
TWO GUIDING QUESTIONS DURING THIS SERMON SERIES
Are you growing in the knowledge of God?
Are you growing in loving God and loving people?
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BIG IDEA
Men and women flourish as God’s image bearers in distinct and complementary ways as co-heirs in Christ and co-laborers for the gospel in marriage, singleness, and in the church
MAIN POINTS
1. Men and Women in Marriage
- Husbands and Wives are both image bearers, law breakers, and co-heirs with Christ (Rom 1:1-3:20, Rom 8:17; 1 Peter 3:7)
- The husband reflects God’s image as head by humbly leading, sacrificially serving, and lovingly cherishing his wife as Christ does the church. (Eph 5:23-28)
Application: Husbands, here is a good test to see how you well you are practicing being the head.
- Would your wife say this about you: “My husband loves me, honors me, leads me spiritually. He gladly makes sacrifices so I can grow in my gifts. He lays down his desires for me. All that comes out of his mouth is words of grace to build me up.”
- Husbands, ask your wife: How can I love you better? How can I serve you? How can I spiritually lead us better?
- The wife reflects God’s image as helper by freely submitting, eagerly supporting, and intentionally respecting her husband as the church does Christ. (Gen 2:15-20, Eph 5:23-33)
Application: Wives, here is a good test to see how you well you are practicing being a helper.
- Would your husband say this about you: “My wife encourages me regularly, she supports my leadership, she respects me, she prays for me, she is eager to help me. She is full of grace in her words towards me.”
- Wives, ask your husbands: How can I help you? How can I encourage you? How can I grow in supporting your leadership?
Biblical manhood and womanhood enrich human flourishing in all its dimensions. God instituted marriage as the union of one man and one woman who complement each other in a one-flesh union that ultimately serves as a type of the union between Christ and his church. This remains the only normative pattern of sexual relations for humanity. Husbands are to exercise headship sacrificially and with humility, and wives are to serve as helpers to their husbands, willingly supporting and submitting to their leadership. Together these complementary roles bring joy and blessing to each other and display the beauty of God’s purposes to the world. – SGC Statement of Faith
2. Men and Women in Singleness
- Single Men and Women have the privilege of uniquely pointing to the gospel (Matt 22:29-30)
In marriage, the couple gets the privilege to reflect and ultimately point to the picture of Christ and the church. In singleness, the man or woman gets the privilege of reflecting and ultimately pointing to the reality that one day we will be so satisfied in our marriage to Christ that there will be no need for human marriage.
- Single Men and Women are invaluable to the life and mission of the church (1 Cor 7)
3. Men and Women in the Church
- Men and Women are co-heirs in Christ and co-laborers in the gospel (Rom 8:17; Phil 4:2-3)
Just as the creation mandate was given to the man and woman to be fruitful and rule over the earth, God’s plan for redemption is given through the great commission to both men and women who will work as co-laborers in bringing God’s redemptive purposes to the nations through the church.
At SGCD, we desire men and women to be visible partners in the corporate life of the church. We desire to see both men and women using their unique giftings to lead, to serve, to counsel, to care, to encourage, to pray, to prophesy, to mutually build one another, to point one another to Christ.
- The office of elder is reserved for qualified men only (1 Tim 3:1-8; Titus 1:5-9; 2 Tim 2:12-14)
- Men and women in the church reflect the spiritual family of God (1 Tim 5:1-2)
The church functions well when it reflects a family - men and women interacting with one another as fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters. There should be a warmth and respect in our interactions between men and women in the church. Honoring and respecting older men and women as fathers and mothers and treating peer relationships as brothers and sisters in Christ. There is much we can learn from one another, and there is something more beautiful we can build in the culture of this church if we indeed reflect the family of God.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Men and Women in the Church - Kevin DeYoung
SONGS TO ENCOURAGE