through this first epistle of the apostle to his young protege. This morning we find him, Paul that is, returning to the very important issue of corporate prayer in the life of the church. We're going to be in chapter 2, beginning in verse 8, and we're going to go all the way through to the end of the chapter in verse 15. 1 Timothy chapter 2. beginning in verse eight. These are the words of God. I desire, therefore, that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting in like manner. Also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but which is proper for women who profess in godliness with good works. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission, and I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression. Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness. with self-control. These are the words of God. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we pray for the illuminating work of your Holy Spirit and that, dear God, you would speak to us as your word is proclaimed and that you would do your work in our hearts this morning. In Jesus' name, amen. Please be seated. Well, brothers and sisters, question, have you ever picked up a glass from the cupboard or out of the washing machine, the dishwasher, and it appeared clean enough on the outside Only that when you poured the water into it and you're about to take a drink of it, you see a bunch of mildew or grime inside it. A lot of nastiness. That's pretty gross, right? We want a cup that's clean outside, for sure. That's important. But also one that's clean on the inside as well, right? Our Lord Jesus uses that very picture in his interactions with the hypocritical Pharisees of his day. They looked very holy externally, but internally the Pharisees were unrepentant and evil men, though they didn't appear to be, that's what they were in reality. In Luke 11, the Pharisees are indignant with our Lord Jesus for not following their man-made tradition of washing before dinner. This was something that they claimed had come from Moses and the elders, but in reality, we know was nothing but a tradition of men, that they were binding on the consciences of the people unlawfully. Jesus didn't go along with that. They criticized him for that, for not washing. And the Lord Jesus says this to them, Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and the dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones, did not he who made the outside of the cup make the inside also? God is concerned, beloved, not just with our external actions, though those certainly matter, they're important, but He's not just concerned with our external actions. He is concerned with our hearts. The question that the Scripture continually places before us as we read it, as it examines us, is, are our good works a mere show, or are they expressions a conscience and a heart that have been purified by God's grace in the gospel. A desire, a true sincere desire to serve Him. Scripture says, for the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart. Now in today's passage we see God's servant, the Apostle Paul, with the very same concern. The concern for those very same two things. He desires for both the external matters of the church's public worship as well as the internal matters. He desires for both of those things to be in order. He wants to see that things are being conducted in order, the congregation, but he also wants the worshippers' hearts to be in happy submission to God. Now Paul returns, we see here, from his initial charge. He returns to it from verse one, this charge to Timothy to ensure that the local church is engaged in corporate prayer. In verse eight, he repeats that instruction to Timothy, saying, I desire, therefore, that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. Now, this is not a suggestion. that we are free to disregard. We don't have the liberty to ignore the desire of this inspired apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. No, we believe, do we not, brothers and sisters, that Paul is speaking as an official ambassador and mouthpiece for the church's king, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul is saying that I, an apostle, I desire this, thereby revealing to us that corporate prayer is of the utmost importance to the life of the local church. Now to that point, I want you to notice three things from verse 8. First, we are reminded of our Lord's words to the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4, when Christ says the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father, but that the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in Now brethren, this is one of the great freedoms of the New Covenant that I think we don't think about enough. This wonderful privilege that is ours. This great freedom of the New Covenant. One of these freedoms is that we can gather anywhere as a church. Wherever the church gathers, Christ is present. We do not have to go in the temple Jerusalem to worship God. No, when in the gospel age, when we come together as a church, we are the temple of God. And this is why Paul can say that, I desire that men pray everywhere, everywhere. because the external ordinances of the old covenant worship have passed away, and they have made way for the simplicity of new covenant worship. Churches can meet anywhere because anywhere a church meets, the Spirit of God meets with the people of God in a covenantal way. in a building like this that we're grateful to have just recently secured the lease for, the Holiday Inn conference room like we were meeting in a couple of months ago, a restaurant in Leveria, Costa Rica where our brethren down there used to meet on the Lord's Day, an open field in a cave like the persecuted Christians of the first century. Gospel worship occurs everywhere on the Lord's day, all over the globe as people assemble in Jesus' name to offer worship to the triune God. Secondly, we see that Paul commands for the men to lead the church in its corporate prayers. That is, not men and women. No, the inspired apostle desires for the men to act as the church's mouthpiece when it comes together. Now, before in this chapter, when Paul was commanding the church to pray for all men, you see that in verse 1, and teaching that God desires all men to be saved, that's verses 4 and 5, he was using the Greek word anthropos. Anthropos basically means people generally, mankind, men and women, right? But here in verse 8, Paul switches to another Greek word, pardon my pronunciation, the Greek word aynor, which means, according to one lexicon, an adult human male, man, husband, in contrast to woman. So this is explicit, brethren, that Paul is going out of his way using a different word than he was using previously to be specific and crystal clear that only men should be leading by praying aloud on behalf of the church's gathered assemblies. And we'll have more on that later. But thirdly, Verse 8 also shows us that Paul wants the men to lead the prayers while having a good conscience. He wants them to be righteous men as they offer up this act of worship to God, and he communicates that by the expression, lifting holy hands. Now, when you read the Bible, you will find that lifting up of the hands is a common posture in worship and prayer. Here are just two examples, and there are many more. Nehemiah 8, verse 6, Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, Amen, Amen, while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their face to the ground. Psalm 142, I'm sorry, 141, verse 2, let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." Lifting up your hands signifies an appeal to heaven, where God sits enthroned and reigning in unapproachable light. Now that's an appropriate posture to take when we are worshiping and praying God. It's very biblical. But we see that Paul's concern here is that the hands that the men are lifting up be holy. In other words, the outward sign of prayer must be accompanied by an inward reality in the men's hearts. He expounds this by saying that the men must be without, so he said with holy hands, without wrath and doubting. Now the men, we can understand from that phrase, must be peaceful men. They must be men who are meek and kind and just. That doesn't mean pushovers, but they must not be men who are looking for a fight, men who love conflict. They must not be brawlers. They must not be prone to anger. They must not be unforgiving. They must not be men prone to bitterness and strife with one another and enmity. Such attitudes and behavior, we well can understand, would be a terrible source of division in the church, and it is a way for Satan, the enemy of our souls, to slither in and cause destruction. We also know this, beloved, that unrepentant sin is a hindrance to our prayers. Otherwise, Peter would not have commanded husbands to give honor to their wives so that their prayers would not be hindered. James tells us that it is the prayer of a righteous man that avails much. Now, surely, we are all justified by faith alone in Christ Jesus, and that by imputation, not our own righteousness. It is His righteousness alone that saves us. And yet, in this life, we are all called to pursue the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Christ's Spirit empowers us every day to put the deeds of the flesh to death. Now, when we do fall into sin, God does not cast us off. But our communion with him is damaged so long as we persist in sin. And God, as a loving father, disciplines us to bring us back to where we need to be. And sometimes, brethren, not always, but sometimes, one of those ways God disciplines us is through unanswered prayers. Paul wants to ensure that as the church prays, it does so while it is also striving for holiness and true unity. The church must not make allowance for unrepentant sin. Paul desires for all the men to be sowing to the Spirit, availing themselves of God's forgiveness, God's grace, lest they be hypocrites. like the Pharisees, who our Lord Jesus very explicitly teaches us in the Gospels. Their prayers, though they outwardly were very impressive, you know, the long, lofty language, they were not pleasing to God because inwardly they were ravenous wolves, right? Now, I think we can all see, beloved, how inappropriate it is for a man to lead the church's prayers while harboring bitterness and resentment in his heart. But now we come to verse 9. And as we look at it, we see Paul shifting focus from the men of the church to the women and how they should conduct themselves in corporate prayer. He writes that he desires for the women in like manner to adorn themselves in modest apparel with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing. You'll notice here the way Paul says, in like manner also. He's basically saying, I've just given instruction to the men for how to conduct themselves in corporate prayer. Now I'm giving instructions for the women, how they are to conduct themselves in corporate prayer. And once again, what is Paul doing? He is addressing inward and outward matters. Outwardly, The Apostle is concerned that the women be dressed modestly." And notice how he expresses that both positively and negatively. He says, with propriety and moderation, and not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing. The sisters should dress for church in such a way that they exhibit, and some of your translations might even use this word, such that they exhibit reasonableness. temperance, humility. In other words, they should be demonstrating sober-mindedness and self-control, not being ostentatious or flamboyant, perhaps you could say. They should not be dressing in a showy way such as to draw attention to themselves. The women must not go overboard, if you will. with their hair and with their clothes. Paul forbids the sisters to dress in such a way that flaunts wealth. He forbids them from dressing in such a way that shows pride and vanity, meaning that the charge is to not dress in such a way that people's attention is drawn towards you rather than towards the Lord, I've heard it said one way. Now, Another thing that we can take from this, brothers and sisters, is that the sisters should not dress in such a way as to make poorer saints feel inferior, because they couldn't afford those nice clothes. We are all one in Christ, right? That there is no division or distinction among us. Apostle wants women to regard the inward adornment of their souls as being the most important. Proverbs reminds us that charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. The Apostle Peter speaks in a similar way when he writes, do not let your adornment be merely outward, arranging the hair, wearing gold, putting on fine apparel. Rather, let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious inside of God. It's the inward beauty of love for Christ. humility before God and man. That is what is most important. Sisters, that inner beauty will never fade with age. God smiles upon such an attitude of the heart, one that is gentle, one that is kind and submissive and having been cleansed by Christ in the gospel. Now, Two questions will inevitably arise from this verse, and I'll address them both briefly. Is Paul forbidding women to wear nice clothes in church? No. No, it is a misreading of this passage to teach that women can't wear makeup, they can't wear jewelry, or that they must wear the proverbial potato sack, and yet This text can't be ignored, brethren. Paul is forbidding something. He is forbidding that the women, the sisters, wear flamboyant clothes in church, clothing that exalts and promotes their own vanity. or clothing that marginalizes other saints. And he certainly forbids dressing in such a way that outward beauty has more time devoted to it than inward beauty. Now my dear sisters, do you spend more time preparing your outfit for Sunday than you do preparing your heart for Sunday? If so, then this passage is a correction to you. But now, before we move on, I must briefly address the next question, the hot topic that will come up, and that of modesty. The principles which Paul gives us here clearly forbid the sisters from dressing in ways that flaunt the body, ways that are sexually enticing, ways that expose a lot of skin, Now, and that's not just in the church, that's anywhere. Now, different brethren inevitably draw different lines in different places for them and their families. But this is something that should be thought through soberly, brothers and sisters. It should be taken seriously, and brother husbands, I think that we can do better in helping our wives with some of these questions. But to all you sisters, single or married, whatever your position in life is right now, I would charge you to reflect before the Lord if the way that you dress honors Christ. Do you dress in a worldly way that entices lust or in a way that would tempt other women even to perhaps envy your body? This is not proper for Christian women. We must not allow our society to dictate standards to us that are contrary to the standards which this inspired apostle is giving us in the scriptures. The apostle gives us more instruction in verse 10. What does he want the sisters adorned with? Well, he tells us, and it's really the same thing as the men, holiness. Look what he says. He says, Brothers and sisters, our good works adorn our profession of the gospel. They flow out of that new heart that has been given to us by God in Christ. Those good works are what we should desire for others to see. not our fancy, beautiful, flamboyant outfits. No, it is our good works which we should seek to prioritize as our adornment. And that not for our sakes. This isn't self-promotion. This isn't vanity. This is for the sake of the glory of God. Jesus says, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify not you, your Father, who is in heaven. Our good works bring honor to Jesus because it is his spirit that empowers us to do them. And these outward fruits of our salvation, these are the adornment and beauty that Paul wants all of us to prioritize, certainly, but in this context, particularly the sisters in the church. In verse 11, he continues, let a woman learn in silence with all submission. Now, you'll notice here a very intentional contrast between the men and the women in the church in this manner. The brothers are to lift up spoken prayers. The sisters are to remain quiet. They join in the prayers, certainly, but they do so through silent participation. Now, this is not the only place in the scriptures where this matter is addressed. Apostle Paul gives these same instructions to the Corinthian church. In chapter 14, he writes, Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for women to speak in church. Now that makes many people uncomfortable today, beloved. I don't have to tell you that. But the apostle is clear, and the word of God is unchanging. Women should not lead in the church. They should be in submission to the men who are called to lead. Leading in prayer or in any other element of worship is an unlawful usurpation of authority. Now don't misunderstand, and I want to be clear on this, Paul isn't excluding women from worshiping, not at all. No, women are active. They are active. Sisters, you are active in this priestly work. And I like the way Pastor Luke explains this, that Paul's not commanding you not to pray. He's commanding you to pray in the corporate worship, but to do so silently, with holy hearts, according to the way Christ has set up the order in his church. And you'll notice this as well, and I believe that sometimes we become so focused on what Paul is negatively stating, what you can't do. We don't spend enough time thinking about what he's saying you should do. Notice that Paul doesn't command women to go home and make lunch for the men while they're at church doing spiritual things. No. No. Paul wants the women there. He wants the women learning and worshiping, participating. They are part of the temple of God, growing in the knowledge of God, receiving the same means of grace as the men from God. Nor does Paul forbid women, as I was just saying, from learning. Quite the contrary. Matthew Henry says it this way, women must learn the principles of their religion. Learn Christ, learn the scriptures. They must not think that their sex excuses them from that learning, which is necessary to salvation. The Apostle Paul would never tell a Christian sister that she can't learn in church. What he does say, though, is that a Christian sister cannot teach in the church. He elaborates in verse 12, I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. Now remember, as I said at the beginning, Paul is writing these instructions as an apostle of Jesus Christ, which means if he doesn't permit something, neither should we. These are not preferences. That we are free to change because they aren't acceptable in today's culture that has been so influenced by secularism and feminism. No. Paul explains that women must not exercise authority over men in the church. Which also means that this is not a command to complete silence. Because women should be joining in the congregational singing. They should be joining in the Amen. They should be joining in confessing the faith together, surely. What Paul forbids is women speaking so as to lead. That is, leading prayers, leading songs, leading by teaching. This is what Paul says must not be allowed in the church. Rather, the women's silence demonstrates their submission, which is good and proper in God's sight. This is how the church should be ordered according to the mind of Christ. He is the church's king. He is the church's only lawgiver. And we are not at liberty to relax these commandments from his apostle. Now, in verse 13, Paul, he sort of backs up. And he gives a reason for this command, which reveals that this is not a cultural issue as many men in our day would say it is. This is a creational issue. He writes this, Adam was formed first, then Eve. The point is pretty simple, brothers and sisters, that the woman was made as the helper for the man, not the other way around. This is by God's good design. That's pre-fall, you'll remember. First Corinthians 11 says, For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. Now we usually think of that in the context of marriage, and rightly so. The apostle writes elsewhere, Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. But what's often not thought through by us is that Paul applies that very same principle of male headship founded in creation to the church's corporate worship. The women must not lead in the church service, according to the Apostle, because of this reality founded in the created order. Rather, they are to be in submission to the men whom God has called to exercise that authority lawfully. Paul goes on, Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression. Now Eve herself acknowledges that she was tricked by Satan in Genesis 3.13, saying, Now here we must acknowledge that we are getting into a part of the text which you're probably familiar. There's disagreement about what exactly Paul's point is. I find myself finding the great French reformer John Calvin's insight to be the most helpful here. I think he gets it right. He says it in these words. He says that Paul does not mean that Adam was not entangled by the same deceitfulness of the devil, but that the cause or source of the transgression proceeded from Eve. So Calvin's point is that Satan went to Eve first then deceived her, and that Adam was deceived by Satan through Eve. That Adam was deceived by following Eve's what he calls fatal advice. Calvin says Eve had drawn her husband aside from the command of God. So I think Calvin is right in pointing out that Paul's point is not that Adam was not deceived. But he is saying that Satan tricked Eve and then used her to ensnare Adam, thus condemning the human race. But that raises another question. If we've got that settled, why does Paul reference this story at all? Why does he reference the fall? Well, here on that question, I have found the writings of Patrick Fairbairn to be very helpful. He was a minister in the Free Church of Scotland in the 19th century. And he writes this insight, simply by inverting this relative position and calling, the helpmate assuming the place of the head or guide and the head facilely yielding to her governance was the happy constitution of paradise overthrown and everything involved in disorder and evil. I think Fairbairn is exactly right on this. Adam's passivity, Adam's failure to lead, led to the fall of Adam's race. Eve's usurpation of that leadership was the tool that was used by the devil to destroy man's communion with God. Now brethren, I want to be clear. Women are not inferior to men. Women and men stand before God equally in value and in dignity as his image bearers. Men are not better than women, but men and women are different. Men and women, contrary to what our society is telling us today, men and women are not interchangeable with one another. And that also means, beloved, that God has called us to different things. Women have certain strengths and gifts. Men have certain strengths and gifts. God has equipped and designed men and women for their respective roles. Women were not called by God to be the head, which means God has not designed or equipped them for that role. Women are equipped for another calling. And that is Paul's point in referencing the fall of man. That when the creation order is flipped, bad things ensue. When God's design and his order is overthrown, when it is ignored, there are negative consequences. Do we not see that in our society today, brethren? No, we know Eve was made, we're reading this here in this context, Eve was made to be Adam's helper, not his ruler. But then we come to verse 15, after this very somber recollection of the fall, and of the woman's role in it, but Paul comes back to the gospel. He comes back to the forgiveness of sins in Christ. The glorious truth that despite Eve's folly in the garden, women are not excluded from the kingdom of God any more than men are. He writes, nevertheless, she, that is women, will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with self-control. The meaning of this text is debated, and I've come across at least three different interpretations of it in my study and preparation for the sermon. Well, let's get one thing out of the way right up front. Paul is not saying that women earn salvation by having babies. He's not saying that. What is he saying, though? I like how the Puritan commentator Matthew Poole puts it. So this quote's a little lengthy, so bear with me. Pay attention. I think this is really good. She, that is the believing woman, stands upon equal ground with the man as to eternal salvation. who cannot be saved without faith and holiness, and a discharge of the duties incumbent upon him, and patiently enduring the crosses and trials God exerciseth him with. And the woman also shall be saved by faithful performance of her duty, and patiently enduring her crosses and trials, in the pains and peril of childbearing. Notwithstanding, they are sensible marks of God's displeasure for sin, Yet, the sufferings of Christ have taken away the said bitterness. The scriptures say we must, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God. And we know that childbearing, specifically, has been affected by the fall of man, just as a man's labor was affected by the fall of man. But we know this, beloved, as Paul references motherhood here. I believe what he is saying is this, and I agree with Poole, that God's adopted daughters will have some unique trials and difficulties as they perform the duties that God has assigned to them. Consider the precious responsibilities of motherhood. I know I don't have to tell hardly any of you in here about that. That beautiful, creational role of having life growing within you, and then giving birth to that life, nurturing that life, continuing to do that with your own body and raising that life, being a mom. It's a beautiful thing, brethren, and only women can do that. Scripture says to honor not just your father, but your mother as well. And sisters, as you persevere in that work, no matter what stage of it you're in, even amid its thorns and thistles, you can be encouraged that God is pleased with you as you do that work in faith and in Christ. I'm not excluding the sisters here who aren't mothers. And Paul's not doing that either. I think Paul is using this phrase childbearing almost as a shorthand for all of the duties and trials that are associated with womanhood in this age. So this is an encouragement to all of you. My sisters in Christ, that as you take up your cross, as you follow Jesus, as you undergo the trials that are common to all of us, men and women, as you undergo the trials that are unique to you as women, for you not to lose heart because in the end you will receive eternal life. I do not have to go into detail about some of the difficulties that you, my sisters, have to endure in this age. Difficulties that we men just can't understand. But Paul wants you to be encouraged that your labor in Christ is not in vain. And despite The troubles you endure, Christ is with you. He is upholding you. God sees you. God is pleased with you, my beloved sisters, and He cares for you. And notice the exhortation to continue in faith, love, and holiness with self-control. that all of us are called to cultivate in our lives. Certainly, women are not saved by their good works any more than men are. But that is to say that those sisters who are truly in Christ will be growing in holiness just as their brothers do, right? It's similar to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 when he speaks of the gospel by which you are saved if you hold fast that word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain. Meaning, if you are saved, you will hold fast. That is what it means to confess the perseverance of the saints, that Christ will not allow any of his sheep to fall away, but all will endure to the end. And my dear sisters, as you run your race, as you follow Jesus, be assured that you will inherit the world in the next life. Women are not second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. Galatians 6, 9, let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not lose heart. Now beloved, I would ask you as we begin coming to a close, just to consider a few more implications from this text with me. And first, I would want to emphasize that this command for women to be silent in the church is just that. It's a command for the gathered church. It doesn't mean that women can't work outside the home. It's certainly not a command for women to be quiet all of the time. Paul has no intention of forbidding women from praying aloud with their families or in small groups or any other setting like that. And similarly, we know that Paul commands women to teach other women in Titus 2. We also know that Timothy himself had the scriptures taught to him by who? His mother and his grandmother. So that, too, is a good thing. And as Pastor Sam Waldron, who I'm sure is familiar to most of you, has said, that while there are certainly principles in this text of male headship that can be applied outside, this command is not to be applied outside of corporate worship in a one-to-one way. However, that being said, we must not ignore what this passage does require of us. Many evangelicals today would dispute it, but Paul's words make it abundantly clear that every element of corporate worship must be led by men, because leading an element of worship is an act of exercising authority. What are those elements of worship, perhaps you ask? Well, singing, praying, preaching, sacraments. All of these must be led by men according to the mind of Christ. And Paul tells us that for women to assume that role is shameful, and it is an undermining of God's clear commands. It violates the regulative principle, which governs new covenant worship in the gathered church. But now, I've spoken a lot to my sisters. Now I speak to my brothers. We must not be passive like Adam, brethren. And as Pastor Sam Waldron again has observed, it is not just elders in this text who are commanded to pray publicly in the church. It is all the men of the church. Will we take up this responsibility? My brothers, if the church is to be a house of prayer, then we men must, by God's grace, lead in it. God calls us to lift up holy hands on behalf of this assembly, to bring prayers to Him in faith that He will work amongst us. that He would manifest His glory in all the earth. This is our duty as we spoke of in Sunday school, but it is also our privilege. Should it not delight us to be the mouthpiece of this group of saints that we love so much? Don't we believe that God answers prayer, brethren? The very fact that this group is still meeting together and worshiping together and moving towards Constitution, that is a testimony. that God works through prayer. Oh men, I exhort you, be men of prayer. Make it a priority in your home. Make it a priority to be at the church's corporate prayer meetings. Lead in offering up this incense before God's throne in heaven. Would that we would be agents of unity and peace in his church and not of division and apathy and passivity. May that never be. Let us set good examples in our families. Do they see us as praying men? Let us be committed to this spiritual discipline, brothers, in private, in our homes, and also in And, while I'm at it, I will also say this, that we would not be degrading towards our wives or the other women in our church, for they are heirs with us of eternal life and bear the image of God. They are not less than us, because they have been given a different role by the Creator than us. Now, to the sisters, I remind you that you are not excluded. You pray as you silently unite your hearts to the man who is leading. Silent prayer is prayer. God is pleased with such a posture as you participate in worship. You are a priest to God the Father through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But I urge you to cultivate a gentle and quiet spirit. I urge you to even be content and joyful with the role that God has assigned you in His church. His commands, His design, they are good for us all. And I would urge you not to have a rebellious heart like Korah. who opposed Moses and the priesthood in the wilderness, saying, You take too much upon yourselves, Moses and the priests, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord? Korah was displeased with the role God had given him and the other Levites. He wanted the priesthood too. He didn't think it was fair that he didn't have that role in the gathered worship of the people. But the text says Korah's attempt to usurp that office meant that he had rejected the Lord and God punished him for it. So may that remind us all, brothers and sisters. to be content with the functions and gifts that God has given us in our lives, every realm of our lives, but especially in God's church. I had a very good conversation with a brother who brought this text to my attention as we were discussing some of these matters of God's ordering the church and our requirement to be in happy submission to what he has called each one of us to do. Each of us plays an essential role in our own way. And it is a sad reality of the fall, we all know this experientially, that men will be tempted to be passive. Women will be tempted to usurp headship. But in Christ, there is forgiveness for our failures. There's strength to help as we all strive to live as he would have us to. In our respective roles, when we feel guilt for the sins we commit in thought, word, or deed, when we consider all the ways we have failed as men, all the ways that we have failed as women, let us look to Jesus together who was born of a woman. born under the law to redeem those who were under the law. We are free. We are free from the curse. We are free from condemnation and the rivers of forgiveness and mercy flow from the throne of God in heaven. And we are invited to drink of that without money, without cost. Christ's mercy greets us every morning when we rise. And may that be the hope, may that be the joy to everything that Providence Reformed Baptist Church plant does. This blessed gospel gives us peace in this life and hope in the next. Endless joy in the next. Galatians 3, 28, and with this I close. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. Brothers and sisters, we are by God's grace going to share in Jesus's inheritance together, man or woman, regardless of status, gender, motivated out of love and gratitude for that gift, that promise that is all of ours. Let's seek to be a church that lifts up prayer to him with holy hands and holy hearts. And now let's do that. Let's pray together. Oh God, you are so good to us. Oh God, you do not treat us as our sins deserve. Yet you are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and forgiveness. And dear Father, perhaps some of us this morning are feeling convicted over ways that we have disregarded your commands. And oh God, if that is the case, I pray for the balm of the gospel to be applied to each heart. I pray that we would all look to Christ with such joy in Him, knowing that He stands in heaven, that it is on that basis alone that we are able to stand before You. Oh God, thank You for that forgiveness in the Gospel. And we pray that You would strengthen each one of us, men and women, to do what You have called us to in this life, in our homes and in the church. And dear Father, we would also ask that you would cultivate in each one of us hearts that long to pray, hearts that long to commune with you in private worship and in public worship, to by faith lift up our supplications to you. Father, to lift up thanksgivings to you for the good gifts that you have given each one of us. Equip us by your grace and help us to remember every day that we are your adopted children and that we have done nothing to deserve your favor, but it has been pleased, it has pleased you to lavish it upon us in Christ. And we lift up this prayer to you in his name, amen.