Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome and Announcements

Just as a reminder, Natalie and I are leaving after this service and won’t be back in-town until Saturday night, but again, let me remind you that we’re not going on vacation, we’re simply traveling for a conference.

If you need us, don’t hesitate to reach out through text, call, or email.

If there is an emergency, please contact Deane Herbst.

Special Business Meeting, Sunday after the AM Worship Service

Ladies’ Cookie Baking Extravaganza on December 17th at 11am

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To help you give, we have three ways to do so, (1) cash and checks can be given at the offering box.

Checks should be written to Grace & Peace; debit, credit, and ACH transfers can be done either by (2) texting 84321 with your $[amount] and following the text prompts or (3) by visiting us online at www.giving.gapb.church.

Of course, everything you give goes to the building up of our local church and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Repentance and Adoration

Preaching of God’s Word (1 Tim 2:1-8)

Introduction

Paul continues in his letter to Timothy by shifting focuses slightly.

Up to this point, he’s discussed the need to protect against false teaching within the church of Ephesus.

We’re not entirely certain what the false teaching is, but Paul emphasizes the need for clarity when it comes to the Gospel itself, which he highlights by showing us how important understanding what sin is and how important it is for the Gospel to be proclaimed boldly.

I said that he’s shifting focuses, but note that I mentioned that he’s shifting focuses slightly.

He’s not abandoning the confrontation against false teaching, but rather he’s emphasizing the need for proper worship within the church.

This starts with prayer and the role of women in ministry, but then it continues with qualifications for pastors and deacons, the mystery of godliness, and an encouragement to be a good servant of Jesus Christ.

Chs 5-6 really emphasize the need of proper relationships in church with again, a reminder to fight against false teaching before ending the book.

Technically this evening, we really ought to be working on vv.

1-15, because it is really one section, but because vv.

9-15 have multiple difficult statements that we need to spend longer amounts of time with, I think it would be best for us to work through vv.

1-8 this evening and vv.

9-15 next week.

Again, Paul is starting to give us some instructions concerning worship, but don’t think of this as a comprehensive theology for worship—Paul is simply confronting some issues within the worship of the church in Ephesus—starting with prayer.

Let’s look at 1 Timothy 2:1-8.

As we study these verses, we’re going to look at it in two parts: (1) The Objects, Content, and Goal of Prayer (1-4) and (2) The Basis of Prayer (5-8).

We’re going to look at different types of prayer, certain things that we ought to pray for, and really, the ultimate goal of prayer before seeing what the basis of that goal for prayer is.

Tonight’s sermon will encourage you to pray all sorts of prayers, and it will teach you what to pray and how to pray with the ultimate goal in mind.

Prayer for Illumination

The Objects, Content, and Goal of Prayer (1-4)

Paul starts this section of the text by speaking of prayer in vv.

1-4.

Of course, in eight short verses, Paul cannot possibly tell us everything there is to know about prayer, but he does give us some important details.

Including different types of prayer.

He “[urges] that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people.”

He uses four different words to describe different types of prayer and note, because this isn’t a comprehensive study on prayer, these aren’t the only sorts of prayers, just some of them.

He speaks of supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving—let’s take a few minutes to break down what exactly these are:

Supplications goes by a different word today—we call them requests.

It’s translated from the Greek word δεησις, which means to ask or to beg or to make a request.

This is the part of prayer in which we make petitions to the Lord, which I think we can all admit that much of our prayer life today is made up of requests.

More often than not, offering requests or supplications is really the only thing that people think of when they pray, but there’s far more to pray than making requests.

Prayers is the most general word for prayer in the New Testament—it’s almost like a catch-all term in which every other type of prayer not mentioned here is mentioned in the word prayer.

Thomas Lea and Hayne Griffin, [Prayer] is used of all types of prayers to God including general requests or specific petitions.”

(Thomas Lea and Hayne Griffin, 1,2, Timothy, Titus, vol.

34 The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 34:87)

Intercessions is a more specific term for a request in which the requester recognizes that he is below the person in whom the request is made; or put differently, God is far greater than we are; intercessions take that realization that he’s greater than us and prays in light of this truth.

John Newton in his hymn “Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare,” makes this statement “Thou art coming to a king, Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such, [that] none can ever ask too much.”

(John Newton, “Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare,” Olney Hymns (London: W. Oliver, 1779), 1:31)

Notice how Newton emphasizes that in prayer, you’re going to the King.

That’s acknowledgement of knowing who you’re going to and still bringing petitions to him, which is what intercession is.

And then Paul mentions thanksgiving, which I think we’re all familiar with, even if most of us would admit we probably don’t give thanks as often as we ought to.

The reality is that every Christian struggles with giving thanks and the reasoning for that is simple—we all tend to live in our own flesh instead of living in the Spirit.

Thus, it’s easier to not give thanks than it is to give thanks.

This is probably why Paul sees the need to write to the Thessalonians to “16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Regardless, giving thanks is a part of prayer.

And Paul’s encouragement or exhortation here is for all sorts of prayer to be made—he’s telling Timothy to offer requests, speak prayers, make petitions to the King, and give thanks.

And he’s telling Timothy to do this for all people.

Or in other words Paul is saying that Timothy ought to be making requests, speaking prayers, making petitions, and giving thanks for all people—or said differently, on behalf of other people.

He’s telling Timothy to pray for other people, particularly (according to v. 2) “for kings and all who are in high positions.”

Now, you might hear that and wonder why exactly he’s singling out “kings and all who are in high places,” but he does explain why in v. 2 as well, “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

What exactly is Paul telling them to pray for?

He’s telling them to make all sorts of different types of prayer for all people, particularly kings and those in high places, so that Christians can lead a peaceful and quiet life that’s godly and dignified in every way.

Why are they to pray particularly for kings and people in high places?

Because kings and people in high places can influence whether Christians can live peaceful and quiet lives

Or in other words, pray for those that are in charge because they can change whether you can live lives of peace.

I think we often take it for granted in the United States because we live in a mostly peaceful place with very little upheaval, but for those that live in other countries where there is very little peace and mostly upheaval, the only way for people to experience peace and quiet in this world is if the government functions how God had created the government to function.

Donald Guthrie, “The purpose, rather than the content, of such prayer is now stated.

That we may live peaceful and quiet lives presupposes that the government can achieve conditions of peace and security, enabling the Christian and his fellow-men to pursue their own lives.

Under some governments this could not be guaranteed.”

(Donald Guthrie, Pastoral Epistles An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990), 14:84)

Pray for those that are in charge because they have influence in what goes on around you.

Even if you don’t really like them, even if you disagree with their political ideas, even if their decisions seem absolutely foolish.

Pray for them because their decisions can have a major effect on whether your life is peaceful and quiet as a Christian.

But ultimately, that isn’t Paul’s main reason for encouraging continued prayer for all people.

In fact, he then continues in vv.

3-4 with, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

He says that “this is good” and in this instance, he isn’t referring about how we ought to pray for the kings and those in high places.

We know this because of v. 4 when he speaks of God desiring all people to be saved—not just those who are kings or serve in high places.

The idea being that prayer for all people is a good thing and it is something that pleases God.

What in particular pleases God about praying for all people?

We see the answer to this question in v. 4, it is because God our Savior, “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Or in other words, what about prayer for all people pleases God?

If we’re praying for people, what ought to be our primary supplication, prayer, and intercession?

Should we pray for their health?

Their sustenance?

Their lives to generally go well?

Possibly.

But if we genuinely believe that there’s a heaven and hell and that there’s an eternal destination for every person, shouldn’t our primary prayer be that they know Jesus?

If we’re praying for the king and those leading from higher places, what ought to be our primary supplication, prayer, and intercession?

Should we pray for them to be a good leader?

Should we pray for them to stay safe as they travel?

Or for their lives to generally go well?

Possibly.

But if we genuinely believe that there’s a heaven and hell and that there’s an eternal destination for every person, shouldn’t our primary prayer be that they know Jesus?

Because God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, wouldn’t it be pleasing to God for His people to pray for all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth?

In fact, praying for someone’s physical health, their sustenance, for them to be good leaders, for safe travel, or a good life really doesn’t mean much if they never believe in Jesus and know the truth.

So yes, pray for all these things, but undergird that prayer with genuine concern and prayer for their souls.

What pleases God when His people pray for others?

According to this passage, the implication seems to be that He’s pleased when His people pray for all people to know Him.