Ever want to start a fight tell a woman she needs to know her place.
Now, those are fighting words. But hear me out, I am going to try and
describe the special place that God has given women, especially mothers.
I would like to start off by telling a story about a certain woman. She
has a Ph.D. and could have pursued a lucrative and rewarding career.
Despite that, she chose to stay home with her children when they were
young, a decision she made that made her proud, though it bothered other
people that she met. They would ask her, “What do you do?” Typically,
she would answer, “I’m a homemaker. I stay home and take care of my
children and my husband.” Most people would look embarrassed for her and
cut the conversation short. Since it was bothering others, she came up
with a different response. The next time someone asked her what she did,
she said, “I’m socializing multiple homo-sapiens in Judeo-Christian
virtues so they will appropriate the eschatological values of utopia.
What do you do?”
This is a hard time to raise a family, and harder still to raise a
family in the church. Today’s culture is so Anti Christianity, our
children see it in their video games, in most television and Lord help
you when they get old enough to access the internet, they can find
ANYTHING there. When they leave home, it is no better, most colleges
have made it their mission to demean and dismiss Christianity. There is
even a movement within universities known as Biblical Minimalism that
its express goal is to remove the Bible from any consideration when
determining history. And that is just in the social areas of our
children’s lives. The political climate they are growing up in is just
as bad. Governments of the world treat Christianity as just another way
of thinking. Making no more important than any other, despite the
Christian morals that underwrite the laws of nearly every country in
today’s world. Then there are so called Christian groups committing
vandalism, assault, and worse. All of this makes showing people today
what a true Christian looks like almost impossible.
As a father that terrifies me every day, but, I would not want to face
the pressure of being a Christian woman in today’s world. They are
expected to fit the mold of womanhood portrayed by the world. Which
means they should starve themselves to look like and dress like
supermodels. They should look as perfectly made up as an airbrushed
movie star. They should have a full-time job where they devote their
effort to climbing that proverbial ladder. In addition to all of that, a
woman should find time to volunteer for multiple charities and never
miss an event for their children. And a Christian woman is expected to
meet all of those standards plus be devoted to her church, make food for
potlucks, volunteer to teach the children, help with VBS, and attend
special women’s events. (I am tired just listing all that is expected of
women. Good thing I am a guy!) And if a woman today does not meet that
mold, in every possible way, there is always someone to tell her how she
failed, not to mention a whole internet full of people to her down. And
I thought the message of “a chef in the kitchen, a maid in the house,
and,” uhm, let’s use a biblical term, “Harlot in the bedroom,” given to
the women of my parents’ generation was bad!
To combat all of that, the Bible is full of words of encouragement which
show how God values women. The world may put you down, but God lifts you
up. The world may expect the impossible, but God comes to you with grace
and a heart that accepts you for who you are. You are important to God
in many ways.
So, to this morning title, what is a woman’s place?
The first place that is a woman’s place is the home. Not like that, the
first place that is a man’s place is ALSO the home, but that is a sermon
for another day. That doesn’t mean that a woman’s only place of value
is in the home, but, as with men, it is where she should be most
valued. The home is where we are nurtured, loved, and encouraged. Women
are so much better at that nurturing thing than us guys are, and we
should acknowledge and celebrate that about the women in our lives. Home
should be where we find our meaning because it is the place of our most
important and lasting earthly relationships. God is all about
relationships. Having a relationship with other people is what it means
to be fully human. And having a relationship with God is what it means
to be a Christian.
It is in the home where we learn to live with other people. It is where
we learn to forgive other people when we are wronged whether or not they
ask for forgiveness. Ever see a child walk up and slap their sibling
then run away and fall down, and the slapped sibling go over and make
sure the child that fell was ok? It is where we learn to extend grace
when life and people become difficult. It is where we learn not to set
unrealistic expectations on each other. It is where we learn that love
is more than a feeling; it is a deep and lasting commitment that
overcomes feelings. A woman’s place is in the home, because she is to be
the recipient of these divine gifts expressed through her family,
not just the deliverer of those gifts. It is where she needs to be
shown appreciation, and told of her value to her husband, children, and
the home.
Somewhere else that is a woman’s place is the world. There is no
greater influencer of the world that will be the mothers of today. Here
is just a small sample of what some of the leaders of this country have
said of their mothers. George Washington said, “All I am, I owe to my
mother. I attribute all my success in this life to the moral,
intellectual and physical education I received from her.” Abraham
Lincoln said, “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always
followed me. They have clung to me all my life. All that I am or ever
hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” William McKinley said, “By the
blessings of heaven I mean to live, die and in all things please God, in
the faith of my mother.” Families are the foundation of society. Both
the Bible and sociologists agree on that fact, though do not tell the
sociologists they agree with Scripture! But a woman influences the
world through more than just her children.
She also influences the world through her husband. Women were created
to be the perfect partners for men
Genesis 2:18-22
18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man
should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19Now
out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and
every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he
would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that
was its name. 20The man gave names to all livestock and to
the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam
there was not found a helper fit for him. 21So the Lord God
caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of
his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22And the rib
that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and
brought her to the man.
Men were never intended to stand alone from the very beginning God knew
that men could not succeed on their own. He went through all of the
animal kingdom, and he could not find one creature that could stand
beside man as an equal. So, he created one. A partner to share life,
work, and eternity with, not a lesser creature.
Here is what Peter says:
1 Peter 3:1
Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some
do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of
their wives,
That your husband can be led to Christ by your actions alone. A wife’s
influence on her husband when the relationship is scriptural, that by
her actions alone she can guide him from the path of destruction. I
mean, wow, Jesus gave us guys a way of dealing with a brother who is
sinning in Matthew 18:15-17. Which says sometimes if he does not listen
to you, take 3-4 buddies, if he still will not listen, take the whole
church and sometimes he still might not listen! And Peter tells wives
they can lead their husbands back without saying a word talk about a
power God did not give men!
The third place that a woman belongs is in the church. Let me be
completely honest, any church that does not have women in it is not
going to accomplish much.
Titus 2:1-5: (this section is called the Qualities of a sound church)
1But
as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2that
the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in
patience; 3the older women likewise, that they be reverent in
behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good
things— 4that they admonish the young women to love their
husbands, to love their children, 5to be discreet, chaste,
homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God
may not be blasphemed.
It is interesting that Titus, a placed preacher, was told that for his
church to be a sound in doctrine that there needed to be women teaching
in it. You will notice that the students given to women are different
then the students given to men. Experienced, wise women are expected to
teach younger women, who are expected to teach their children. Where
men were expected to teach other men and their wives. So that all were
being taught the same gospel. That a woman does not get up in front of
a congregation and visibly lead does not diminish her place in the
church. As a matter of fact, taking this position that the world is so
quick to honor is a challenge that as Christians we are warned about
taking.
James 3:1
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we
shall receive a stricter judgment.
But, as one of those teachers, let me say that if it were not for
the mother’s in the congregation teaching their children, and the ladies
of the congregation teaching each other, and, well church would have to
last all day for me to teach of the groups even in a congregation as
small as ours. So do not think for a moment that a woman’s place in the
church is any less important the guy at the pulpit’s position. In many
ways it is more important, you have the future of the church under your
charge, we just have the church of today.
I want to finish this sermon by listening to King Solomon. He is often
referred to as the wise man, perhaps he was the only one. But near the
end of describing the virtuous wife in Proverbs 31 he says this.
Proverbs 31:27-29
27 She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the
bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he
praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the
Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her
in the gates.
The days of discussing business in the city gates are long past, here,
but someone did give me a pulpit. So here goes:
I know that I cannot imagine what I would be like if it were not for my
wife helping me through the changes in my life, strengthening me when I
am weak, and guiding me, sometimes literally, when I cannot find a way.
She continues to push me to learn to respond to my negative emotions in
positive ways. She drives me to be a better example of a Christian for
not only my children, but others we meet. She is what makes my life
work, and she is what makes my life enjoyable. She brings a quality into
my life that I would not have otherwise. I am a better person because of
her. Every year I love and appreciate her more. Every year I realize I
should have listened to her more, but don’t tell her I said that. Her
place is in our home, in our church, and in the world around them. She
is at her best when she feels appreciated at home, the world is at its
best when she in it, and the church benefits from her efforts. I am a
better husband because of her love, a better example because of her
respect, and a better servant in the church because of her example.
And while my wife continues to drive me to be better Christian man, I
would be seriously remiss if I did not say that it was my mother, and
father (this morning though we are concentrating on moms), who first
showed me how families should love, show grace, forgiveness, built each
other up, and how to cling together through the good and bad.
I am blessed to have been raised by a Christian woman, and to have
married a Christian woman, both of whom know their place.
If this morning you would like to follow Jesus Christ and put him on in
baptism. Or if you need the prayers of the church, please come forward
as we stand and sing.
Sermon Outlines on All Topics:
