412: Mal Window – Roles in Relationships

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Welcome to Good Christophian
Talks.

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Thank you for joining us this
week on this podcast.

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We select one talk a week to
help us get the Bible in our

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Daily News feed.
Each week we post a talk that we

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previewed from suggestions sent
in by listeners from around the

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world.
Then we record a short intro

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beforehand as a personalized
recommendation to you on why we

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are sharing the talk.
And now let’s talk more about

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this week’s talk.
Hello everyone, this is Simon.

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This week’s talk is by our
brother Mel Window from the

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Casino Ecclesia in New South
Wales, Australia and his talk is

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on roles in relationships.
I found the talk to be a great

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reminder of the roles that both
men and women have, which are

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given by God.
In exactly the same way as the

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serpent in the Garden of Eden.
The world around us wants to

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destroy the roles of men and
women today and defy the wisdom

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and the love of our God who made
us and actually knows what’s

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best for us.
So here is our brother Mao on

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roles in relationships.
Well, in the late 1920s, a

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tobacco executive in the United
States observed that only 5% of

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the female population smoked.
Well, the males had reached over

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50%.
And he reasoned, well, if I can

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get the females to smoke at the
same rate as the male smoke, we

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could make a whole lot of money.
And the problem was was that

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smoking was frowned upon for
women.

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Ladies who smoked were seen as
having loose morals and were

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stigmatized for the habit.
Smoking was not the sort of

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thing that good women did.
How then could tobacco companies

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overcome these social boundaries
and influence people to embrace

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a product which is highly
addictive, which gives you bad

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breath, which shortens your
lifespan, and which is

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effectively little more than
getting paper money and setting

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it alight note by note?
How could they shed the negative

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images which smoking produced?
And a man by the name of Edward

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Bernays was contacted to help
solve this problem.

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Now he was a Jew, and he was a
nephew of Sigmund Freud.

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Does anyone know who Sigmund
Freud was?

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What’s he famous for?
Psychology.

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The father of psychology.
OK, so he knew how people think,

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all right.
And his nephew Edward Donets is

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known today as the pioneer of
propaganda or PRA man who knew

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how to shape and how to control
public opinion.

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And so he was very close to his
uncle and he knew how the human

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mind ticked.
How can we use information to

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control people’s minds and
control how they act?

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OK, so he was contacted.
How can you help us sell these

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cigarettes?
Said this executive.

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Well, he suggested a different
marketing strategy to what might

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have been traditionally
employed.

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You know, normally when you want
to sell something, you, you

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presented as being cool, as
attractive, the person who’s

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who’s selling the product looks
together, they’re good looking.

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You know, you have this product
and you’ll be just like this

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person, OK, that’s how things
were normally marketed.

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But he suggested something
completely different.

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He said don’t try and sell it
because of its attractive

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qualities.
Instead, tell women that they’ve

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been oppressed, that they’ve
been discriminated against,

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they’ve been subjugated, they’ve
been exploited.

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And make your product a symbol
of freedom, rebellion against

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tyranny.
And So what Edward Barnes did

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was he employed his secretary to
walk down the Main St.

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New York, accompanied by other
beautiful women, and they were

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openly smoking.
Now, just remember, smoking was

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not the thing to do, especially
if you’re a woman in those days.

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And here’s these attractive
women walking down the Main

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Street of New York smoking.
And he set up a news crew who

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interviewed them as they were
smoking out in the street,

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creating an event which would be
broadcast to the wider

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community.
And the news crew asked, well,

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why are you doing this out in
the open when it’s so

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stigmatized?
And his secretary answered,

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well, a man asked me to
extinguish my cigarette, and I

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decided to continue smoking and
to make my protest about this

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injustice.
And soon other women took up the

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fight and a movement was called,
was born, which was called

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Torches of Freedom.
And so as they lit the

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cigarette, they were lighting a
torch for freedom.

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OK, We’re making our stand for
freedom.

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And smoking was embraced not
because of what it could offer

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or what it could provide, but
because of what it represented

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and what it symbolized.
And suddenly the social stigma

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and the shame which was
associated with smoking only

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served to highlight highlight
the prejudice and the oppression

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that women felt that they were
under.

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And the marketing was extremely
successful.

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And by 1935 the proportion of
women smokers had more than

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tripled to 18%.
By 1965 the numbers had doubled

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once again to 1/3 of the female
population.

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And so the cigarette companies
made a fortune out of this, and

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women were convinced to adopt
and embrace a negative product

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upon the grounds of human
rights.

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We’ve been oppressed.
They are keeping something from

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us.
Break the shackles of authority.

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Be free.
Rebel against the patriarchy.

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Light up your torches of
freedom.

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And when you think about it,
when sin entered into the world,

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it followed the same
psychological trajectory.

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You see, when the serpent
questioned Eve about eating the

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fruit, his suggestion was
immediately met with a quotation

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from God’s law.
Lust and pride didn’t even enter

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into the equation.
God has said.

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The woman said she stood for
truth, but when the serpent

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suggested that God was keeping
something back from her, that

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they were being oppressed, that
equality with the angels and

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freedom was taken away, the
woman was able to view God’s law

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in a different light entirely.
Let’s read Genesis 3 verses 4:00

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and 5:00, Genesis chapter 3 and
verse 4.

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We know these words, but let’s
just go over it and just see how

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the serpent introduced his idea.
Genesis 3 verse four.

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And the serpent said unto the
woman, Ye shall not surely die,

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for God doth know that in the
day that ye eat thereof, then

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your eyes shall be opened, and
ye shall be as gods, knowing

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good and evil.
And the next words are telling,

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and they suggest that this
speech, in this speech lay the

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foundation for Eve’s deception.
And when the woman saw that the

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tree was good for food, that it
was pleasant to the eyes, a tree

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desired to make one wise, she
took of the fruit thereof, and

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did eat, and gave also unto her
husband with her, and he did

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eat.
So what we find is, is that the

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rebellion of God’s law was only
entertained when Eve was made to

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feel that God was keeping
something back from her, that he

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was being unjust, that God was
being oppressive.

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Sin entered into the world when
God’s goodness and God’s

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character was challenged.
God had placed men in a

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beautiful garden.
God had given men everything.

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They had authority over the
animals.

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God had given Adam a companion.
Adam and Eve were in paradise

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and the one thing that God
warned Adam against, the thing

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that would lead to sorrow and
pain, that and death, that was

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the thing that He warned them
against.

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It was a good law, wasn’t it?
His one law would save them from

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death, sin, shame, and God
warned them.

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Don’t take that path.
Everything that God had done was

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good.
His kindness, His care, His

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compassion was self-evident.
But when his goodness was

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challenged and the seeds of
doubt began to grow, Eve was

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prepared to look at things
differently.

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And our acceptance of authority
hinges upon our perception of

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the wisdom and the virtue that
underpins it.

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I’ll state, state that again,
our acceptance of authority.

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We’ll accept authority when we
realize the goodness and the

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wisdom and the virtue of those
who are giving, who are in

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authority.
Challenge their goodness,

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challenge their wisdom, and
you’ll rebel against their

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authority.
So key to authority is accepting

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the goodness of God.
And when we talk about roles

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within relationships, the first
thing which we need to grasp is

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the wisdom of the one who put
those roles into place and what

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God intended by giving those
roles.

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Are the roles given in the Bible
oppressive?

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Are they evidence of an outdated
patriarchy?

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Or are they roles which are
given to us for our benefit, to

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help prepare us for eternity?
OK, so there’s two ways of

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looking at it.
Is it for our good or for our

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detriment?
How understanding of the wisdom

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and the goodness of the
authority of the person who

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gives us those those rules or
those laws helps determine how

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we respond to it.
Our God’s punishments merely to

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inflict pain and cause grief?
Or is there a redemptive,

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constructive element to those
punishments?

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What’s God doing when he’s
seeking to chasten us?

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Is he just angry or is he trying
to do something with us?

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Is God all wise?
Is he our Creator?

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Does he know what he is doing?
Or does he make mistakes which

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need to be challenged,
deconstructed and overturned?

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In short, is God our enemy or
our friend?

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And we’ll never accept his
guidance or his direction or

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even his correction if we feel
that it runs contrary to our own

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best interests.
And so in accepting God’s

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authority, we also need to
appreciate that God understands

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our problem and that he cares.
It’s a psychological basis,

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isn’t it?
We need to understand that God

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knows what our problem is, that
he cares about us, and that what

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he is doing is for our best
interests.

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He’s working for our good.
And sometimes just by asking

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these questions, we can
appreciate the arguments which

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are made against scripturally
defined roles in a totally

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different right light.
You see, when we attack the

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roles which are outlined in
scripture, when we label them as

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being outdated or enslaving or
chauvinistic, we’re not just

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attacking social norms.
What we’re really doing is we’re

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attacking the wisdom and the
character of the one who gave us

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those laws.
He’s God wise when he gave us

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roles.
Does he know what he’s doing?

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And perhaps, just like the women
a century ago, we might be

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embracing A destructive,
cancerous solution to a problem

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that doesn’t even exist.
Men and women are created

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differently.
Man was created first out of the

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dust to the ground.
The woman was created afterwards

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from Adam’s rib.
And these facts, though simple,

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have profound significance.
Being first, man was given the

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instructions about trees and the
responsibility for looking after

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them from the very beginning.
He was made to be responsible

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for the garden.
Dress it and keep it.

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This is your responsibility,
Adam.

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The woman, having been made out
of men and for men, was created

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to be a support.
She was a helper for Adam.

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She was the antidote to
loneliness.

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And so from the from the very
beginning, even before sin

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entered into the world, there
were differences, weren’t there?

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It’s not that one was better
than the other or more important

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than the other.
It’s just that they were

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different, the different
purpose, a different role, and

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when challenged by the serpent,
these roles were abandoned.

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And because each failed to
fulfil their created function,

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sin and death ensued.
You see the man who was given

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the law and who was made
responsible, he failed to lead

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and he stepped back from the
conflict.

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The woman who was made to be a
support dominated the discussion

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and was deceived.
And when the Angel came and

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addressed the three
participants, the man, the

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woman, and the serpent, Adam was
called first to give his answer.

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He had been given authority and
he was held accountable for the

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sin.
That’s why he was called first.

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And yet, even in his reply, Adam
shunned responsibility.

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It’s not my fault, he said.
It’s the woman who you gave to

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be with me.
She was the one who caused me to

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sin.
Now, sometimes when we look at

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the curses, we view them as
punishments, much in the same

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way as we might send a criminal
to jail.

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00:17:28,960 –> 00:17:31,800
OK, you’re doing your time, you
did the sin, you’re going to do

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00:17:31,800 –> 00:17:35,240
your time, you’re going to jail.
Sometimes we look at the curses

224
00:17:35,240 –> 00:17:39,600
in that light.
But the consequences which God

225
00:17:39,600 –> 00:17:46,760
pronounced because of sin are
not the outburst of passion by a

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00:17:46,760 –> 00:17:52,840
vengeful God, but are rather
measures put in place to develop

227
00:17:53,360 –> 00:17:56,240
and correct people who He loves
and cares for.

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00:17:58,000 –> 00:18:01,840
OK, so God’s not angry and
responding in anger.

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00:18:02,800 –> 00:18:06,920
What God’s doing is He’s
applying curses to correct and

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00:18:06,920 –> 00:18:08,960
shape the people who He’s
talking to.

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00:18:11,560 –> 00:18:16,560
Hebrews puts it this way.
Hebrews chapter 12, verse 6.

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00:18:16,560 –> 00:18:20,920
Whom the Lord loves, he chastens
and scourgeth.

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00:18:21,200 –> 00:18:23,840
OK, And here in in the Eden,
there’s the first curse.

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00:18:24,160 –> 00:18:29,000
OK, here’s God scourging.
Whom the Lord loves, He

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00:18:29,000 –> 00:18:32,440
chasteneth and scourgeth every
son whom he receiveth.

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00:18:33,160 –> 00:18:37,320
If ye endure chastening, God
dealeth with you as with sons.

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00:18:37,680 –> 00:18:40,400
For what son is he whom the
Father chasteneth not?

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00:18:41,160 –> 00:18:44,680
But if ye are without
chastisement, we’re of all our

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00:18:44,680 –> 00:18:47,160
partakers.
Then are ye illegitimate, and

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00:18:47,160 –> 00:18:51,720
not sons?
Furthermore, we have had fathers

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00:18:51,720 –> 00:18:54,720
of their flesh, which corrected
us, and we gave them reverence.

242
00:18:54,920 –> 00:18:57,680
Shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of

243
00:18:57,680 –> 00:19:02,280
spirits, and live?
For they verily, for a few days

244
00:19:02,280 –> 00:19:10,080
chastened us after their own
pleasure, but He for our profit,

245
00:19:10,600 –> 00:19:13,040
that we might be partakers of
His Holiness.

246
00:19:15,280 –> 00:19:18,080
And so the curses in Genesis
chapter 3 have meaning.

247
00:19:19,960 –> 00:19:24,920
Men, men and women and women
both made errors which needed

248
00:19:24,920 –> 00:19:27,600
addressing.
You see, the curses were not

249
00:19:27,600 –> 00:19:33,240
given to destroy, or to harm, or
to belittle, but to instruct, to

250
00:19:33,240 –> 00:19:39,120
develop, and to teach.
The serpent called God’s

251
00:19:39,120 –> 00:19:42,480
character into question with His
first law.

252
00:19:43,040 –> 00:19:46,040
You know, certain called God’s
character in the question when

253
00:19:46,040 –> 00:19:49,400
he looked at God’s law.
God, he hasn’t got your best

254
00:19:49,400 –> 00:19:55,040
interests at heart.
We need to be careful that we

255
00:19:55,040 –> 00:19:58,480
don’t make the same mistake with
the laws that followed.

256
00:19:59,640 –> 00:20:03,520
God doesn’t have our best
interests at heart, doesn’t he?

257
00:20:06,720 –> 00:20:11,600
The man who was made first, who
was given the law, Who named the

258
00:20:11,600 –> 00:20:15,240
animals?
The one who stepped back and

259
00:20:15,240 –> 00:20:17,840
remained silent when he should
have acted as a garden and

260
00:20:17,840 –> 00:20:23,120
protected to to his wife.
We read in Genesis chapter 3 and

261
00:20:23,120 –> 00:20:29,640
verse 6 that Eve gave unto her
husband with her and he did eat.

262
00:20:31,240 –> 00:20:33,560
And so it’s not as though Adam
was in another part of the

263
00:20:33,560 –> 00:20:38,960
garden, that he was, you know,
hedging, you know, the trees way

264
00:20:38,960 –> 00:20:42,280
down in the back paddock.
He was there beside her.

265
00:20:42,640 –> 00:20:47,720
He, she gave unto her husband
with her and he did it.

266
00:20:48,840 –> 00:20:52,200
It’s not as though the woman was
ambushed by the serpent alone.

267
00:20:52,440 –> 00:21:00,120
Adam was there.
He saw, he heard, and he chose

268
00:21:00,400 –> 00:21:07,560
not to act.
It’s like a twisted story of

269
00:21:07,720 –> 00:21:11,840
Saint George and the dragon.
OK, we’ve got this big

270
00:21:11,880 –> 00:21:16,360
Serpentine beast, the dragon,
and it’s taken the Princess

271
00:21:16,360 –> 00:21:20,920
captive.
But instead of engaging the

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00:21:20,960 –> 00:21:25,560
enemy, instead of engaging the
serpent, the dragon, the knight,

273
00:21:25,560 –> 00:21:29,920
just stands there and watches.
He doesn’t defend her.

274
00:21:31,160 –> 00:21:35,520
He takes a passive rob.
And finally, when the woman was

275
00:21:35,520 –> 00:21:41,560
devoured by serpent thinking and
is in the clutches of mortality,

276
00:21:42,520 –> 00:21:45,840
he decides that now he will
sacrifice himself and in full

277
00:21:45,840 –> 00:21:49,240
knowledge of his sin, he
surrenders to the serpent and

278
00:21:49,240 –> 00:21:51,680
dies a pointless death with his
beloved.

279
00:21:57,160 –> 00:21:59,400
There’s no leadership here, is
there?

280
00:22:01,160 –> 00:22:04,120
There’s no gallantry displayed
by this man.

281
00:22:05,320 –> 00:22:11,760
The dragon goes unchecked, the
Kingdom lies in ruin, and the

282
00:22:11,760 –> 00:22:17,680
man who refuses to act when he
should inevitably becomes the

283
00:22:17,760 –> 00:22:26,160
object of derision and ridicule.
The man was created to lead, to

284
00:22:26,160 –> 00:22:30,760
protect, to speak to the enemy,
and to put everything on the

285
00:22:30,760 –> 00:22:32,680
line for the protection of his
family.

286
00:22:34,280 –> 00:22:40,320
He is made to take risks, to
make decisions, and to accept

287
00:22:40,320 –> 00:22:46,240
the consequences.
This is his role, and God

288
00:22:46,240 –> 00:22:50,080
expected him to fulfill it.
And we know this, don’t we?

289
00:22:50,080 –> 00:22:54,600
Because the second Adam, the one
who took on the role which Adam

290
00:22:54,600 –> 00:22:59,600
abandoned, did just that.
He stepped forward to face the

291
00:22:59,600 –> 00:23:02,800
serpent.
He gave his life in order that

292
00:23:02,800 –> 00:23:05,720
his bride might live.
Look at how Paul puts it in

293
00:23:05,720 –> 00:23:12,640
Ephesians chapter 5, verse 25.
Husbands, love your wives.

294
00:23:12,640 –> 00:23:17,320
Even as Christ also loved the
ecclesia and gave himself for

295
00:23:17,320 –> 00:23:20,920
it, that he might sanctify and
cleanse it with a washing of

296
00:23:20,920 –> 00:23:23,840
water by the Word, that he might
present it to himself.

297
00:23:23,920 –> 00:23:28,360
A glorious ecclesia, not having
spot or wrinkle or any such

298
00:23:28,360 –> 00:23:32,240
thing, but that it should be
holy and without blemish.

299
00:23:36,160 –> 00:23:38,040
Christ put his life on the line,
didn’t He?

300
00:23:38,640 –> 00:23:42,440
He gave everything that the
Bride might be redeemed and

301
00:23:42,440 –> 00:23:45,560
saved.
He didn’t just stand back and

302
00:23:45,560 –> 00:23:52,160
watch her being destroyed.
Now, sometimes we can get the

303
00:23:52,160 –> 00:23:59,200
idea that we need to make peace
at all costs, but if we stand by

304
00:23:59,200 –> 00:24:03,840
in the face of error or try to
compromise with false ideology,

305
00:24:04,800 –> 00:24:06,320
we’re not helping things, are
we?

306
00:24:07,400 –> 00:24:11,840
We’re not showing leadership.
We’re being just like Adam,

307
00:24:12,800 –> 00:24:14,920
standing by and letting it all
happen.

308
00:24:15,560 –> 00:24:20,600
Play out, taking the path of
least resistance and watching

309
00:24:20,600 –> 00:24:23,240
our families getting destroyed
in the process.

310
00:24:25,560 –> 00:24:29,080
OK, Adam had to learn to lead.
That was his role.

311
00:24:30,480 –> 00:24:35,000
And so in the curses, Adam’s
tendency to step back from

312
00:24:35,000 –> 00:24:40,240
unpleasant work is addressed.
You’re now going to be

313
00:24:40,240 –> 00:24:45,920
responsible for providing for
your family, and from now on

314
00:24:45,920 –> 00:24:48,040
you’re going to have to apply
yourself.

315
00:24:49,200 –> 00:24:55,160
You cannot afford to step back
and be inactive, for should you

316
00:24:55,160 –> 00:25:03,800
do so, your garden is going to
be over run with weeds in action

317
00:25:04,760 –> 00:25:10,520
has its consequences.
You and your family will only

318
00:25:10,520 –> 00:25:14,880
eat if you discipline yourself
to attack and destroy anything

319
00:25:14,880 –> 00:25:16,680
which threatens their
livelihood.

320
00:25:17,920 –> 00:25:21,200
Every day you have to learn that
principle as you go off to work

321
00:25:21,200 –> 00:25:24,680
and toil and you attack those
weeds and you dig and you sweat.

322
00:25:26,720 –> 00:25:31,880
Inaction has consequences and
your family dies.

323
00:25:34,680 –> 00:25:39,640
And in the small everyday
experiences of the field, you

324
00:25:39,640 –> 00:25:43,440
will learn what it means to
work, what it means to be

325
00:25:43,440 –> 00:25:47,880
responsible, what it means to
care and to provide for your

326
00:25:47,880 –> 00:25:52,520
family.
And so we read in Genesis 3

327
00:25:52,520 –> 00:25:57,640
verse 17, Cursed is the ground.
Why?

328
00:25:58,920 –> 00:26:04,720
Because I want you to feel pain.
No, cursed is the ground for

329
00:26:04,760 –> 00:26:12,040
your sake.
This was not just a punishment.

330
00:26:13,560 –> 00:26:18,520
It was a learning tool given by
God that man might better

331
00:26:18,520 –> 00:26:20,920
fulfill the role for which he
was made.

332
00:26:24,040 –> 00:26:29,600
Man had to learn to speak up.
He had to learn to confront the

333
00:26:29,600 –> 00:26:34,160
enemy.
He had to learn to value his

334
00:26:34,160 –> 00:26:39,440
wife, realizing that she was his
own flesh and that her very

335
00:26:39,440 –> 00:26:44,200
existence was founded upon his
own work, his own toil, his own

336
00:26:44,200 –> 00:26:52,440
sacrifice.
And this applies on a natural

337
00:26:52,440 –> 00:26:57,880
plane and on a spiritual plane.
And what’s the spiritual

338
00:26:57,880 –> 00:27:05,840
counterpart to a warrior?
Well, a spiritual warrior is a

339
00:27:05,840 –> 00:27:10,120
priest.
The priest blew the trumpets and

340
00:27:10,120 –> 00:27:13,120
LED the physical army in Numbers
chapter 10, verses 8:00 and

341
00:27:13,120 –> 00:27:16,920
9:00.
But the greater battle is not

342
00:27:16,920 –> 00:27:23,640
against a physical enemy, but
against the spiritual, against

343
00:27:24,000 –> 00:27:28,080
error, against doubt, against
fear.

344
00:27:30,240 –> 00:27:34,440
And this is the battle which
brethren are called to take up.

345
00:27:35,280 –> 00:27:36,800
That’s what we’re fighting
against, isn’t it?

346
00:27:36,800 –> 00:27:39,480
We’re fighting against error,
we’re fighting against doubt,

347
00:27:39,480 –> 00:27:43,160
we’re fighting against fear,
which would take our heart away

348
00:27:43,160 –> 00:27:47,840
from the truth.
And it’s not a role that men

349
00:27:47,840 –> 00:27:49,800
always feel comfortable taking
on, is it?

350
00:27:51,760 –> 00:27:56,240
You know, how many times do you
feel inadequate to the task of

351
00:27:56,240 –> 00:28:00,040
speaking up?
You know, it’s, it’s, it’s not

352
00:28:00,120 –> 00:28:04,960
easy, but it’s the role which
God has given him.

353
00:28:06,280 –> 00:28:10,080
And so he needs to be allowed to
fulfil that role.

354
00:28:13,240 –> 00:28:17,160
And you’ll notice that he’s not
commanded to dominate or

355
00:28:17,360 –> 00:28:19,960
overthrow the woman in order to
lead.

356
00:28:22,400 –> 00:28:30,040
No, the woman is commanded to
voluntary submit to her

357
00:28:30,040 –> 00:28:36,560
husband’s authority.
Leadership is a role which the

358
00:28:36,560 –> 00:28:41,920
woman gifts the man.
It’s much in the same way as the

359
00:28:41,920 –> 00:28:50,160
ecclesia submits to Christ.
He doesn’t force us to submit.

360
00:28:50,760 –> 00:28:53,880
You know, we don’t have a gun
held to our head, You will

361
00:28:53,880 –> 00:28:58,960
submit.
He doesn’t force us to become

362
00:28:58,960 –> 00:29:05,040
baptised.
He leads by example and we give

363
00:29:05,040 –> 00:29:09,360
our lives willingly of our own
volition.

364
00:29:11,160 –> 00:29:16,520
And so we never read Husbands
dominate your wives.

365
00:29:17,400 –> 00:29:19,120
It’s always the other way
around, isn’t it?

366
00:29:20,440 –> 00:29:26,880
Wives, submit yourselves to your
husbands.

367
00:29:30,520 –> 00:29:33,320
We read in First Timothy chapter
2, verse 11.

368
00:29:34,520 –> 00:29:38,600
Let the woman learn in silence
with all subjection.

369
00:29:39,320 –> 00:29:42,840
But I suffer a lot of woman to
teach, not to usurp authority

370
00:29:42,840 –> 00:29:44,800
over the man, but to be in
silence.

371
00:29:45,360 –> 00:29:49,720
For Adam was first formed, then
Eve, and Adam was not deceived,

372
00:29:49,720 –> 00:29:51,760
but the woman being deceived
was.

373
00:29:51,760 –> 00:29:58,440
In the transgression women are
asked to be silent in the

374
00:29:58,440 –> 00:30:05,840
ecclesia, not to put women down,
but to allow men to grow and to

375
00:30:05,840 –> 00:30:08,520
fulfil the role which God first
gave them.

376
00:30:10,960 –> 00:30:16,280
It has nothing to do with
talent, with skill, or with

377
00:30:16,280 –> 00:30:21,400
value.
It’s about recognizing that God

378
00:30:21,400 –> 00:30:27,320
expects different things of
different people and accepting

379
00:30:27,320 –> 00:30:32,120
the wisdom of His direction.
Does God know what He’s doing

380
00:30:32,120 –> 00:30:34,440
when He asks us to fulfill a
certain role?

381
00:30:35,120 –> 00:30:38,920
Yes or no?
Does He have our best interests

382
00:30:38,920 –> 00:30:40,960
at heart?
Yes or no?

383
00:30:41,880 –> 00:30:49,080
Well, how do we respond?
It’s not a slight against women,

384
00:30:51,000 –> 00:30:57,240
it’s a challenge for men.
Are we stepping up?

385
00:31:00,360 –> 00:31:03,080
Are we preparing to fight
against the enemy?

386
00:31:05,200 –> 00:31:07,520
Are we reading?
Are we studying?

387
00:31:07,680 –> 00:31:12,120
Are we meditating?
Can we wield the Sword of the

388
00:31:12,120 –> 00:31:15,560
Spirit?
Are we clothed with the Girdle

389
00:31:15,560 –> 00:31:21,000
of Truth?
Are we prepared to call things

390
00:31:21,000 –> 00:31:24,880
out which are wrong, even when
we know it will be difficult and

391
00:31:24,880 –> 00:31:31,600
will attract push back?
When a warrior attacks the

392
00:31:31,640 –> 00:31:36,040
enemy, he inevitably draws enemy
fire.

393
00:31:39,560 –> 00:31:44,840
A warrior needs to train,
practice and prepare.

394
00:31:46,080 –> 00:31:48,760
He needs to believe in the value
of his cause.

395
00:31:51,040 –> 00:31:57,440
Without discipline, without
conviction, we grow flabby and

396
00:31:57,440 –> 00:32:01,000
weak, and we’re unable to defend
those who we love.

397
00:32:05,160 –> 00:32:10,680
And so, while the man is
directed to work, to sweat, to

398
00:32:10,680 –> 00:32:17,480
toil, to take responsibility, to
engage with the enemy, what of

399
00:32:17,480 –> 00:32:25,480
the woman?
Well, Eve had reached out and

400
00:32:25,480 –> 00:32:31,240
she’d stolen fruit which had not
been offered, and she was

401
00:32:31,240 –> 00:32:35,160
completely oblivious to the pain
and the suffering which her

402
00:32:35,160 –> 00:32:37,040
theft would bring upon the
world.

403
00:32:39,280 –> 00:32:42,520
And so when the Angel pronounces
the consequences which she would

404
00:32:42,520 –> 00:32:47,120
experience those consequences
focus upon the pain and the

405
00:32:47,120 –> 00:32:54,480
heartbreak attached to bringing
forth fruit unto the woman.

406
00:32:54,640 –> 00:32:58,760
He said, I will greatly multiply
thy sorrow and thy conception.

407
00:32:58,760 –> 00:33:01,960
In sorrow shalt thou bring forth
children, and thy desire shall

408
00:33:01,960 –> 00:33:04,920
be to thy husband, and he shall
rule over thee.

409
00:33:07,280 –> 00:33:13,360
Fruit, once taken without
thought to its cost, would now

410
00:33:13,360 –> 00:33:16,920
only be produced through extreme
pain and sorrow.

411
00:33:18,160 –> 00:33:21,840
She would now know the true
value of bringing forth seed,

412
00:33:23,120 –> 00:33:27,080
and her entire existence would
now be spent in the nurturing

413
00:33:27,480 –> 00:33:31,320
and the development of the new
generation.

414
00:33:33,520 –> 00:33:36,240
And the New Testament passages
expand upon this verse in

415
00:33:36,240 –> 00:33:40,400
Genesis, and they show that it’s
not just pregnancy and birth

416
00:33:40,640 –> 00:33:44,600
which is spoken of here, but the
rearing of children.

417
00:33:45,880 –> 00:33:49,640
First Timothy 5 verse 14 says, I
will therefore that the younger

418
00:33:49,640 –> 00:33:55,240
women marry, bear children guide
the house, giving none occasion

419
00:33:55,240 –> 00:33:57,400
to the adversary to speak
reproachfully.

420
00:33:59,120 –> 00:34:02,960
Titus chapter 2, verses four and
five teach the young women to be

421
00:34:02,960 –> 00:34:07,920
sober, to love their husbands,
to love their children, to be

422
00:34:07,920 –> 00:34:12,560
discreet, chaste keepers at
home, good, obedient to their

423
00:34:12,560 –> 00:34:15,239
own husbands, that the word of
God be not blasphemed.

424
00:34:19,639 –> 00:34:24,679
Modern society belittles this
role and sees it as a mark of

425
00:34:24,679 –> 00:34:28,280
oppression, a career to be
derided.

426
00:34:31,600 –> 00:34:36,760
But is it unimportant?
Is this a second class role?

427
00:34:40,560 –> 00:34:43,960
A man may have worked his way to
the top of a multinational

428
00:34:43,960 –> 00:34:49,360
company, managed thousands of
staff, made millions of dollars,

429
00:34:49,600 –> 00:34:52,800
lived in a palatial home with
everything that money can buy.

430
00:34:55,040 –> 00:34:59,440
But when he reaches the end of
his life, if his children and

431
00:34:59,440 –> 00:35:02,920
his grandchildren are too busy
to visit or spend time with him,

432
00:35:04,400 –> 00:35:12,840
his wealth is hollow and empty.
The selfless grandmother who is

433
00:35:12,840 –> 00:35:18,280
surrounded by an adoring family
has something far more precious.

434
00:35:21,280 –> 00:35:26,200
And when we teach our children
the truth how to love God and

435
00:35:26,200 –> 00:35:31,440
show our appreciation for all
God’s goodness, we may have

436
00:35:31,440 –> 00:35:37,240
spent countless years in
unrewarding toil, but at the end

437
00:35:38,200 –> 00:35:40,520
we’ve produced fruit for
eternity.

438
00:35:43,040 –> 00:35:47,760
There is no greater joy than to
see children embrace the truth.

439
00:35:49,880 –> 00:35:54,080
And the daily grind at the
office or the work site, for all

440
00:35:54,080 –> 00:35:57,560
its accolades, has nothing
compared to this.

441
00:35:59,160 –> 00:36:03,120
And do you think that as angels,
we’re going to be standing

442
00:36:03,120 –> 00:36:06,240
around talking to each other,
boasting of how many people we

443
00:36:06,240 –> 00:36:11,760
managed in our mortality, the
houses we built, or the cars

444
00:36:11,760 –> 00:36:20,480
that we did up or owned?
We need to learn to value things

445
00:36:20,680 –> 00:36:26,080
because of what they are
intrinsically worth and not be

446
00:36:26,080 –> 00:36:28,920
swayed by the changing tides of
public opinion.

447
00:36:32,560 –> 00:36:39,520
God values character, and so
should those who seek to be like

448
00:36:39,520 –> 00:36:47,960
Him.
Now someone might say, well,

449
00:36:48,000 –> 00:36:52,720
I’ve been asked to submit and if
I was married to an intelligent,

450
00:36:52,720 –> 00:36:55,360
thoughtful husband, and maybe
that’s something I could do.

451
00:36:55,640 –> 00:36:57,360
You know Karen’s got it easy,
hasn’t she?

452
00:36:59,920 –> 00:37:04,160
But what happens if my husband
is stupid or make some poor

453
00:37:04,160 –> 00:37:08,120
decisions?
What if I know better than him?

454
00:37:09,800 –> 00:37:14,120
How can my submission help if it
only perpetuates bad choices?

455
00:37:16,520 –> 00:37:21,120
OK, see the reasoning.
Why should I submit if I know

456
00:37:21,120 –> 00:37:24,720
better than him and he’s just
making the same dumb choices

457
00:37:24,720 –> 00:37:28,080
over and over again?
Am I going to change things if I

458
00:37:28,080 –> 00:37:35,000
submit to that way of thinking?
God answers this question in

459
00:37:35,000 –> 00:37:38,200
first Peter chapter 3 verses one
to seven, which is their reading

460
00:37:38,200 –> 00:37:42,720
tonight where we’re showing that
submission is not a sign of

461
00:37:42,720 –> 00:37:47,880
weakness, but an exhibition of
inner strength and beauty.

462
00:37:50,160 –> 00:37:53,280
And the argument here in first
Peter chapter 3 is that a woman

463
00:37:53,280 –> 00:37:58,000
will bring her unbelieving
husband to the truth, not

464
00:37:58,000 –> 00:38:03,360
through her forceful arguments,
not because she has all the

465
00:38:03,400 –> 00:38:07,040
answers and is able to present
them in a in a compelling way.

466
00:38:09,000 –> 00:38:11,480
How’s she going to bring her
unbelieving husband to the

467
00:38:11,480 –> 00:38:16,680
truth?
Through her meek and quite

468
00:38:16,800 –> 00:38:20,640
obedience herself?
Control.

469
00:38:21,880 –> 00:38:27,440
Her gracious response says much
more than any lecture or sharp

470
00:38:27,440 –> 00:38:32,440
retort ever could.
How?

471
00:38:34,360 –> 00:38:36,200
Why is it that that’s the
answer?

472
00:38:43,360 –> 00:38:51,160
Well, it’s because of this the
ultimate truth which we all need

473
00:38:51,160 –> 00:38:57,720
to witness to is to the wisdom
and goodness of God.

474
00:38:59,760 –> 00:39:02,760
Every other truth is subservient
to this.

475
00:39:05,360 –> 00:39:11,200
And when a woman obeys God’s
directive, even in times of

476
00:39:11,320 –> 00:39:18,080
trial and stress, she proclaims
her belief that God can be

477
00:39:18,080 –> 00:39:24,560
trusted, that God sees, and that
he will work in her life for

478
00:39:24,560 –> 00:39:29,000
good.
And she proclaims that her

479
00:39:29,000 –> 00:39:34,080
salvation lies not in her own
wisdom, not in her own ability

480
00:39:34,080 –> 00:39:40,280
to convince or control her
husband, but in the Providence

481
00:39:40,280 –> 00:39:45,720
and protection of God.
That’s the answer, isn’t it?

482
00:39:46,920 –> 00:39:52,240
And it’s when faith is expressed
in action and under duress that

483
00:39:52,240 –> 00:40:01,560
we truly declare that God sees,
that God cares, that God

484
00:40:01,560 –> 00:40:06,040
rewards.
And so we read in first Peter

485
00:40:06,040 –> 00:40:08,800
chapter 3 and we’ll begin verse
one.

486
00:40:10,240 –> 00:40:15,680
Likewise, ye wives, be in
subjection to your own husbands.

487
00:40:16,080 –> 00:40:21,080
That if any of they not in the
word, they also may, without the

488
00:40:21,080 –> 00:40:25,080
word, be won by the conversation
or conduct.

489
00:40:25,160 –> 00:40:30,560
As the ESB says, they may be won
by the conduct of the wives

490
00:40:32,240 –> 00:40:35,640
while they behold your chaste
conversation coupled with fear.

491
00:40:36,120 –> 00:40:38,200
Who’s adorning?
Let it not be the outward

492
00:40:38,200 –> 00:40:41,520
adorning of plaiting of hair,
the wearing of gold, or the

493
00:40:41,520 –> 00:40:46,160
pudding of apparel, but let it
be the hidden man of the heart

494
00:40:46,440 –> 00:40:48,960
in that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament

495
00:40:48,960 –> 00:40:52,040
of a meek and a quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of

496
00:40:52,040 –> 00:40:56,600
great price.
For after this manner in the old

497
00:40:56,600 –> 00:41:03,600
time, the holy women also, who
trusted in God, ordained

498
00:41:03,600 –> 00:41:08,240
themselves, being in subjection
unto their own husbands, even as

499
00:41:08,240 –> 00:41:12,600
Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling
him Lord, whose daughters ye

500
00:41:12,600 –> 00:41:16,120
are, as long as ye do well, and
are not afraid with any

501
00:41:16,120 –> 00:41:20,560
amazement.
Likewise ye husbands dwell with

502
00:41:20,560 –> 00:41:23,640
them according to knowledge,
giving honour unto the wife as

503
00:41:23,680 –> 00:41:27,920
unto the weaker vessel, and as
being heirs together of the

504
00:41:27,920 –> 00:41:31,120
grace of life, that your prayers
be not hindered.

505
00:41:33,840 –> 00:41:40,680
Now, did you notice in verse 5
when Sarah obeyed Abraham and

506
00:41:40,680 –> 00:41:44,320
called him Lord, and she
submitted to his direction, who

507
00:41:44,320 –> 00:41:48,320
was she placing her trust in?
That’s a question.

508
00:41:49,800 –> 00:41:53,400
God.
Yeah, she trusted in God.

509
00:41:55,000 –> 00:41:57,120
It wasn’t her husband, it was
God.

510
00:41:58,520 –> 00:42:01,760
She wasn’t obeying her husband
because he always came up with

511
00:42:01,880 –> 00:42:07,920
excellent solutions.
She was submitting because God

512
00:42:07,920 –> 00:42:11,440
had told her to, and she knew
that His wisdom was above all.

513
00:42:14,880 –> 00:42:18,000
Now there’s only one place in
Scripture where Sarah calls

514
00:42:18,040 –> 00:42:20,280
Abraham her Lord.
Does anyone know where that

515
00:42:20,280 –> 00:42:24,920
place is?
Where does Sarah call Abraham

516
00:42:24,920 –> 00:42:32,400
her Lord?
Genesis 18.

517
00:42:32,400 –> 00:42:37,360
Genesis 18.
OK, so in this passage, Sarah

518
00:42:37,360 –> 00:42:41,760
hears about the promised seed.
And in the passage she doesn’t

519
00:42:41,800 –> 00:42:44,800
even speak to Abraham, but she
talks to herself.

520
00:42:44,800 –> 00:42:47,040
Remember, she’s in the tent,
She’s hidden away.

521
00:42:47,520 –> 00:42:51,520
She can hear the conversation
between Abraham and the angels,

522
00:42:51,520 –> 00:42:53,120
and she’s hidden away in the
tent.

523
00:42:53,400 –> 00:42:57,720
And she laughs to herself.
And she says, after I’m waxed

524
00:42:57,720 –> 00:43:02,160
old, shall I have pleasure, my
Lord, being old also?

525
00:43:02,760 –> 00:43:08,880
OK, so this is the passage that
Peter is alluding to, all right.

526
00:43:09,160 –> 00:43:14,280
Is that agreed with that right,
Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham,

527
00:43:14,280 –> 00:43:16,720
calling him Lord.
So this is the passage that

528
00:43:16,720 –> 00:43:21,480
we’re directed to look at.
And so we asked the question,

529
00:43:21,920 –> 00:43:26,440
well, how did Sarah obey Abraham
in this case?

530
00:43:28,080 –> 00:43:30,240
What’s the focus of our
attention?

531
00:43:30,240 –> 00:43:32,600
Is it?
Did she obey when she went to A

532
00:43:33,000 –> 00:43:35,520
to bake cakes for the unexpected
visitors?

533
00:43:37,120 –> 00:43:42,760
OK, is that the obedience which
Peter is allerting to, you know,

534
00:43:42,920 –> 00:43:46,120
look at Sarah.
When Abram said go and buy cake,

535
00:43:46,120 –> 00:43:53,000
she did it immediately.
OK, is that the thrust of

536
00:43:53,000 –> 00:43:57,520
Peter’s argument?
Well, before we answer yes or

537
00:43:57,520 –> 00:44:02,520
no, let’s just firstly consider
the themes and the concepts

538
00:44:02,520 –> 00:44:05,880
which are explored in first
Peter chapter 3 verses one to

539
00:44:05,880 –> 00:44:08,080
seven.
What are some of the themes

540
00:44:08,080 –> 00:44:11,160
which are brought up in first
Peter chapter 3 verses one to

541
00:44:11,160 –> 00:44:14,240
seven?
What’s the first thing which is

542
00:44:14,240 –> 00:44:16,960
brought up in that in that
passage?

543
00:44:19,600 –> 00:44:24,400
Yeah.
Subjection to who?

544
00:44:27,160 –> 00:44:30,400
Sorry, husband.
What’s all husbands?

545
00:44:32,760 –> 00:44:35,880
An unbelieving husband.
OK, so we’re we’re the first

546
00:44:35,880 –> 00:44:40,040
thing we introduced is faithful
women bringing their husbands to

547
00:44:40,040 –> 00:44:44,080
the truth, not because of their
arguments, but because of their

548
00:44:44,080 –> 00:44:47,040
gentle attitude and their
obedient response.

549
00:44:47,040 –> 00:44:51,520
So you’ve got this idea of a
husband who is weak in the faith

550
00:44:51,520 –> 00:44:55,920
or not in the faith at all.
What else is the subject which

551
00:44:55,920 –> 00:44:58,520
is addressed in First Peter
chapter 3?

552
00:45:10,520 –> 00:45:18,400
What’s that?
Yep, Yep.

553
00:45:19,240 –> 00:45:24,640
Are women showing trust in God?
Another theme is beauty.

554
00:45:24,640 –> 00:45:28,320
Isn’t it?
OK, Paul talks, Peter talks

555
00:45:28,320 –> 00:45:31,840
about beauty in women and he
says it’s not the hairstyle,

556
00:45:31,840 –> 00:45:35,280
it’s not the dress, it’s not the
accessories which they wear

557
00:45:35,280 –> 00:45:36,880
which gives rise to their
beauty.

558
00:45:36,880 –> 00:45:39,960
But what is it which really
makes a woman beautiful?

559
00:45:39,960 –> 00:45:44,800
Well, it’s her inner deportment,
her meek and her quiet spirit.

560
00:45:45,160 –> 00:45:50,800
OK.
And then we’re told that

561
00:45:50,800 –> 00:45:55,360
husbands are exhorted to dwell
with their wives, giving them

562
00:45:55,360 –> 00:45:59,920
honour, respecting their
vulnerability, that they’re

563
00:45:59,920 –> 00:46:02,600
weaker vessels.
You need to look after her and

564
00:46:02,600 –> 00:46:05,880
be careful with her because
she’s a weaker vessel.

565
00:46:08,080 –> 00:46:12,000
And then we’re told that prayer
is effective.

566
00:46:16,400 –> 00:46:19,280
Now.
We next read about Sarah in

567
00:46:19,280 –> 00:46:23,040
Genesis chapter 20.
And each of the themes which

568
00:46:23,040 –> 00:46:28,160
Peter picks up on has their
counterpart in this story.

569
00:46:28,160 –> 00:46:34,880
In Genesis chapter 20, Abraham
has abandoned his home in

570
00:46:34,880 –> 00:46:38,320
Hebron.
OK, what’s Hebron’s signify?

571
00:46:45,240 –> 00:46:48,200
What’s Hebron mean?
What’s it stand for?

572
00:46:50,360 –> 00:46:53,880
Fellowship.
OK Hebron, where we have

573
00:46:53,880 –> 00:46:56,080
fellowship with God.
All right.

574
00:46:56,640 –> 00:47:03,800
And Abraham’s left this place.
And where does he go to go?

575
00:47:03,800 –> 00:47:09,320
Shakira in Philistine country.
A move would suggest that his

576
00:47:09,320 –> 00:47:13,240
faith was shaken.
He’d just seen what happened a

577
00:47:13,240 –> 00:47:17,520
lot when he begged God that he
would save long and he’d seen

578
00:47:17,520 –> 00:47:20,240
the smoke going up as a furnace
and he did not know what had

579
00:47:20,240 –> 00:47:24,120
happened to his nephew.
His faith was shaken and he

580
00:47:24,120 –> 00:47:28,960
moves from the place called
Fellowship to Philistine

581
00:47:28,960 –> 00:47:35,720
territory and knowing that his
wife was extremely beautiful.

582
00:47:35,720 –> 00:47:39,000
And that was a theme, wasn’t it?
In First Peter chapter 3, he

583
00:47:39,000 –> 00:47:43,680
tells Sarah to inform any
strangers who they might meet

584
00:47:44,480 –> 00:47:48,080
that they’re not husband and
wife, but their brother and

585
00:47:48,080 –> 00:47:53,560
sister, lest Abraham might be
killed so that they could take

586
00:47:53,560 –> 00:47:57,560
her to wife.
The instructions are spelt out

587
00:47:57,600 –> 00:48:01,560
in Genesis chapter 20, verse 13.
This is thy kindness which thou

588
00:48:01,560 –> 00:48:05,320
shalt show unto me at every
place whither we shall come.

589
00:48:05,320 –> 00:48:18,440
Say of me, He is my brother.
And Sarah obeyed and Abraham’s

590
00:48:18,440 –> 00:48:23,400
plan was put into action.
Was it a good plan?

591
00:48:26,600 –> 00:48:29,120
Anyone put put their hand up
there says a good plan.

592
00:48:30,120 –> 00:48:33,360
It was an atrocious plan.
It wasn’t a faithful plan.

593
00:48:33,680 –> 00:48:37,800
It was it puts Sarah at great
risk.

594
00:48:38,680 –> 00:48:41,200
It threatened to destroy their
marriage, didn’t it?

595
00:48:43,920 –> 00:48:47,920
And it was not her faith in
Abraham which motivated Sarah,

596
00:48:49,760 –> 00:48:54,600
but it was her trust in God.
She remembered the promise

597
00:48:54,600 –> 00:48:58,280
earlier that year.
Sarah, thy wife shall have a

598
00:48:58,280 –> 00:49:01,720
son, remember?
She laughed when she called

599
00:49:01,720 –> 00:49:06,160
Abram.
My Lord shall I have seen my

600
00:49:06,160 –> 00:49:10,200
Lord being old also.
Sarah, thy wife shall have a

601
00:49:10,200 –> 00:49:12,440
son.
And even though her position was

602
00:49:12,440 –> 00:49:17,160
perilous, she nevertheless
obeyed her husband’s command.

603
00:49:19,640 –> 00:49:26,120
And while Abimelech noticed her
beauty and took her to be his

604
00:49:26,120 –> 00:49:32,120
wife, and Abraham saw her beauty
and feared for his own life,

605
00:49:33,800 –> 00:49:40,920
what did God notice?
God noticed her quite obedience

606
00:49:41,320 –> 00:49:45,560
in the face of ruin, and saw
something far more attractive

607
00:49:45,560 –> 00:49:53,360
than superficial good looks.
This faith was what made her

608
00:49:53,360 –> 00:49:56,720
beautiful.
This faith was valuable.

609
00:49:58,400 –> 00:50:03,720
And God intervened and Sarah was
rescued, and she was restored to

610
00:50:03,720 –> 00:50:07,960
her husband.
And after this, Abraham prayed

611
00:50:07,960 –> 00:50:10,760
for Abimelech and his household,
and they bore children.

612
00:50:11,960 –> 00:50:14,320
And no doubt he prayed for his
own wife also.

613
00:50:14,720 –> 00:50:18,640
And he apologized deeply for
putting her through such an

614
00:50:18,640 –> 00:50:21,800
awful ordeal.
You know, you can just see him

615
00:50:21,800 –> 00:50:24,200
down on his knees apologizing to
Sarah.

616
00:50:24,200 –> 00:50:30,840
What have I done in tears?
And so we read in Genesis

617
00:50:30,840 –> 00:50:36,280
chapter 20, verse 17.
So Abraham prayed unto God, and

618
00:50:36,280 –> 00:50:40,000
God healed Abimelech and his
wife and his maidservants, and

619
00:50:40,000 –> 00:50:43,400
they bear children.
For Yahweh had fast closed up

620
00:50:43,400 –> 00:50:46,520
the wombs of the House of
Abimelech because of Sarah,

621
00:50:46,520 –> 00:50:50,160
Abraham’s wife.
And then we read in the next

622
00:50:50,160 –> 00:50:55,880
verse, and Yahweh visited Sarah
as he had said, and Yahweh did

623
00:50:55,880 –> 00:50:59,680
unto Sarah as he had spoken.
And I wonder if there’s an

624
00:50:59,680 –> 00:51:03,880
ellipsis in between those two
verses, between verse 18 and

625
00:51:03,880 –> 00:51:09,000
verse one and the ellipsis being
and Abraham prayed for Sarah

626
00:51:09,000 –> 00:51:16,520
also.
And so using this illustration,

627
00:51:17,760 –> 00:51:24,360
the Spirit by Peter makes a
point when you submit to your

628
00:51:24,360 –> 00:51:28,480
husband in obedience to God’s
command.

629
00:51:29,720 –> 00:51:32,880
It’s not an issue of whether the
wife or the husband is the best

630
00:51:32,880 –> 00:51:36,680
one for the job, or who has the
best answers, or who makes the

631
00:51:36,680 –> 00:51:42,720
best leader.
It’s actually all about God’s

632
00:51:42,720 –> 00:51:49,880
sovereignty in applying the law.
Is God right to issue that

633
00:51:49,880 –> 00:51:53,800
directive?
Does he know what he’s doing?

634
00:51:56,200 –> 00:51:59,640
Does obedience to his direction
bear fruit?

635
00:52:02,000 –> 00:52:05,520
Does God see the big picture or
do we see the big picture?

636
00:52:07,320 –> 00:52:15,680
Who’s the one who knows?
It was Eve’s doubt of God’s

637
00:52:15,680 –> 00:52:20,240
goodness which prompted her to
transgress the commandments, and

638
00:52:20,240 –> 00:52:25,600
death followed.
It was Sarah’s trust in God that

639
00:52:25,600 –> 00:52:29,160
strengthened her to be obedient
to an undeserving husband.

640
00:52:29,760 –> 00:52:31,800
And so the promised seed was
born.

641
00:52:34,480 –> 00:52:41,160
See the opposites, doubt, death,
trust, life.

642
00:52:45,360 –> 00:52:50,560
And when we come together as an
ecclesia in remembrance of our

643
00:52:50,560 –> 00:52:56,440
redemption and the atoning work
of our Lord, we engage in acts

644
00:52:56,440 –> 00:53:00,160
of symbolism which remind us of
the enormity of what has been

645
00:53:00,160 –> 00:53:05,680
done for us and in a way, our
memorial services.

646
00:53:05,880 –> 00:53:10,800
Consider not just the past, it’s
also a prophecy of the future,

647
00:53:10,800 –> 00:53:13,760
isn’t it?
When the Bride is presented

648
00:53:13,760 –> 00:53:18,600
clean and white, immortal, free
from any taint of sin?

649
00:53:18,600 –> 00:53:20,520
Because that’s what those
emblems do, isn’t it?

650
00:53:21,200 –> 00:53:22,960
They wash us.
They make us clean.

651
00:53:23,280 –> 00:53:26,000
So it’s not just a description
of what has happened in the

652
00:53:26,000 –> 00:53:29,400
past, it’s a prophecy of what
those emblems will do in the

653
00:53:29,400 –> 00:53:35,760
future.
We consider not just death and

654
00:53:35,760 –> 00:53:39,520
sacrifice, but we consider
resurrection and freedom which

655
00:53:39,520 –> 00:53:46,240
that sacrifice achieves.
We eat bread, we drink wine

656
00:53:46,280 –> 00:53:48,480
reminding us of the sacrifice of
our Lord.

657
00:53:50,520 –> 00:53:54,440
And here in these symbols are
the body and blood of Christ who

658
00:53:54,440 –> 00:53:59,760
gave himself that we might live.
And symbols help us to get

659
00:54:00,360 –> 00:54:02,720
perspective.
They help us to appreciate the

660
00:54:02,720 –> 00:54:06,560
enormity of what we’re doing and
what has been done for us and

661
00:54:06,560 –> 00:54:13,560
what will happen in the future.
And the symbolism is not just

662
00:54:13,560 –> 00:54:16,000
limited to the bread and the
wine.

663
00:54:16,360 –> 00:54:18,080
They are symbols.
But there are other symbols that

664
00:54:18,080 –> 00:54:20,040
we use in a memorial meeting,
too, aren’t there?

665
00:54:23,880 –> 00:54:30,800
At our services, it’s the males
who speak, reminding us that it

666
00:54:30,800 –> 00:54:35,200
is our head Christ who is the
leader, who speaks the truth,

667
00:54:35,200 –> 00:54:38,800
who has slain the enemy.
We, the brethren who stand up

668
00:54:38,800 –> 00:54:46,880
represent Christ.
And within our congregation our

669
00:54:46,880 –> 00:54:52,200
sisters wear a head covering,
while the males are noticeable

670
00:54:52,200 –> 00:54:54,800
by the fact that they do not
wear a head covering.

671
00:54:55,760 –> 00:54:58,800
It goes both ways, doesn’t it?
It’s not just that the females

672
00:54:58,800 –> 00:55:01,360
wear head covering.
The males are particularly

673
00:55:01,360 –> 00:55:03,760
instructed not to have a head
covering.

674
00:55:04,080 –> 00:55:05,560
You know, sometimes we just
focus on the one.

675
00:55:05,560 –> 00:55:09,640
But it’s actually both ways.
Why?

676
00:55:13,320 –> 00:55:17,280
Well, to be truly understood,
the symbol must be considered

677
00:55:17,280 –> 00:55:19,120
within the context of our
gathering.

678
00:55:21,480 –> 00:55:26,960
We come together to remember our
redemption, our covering from

679
00:55:26,960 –> 00:55:31,240
sin.
And in this context, the females

680
00:55:31,240 –> 00:55:35,840
represent the wider ecclesia who
are covered by the sacrifice

681
00:55:35,840 –> 00:55:41,800
which Christ has made.
The females represent all of us,

682
00:55:42,360 –> 00:55:47,200
the males represent Christ, and
our minds go back to the garden.

683
00:55:49,120 –> 00:55:52,560
Adam and Eve are in sin.
They’re estranged from God,

684
00:55:52,560 –> 00:55:54,400
they’re unable to stand before
him.

685
00:55:56,560 –> 00:56:04,440
And God provided the covering,
the lamb, the second Adam, the

686
00:56:04,440 –> 00:56:09,320
one who would lay down his life
so that woolen skins could be

687
00:56:09,320 –> 00:56:16,160
used for the covering of sin.
And consequently, in the symbol

688
00:56:16,240 –> 00:56:20,360
which is being played out, the
man must have his head

689
00:56:20,760 –> 00:56:25,120
uncovered, he must have his hair
short.

690
00:56:27,240 –> 00:56:33,720
He needs to reflect Christ who
provided his wool for his bride.

691
00:56:34,600 –> 00:56:40,000
We remember Christ on the cross
naked, that the bride might be

692
00:56:40,000 –> 00:56:44,000
covered.
And so a brother with a covered

693
00:56:44,000 –> 00:56:50,400
head or a brother with long hair
paints the picture of a lamb

694
00:56:50,400 –> 00:56:59,680
which refuses to sacrifice, and
the bride wears A covering

695
00:57:01,600 –> 00:57:06,600
reflecting the fact that all
ecclesial members need

696
00:57:06,600 –> 00:57:12,400
forgiveness.
Her hat or veil, her covered

697
00:57:12,400 –> 00:57:17,520
head is a symbol of us all.
We can only come together before

698
00:57:17,520 –> 00:57:21,440
God because we’ve been covered
in Christ.

699
00:57:23,640 –> 00:57:27,920
And so this symbol, which is
mocked and derided by the world,

700
00:57:29,800 –> 00:57:35,880
is a symbol of true freedom,
freedom from sin, death,

701
00:57:36,760 –> 00:57:42,560
mortality and decay.
It represents an admission of

702
00:57:42,560 –> 00:57:50,640
thanks on behalf of us all, and
it reminds brethren that theirs

703
00:57:50,640 –> 00:57:56,280
is not a role of tyranny or
oppression, but a role of

704
00:57:56,280 –> 00:58:03,520
sacrifice.
Following Jesus, laying down our

705
00:58:03,520 –> 00:58:14,360
lives that others might live.
We need to ask ourselves, what

706
00:58:14,360 –> 00:58:20,920
symbols do we wish to adopt?
What is the path to freedom?

707
00:58:22,920 –> 00:58:25,760
How do we become like unto the
angels?

708
00:58:27,320 –> 00:58:30,000
Whose voice do we turn to and
listen?

709
00:58:32,400 –> 00:58:37,800
And is God someone who cares,
someone who understands what we

710
00:58:37,800 –> 00:58:43,360
really need?
Who is he distant and demanding?

711
00:58:47,400 –> 00:58:51,520
Paul exhorts us in Ephesians
chapter 4 and verse 16 and we’ll

712
00:58:51,760 –> 00:58:55,520
we’ll close with this verse
reading from the ESB.

713
00:58:55,520 –> 00:59:02,200
He says, Look to Christ, let him
be your example and guide, so

714
00:59:02,200 –> 00:59:06,240
that we may no longer be
children tossed to and fro by

715
00:59:06,240 –> 00:59:11,440
the waves and carried about by
every wind of doctrine, by human

716
00:59:11,440 –> 00:59:17,040
cunning, by craftiness in in
deceitful schemes, rather

717
00:59:17,640 –> 00:59:22,080
speaking the truth in love.
We are to grow up in every way

718
00:59:22,080 –> 00:59:27,720
into Him who is the head into
Christ, from whom the whole

719
00:59:27,720 –> 00:59:31,840
body, joined and held together
by every joint with which it is

720
00:59:31,840 –> 00:59:36,600
equipped, when each part is
working properly, makes the body

721
00:59:36,600 –> 00:59:40,160
grow so that it builds itself up
in love.

722
00:59:53,320 –> 00:59:55,400
Thank you for listening to the
Good Christadelphian Talks

723
00:59:55,400 –> 00:59:58,000
podcast.
We hope this talk helped you in

724
00:59:58,000 –> 00:59:59,520
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725
01:00:00,680 –> 01:00:02,720
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726
01:00:02,720 –> 01:00:05,240
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727
01:00:05,240 –> 01:00:09,360
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01:00:09,360 –> 01:00:11,840
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01:00:11,840 –> 01:00:14,600
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730
01:00:14,600 –> 01:00:18,680
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731
01:00:18,960 –> 01:00:21,480
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732
01:00:22,760 –> 01:00:25,240
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01:00:25,240 –> 01:00:27,760
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01:00:27,760 –> 01:00:31,240
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01:00:31,280 –> 01:00:32,800
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736
01:00:33,200 –> 01:00:35,800
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01:00:35,800 –> 01:00:38,040
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738
01:00:38,600 –> 01:00:41,640
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01:00:41,640 –> 01:00:44,640
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740
01:00:45,280 –> 01:00:48,160
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741
01:00:48,160 –> 01:00:48,400
week.