22 Jul Hot Topics | Part 4: “Feminism and Toxic Masculinity”
Key Verse: Romans 12
‘Toxic masculinity’ is a catch phrase in today’s culture. Society today believes men are toxic and egotistical. It is en vogue to say ‘feminism’ today. Every other weekend people are marching and we love to scream at each other. But, as Christians we are called to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31 ESV)
THE ANSWER TO BAD MEN IS NOT ELIMINATING MEN, IT IS MAKING BETTER MEN.
Men and women are equally valuable through the eyes of our creator.
MYTH 1. MALE AND FEMALE ARE THE SAME.
Males and females are not the same to the glory of God. We need to raise our children and teach them what we know, truth from the scriptures, and get them saturated in the Kingdom of God, purpose of God and Word of God so when they get into the world they know how to sniff out the lie because they are fully baptized in the truth.
Q. What is the difference between parents raising children today than in previous decades, regarding God’s truth about male and female? If you have children (or plan on having children) how have you taught them or will you teach them the truth regarding God’s Word?
MYTH 2. MALE AND FEMALE CAN DO ALL THE EXACT SAME THINGS.
Male and female are programmed at birth to do certain things. Some things each do well and some things each do poorly and they compliment each other.
Q. What are some things you better than the opposite sex and how does this compliment the other person? What are some things you do poorly and why?
MYTH 3. THE GENDERS DO NOT NEED EACH OTHER.
We do need each other. (Genesis 2:18 ESV) The first thing God says about man after he creates him is that it is not good for him to be alone. Masculinity and Femininity are the idea of God. We are on earth to reflect what God is like. Though people might hate what God says, every single time, God is right.
God has some amazing ideas, and male and female are two of them.
1. MALE AND FEMALE ARE DISTINCT BY DIVINE DESIGN.
God designed male and female on purpose. We are reflective of different sides of the same God. Every child needs a father and a mother. Children need good godly role models.
Q. Who are some godly role models that you have had in your life (in your children’s lives if you have children) and why?
A. We Are Created Differently.
Genesis 2:7; Genesis 2:22 ESV
When God created man, He made Adam one way and Eve a different way. He made man from the ground and fashioned him from the dust. The same materials that God made man from, he made the animals from which is why some DNA of man matches that of animals. The difference is, we have the breath of life, the Holy Spirit of God in us and the image of God in us.
Eve was made from the rib bone. The man he forms and the woman he builds or establishes. Though females are physically weaker, females are made to endure for a long time. On average, women outlive their husbands by 8 years. The creation order goes from simple to complex. The last thing God made on this spectrum is woman. Men will never understand women.
Q. What are some of the differences in the opposite sex that you have a hard time understanding and why?
B. We are Gifted Distinctively.
God has programmed different abilities into male and female distinctively.
Men are Made to be Warrior Protectors.
Before the fall, man was created to tame and to guard nature. A man wants to guard his children, his wife. Women want men to do this (Read article from the Independent).
Men are Made to be Leaders.
God gives man rule before woman shows up. God programmed the male to lead. Men should lead with selfless, sacrificial leadership. When women take this away from men, they will find somewhere else where they can lead. Women need to let men lead in the ‘garden’ so they won’t find another ‘garden’ to lead in.
Q. What examples can you share of a man finding something else to lead because of his in-ability to lead his family either from your personal experience or another’s experience? How could this have been prevented?
Men are Made to Get Jobs Done.
Men are doers. God had given man an assignment before he have him a wife and he got it done.
Women are Made to be Resourceful.
Women can multitask. Women can put stuff together and think about things men don’t think about.
Q. What is an example of how this is true in your relationships to the opposite sex?
Women are here to be what God is to a man. We were mad in His image to help the man. (Proverbs 31:10-28)
Women are Made to be Nurturing.
Nurture by nature. Top 5 fields for women are: Nurses, Meeting Planners, Teachers, Tax Examiners and Social Service Managers. Women are more immune to sickness and disease. They can care for their children even when they are sick and weak.
Q. Women: What is your profession and how, if so, does it fit with nurturing others?
Q.Men: What is your profession and how might if differ from those of nurturing professions?
Women are Made to be Home-makers.
Women give birth despite the pain, creating a home for 9 months before the man ever sees the child. Women are created to build a home. Men build the house, women build a home. Men and women are needed together, not one or the other.
Q. How is it true in your experience that the man is the builder of the house and the woman is the builder of the home (whether from your childhood or your own marriage)?
2. SIN DISTORTS MALE AND FEMALE COMMUNITY.
Genesis 3:16 ESV
‘Your desire shall be contrary…’ They listened to Satan instead of the voice of God. Sin perverts Eve’s perception of Adam and sin perverts Adam’s perception of Eve.
BOTH MALE AND FEMALE HAVE DEEPLY INGRAINED SINFUL DISPOSITIONS THAT SEEK TO CONTROL EACH OTHER.
Q. How do you seek to control the opposite sex and why?
3. CHRIST REDEEMS MALE AND FEMALE GOD-ORDAINED SELF-GIVING COMMUNITY.
PRAY FOR EACH OTHER, THE LOST, THE CHURCH, WOONSOCKET, NEW CHURCH PLANTS, NEW ENGLAND CHURCHES AND PASTORS, LEADERS AND GOVERNMENT.
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