8/30/26 “Covered in Christ”
“Covered In Christ”
1 Corinthians 11:1-16
One place you will never find me is near the Congress Ave bridge in Austin, Texas....
Does anyone know what is especially unique about this particular bridge?
(Bats – and Pastor Andy does NOT do bats!)
....I’ll do snakes....I’ll do spiders....
....But flying rats with fangs?....Nope. I’m out!
The Congress Ave bridge is home to the world’s largest urban bat colony.
....At sundown each night between March and November, approx 1.5 MILLION Mexican Free-Tailed Bats fly out from under the bridge....
...For you bat-lovers, they offer special boat & kayak expeditions for anyone wanting an up close and personal experience with these little demons....
I wonder if you get a rabies vaccination kit upon embarkation...?
....In all seriousness, though, I’ve been to Austin, TX a handful of times in my life...but I’ve always made sure to steer clear of the Congress Ave Bridge!
Well....our passage of scripture for today is sometimes treated in a similar fashoin....
...If all of 1st Corinthians were the city of Austin, TX....the first 16 verses of chapter 11 would be the Congress Ave bridge!
....Preachers, Bible teachers, theologians, lay people....many of them try their best to avoid this section of scripture....much like avoiding bats beneath a bridge....
Why is this?
Well....these verses are about as counter-cultural as you can get.
This passage promotes unpalatable concepts like: submission...and hierarchy....and chain-of-command....and....authority.
Human beings – we naturally hate the idea of submitting to authority, do we not?
Think of all the songs and movies that glorify rebellion.
Songs such as ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’...or ‘Born to be Wild’...or ‘Fight the Power’....
Then you have countless movies in which the hero is a person (or group of people) who are defying authority....
Everything from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’....to ‘Braveheart’...to ‘The Hunger Games’.....to ‘The Matrix’....even the beloved ‘Star Wars’ franchise of movies portrays the rebels as the ‘good guys’
....Whether we realize it or not....all of these flicks - in one way or another - glamorize resistance to authority...
...and, yes, in many of these storylines, the people in authority are abusive in their usage of that authority....
Darth Vader was definitely NOT a good guy....I get that....
....but my point is that – as a society – we have become conditioned to accepting rebellion, insurrection, and disobedience as something good....
...and in the eyes of many........something needed......
....especially when their wants aren’t met....or their feelings are hurt.
...Just ask those who want to defund the police....
....The idea of taking away an institution that serves to provide a safe and peaceful environment is simply ludicrous...
...yet, we now have people running for office at the highest levels of government who believe in this sort of institutional rebellion....
....insurrection to what is actually beneficial to society...
....all based upon an emotional response to a few isolated incidents in which they disagree as to how criminals were brought to justice.
In today’s world... emotion.... has overridden logic and rationality to become the primary driving factor in decisions that people make....
....I think that’s one reason our passage of scripture would not have been controversial a few generations ago....
...But today, these verses are held in contempt by many people....they’re avoided like the plague....like spiritual bats beneath a bridge....
Well....here at LACC, we don’t avoid any passages of scripture....
An expository sermon series – like the one we are doing right now in 1 Corinthians – means that we cover every verse of every chapter within that book of the Bible....
We do this because we understand that every word of scripture is important....
AND....because every word comes to us from God Himself....the one who is eternally faithful, trustworthy, and true.
So...buckle your seatbelts...the next 20 minutes might be a rough ride for some of you....
....and - if I don’t get fired midway through this sermon – I beleive we’ll all come out the other side with a better appreciation of what submission is really meant to look like in God’s perfect design for the home – and for the Church.
So...here we go...Verse 1 (1 Corinthians 11:1) Paul says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
...This is actually a transitional verse that summarizes what we learned in Chapter 10 concerning obedience ....and then introduces the upcoming chapter on submissiveness to a higher authority....
Paul is essentially saying that he can serve as a model for us to mimic – as we all strive to follow the example of Jesus....
You’re all familiar with tribute bands, right? Those artists or groups that perform someone else’s music....usually the artist being impersonated is a very successful performer or musical group....
Fun Fact.....It’s estimated that there are between 5,000 to 10,000 Elvis impersonators worldwide who make a living imitating Elvis....
That’s their full-time job!.....imitating the king of Rock-n-Roll...
Verse 1 reminds us how Paul imitates – not the king of rock-n-roll....but the King of Kings!
Paul understands that he’s been given the ability through the power of the Holy Spirit to live a consistently obedient life in submission to Christ...
...and that we, too, can be imitators of the savior through that same indwelling power...
Verse 3 (1 Corinthians 11;3) is where the counter-cultural teachings begin: “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God,”
So...what is Paul saying here?
Essentially, he’s referencing Genesis 3:16 which reads, “To the woman he said, ‘I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’”
That final phrase of Genesis 3:16 is the first place in scripture where God establishes the order of authority within the home...
Because of the disobedient, sinful actions of both Adam & Eve in the garden, God sets forth a list of frustrations that will be common to all men and women for the entirety of human history....
....and - for Eve – one of the frustrations is that she will experience a position of subservience in relation to her husband....
With sin came the natural disdain to be placed under the authority of someone else....
This is true of men and women....
None of us – in our natural sinfulness – wants to submit our lives to anyone else....including God, right?
....but, how much more difficult it is, for us to submit to another human being.
....a sinful, messy, lazy, smelly, human being!
One woman expressed her marital submissiveness this way, “In our marriage, everything is 50/50....I cook, he eats....I wash, he wears....I clean, he dirties....”
Mae West once opined, “Getting married is like trading the adoration of many, for the sarcasm of one.”
....But - even though submission can be frustrating – it does not have to be a negative experience...
In fact, in God’s economy of home & church life, submission can be a true blessing...
We – Men & Women – are made to complement each other in a harmonious way
...and when a marriage consists of a husband properly fulfilling His divinely ordained role of servant leader –
And a wife fulfilling her role of subservient helper....it makes for a beautiful, melodious household of peace, satisfaction, and contentment....
However....when a man fails in biblically fulfilling his responsibility to shepherd his family in a godly way....
....this is when the weeds of discord, contempt, and frustration in his wife’s heart begin to take root and grow....
For Lisa & I, having two daughters being led by godly husbands has brought us so much joy!
Young men who understand that servant leadership means making the difficult decisions for their families...
...but - first – taking those decisions to God in prayer....
.....and seriously taking into consideration the thoughts and feelings of their wives...
...We praise God that our daughters are experiencing the joy and contentment that comes with submitting to a godly husband...
I was talking with Lindsay just the other day, and she was expressing how much peace she has in her life because of how Ryan is spiritually equipped to lead their family....
...and that – because he is fulfilling his divinely ordained role correctly – her submitting to him is not a frustrating experience....
...In fact, it is quite the opposite.
She actually feels liberated from the anxiety and stress that is inherent in having the responsibility – before God – to make decisions that affect their entire family....
And our other daughter Lexy tells us the same thing regarding her husband, Logan.
When God’s authoritative design is followed properly in the home – and in the church – it results in peace of mind...and a supernatural contentment of the soul.
Jesus himself provides the example of how submission can result in satisfaction.
While incarnate, Jesus himself chose to submit Himself to the will of the Father....
Even though they are equal in nature – just as both men and women are completely equal before God – Jesus willingly gave up some of His “rights” as a full member of the godhead in order to carry out the human mission that was entrusted to him.
....the submission of the Son to the Father is one of the most beautiful pictures of harmony in all of scripture....
...a submission that – if done correctly between husbands and wives – brings harmony to our families as well...
Verses 4 through 10 of our passage have to do with outward signs of submission and authority....
...presented in a first-century Greco-Roman context of wearing....or not wearing....head coverings.
These verses have been a point of confusion – and contention – within the church for centuries....
Largely because we sometimes struggle as to how they ought to be applied.
Around here, we know there are individuals who take Paul’s instructions about head coverings very literally....
Wives in the Amish and Mennonite communities wear veils on their heads – partly - as a physical sign of submission to their husbands....
Even in the Baptist church where I was raised, I remember a few of the women would come to church wearing these large, wide-brimmed hats....
....These ladies considered Paul’s words here in verses 4-10 to be binding upon them today in our modern culture...and, therefore, they saw it necessary to wear something on their heads during worship service.
So....we need to address a question this morning: Paul is telling women in these verses to wear a head covering to church as a sign of submission to their husbands....and a sign of submission to ministerial leadership.
One thing though.
I don’t see a lot of you ladies wearing hats or veils this morning.
So....Why not?
Ladies, if your Amish friend were to read these verses from 1 Corinthians to you, and then ask you why you don’t wear a head covering to your church....would you have an answer?
I mean, we here at LACC pride ourselves on being a people of the literal Word of God...do we not?
We view the Holy Scriptures to be the final authority on all matters of faith and practice....
So...we need to have a biblical answer to questions like this one concerning head coverings....
...And the first question we need to answer is this: When it comes to head coverings, is Paul’s instruction simply based upon the Corinthian culture of the day...
....or is it a command that applies to all women of any time and place?
I believe the answer lies in verse 15 (1 Corinthians 11:15) of today’s passage where we read, “But that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.”
Paul is contrasting the natural distinctions between men’s hair and women’s hair....
As we all know, women’s hair is naturally stronger and thicker than that of a man’s hair....and it lasts longer....
Testosterone limits the life span of hair...thus a lot of us guys of a certain age do not have nearly as much hair as you ladies do...
So...we have here a timeless distinction between men and women in regard to each gender’s natural covering of hair....
...and a woman’s naturally stronger, fuller, longer hair is described by Paul as being more of a covering than the naturally shorter, thinner hair of men...
It seems accurate that Paul is bringing this command to bear on two levels...a cultural level – and a natural level...
In the Greco-Roman culture of the first century...everyone understood that a woman wearing a head covering meant that she was publicly announcing her submissiveness to her husband....
But In the 21st century - at least here in America – hats or veils do not convey that same cultural message....
Today, head coverings are simply an accessory rather than a cultural message....
People today don’t think about Christian submissiveness when they see a woman wear a hat....so the practice of doing so loses its meaning on a contemporary audience....
So....between verse 5 and verse 15, we see Paul move from a 1st century cultural expectation of head coverings....
.....to a timeless, natural covering for the head
The wearing of hats in 1st century Corinth was a cultural nod to the natural – and permanent – biological covering that God has given to women as a sign of marital submission to their husbands.
Now....to some women....living in submission to another human being is simply out of the question....they literally cannot bring themselves to live in such a subservient relationship....
Well....Paul has advice for these individuals back in chapter 7 of 1 Corinthians...where he teaches that – for some people – marriage may not be the best option....
....specifically, if you are able to then give all of your time, attention, and resources to the Lord’s work....to furthering God’s kingdom....
If you literally cannot see yourself submitting to someone else for the rest of your life....then the union of marriage may not be for you.
One of the basic themes in these verses has to do with the idea of the difference between masculinity and femininity....
...and how men and women should both embrace their respective traditional gender distinctions....both in how they dress...and how they present themselves...
This is a theme that is lost on many people today....
It seems as though the natural distinctions between men and women are purposely being blurred in an attempt to break free from the biological boundaries between genders...
Some of you are familiar with the WNBA.... the ‘Women’s National Basketball Association.’
As of late, the organization has come under fire because it refuses to issue a statement as to what a woman is....despite having the word ‘woman’ in the organization’s title!
The organization wants to be accommodating to trans-athletes....and yet they cannot come up with how to articulate that stance....because issuing a definition of what a woman actually is would obviously exclude men who are pretending to be women....
The deception behind this ideology comes straight from the Devil’s playbook.
This organization –and culture at large – is attempting to blur the lines between men and women...
To somehow make gender malleable....
This sort of ideology goes against the timeless part of what Paul is speaking about here in our passage for today...
Rather....
Women...lean into your femininity....
Men... lean into your masculinity....not some toxic, abusive masculinity...
...but a godly masculinity that serves you well in leading your wife and family with love, patience, direction, and intentionality.
Finally, verses 11 & 12 (1 Corinthians 11:11-12) bring a very important truth to the table when we are talking about the hierarchy of leadership in the home and church....
Paul is saying in these verses that – at the end of the day – men and women are equals before God...
Neither sex is superior to the other...
Just because men are given the responsibility of leadership in the home does not make them more gifted...more intelligent....or more important to God....
Lisa is far more gifted in many areas of life than I am....no doubt about that....
Just as in the military....a superior officer – many times – is not smarter, faster, stronger, or better equipped to lead than some of those under his supervision....
....yet, he is still expected to carry out his duties to the best of his ability...
And – hopefully – those under his command will support him...even in his shortcomings.
A woman makes the perfect compliment to a man....and a man makes the perfect compliment to a woman...
That’s where we get the term ‘Complementarian’ from...
...the idea that men and women each have their distinctive roles in the home - and in the church....
...roles that – when lived out properly – show the kind of harmony and love that can only be experienced under God’s divine order of authority...
Much of God’s Word and design for mankind is under attack today...
....And these verses have recently taken more cultural artillery than just about any other passage of scripture...
Feminists will say these verses are paternalistically oppressive....
The Women’s Liberation movement will claim that these verses are restrictive and archaic...
Progressive gender warriors will claim that these verses are old-fashioned and out of touch with the modern definitions of gender
.....But God tells us – through the pen of His servant Paul - that these timeless verses of truth provide the blueprint for individual contentment ,marital harmony, and obedience to God’s original design for the home,
These are verses that remind us of how the Christian faith is – at its core - a counter-cultural faith...
Through the ages, Jesus followers have always been ridiculed...laughed at...scoffed at...taunted...put down...
Jesus reminds us that the world hated him...and it will hate His followers as well....
But don’t hold contempt in your heart for those who hate you....
We are told to love those who persecute us....
...and...Take a look at the lives of those who hold to such hatred toward Jesus and His followers....
They are almost always lives empty of peace...void of contentment....absent of love...filled with depression and anxiety.
People who hate God often hate themselves as well....
So....don’t hate the world....
....Don’t hate those who belong to the world....
....because they need us...
They need to hear the message of truth....
They need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ...
...for it is only through Him that salvation is found.
Let’s Pray.
