1 Corinthians 11:1-16 Live in God’s Order

All Guest Speakers

Sermon Notes
Scripture

Live in God’s Order
1 Corinthians 11:1-16
November 10, 2024

Tonight, we are continuing in our study where Paul addresses the concept of Christian order. We know that the church in Corinth was acting immaturely in many ways, and influenced in many ways by the spirit that was prevalent in the city.

As we said before, the city had many temple prostitutes and different cultural values that was not aligned with the word of God.

Paul brings correction to them, giving them guidance in practical things on how to live aligned and in the blessing of God. God is the designer of life, and He is the one that designed and purposed relational order, and flowing from that, also the order in the family.

Seeing that it was His creation, His blueprint, He knows best what the perfect model should look like.

Illus – Read the manual…

The Church of Corinth needed a model which to aspire and align to.

The nucleus of the family is of extreme importance. If you have healthy families in a society, it brings forth a healthy society. The inverse is also true. If you have broken families, it breaks down the fiber of society as well. Everything in nature tends toward atrophy and chaos. To counter that energy and asserted effort is needed.

Illus – Keeping a house clean takes effort…

This principle also applies to families and relationships. The enemy knows this well. If he can disrupt the order in the family and the church, and stir chaos, it will replicate into further chaos in next generations.

This is why he attacks Gods design and plan for the family, and the first place he attacks is the order that God designed for the family.

This message is not a politically correct message. Paul addresses the order of man towards God and wife towards husband.

People have very strong opinions about this issue because the order has not been implemented the way that God planned it.

I believe in the past it was abused and resulted in emotional abuse towards women, which then resulted in women rebelling against the order of God.

Although this is not a politically correct message, we are not here to try and be politically correct. We are here as children of God to live a life pleasing to the Lord and a life that is aligned with His design and purposes, knowing that His way is ultimately the best way.

Again, like so many other things we need to be able to see things differently and evaluate relationships and order from a spiritual perspective.

It cannot be evaluated from a position of pride, or insecurity. It must be evaluated from the basis of our relationship to Christ, submitting to Him and His principles, because that ultimately leads us to His purposes for us which is good.

We will see that we all are called to submit to someone else. And in this we all have a God-given responsibility to stand in and function in the position we have.

We will see, though, that this is not something we are forced into begrudgingly, but something beautiful, something loving, something that brings forth beautiful fruit as we willingly submit to His calling also in our relationships.

I. Stand Under Authority

Paul goes into a lot of detail about head coverings. It is important to understand that hair and coverings of the head were very significant in communicating non-verbally who you were and what your social mindset was in those days.

Illus – It is still the same today. Certain styles are associated with certain groups of people or certain social stances. In the 60’s the hippies were known for having long hair. If you were growing your hair and wearing a certain type of clothing, it would be reasonable for people to assume that you prescribe to a certain world view or stances on certain issues.

Loose women and prostitutes wore their hair down and without covering, or even shaved their heads. That is how men knew what profession they were in, and that they were advertising their services.

Women who would honor their husbands would cover their heads so that they would not be confused with the loose women, but would be associated with being virtuous and honorable.

Some women from Corinth came to Christ, and wanted to stand in their freedom, not wanting to cover their heads, but Paul addressed this and essentially said, ‘Do you not see? Everyone will equate you with a loose woman. It will affect your testimony.’

Illus – Every father has a guideline of what he will allow his teenage daughter to wear to a party… You will attract the guy you are advertising for.

So essentially, Paul was addressing who is honored by your actions and under whose authority you stand, especially in the context of marriage.

And if you are not married, what type of husband or wife do you want to attract? Become the woman, or man relative to what type of person you want to attract.

A. Man, Submit to Christ

Many read this section, and from our cultural hypersensitive lens, they only focus on the women being addressed, but Paul actually addresses men and woman.
He starts with the men, saying that Christ is the head of every man. This brings an important distinction, in that it stands to reason that Christ is only the head of the man who chooses to submit under Christ’s authority. He is in essence speaking to believers.
This is a very important distinction, because a man can only truly effectively have a woman stand under his authority if he is under the authority of Christ. There is a line of authority, and it all starts with God.
Many times, men would use submission of women as a general rule in society while not submitting to God
This warps the whole function as it can degenerates into selfish control and manipulation.
We see that when man’s disobedience severed relationship with God in the garden of Eden, it had the effect that sin, missing the mark, rebelling against God’s will, had disastrous consequences in humanity.
The same principle rings true on the smaller scale. When man has no relationship with God, his authority over a woman, or wife, can have disastrous consequences.
The abuse of this authority when not standing under Christ is the result of women resisting and rebelling against a man’s authority.

Illus – I fully understand if a girl was abused by a male authority figure, that she would want nothing to do with any male authority figures. This can then also result in her resenting the image of the Heavenly Father which is tainted by her image of the earthly man. This can be restored by inner healing and God restoring the warped view.

The enemy has targeted and brough brokenness in these areas because he knows the positive power authority could have in the right perspective.
Illus – There is great power in a positive authoritative voice…
For a man to truly be a man, he needs to be a godly man. Any other iteration of a man is only a shadow of what God purposed him to be.

Illus – My daughter has no problem standing under my authority, because it means she stands under my love, my protection, my provision. And one day she will look for a man that will have those principles and convictions in his character. I tell her that my standards are high, and hers should be too. She should never settle for a man who doesn’t treat her as well as I do.

B. Wife, submit to husband

Every woman has a choice to submit. Society has been propagating women’s rights, and some of it is right, but it has skewed the perspective to such a degree that many have become man-haters.

Ephesians 5:22,Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

The image of the man is being broken down, and if we once again look from a spiritual perspective, we can see why. God has planned this order and His blessing is on it. It is also the greatest order of stability that brings the best result in society.
If the man gets removed out of the line of authority, it naturally falls to the woman. Although women have leadership qualities and can do many things, they were not purposed to carry the burden of the man’s position, living without the covering of a loving man.

Illus – Every girl has a picture of prince on the white horse that sweeps her of her feet. A man that will slay the dragon and protect the babies. It starts with a young girl longing for a daddy to give her safety and validate her.

Because of the brokenness of society this doesn’t always happen, and this longing has been abused. Too many men have become the dragon that the woman must fight to protect the babies against.
To such a degree that many young girls grew up to be hard, bitter women. This does not cancel the fact that they still have or had that longing.
A woman, a wife flourishes when she is in a loving, stable, secure relationship. And this is more than just about financial security. This is a spiritual aspect of oneness in a godly union.
God is calling and challenging women to stand under or return to stand under their husband’s authority.
This does not mean that you become his floor mop. This means that you submit to him AS HE SUBMITS TO CHRIST.
A woman does not have to submit to her husband if he wants her to do evil or sinful things.
I am not saying that if your husband isn’t saved you should rebel against everything he says and leave him. That is not biblical at all. If he is a good loving husband, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7 that if you are married to an unbeliever and he wants to stay married, do not divorce him.
But is this section the direction is given to those who are presumed saved and man and woman that are in the right relationship with God.

II. Flourish in Your Position

Verse 11 – From this passage there is something else that is interesting. It concludes that both need each other. We are not individually autonomic. Each one has a roll.
Paul uses God himself as an example. God is the head of Christ. Jesus loves and blesses the Father, who loves the Son and put everything under His feet.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, yet it glorifies Jesus. There is a mutual submission and honoring in the godhead while each one functions in His purpose individually, yet as one.
This is the beautiful union mystery that every husband and wife is called to. Each has their function and line of authority while being equal in importance and worth.
This has been misunderstood in the worldly context where the leader would normally lord over his subjects. Remember, Jesus turned it around, also with His example. He who is in authority and the leader is there to serve.
From this perspective the husband, the leader is serving his wife and children through his leadership and attitude, while being in a place of authority.
The wife, being under the authority, also serves her husband and honors him because he is serving them by leading them. Each one is strengthening the unit in their role and purpose.

A. Man, be a worthy king

A husband as a leader needs to take up his mantle of authority and leadership. Too many men have abdicated their throne, which is not a throne of dictatorship, but of responsibility.
A husband’s leadership can be equated to a good king. In the Bible, a king symbolizes leadership, authority, and responsibility granted by God.
Proverbs are full of attributes that describe a good king. A good king is respected. It doesn’t have to be enforced. If his followers know the character of the king, they will respect and trust him.
A good king stands firm in adversity. A good king stands strong under onslaught. A good king looks after the good of his people, and is not swayed and directed by what is wrong, even though it might be the popular opinion.
The responsibility God places on every man is a great responsibility. It is to walk in the character of Christ, be a disciple of Christ, live as an ambassador of Christ. It is only from that place of moral integrity that he can be in authority.

Ephesians 5:25, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

We as husbands are called to love our wives, like Christ loves the church, giving yourself up for your wife. Wanting the best for her, helping her, serving her.
A husband cleanses his wife with his words. He comforts, brings hope, gives emotional security, builds her up in love.
There is a reason we see this analogy of Christ washing with the word, and husbands washing their wives with words. Words have power.

Illus – Verbal abuse can be just as bad or worse than physical abuse. One cannot verbally abuse and demand respect. His wife or family may fear him, but they will not respect him. He will lose his moral authority to really speak into their lives.

Real respect, real authority, is not enforced, it is earned. Men need to walk faithfully in the authority Christ has granted them.

B. Woman, be a worthy Queen

I love the picture of a king and a queen. A worthy queen is someone who understands the line of authority but has an inner strength, knowing that she has authority while standing under authority. She has purpose, has a heart of compassion for her people, is noble.
A woman is called to compliment the man. She is there to make him strong in areas where he is weak, as he protects her in areas that she is weak. She is there to support him while being covered.
Have patience with the man. He is not perfect, just as you are not perfect. Do not become discontented. Keep your heart pure.
A woman is the heart of the home. A woman makes a house a home.

Proverbs 31:10-12, An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.

This proverb is not so much a rule declaring all the things a woman must do, but it shows the heart a woman should have.

C. Live in unity

Man and wife is made to live in unity, as one before God, together being more than the sum of their parts, working together.

Ephesians 5:21, and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Man and woman were made to fit. Made to support and strengthen one another.

Illus – Stand under his arm, his protection, while strengthening him.

The spirit of this age wants to indoctrinate people to walk contrary to these principles. We need to be watchful, vigilant, not to be swayed by the spirit of this age, but to stand under the guidance of Christ.
It takes hard work to keep relationships clean, to be an example, but the rewards will be great if we can sow these seeds into the next generation.
Although we make mistakes, we can also in this say, “God, I want to be holy.” Not perfect, but set apart. Let our relationship, our family unit reflect you and glorify you, being a beacon of hope to this world that has lost its way.

1 Corinthians 11:1-16 NASB

11 ¹Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

²Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. ³But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. ⁴Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. ⁵But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. ⁶For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. ⁷For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; ⁹for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. ¹⁰Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹²For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. ¹³Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, ¹⁵but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. ¹⁶But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

Audio

Webcast

DonateLike this sermon?

If you enjoyed the sermon and would like to financially support our teaching ministry, we thank you in advance for partnering with us in sending forth the word.

Donate

All Guest Speakers