New Testament Church Principles - Part 4 — Mike Attwood

The Service of Women in the Local Assembly

And I'd like to continue on with this subject that we've kind of been dealing with. We've been dealing with New Testament church principles over the course of the weekend and yet we said one of our difficulties is that this is a big subject and we don't have a lot of time that's been allotted to deal with it and so there's a lot of stuff that we just haven't even looked at and we won't get to look at on this occasion but we were kind of looking particularly about some of the controversial issues and particularly today very controversial the role of women in the church and I feel like I wanna keep going on that a little bit further because what we've emphasized particularly is things that women can't do.

We've said that you know they can't preach in the church, that they can't pray audibly in the gatherings of the church and so some people might say well that's a real kind of stinker isn't it? You come here this weekend and all you're going to tell us is what we can't do I don't want to do that.

I want to tell you that there is a lot you can do and so I want to talk about the significant service of sisters in the local assembly. Now you say well guys what am I supposed to do here you know they're talking about sisters well I'm sure that many of these things that we're going to share from scripture that sisters are involved in, many of them you can do too guys so I don't want you just to go to sleep at this point but I want you just to look with me at Genesis 3 just to begin with because I want to just point something out that I think is quite important for us in this context a very familiar passage.

You want to just read the first six verses. Genesis 3 verse 1 it says now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made and he said unto the woman yea hath God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden the woman said to the serpent we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God has said you shall not eat of it neither shall you touch it lest you die and the serpent said unto the woman you shall not surely die for God doth know that in the day you eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and you shall be as God's knowing good and evil and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and the tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her husband with her and he did eat and I want to just point out something about the strategy of Satan here in the Garden of Eden.

What was it that he was trying to get Eve to focus on? I'll tell you what it was. He wanted to focus on what she couldn't have rather than what she could have right because you see if you think about what she could have what she could have is she could eat from any tree except one right.

I mean she had tremendous scope that she could be be taking from and enjoying and yet he wanted to focus on the one thing that God had withheld from her. Now that worked didn't it? Part of it is doubt the goodness of God.

You see if God really loved you he'd let you eat from this tree as well you see if he really cared for you he'd give you this this extra bit as well. Well of course God loves you because look he's given you all these trees to eat from and actually he's withheld this one because well because there's a reason for that it's not going to be good for you and so in a very real sense the strategy worked and he still wants to do that today what he wants to say to you is this you know you're in this assembly and think about what you can't do.

Instead of saying look at all you can do. Look at the avenues of service there is for you there's so much that you can do that would be fulfilling and satisfying and can really be a blessing to your life but you know he wants you to think about yeah but but I can't preach and I can't pray audibly in the meeting and we play guys we play into the hands when we teach on church truth you know what we tend to emphasize we tend to make a big deal about what you can't do and so we want to correct that.

We want to say no hold on a second let's instead of looking at the tree that you can't eat from let's look at the trees you can eat from. Let's focus on what is available what you can do and the privilege of that and let's try and look at it in a positive light.

God's Love Demonstrated in Christ's Death

By the way Satan's strategy is always the same he wants us to doubt God's love for us but if we really are honest with the text of scripture this is both for guys and girls the same but we can never ever doubt now the love of God for us right because Romans chapter 5 verse 8 God's love has been demonstrated.

God commendeth or demonstrates his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and no person in this room if they're really honest with God and with scripture could ever doubt God's love for them because he gave the best of heaven for the worst of earth.

You can't doubt God loves you. I keep coming back to that when I wonder sometimes because I sometimes think how could God ever love me and then I realize well it was while we were sinners. While we were at our very worst God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us.

Biblical Limits and the Meaning of Head Covering

So back to our passage and thinking about this idea of what what can sisters do. Let's look at the trees rather than the tree and of course we at the same time want to emphasize this that why we've taught these things this weekend is because they're biblical we are saying that women are to be silent in the church meetings they're not to individually audibly address the assembly and I stand by what I said all weekend long because that's what the book says.

We want to emphasize that this is what God says and God is all wise women are not to teach. I suffer a woman not to teach not usurp authority over the man but to be in silence. We stand by that but what can they do.

Well we also talked about the covering and I want to just talk about the idea of just emphasizing again as a way of reminder refreshing our memories. One of the things we said when we talk about the covering is that one of the things the sister can do is she can't preach to men but every time she takes that cloth upon her head she is declaring to angels look what God has done in this work of new creation.

He's turned rebels into those that are now accepting God's headship order and that's a great privilege and I hope you feel you know I remember once teaching on this subject down in Florida and a lady came up to me afterwards and she said you know she said brother Atwood said I've wore a head covering for 30 years and until this morning I never understood why.

I thought. What a pity what a real pity because I mean praise the Lord that she was submissive enough to just do it and recognize not. I'm not going to make a deal with this or an issue of it but but what a difference it makes when you know why and know what you're actually saying when you do it you see and we certainly want to say that what a privilege it is to be able to do this and proclaim to the angelic realms what God has done.

And so sisters are certainly stewards of the coverings. Now look at first Timothy chapter 5 and we're thinking now particularly of the things that sisters can do that can have a profound effect in a local assembly.

Prayer and the Care of Widows

First Timothy chapter 5 and I'm going to give you not only the passages but I'm going to give examples first Timothy chapter 5 because this is a passage that deals with widows and the care of widows in the local assembly.

And somebody's stolen first Timothy out of my Bible there it is. I've got it first Timothy chapter 5 and so he's talking about the care of widows and how the the day before we look to the government to do everything for us.

And what a pity that we ever began to depend on the government. You begin to see that it's kind of putting your confidence in in something that's bent and crooked and not going to help you. But back in the day of the Bible times it was the local church that took care of widows.

If their immediate family couldn't care for them first of all it was the family's responsibility. And if the family didn't have the wherewithal or weren't there or in existence or whatever it was just she was just destitute.

Then the local church had a widow's list and they would support widows and care for them. And he started to talk about what kind of widow is worthy of being included on that list. And he says in verse 5.

Now she that is a widow indeed. In other words she meets the criteria to be supported by the local assembly and cared for by the local assembly. She that is a widow indeed. And desolate she's no other means she can't look to family because they're not there.

They're not in the picture. She's absolutely desolate but in her desolation. Where is the trust. It says she trusts in God. And then it says this she continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

And we want to focus on the the aspect of prayer and the impact of the prayers of sisters on the life of a local assembly. Now of course she's a widow. She wasn't always a widow. And I'm certain she didn't just suddenly start praying when she lost her husband.

In fact those of you that are married you realize you have to pray all the more when you got a husband right. Especially if they're anything like me and so so we're not saying she didn't just start this.

She's been characterized throughout her life as a woman who is given to supplication and prayers. Does that have an impact on the life of a local assembly. I don't know if you've ever read any of the great biographies.

John Newton. You remember John Newton. This guy amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found blind. But now now I see remember that guy slay traitor.

Remember the story of him. You know what. Wherever he went whatever he did he says he could never get away from the prayers of his mother. He's raised his dad was nowhere in the scene. He was a bit like Timothy.

His father was out of the picture not spiritual man at all. He was an ungodly uncouth man a seaman and and and yet the mother was a Christian woman a godly woman. And he said wherever he went in the world he could never forget the prayers of his mother.

Isn't that powerful. And that's ultimately what brought him to conversion. I read another one one of the Anglicans that was greatly used a fellow called Richard Cecil same thing. His testimony is that wherever he went whatever he did he was kind of a real dandy and a worldling and all the rest of it.

And he said he'd be there kind of in society events and all the rest of it be dressed to the to the tea and he'd be doing his stuff. And he said a thought would come to his mind and he'd remember his mother's prayers and he felt miserable.

He said I just felt miserable in this middle of this social gathering because I remember my mother's prayers and eventually he couldn't fight it anymore. And he trusted the Lord Jesus as his savior and was greatly used of God.

And so we can see that stories of revival. I love reading about revival and I want to tell you that it wherever there's revival you usually find there's somebody praying as a precursor to spiritual revival.

And oftentimes it's sisters. The story of the revival that took place in the the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides in in the Scottish Islands is quite remarkable because the story goes like this that Christianity was at a very low ebb the churches were just about empty.

The young people had no interest spiritually. They were too busy off dancing and doing their thing. And there were two older ladies who couldn't even get out to the meetings anymore. One was crippled with arthritis the other one was legally blind and yet they were burdened for the state of the Christian faith in the gospel.

And so they began to pray earnestly about the spiritual scene in the in the Outer Hebrides. And as they began to pray they had heard about this man called Duncan Campbell. Duncan Campbell had been speaking and God had really used him.

A lot of people got saved through his ministry. And so they began to pray earnestly about Duncan Campbell. And they called for the pastor of the church. This was the Church of Scotland church and they said would you invite Duncan Campbell.

We've been praying that this man would come and have some meetings. And they said the guy said sure will invite him. And so he wrote a letter to Duncan Campbell invited him to come and have a special series of meetings on the Isle of Lewis.

So he wrote this letter and of course Duncan Campbell was booked up for years in advance and couldn't come. He said I can't come for at least three years. So the pastor goes back to these ladies and says well this is what he said.

He can't come for at least three years. And so they looked at the pastor and they said he will come he will come. And they got back on their knees and they prayed that God would overrule these decisions and bring this man.

He was due to speak at the Keswick Convention. Now if you know anything about Christianity in England if you get invited to the Keswick Convention you've arrived. I mean it's kind of the premier preaching or it used to be the premier preaching event in the British Isles.

And Duncan Campbell is due to speak at the Keswick Convention. In fact he sat on the platform and he's the next speaker and God so burdened him with this invitation that he'd had to the Isle of Lewis that he felt convicted that if he didn't go right there and then he'd be disobeying the will of God.

So he leans over to one of the guys that was gonna speak there and he says you'll have to take my place. I'm leaving. He got a ferry went over to the Isle of Lewis and the people were there to meet him even though they had no correspondence.

And God began a revival in the Isle of Lewis. Every public house every bar shut down is still shut to this day. You can't buy alcohol in the Isle of Lewis. You can trace all that to the prayers of two women.

D .L. Moody. You know the story of D .L. Moody great evangelist. Well D .L. Moody was preaching in his church in Chicago and there were two ladies and every time that Moody would preach they would come up to him afterwards and say we are praying that you'll have an experience with the Holy Spirit.

D .L. Moody said don't pray for me pray for the lost. They said no we're praying for you that you'll have an experience with the Holy Spirit. Now I can tell you we reject the nonsense of the charismatic movement but we better be dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit to work through us or else we're at nothing right.

I mean this pendulum swing reject charismatic movement. And what we do. Sometimes we throw the baby out with the bathwater and we expect nothing from the Spirit of God. And that's wrong isn't it. God meets our expectation if we don't expect anything guess what.

He'll meet us there. So they prayed that Moody would have an experience with the Holy Spirit and Moody said don't do that. Well they kept on doing it. Thankfully they ignored his statement. And one day he was walking down New York Street in New York City and he began to experience the love of God going over him in waves and billows just was so conscious of the love of God.

It was such a holy moment. He booked himself into a hotel room and locked the door and he said that in the end he said he was so conscious of God's love for him in that room that he thought he was gonna be consumed with the love of God and he actually had to ask God to stay his hand because he thought he was gonna die because he was so conscious of the presence of God in that room.

He said he went back to preaching and he preached the same sermons. He used his sermons more than once. But he said what was different was the results. He said he would before he even finished people would get up out of their seats and come to the front broken on the conviction and sin and and receive the Lord Jesus.

And he said from that point on his ministry his souls were getting saved everywhere. Now is that amazing. What's amazing is it started with the persistent prayers of two sisters. What I'm saying is sister you may not be able to publicly pray out loud in this assembly.

And you may not be able to preach in this assembly. But I can tell you you can affect the course of the history of this assembly for years to come by being a woman of prayer. You can and and you know you don't like the preaching here.

Some other guys maybe they're not really you know kinda lighten your fire or whatever. You have two options. You can criticize them or you can get on your knees and pray that God would give them a message from heaven.

What do you think would be the most constructive. What does criticism do. Not much really does it. So so you've got that option and I can show you again and again in scripture where the scene was bleak.

The men were inept. Sadly that's so often the case. Look at first Samuel for instance the story of Hannah. You're all familiar chapter one of first Samuel. Remember how what state were the men in at that time.

Were they in good spiritual state. Well remember the Eli the high priest. I mean he went in great shape. Was he didn't chastise his own sons. And and then his two sons I mean they were just worthless.

Weren't they. I mean they were talk about unethical behavior. They were actually laying with the women that came to the door of the tabernacle and they were they were sticking their hook in and getting that which belonged to God the fat that belonged to the Lord.

They wanted it on their meat and they didn't want it sodden. They wanted it roast and remember they were just scoundrels weren't they. And the scene as far as men is concerned would just come off the back of the book of Judges.

How are men doing pretty poorly weren't they. And here comes Hannah on the scene and she begins to pray and she prays and she says Lord give me a son and I'll give him back to you. And that was the turning point.

Wasn't it in the history of Israel. Look at verse 9 chapter 1 it says. So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept sore.

And she vowed a vow and said O Lord of hosts if thou will indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me and not forget thine handmaid but will give unto thine handmaid a man child. Then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life and there shall no razor come upon his head.

There he is. He'll be a Nazarite basically. And so Hannah says just give me a son and I'll set him apart for you and I'll I'll do what what's needed in his life so that he's not gonna be an Eli and he's not gonna be one of the sons of Eli he's gonna be used of God.

And of course he began to preach. Didn't he as a young man in a circuit throughout Israel. And he began to change the whole scene and it was through the prayers of Hannah. And of course there's a there's an Anna as well as a Hannah isn't there in the New Testament in Luke chapter 2 verse 36 to 38 again when men they'd lost many them had lost the messianic hope.

And here's this lady Anna she's she's waiting for the consolation of Israel waiting for the Messiah. When everybody else had lost the vision lost the hope. Hannah hadn't and Anna was waiting. Wasn't she.

And so what we're saying is that that sisters can have a profound effect through prayer. And then we come to song Exodus 15. We've got Miriam and expressing to the Lord a song here Miriam the prophetess the sister of Aaron took a timbrel in her hand and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances and Miriam answered them sing ye to the Lord.

For he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider he hath he thrown into the sea. And so she she composes one of the first recorded songs in scripture. And I'm gonna walk away from here. Sorry about your machine here but I want just to show you something.

Women as Authors of Hymns and Worship

Anybody like this particular hymn book. I must say I love the thoughts that are contained in this hymn book. And some of our favorite hymns. Guess who wrote them. 130 inside the veil. Do you like that one.

Elizabeth dark was the composer of it. And 123 the holiest we enter in perfect peace with God. Is that a good one. Well that was Mary Bowley Peters 124. I mean we could just go on and on looking through the the hymn book and you'll see that many of the richest choicest expressions of theology distilled into song so we can remember it were written by women someone 124 the Holy One who knew no sin God made him sin for us.

And that a beautiful song that was by Hannah K Burlingham. And we could go on. And of course we could do some fresh songs. Couldn't we. Well here's a sister that has a heart of devotion to the Lord. She can express that devotion by writing a beautiful song.

Can she. And so against have sisters affected the the meeting that we're in right now. Absolutely. I mean we sing those songs we appreciate them and and the source of them is godly sisters. And of course we had mentioned the Fanny Crosby's and the Francis Ridley have a goals.

And some of the greatest hymns we saying were written by sisters. One day look at Romans 16. We're just thinking of the practical opportunities of service for godly sisters in the local church things that they can do.

Phoebe and the Ministry of Practical Care

Romans 16 verse 1. I commend unto you Phoebe our sister which is a servant of the church with which is at century a there any sisters that are servants of the local assembly other oftentimes the ones that carry the Lord our sisters on take that you receive in the Lord has become a saint.

And that you a sister in what's ever business she had have need of you. For she hath been a sukkah of many and of myself also. What is that would mean to secure means to comfort to to visit with tenderness and and to be a helper and a carer or whatever it's used a visiting the sick and needy and and showing special tenderness and care.

And it says that she had been a if you want to put it this way a comforter of many. And he says the many have been affected by this sister in our the empathetic spirit that she has. And when she goes and visits she just oozes compassion and comfort and care.

And she said and he says and myself also those I personally have experienced the love and the compassion and the comfort that this sister has given because he went through a lot of things didn't he shipwrecked and beaten and all the rest of it.

And and and yet here's a sister that just showed tremendous sympathy and comfort. And and and so that there's another example. And and for somebody who's pointed out ministry of sharing hospitality look at Acts chapter 16.

Lydia and Hospitality for Gospel Workers

Acts chapter 16 and verse 16. And it came to pass as we went to prayer a certain that's not the right verse. Verse acts 16 and verse 40. And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia the house of Lydia.

And when they had seen the brethren they comforted them and departed. So here's this lady Lydia and them she when Paul goes into Macedonia having seen the vision of the man of Macedonia. Yeah this where I wanted to look before verse 14.

Acts 16 verse 14 it tells us a certain woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira which worship God heard us whose heart the Lord opened and she attended to the things that were spoken of by Paul.

And when she was baptized and her household she besought us saying if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us. And so the idea was that when Paul went into Macedonia I don't know where he was lodging.

Perhaps at his own expense somewhere I mean put it in modern parlance maybe staying at the Holiday Inn or somewhere like that. I don't know but but basically this lady Lydia gets saved and immediately upon her salvation and baptism she wants to be involved in the in the work of the gospel.

Somehow she wants to invest in this that's been so precious to her own soul. And she says she constrained us to check out of your room and come here. I want the base of your operations in the city of Philippi to be my home.

And so while he was there he stayed in the household of Lydia. Of course it wasn't just Lydia there were other people there. Obviously she was very wealthy probably had service all the rest of it but but he benefited from the hospitality of this particular sister and she showed that to the missionary team.

They all stayed there. And and again how many traveling preachers to this day have been incredibly blessed by the ministry of hospitality. The sisters who have opened their home to the people of God. And last night we experienced that didn't we when Lydia was Jane and her household.

I know Bob had something to do with it too but but but I can tell you who the one that was doing all the work was. And you won't mind me saying this Bob. It was Jane. Right. And we talked about Priscilla and Aquila before.

Priscilla, Aquila, and Churches Meeting in Homes

Let's look at Acts 18 and verse 2 again. Paul is now departs from Athens and he comes to Corinth and he found a certain Jew named Aquila born in Pontus lately come from Italy and his wife Priscilla because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome and came to them and because he was of the same craft he abode with them so he took up lodgings with them.

So they begin by caring for Paul and giving him lodgings. Look at verse 18 it says. And Paul after this tarried there yet a while and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed thence into Syria and with him Priscilla and Aquila having shown his head in century if we had a vowel so they began to team up and they went with them.

And then that what we're gonna find is that this couple look at first Corinthians 16. As you look through the New Testament their home wasn't only open to the Lord's servants but often was the first place that a church met in a particular region.

The churches have Asia. Salute you Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord with the church that is in their house. See when a work is starting pioneering we were an island. We were pioneering.

We started to assemblies over there and guess where the church met when it started in our house by the way we had five kids and they were little kids and I don't know about ladies here but my wife we're having people over.

She wants everything looking perfect. So every Saturday night we were out there mopping the floors getting ready because on Sunday morning the whole assembly was coming in every Wednesday was the same.

And it's a lot of work to have the church in your house. It really is. And yet this this couple Aquila and Priscilla wherever you find them in the New Testament their addresses got hit to have been their mailman because their address is constantly changing and every time the church is meeting in their house.

And of course day may come that we have to go back to that especially many places where the church is under persecution. That's where the church meets in the house. And so certainly hospitality is a great ministry.

I was reading in my quiet time this morning 2nd Kings chapter 4 about the Shunammite woman. Remember the Shunammite woman and she kept seeing this guy walking past and she said she perceived he was a man of God and she invited him in.

And then she said to her husband let's build a little chamber for him you know with a bed and with a desk and with a lamp stand. And so the ministry of Elisha the prophet was certainly helped by this Shunammite woman opening her home in hospitality.

So we see that both in Old Testament and New Testament. What about sharing not only hospitality but sharing financially. Look at Luke's Gospel chapter 8. And I realize the Lord Jesus owns the cattle on a thousand hill the sheep in every mine the gold in every mine all the rest of it the Lord Jesus.

Women Supporting the Ministry Financially

But when he was here as the dependent man on earth once he gave up being a carpenter how did he live from day to day. Who bankrolled the ministry of the Lord Jesus. And the twelve. Well Luke's Gospel chapter 8 tells us verse 2.

And certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary called Magdalene out of whom went seven demons and Joanna the wife of Chusa, Herod's steward and Susanna and many others which ministered unto him of their substance.

It was the Lord Jesus' ministry was bankrolled by these ladies. Are you thankful for that. I mean let's be honest I know that he could turn water into wine and he could turn five loaves and two fishes and feed.

But those were special miracles. It wasn't the everyday thing. Every day they still had to feed twelve hungry guys. Right. And where did the funds come from that. There was a bag obviously. And somebody held the bag.

That was Judas. And so there were funds there. You don't read of them having offerings or collections. Do you don't read that anywhere. So where did it come from. Well a lot of it came from the ministry of these women who ministered out of their substance.

When the Lord Jesus pointed out in the temple about giving what was it that he pointed out. Who was it. That was the object of his attention. Remember the widow that gave her might. I can tell you from personal experience we've been involved in full-time Christian work since 31st of May 1984 was the last paycheck that I received from the electricity board.

And our longest standing person who have stood with us over these years is a widow from England. Every single month since 1984 she has sent us a small gift every month. Last week we got two gifts in the mail and our kids were the ones that noticed it and pointed out dad are these two widows.

And yes they were. Isn't that amazing. God's faithful. There's no question about it but so often the Lord's work guys you know they want all the bits and gadgets and all the rest of it. But sisters with hearts that love God and want to serve the Lord are often the ones that are so generous in supporting the work of the Lord the Methodist revival.

We've already mentioned the impact of Susanna Wesley. But there's another lady that we don't hear as much of but had a profound impact in the Methodist revival. Her name was Selina the Countess of Huntington and she was a part of the aristocracy.

She actually used to have gospel meetings in a drawing room and even invited the King of England to come and hear the gospel and Wesley and Whitfield would come and preach and all the rest of it. But she basically bankrolled the Methodist revival because there were so many people getting saved and they would have these special preaching meeting houses that they would build.

And where are they going to get the money for doing that. Well she was the one that was basically building all these Methodist chapels that you see all over the British Isles. And so again we just say the generosity of sisters and look at not only their sharing with hospitality financially sharing through good works.

Dorcas and the Ministry of Good Works

Look at Acts chapter 9 the ministry of Dorcas. Acts chapter 9 verse 36 following it says. Now there was a Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha which by interpretation is called Dorcas. This one was full of good works and alms deeds which she did.

And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died whom when they had washed they laid her in an upper chamber and for as much as Lydda was nigh to Joppa and the disciples had heard that Peter was there they sent to him two men desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

Then Peter rose and went with them and when he was come they brought him into the upper chamber and all the widows stood by him weeping and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them.

See that? I mean she was known for her charitable deeds her good works and when she died people wept she lived so as to be missed. Didn't she? And and and there were people showing all the her handiwork.

Look at all the clothing that she provided for widows and all this kind of stuff. And what a blessing she was. And there's so many things that we can do if we just have a heart for it. When we were in in in Georgia we were in a small community and the local paper they they had a obituary column every every week.