So I invite you to take your Bibles this evening and turn with me to Genesis chapter number one. The book of beginnings, the book of Genesis, Genesis chapter one. And in the continuation of our series on biblical discernment, tonight I want to introduce another extremely controversial subject that has absolutely poisoned the moral framework of our society. In fact, the more I begin to connect the dots and realize how our world has bought into its lies, the more I think about how this subject has affected the thinking, attitudes, and behaviors of many Christians, the more I recognize how subtle and satanic its teachings are, the more I perceive the reality of the invisible war that we are in. And the subject I am speaking about is feminism. Feminism. And the title that I've given to this first sermon is feminism, the war against women, the war against God. Feminism, the war against women, the war against God. Now, before we look at the topic in more of a comprehensive manner, I want to begin by giving you a brief definition of what feminism is, followed by several foundational truths about what God says about women and femininity in the Bible. If we really want to understand where modern day feminism came from, why feminism is a prevailing concept in our society and world, and what the remedy for feminism is, then we need to properly comprehend theological truths regarding how God created women, why God created women, what took place when Adam fell into sin, what is involved in the curse upon women, and what God expects of women after the curse. In other words, the best way to interpret the fruit of feminism is examining the spiritual root of feminism. And let me also remind you, before we examine this emotionally triggering subject, that all scripture has been given by God. All scripture has been God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and instruction in righteousness. Let me remind you that all who are in Jesus Christ are to be a people who allow the teaching of Scripture to influence their thinking and transform their behaviors. So that being said, as I present truths that have been inspired and preserved for us by Almighty God, we must, we must, we must let the truths of God's word override and govern our opinions, our feelings, our experiences, what works, what has become normal in our society, what is accepted and popular among our peers, and what our world has come to value. And this has been my pastoral cry in our series on Sunday nights. My pastoral cry in this series on biblical discernment has been Romans 3, verse 4, in which Paul says, under the influence of the Spirit, let God be true and every man a liar. Let God's word reign while man's opinions die. And let's not forget the call of Paul in Romans 12, verse two. Paul says in Romans 12, two, do not be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind with scripture, with truth, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Let's keep in mind that God desires, as I mentioned this morning, that we prove or test all things, not some things, not most things, but all things by Scripture, and in our proving and testing of things by Scripture, we are to hold fast that which is good while abstaining from all appearance of evil. That's the foundation of discernment. That's been the pastoral cry as we look at these controversial subjects. Let God be true and every man a liar. All right, so jumping into the subject at hand, let me begin with a brief definition and summary of feminism. I don't want to assume that just because I've stated a term that everyone knows exactly what I'm talking about. And nor do I want to suppose that everyone who hears and uses the word feminism has a shared understanding of the term. So I want to provide you with a brief explanation of what feminism is and what feminism has become to be over the last century. And by way of starting with the most general definition that one could give on the subject of feminism, we turn to the well-known and well-accepted Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines feminism as, quote, a belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests, end quote. That is the adult dictionary definition of the word feminism. Now, simplifying the adult definition, Merriam-Webster summarizes the lengthy definition by giving a simplistic kid definition on their website that states that feminism is the theory supporting the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism is organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests. Basically, it's the long definition that is shortened in a happy male size. And interestingly enough, If you type on the Google search bar, what is feminism, you will find that Miriam Webster's definition of feminism, for the most part, is the universal statement as to what feminism is by those advocating groups of feminism. They will use this very definition to say, this is who we are and this is what we support. Now, it's needful here to pause and to recognize that feminism may sound like a reasonable, harmless, noble cause to support in the immediate hearing of a simple and brief dictionary definition, but behind this simple and brief dictionary definition is a ferocious dragon. To put it in an illustrative sense, while feministic groups may present feminism as an innocent house cat that is sweet and calm, the reality of it is the outworking of true feminism is an angry, loud, violent lion. I'm hoping to show you in the next couple of sermons on this subject of feminism, that the prevailing feministic ideologies of our day have metamorphosized into a behavior of self-centeredness, personal entitlement, rebellion against authority, and an angry spirit of self-victimization. While it may seem on the surface that feminism is simply the innocent promotion of educating women or granting women the privilege to vote, I'm hoping to show you that feminism as we know it has become synonymous with a woman's right to live however she pleases. Feminism is about, quote, girl power. Feminism is about tearing down the enslaving distinctions between biological males and biological females. Feminism is about women being treated in the same way men are treated. Feminism is about women striving to do everything that men can do. In fact, feminism is about women striving to be men in a real literal sense. You want to know what feminism looks like in our culture today? Feminism today is the promotion and celebration of women going to college, getting a career, becoming a successful businesswoman, making lots of money, and living for self so that she can enjoy the physical satisfactions of life. Feminism is about women having the right to choose to do with their bodies what they want. You need to understand that the heart of feminism today fights for abortion on demand. The heart of the feministic movement, as you have seen, is my body, my choice, my body, my choice. Modern feminism shamelessly kicks against any suggestion of male dominance in society and adamantly opposes the biblical roles of husband and wife and father and mother. Modern feminists would argue that gender and gender roles are social constructs. And anyone who dares to challenge such thinking are bigoted traditionalists who hate women and have been poisoned by radical extremists who are unreasonable and ignorant. To sum it up in one simple phrase. The popular motto of feminism in 2024 is, I am woman, hear me roar. Remember the analogy of the lion? Well, there it is. While feminism is presented to others from a distance, as a house cat that you can cuddle with to make you feel good about yourself, when you see it up close and personal, you recognize that it is a self-consumed angry lion that seeks to destroy everything in its path that is biblical in nature. And when I say everything, I mean everything. And that's why I've entitled this sermon Feminism. The war against women, the war against God. The nature of feminism is rebellion against God. The nature of modern day feminism is living for self and stubbornly kicking against God's authority. Now, I'm extremely tempted tonight to respond to the specific ideologies of feminism here at the beginning of my sermon, but I need to hold back. so that we can examine several foundational truths about womanhood expressed in the Bible that is unchanging, perfect, authoritative, and holy. So turning now to our first main point, we need to consider foundational truths about womanhood and femininity. And under this first main point, I want to give you four biblical truths about womanhood and femininity that are expressed in the first two chapters of Genesis. And the first truth that is emphasized for us in Genesis 1, verses 26 and 27, is the truth that God has purposely designed men and women to be distinctively different from one another. Let's start simple, shall we? Point number one, God has purposely designed men and women to be distinctively different from one another. Genesis 1, verse 26. And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. Now keep in mind that what is said in chapter one is a declaration of what will fully be in Genesis chapter two. God is declaring here in verse 27 that humanity will consist of male and female. This is the obvious implication of the text. God is saying here in the first chapter of Genesis that he has created two very different kinds of people who share his image. There are those who are males and those who are females and these two are not the same. Men are not women and women are not men. Both male and female work equally, catch that word, equally created in the image of God, but God has deliberately created them to be individuals that are different from each other physically, emotionally, and interactively. You don't have to like it, but that's true. God has programmed and wired men and women to be distinctively different one from another. When you go home at the end of the day and you ask your wife, how was your day? Be prepared for a 30-minute dissertation. When the wife comes home and asks the husband, how was your day? Good? Okay? Fine? Well, what happened? Nothing much? That's it. We can relate to that because we're wired in certain ways. So this is the first truth that is articulated and affirmed in the next verse, verse 28. Genesis 1-28, we read that God has commanded men and women to know each other intimately so that they might create descendants together. Now notice what is said in the first part of verse 28. And God blessed them, that is, man and woman, in their unique individual genders. And God said unto them, as male and female, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. Now, I do not mean to assault your intelligence, but such multiplying that God is talking about can only be done if males and females are created different from each other. This is biology 101. This is anatomy one. Before we even get to the 101, let's just start at class one. While both the man and the woman were given a command to replenish the earth, it is obvious by scripture and common sense that only females can conceive another human being in her womb. Only biological women can have babies. Only biological women can nurse babies. God has created the female body to conceive babies, to birth babies, and to physically feed babies, God has not created the body of males to do so. Who would have thought that the pastor needs to explain such simple, obvious truths, but here we are living in a world asserting that men can become pregnant. And this leads us to consider the second foundational truth about womanhood and femininity, which is the undeniable truth that God has commanded man and woman, husband and wife to be fruitful and multiply. So foundational truth number one, expressed for us in Genesis 1. about womanhood and femininity is the undeniable truth that God has created men and women to be distinctively different one from another. And then connected with foundation, truth number one is foundation, truth number two, which is the emphatic truth that God has commanded man and woman, husband and wife to be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 128 again. and God blessed them and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. The second truth that is being emphasized here in the text is that it is God's desire, it is God's will, it is God's intention that husband and wife become one in holy matrimony so that they might have a family or a home together so that they might have children. Now I know that you can what if and suppose things onto the text all you want, but there it is in black and white. Genesis 1, 28 distinctively says that God has created males to be males, females to be females, so that they might be united in marriage and have a fruitful family. That is God's intention. All right, now adding truth upon truth, turning to chapter 2 and looking to what is said in verse 18, we find that after God formed man of the dust of the ground, after God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and placed him in the garden to dress it and keep it, God, in His grace, created a necessary helpmeet for man. And all the men said, Amen. Glory to God. Praise the Lord. God have mercy. God created women to be a helpmeet for man so He doesn't burn the water on the stove. Genesis 2, verse 18. And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him and help me for him. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air and brought them unto Adam to see what he, notice this, he would call them and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all the cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found and help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. And he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. This is truth number three. Truth number three is that God created woman to be a help meat for man. You say, I don't like that. I think that is discriminating and oppressive. Well, you can think that all you want. And you think this way because you've been programmed by your sinful nature not to like this, and you've been encouraged by our ungodly culture that being a helpmate is some sort of sadistic form of slavery. But if you will submit your thoughts and feelings to the truth of Scripture, you will clearly see that the first and primary calling of the woman or the wife is to be a companion and helper to her husband in the affairs of life. which means an application that it should be the desire of women to get married, to have children, to build a home, to raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord for the glory of God. Now I'm feeling the tension now and I'm simply explaining what God's word says. God's Word says that the woman was created to be a supporter to the man in doing the will of God by having children and building a home. Now keep in mind that God has already given man a work to do. Keep in mind also that the Bible makes it clear that because man was first created, this means that men are to be leaders of the home and leaders in the society. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the text does not say that God created women to hang out with the girls. The text does not say anything about God creating women to make a name for themselves, to travel the world, to build her portfolio, to become rich. The text says that God created the woman, the wife, to be a help me to build the home. Now, I know some of you already in your minds are already dismantling the truth of the text by your own experience, and you're saying, well, that's nice, pastor, you can think what you want, but it doesn't always work out that way. If that's your immediate response, then I dare say the lies of feminism have become more authoritative in your thinking than you would like to admit. Obviously, obviously, nobody denies that because of sin entering into the world that things do not work as God intends. Nevertheless, such unfortunate, sad circumstances that have been affected by sin do not disaffirm what God has established in His word concerning the holy calling of women. The text says, that the fundamental holy calling of women and wives is to be a helpmate, to have children, to build a home, to worship God alongside of her husband. There's no other way to interpret. Genesis 1, 26 through 28, and Genesis 2, verse 18. If you convince me otherwise from scripture, I will change my opinion. I will re-preach this sermon. But as I read it, as I understand it, there it is. All right, now the fourth truth. that is emphasized in the first two chapters of Genesis concerning women is the truth that God has created man and woman, husband and wife to be together. God has created man and woman, husband and wife to be together. These truths are all interlocking and connecting truths. Notice what is said in verses 24 and 25 of chapter two. Genesis 2, 24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife. And they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed. Now it's obvious that Adam and Eve did not have a father and mother to leave. So we need to understand that what is said here is a declaration of what ought to be in the coming generations. God is establishing an objective truth beforehand. In the coming generations, as Adam and Eve have children, as their children have children, as humans begin to multiply on the earth, they need to recognize that it is God's plan to find a husband or a wife to leave daddy and mommy so that they can create their own family and become a home as one. Leave and cleave. is the message of verse 24. And by the way, this truth is cross-cultural. Truth is not undone by societal preferences. You say, you just don't know the Hispanic culture. You just don't know the implications of the European ways. It's the way of our culture to have grandfather and grandmother and then father and mother and then the children and the grandchildren all in one place. Well, that may be, but that's not supported in Scripture. Well, you say, what about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Yeah, you wanna talk about baby mama drama, we can. You wanna talk about all the drama that can be when they're all under one tent roof, we can, but it's not good. The biblical text is teaching it's normal, it's right, it's of God to leave and cleave. The idea is not a total abandonment of family, that's not what is being taught here, but it is a physical relocation. It's an emotional detachment. And it's a financial breaking from mother and daddy's bank account. In marriage, it's needful to physically leave father and mother to distance yourself from the in-laws and out-laws so that you can be together with your spouse without outside or inside influences. You would be wise to learn this. And you've seen instances, maybe you've experienced it before. We love our in-laws, but God never meant for us to be under their authority forever. Now the text also means that it was never God's will for either individual to be separate or independent one from another. And this means that God intended that man and wife share in the joys and blessings of life as well as the cares and the concerns of life. They walk together hand in hand, side by side, rejoicing in the wonderful blessings of God and bearing one another's burdens. And this means that God has created husband and wife to complete each other, to enjoy each other, and to worship God together. This is a great blessing. Yet the Feministic Movement will come at this and try to pick it apart in every way. God created man and woman to be together for each person's sanctification. All right, so do you have the four foundational truths at the forefront of your mind? Let's review. Truth number one, God has purposely designed men and women to be distinctively different from one another. Truth number two, God has commanded man and woman, husband and wife to be fruitful and multiply. Truth number three, God in his grace toward man created a necessary help mate for man. And then truth number four, God has created man and woman to be together, to do life together. All right, now, having recognized these truths from Genesis one and two, in my second main point, I want us to consider several foundational truths about womanhood amid the fall of man. Look now to Genesis chapter number three. Genesis chapter number three, and I want to read the whole chapter. And as I read the entirety of Genesis chapter three, I want you to notice the specific attacks from the evil one on God's word, on God's order, and the newly established God-ordained relationship Adam and Eve have. Notice specifically the essence of the temptation expressed by Satan toward Eve. And notice also the lack of leadership from Adam. Genesis 3, beginning in verse 1. Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be open, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him, where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. And he said, who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle. And above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go, and thus shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened of the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake. In sorrow shalt thou eat of all the days of thy life. Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat of the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground. For out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them. Well, in there. Now, did you catch the focus of Satan's temptation? What was the focus of his temptation? Satan is tempting Eve to believe that God is not being good to her. Satan is tempting Eve to believe that she needs something else to satisfy her life. She needs something else to make her life complete. Satan is tempting Eve that she can be her own authority. She can be like God. God wants you, Eve, to be happy and fulfilled, and you will be happy and fulfilled if you eat of this fruit. Satan tempted Eve to doubt God's word, deny God's goodness, and defy God's authority. Now, did you also notice that Satan tempted Eve when Eve was alone? and Adam ate of the fruit given to her by Eve when he should have been leading his home in obedience to God. This is very important to understand in a theological sense and in a discerning sense as we consider the topic of feminism. In a theological sense, God's word makes it clear that when Eve ate of the fruit, Since Adam was the head of the human race, he is the responsible party for what happened, even though he ate second. All humans are in Adam. When Adam died, we died. Romans 5.12, wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world. So we need to understand this in a discerning sense. As we will see, the growing influence of feminism really boils down to a failure of male leadership in the home and in society. And do you know what we do? As men, we say, look at all these women. It's their fault. Time out. Go back to scripture. What should the man be doing? Leading his wife, leading his home in the ways of righteousness. So we can't do this. Much of feminism is the way it is because of lack of male leadership. Now, zooming in on the punishment following the fall. You will notice in verse 16 of chapter three that unto the woman God states two curses. First he states that she will come to experience great pain, great difficulty, and even danger in the process of birthing children. And for those of you who have had this experience with or without modern medication, you know something of what this means. No man has any idea. Labor is not a walk in the park. It is not something that is fun to go through. The end result is a blessing, but the process can be long, exhaustive, tiring, overwhelming, intense, and very painful. So lost people need to recognize that there is a theological reason why labor is the way it is. This is not a cosmic accident. This is not chance in motion. There's a theological reason. This is the first punishment that women will have in life because of sin. Childbearing will be hard. It will be painful. It will be difficult. And then at the very end of verse 16, you will find that the second part of the curse upon women involves a collision of the wills. Notice it. God says in verse 16, that not only will women have difficulty in birthing babies, women will also have difficulty in submitting to male authority. Verse 16, unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shall bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. I think the English Standard Version reads more clearly. The ESV says, your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you. In other words, women will desire to control their husbands, but he will be God's appointed leader over them. And here we have the root problem of feminism. Here we find the power struggle. Here we have the ongoing conflict, the battle of the heart and the battle of the will. It's going to be the constant urge of women to be boss, to rule, to take lead, to roar, to overpower, but such an attitude is something that happens because of the curse, not because it's according to God's prescribed way. So women, you have to fight against that. It's there, it's there in the most sweet, most meek women that you'll ever meet. In the most godly marriages, it's there and it will forever be because it's the curse that we have in this life. Men are to lead, women think that they can overpower their husband in leading, but they've got to submit to God's ways. And this leads us then to our third and final point, which I've entitled Foundational Truths About Women After the Fall. So thus far, we've considered truths about women before the fall. We've considered truths about women during the fall. Now we need to consider truths about women after the fall. All right? And the burning question of all questions to ask and answer is, after Genesis 3, did God expect something different from women? that he originally expressed in Genesis 1 and 2. After the fall, did God change his mind on where the focus of women ought to be? When sin entered into the world, did God repeal the role and responsibilities of women? Did God become more tolerant of men and women becoming more like each other? Did God become more tolerant of men becoming like women and women becoming like men? Think about this. From Genesis 4 to the end of Revelation, do we find God speaking negatively about marriage, about childbearing? Do we find God advocating for women to live however they want? Do we find men in less need of a help meet? Do we find that it is a good thing for a man and a woman, husband and wife, to be separate one from another? Now I could keep you here all night answering these questions in pinpoint detail, but I hope you will honestly affirm that following Genesis 3 to the time that we now live that God has always expected women to act like women, and to add to that, God has always expected women to dress like women. I know that's controversial, but it's true. If you will honestly read God's word, you will find that throughout the whole of scripture, God prioritizes marriage, family, childbearing, being a helpmate, and being a homemaker. Read the accounts of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, the Hebrew women. Read about what God says about women in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Read Psalm 127, Psalm 128. Read what is said about the Proverbs 31 woman. Go to the New Testament. Read what God says about women in Titus 2, 1 Peter 3, Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, and so forth. If you will read these things as they are in truth, you will find that God's opinion about women has not changed. Following Genesis 3, God still expects men to lead and women to follow. God still expects men to be the providers and protectors of their families, the heads of their home, while the women strive to be supporters of their husbands. And here I hear another whisper, well, times have changed, pastor. Circumstances are now different. We don't live in the old-fashioned Bible age anymore. Okay, so let's just throw away our Bibles. Or the only other option is let's take a black highlighter, also called a Sharpie, and cross out all the things that don't relate to us anymore since culture has changed truth. This is the biblical balloon twisting that I mentioned this morning. Either scripture is authoritative over culture or culture is authoritative. You see, the scripture bending, the scripture twisting is not just a problem with the cults and false religions, it's a problem with most Christians. I know I'm poking us in the eye, but it's true. We think culture sets the tone. But it doesn't. The Bible cuts through every culture and presents truth as it is. Listen, it may be in some cultures, it's okay to be naked, but if you study Genesis 3, verse 21, you see God put clothes on people to cover up their nakedness. It's not cultural to be naked, it's not right. Sinful passions arise through that. You see, it cuts through all that. And interesting enough, speaking of nakedness, feminism wants to argue, it's my body, it's my choice, so I'll dress how I want to, and they're becoming more undressed rather than dressed, as was God's intention. We'll get to that another time. Culture doesn't set the tone. Circumstances are different, but God's word is God's word. God's word is timeless. So this leads me to three concluding statements on the subject of feminism in this first sermon. Statement number one, God has one objective truth, and that truth has been given to us in scripture. This is the battle we live in now. Truth is not a social construct, but the world will try to sell you on that. Truth is not based on what we feel, we say that, and yet we wrestle with things like this. Truth is not determined by what others say, what works. Truth is determined by what God has declared to be true, and by the way, truth doesn't change over time. Yet like we see in the garden, Satan will do everything he can to tempt us to believe if God really declared certain things to be true. This is exactly where we are in our day as it relates to gender, gender roles, femininity, marriage and family life. The whispers of Satan are, did God really say there are only two genders? Did he really say that? Did God really say that women cannot be the head of their homes? Did God really say that men cannot be helpmates to their wife? Did God really say that women cannot act and dress like men? Who says that women cannot be pastors? Who says women do not have the freedom to do what they want with their own bodies? Who says that dog moms can't be moms? Who says? I feel like just a mom by having my dog, so I am a mom. This is application number one. Either God's word is authoritative in every way of life or not. You can't cut it any other way. And I'm asserting to you once again that God's word is authoritative. Truth number two. Satan hates God's word. Satan hates God's way. If you haven't recognized it by now, you need to recognize that everything that God views as holy, good, and helpful to society, Satan attacks and he is seeking to dismantle it. Everything that is pure, Satan perverts. Everything. Since the beginning, Satan has been attacking God's established truth about gender, God's order in marriage, God's blessing upon the home, what God says about children, and the specific roles males and females are to live out. So we need to recognize that Satan is going to tempt men and women to abandon their God-given roles and responsibilities. He will tempt us to abandon our roles and responsibilities, and this is where we are in our nation. This is our problem. The farther from God we become, the more feministic we are. And the more feministic we are, the worse society is. Trace that out. Let me say it again. The farther from God we become, the more feministic we are, the more feministic we are, the worse society is. And I'm not throwing it all on women again. Actually, I'm pointing to the men. The men not leading as men. The men not doing as God has commanded them to do. So then we have thirdly and finally, I'm hoping in application that you will recognize that feminism is not a new problem, it's an old problem. It's as old as Genesis chapter three. It's not a cultural issue. It's a doctrinal issue. It's not physical in nature, it is spiritual in nature. Listen, feminism is not a habit issue, it's a heart issue. The root of the problem with feminism is a vertical problem with God, not a horizontal problem with people. You see, feminism as its root is about kicking against God's authority, God's word. It's not just a war on women, it's a war against God. The fruit problem is only an evidence of the root problem. God willing, next week, I hope to expand on this topic and show you pictures of how far we have come. And I'm hoping that in showing you where we are in our society, that things will begin to click in your understanding of what we are dealing with. And let me also conclude by making sure that all this can be cured by the gospel of Jesus Christ. When men submit to the ways of Christ, when men and women submit to the authority of Christ, then and only then will they desire to do God's will. And we're always getting back to this. What's the cure for any sin problem, any rebellion problem, any cultural problem? The cure is the gospel. The cure is Jesus Christ submitting to him as Lord. And when we joyfully submit to him as Lord, we will joyfully submit to his ways. Let's pray.