City Church Sheffield Podcast

There are positive accounts in the New Testament of women teaching, but what Paul has in mind is women teaching when the whole church gathers together. This is what is prohibited. This message looks at three ways in which this text is sometimes unhelpfully softened. It then looks at three key words that help us understand what Paul was specifically prohibiting, before considering three possible reactions.

When the church misses the grace of God there can be quarrels and disputing, and also an unhelpful focus on outward appearances. There are four steps to real beauty: receive acceptance from God, believe in Biblical beauty, serve God gladly and choose clothes wisely.

Like Jonah, some of us need a change in direction, a change in action and a change of heart.

We can often rely on other things. God calls us to primarily rely on Him, and when we do, he strengthen us.

Moses faced a big decision: should he merely accept God's promises for Israel, or should he ask for something more, relationship with God himself?

Noah's faith is described as a holy fear. He is commended, not because he built the ark, but because of his faith.

Let's be courageous, holy and gentle when we come to pray.

We don't see great exploits with Abel and Enoch, but we see two men walking with God day by day which are examples for us.

We are called to pray for kings and rulers, including our own MPs, for peace and health, rather than getting involved in political arguments with people who disagree with us. Like the Roman emperor, our leaders can unwittingly enable the spread of the gospel.

Faith helps us not only to look forward to our hope, but also to look back at what God has done. We can be creative with what we already have but only God creates the world out of nothing. Faith is not blind but is based on God's revelation through his Word and through his Son.

In order to increase our faith to pray, Paul reminds us that there is only one God, who is the God of everything and is our only Saviour who cares for everyone. There is also one mediator, who takes us by the hand to take us to the Father, and there is only one ransom which was paid to set us free.

Faith is described: it is believing God. Faith is commended. In Hebrews 11 we see faith in action.

The call to prayer is urgent, the way to pray is varied and the focus of our prayers is everyone. Talking to God is important, and it is also our greatest privilege.

Daniel faced a whole range of challenges in Babylon, how did he remain in the culture and honour God? How do we make Godly decisions in a society which does not honour God.

It doesn't matter how weak I am, what matters is that I am called. I don't need a perfect life and unquestioning faith, just a humble heart and a commitment to be obedient to God.

Ruth, a widow from the despised people of Moab, is embraced by the covenant love of God. She finds hope and a future through Boaz her kinsman-redeemer. Jesus is the ultimate redeemer: let us enjoy his wonderful love and faithfulness and extend his heart to the vulnerable.

We must be careful not to drift. Paul does two things to help the church in Ephesus: firstly he tells Timothy to stop people teaching false doctrine, and secondly he tells Timothy to teach sound doctrine.

Without Jesus, there is only judgement. We are called to persevere by remembering God's faithfulness in the past, by looking forward to what is coming, and by holding on to what is true.

When we follow Jesus, we get a new identity. We get caught up into God's plans rather than catching him up into our plans. Without always knowing precisely where God is leading us, God transforms our character in community and through trials.

Paul knows Timothy is facing significant challenges but encourages him, and us, to remind ourselves of the glorious gospel of Christ and allow worship and gratitude to flow.

Jesus is the new and living way - he is the way to the Father, and the only way.

The Law is good at warning us, convicting us, pointing us to Jesus and teaching us what holiness looks like. But unlike the glorious Gospel, it can never change our hearts, never save us, nor make us more like Jesus.

Dan talks us through the importance of water baptism for believers and follows of Jesus.

This is spring, a time for new life. It is also a time for those who have been pressed down to spring up, and for springs of living water to flow through us. We are to live as Spirit-filled Christians not just on Sundays but wherever we are and however dry we feel.

We have confidence to enter the most holy place, but are we confident when we come before God? Let's draw near to him, hold unswervingly to the faith we profess, and spur each other on.

Prophets engage with God face to face, but Jonah fled from God's face, and fell asleep instead of calling on God. But the turning point comes when he acknowledges his identity as a Hebrew who worships the Lord. God is calling us back to face to face fellowship with him.

The Law is good, but it is a shadow pointing to Christ. It cannot make us perfect but Jesus does; it reminds us of sins, but now God remembers our sins no longer; sacrifices don't please God, but Christ does, and they have to be repeated but the work of Christ is finished.

The Law is good, but it is a shadow pointing to Christ. It cannot make us perfect but Jesus does; it reminds us of sins, but now God remembers our sins no longer; sacrifices don't please God, but Christ does, and they have to be repeated but the work of Christ is finished.

Our goal is love, and we can grow in love by cultivating a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Paul is passionate both about the glorious gospel of grace, which is received by faith, and also about the church, and so he urges Timothy to remain where he is to ensure that the church doesn't move on from the gospel. [Download Dan's slides](https://d2lpchbt6qg0df.cloudfront.net/uploads/1_Timothy_intro.pptx)

Jesus commissions his followers to take the message of hope to the world, but he doesn't just leave us to get on with it. He gives us his Holy Spirit and so we can expect him to work through us.

Mary didn't believe initially, and neither did the two on the Emmaus Road or the eleven apostles. But Jesus doesn't start again with a new group of disciples, he gently rebukes them. When God rebukes us for our disbelief, this should lead to repentance not discouragement.

Without Easter Sunday, Good Friday would have been a disaster, but we see the power of God over sin and death. The resurrection of Jesus changes everything, and the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us

We are encouraged to be convinced that Jesus really did die on the cross, to be faithful like the women who stood by Jesus at the cross and to be bold like Joseph of Arimathea.

We see the most awful and also the most awesome moment in history, as our sin is transferred to Jesus and he is forsaken by God. But when he dies the darkness disappears and the centurion recognises who Jesus really is.

We are all partners together. It's God's heart to bring revival to Sheffield. Our task is praying, prophesying, receiving, giving, travelling and sending.

When we think about Jesus on the cross, we can ask ourselves who he is. He is the suffering servant, the glorious king and our wonderful saviour.

The religious leaders wanted Jesus killed out of self-interest, the crowds just followed the leaders without examining the facts, and Pilate chose to serve the crowd rather than his conscience or justice. They all deserved to die, and we can often be like them. But even those who deserve to die can be forgiven.

Peter had given up everything to follow Jesus. He had witnessed his miracles and confessed Jesus to be Son of God. Yet he disowns Jesus after boldly declaring that he would never do this. This helps us to recognise our own weaknesses and it reminds us of the power of prayer and it helps us to be amazed by the grace of God.

We can learn what it means to live by faith from Elijah. It means learning to rely on God, to obey him and to work with him. God frequently provides for us in mundane ways at the last minute so that we can learn to trust him.

Jesus was not the freedom fighter that the Jewish leaders feared he was, though he does fight and he wins the victory over death. He was not a blasphemer, but really is the Son of God. He is not a helpless victim, but courageously submits to God's will.

The disciples want Jesus to stay where he is, where he is popular, but he knows it's time to move on to the next town. Is it time for us to move on?

We can never know what Jesus suffered in his darkest hour as he looked into the cup of our iniquities, but we can only marvel, and find forgiveness for our greatest sins, comfort in our deepest sorrows and grace to fight our strongest temptations.

The last meal Jesus had with his disciples is no longer about freedom from slavery in Egypt but freedom from slavery to sin. The Lord's Supper brings us back to Jesus when we've drifted, it reminds us of all Jesus bought for us and that we are part of God's people, and it helps us to look forward to the celebration meal in God's Kingdom.

We see in this passage a God who is control, a king who is worth worshipping and a challenge to guard our hearts. So let's worship him freely without worrying about what others might think.

There will be difficult times until Christ returns, but through it all God is in still in control. We must be alert, neither trying to predict when he will return or being unprepared for it, and should continue to love God and one another.

The Teachers of the Law pressurised the poor into giving what they couldn't afford, but Jesus wants us to take care of the poor and vulnerable, not insist that they give to the Church.

Strongholds hinder us in our walk with God. What are strongholds, what power do they have and how can we demolish them so we can walk in freedom?

The appearance of the angels to the Shepherds in the fields surrounding Bethlehem has the impact of completely transforming their lives.We too have heard the good news of Jesus' birth and are invited to draw near to him. What will our response be?

Jesus was the son of David, but he was much more than this. He is also David's Lord. The religious leaders responded to Jesus with silence, the crowds responded with delight, but we can respond by bowing down and worshipping him.