Allen Jackson - Great Darkness, The Light, and The Truth - Part 2
One of the great challenges of our generation has to do with men and women. They've been pushing the narrative for so long now, we have arrived at the point of total absurdity. Women's rights have been elevated to the point that they no longer have any, that the men are invited to compete alongside the women. And if you say that makes no sense, you are wrong. Those who have advocated for women's rights throughout the course of my lifetime have lost all credibility, and I think a biblical perspective would be helpful on this.
The Bible gives us a very clear and detailed presentation on the great impact of women. And spoiler alert: it's not about being just like men. It's not in your notes. I got the deluxe copy. I wanna submit to all of you that God has created you with a unique role, specially prepared for kingdom assignments; the significant role of women's in God's purposes, if you'll allow me just a moment. The words we use are words like woman, wife, mother, grandmother, sister; they're all words or labels which are intended to unify and bring people together, it's a very important assignment. Unfortunately, they have often become words that bring division in our current cultural landscape. It is terribly unfortunate for our homes, our families, our lives and our communities.
There's a couple of things that we need to remember from scripture. You'll know these ideas, I hope, when you're reminded is that when God looked at creation and he said, "It was not good that man was alone". Women were God's idea. Creation was incomplete without their presence. So, it's a legitimate deduction that women are of great value in God's sight. Now, God has assigned us differing roles. I know that causes some to gnash their teeth, but it's not lesser or greater, he's assigned us different roles together. We're not all the same. If the government made us, we'd all be the same. Same height, same accent. Women will not be stronger if they succeed in weakening men, it's a myth. It's a very popular one, and tragically, it's been very effective. Women are identified throughout scripture in some very significant roles.
Eve is a central figure in the Genesis narrative. The nature of scripture changes in Genesis, chapter 12, when God calls Abram, says, "I wanna make a covenant with you that will bless all people". And Sarah, Abraham's wife, is at the center of the emerging purposes of God. There is no fulfillment of God's covenant to Abram without the involvement of Sarah. Mary, and Moses sister, was a significant leader during the Exodus in the wilderness years. Hannah's prayers resulted in the story of her son Samuel, a very important figure in the biblical narrative. Deborah was a judge, a leader over Israel. You're reading those chapters these days. Huldah was the prophetess who was an important part of the story of Josiah's reform.
Josiah was a young man, a king in Judah, one of the greatest reformers in all the history of that nation. And God sent a woman to help. In fairness, perhaps, the most wicked of all Israel's rulers was a woman, Jezebel. Women are not excluded from those who oppose God and his people. Noadiah, the prophetess, sought to intimidate Nehemiah when he was rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. More familiar to us is Mary, Jesus's mother. She's a pivotal figure in the story of redemption. A young woman who willingly embraces God's purpose for her life, pushing aside all the awkwardness of the role, all the things that would intimidate and frustrate and even humiliate; she believes God.
Mary's role is far more prominent in the gospels than Joseph. Mary is present all the way through the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the establishment of the church after Jesus's ascension. There's Anna, the prophetess, who was one of the first to recognize the infant Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promise. It was the women who were the last to leave Jesus's tomb after the Crucifixion. It was the women who first discovered the Resurrection. It was the Marys who first encountered the living Jesus. Lydia was a businesswoman, was at the beginning of the church in Philippi. Priscilla was an important part of the team of church planners that occupy the book of Acts.
2 John is addressed to a woman. Timothy is reminded that he inherited a faith which had originated with his grandmother and mother. So, they say to us, in many segments of academia, "Is the Bible, a patriarchal book"? Well, that's one way of understanding. I could also suggest it's very much a story of women, and if you allow me to make a suggestion, rather than be angry for what it's not, what if we celebrate the value of women in God's unfolding purposes? Just what if? The pathway to freedom and wholeness begins at the cross of Jesus. He is our righteousness, our holiness, and our redemption. Yielding to Jesus is the certain path of liberty.
Women have suffered at the hands of wicked and ungodly men. That is true, but the larger truth is that people suffer at the hands of wicked and ungodly people. Jesus remains the best solution to confronting human evil. We are advocates for Jesus and the redemption of human life, which he makes possible. We, I, am most grateful for the moms and all the women which God has placed in our lives. When we begin to choose which sins we will identify and which ones we will ignore, we inevitably begin a descent into ungodliness, and we have been guilty. Violence against women has been identified as unacceptable, as I believe it should be. On the other hand, violence against the vulnerable child before birth, is said to be a matter of choice, and I believe that's evil. And on that front, we desperately need the voice of women; not uniquely so, but importantly so.
I pulled up a few passages of scripture. I wanted to see the great influence of women in the unfolding story of God because I wanted to embolden you that your voice matters, that your role matters, not just to model the behavior and the attitudes of men, but to understand the significance God has attached to you and his purposes. In 1 Samuel, chapters 1 and 2, we're introduced to Hannah. Hannah, at the point we meet her, is barren and she's brokenhearted because she's childless. And she's caught by the priest, when they visit the tabernacle at Shiloh, weeping, and he assumes wrongly that she's inebriated. It's a fancy word for "drunk".
And when he chastises her for her lack of character, she corrects him and tells him that she's grieving because she's childless. And he says she'll conceive. And Hannah makes a promise that were she to conceive and have a son, that she would give him to the service of the Lord; and lo and behold, she conceives. In 1 Samuel, chapter 2, you have it there, it says, "Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. And Eli, the priest, would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, 'May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord.' And they would go home".
I can read that story and it, that the language is plain, the ideas are clear, the patterns, you know, it's not difficult to understand, but it's impossible for me to get my head around. She's brokenhearted because of her life circumstance, and she asked God to fulfill her prayer, and to let her conceive, and she does and she says, "I will give the boy to serve the Lord all of his life". Children are not pets. God doesn't give them to us to validate our self-worth. He doesn't entrust them to our care so that we will feel more complete. He gives us an assignment to see that they grow strong, body, soul, and spirit, and learn to serve the Lord all the days of their lives.
In Matthew, chapter 20, we have a little different influence of a mom, the mother of Zebedee's sons. This is James and John, two of Jesus's disciples, two of those closest to him. Their mother came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down and asked a favor. And Jesus said, "What do you want"? And she said, "Well, grant that these two sons of mine may sit at your right hand on your left and your kingdom". Well, there you go, Mom. Why not just put it all on the table? "I mean, I know you recruited a dozen, but let my boys have the premium seats. Tell Peter to go to the back". It's in the book and she took the boys with her. I don't know, how it really played out in my mind, they're both rolling their eyes, "Here goes mom again".
And then, Jesus said something that's pretty startling to me, he said, "You don't understand what you're asking. Can they drink the cup I'm going to drink"? Now, we have the benefit of hindsight, we're reading this after the fact. And they, in their zeal, which leads me to believe this was a conspiracy amongst all of them, not just mom. The boys speak up and say, "Oh no, we can. Any cup you're drinking, we're drinking". And Jesus said, "Okay". At least, by church tradition, they died martyrs' deaths. What's the word we would use for that? How would we label that behavior? Selfish ambition?
You know, parents, we're susceptible to that. We feel very justified when it's our child. We just want them to be all they can be. We wanna help them get a half a step ahead. We need to yield our children to the Lord, and ask for his help and how we shepherd their young lives. Mom was very involved in a future for those young men. It was extraordinarily difficult. We go to the other end of the spectrum, Mark, chapter 6, when the daughter of Herodias came in and danced. Herod has married his brother's wife, and John the Baptist has expressed his opinion very publicly. For all those people who say we shouldn't talk about current events, when we're at the people of God, I would remind them of John the Baptist.
John could have lived to have been a much older man if he would have done a polite Bible study on Abraham. It was his comments on the ruler of the region where he lived and his immorality that cost him a great deal, and when Jesus was told of John, he said there was no one greater than John in the kingdom of God. He didn't stop there. He said, "What did you go in the desert to see? Did you go to see a reed that was swayed by the wind"? He said, "I think not. Did you go to see someone who was concerned about fashion? I don't think so," he said. He had nothing but commendation for John, but this is the, this is the turn in the story that will cost John his life.
The daughter of Herodias came in and danced. She pleased Herod and the dinner guests and the king said, "Ask me anything you want and I'll give it to you". And she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for"? And her mother said, "The head of John the Baptist. Shut down my antagonist. Shut down the man that's reminding me of my immorality. Shut down the voice that's reminding me of my own lack of character". Imagine a mother that would give that counsel to her daughter. Parents have a very important role. John, chapter 2, "On the third day," it's one of my favorite Jesus stories, "there's a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and Jesus's mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were there". The wine's gone, and Jesus mother said, "They have no more wine".
You know the story. Jesus looks at his mom and says, "None of my business. I got these disciples here, you think that's not enough of a miracle"? And Mary doesn't argue with Jesus, she simply says to the servants, "Just do whatever he tells you". The gospel writers don't give us, really, any clues about any miracles other than the circumstances of Jesus's birth that would cause Mary to understand, but it's very clear she understands. Jesus has the ability to intervene, and she prompts Jesus. And Jesus doesn't seem overly enthusiastic, so, she turns to the servants and said, "Listen, whatever he says, whatever he says". He had them draw water, it's a difficult task.
And then, take water to the bridegroom, the one officiating over the wedding, he's expecting wine and we're taking water. The Bible doesn't tell us where the miracle took place; that intrigues me. When they dipped it out of the jugs, did they know they had wine? If they did, they giggled all the way up to the head table. If they didn't, they drew straws, and the one who lost has to take it to the head table. You see, we have to decide what kind of people we're going to be. We want leaders. We want to put people in a White House, or the halls of Congress, or the governor's mansion, or in courtrooms, or hospital corridors, someplace. We want people to have the authority to make our culture better.
And I'm asking you if we're willing to be the people that'll make it better at our kitchen tables, and when our families get together? There's a relationship between rights and responsibilities. And if you ignore the relationship, you will destroy your freedom. American women have achieved tremendous freedom and opportunity; particularly, if you consider our existence on a global scale or a historical perspective. I wanna ask you to be willing to use your influence for the purposes of the kingdom of God, and not primarily for the accumulation of further rights. God is a just God, and justice comes from him.
Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well". I think we've been motivated by too many of the same factors that motivate a secular culture. I think we bought into the same lies and we've allowed much of the propaganda to influence our hearts and our minds, and in so doing, we've walked in the darkness. And I believe God has given us a unique opportunity to turn up the light. You choose the Lord. Make Jesus the priority of your life.
I was reminded this week, in a very poignant way and a very personal way, of these ideas. My mom was from another generation. She went to a one-room schoolhouse. For a portion of her life, her family had an outhouse. There was really nothing in her story that would commend her to significance. She never occupied platforms and stadiums, or worked on the other side of the lens. She didn't have an imagination of social media and being an influencer. She didn't even have the momentum, as a young person, a young adult, a young married person, having a vibrant faith; they were more vibrant pagans. And she met Jesus and I truly can't explain all that happened after that, other than as an observer, she attached a value to people. Not great groups of people, but individuals.
And what captured my attention this week was the multiplied thousands of people who raised their hands and said, "My life was changed". The calls came from Africa and the Middle East. The message just came from Asia and across Middle Tennessee. Not that they'd heard her speak to some massive crowd, but everybody said the same thing: "I felt like I mattered to her". I want to ask you to consider choosing the truth in your life that way. Extend the hope of Jesus to other people. Listen. Have the courage to believe. Faith wasn't theoretical to my mom. You know, many of you have engaged with, "Let's Pray".
Folks, that was not something I imagined, that was something pounded into my brothers and I from the time we could walk. We were embarrassed more often than not by my mom in the most improbable setting saying, "Well, let's pray". Then we're thinking, "No, let's don't. Let's just order food, or get the car washed, or buy a doughnut, or get school clothes". But "Oh God, no, let's pray". You can do that. We can do that. Stop raging against the darkness, turn up the light. Stop waiting for someone else to have the courage to confront the darkness. Ask the Spirit of God to give you the courage to confront the darkness in your arena.
This is our generation. This is our story and the circumstances of your beginning don't have the power to disrupt the outcome of your life, if you will say, "yes" to the Lord. Now, that's the truth. I wanna pray for you, if you'll stand with me. Actually, we've got a whole myriad of prayers, so I'm just gonna give you some points to receive. God knows your circumstances. If he knows the hairs on your head and when a sparrow falls to the ground, he's got your details. I smile, I meet people say, "You know, Pastor, I just don't like to pray. You know, when we all pray at the same time, it's as if we're gonna overload heaven's systems".
Well, I'm an advocate for respect and dignity and order. I believe in all of those things, but I assure you God's got your details. So, here's my suggestion: we're gonna borrow that little, those gestures, we're gonna relinquish to the Lord those things we need to. That's where we've been tolerating stuff: ungodliness, indifference, we've been excusing our sin, whatever; we need forgiveness. We're gonna relinquish that to the Lord. Then, we're gonna turn our hands up and receive what we need. If you're praying for children, and you're husband and wives, are in agreement, that's you. If you're not, you get an agreement beforehand: do not come see me.
Some of you need to relinquish your children to the Lord, and they're not all kids anymore. Put them in the Lord's hands. Some of us need to say, "yes" to God's purposes. We've wanted to get our paperwork ready, so we were good to go to heaven, but we really didn't want God encroaching on us because we wanted to do what we wanna do. Understand that's temptation. Are you ready? We're gonna give some thanks to the Lord, and then, we're gonna receive what he has for us.
Father, we come tonight, I thank you for your Word, for its truth and authority and power in our lives. And Lord, we come in humility to acknowledge to you those times we've been indifferent, or we've even opposed you. We've said, "no" to you. We've chosen ungodliness, and stubbornness, and selfishness, and marked our own pathway. Lord, we've been angry at others and filled with hate towards others; we've been more determined to justify ourselves than to submit to you. But whatever it may be, we come tonight to lay it at the foot of the cross. And I thank you that through the blood of Jesus, we have been redeemed, sanctified, justified, made clean in your sight. And Lord, as we relinquish those things, we turn our hearts and our hands to you to, to receive. Now from you tonight, Lord, the promises of your word that you'd bring a fruitfulness to our lives and our homes and our families. When we relinquish our children to you, our futures, to you, our plans to you. Lord, we have made plans and we have dreams. But lord, we would submit them to you to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, to run with perseverance. The race you've marked out for us. Holy Spirit, have your way within us. Give us a revelation of Jesus. It will change the momentum and the trajectory of our days so that when our strength fades and we come to the end of our journey in time. But you may say to each of us well known in Jesus's name, amen.