[Video]

NikkiLawrence:MynameisNikki,andIserveasadeaconattheFlowerMoundCampus.I'vebeen

atTheVillageforsixyears.OurpastorshavebeenkindtoencouragemethatIhavethegiftof

hospitality,andthathasledtodoingthingslikeservinginConnectionCentral,welcomingpeople

intoservice,givingtheannouncements,andleadingeventsforwomenandforsingleshereatour

church.

Asourpastorsandelderstakeseriouslythetopicofcomplementarianism,IpraythewomenatThe

Villagewouldfeelempoweredandemboldenedtowalkoutinourgiftings,notonlybytheirsupport

butalsobytheHolySpirit.Idon'tthinkthere'sacertainscriptforhowthatneedstolook,andthat's

thebeautyofit.Aswomen,wecanservethechurchandhelpothersflourishintheirgiftsifonlywe

wouldstepintoours.

[Endofvideo]

Goodmorning.Howareyou?Areyoudoingallright?Allright.IfyouhaveyourBibles,goaheadand

grabthose.We'regoingtobeinGenesis,chapter1.Weareinthebackhalfofourfallseries,andthis

backhalfhasfocusedonreallythedistinctivesofTheVillageChurch.Whenweusetheword

distinctives,here'swhatwe'retalkingabout.

Therearesomethingsonemustbelieve(doctrinallyspeaking)inheadandheartthatwouldmake

oneaChristian.ThentherearetheseotherthingsChristianswhobelievethiskindofclosed-hand

theologywilldifferonwhilestillbeingbrothersandsisters.Areyoutrackingwithme?Westarted

doingthatthreeorfourweeksagowhenwestartedwithwhereTheVillageChurchlandswhenit

comestobaptismandtheLord'sSupper.

Marked (Part 12) – The Complementary Roles of Men & Women Matt Chandler – November 5, 2017

Webelieveinbeliever'sbaptismviaimmersion,whichmeansyougetbaptizedafteryoubecomea

Christian.ThenwebelieveintherealpresenceofJesusintheLord'sSupper,whichmeanswe'renot

transubstantiationalists.Wedon'tbelievethebreadliterallyturnsintothebody,butwebelievethe

presenceofJesusisinthepresenceofhispeoplewhilewecelebratetheLord'sSupper.

Here'swhatwe'vesaid.Allsortsofpeopledisagreewithusonthatwhoarebrothersandsistersin

Christ.Methodistsdisagreewithusonbaptismonthatfront,right?Anglicans.Gosh!Evenour

Presbyterianbrotherswouldlookatthatandgo,"You'rewrong!"I'mheregoing,"No,you're

wrong!"They'relike,"No,you'rewrong."Whenwegettoheaven,wewillaccepttheirapology.All

right?(Thatwasuncalledfor.)

Thatwouldbeaspacewherethereisdisagreement,butJesusisLord,heistheSaviorofoursins,

andheistheonlymeansofgracethatmakesusrightbeforetheLord.We'rejustgoingtodisagree

onthis,andthat'sokay.It'sjustokay.They'renotheretics.Idon'tneedtovillainizethem.Ijust

thinkthey'rewrong,andtheythinkI'mwrong.Ihavedearfriendswhowouldjuststronglyreject

everythingIjustsaid,andthat'sfine,becauseIwouldstronglyrejecteverythingthey'resaying

aboutthosesubjects.

Thenweektwo,wetalkedabouttheelectingloveofGodandtheconfidencethatshouldensuein

theheartofabelieverwhentheygetthatGod'sloveforusisn'tbuiltonourmeritbutonhis

generosityalone.Thatisastunningtruth.Onceagain,alloverthelandscapeofevangelicalism

(althoughI'mreallystartingtohatethatword,suchajunkdrawer,nonsenseword)…

Nowinthemiddle,thereareallsortsofpeoplewhojustgo,"No,no.That'snotthewayitworks.

Thisisthewayitworks."It'sfine.Ithinkthey'rewrong.Theythinkwe'rewrong.It'sokaybecause

I'mjustresponsibleforshepherdingyouandnotshepherdingevangelicalism.I'mtryingtoloveus

wellandlineusupwiththeWordofGod.

Thenlastweek,IthoughtJTEnglishdidamasterfuljobofteachingontheinerrancyandsufficiency

ofGod'sWord.Ourflagisintheground.WebelievetheBible,andweknowwhatthatmeanswhen

wesaythat.Weknowtheoutsideworldisgoingtolookatuslikeweirdos.Wejustknowit!"You

believe…what?Huh?Howbackwoods,bigotedareyouthatyouwouldbelievethosethings?"

Wejustknowthat'scoming,andwe'llendureunderthataswearethepeopleofGodwhosubmitto

theWordofGodastheinerrant,sufficientWordgiventousbyGodfortheformationofourhearts

andtheinvitationintolifewhileallthewhilealsoacknowledgingtheWordofGoddoesn'tjust

createtensionoutsideofthechurchwallsbutinsidethechurchwalls.

WhentheBiblesaysitcorrects,rebukes,anddoesallthat,towhomisthathappening?Well,it's

happeningtoussoevenasChristians,theBibleisgoingtoputitsweightonus,anditwillrevealto

usjusthowmuchwe'vebeendiscipledbytheworld.ThisisoneofthethingstheBibledoes.It

showsus,"Hey,you'reactuallynottakingyourcuesfromme;you'retakingyourcuesfromthe

worldyou'vebeendiscipledby."

Reallythisisthedistinctivethatshapesallourotherdistinctives.Wehavetwoleftinthisseries.

Thenwe'regoingtorollintoAdvent,whichiskindofblowingmymind.Wehavethisweek,which

iscomplementarianismorwhereTheVillageChurchlandsinregardtoourviewoftheroleof

womeninthechurchandhome.Thennextweekwe'lltalkaboutthesigngiftsoftheHolySpirit.I

knowyou'llbeexcitedaboutthatone.Thesigngifts.TheweirdgiftsoftheHolySpirit.We'regoing

totalkaboutthatnextweekend.Thenfromthere,we'llberollingtowardAdvent.

Whenyouteachoncomplementarianism,here'swhatyoucanexpect.Manyofyouaregoingto

thinkmylastnameshouldbeCleaverbythetimewe'redonetoday,andothersofyouarelike,"I

knewhe'dfinallygoliberal.Ijustknew.AssoonasIsawhimwearingbluejeans,Ikneweventually

thatdudewasgoingtobebaptizingcats."I'mjustconfidentenoughtotrusttheWordofGodand

landwhereitlands,butIwantyoutounderstandwhyit'sjustaconfusingday.

ReallywhenwethinkaboutwhereChristianstendtolandonthissubject,therearefourmajor

categories.Iwanttoshowyouachart.Ididn'tcomeupwiththischart.IgotitfromGuyMason,who

istheAussieguywhopreachedforusacoupleofmonthsago,adearfriend.Hecameupwiththis

chartthatkindofhelpsChristianskindofseewhatthedifferentposturesareinregardtothis

questionofwomen,theBible,andhowthisplaysitselfout.

Ineedtowarnyououtofthegatethatthiswill,attheearlypartsofthismessage,bemuchmoreof

alectureasI'mjustseekingforyoutounderstandallthepieces.Thenwe'lltalkaboutwherewe

landasachurchandwhatthatlookslike.Heretheyare(biblicalChristianity):feminism,

egalitarianism,complementarianism,andpatriarchy.

Nowdependingonyourbackground,oneormoreofthosewordscouldbecusswordstoyou.

Right?Dependingonyourbackground.Here'swhereI'mtryingtojustkindofinformyou.Notice

halfofpatriarchyiscutoutundertheframeworkofbiblicalChristianity,andnoticehalfoffeminism

iscutoutaroundbiblicalChristianity.

Onthepatriarchysideofthings,youcanhavemisogynyandallsortsofwicked,evilthingsthathave

occurredinchurches,outsideofchurches,aroundtheoveremphasisofmaledomination.Thenon

thefarsideoffeminism,youhavekindofthegenderfluidityand,"Mendon'tmatter,andeverything

mendoareevil.Thereshouldbenothingmasculineintheworldthatisnotevil,oppressive,and

shouldbesnuffedout."I'msayinglet'slopthosetwothingsoff,andlet'sjustgetintohere.

Thenjustmycardsonthetable.Eveninsidethesebrackets,Ithinkpatriarchyhassomegood,true

thingsinit,butit'sanoveremphasisthatcreatesakindofunderdevelopmentinthechurch.Ithink

feminismisthesameway(anoveremphasisontheothersideofthingsthatleadstosome

underdevelopmentwherethechurchcannotflourish,andthebeautyofGod'sgooddesigncan'tbe

seenandcelebrated).That'smycardsonthetable.Let'sdiveintothesecategories,andwe'lljust

seewhattheLordhasforustoday.

ThefirstonewouldbeChristianfeminism.LetmequoteKatharineBushnell."Hereiswherethe

greatmistakeisbeingmadeonthe'womanquestion.'"Here'sthewomanquestion."Isit'prudent'

toallowwomentodothusandso?—menaskthemselvesateverystepofwoman'sprogress.The

onlyquestionthatshouldbeaskedis:Doesjusticedemandthis?Ifso,'Letjusticebedonethough

theheavensfall';anythingshortofjusticeismeremischief-making."

Allright.I'mgoingtotrytoascharitablyasIcandefineChristianfeminism.AChristianfeministis

someonewhoseekstodefineanddefendtheequalrightsofwomeninallspheresoflife,whether

that'spolitically,economically,socially,orspiritually.That'sChristianfeminism.

AllIwanttosayisIlikethatit'scharitablebecauseIhaveleftouttheviolencebywhichthey

perceivemasculinity.I'vejustcutthatoutbecausetheyviewwithgreatskepticism,fear,andanger

(manyofthembecauseofexperiencesandbackgrounds)theroleofaman,andanythingopentoa

manthatwouldn'tbeopentoawomanishostile,thatitleadstooppression.Nowtheyrootthisin

theBible.

Infact,ChristianfeministstendtolikeaboutthreeversesoftheBibleandthenrejecttherestofit.

Thisismebeingcharitable.IknowI'mgoingtogetsomeemails.Let'sjustplay.I'mjustreally

confidentinwhattheWordofGodsays.It'snotlikeIjuststudiedthisthisweek.There'safullpaper

onthisonourwebsite.

Behindthatisa60-pageexegeticalpaperthat'sjustonthetextsthatarearoundthisissue.Thisisn't

lazinesscomingout.Thisishard,longworkfromourelderboardthat'sbeingrolledoutheretoday.

Inthis,they'regoingtomaketheargumenttheologicallybasedonGenesis1:27and28.Let'slookat

thattogether.

"SoGodcreatedmaninhisownimage,intheimageofGodhecreatedhim;maleandfemale

hecreatedthem.AndGodblessedthem.AndGodsaidtothem,'Befruitfulandmultiplyand

filltheearthandsubdueit,andhavedominionoverthefishoftheseaandoverthebirdsof

theheavensandovereverylivingthingthatmovesontheearth.'"

Okay,sohere'sthetext.HereyouhaveGodcreatingmanandwomaninhisimage."…maleand

femalehecreatedthem."Hegivesthemdominion.SotheargumentChristianfeministsmakeis

thereisnodifferencebetweenthemanandwoman,andanyroledistinctionisaboutthe

oppressionofwomenandthesubjugationofwomenunderthetyrannyofmen.That'sthe

argument.

Nowinthisspace,Christianfeministstendto,becausetheyviewtheBiblewithgreatskepticism,

because85to90percentofthemwillarguetheBiblewaswrittenbymenformentoprotectthe

powerofmen.ThisistheargumentChristianfeministswanttomake.TheyviewtheBiblewitha

greatdealofskepticism,whichiswhyyou'regoingtofindmostChristianfeministstendtobe

whoeverwantstogetmarriedcangetmarriedandlandonthesideofthepro-choicemovement.

"Womencanhaveabortionswhenevertheywanttohaveabortions,andanybodywhowantstoget

marriedcangetmarried.Marriageisnotgiventothemanandthewomaninsacredunionbutis

givenandavailabletoall."They'regoingtolandfarleftonsocialissues.Why?Becausethey

questiontheBible.Becausethey'reconcernedabouttheauthorityoftheBibleandwhatthatmeans.

ThatwouldbeChristianfeminism.

Nowlet'stalkaboutpatriarchy.RememberwhatIsaidaboutthesetwo.RememberIsaidpartsof

whattheybelievearejustcompletelyoutoforthodoxy,butthenthereissomekindof…It'struth,

butit'sanoveremphasizedtruth.WhereChristianfeministswouldjustsay,"Hey,listen.We'veboth

beencreatedintheimageofGod.Wehavedignity,value,andworth,"Ijustheartilyaffirmthatand

sayyesandamentothat.Butit'sanoveremphasizingofwomansothatthereisnodistinction.We

believethere'sadistinction,adependencebutalsoadistinction.

We'lltalkmoreaboutthatwhenwegettowhereweland.Letmereadthisquote.I'mbeingstraight

withyou.I'malittleanxiousaboutreadingit,butI'mjustgoingtoreadit.Iwantyoutohearme.

Lookrightatme.Thisisaquote.Arewegood?Okay.It'sMartinLuther,oneofthefathersofthe

ProtestantReformation.

"Menhavebroadandlargechestsandsmall,narrowhips,andmoreunderstandingthanwomen,

whohavebutsmallandnarrowbreasts,andbroadhips,totheendtheyshouldremainathome,sit

still,keephouse,andbearandbringupchildren."MartinLuther,ladiesandgentlemen.Martin

Luther,notMattChandler.MartinLuther,oneofthefathersoftheProtestantReformation.Nowyou

couldsayterriblestatementslikethat,andthatisaterriblestatement.

TerriblestatementslikethatarewhatreallyledtoorganizationslikeVisionForumoutlining26

principlesmakingupthetenetsofChristianpatriarchy.ThisincludesadeclarationthatGodis

masculine.Sopatriarchsbelieve,"Hey,peoplewholandinthiscampgo,'Godismasculine.'"Here's

thedeal.Heis!Heishe,andJesuswasaman.Hewasn'tgender-fluid.Hewasaman.Hewasn't

Jessie.Hedidn'tcomeasawoman.Heisaman,man,man,man.JesusofNazareth,theman.

Apatriarchwouldarguethefamilyisthefoundationofsociety,andthey'reright.Itis.Wherethe

familygoes,theculturegoes,thecountrygoes.Thishasbeentruethroughouthumanhistory.It's

truerightnow.Infact,Ithinkyoucantrackmostoftheissueswe'rehavinginourcountrybacktoa

disintegrationofthefamilyunit,butthat'sanothersermonforanotherday.

They'regoingtoarguethisismodeledinthepatriarchsoftheOldTestamentbutisalsoupheldin

theNewTestament.FirstCorinthians11:3:"ButIwantyoutounderstandthattheheadofevery

manisChrist,theheadofawifeisherhusband,andtheheadofChristisGod."Thisissaidto

meanthatallwomenmustbeundertheauthorityofamanatalltimes.

Ladies,youwouldstartundertheauthorityofyourfather.Thenonceyougotmarried,youwould

beundertheauthorityofyourhusband.Then,Godforbid,ifyourhusbandweretodie,youwould

beundertheauthorityofyourson,yourbrother,orsomemalepastor.That'showtheywould

interpretthisverseinlightoftheOldTestament.

Inadditiontomaleauthority,Christianpatriarchyteachesmenandwomenhavedifferentrolesin

theworld.Nowcomplementariansbelievethisalso,butwe'lltalkaboutthat,becauselikeIsaid,it's

anoveremphasis.PhilLancastersaidthis:"…theGod-ordainedandpropersphereofdominionfora

wifeisthehouseholdandthatwhichisconnectedwiththehome…""Whileunmarriedwomenmay

havemoreflexibility…itisnottheordinaryandfittingroleofwomentoworkalongsidemenas

theirfunctionalequalsinpublicspheresofdominion…"

Nowdoyouseethey'rebothdoingthesamething?What'shappeninginChristianfeminismisan

overemphasisonwomenattheneglectofmen."Menaretobequestioned.They'renottobe

trusted.They'llusetheirpowertooppressanddestroy."Thenthoseonthepatriarchysideofthings

youhave,"Womencan'tbetrusted.Womenjustneedtostayathomeandtakecareofthebabies."

I'mnotinanywayslanderingstay-at-homemoms.Whatabeautifulcallingyou'vebeengiven,but

that'snottheonlycallingyou'vebeengiven.

Nowwiththatsaid,let'stalkaboutthis.Howdoespatriarchyviewwomeninthechurch?Well,

womenarenotpermittedtobeordained.Votingrightsareoftendeferredtothehusband.Women

can'tleadBiblestudies,andthey'renotallowedtoleadworshiporspeakpubliclyduringthe

Sundaygathering.Inotherwords,"They'rebetterseenthanheard.They'rebetterseenthanheard!"

That'sgoingtotakeusofftheedgesandintothemiddlehere.

Egalitarianism.Nowegalitariansargue,"AfullyauthoritativeBiblesupportsthefreedomofwomen

underChristwithoutmalesupervisiontofollowtheirGod-givencallingsandspecialgiftsofthe

Spirit,includingtheleadershipministriesofelderandleadteacher."Ifyou'relike,"Well,that

soundsalittlebitlikeChristianfeminism,"therearemassivedifferencesbetweenChristian

feministsandegalitarians.

Here'sthemajorone.EgalitarianswanttoarguefromtheBible,whereasChristianfeministswould

beskepticaloftheBible.Infact,theywouldargueculturallyandnotbiblically.Theywouldargue

frompain,notfromtruth.EgalitarianswanttotakeustotheBook.Here'swhat'sgreatabout

anyonewantingtotakeustotheBook.We'repeopleoftheBook.Let'sgettotheBook.We're

peopleoftheBook.Yesandamen.

Let'sgetintothatWord,butthat'snottheonlydifference.Theyalsoarenotsuspiciousofmale

leadershipaslongastherearenoroomsthatareoff-limitstowomen.Theywouldrejoiceinmale

eldershipaslongastherecouldbefemaleeldership.TheywouldrejoiceinmaleSundaymorning

preachingaslongastherecouldbefemaleSundaymorningpreaching.Theywouldarguefromthe

Bible,andtheywouldnotbesuspiciousofmeninleadershipaslongastheyareheldincheckby

women.

Mostegalitariansrejectthepro-choicemovementandupholdthebiblicaldefinitionofmarriageas

beingbetweenonemanandonewoman.Here'stheirtheologicalcase.They'regoingtoarguethe

pointofGenesis1and2isoneness.They'regoingtoreadthosesameverses.Infact,acrossthe

spectrum,everybodyislivinginGenesis1,2,and3.They'regoingtolookatGenesis1and2,those

sameverseswejustread.Godmadetheminhisimage.Maleandfemalehecreatedthemandgave

themdominion.

They'regoingtosay,"No,no.Thewholepointofthecreativeorderisthatthemanandwoman

werecreatedasone."Thenthey'regoingtoflythroughtoGalatians3intheNewTestament,and

they'regoingtopointouttheteachingofPaultothechurchatGalatiawherehesays,"Thereis…no

maleandfemale,foryouarealloneinChristJesus."

They'regoingtoarguethatwhatweseeinGenesis3:16(let'sgocheckthatouttogether),this

conceptofmaleheadshiportheauthorityofman,isaresultofsinenteringtheworldandwasinno

partofGod'soriginaldesignforhumankind.Let'slookatthis.Thisisthepronouncementof

judgmentonthemanandwomanforrebellionagainsthim.

Genesis3,startinginverse16:"Tothewomanhesaid,'Iwillgreatlymultiplyyourpainin

childbearing;inpainyoushallbringforthchildren,yetyourdesireshallbeforyour

husband,andheshallruleoveryou.'"Doyouhearwhat'shappeninginthebackpartofthattext?

Egalitariansaregoingtogo,"Okay,listen.Therewasnomaleheadshipuntilsinenteredtheworld.

Whensinenteredtheworld,thenyougotmaleheadship.WhenJesusChristcameandgotvictory

oversinanddeath,theneedformaleheadshipisgone.Thereisnodistinctioninrolebetweenthe

manandthewoman.Maybethereisbiologically,butthereiscertainlynotinregardtotheirroles.

Theyarethesame."

Theyargueoneness,theyargueheadship,isapartofthefall.Theyrightlyarguewithbiblical

testimony.IntheOldTestament,EstherwasinstrumentalinprotectingGod'speople.Deborah

servedasajudge,thehighestofficeofthatdaysansprophetandpriest.OftentimesIthinkthoseon

moreofakindofapatriarchalkindofviewofthingswillgo,"Yeah,butDeborahisaleaderina

seasoninwhichitwastheworsttimeinIsrael'shistory.Surelywe'renotgoingtolookatthatas

normative."

Listen.Ithinkthatargumentbackfires.IfGodisgoing,"Thisisatrainwreck.Letmeputa

woman…,"that'ssayingsomethingelse,right?Imean,it'sjustsodumbandsoblinded.They're

goingtomakeanargumentthatactuallyerodestheirposition,notstrengthensit.It'snotan

argumentthatneedstobemade.Deborahwasajudge.Shewasactuallyprettygoodatit.Youhave

prophetssuchasMiriamandHuldah.

ThenintheNewTestament,weseewomenactiveinthelifeofthechurch.In1Corinthians11,

womenserveinprayerandprophesyinginthepublicgathering.InPhilippians4,wehavewomen

evangelists.InActs12,womenareleadinghousechurches.InRomans16,wereadofPriscillawho

wassingledoutbyPaulashisfellowworkerinChristJesus.

InRomans16:7,youhaveJuniawho,accordingtoegalitarians,wasawomanapostle.Thereissome

debatearoundthat,butegalitariansaregoingtosaythisisafemaleapostle.Allofthat,theyargue

fromtheBible.TheyarguefromtheBible!Infact,thisisoneofmyfavoritequotesbyN.T.Wright.

N.T.Wrightisgoingtodrawthisup.

HesaysthefirstpersontotakethemessageofJesustoothersisMaryMagdalene.Nowthatisso

counterintuitiveintheancientworld.HereisthefirstpersontotellsomeoneelsethatJesusisalive,

andit'sawoman.Notjustanywoman,it'sMaryMagdalene.ThisisGodchoosingwhatisweakto

shamethestrong,anditseemstomethatintheresurrectionthereisaradicalrevaluationforthe

roleofwomen.

Nowegalitariansalsoarenotafraidofdifficulttexts.Thetextsthatseemtoruncontrarytowhat

they'retryingtoteach(thosetextsthatareclearlyprohibitiveandclearlyteachmaleheadship),

theycanhaveaconversationwithyouaboutthose.Letmegiveyoutwoexamplesfortime'ssake.If

youtake1Corinthians11(whichwereadearlier,whichspeaksofhusbandsbeingtheheadoftheir

wives),anegalitarianisgoingtomakeatechnicalargument.

They'regoingtosay,"Well,thatwordheadtheredoesn'tmeanheisoverherbutratherthatshe

wastakenoutfromhim."Ifyourememberinthecreationnarrative,youhaveAdamwascreatedby

God,andthentherewasaribpulledfromhimandfashionedintoawoman.SoEvecameoutof

Adam.They'regoingtosay,"Hey,headheredoesn'tmeananytypeofauthorityorcoveringbut

ratherthatshewastakenoutofhim."

Reallytheirfavoriteargumentaroundanyprohibitivetextoranytextthatcreatesstructurearound

afemale'sroleinthehomeorthechurchistoblameitonculturalnormsinthefirstcenturyand

blameitonissuesthatarebacktherethathavenobearingontoday.Letmegiveyouthemost

commonexampleI'vecomeacrossaroundthis.

WhenwelookinthebookofEphesiansandweseePaulisaskingthewifetosubmittoherhusband,

theargumentisthere'ssomethinggoingoninEphesusculturally,namelytheTempleofArtemis

andArtemisworshipandthosekindofthingsthathaveaffectedthewaytheyseeandunderstand

theworld.

WhatPaulisteachingbelongstothemanddoesn'tbearweightonus.They'regoingtodothatwith

theTimothypassagebecauseTimothyisalsoinEphesus.They'regoingtosay,"Thesetextsaren't

Paulsayingwhatheissaying.Heissayingsomethingdifferent.Heisaddressingaculturalnorm

andnotsomethingboundupincreationorGod'sdesign."Thisishowegalitarianswillarguefrom

difficulttexts.

Nowletmestopthere.Ihavedear,godlyfriendswholandhere.Ireadtheirbooks.Ilistentotheir

sermons.They'regodly,ferociousmenandwomen,andIthinkthey'rewrong.We'regreatfriends,

andwe'llsitacrossacupofcoffee.We'llhaveconversationsaroundthiscoffeeorsomeother

beveragegiventothepeoplebyGodthroughthegraceofJesusChrist.

Wewilljusthaveaconversationabout,"Okay,whatdoyoudowiththisthen?Howdoyoumake

senseofthis?Thenhowdoesthisworkitselfout?Tellmethenhowyouteasethistextapart.What

doyoudowiththis?Helpmeunderstandthis.Iwanttounderstandthis,brother.Iwantto

understandthis,sister."

Infact,LaurenandIwillbeflyingwithsomefriendsuptoNewYorkinafewweeks.BecauseI'ma

goodcomplementarian,IaskedLaurenifitwouldbeokayformetoconnectwithabuddyofmine

upthere.Assoonasshegavemepermission,Icalledhimandsaid,"Hey,wouldyouliketoget

together?"Man,Ilovehim.Heissuchagifted,powerfulpreacher,suchasmart,smartman!He

landshere,andheiswrong!

Wecanseemuchgoodandmuchbeautyinwhattheegalitarianistryingtodo,butwefeellikeit

fallsshortofthefullscopeandscaleoftheWordofGod,whichiswhywe'recomplementarians.Let

meshowyouthisbecausewehavetotalkaboutcomplementarianismbecausewehaveourown

issues.Letmeputupanewslide.Here'scomplementarianism.Whatwe'resayingin

complementarianismiswearedistinctfromoneanotherbutdependentupononeanother.Distinct

anddependent.

Whatwe'retryingtodoiswe'retryingtomovetothisplacewhereneitherisoveremphasized,and

bothmutuallyrespectandunderstand.Here'showcomplementarianismwillplayoutinits

practicalities,notitsbelief.Therearealotofpeoplewhosay,"We'recomplementarians"butactfar

morelikethoseinthepatriarchycamp,orthey'regoingtosaythey'recomplementariansbut

actuallyworkfarmorelikeegalitarians.

Here'skindofwhatwecameupwith.Therearecarefulcomplementarians.Theyarenervousabout

thisissue.They'relike,"Ohmygosh!Iknowthat'sjustagrayarea.Solet'sjusterronbeing

conservative.Yeah,Icankindofseethatinthetext.Ikindofseeyourpoint,butifwedothat,this

slipperyslope…Imean,itwon'tbelongwe'llbebaptizingcats.Thenwhatarewegoingtodoonce

thechurchbecomesthat?"

They'rejustnervous.Wedon'twanttobecarefulcomplementarians.Wewanttobeconvinced.We

wanttobeconvinced!WewanttooperateinthespacesGodhascreatedaswecelebratebeing

distinctanddependentfromoneanother.Wejustwanttocelebratethisandrejoiceinthis.Thisis

God'sgoodgifttous.

Let'stalkaboutwhereTheVillageChurchlands,andthenwe'lltalkaboutwhatyoucanexpect.This

isSamStorms.HeisjustafriendofmineandoneofthesmartermenI'veeverbeenaround."Both

menandwomenaretogethercreatedinthedivineimageandarethereforeequalbeforeGodas

persons,possessingthesamemoraldignityandvalue,andhaveequalaccesstoGodthroughfaithin

Christ.

Menandwomenaretogethertherecipientsofspiritualgiftsdesignedtoequipandempowerthem

forministryinthelocalchurchandbeyond.Therefore,womenaretobeencouraged,equipped,and

empoweredtoutilizetheirgiftinginministry,inservicetothebodyofChrist,andthroughteaching

inwaysthatareconsistentwiththeWordofGod."

"Thisprincipleofmaleheadshipshouldnotbeconfusedwith,norgiveanyhintof,domineering

control.Rather,itistobeloving,tender,andnurturingcareofagodlymanwhoishimselfunderthe

kindandgentleauthorityofJesusChrist.

Theelders/pastorsofeachlocalchurchhavebeengrantedauthorityundertheheadshipofJesus

Christtoprovideoversightandtoteach/preachtheWordofGodincorporateassemblyforthe

buildingupofthebody.Theofficeofelder/pastorisrestrictedtomen."

Letmemakethetheologicalcasehere,okay?WewouldagreewiththeegalitariansquicklythatGod

hascreatedusinhisimage.Maleandfemalehecreatedus.Wewouldagreewiththeegalitarians

becausetheyagreewiththeBiblethatwehavebeengivendominionoverthecreativeorder.Then

veryquicklywestarttodisagreeonsomethings.Iwanttowalkyouthroughthat.

Nowfirstofall,letmeestablishthis,becauseIthinkit'ssohelpfulforustoseethisinlightofwhat

itis.Atcreation,youhavethemanmadeintheimageofGod.Youhavethiskindofidylliclikeold-

schoolMarlborocommercial.Theworldiswild.Themanisthere.Hemayormaynotbeontheback

ofahorsewithaWinchesterrifle,lookingoutatruggedplains,maybeadipin.Probablynot.Sin

hadn'tenteredintotheworld.Hedidn'twanttogethisfacealleatenupwithcancer.Heislooking

outatit.

SoGodlooksatthismostmasculineofmenandsays,"Yeah,thisain'tgood."Hesays,"Itisnotgood

thatthemanshouldbealone…"Thenhesays…Thissocausesbristling,andI'llneverunderstand

whyitcausesbristling.Someofyouarelike,"Becauseyou'reaman."No.Letmeexplain.Hesays,

"Itisnotgoodthatthemanshouldbealone;Iwillmakehimahelpersuitableforhim."

ThenwhatdidGoddofortheman?Hedidn'tgivehimaGoldenRetriever.Itwasn'taLabradoodle.

Itwasn'tsomekindofnewmachinethatwasgoingtohelphimfulfilltheplansGodhadforhim.It

wasawoman,ahelpmate.Don'tbristleunderthatwordbecauseifyoustarttothinkaboutit,thatis

thesameHebrewwordusedforGodhelpinghispeople.Iwanttotrytoshiftmaybehowyou're

thinkingaboutbeingahelpmatetoaman.

Thedeficiencyinthatmomentisnotthewomanbuttheman.Brothers,thisshouldhumbleus.It's

notlikeGodwaslookinglike,"Well,thisguy'sgotit."Heislike,"Ohno.No,no,no.Thisisn'tgoing

towork.Iknow.I'mgoingtohelphim."Soourwives,oursisters,theladiesgiventousinlife,are

theresowemightfulfillthecallofGodonourlives.Withoutthem,Godisgoing,"Thisisn'tgood!"

Sodon'tbristleunderhelpmate.Thisisn'taboutgettingasandwich.ThisisabouthelpingGod.

I'msayingthatforyoumentohearandforyouwomentobeencouraged.Godhasn'tgivenmea

mate;he'sgivenmeahelpmate,someonewhoisgoingtohelpmefulfillGod'scallonmylife.For

God'sbigplanforMattChandler'slife,heknewIneededLaurenChandler.Ineededhergifts,her

abilities,hergrace,herzeal,herpassionforJesustocomeupandbolstermeup,encourageme,

speaktruthtome,andchiseloffmyroughedges.

Ifyou'reaguestandyou'relike,"Well,shehasdoneapoorjob,"youshouldhaveheardme10years

ago.Youdon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout,allright?ThisismuchmorenuancedMattChandler.

We'regoingtolookandsay…Letmegiveyouthisquote.Again,Ilovethisstuff.MaybeIshouldn't

becauseIknowwhatmyinboxwilllooklikethisweek.Here'sPeterKreeft.Ilovethis."Women

reallyaresuperiortomen—atbeingwomen."Ilovethatline!"Andmenarereallysuperiorto

women—atbeingmen."

Here'swhywethinkcomplementarianismisthespaceinwhichweallflourish.Thepointin

complementarianismismenandwomenaredistinctfromoneanotherbutdependentuponone

another.Areyouwithme?They'redistinctbutdependent.Ifyoueverwanttokindofjust

succinctlyexplainwherethechurchlands,wearedistinctbutdependent.Wearedifferentbutin

needofoneanother.Areyouwithme?

Gosh!That'ssuchgoodnews.Wehavethishelpernowwhohasbeengiventous,butthenalso

here'swherewe'regetting.We'reseparatingfromtheegalitariansandwhattheybelieve,although

werespectthattheylovetheWordofGodandwetrusttheyareseriousabouttheBibleandserious

aboutmakingJesusknownandfamous.Theyconvictionallybelievethisistrue.

We'regoingtoimmediatelystarttoargueyetagainthatevenbeforesinwasenteredintothe

cosmos,maleheadshipexisted.Letmegiveyouthereasonswhywe'regoingtolandthereas

complementarians.Inthestoryofsinenteringthecosmos,youhaveEveinthegardenwalking

aroundwithAdam.TheSerpentbeginstowhispertoher,beginstolietoher."Idon'tknowwhat

Adamisdoing.Youknow,heisjustamoron.Heisjustapassivemoron."

Eveisbeingliedto.ThenEvebuysthelie.Shebelievesthelie,andsherebelsagainstGodandthen

handsittoherhusband,whojoinsintherebellion.WhenGodshowsupinthegarden,forwhom

doesheask?Adam!Here'shisquestion:"Adam,whatisthisthingyouhavedone?"It'snot,"Eve,are

youserious?"It's,"Adam,whathaveyoudone?"ThereisaccountabilityonAdamforthespiritual

climateofhishomebeforesinisontheradar.GodholdsAdamaccountable.

Brothers,lookatme.Godhasputtheweightofthespiritualclimateofyourhomeonyou.The

flourishingofyourwife,theflourishingofyourchildreninGod'sgooddesignisaboutyoubeingthe

kindofmanGodhascalledyoutobe.Thisiswhyit'sascarythingtobeahusbandandfather,

becausethecollateraldamageofourrebellionisourwivesandchildren.Youshouldn'ttakethat

weightlightly.Youshouldnevertakethatweightlightly.Honestlyforme,itcanbecrushingifI'm

notcareful.Youseethisaccountability.

ThenevenwhenwegotothejudgmentinGenesis3…Again,we'regoingtodifferfromegalitarians

becausewethinkeveninthepronouncementofthejudgment,they'regoingtosay,"Whatyousee

inGenesis3:16isGodreorderinghisdesignbecauseofsin.Nowyouhavemaleheadshipbecause

sinhasenteredtheworld."We'regoingtosay,"No,no,no.Itlookslikemaleheadshipisthere."

Notonlythat,wedon'tbelieveyouseeareorderingofcreationintherelationalrolesinGenesis

3:16(reallythewholepronouncement)butthedifficultyinjectedintothecreativeorderasGod

designedit.InGenesis3,here'swhatyoubegintosee.Godsaystotheman,"Thegroundwillbe

hardforyou."

Brothers,quickquestion.HaveyoueversetyourfacetodothethingsthatpleasetheLord,would

servetheLord,andwouldbetobethekindofmanGodhascalledyoutoandfoundthattobe

difficult?Anybody?Just"Hey,Matt.I'vefoundthattoreallybe.It'slikethewholeuniverseis

conspiringagainstme."Okay,lookatme.Itis.It'ssinanddeath,anditis.

Thenforthewoman,hesaysthere'sgoingtobedifficultybetweenyouandyourchildren,namelyat

theirbirth.Nowifyouhavetolearnbreathingtechniquesandsoakinwaterand/orhavesomeone

stickaneedleintoyourspinalcordtoblockfeelingfromyourpelvisdown,I'mguessingthekindof

paininvolvedhereissomethingthat,bythegraceofGod,Idon'tgettoparticipatein.Right?

Thenyouseealsothatthereisgoingtobethismisfirebetweenthemanandthewoman.That's

whatwereadearlier,aboutthiskindof,"…yourdesireshallbeforyourhusband,andheshall

ruleoveryou."Heisjustsayingthatinthatmomentbecauseofsin,we'regoingtomisseachother.

Gosh!We'veexperiencedallofthis.

Marriedcouples,youdon'thavetoagreewithmebecauseIknowit'strue.Haveyoueverbeen

tryingtoexplainyourselftoyourspouse,andyoujustthink,"Hey,thisisasclearasIcanpossibly

be"andtheythinkyou'resayingsomethingcompletelyotherandactuallyoffendedbywhatyou're

saying?Sothentheycomeback,andyou'relike,"Ididn'tevensaythat!"Thenitjustkeeps

elevating.ThisisGenesis3.Again,youdon'tneedtonodatme.Lookatme.YouwillproveIam

rightifyoulookoveratyourspouserightnow.Allright?You'lljustgo,"Pastorwasrighttoday."

NowIwanttoshowyouGenesis3doesn'treorder.Lookatthis.IfyoulookbackatGenesis3:16

(thesecondhalfofthat),"Yourdesirewillbeforyourhusband,andhewillruleoveryou,"now

tomakesenseofthattext,IthinkwehavetogotoGenesis,chapter4.InGenesis,chapter4,youfind

theexacttwosameHebrewwordstherefordesireandrule.Inthat,GodistellingCainsinisoutto

destroyhim,andhemustruleoverit.

Here'sthetextinGenesis4."…siniscrouchingatyourdoor;itdesirestohaveyou,butyou

mustruleoverit."Inotherwords,desireandrulearesetastwocompetingforces.Sindesiresto

controlCain,andheisbeinginstructedbyGodtoruleandhavecontroloverthatsin."Howdoes

thathelpusinterpretGenesis3:16?"You'reaskingalltherightquestionsattherighttime.

ItexplainswhensinhastheupperhandinEve'slife,whensheisfarfromtheLord,whensheisnot

instepwiththeSpirit,whensheisnotsubmittingherlifetotheLord,itbecomeseasytonot

lovinglytrustherhusbandbutdesiretocontrolandusurphisauthority.Inthesameway,whensin

hastheupperhandinAdam'slife,whenahusbandisfarfromtheLord,whenheisnotinstepwith

theSpirit,itbecomeseasierforhimtonotlovinglyleadhiswifebutseektooverpowerand

dominateher.

Nowagain,here'swhereegalitariansandcomplementariansaregoingtoseparate.Webelievewhat

ChristhasaccomplishedisnotgotridofmaleheadshipbutinterjectedintoChristianmarriagea

reaffirmingofthebeautyofGod'sdesign.ThisiswhattheapostlePaulistalkingaboutinEphesians,

chapter5,whenhetellsChristianhusbandstolovetheirwiveslikeChristlovedthechurchandtells

wivestorespectandsubmittotheirhusbandslikethechurchdoesChrist.

What'shappeningisGodisremindingusofthebeautyofthepictureofGod'sgooddesignforhis

sonsandhisdaughters.RatherthanChristcomingandsaying,"Chandler,youhavenoauthorityin

yourhome,"thereisoneness.Nobodytakestheleadexceptwhatyoumutuallyagreeon.

Heissaying,"No,no,no.Chandler,youdietoyourself.Youleadandloveyourfamily.Youcreate

andcultivateanenvironmentwhereyourwifeexcelsinhergiftings,andyourchildrenexcelin

whatthey'vebeencalledto.Youdietoyourselftohelpthathappen.Lauren,ashedoesthis,you

lovehim,encouragehim,andrespecthim.Bythat,youwillrevealtotheworldmydesignandmy

goodpleasure."

Thisiswhat'shappeninginthehomeincomplementarianism.WhatI'mgoingtobeheld

accountabletobyGodAlmightyistheenvironmentI'vecultivatedinmyhome,which,bytheway,

willforallofusbrothersrequiresacrifice.Ihavealittlebitoftime.Laurenwillsingnextweekend.

Sheisjustagiftedsongwriter.Wesingseveralofhersongs.Sheisjustagiftedwriter,teacher.

I'llhavetoshiftmywholeweekthisweek,becausewhathappensissheisgoingtoneedtogetup

hereatoneo'clockortwoo'clockintheafternoonanddothedealwiththebandsotheycanbe

readytoplayatthefiveo'clock,whichmeansmynormalroutineisgone.I'llhavetobesuperready

topreachthisthingbecauseI'mgoingtohavetogetherelatebecauseIhavethreechildren.

I'mgoingtowatchthekids.Sheisgoingtocomeuphere.I'mgoingtohavetojustcompletely

reworkhowmyweeknormallyworks.It'snotmypreferencethatmyweekworksthatway.It'sthat

mywifehasadistinctgiftsheisgivingtothechurchasshesurrenderstoJesusChrist.God'scallon

mylifeistogetovermyidealweekandhelpithappen.

ThisisthecallofGodonmylife.It'snottogo,"Well,youknow,oneofushasreallybeencalled.It's

justevidentGodhasgiftedmeinauniqueway.SoIloveyoudothesethings,buthere'sthething.

You'resingingbackgroundvocals.WhatI'mdoingis…"Right?Imean,howisthatgoingtogo?In

fact,wewillnotpodcastthisservicejustforfearshemightlistentothat.

That'snotmyplay.Myplayis…what?"Okay,letmereordertheweek.Letmestarttofigureouthow

wecanmakethishappen."SheisheadedtoBerlinwithmyoldestdaughterinDecembertodosome

workamongrefugeesinGermany.What'smyrole?Nottogo,"Well,it'sdangerousoverthere.Well,

IappreciateGodhascalledyoutosuchthings,butugh.Ican'tbewatchingbabies!"No,myroleisto

go,"Okay,let'sfigurethisout.Let'sblessyou.Let'spayforthosetickets.Letmefigureout,letme

build,theplan."

Shewouldjokethat'swhatI'lldo.I'llliterallyhavealittleschedule,andwe'llwalkthroughitwith

thekids.We'lljustgetintotheschedule,becauseifnot,Ican'thandlethatchaos.Man,I'llfreakout.

Thisiswhatitlookslikeathome.Nowlet'stalkaboutthenwhatthislookslikeinchurch.IloveTim

Kelleronthis.Ifyoudon'tknowwhoTimKelleris,justthinkYoda.Here'swhathebasicallysays:

"Ontheonehand,womenareclearlypartnerswithmeninministry.Womenwereministryleaders.

Theywereactiveinevangelism,discipleship,education,mercyministry,leadinginthehouse

churches,aswellasprayingandprophesyinginpublicworship.Itappearsfromthisthatthereare

noministrygiftsorministriesthatareforbiddentowomen,andyetPauldrawssomelimits."

Gosh,Tim!Sowhatarethoselimits?Let'schat.EgalitariansarerighttolooktotheOldTestament

andhighlighttheferociouswomenofGodintheOldTestamentandhowtheywereused.Oneofthe

thingsI'veneverreallyheardanybodyunpackisthefactthatinallofthat(judges,queens,

prophetesses,andallofthat),thereisneverawomanpriest.Thereisneverawomaninthe

Leviticalorder.Thisisaspacethat,accordingtoGod'sdesign,therewerenowomenwhooperated

init.

ThenasweseeJesusselecthisdisciples,heselects12men.Nowmaybeit'sbecauseJesuswas

nervousaboutupsettingthesocialnorms.Probablynot.Imean,I'mjustgoingtoguessprobably

not.MaybeitwasbecauseJesusthoughtwomenwereinferior.Well,that'scertainlynotthecase.

They'realloverhisministry.Infact,whoistheonewhohaddiscoveredhehadresurrected?Who

didheappeartofirstuponhisresurrection?

What'sgoingon?CoulditbethatinJesus'selectionofthe12disciplesandintherebeingnofemale

priests,theywereharkeningbacktothecreativeorderfortheflourishingofwomenandmenin

God'screateddesign?Ithinkso.Wethinkso.We'regoingtooperatelikethisistrue.Nowwiththat

said,thenontopofthat,youhavealltheseothertextsthatarejustclearlyprohibitiveinregardto

howwe'retofunctioninourdistinctyetdependentstates.

FirstTimothy2:11through13:"Letawomanlearnquietlywithallsubmissiveness.Idonot

permitawomantoteachortoexerciseauthorityoveraman;rather,sheistoremainquiet.

ForAdamwasformedfirst,thenEve."I'lljuststopthere.Letmekindofunpackthisforyou,

becauseIthinkthisisoneofthosetextseverybodykindofbristlesat,butIwanttopointoutthe

veryfirstcommandinthetext.

"Letawoman…"What?"…learn…"Ifyouknewwhattemplewaslike,tabernaclewaslike,women

weren'tallowedinthoseinnercircles.Theyweren'tallowedtolearnaboutdoctrineandtheWord

ofGod.WhatisPaul'scommand?"No,no.Youletthemlearn.Youletthemlearn!"Thenwhatishis

argumentaroundthatofficeofelderandleadteacherbeingtomen?Isitaculturalargumentlike

theegalitariansmake?It'snot!Heispointingbacktocreation.

Hedidn'tsay,"Learninallsubmissiveness.IknowoveratthetempleofArtemistheydon'tdoit

thatway,buthereatours,thisisthewaywe'regoingtodoitasChristians."Hedoesthatinother

places.Heck,Jesusevenengagesatdifferenttimestheseculturalmoments.That'snotwhatPaul

tiesthisto.Hetiesittocreation.Thereisadesignathandfortheflourishingofmen,theflourishing

ofwomen,andthefoundationalhomebeingthiscentralplaceofdiscipleship.

Inthechurch,womenlearn.Men,becauseofGod'sdesign,youareelderswhoaremeanttodieto

yourself,toleadthepeopleofGod.Thisiswhyoneofthecaveats,oneofthecommands,foranelder

ishelovehishouseholdwell.Amanwhoisnotwillingtosacrificeanddieforhiswifeandchildren

willrarely,ifever,doitforabodyhedoesn'tknow.

Thisiswhy,whenwe'reinterviewingeldercandidates,wespendalotoftimewiththewife.Ifthat

wifehasconcernsorobjections,that'sadealkillermeetingone.Hehadbetterlove,serve.Shehad

betterlooklikeawell-wateredvinebearingfruit.That'swhattheBiblesayshappenswhenaman

loveshiswifelikeChristlovedthechurch.

Nowwhatcanyouexpecthere?Well,letmereadthis.IfIcouldjustsummarizeit,here's

complementarianism.Womenandmenareequalindignity,value,andworth.Womenhavebeen

giftedbyGodandcalledbyhimtoplayasignificantroleintheministryofthechurch.(Bytheway,

ifI'mtoofast,wehaveamassivepaperonourresourcepagewhereyoucanreadaboutallofthis.

Behindthatisa60-pageexegeticalpaper.Feelfreetokindofdiveintothis.IknowI'vehadtomove

quickly.)

NowwhatcanyouexpectatTheVillageChurch?Okay.Letmewalkthroughthisquickly.Whenit

comestohowwe'llseewomenatTheVillageChurch,howweseewomen,we'relookingatsiblings,

notsubordinates.Doyouhearme?Themostconsistentwaywearedescribedasmenandwomenin

theBibleinrelationshiptooneanotherisnothusbandandwifebutbrotherandsister.

Wearetoloveoneanotherwithabrotherly,sisterly,affection.Wewillbeseeingoneanotheras

siblings,notsubordinates.Ladies,youwillnotbeseenassubordinatesnorplayingajuniorvarsity

rolehereatTheVillage.YoucanexpecttoseewomenparticipateacrossthescopeofTheVillage

Church.YouwillseeinourweekendgatheringswomenreadingScripture,womenpraying,women

singing.Youwillseeacrossourleadershipstructurewomenwithvoice,vote,andpower.

Wehavewomenonourexecutivestaff.Wehavewomenministersaroundhere.Youwillnotsee

womenstepintospacestheBibleprohibits.JenWilkinisoneofthemoregiftedBibleteachersI've

everbeenaroundinmylife.Imean,thatwomancanteachtheWordofGod.Wewanttochampion

that,createspaceforthat,andcelebratethat.She'llneverpreachonthestageonaweekend

gathering.Sheisnevergoingtobeanelder.Sheisonanexecteam.Shehasthelargestwomen's

BiblestudyintheuniverseIthinkiswhatIread.

YettheBiblewouldsay(andshewasinthelastservicegivingmeanameninthis)thisisaspot…

Shedoesnotwantmyjob.Sheisnotgoingtodoit,butyou'regoingtoseewomenalloverour

organizationleadingandlovinginthewaysGodhasaskedthemtoleadandlove.Letmeencourage

acoupleofthings.

Singlewomen,letmechatwithyouforasecond.Ifyou'reasinglewomaninhere,here'smy

encouragementtoyou.IwantyoutofeelfreeduptogrowinaknowledgeoftheWordofGod,grow

indoctrine,growinleadershipwithouthavingtowaitforaman.Infact,Iwouldjustencourageyou

thatasurewaytosprayonboyrepellent…Areyoutrackingwithme?Ifyoudon'twantsome

immaturefooltokindofpursueyou,flirtwithyou,messaroundwithyou,justbecomeferociously

godlyandbrilliantaroundtheology,doctrine,andtheWordofGod.

Boysareturnedoffbythat.Menseeitandgo,"Praise!I'vebeenaskingforthat,Lord."He'llspeakin

atongue,right?That'snextweek'ssermon.Anyway,they'llseethat,andthey'llbelike,"Yes,Lord!

Hehasheardmyprayers."TheywilljoinAdamandsay,"Whoa!Imean,woman!Thankyou!"

Listen.Don'twait.Lead.TheSpiritofGodisinsideofyou.You'vebeengivengifts.Lead.

Singlebrothers,asyougrowinyourownunderstandingandknowledgeoftheWordofGod,of

doctrineandoftruth…lookatme…encourageyoursisters.Speaklifeintothem.Celebratetheir

giftedness.CreatespaceforthemtoleadandstepintospacesGodhasdesignedthemtoleadand

stepinto.Puttodeathyourinsecurities.

Marriedmen,youhavebeengivenacommandbyGodtocreateanenvironmentinwhichyour

wife'sgiftsandabilitiesareunleashedontheworldandonthechurchwithyourblessing,support,

andcelebration.Ifyou,inyourownbrokenness,becauseofyourownfatherwoundsorbecauseof

yourownwayareanxiousaboutwhatthatmeansandyouhaveknowinglyorevenunknowingly

suppressed,belittled,subjugated,andmadethemfeelasthoughtheyhavenogifts,thatyouare

doingisanabuseofyourheadshiponthedaughteroftheKingSovereignoftheuniverse.

Youareafoolifyoudon'tthinkHebrews12kindofjudgmentisn'tcomingforyou.Youwillnot

berateandbelittlethedaughtersoftheKingwithoutbeing,accordingtoHebrews12,scourgedas

sons.I'mjustspeakingtoyoulikeyouareaChristian.Ifyou'renotaChristian,itwillbeworsethan

scourgingfromGod.

Iknowwhenwestarttotalkaboutthis,thereisatypeofman,whichI'mbeingwaytooliberalwith

thatterm…ThereisatypeofmalewhowouldusethekindsofversesweseeintheScripturesto

keephisspouseafraidanddisoriented,feelinglikesheisthecrazyonewhilesheisbeingmentally

andspirituallyabused.

Ladies,youneedtohearmesaythis.Wearefarmoreconcernedaboutyoursafetyandyougetting

toaspacewhereyoufeelsafeandsecurethanweareaboutyourhusband'smisapplicationoftexts

hedoesn'tunderstand.Youarenotaslave,andyouarenotaservant.That'snotwhatyouare.

You'readaughteroftheKing,filledwiththeHolySpirit,givengiftsbyGod.Thisiswhat

complementarianismis.Thisishowwewanttolive.

You'regoingtoseeuscelebrateoursisters.Itshouldbeareallybeautifulpicturetotheworld

aroundusofthegoodnessandgraceofGodinhisdesign,especiallyinsuchconfusing,weirdtimes.

Thereweare.SomeofyouthinkmylastnameisCleaver,andyoucan'tbelieveyouevercamehere.

OthersofyouknewitwasonlyamatteroftimetillIwentfull-onliberal.YetwhatI'mgoingto

argueisI'mjustreally,reallyconvincedthisistheWordofGod.Let'spray.

Father,thankyouforthesemenandwomen.Thankyouthatyou'vemadeusdistinctfromone

another.We'renotthesame.We'renotthesamebiologically,we'renotthesameinregardto

makeup,we'renotthesameeveninregardtocalling,andyetwearedependentupononeanother.I

thankyouthatweneedoneanother.Ijustpraywenotblowpastthat.

Iprayallthemorewemightcelebrateoursisters,theymightcelebrateusasbrothers,andwe

mightbeseenasaplacewheremenandwomenflourishtogetherastheyhavemutualrespectand

astheyencourageoneanotherintheirgiftings.Idoprayforourhusbandsinhere.Iprayforour

wivesinhere.Iprayforoursinglemen,oursinglewomen.Blessusinthisarea.Whatan

opportunitywehavetobeapicturefortheworldofyourgoodnessandgrace.

Iprayformybrothersinherewhoarebrokenmen,whotendtobeangry,unsettled,insecure.I

praytheymightfeeltheweightofallofthatandfinally…maybefinally…seeksomehelp.Iprayfor

mysisterswhofeeloverwhelmed,oppressed,andworthless.Justbemercifultothem.Letthemfeel

encouragedtoday,beremindedofhowmuchyoulovethem,giftedthem,andcareforthem.Youare

kindandgracious.Weloveyou.It'sforyourbeautifulname,amen.

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