Topic: Deception
In this message, I’m going to discuss about the house, business, and church leadership positions. This topic of the leadership position is the most misunderstand concept of this generation. Most male preachers don’t talk about how God set a leader within household, church and workplace, because it sets limit on women’s leadership role. Although the title of this message may seem to be all against the women, women can still serve and help the church and community. I Peter 2:9 says that we are all royal priesthood to those are believers, including women, men, youths and children of God.
Unfortunately, God wants men to be leaders of their households, churches and workplaces. As we see in our generation, the most married women are responsible of everything in their communities and men may decide to stay at home to work around the house. This is sad to hear that men’s wives have to be their bosses to take care their husbands. Now, we see that women lead the churches and men may sit at the rest of the church congregations. This is not proper way to lead the church or any business. Men should first step in the leadership role and take care of his family, businesses and finances and women should support their husbands.
Turn your Bible to I Timothy 2:8-15. Before we would go to the passage, let me tell you that the most male preachers may discuss the first eight verses in I Timothy 2 and skip the last seven verses. Otherwise, they would interpret I Timothy 2:8-15 as how women to be behave when they lead the church. It’s none sense.
Now, let’s read I Timothy 2:8-15 (KJV).
8I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 9In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
In this passage of the Scripture, Apostle Paul begins by saying that men should be prayer warriors if they are the leaders of their communities. We, all men, must continue to connect with God, because we are chosen leaders to lead His people. If we have family, our family members are not only belong to our lives, but they also belong to our Creator. Before your children born, they belong to God (cf. Jeremiah 1:5).
Also, in verse 8, all Christian men have to be honest to God and to people. Let’s read verse 8 again, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” To be a leader of your family, a man must be holy before God and people—that is no secret sin or lies. Although our sins cannot be hidden from God, He can reveal our wrongdoings to our people.
Do you know what is the number one that Christian families may decide to divorce? Most psychologists may tell you its financial issue. This may be true, but that is not the main cause. The number one that Christian families may decide to break apart is dishonesty. Dishonesty to your spouse and to your children. Children learn how to lie to others is not from their own, but from their own parents. This is the sad truth. They watch what their parents do and act like them, because parents are the model for their youngsters. Cain lied to God that he didn’t murder Abel (Genesis 4) because he learned from his parents’ history. Since the serpent taught Eve to lie to God, this stake has never ended. If you, man, want to be a godly leader, tell the truth honestly. This goes the same for mothers and children.
Then from verses 9 to 15, Paul talks about the leadership role for the women. Notice, Paul didn’t start to talk about women’s leadership after the men’s. If we read in earlier verses in I Timothy 2, we will notice that Paul deals with men first. Man was the first human being that God created on the sixth day of the creation (Genesis 1:27a) and gave him a dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:28).
As Apostle Paul begins to deal with women’s leadership role, he starts with women’s manner and style. In I Timothy 2:9 says, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array…” Most today’s girls and women learn that putting heavy makeup, braided hair, wearing sexy clothes or wearing much jewelry is the coolest things that they ever have. After that, they don’t satisfy and they would want more. In I Samuel 16:7 says, “…for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” If the woman wants to be godly lady, then she must adorn herself as just she is. Of course, she needs to make herself look good, but not too much makeup or too much jewelry that the other men would have wrong ideas to seek their partners.
Here are some errors for the women to avoid when they go outside the house:
- wearing too much makeup
- wearing too much jewelry
- wearing fancy dress, such as the dress that shows naked part of upper body and legs
- deciding to take tattoo on the body, that is worldly circumcision (satanic cult)
Christian girls or women must be dress and/or wear makeup appropriately that shows respect on God and people. They also need to feel good about themselves. We all need to be transform our minds that is good, acceptable and perfect will of God (cf. Romans 12:2b). We don’t need to be good on the eyes of people if we don’t wear fancy clothes, but God accepts us as just as we are.
Sisters, read verse 10 and memorize to your thought, because that’s what God wants for you to do.
Then Paul tells us that women have to be silence with all subjection (v. 11). What it means that women have to be quiet with all subjections? Can ladies speak freely? Yes and no. Most preachers have misunderstood this verse for generations. However, I do believe that women can freely express about themselves and what they do and what they believe in. They can share ideas within communities and churches, but according to what Paul wrote, women cannot take the top position of churches or any businesses, such as pastors, CEOs, deacons, bishops, presidents, and any kind of top positions. I understand some of you may disagree with me and I am uncomfortable with this to discuss about it, but it’s on God’s Word and we cannot change this.
Some of you might say, “Why Sarah, Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, Ester, and Ruth can be used by God to lead His people?” These were some of the faithful servants of God that He chose. I don’t believe that these women chose to be prophetess, judge, or mother of the nation by themselves, but God. If God need someone to be there with the man of God or if He cannot find the righteousness man to lead the nation, He can chose a certain woman to take his place or to be his partner.
Let’s read verse 12 and find what are some of these are. Paul says, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” What authority over the man that the woman cannot do? These are: pastors, deacons, bishops, judges, congresses, house bosses over husbands.
Why? The answer is on verses 13 and 14: “For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” If Eve didn’t fail to the serpent’s trap, then men and women would have equal duty for the Lord. Now, since Eve failed for the trap, women have limitation on their services to God and men have double duties to maintain their families and businesses. Some countries, such as South Korea, when the man and woman decide to get marry, she has to quit her job to take care their household.
Let’s go to Genesis 3 and read verses 16-18. The difference of men and women’s duties didn’t come from Paul or my ideas, but from the biblical history that was spoken by God.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In this passage, after Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord, God gave them some sets of rules. As we read in verse 16, God multiplied pains on Eve (or woman), even pain through labor. Also, in this verse, God let the woman desire to be with her husband and let the man rule over her. But, God let the man to do all hard labor for their living (vv. 17-18). This is why Paul said the women cannot rule over any authority. This is why the men are to be dominated over their families, churches, and businesses. If the woman should lead the family, church, and business, one or more points can be occurred:
- husband is not a spiritual or professional leader of his family, church, and business
- wife has a relationship with God and her husband doesn’t
- wife has more professional skills than her husband
It is true that the both man and woman should have leadership skills that where they can lead their family, church, and community, but the man must be dominated and let his wife supports him.
What the other duties for women if they cannot be leader over husband, church, and businesses? One of these duties for women is taking care of her child(ren) (I Timothy 2:15). Of course, she should take care and save the childbearing, but it’s more than that. Do you know why many schools have after school activities for students until the late afternoon? Most both parents have to work and they don’t come home 2-3 hours after their children return from schools. Most surveys on family times would say either:
- Most teenagers don’t spend much time with their family after they all complete their work day.
- Most teenagers would decide to go home late, because both of their parents are working late.
- Most teenagers would decrease their academic grades because there aren’t any help them in their homes.
- Most teenagers would decide to go and join the clubs outside the schools.
One or more of these can be true and it’s becoming reality today. This is why God let the mother stay at home or close to home and father should be outside the home and working.
Men, do you lead your natural and spiritual family from God’s perspective? Or let your wife do all the hard work outside your home? God created women for one reason: support men. That is why God set up the marriage between the one man and one woman. Of course, women have the other duties from God, but He called all the godly men to be leaders.
If God call women to be leaders of their businesses, there is nothing wrong if they get approval from the LORD.
If God calls all men to be ahead of their families, businesses, and churches, the time is right now. We, men, have been sleeping. Right now, we would have about 80 percent of women, who are married, are working and taking charge of their households and businesses for their families.
Let… let men to be ahead of their families and take care them. Let men to be shepherds of the churches and taking care their Christian brothers and sisters with God’s visions for His children. Let men to be business leaders and lead their employees. It is time for godly men to wake up from la-la land and do what God told men to do. I know the way I address this may seem too aggressive and loud to soak this in your soul. But it’s very serious issue for today’s America. Many families are broken and children are distressed, because their fathers cannot lead them in the way of God. If the children need somebody to be with them are their fathers.
Men, are we strong for our people? Fathers, do you have time for family devotions, where you and they can be together in the presence of God? If not, please consider today to take action with your family to read the Bible and talk with God. Don’t rely on your church to do all the work for your children, although they need their spiritual family for once or couple times a week for their time with them.
But, most importantly, let God be centered of your family, church, and business life. If there’s any great resource in life issue, God is the one whom He can give you.
God calls men and women to be leaders of the land that He gave both of you, in right way.
Are you saved? Are your love ones and friends saved in the grace of God through Jesus Christ? The purpose of this study is to help you to become closer relationship with Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:1-3.)
If you are lukewarm in your relationship with Jesus Christ and want to know Him as your personal Savior and Lord of your life, please consider asking Him to forgive your sins and invite Him into your life. Paul says, "That if you confess with your mouth, `Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believed and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10.) If you have done in your private room or workplace, then you need to tell to your friends or love ones about what you have done, so they may rejoice with you and want to have that relationship with Christ in their own life. There are many occults in the world, which do not know the love of God and His great plan for those who believe in Him. As it is written in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
