Many people on Sunday asked me if I would get much pushback for my sermon.  Some wondered how hard it was to preach on tough texts like 1 Timothy 2:8-15.  Others patted me on the back for my courage.  But I have to admit, the concern for me is not who is in the crowd, but rather the One who wrote the words I’m exegeting.  I am more concerned about honoring God and being faithful to His word than I am about how challenging the text is to preach.  

But I will say, I actually enjoy preaching from challenging texts (except for prophecy).  I enjoy them because they cause me to rely solely on God’s power to get His point across to His people. I also enjoy preaching from them because I think that God’s people, who love God’s word, appreciate hearing challenging texts taught rather than skipped.  It’s funny that I believe that whether people agreed with me or not, I can tell you that most people appreciated that I didn’t skip a hard text.  

One other thing about preaching on challenging texts:  when I first moved to Oregon in 1994, I traveled and preached for a living.  Most of my experiences while preaching on the road were pastors who asked me to preach on a hard topic at their churches.  They did this because many said it was easier to have the traveling guy do it and leave than for them.  So, on more than one occasion, I would be asked to preach on gender roles at churches where gender roles were distorted, or I would be asked to preach on the order/place of spiritual gifts at churches where things were chaotic.  And most of the time…the pastor was conveniently out of town.  So, I “cut my teeth,” preaching on hard things.  But I also the importance of pastors teaching their people from challenging texts rather than asking someone else to do it.  

Honoring women:

I remember being at a Together for the Gospel several years ago, and John Piper made this comment during a Q & A session about gender roles:  “I love strong women.”  This came after Piper talking about women who have “steel rods in their backs” and “great courage.”  I was with Bill Heard, and we both laughed and agreed wholeheartedly because we both married very strong women.  The next day, as Bill and I boarded our flight home, we noticed that Dr. Piper was on our flight.  At that moment, I sighed because I knew that God wouldn’t take our plane down!  But Bill did something else…as we were taxing down the runway, Bill ran to Piper’s seat, knelt, and said, “Dr. Piper, thank you for your comments about strong women and your love for them.  I’m married to one, and I thank God for her.”  All the while, the stewardess was coming over the sound system saying, “Sir, please get back in your seat”.  But Bill just couldn’t let the moment pass without expressing his appreciation to Dr. Piper.  

But the point is true…strong women come with all personalities and gifts.  Some are quieter yet don’t back down to pressure.  Some are more willing to speak up yet submit and support when needed.  

But here’s what I want to be drawn out of this:  God has created our genders in such a way that they are to complement one another.  And when each person is playing their role in their God-given gender, it honors and strengthens the other gender.  It doesn’t take away from the other gender but enhances it.  This is one of my concerns with our cultural issues about gender.  Our world thinks the way to honor gender is to elevate one over the other.  Yet, in the process, we devalue others.  That’s not the way God has set it up.  When gender roles are done well, both genders are honored and strengthened.  

This coming Sunday:

We will continue studying through 1 Timothy 2:8-15. This week, we will look back at the created order, how sin distorted it, and what Jesus did to restore it.    

From the Cheap Seats:

• Amari Cooper and a 6th to the Browns for a 5th and a 6th…in other words, getting $16 million off the books is worth a 5th round pick.  Ok.  I think this shows how much the Cowboys value CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.  Well…we’re going to find out.  
• The Broncos gave up the farm for Russ.  But I think this helps both teams.  Seattle was hamstrung by Wilson’s contract, and he wasn’t happy there.  They needed draft picks.  And the Broncos needed a QB.  
• There is a sense that things are getting back to normal.  MLB announced that reporters are allowed back into the clubhouses, and Spring Training has started.  I can’t wait!
• Speaking of MLB…the best middle infield money can buy is in Texas, and it’s most certainly not Houston!  I hope Carlos Correa goes somewhere else, but if he does go to Houston, I hope his contract hamstrings them for years to come…

I’m very grateful for God’s grace in my life.  Knowing how patient He’s been with me and knowing how forgiving He’s been simply amazing me.  And when I look around at my family, our church, and the baseball community I serve, I am grateful for God’s continual goodness to me.   What are your reasons for being thankful this week?  

In Christ, 

Dave York