But tonight, the Lord willing,
I fully intend to get through at least this second chapter.
As I told you before, when we were in the study, I told you
that Timothy, the epistle, both epistles to young Timothy are
so profitable, not only to me, but to us as a church. And the
gospel rings clearly throughout this epistle. instructions for the conduct
in the church, how we're to order the church and so forth, and
it's good, it's all good, very profitable. That's what he said
over in 2 Timothy chapter 3. All scripture is profitable,
the doctrine for approval, correction, instruction, and righteousness,
so we may be mature, truly furnished unto all good work. Now, this
message is geared toward women. I'm going to preach, I want to
preach to you ladies. I didn't say at, I said to. There's a difference. And I,
as always, if ever I feel like I've been hard or preach out
of some anger, a little bit of anger at whatever, I apologize. I don't want to ever want to
do that. I love you dearly and I just like you sometimes get
aggravated with your children or whatever I do, and I apologize
if I preach anger, but I get upset for you at times. Now,
my goal in preaching is to exalt Christ, to glorify God, and to
instruct, to edify, to encourage, to prophet, lead, guide, The
church, you, you're the church, and it takes reproof, it takes
rebuke, correction, admonitions, exhortations, it takes all of
those things. And not long ago, I spent a great deal of time
on a message on marriage, a great deal of, most of that message
was geared toward the men, right? So you women now get your, you
get your fair share. I told the men of their greater
responsibility in this thing of marriage, which they do have
the greater responsibility of being the leaders of the home
and in the marriage union. But now here there are seven
or eight verses, undeniable things, seven or eight verses that are
instructions for women and even instructions in areas of dress
and behavior and conduct and the role of women in church. And these verses are as much
the inspired, inerrant word of God Almighty as the Pentateuch,
or the five books of Moses, right? Yes. Yet, men today, and mostly
women, have arrested these scriptures to their own destruction. to
fit their own fancy, right? Or pansy, if you will. They've
wrested these scriptures to their own destruction, making it say
what it does not say, or either just skipping over it entirely.
Sometimes I wonder how in the world these women, so-called
women preachers, deal with 1 Timothy 2 or 1 Corinthians 14, right? I wonder how in the world When
they get if they're doing expositional preaching. Well, I use that term
lightly in reference to a woman. How they deal with these verses.
But and I've heard them. And most of the time they make
out the Apostle Paul. As being an old confirmed bachelor,
you know. And bigoted toward women, and
it's just when they they forgive him, though, and he said these
things and I heard Jim Baker one time sitting
around the of course he was sitting in the presence of about six
or eight women he was the only man there and he had to say this
fear for his life. He's talking about first Corinthians
fourteen how the Paul said that let your women. It's not that
you women keep silence. And he said no what he was saying
there what the apostle Paul was saying there he was saying that
everybody doesn't need to talk at the same time you women you
keep quiet while it's me and do some talk don't have your
turn later. And J. O. Jimmy said he said
no that's reason you need to study show yourself prove say. Yeah click TV. So I need to hear
it like I said he was sitting in the company about six or eight
women. And he had to say that, because they were doing most
of the talking, especially Tammy. The Lord shut that pair up. Thank God. But this is not a
suggestion. This is not up for debate. This
is God Almighty's Word, right? And Paul here is giving the Word of God under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, and he's giving good, good, sound scriptural
truths in reference to order and conducting of ourselves in
the church. All right, now let's look at
it, beginning with verse 7. Paul gives his qualifications
here, and we need to look at it. He said, I am ordained a
preacher. I am ordained a preacher, and not just any kind. A lot
of people out there call themselves preachers, don't they? There's
no such thing unless he's a gospel preacher, right? A gospel preacher,
a true one at that. Paul said, I think, when it pleased
God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by
his grace to reveal his son in me and make me go preach the
gospel to the heathen, to the Gentiles, that's what kind of
preacher he was, gospel preacher. and apostle, he said, I'm an
apostle and the apostles were endowed with special wisdom and
authority and power. And this was not just the words
of a confirmed bachelor. This is the word of God's man,
God's folks, man. God's folks, man, the apostles
were such the apostles were the ones that the Lord said, whatever
you bind on earth will be bound. Whatever you lose will be loose.
The apostles, man, they're not any since then, but brother They
were, indeed, endowed with special authority and powers that are
no longer in existence, right? Because the Word of God was not
complete, the whole book. And he says, now, I speak the
truth in Christ. I speak the truth. I preach the
truth. Everything I say is true. It's right. It's just. It's in
keeping with the rest of God's Word, and it's in Christ. It's
related to Christ, like we read in Ephesians five, all of those
verses concerning Mary's, and he concluded all by saying, I
speak, this is a mystery, but I speak of Christ and the church. Everything he said, Brother Terry,
was in relation to the gospel of Christ, wasn't it? And giving
him all the glory. And he says, I'm not lying. I'm
telling you the truth. Brother Scott might say, I'm
not just preaching, I'm telling the truth. And this is the sense
of what Paul is saying here. I speak the truth in Christ.
I'm not lying. A teacher of the Gentiles in
faith, my one goal, my one purpose in preaching is to preach the
gospel, to exalt Christ, to glorify God, to the saving of your soul,
to point you to Christ, to build you up in your most holy faith
in Christ. to enable you to see how to just live by faith in
Christ and how to walk by faith in Christ. So my goal and purpose
as a teacher is in faith and verity, truth, truth, truth,
truth, truth. Verse 8, now he says, I will
therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without
wrath and doubt. Now we've covered this. But he's
going to talk about in context of worship here. The rest of
the verses are in context of the church service, worship,
praying, preaching, fellowship, all right? That's the context
in the church, church house. And he says, men are to pray,
lifting up holy hands in sincerity, purity of attitude,
motive, Without wrath and doubting, that is, without bearing a grudge
toward anybody, if your brother have ought against you, go to
him and settle this thing. Don't come pretending to worship
God. Don't bear a grudge. Don't harbor a root of bitterness,
he says. Get that out of the way. Come
so you may be able to worship God freely. If I regard iniquity
in my heart, the Lord heareth me not. That's the attitude he's
having here. Without wrath and doubting. And
without doubting, in faith in Christ, believing he hears us,
we cover that. Now verse 9, he begins dealing
and speaking to the women. All right? Not at you, to you. And he says, in like manner also,
women are to adorn themselves. In like manner, that is in this
matter of public worship, praise, prayer, singing, assembling yourselves
together. The women are to adorn themselves
in modest apparel, with shamefacedness, sobriety, and not with broided
hair and so forth. Modest apparel. The whole key
here, this whole verse here, is that one word, modest. Modest apparent modesty. Now, modesty means humility. It means meekness, it means self-effacing
humility, lowliness of mind, modesty, shamefacedness is the
word he uses on further on. Not wishing to call attention
to yourself, to the way you're dressing, to your figure to yourself. Wearing that which is least offensive. Wearing that which is most modest. Wearing that which is least revealing
and provocative. Right? That's what the word modest
means. It's good practical, just good
practical instructions here. Modest apparel is that which
is least offensive to the masses. Most modest which is least revealing
and least provocative. Now, when this was written, there
wasn't the slightest hint of a possibility to these people
that a woman would come into the house of worship wearing form-fitting shape contouring
revealing attire. I mean that was just not even
part of it back in these days can you imagine the horror such
as men's trousers. I mean this would have been just
absolutely unheard of back then. Absolutely unheard there would
have been a riot. And I've said before that that
sort of thing leaves nothing to the imagination. Leave nothing to imagination
modest apparel that which is least. Provocative or revealing and
most covering the least offensive. The apostles concern here and
when he wrote this the apostles concern. They didn't, Rick, they
wouldn't have given a thought, they wouldn't have thought that
a woman would come in much the way that some women come to church
these days. I'm not talking about you people,
but the way it, out in California they just come, Dan will probably
attest to this, if you're out playing tennis in your little,
white little skirt, you know, and it's time for church, you
just put the tennis balls up and come like you are. They wouldn't
have dreamed back then that women would have the audacity to come
into the house of God and anything less than that which is most
modest. See, this thing doesn't much apply to men because men
can wear just about anything and it'd still be modest apparel,
right? But it does to women. And the Apostle's concern here
back then when he was talking to them and dealing with these
things, the Apostle's concern was that women not come in dressing
like women of the night, streetwalkers. Even they didn't wear hot pants,
but they, you know, they were all guarded up and gussied up
and dressed up and looking, you know, like they did. And that was the apostles concern
that they not look like that, all decked out, wishing to be
seen. Now we have both problems today. And it's for this reason
that women should wear the most feminine attire possible. The
most modern in the context of God's at least highly recommended
everywhere. But the most feminine modest
least revealing dress which is a dress and I've given you those
reasons before and a modest one at that not a miniskirt not one
with a slit all the way up you know. A modest one is that not
good practical advice and we're not here to be saying. We're
not here to be sent I'm not trying to be. evoking your thoughts,
wicked thoughts, or anything, I'm just telling you like it
is. We're not here to be seen. Think about this. What do they
wear in heaven? Somebody tell me what they wear
in heaven. Robes. Robes. What's a robe? Anybody have a bathrobe here?
Huh? Everybody here has a bathrobe.
What does a robe do? It covers you, right? That word,
I challenge you to look up the word apparel in the Greek. It
means robe, robe yourselves, cover yourselves. And as I said
before, the angels in the presence of God who have no sin whatsoever,
they cover themselves in modesty, don't they? What about us? What
about us? And now he goes on, he says,
now, not in excessive adornment, braided, elaborate hairdos, gold,
pearls, costly array, look at my new one carat ring, you know,
that sort of thing, looking like an advertisement for Glamour
magazine. Don't let it be named once among you as becoming women
professing godliness, scripture says. I'm not setting that law
here. Am I preaching this in a hard
and cruel way? This is just good practical advice.
We're not here to be seen. We're not here to be saved. We're
here to worship God, right? Y'all don't resent this, do you?
Huh? Surely not. Surely not. And if anybody has
a problem with this, remember, now here's the motive. Your motive
has got to be right. Now, if you have a problem with
this, and some of us do because we're just not used to this,
now listen to this. Why are we here? What are we
doing here? What's this all about? Worship
and the glory of God Almighty, whatever we do, whether we eat
or drink, we're to do all of what? To the glory of God Almighty. I, me, and mine go out that window,
right? I have no rights here, not even
the preacher and the pastor. I have no rights here, none whatsoever. If I don't like it, big deal,
right? I have no rights. I have no rights
when it comes to the glory of God. Standing before a holy God,
worshiping him when it becomes when it comes to my brethren
and my sister, those that are weak, some are weak in the faith. I won't do anything to offend
them. People coming off the streets don't do anything to let nothing
be done offensive that the ministry be not blamed. Right? My rights go out that window.
What I think, my opinion, what I like best, what I want to do,
out the window. Right? God is to be true, and
every man a liar here. Let every mouth be stopped, and
all the world become guilty. God is in heaven. We're upon
the earth. Zip it up. If anybody's going to speak,
let them speak as the oracles of God. Let's see what God says
about it. Right? All right. Enough said about
that. Modesty is the key. And you know, there's another
word that begins with an M that's key in all of our conduct. Moderation. Right. One of our ladies said
that. Moderation. Moderation is key
in all of our conduct, whether it be eating or drinking or whatever. Moderation is key. And in dress,
modesty is the rule. What is the most modest? What
is the most modest? And for you ladies, what is the
most feminine? There is to be a distinction.
between men and women. Verse 10. Go on. He said, But
that which becometh women professing godliness, adorn yourself with
that which becomes women professing godliness. Let your good works
be the adornment. Let your good works be the adornment.
Let people go away from the house of God commenting on your spiritual
makeup, not your facial makeup. Let them go away saying, oh,
she looks like Christ. She reminds them she's so Christ-like.
No, boy, she looks great. She looks pretty. All right? Now, here's the women's
role in public worship. A woman is a participant, but
she is not a leader. A woman is a participant, but
she is not a leader. in this thing of public worship,
beginning with verse eleven, let's read. He says, let the
woman learn in silence with all subjection. Let the woman learn,
not teach, not instruct, learn. Right? In silence with all subjection. Now turn over to first Corinthians
fourteen with me. First Corinthians fourteen. There
are many, many women who wish these words were not in the Bible,
don't they? Many, many women wish they weren't.
So what do they do? They make their own little Bible.
We've got our new international King James the fourth perverted
version, you know. We make it say what we want to
say, or we just take it out all together. Make our own little
Bible so it won't say these things that are hard and offensive to
us. We have our rights, you know. But look at 1 Corinthians 14,
verses 34 and 35. 1 Corinthians 14, verses 34 and
35. Let your women keep silence in
the churches. He didn't say there, you keep
quiet a while, let the men do the talking, you can talk later.
That's not what he said there. He said, Be quiet, that your women keep silence
in the church. It is not permitted unto them to speak. Did it get
any clearer? Sherry, could that be any clearer? They are commanded, but to be
under obedience, as also saith the law. What law is that? In
Genesis, when the Lord said, Your husbands shall have rule
over you. He'll have the dominion over you, have the rule over
you. Your desire, that's what the term means, your desire shall
be toward your husband. In other words, if you're going
to learn anything, you have to learn it from him. If you listen to
him in the first place, he's saying to Eve, you wouldn't be
in the mess you're in. Read on. If they will learn anything,
verse 35, let them ask their husbands at home. If they don't
have a believing husband, Ask one of the men of the church,
but it is a shame for women to speak in the church. Is that
what it says? Is that what it means? Of course
it does. Of course it does. Why? Are we permitted to ask why?
Sure, as long as we do it very humbly, very meekly. Well, I'll tell you why. We read
it in Ephesians 5. Look over there, Ephesians 5.
This is the reason why this is not the reason is not. Superiority
of the sexes, Barbara, does not want to give. In many cases. In many cases, it is not so that
the man is not the stronger one. In many cases, not superiority,
the sexes that there's no spirit of the sexes in God's side, that's
for sure. In Christ, spiritually speaking, there's no male or
female, right? No older young, all the same,
all dependent upon him, the grace of God. What this is now is a
figure. It's a symbol. This is a type
of subjection. It's a key word here, subjection. Look at Ephesians 5, verse 23. The husband is the head of the
wife. They don't like this verse either. But if you see the beauty of
it, the spirituality of it, you'll love it. This is the type of
Christ in the church. The husband is the head of the
wife, even as Christ is the head of the church. And he is the
Savior of the body. So you don't get hung up on the
first part. Go on to the second. Because Christ is the head of
the church, and he's the Savior of the body, therefore, as the
church is subject. There's the word. subject in
subjection unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands
in everything." Subjection as a symbol, as a type, as a figure
of the Church's subjection to Christ. The Church doesn't teach
Christ anything, do we? When Christ was on his earth,
I was talking to Brother Terry about it before the service.
When Christ was, what if he was, what if he was sitting on there,
getting ready to preach on the Sermon on the Mount there, and
all the disciples were gathering around and all of a sudden, and
our Lord began to preach, and all of a sudden, Peter spoke
up and said, I have something to add to that, Lord. Let me,
let me, let me, let me add something. What a Lord of Glory is preaching
here. You keep silent, man. And as
long as he was walking around and as long as they were with
him, they didn't preach, did they? When in his presence, did
they? He did all the talking. Right? About like Amos 3, 3, can two
walk together except they be aggrieved, you know. We walk
with God, he does all the talking. We don't add our two cents. We're
just as you ask me whatever he says is right he does all that
and that's the same last time I don't want to tell you what
I think. I want God to do all the talking. I want him to speak
through me I don't want you to hear from me Barbara you hear
from God right. You don't want to hear what a
man has said you want to hear what Christ said you want to hear
what God has said. And this is the type the church does not
the church does not usurp authority over Christ. He speaks and we
listen. Right. But isn't that the direction
that the so-called church is taken? Huh? They've thrown the
word of the living God out the window in favor of their little
church. Prayer books and Latin liturgies and all that haven't.
Huh? So. So the church has. The church is called a she, and
she has usurped authority over her husband. Not the church now. I'm not talking about the church.
Those who call themselves a church. In heaven, is anybody going to
do any talking up in heaven? Huh? Going to let Peter have
his say? Paul going to do a little preaching
in Peter and then Elijah? Huh? That's foolish, isn't it? The Lord of glory is going to
speak. And we're going to sit there enwrapped in awe and attention
at what he has to say, huh? What are we going to add? Our
two cents? We're going to be learning, aren't
we? We're going to be learning in all subjection and silence?
We're not going to be able to say anything here. Our mouths
are going to be gaping open, looking at it. Right? This is a blessed picture of
Christ and his church. And let me say this. This is
a result of the fall. Let's get into this. All right.
This is a result of the fall. The role of a woman. Because
Eve usurped Adam. She plunged herself in the utmost
misery. And Adam was a partaker too,
but because Adam listened to her. Because Adam listened to
her, he plunged himself into misery, didn't he? A woman is not to usurp teach,
usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. That's
not to say that a woman cannot prophesy. So what's the difference? There's a prophecy in Joel that
speaks about your young women prophesying and so forth. Can
you go out and tell others of Christ's coming? Huh? Is that not prophesied? Can you
not go out and tell others what great things the Lord has done
for you? Huh? But you just can't do it in the context of the worship
service, which is standing up here behind this pulpit, when
there's men in your presence. That's what it's talking about.
That's what it's talking about. Not in context of the church,
not in the presence of men. Now, listen, ladies. Let me say
this. of the utmost authority. And. Under the authority of God's
word. Women have much to add. Much
to add I have learned. I have received many A profitable
word in season from you like anything, but you should be very
careful. Very careful when you're in the
presence of me and here in this church when you're in the presence
of this pastor. I don't say that. You know, I'm
not lording myself over you, but this is the scripture way
in the presence of pastor in the presence of elders presence
of deacon presence of the church leaders is not to be too much
speaking on the part of the women. the men do talk. Let's not say
you can't speak up and ask a question every now and then, but just
don't let it be usurping. You understand what I'm saying?
I'll give you an example. I've been standing down here
before, talking to somebody, only to have a woman come up
to me. I'm saying this as gently as I possibly can. And here the
pastor of this church is standing down there and talking to some
group of people, and a woman began talking and began dominating
the conversation. Is that right? With the pastor
of the church standing there, it's not right. That's the gist
of what he's saying here, right? Right. OK. As a type, as a symbol,
as a symbol. But women may teach younger women. He says that in Titus chapter
two, the older women are to teach the younger women. Boy, what
a responsibility that is, to be an example to the younger
women. That's a heavy, that's a major responsibility, isn't
it, Nancy? You are an example to these young
people, these young ladies especially. And you can teach them, or the
children, and this too is a type of the church, and the church
can teach The Church can teach, the Lord gives the Church this
authority to teach and instruct others, but never her Lord. Verse
12, I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the
man, but to be in silence. In silence. Like I said, or like
he said, nothing could be plainer. I don't like standing up here.
I'm an uneducated man with a Kentucky drawl, and you're under close
scrutiny. Your every word, your every move,
you know, you've got to worry about this and that and the other,
and people are watching your every move and your every word,
and I don't much like this. Only a fool would want to stand
up here and be in front of people all day and open your mouth.
If you open your mouth long enough, Stan, you're going to get your
foot in it, buddy. I don't care if you are behind
the holy desk, you know, the pulpit. You open your mouth long
enough, you're going to put your foot in it. And only a fool would desire
to be here. Only a young man or a fool. And I've been both. I am both. And I don't much desire to be
up here. I really don't. But if the Lord will have me
here, then so be it. I'll be here. I'll do it to the
best of my ability according to the grace of God that he gives
me. And nothing could be plainer
here, silence. He says silence. As far as teaching
or speaking or asking questions, if she has a question we read,
let her ask her husband or at home, or if she does not have
a godly husband, ask an elder or pastor in private. God is
not the author of confusion, he said back there in 1 Corinthians
14. This is not a share session, is it? This is not a round table
here. That's what the so-called church
has turned this thing into. Let's all share. You're not having
anything to share. That's not what this is all about. God's called me to preach. God's
called you to listen. Right? I'm not saying I have
to do it. Somebody has to stand up here
and preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Somebody's got to
sit out there and listen. And the woman, she didn't learn
anything. She's asked. That's what it says, that I'm
not doing this, so Megan gloat over his wife. I believe there
are women who are more spiritual, no more than her husband, and
maybe he ought to be the one doing, asking some questions.
And if she's wise and prudent and discreet, she is the one
that's doing the teaching. But if you have a godly husband
and godly church leaders and so forth, you're not to be in
a position of authority. All right, verse thirteen, because
Adam was first formed, then Eve. Adam was first formed, then Eve. Now, what was Adam? He was a
man. He was a male. Now, the Scriptures
twice over in Genesis, he talks about the creation of man. The
first time he says male and female created him, he him. And another
time he talks about creating the man. And in bringing the
woman out of that us create man, he created Adam was first. And
a little while later, we don't know how long later, the woman
was created out of a rib out of his side. That's a beautiful
picture of Christ, isn't it? Christ was the firstborn among
many brethren. He was first. Christ is always
first. He must have the preeminence
in all things. Christ was God's son long before there was a creation,
long before there were men and women ever created. Christ was
first, right? That means he has a preeminence
in all things. And we were created later. The
Church was created later. How? Out of his side. He had his riven side. That soldier
came by and pierced his side, and out came blood and water.
Justification and sanctification. He purchased the Church with
both, bought her with a price, his own blood, his own life.
And out she came. But Adam was a male. Now male,
manhood is a symbol of strength, is it not? Certainly it is. Manhood is a symbol of strength,
power, lordship. There's never been a female lord.
There's a lady, but not a lord, right? God became a what? Woman? That's blasphemy, isn't
it? I'm not even going to repeat
some of these syllables. You've seen them. God became
a man. You know what the scripture says?
Why? Manhood is the higher symbol of strength and authority and
power. There's nothing wrong with that. There's everything
right with it. This is God's good order. It's a good thing
to be a woman. Say, sometimes I wish I was. Don't you, Henry? When my wife comes to me, we
owe this, we owe that. What are we going to do? I don't
know. Some of the other ones say, here,
you handle it. But we come to Christ, you see. He's in control. You say, well, what are we going
to do? We're not we. And he says, as being the male,
as the authority, as the dominant, as our Lord, we're not going
to do anything. I'm going to do everything. You
stand back, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. I'm
your Lord. Sarah called Abraham Lord. She
laughed one time. What are we going to do? Are
we going to have pleasure? Why is she laughing? She's just an innocent bystander
in this part, really. Adam was not deceived. Look at
verse 14. Adam was created first. Now, that bears, he has a preeminence,
just as Christ has a preeminence over the church. Verse 14, Adam
was not deceived. But the woman being to see was
in the transgression you see that you. Now this is significant. And this is great you'll see
the gospel right. Now no offense ladies. And I
don't believe God's ladies take offense godly women don't take
offense. I really don't think they do they see things very
clearly they've got more sense than ninety nine percent of the
men throughout this were especially certainly the unregenerate man. But the majority of today's followers
of all these smooth-talking preachers, you know the kind I'm talking
about. You see them on TV. The majority of their followers
are what? Women. Why is that? Paul talked about
it later on. These fellows lead captive, silly
women, right? leaving silly women led captive. They're led captive by. You know
some swab debonair fellow with every hair in place. And he looks
good. And he talks good. And they're
led captive by his sharp dressing he's got his wicked smile you
know he's led them captive and they're following him hanging
on every word groupies. You know that's what they are.
Like these and holler, you know, at rock concerts and all over
the Beatles and all that. No difference. Groupies. Groupies. Silly women led captive by the
suave, smooth-talking demons in sheep's clothing. It's true. I'm not talking about you ladies
now. Y'all aren't silly women. You're
godly women, you're knowledgeable women, you're wise women in Christ. Well, you're not silly when you're
what you're made wise by Christ, but isn't it so today's religion
are dominated by women. Now, even though he was perfect
and I'll give you five more minutes. He was perfect, yet she was deceived. And I don't fully understand
this, but I know it's so she was talked. Uh Vicky evidently
that serpent. He was pleasant to look at. He had a sweet smile. And he
looked good. And he might have took her by
the hand you know and he had some sweet smelling perfume on
her or something. And he says now you mean he had a nice boy?
And he could talk well he might sing a good song. And she was taken by him. She was taken in by it. And she
was deceived. Talked into sin. Adam was not. Right? Adam was not. Adam was not deceived. Adam saw
through that snake, didn't he? He saw Adam stood back and here's
the gospel is glorious. Here's the gospel. This woman,
this woman whom Adam loved, bone of his bones, flesh of his flesh.
She was taken captive at this serpent's will and willfully
she was led captive by him, taken in by his word and she sinned
and plunged herself into sin and misery and corruption. Adam,
being the wise man that he was, named all the animals. In the
image of God, wisdom, honor, glorious man, he stood back and
watched this whole scene. This is what happened. I'm not
making this up. And he looked at this, and he wisely, not wisely,
but he carefully pondered and thought about what he was going
to do. Isn't that what this is saying? So, Adam, what did he do? He
said, God said that we're not to eat of it. The day we eat
of that fruit, we're going to die. My wife, whom I love, bone of
my bones, flesh of my flesh, has partaken of this corrupt,
of the fruit, and corrupted herself. She's become defiled. She's become
polluted. She's fallen. She's going to
be in misery, despair. She's going to be cast out of
the presence of God. She's going to be dead and trespassed in
sin. What am I going to do? Leave
her alone? Or be a partaker with her? What did he do? Let me have a bite. He willfully did it, Henry. He
loved her. And is that not a picture of
Christ in the gospel, huh? That lovely bride, that bride
of Christ, bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh, that he loved,
foreloved, foreknew, that took to himself, that bride had defiled
herself, become polluted, dead and trespassed in sin, taken
captive of the devil at his will, and she did it willfully. Christ
is not deceived. Christ didn't have to come, did
he? He could have stayed put and let the church be cast out
of God's presence forever. What did he do? He became a partaker,
didn't he? He was made sin for us who knew
no sin. Isn't that a beautiful picture
of the gospel? Christ was not deceived. He willingly offered
up himself for love to that bride of his. You see the wisdom of
God in allowing this to happen like it did. Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that beautiful? Adam was
not deceived. Adam was the type of Christ who,
for the love of his wife, partook of her transgression. And you
know he saved her by doing so? You know Adam was Eve's savior?
Yes, he was. I'll show you that. Go on, verse
fifteen. Is this a mysterious verse to
you here? Notwithstanding, she shall be saved, a woman, womanhood
shall be saved in childbearing." Now, you remember back in Genesis
where the Lord said, God told the woman, because you did this,
because you didn't hearken unto your husband, because you usurped
authority over your husband, if you listened to him, you wouldn't
be in the mess you're in. But you listened to him. He rebelled
against me. He listened to that serpent. He didn't listen to your husband.
Because you did this, you're going to have pain and sorrow
and suffering and trouble like you've never had before. And
what did he talk about? Childbirth, didn't he? Childbirth. He said, I'll greatly
multiply your sorrow and thy conception. Now, ladies, say,
tell me if it isn't so. that now you are truly the weaker
sex now, not only physically and emotionally, and all of this
is mostly due to the reproductive cycle. Is it not true? Huh? You're so subject to emotional
fits, physical ailments. Women have all sorts of feminine
problems, don't they? They're beset with them. Their
whole lives are one problem after another because of this whole
thing. And isn't that what the Lord
said would happen? Hmm? But, he says, she's not going
to die in childbirth. She shall be saved in childbirth. Oh, sometimes when you had that
baby, you thought you were going to die, didn't you? You're getting
what you deserve. I say that kindly and tenderly,
but it's so. Do you see the whole thing? The
whole picture? Women get what they deserve for
plunging our race into this thing. But Adam got in on it, too. He
can't blame his wife. We can't blame her, either. Adam
did. And we can't even blame them.
We can blame ourselves. We sin willfully, don't we? We
can't blame Adam and Eve. Not at all. We blame ourselves.
And though a woman sometimes is at the point of death, some
do die at childbirth, don't they? Many do. Years ago. Oh, my. and women go through a great
loss of blood and energy and depression some women die of
depression just months after they have a child. All of this
is a result of the fall. All of this is a result of the
woman being deceived and usurping authority over her husband. You
see God's order in this thing. God's wisdom. But he saved womanhood
and I'll quit on this note he saved womanhood and I think this
is I think this is significant. Why? Why? You know, God could
have said, well, wipe out the woman. From now on, it's just
going to be a man. Adam, it's just me and you. It's just going
to be me and you from here on out. Oh, no, no, no, no. Somebody
else is going to come, and he's going to come from a woman. Not
a man. I see a woman. She's going to
be saved in childbirth. Why? Got to save her for something
special. Somebody special is coming. The
man! The man. The only real man. And he's going to usurp authority
over them all. And they're all going to be in
subjection to him. And, ladies, now do you see why
this thing is like it is as a result of the fall? And this is the
reason he started out by saying that a woman is to be modest,
shamefacedness, and sobriety. Why? Look what you've done to us.
I'm not making light of this. I'm just the way it is. Is that
not what you say in there? Shame-facing sobriety. Why? Your
mother, our mother, great-great-great-great-grandmother, plunged our race into misery
and destruction, about to destroy mankind because she didn't listen
to her husband. And the home will be destroyed
if that doesn't take place. And society will be destroyed
if that doesn't take place. And the church will be destroyed
if that doesn't take place. Thank God, God has given us this
understanding, right, and this wisdom. Not so us men can be
machos. If we're not going to do the
part, the woman's going to have to, or another man's going to have
to take our place. But do you see the wisdom of God? I hope
you do. Do you see the beauty of the gospel in this thing?
Huh? The man is not deceived, but
the woman being deceived is in the transgression. The man willfully
took part in her transgression. Even so, Christ was made sin
for us. Didn't have to, but he did. For
love's sake. All right, stand and I'll dismiss
it.