Acts 2:14-18, 21”
District
Superintendent
I WANT TO
THANK DAVID FOR THE INVITATION TO BE HERE THIS MORNING. THIS CHURCH IS SPECIAL TO ME. IT WAS MY FIRST APPOINTMENT IN THE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH. AND IT WILL ALWAYS HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART.
YOU
KNOW….SOMETIMES I’VE DISCOVERED THAT WHAT WE THINK IS IN THE BIBLE….REALLY
ISN’T THERE AT ALL. SOMETIMES WE DON’T
LOOK AT ALL THE BIBLE HAS TO SAY….SOMETIMES WE ALLOW OUR OWN PREJUDICES TO
INTERFERE WITH OUR BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION….SOMETIMES WE SIMPLY GET CONFUSED.
I READ AN
ARTICLE JUST THIS WEEK ABOUT A CATHOLIC SISTER WHO WAS TEACHING YOUNG
ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ABOUT THE BIBLE.
SHE GAVE THEM A BIBLE KNOWLEDGE TEST ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS AND
THE ANSWERS SHE RECEIVED WERE INCREDIBLE…Here are some of the answers…MY TOP 5:
1. Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. Noah’s wife was Joan of Ark.
2. The First Commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the
apple.
3. Jesus was born because Mary had an Immaculate Contraption.
4. Christians have only one spouse. This is called Monotony.
5. Lots wife was a pillar of salt during the day, but a ball
of fire during the night!
Well….the
truth is….sometimes we get things a little mixed up! Not only children…but also adults!
I want to begin, this morning, by saying….this is not the usual message I preach on Sunday mornings. It’s more of an informational message rather than an “inspirational” message. But I am preaching this in as many churches as I can….because I believe it is very important.
It has been a passion of mine…first and
foremost….because I believe it is BIBLICAL.
One thing, you need to understand about me: I believe the Bible! I believe it is the Word of God to you and
to me!
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism wrote: “I am a Bible bigot; I follow it in all things great and small.”
I believe that one of the secrets to the incredible growth and spiritual vitality of early Methodists was their
belief in the Bible and God’s ability to transform lives through it!
WHEN I SAY….”SOMETHING IS BIBLICAL”…I DON’T MEAN THAT YOU FIND ONE VERSE
HERE AND ONE VERSE THERE…AND USE THEM AS A “PROOF-TEXT” TO TEACH SOMETHING
THAT THE REST OF THE BIBLE DISAGREES WITH! (YOU SEE…I DON’T BELIEVE THE BIBLE
CONTRADICTS ITSELF….WHEN WE GO TO THE TROUBLE TO UNDERSTAND IT PROPERLY.)
WE MUST TAKE THE BIBLE AND ALL OF ITS TEACHINGS ON ONE SUBJECT…TOGETHER…AS A WHOLE…IN ORDER TO HAVE A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF SOMETHING.
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AND THIS MORNING….I WANT US TO DO JUST THAT….AND LOOK AT WHAT THE BIBLE
REALLY SAYS ABOUT WOMEN IN THE CHURCH AND PARTICULARLY IN THE PULPIT.
TWO OF THE STRONGEST PASSAGES IN THE BIBLE THAT LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN
IN MINISTRY ARE GALATIANS 3 AND ACTS 2.
GALATIANS 3:28-29:
28There is no longer Jew
or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ
Jesus. 29And
now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children£ of Abraham. You are his heirs,
and God’s
promise to Abraham belongs to you.
GALATIANS 3 TELLS US, FRIENDS….GOD’S CALL TO GRACE….TO FORGIVENESS…YES, TO
MINISTRY…IS TO ALL!
AND THAT WAS A RADICAL MESSAGE IN THAT DAY! IT IS STILL TODAY!
WE HAVE EVEN CHRISTIAN PEOPLE TODAY WHO DON’T LIKE THE FACT THAT WHEN IT COMES TO JESUS CHRIST AND HIS CALL…..
IN GOD’S KINGDOM…THERE ARE NO DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN RACES! (Jew or Gentile)
THERE ARE NO DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN ECONOMIC CLASSES! (Slave or Free)
(AND QUITE HONESTLY….MANY UP TO THIS POINT WOULD GIVE AN HEARTY “AMEN!”)
UNTIL….UNTIL….WE
SAY…AND THERE ARE NO DISTINCTIONS
BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
AND THEN….ALL OF
A SUDDEN….THEY WILL SAY: “WHOA!
WAIT A MINUTE! NOW
YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR!
BUT FRIENDS…IF YOU BELIEVE THE FIRST TWO
STATEMENT IN GALATIANS 3….YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THE THIRD! YOU CAN’T PICK AND CHOOSE!
THE SECOND FOUNDATIONAL PASSAGE IS IN ACTS
2…..
THIS PASSAGE IN ACTS 2 IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE DAY OF PENTECOST WHEN THE HOLY
SPIRIT CAME UPON GOD’S PEOPLE GATHERED IN THE UPPER ROOM….AND FOR THE FIRST
TIME…THEY BECAME REALLY “THE CHURCH”!
AND WHEN YOU REALLY READ THAT PASSAGE ABOUT THE UPPER ROOM YOU’LL DISCOVER
IT WASN’T JUST THE 12 APOSTLES GATHERED THERE……Acts 1:13-14….tells us that it was the apostles…the women, Mary the mother of Jesus…and his brothers. And when the Day of Pentecost came….the Bible says: THEY WERE ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE…”
AND WHAT HAPPENED THERE WAS SO UNIQUE….SO DIFFERENT THAT PETER HAD TO EXPLAIN WHAT WAS GOING ON….SO PETER PREACHED THAT FIRST MESSAGE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST….
AND PETER’S MESSAGE WAS A RADICAL MESSAGE…ALMOST UNHEARD OF…. TO THOSE
WHO FIRST LISTENED!
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT PETER WAS SPEAKING TO THE JEWS FROM EVERY NATION
WHO WERE GATHERED THERE ON THIS GREAT FEAST DAY.
HE WAS SPEAKING TO THE JEWS….WHO BELIEVED THEY AND THEY ALONE WERE THE
CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD! PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED THAT EVERYONE ELSE WAS A “GENTILE’
AND SOMETHING LESS THAN A JEW! HE SPOKE TO PEOPLE WHO REALLY BELIEVED THAT
THEY WERE THE SOLE POSSESSORS OF GOD’S SPIRIT IN THE WORLD!
READ IT ALONG WITH ME IN YOUR NOTES….
Acts 2:14-18,21 (NLT)… 14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in
those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall
prophesy.
21 Then everyone who calls on the name
of the Lord shall be saved.’
LET ME PARAPHRASE THAT FOR YOU:
PETER SAYS…”THIS IS THE LAST DAYS! GOD IS DOING SOMETHING NEW AND INCREDIBLE!
AND THIS IS IT…..GOD IS GOING TO
USE ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY TO
ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION OF THE GOSPEL!
FRIENDS….GOD’S CALL IS OPEN TO
EVERYONE! NO DISTINCTIONS! AND IF YOU A MALE OR FEMALE…AND GOD IS
CALLING YOU TO PREACH…YOU’D BETTER LISTEN!
OH….YOU CAN PICK ONE VERSE HERE OUT OF PAUL…AND ANOTHER VERSE THERE AND TAKE THEM OUT OF CONTEXT…..AND IGNORE THESE VERSES WE’VE JUST READ…. AND IT ALL SOUNDS SO “BIBLICAL” THAT WOMEN SHOULDN’T “PREACH”.
One verse in particular is….I Corinthians 14:34…”women should remain silent in the church.”
BUT….just 3 chapters earlier, I Corinthians 11:5…says that “every woman who prays or prophecies should have her head covered.” NOW…either you have to say that Paul and the Bible contradicts itself….or that Paul was dealing with a particular situation in this especially troublesome church in chapter 14. It is like listening in on a one sided telephone conversation in which they asked Paul specific questions about some difficult women who given the cultural situation in Corinth were disrupting worship. And it was to THEM that Paul said to “remain silent in the church.”
And to add to that…In I Corinthians 11:11-12 (NIV)…”In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.”
I’M HERE TO SAY
TO YOU…THAT I BELIEVE GOD CALLS WOMEN TO PREACH NOT BECAUSE I’M A
FEMINIST! (I’M NOT!) NOT BECAUSE I
WANT TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT! (I DON’T USUALLY CARE MUCH ABOUT POLITICAL
CORRECTNESS!)
BUT I BELIEVE WOMEN CAN PREACH AND TEACH BECAUSE BOTH THE BIBLE AND EARLY CHURCH HISTORY IS FULL OF SCRIPTURES AND EXAMPLES OF WOMEN PREACHING AND TEACHING MEN AND EVERYONE ELSE….IF YOU JUST TAKE TO TIME TO LOOK AT WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY SAYS…AND IF YOU DO IT WITH AN OPEN MIND…..THAT REALLY WANTS TO HEAR.
NOW…I’M FULLY AWARE THAT THIS ISN’T VERY POPULAR IN SOME CIRCLES! IN FACT, THERE ARE BOOKS WRITTEN OUT THERE THAT TELL MEN THEY ARE TO BE TOTALLY IN CHARGE OF EVERYTHING…AND THEY BELIEVE THAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR THE WORLD AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE CHURCH!
I read a story about a man who began
reading a book like that. The title of
the book was “Man of the House!” He was
reading this book during his commute home from work. So…when he finished the book…he decided he would become “Man of
the House!” He stormed into the house
and confronted his wife….pointing his finger in her face….and said: “From now on…I want you to know that I am
the man of the house…and my word is law.
Tonight, you are to prepare me a gourmet meal and a sumptuous
dessert. Then, when I’m done eating…you’re
going to draw me a bath so I can have a relaxing soak. And when I finish my bath…….guess who’s
going to dress me and comb my hair???
His wife responded: “My guess is the funeral director!”
Friends…it’s
time we take a closer look at what the
Bible really says about the place of women in the world and in the church.
For a couple
reasons:
1. I’m convinced that we Methodists haven’t done a very good job teaching why we believe the Bible teaches that women can be leaders in the church…and yes, can even preach. (prophesy) So when that other church down the road starts quoting Bible verses to us….we don’t know what to say!
2. But secondly…because we don’t know how to respond Biblically…there’s a whole lot of injustice and unchristian things being said and done in our communities against women IN MINISTRY! One example: (tell story of female clergy….a really good preacher….who was asked by the ministerial alliance to preach in the community Easter service. One local church and pastor….sent out letters to their congregation to boycott the Community Easter service….because it was a female preaching! (that same church had women teaching men in Sunday School classes…and in church leadership positions) When I left as pastor of the Methodist Church in that community….I developed a booklet describing why we believe the Bible supports women in ministry. TO MY GREAT DELIGHT…I HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE FROM THAT SAME CHURCH ASK ME FOR COPIES TO SHARE IN THE COMMUNITY!
I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE RAISE OBJECTIONS ABOUT WOMEN IN MINISTRY….
TOP 2: “Gary, I don’t know about a female preacher. You know we had one a few years ago and it didn’t work out so well.” ANSWER: “Have you ever had a bad male preacher?”
FROM A PASTOR IN A DENOMINATION THAT DOESN’T ACCEPT FEMALE CLERGY: “Gary, you know…Jesus didn’t choose a female for one of his 12 disciples! ANSWER: “YOU KNOW, YOU’RE RIGHT! AND JESUS DIDN’T CHOOSE A GENTILE FOR ONE OF HIS 12 DISCIPLES…AND IT DIDN’T KEEP YOU FROM PREACHING, DID IT???”
NOW…I WANT TO TAKE JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES TO LAY OUT FOR YOU JUST A FEW OF THOSE PLACES IN THE BIBLE THAT I SAID POINT TO THE INCREDIBLE PLACE AND INFLUENCE THAT WOMEN HAD IN THE BIBLE….(BOTH OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT)
5 QUICK FACTS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN
THE BIBLE
1. IN GOD’S ORIGINAL DESIGN, BOTH MEN AND
WOMEN WERE CREATED IN GOD’S IMAGE.
Gen. 1:27 (NLT)… So God created human
beings£ in his own image.
In the image of God he created
them; male and female he created them.
2.
IN GOD’S ORIGINAL DESIGN, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN WERE
GIVEN THE COMMAND TO “RULE” OVER THE EARTH.
Gen. 1:28 (NKJV)…
28Then God blessed them,
and God said to them, “Be fruitful
and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air,
and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
3.
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THERE ARE SEVERAL REMARKABLE INSTANCES
OF WOMEN PROPHETS AND LEADERS OF ISRAEL.
(Several
women mentioned in Scripture have been endowed with prophetic gifts, as Miriam
(Ex. 15:20); Deborah (Judges 4:4-5); Huldah (2 Kings 22:14); Noadiah (Neh.
6:14)…just to name a few.)
4. The New
Testament is full of references to women who were key workers and leaders
with Paul and
were instrumental in establishing the early Church.
Romans 16:3-4,6,12 (CEV) Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila. They have not only served Christ Jesus together with me, 4but they have even risked their lives for me. I am grateful for them and so are all the Gentile churches. 5Greet the church that meets in their home… Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you… Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who work hard for the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis. She also works hard for the Lord.”
4. THERE ARE REFERENCES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
TO WOMEN AS DEACONS, AS PROPHETS, AND EVEN AS AN APOSTLE.
Romans 16:1-2,7…(NIV) I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant
(diakonos…female Deacon…a church official) of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive here in the Lord in
a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for
she has been a great help to many people, including me…Greet Andronicus and Junias (feminine name in the original
Greek), my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among
the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was…”
Acts 21:8-9 (NIV)…Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
WOMEN WERE THE LAST DISCIPLES AT THE CROSS
AND THE FIRST AT THE EMPTY TOMB!
“After the resurrection the women joined “in prayer and supplication” with the other followers of Jesus, in
entire fellowship with them (Acts 1:14). They helped elect Matthias (Acts 1:15-26), and received the power
and gifts of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4,18).
It was the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, which became a centre of the church at Jerusalem
(Acts 12:12). Paul’s first convert in Europe was the woman Lydia (Acts 16:14). Pricilla with her husband
taught the great Apollos the full truths of the gospel (Acts 18:24-26). The four daughters of Philip
‘prophesied’ (Acts 21:9). Many others, for example, Phoebe, were active Christians and wholly engaged in the
service of the gospel.” (excerpts from the article “Woman” in “The New Bible Dictionary”)
There are many more
examples of women in the early church (especially before the 4th
Century) when women served in prominent leadership roles in the church…were
ordained and even served as Bishops.
Friends…our ignorance
of the Bible and early Church history have robbed us of many rich blessings
from God because we have allowed our prejudice to hinder God’s call of women
into ministry!
I GUESS…IF I COULD HOPE FOR ONE THING, THIS MORNING, AS A RESULT OF THIS MESSAGE….THAT WE WOULD…LIKE THE EARLY METHODISTS….BECOME PEOPLE WHO LOVED AND BELIEVED THE BIBLE PASSIONATELY…ALL THE BIBLE…AND THAT WE WOULD GO BACK TO OUR HOMES….OPEN OUR BIBLES AGAIN….AND WITH AN OPEN MIND AND OPEN HEART….ASK GOD TO GIVE US DEEP CONVICTIONS THAT THERE REALLY IS…IN GOD’S KINGDOM….
28…no longer Jew or Gentile,£ slave or free, male
and female. For you are all one in
Christ
Jesus. (GALATIANS 3:28…)