Veto Power

by Steve Hale

"But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" ( 1 Corinthians 11 :3, NKJV).
Family decision time at our house was interesting. Ali of us had a say and a vote, but my father would always say: "Now everyone has a vote, but I have veto power."
As an adolescent and a teenager, I got weary of hearing that, but now, years later, I look back on it with admiration. Our current generation, fatherless in nearly 40% of American households, is reaping the whirlwind of a vacuum of leadership. And, even in homes with the entire family intact, too many fathers are not willing to assume leadership. Frustrated women have had to arise, not because they wanted to but because their husbands would not.

"The head of every man is Christ." True leadership in the ideal home comes from the Lord. Christian men lead their homes by following Christ. As these husbands lead by following Christ they:

1. love their wives and are not bitter toward them, insomuch that they would even die for them ( Colossians 3:19; Eph. 5:25).
2. bring their children up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:1-4).
3. are role models ( 1 Corinthians 11:1).

"The head of the woman is the man." This is not chauvinistic. A Christian husband does not lead like a tyrant, but like a king with his queen ( Colossians 3:18-21). This is not some cultural phenomenon of the first century, but because: "...Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression" ( 1 Timothy 2:13, 14). This necessitates:

1. the man being willing to take the mantle of leadership: Loving his wife and his children, his concern for their welfare and souls will mean making tough, unpopular decisions at times, even being the heavy. Brothers, don't be an Eli, an otherwise great man, who failed to restrain his sons (I Sam. 3:13).
2. the woman being willing to support her husband's leadership. That bad joke, "I'm the head of my house because my wife said I could be"
is really true. A woman should not marry a man she's ashamed to follow (Eph. 5:22-24).

"The head of Christ is God." While you may be wondering how this fits in this passage, it fits beautifully. Christ is the Son of God, and as the Son of God, He was always submissive to His Father's will ( Luke 22:42-44). And, as Jesus was submissive to the heavenly Father, so should children be to their parents ( Colossians 3:20). Children need to understand that:

1. disobedience to parents is sinful ( Romans 1:3).
2. as long as parents are consistent with Christ's leadership, they are- to be obeyed (Eph. 6:1; Colossians 3:20).

We need men who will lead while following Christ.

November 6, 1996

Related Articles:

To be called Father -Nov 15, 1998
Men of God -Nov 09, 1997
Real Daddy -Aug 03, 1997
Father's Day -Jun 22, 1997
Beware of the Foolish Forties! -Dec 03, 1995

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Veto Power by Steve Hale "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" ( 1 Corinthians 11 :3, NKJV). Family decision time at our house was interesting. Ali of us had a say and a vote, but my father would always say: "Now everyone has a vote, but I have veto power." As an adolescent and a teenager, I got weary of hearing that, but now, years later, I look back on it with admiration. Our current generation, fatherless in nearly 40% of American households, is reaping the whirlwind of a vacuum of leadership. And, even in homes with the entire family intact, too many fathers are not willing to assume leadership. Frustrated women have had to arise, not because they wanted to but because their husbands would not. "The head of every man is Christ." True leadership in the ideal home comes from the Lord. Christian men lead their homes by following Christ. As these husbands lead by following Christ they: 1. love their wives and are not bitter toward them, insomuch that they would even die for them ( Colossians 3:19; Eph. 5:25). 2. bring their children up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:1-4). 3. are role models ( 1 Corinthians 11:1). "The head of the woman is the man." This is not chauvinistic. A Christian husband does not lead like a tyrant, but like a king with his queen ( Colossians 3:18-21). This is not some cultural phenomenon of the first century, but because: "...Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression" ( 1 Timothy 2:13, 14). This necessitates: 1. the man being willing to take the mantle of leadership: Loving his wife and his children, his concern for their welfare and souls will mean making tough, unpopular decisions at times, even being the heavy. Brothers, don't be an Eli, an otherwise great man, who failed to restrain his sons (I Sam. 3:13). 2. the woman being willing to support her husband's leadership. That bad joke, "I'm the head of my house because my wife said I could be" is really true. A woman should not marry a man she's ashamed to follow (Eph. 5:22-24). "The head of Christ is God." While you may be wondering how this fits in this passage, it fits beautifully. Christ is the Son of God, and as the Son of God, He was always submissive to His Father's will ( Luke 22:42-44). And, as Jesus was submissive to the heavenly Father, so should children be to their parents ( Colossians 3:20). Children need to understand that: 1. disobedience to parents is sinful ( Romans 1:3). 2. as long as parents are consistent with Christ's leadership, they are- to be obeyed (Eph. 6:1; Colossians 3:20). We need men who will lead while following Christ. November 6, 1996 Related Articles: To be called Father -Nov 15, 1998 Men of God -Nov 09, 1997 Real Daddy -Aug 03, 1997 Father's Day -Jun 22, 1997 Beware of the Foolish Forties! -Dec 03, 1995 Print this Article Discuss this Article Back to the Sermon Page	Mt. Juliet Church of Christ 1940 N. Mt. Juliet Road P.O.Box 248 Mt.Juliet, TN 37122-0248 (615)758-2274 Fax:615-754-2351 Email Worship Services: Sunday Early Worship: 8AM Sunday Bible Study: 9:15AM Sunday Late Worship: 10:15AM Night Worship: 6PM Wednesday Bible Study: 7PM