether or not I'll ever ask
you to come up here and read Scripture or pray. And preach. I'm not going to do it. Okay,
why? Because God Almighty has forbid it. It's not that women
don't know and understand the scriptures. They do, but there's
a reason for it. I'll deal with it. I'm already
into the next message, so I'm going to stop right here and
go back to verse 3, what I was going to say. He said, and he's
going to set this foundation. And here's what he said. He said,
now, but I would have you know. is the foundation of everything
He's going to say. Starting in verse 4, I would
have you know. You've received what I've said
concerning all these other issues, but I'm going to have you know
something. That the head of every man is Christ. And the head of
the woman is the man. And the head of Christ is God. And He's going to be dealing
with this issue of submission. This is going to be the issue.
It's going to be submission and the evidence of it. The evidence
of that submission. He says, now the head of every
man is Christ. Now, let me say this. Technically,
the head of every individual person in this world as being
the creator is Almighty God. As being the governor is Almighty
God. Every person without distinction,
He is the head. Brother Scott would say, who's
running this show anyway? Who is in control? God Almighty,
the Lord Jesus Christ, but especially In our passage, He's the head
of every member. When it says the head of every
man is Christ, that especially, He is the head of every member
of Christ's body, man or woman. He's the head of all His people. Now, listen to Colossians 1.18.
He is the head of the body, the church. who is the beginning
and the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have
the preeminence. So He's the head. First of all,
we want to understand something. Christ is the head of His body. Now we know that we all bow in
submission to the Lord of glory. He who loved us gave Himself
for us, male and female. As far as male and female in
the body of Christ, there is no difference. There's no difference
as far as being members in the body of Christ. Now you listen
to this, Galatians 3, 26-28. For as many of you have been
baptized into Christ, spiritually united to Him, have put on Christ,
there is neither Jew nor Greek, there's neither bond nor free,
there's neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ. So as far as being one that is
spiritually superior, they're not. But, As far as being found
in this life, as far as being different in the setting forth
of the glory of God, there is a difference. There is a difference. And the reason that there's a
difference is because of the glory of God that's given unto
the Lord Jesus Christ. In this sense, there is a difference
because When man fell in the garden, the woman who was deceived,
she was shown to be the weaker vessel. She was beguiled. She came out of Adam. God Almighty
set the man forth to be the head over the woman. And she is to
be in submission unto Him as set forth by the Holy Scriptures. Here's what it's saying. The
head of every man is Christ, but the head of the woman is
the man. Is there a distinction made between
a man and a woman as she pictures the church in submission to Christ?
Yes! Yes! As far as being saved, God
loving her, there's no difference in men and women. God loves women
as He loves His men in Christ. No difference. But as far as
there being a difference in their role in this life to picture
and set forth the glory of God, the head of the woman is the
man. Now that man is not to harshly
rule over her as a tyrant. He's to love her. He's to love
her. He is the man is a picture. of Christ. He's a picture of
Christ. The woman who has been given
the man is his wife and the man is to provide for her and care
for her and nourish and cherish and protect and defend her against
all insults and injury. He was created first Who came first? The woman, Eve, was taken out
of the man to be in help fit for him. It was not good, Jehovah
said, that the man should be alone. That's a mysterious thing,
but that's the way it is. And God Almighty took her out
of the man. Where did the bride come from?
The bride of Christ. Out of Christ. Created. Eternally loved. Eternally begotten. Eternally
set forth in Him. And now the wife, the woman being
a type of Christ, a type of the church. The man is a type of
Christ. The woman is a type of the church,
and she's to be in subjection to her husband as the man is
in subjection to Christ. She's to be in subjection to
Him in all things, civil things, religious things, natural things.
He is her head. He is her protector. He is the
one that watches over. And Lord willing, we're going
to deal with the manifestation of this in this next service. So here's the divine order of
service. The head of every man is Christ.
The head of every woman is the man. Women, you have been given
a wonderful position to be in subjection to a man that is to
love you and watch over you and protect you. Men, this is the
place of a husband. You take care of your wife. She's
not the old lady. You respect her. I've said before,
she is the queen of a house. You put her on a pedestal as
Christ does His bride. He loved her. He gave Himself
for her. I know that we're one in Christ.
There's not male, female, bond-free, rich, poor. We're one in Christ. But in this life, there is a
difference. And it is to be a difference
that is to be manifested and held to and respected because
God has set forth. And lastly, the head of Christ
is God. Now if you want to learn something
about submission, here it is right here. The head of Christ
is God. Now that's a statement that we're
not able. We know a few things. I can see
through a glass darkly. Here's the truth of this passage
right here. God Almighty, Jehovah, is the
head of Christ as Christ has humbled himself to be the mediator
between God and men. In His divine nature, He's one
with the Father. One with the Father. But as far
as being the Messiah, the Advocate, He humbled Himself. He is God's
Servant. The Head of Christ is God. Here's what the scripture says.
Jehovah formed him to be the mediator. Jehovah formed him. Hebrews 10.5, Wherefore when
he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice an offering
thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared made. This is what the Messiah said. When He said, sacrifice and offerings
thou wouldest not, what does that mean? That means that He
was saying unto His Father, He said the sacrifices and offerings
that were in type and picture for a while, they're not going
to be forever. Thou wouldest not. Thou wouldest
not have them continue forever. So what happened? Well, they
were here until the Lord Jesus Christ came. But, in the fullness
of time, Jehovah clothed His only begotten Son by the Holy
Spirit in human flesh. And prepared by that Spirit,
that body, Thou hast prepared me. What? God made this body. And the Spirit of God formed
that body and now here it is. The servant made, prepared by
God. And God Almighty concerning His
servant that He sent, the head of Christ is God. God the head
who commissioned, sent and prepared him anointed Him, Scripture says,
with the Holy Spirit without measure. That's John 3.34. Now
you think of the marvelousness of this statement. God Himself,
humbled Himself, had a body prepared Him by the Spirit of God. and the same Spirit that prepared
Him was given Him without measure. And Almighty God, His Father,
His Head, the One that He submitted Himself, My God, My God, why
hast Thou forsaken Me? Father, if there be any way that
this cup can pass from Me, humble Himself, humble Himself, humble
Himself. And Almighty God in the days
of His humiliation was His only help. He was His only sustainer. Why? Because God was His head.
And He submitted Himself to Him. And He obeyed Him. Listen to
this. Psalm 40 verse 17. If you're not familiar with Psalm
40, you know. Well, I'll tell you. That's that
Messianic Psalm right there. Go back and read it. It's speaking
totally of the Lord Jesus Christ. In that scripture, He's saying
things that can only be said by the Messiah. But here's Psalm
40 verse 17. Listen to what the Christ said. But I am poor and needy. Yet the Lord, capital L, capital
O, capital R, capital D, Jehovah, thinketh upon me. Thou art my
help and my deliverer. Make no tarrying, O my God. Now you want to know something
about submission. Here's the heart of it right
here. The head of the man is Christ. And Christ in His humiliation
has a head. It's God. God who submitted Himself,
being made flesh unto God. And this, the head, trusted Him,
the head, God Jehovah, who formed a body, prepared a body for the
servant, gave Him the Spirit without measure, commissioned
Him according to everlasting covenant of grace, gave Him a
people. And here's the thing, He trusted
Him. He trusted Him, Ephesians 1.12
says, and commended Him from heaven. This is my beloved Son
whom I'm well pleased. And the head concerning His servant,
Christ, the head made Him to be the accepted sacrifice and
substitute. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. He, the Father, had made Him
sin, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. The head raised Him from the
dead. The head received Him to glory.
The head seated him at his own right hand. Sit thou here, my
right hand, until I make all your enemies your footstool. The father, the head, hears him
now as the mediator, as the advocate, as the great high priest, as
he intercedes for his people. The head of every man is Christ. The head of every woman is the
man. And the head of Christ is God. Now that is the foundation. We're going to be talking about
submission. Submission and the evidence of
it in this life. You want to know what the evidence
of Christ's submission was? What was the evidence of His
submission? Here it is. When He cried from
the cross, it is finished. There was the evidence right
there. In all things that He was commissioned to do to finish
the work, that none that the Father had given Him should be
lost. This is the work of God. And
of all that He's given me, I should lose nothing. But raise Him up. What's the evidence? It's finished.
It's finished. Now in this next message, we're
going to now go in to the evidence of a man in submission to Christ. And the evidence of a woman in
submission to her husband. All to the glory of God. All
as being a picture. of the Lord Jesus Christ and
His love for His bride and His bride's love for Him. I pray
that the Lord might bless even the setting forth of this glorious
foundational truth as it is set forth in these scriptures for
our good and His honor. Amen.