Audio Sermon: The Hidden Woman — Denny Kenaston

Audio Sermon: The Hidden Woman — Denny Kenaston

I'm sure you know by now. What the message is tonight by the grace of God? We want to talk to the Queen's tonight that are sitting over here on this side of the room. You are very special. I don't understand it, but I know that it's so and You may think I'm getting hard on you before we're done tonight.

But I just want to let you know ahead of time. You're very special. Not to me but to God and I don't understand all that but I just know this. Every time this subject comes up something unusual goes on inside of my heart and I believe it's because you're very special in the sight of God and I believe that you're one of the greatest hopes for the men that are sitting in this room tonight.

They're sitting right over here. You're one of the greatest hopes. So I desire the seeming that you not feel like you're just a woman and you have no ministry. And there's nothing special for you to do.

You're very important to God. He has a work for you to do that. Only eternity will show the fruit and result of it. Yes, the poem is true most of you Will not stand in a place where you'll receive a lot of attention a lot of praise and a lot of honor.

But eternity will show. Eternity will show. I'm very excited about the potential of this message this evening. I want to speak on the hidden woman. There's a lot of power in this room. There's a lot of influence in this room sitting over here on this side right over here.

The Power of a Submissive Spirit

And I just pray and cry and long before God today that he would give all of you sisters a vision. You younger sisters that are not married you younger sisters that maybe it's years before you get married I cry and pray that God will put a vision in your heart and put a burden on your heart for the Truth of the message that is given this evening.

We could title the message the power of a submissive spirit. I think of some of you younger girls that are in here this evening. Oh. That you would learn the power of a submissive spirit. You'll never have any power with God until you learn what a submissive spirit is all about.

So whether you're 10 years old or 5 years old or 12 or 15 or 20 or 50. You need to learn what a submissive spirit is all about because that's where all the power is for you. We could say we could title the message how to make your husband a man of God and I just begin by saying this as a reminder to us God's ways and man's ways are very different and the message I'm giving tonight is another one of those Paradoxes that do not make any sense in the natural mind.

But if we look at it in the Word of God and we obey what the Bible says. We'll get the results that God says in his Word. We're talking about a hidden woman this evening. If we could turn to Proverbs and just read a couple of the verses that were already quoted Proverbs chapter 31.

Proverbs chapter 31. We'll just read verse 10 through 12. But I'm grateful that the children quoted the whole chapter there Proverbs 31 and verse 10 begins who can find a virtuous woman and It's given as a question and I would say it's becoming a cry in America.

That's getting louder and louder and louder. Who can find a virtuous woman? Where are they in light of what we've read here in in Proverbs or what was quoted to us already this evening? We've heard the words we heard it again.

We've had our minds refreshed as to what a virtuous woman is. And yes, we can cry out against America tonight and say who can find a virtuous woman. Where are they? Where do you find them? Where do you find those women who will stay at home?

Where do you find those women who will guide their homes? Where do you find those women who will submit to their husbands? Where do you find those women who are anointed women who will be a hidden woman and support their husband and hide in the Shadows and support him and pray for him and be a blessing to him and honor him all the days of their life.

Where do you find women like that today? And I know that your heart's cry is to be all of that and I just remind you I'm not just preaching to you this evening. But who knows who will listen to a tape like this and the cry is coming out to America who can find a virtuous woman.

For her price is far above rubies. If you have found one of these women you have something more valuable than a whole handful of rubies tonight. You've got something more valuable than a big pot full of gold tonight.

If you've got one of those kind of women who will support your brethren and pray for you and stand behind you and encourage you. And lift you up and guide your home and raise your children and take care of your clothes and cook your meals and clean your house.

You've got something worth more than a big pot full of gold tonight. Who can find a virtuous woman? Ah, the heart of her husband does safely trust in her. So that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Oh What a blessing that is. She'll do him good and not evil all the days of her life. He can count on her. He can trust her. He knows what her responses will be in the thick and in the thin of life. He knows what her response will be.

His heart safely trusts in her. He knows how she'll handle the money. He knows how she'll guide the home. He knows what she'll do when he's away. His heart safely trusts in her. She's valuable. She's a jewel.

She's a handful of jewels tonight. A Virtuous woman. I think I'll discipline myself to look over here because my heart Rises up when I look into the face of some of you young men and say young men. Don't you settle for anything less?

Then a godly young lady that you know that'll live that way in your home. Don't do it. Many have settled for less. Because of some pretty little girl that had a fancy little dress on and they paid for it the rest of their life.

Don't do it young men. Don't do it find a virtuous woman. What we have here and we read these verses is we have a picture of a woman whose life is wrapped up in Being a help me to her husband his heart safely trusts in her.

He doesn't have any worry. He has confidence in her. She does him good. She lives for him. She wants to please him she wants to support him. Her life is wrapped up in him. My sisters this evening God did not make you to raise your children.

He did not make you for that. Although that's one of the duties that most of you will have in your lifetime is raising children. But God did not make you to raise children. God made you for your husband.

That's why you're here. God made you for your husband. If God had not seen the need for man to have a help me there'd be nobody on this side of the room tonight. Amen. God did not make you to raise children.

He made you for your husband. Many a mother finds her fulfillment in her children. Many a mother does that finds her fulfillment her beauty her joy her blessing in her children, but it's not God's will.

Your fulfillment is supposed to be in doing what you can do to bless the life of this man that God gave you and That's where you'll find the fullness of joy the fullness of a beautiful life the fullness of blessing the fullness of fulfillment.

That's where you'll find it. Nowhere else if you're married. If you're not married, you'll find it in doing all of that for your heavenly husband. Praise the Lord. Let's turn to Genesis chapter 2 and just read there a little bit.

Marriage and the Creation of Woman

Pray for me tonight very weary Genesis chapter 2 and we'll read verse 18 through 23 and the Lord God said It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him and help me for him and out of the ground.

The Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air and brought them unto Adam. To see what he would call them and whatsoever Adam called every living creature. That was the name thereof and Adam gave names to all cattle and to the fowl of the air and every beast of the field.

But for Adam there was not found and helped me for him and the Lord God Caused the deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman and Brought her unto the man and Adam said this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.

She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. There he named her all the other animals got a name. And when it came time to look to see if Adam had a mate. He had no mate and God brought him a maid and then Adam named her.

That's where you got your name sisters. You're called woman because Adam named you but in these scriptures as we read we can just picture these verses here's God watching his creature watching Adam whom he'd made and Speaking within his heart and saying it's not good for man to be alone I will make him and help me for him and this seems like the scene switches there and All the animals are being brought before Adam and Adam is watching them come by male female male female male female and Adam gives them names and he calls the male lion a lion and the female lion a lioness and He calls the cow.

He calls the bull and the cow and he gives them all their names and all these animals are going by Adam and it says there was not found and help mate for him and Adam knew that he was no dummy. He was a very intelligent being that God had made and he knew that he could put two and two together and realize male female male female male female male No female and then God Put him to sleep and while Adam was asleep God took out of his side a rib and out of that rib out of Adam's side and out of that rib God made a woman and when Adam woke up God took the woman and brought the woman to Adam.

Can you imagine how I must have felt? Woman male female male female male Female. Oh, he must have been delighted that day. Oh, his heart must have been thrilled. He must have been filled with joy that day when all of a sudden he woke up and found that God had given him a Help me.

You ever stop and think how Eve must have felt. I mean she was not and Then all of a sudden she was she found herself Existing. Why am I here? You've been made for this man right here. If you were not made for this man Eve, you wouldn't be here.

Can you imagine how that must have settled down over her heart. Do you think she had any problem getting in her place before the fall there? Did you think she had any problem getting in her place? I am here because of Adam and if God did not see fit that Adam have a wife.

I wouldn't even be here. What do you want me to do now Adam? Where would you like me to go? What can I do for you? Here's the true spirit of marriage, isn't it? If we could take the two of those and just both of us us brother on one side and the sisters on the other and Just meditate on the spirit of that revelation in the scriptures there.

That is the true spirit of marriage right there. The man God has given me a gift the woman God has made me for this man, and I'm a gift for this man. To be has helped me. Oh. That's a blessing the full revelation of the reality of that was upon Eve and that Revelation is it sinks down in the hearts of each one of you sisters can change your life if it hasn't already Absolutely transform your life and your home.

The Hidden Woman Behind a Great Man

Well, I'd like to make a statement at this time. I'm sure you've heard this before behind every great man. There's a great woman. That's a fitting statement to say after we've looked here in Genesis at a great man and a great woman that God gave to the man.

Behind every great man. There is a great woman. How many of you ever heard that statement before? But it's of a worldly origin. That little statement. Let me tell you what it really means. Out in the world behind every great man.

There was a great woman behind him behind the scenes. Pushing him challenging him telling him to go pushing him to do it making him great. Motivating him driving him so that he'll rise up and become a great man.

That is the worldly interpretation. That is what the world gives here behind every great man is a great woman pushing driving. Motivating that man to become something and the connotation the world gives is if he didn't have that great woman there.

He'd never be a great man. She's the one who made him. Well, that's not right. According to the Bible. Now it is true behind every great man. There is usually a great woman. But what does that mean? What is a great woman?

That's behind this great man. If I could say it this way behind every great man. There is a hidden woman and thus the title of the message a hidden woman. One who has found her role and her place and her power.

Before God and her husband according to this book. Behind every great man. Yes, there's probably a godly woman praying supporting loving admiring that man. We need that us men we need it. And if I could just say this you unmarried girls you young ladies that are here tonight I would just plead with you just to open your heart tonight.

You're kind of in a free state. You know, this message doesn't have to be at all heavy on you. You're free. You're not married. You haven't failed yet in a home. You're just a young lady. Maybe someday to be married.

I would just encourage you to open your heart up and ask God to just fill it full of the spirit of this message all evening. Make it the longing desire of your heart to become. Yay to develop the characteristics of a virtuous woman.

The characteristics of a hidden woman. Because a virtuous woman in most ways is a hidden woman. She doesn't get a lot of attention. But all someday in eternity She'll get plenty of attention. When I think of a hidden woman, I think of the illustration of J Frank Norris.

He was an old Baptist preacher that lived back in the 1930s during the Prohibition days. J Frank Norris back in the early days of his ministry was a dud. He was a flop. He was a powerless preacher. When he preached nothing happened.

Never won any souls. Never had any lives changed. He was just a preacher. I'm not sure why even got into the profession of preaching. But he was a preacher. He was a flop and he was ready to get out. He was ready to get out of the ministry.

He evaluated his life. He said I'm not effective. I'm not having an influence on anybody. God is not using me and no souls are getting saved. I'm ready to get out of the ministry. That's how he was feeling.

But he had a wife who was a hidden woman. She didn't tell him he was a dud. She didn't sit him down and tell him what a floppy was. She didn't remind him on Sunday afternoon that no souls got saved when you preach today she didn't do that.

She was a hidden woman. She was a wise woman and God laid it upon her heart. To pray and fast for her husband for three days. He did not know it. He did not know that God had laid that on her heart. She was a hidden woman.

She didn't go to him and say by the way I'm gonna pray and fast for you for three days that God will take care of you and deal with you and and Straighten your life out. She didn't do that. She was a hidden woman.

She just simply heard from heaven and planned in her heart a time when she could set aside and pray and fast for that. Husband of hers that she knew. Wasn't doing very well in his spiritual life. Well on J Frank Norris's side.

He was ready to quit. He had some meetings in a certain town in Texas and he decided well I'll go to these meetings and I'll speak this this week of meetings out and when these meetings are over I'm done.

I'm quitting. I'm getting out. He didn't tell that to his wife either. So off he went to the meetings and during that week it happened to be the very week. That the God of heaven laid upon the heart of his wife to pray.

Earnestly pray pray day and night pray without ceasing pray with a firm heart. Pray with a pure heart pray with a burdened heart for that husband of yours. He went to the meetings and preached night after night after night and came to the last night of the meetings.

He was walking down the street heading for the church house and he was saying in his heart. Well, this is the last night and I'm done. This is the last night and I'm done with the ministry. I'm not effective.

I've been here all week and nothing's happened here. I'm just I'm just gonna quit. And he walked into that church house and he got up behind that pulpit. And something happened to him. God began to move upon his heart in a mighty way a mighty way.

God's Spirit began to prevail upon him and he began to preach and he preached in a way that he'd never preached before. And when he got done preaching it was time to give the invitation and he gave the invitation and the hardest sinner in the community was sitting in the back row and he stood up and Walked down the aisle and fell down here at the altar and started to cry.

And then a young rebellious son stood up and he made his way down to the front and he began to weep and mom saw him Go and she got up there next to him and dad came up and knelt next to him on this side and and they got right with each other and Somebody else stood up and they came down to the front and the people just started coming one after another and after another and after another they came.

J Frank Norris dealt with people until midnight that night. And he called his wife after the meeting was over with and he could hardly contain himself to tell her what had happened and he kept trying to tell her and couldn't tell her and he'd break down and cry and and Get back on the phone and try to tell her again break down and cry and finally he told her.

Oh, hi God poured his blessing out tonight and we got revival going on around here and I'm a changed man and there's hope for me and he shared how he was ready to quit and all those things and she was on the other end of The phone and she just said I know honey God gave me a burden and I prayed for you and I prayed through and I knew God was gonna bless you this week.

Oh, I'll tell you that that may not be good theology to some of you. But there needs to be some sisters that learn how to pray through. You know what? That means it means you pray and you pray and you pray until you get a witness from God that he's heard your Prayers and he's gonna come through and give your answer.

I mean you need to learn how to pray like that. Well, she was a hidden woman he went back from that meeting with a new courage in his heart and a blessing on his ministry and began to preach and Souls began to get saved in his church and the church grew there in Fort Worth Texas and he got a call to start a church in Detroit, Michigan and and he pastored two churches at the same time.

He'd be in one church for one week and another church the next week and flew back and forth week by week. He'd go like that preaching the gospel and building the church and building the work of God for the kingdom of God.

All because he had a a hidden woman. Oh May God raise up some hidden women like that. We need it sisters. Turn to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 33. I Want to show you how you can make a man of God out of your husband providing is not just a rebel.

But yet according to 1st Peter chapter 3 There's even hope for him if he's a rebel if you'll listen to what I'm saying tonight Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 33 and this verse is kind of a summation of all the verses that Preceded it concerning husbands and wives.

We'll just read the last verse. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife. Even as himself and the wife see that she reverence Her husband. I want to show you how you can make a man of God out of your husband.

How you can help him to be the man of God that he should be. How you can help him to be the father in the home that he needs to be. How you can help him to be the leader in the home that he needs to be.

How he can become a man of Influence and have a ministry and be able to have an effect upon people's lives. I can be one who's known in the gates. J Frank Norris was known in the gates and he had a wife.

It was a virtuous woman. So I want to show you how you can help your husband this evening. In the Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 33 we see this one little word we want to look at that's the word reverence.

There's a lot of words hidden in that word reverence. Let me read them to you and the wife see that she reverence her husband. That is Submit to him that is notice him regard him regard what he says honor him prefer him Venerate him or give him much worth esteem him defer to him Praise him Love him Admire him Exceedingly and let the wife see that she reverence her husband reverence her husband.

Submit to him notice him regard him. Listen to what he says be concerned about what he has to say honor him prefer him. Count him of much worth esteem him defer to him. Praise him Love him Admire him exceedingly.

You want your husband to become all that he needs to become? Reverence him, you know last night sisters some decisions were made here. And of course, I knew what I was going to say tonight. But the decision got made over on this side last night.

But there's a need for some mighty powerful Activity going on on this side in order for those decisions that were made by the men last night to be carried out. You saw them you saw them walk up here. You saw them kneel down you knelt beside them.

You heard their prayers you heard the cries of their heart now. Trust them and believe in them and submit to them and notice them and regard them highly and honor them and Prefer them and esteem them and praise them and love them and admire them exceedingly.

They need all of that. They're going to carry out the commitments they made last night. They need it all of it. Let me look at it on the other side here. Just a moment. Let me tell you how you can make your husband a mealy-mouthed man one who sits in the corner.

Doesn't talk very much won't lead out in conversation. He's afraid to make decisions and always looks to you to see what you think before he speaks. Let me tell you how you can make your husband a mealy-mouthed man.

One who kind of just sits there doesn't talk much. You know what? I'm talking about just kind of afraid to move make decisions. It's kind of a wallflower. Let you lead out. Let me show you how you can make your husband that way some of you young sisters.

Just set yourselves to not notice him. Disregard what he says. When he comes home from work at night, don't go to the door or anything. Just go about your own business. Act like he didn't come home. Disregard what he says when he's talking.

Look the other way. Bring up some other subject. Dishonor him and belittle him in private and in public. Get on the telephone and tell somebody else what he's like. Disobey him. Don't put much value in him or what he has to say.

Push him to get your way find fault with him despise him. You do that for about five years and I guarantee you'll have a husband like what we just read here and I know. Or I trust that I know that nobody wants that kind of a husband.

Well, I have seen men who had tremendous potential. Turned into mice by those kind of activities and I've also seen men who had very little potential made into valuable men by women who were hidden women who honored and blessed and encouraged and admired and supported and prayed for their husband.

We're talking about a place of power tonight where you can stand that will bless your husband. We're talking about the power of submission. We're talking about the power and the influence of reverence.

Submission as Service to the Lord

We're talking about having a powerful influence on your husband and in your homes tonight. That powerful place to stand is underneath his authority and if I could just give you this reminder. Get the spirit of the message tonight.

Don't worry about all the details. Get the spirit of the message. If you get the spirit of the message you can write a new list of how to's. You can write your own book in ten years. Get the spirit of the message if you'll grasp the spirit of the message if you'll get a vision of what God can do.

Through you in your place in your home. You can write a book in ten years. Don't be loaded down tonight. Just let your heart say God. That's what I want. That's what I want to be. Help me to be that kind of woman in Ephesians again in chapter 5.

Let's read verse 22 wise submit yourselves unto your own husbands as Unto the Lord. We want to look at that verse here this evening. Illustrated a little bit. I don't know maybe when you walked in here.

You saw this chair sitting up here and you knew what the chair was all about. We're just going to use this chair as an illustration this evening. Just about every home has a chair that the husband sits in.

I have one that I sit in. In fact, I have two that I sit in in my house and Everybody in the house knows that I sit in them. I don't know if you could say it's Papa's chair. But everybody knows that's the chair that I sit in if I've been away for a few hours I'll walk in the house and sit down in my chair where I always sit and just visit with a family.

So we're gonna make this chair up here tonight. The chair that sits in your house. Where your husband sits when he walks home when he comes home in the evening. He's been away for a while and he sits down in this chair that's in your house.

Only for the purpose of illustration tonight. We're going to take your husband out of the chair. We're gonna put the Lord in it. Now. Your husband's not in the chair, but the Lord's in the chair. I'm just gonna go to your house and the door opens up and the Lord himself walks in.

Instead of your husband one evening and he walks over and he sits down in that chair where your husband usually sits. What an exciting thing. The Lord walked into my house Today, and he's sitting in the chair where my husband usually sits.

How are we going to respond? I mean the Lord's sitting in your house. Is now a blessing. How do we respond? Well, you'll probably ask him if there's anything you can get him. Lord, is there anything I can get you tonight?

Well, yes, yes there is. I'd like a cup of tea. What kind of tea would you like. A cup of mint tea? Yes, Lord. And oh you go back into your kitchen glory. The Lord's in my house. Lord sitting in the chair.

The Lord wants a cup of tea. You're gonna make that cup of tea. Oh, you'll be so excited to make that cup of tea. You'll get the best water you can find. You'll get the best tea you can get. You'll get the best honey out of the shelf.

You can get a hold of and you'll make that cup of tea for the Lord and all the while while you're making it. You know what? You'd be thinking The Lord's in my house. The Lord wants a cup of tea and I get to make him one and you take that cup of tea out there and here.

You go Lord and give him that cup of tea. And you're not gonna walk away from that chair. No, not like you usually do with your husband here. No way. I mean the Lord's sitting in that chair. You're gonna give him that cup of tea and you're gonna stand there to see how it is.

He's gonna take a little sip. Is it? All right, Lord. I said, it's a little hot. Oh, I'll get an ice cube quick and run into the kitchen and back you go and drop an ice cube in it. Is it sweet enough?

Yes, it's fine. Oh the Lord's in my house and Suppers on the table. You weren't expecting the Lord. You're expecting your husband. It's five o 'clock and your husband usually comes home, but the Lord came home tonight.

And it's five o 'clock and all the foods on the table. All of a sudden the Lord says, oh, by the way I got a few phone calls. I need to make could you uh. Hold the supper a little while till I get done with my phone calls.

Oh sure Lord. I'd be glad to do that. I'll just pick it all back up and put it back in the pan and I'll put in the oven and I'll keep it warm. You take your time and make your phone calls. Right, I Wonder if we'd even think.

Doesn't he know I made this meal. Doesn't he know how much I work for it? Doesn't he know it's already on the table. I don't even think you'd think those thoughts. I mean, he's the Lord would do whatever the Lord wants, right?

Well, that's what it means. That's what Ephesians 5 22 means wives. Submit yourselves under your husbands as unto the Lord and I was reading it in another Translation and it says as a service to the Lord.

But I thought that's beautiful. There's the Lord sitting in that chair. There's the Lord sitting in that house. You're wise. Submit yourselves to your husband and serve your husbands as a service under the Lord as if you were serving the Lord.

And I think to myself, you know. Even while I say this I don't deserve that kind of treatment and none of us do. None of us deserve that kind of treatment. I know that. But let me ask you sisters a question.

It's true. We don't deserve it. But do you think it'll make us a better man or a worse man that kind of treatment? Do you think it'll encourage us or discourage us? Do you think it'll make us feel good about ourselves or not good about ourselves?

Do you think we'll be hard on you or kind to you if you treat us that way? I'll tell you what it'll do. A Husband who gets that kind of treatment will sit in that chair and say I don't deserve this. I do not deserve it.

I am NOT worthy of this kind of treatment. What can I do for my wife? How can I show her how grateful I am for the way that she serves me? So lovingly so sweetly so submissively, that's what he'll do.

Unless he's a rebel. Just a selfish man. You know what it'll do it'll make your husband hit the altar. You know. It usually happens when I preach this sermon if I give an invitation an open one a bunch of the men will hit the altar.

They'll hit the altar and say God we don't deserve it. We're not worthy of it. We're not in the shape. We need to be. God help us. Give us the grace to be the man. We're supposed to be. That's what it does to them in.

The Influence of a Reverent Wife

Just to hear it I'm sharing a secret with you tonight. I Turn to first Peter chapter 3. This is a secret sisters. There's discontented women all over this country that do not know this secret. They don't know it.

They have no idea of it when they look at the role of a woman. They see that thing as a miserable life that they don't want to have anything to do with. When they look at their husband, they see somebody that they are setting out to change any way.

They can by nagging by complaining by Bickering at him. That's the way they see it, but I'm telling you tonight I'm sharing a secret with you how you can help your husband to become a man of God first Peter chapter 3 verse 1.

Let's read through verse 6 likewise ye wives the in subjection to your own husband's. Well, let's just stop right there and notice what it says. It says likewise ye wives. Likewise in the same manner ye wives in the same manner.

In what manner? Well, the verses that are ahead of that are talking about Christ Who also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps likewise ye wives the in subjection to your own husband's.

That if any obey not the word they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives. While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear who's adorning? Let it not be that outward adorning of plating the hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparel.

But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible. Even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God Adorned themselves being in subjection under their own husbands.