1 Timothy 2:1-7 - The Mission of the Church
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
What is the mission of the church? Most people would say that discipleship and evangelism are at the heart of the mission of the church - and I would agree 100% with that! Last week we discussed the need for true discipleship in the church in order to maintain doctrinal purity.
This week we will be focusing on the other side of the mission of the church - namely evangelism.
However, before moving forward, there is a serious temptation for the modern church to become very pragmatic in evangelism. We have so many ideas and ways to share the Gospel. We can hand out resources, go door to door, do relational evangelism, use methods such as the Romans Road, the 10 Commandments, the 3 Circles, or what seems like an endless array of other ideas. These are amazing helps in evangelism, but they don’t replace the most amazing Helper - namely the Holy Spirit!
We do not want to forget the most important aspect of evangelism - that we cannot save even one soul on our own. Salvation belongs to the Lord. He draws, He saves, and He seals. And because of this great truth, our evangelism must always begin and continue with prayer as we recognize our complete reliance on the power of God. Let’s read our Scripture for today as we learn more about how we can be on mission for Christ in our world.
Read Full Scripture:
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
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.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Prayer
Today we will see three things that are pivotal to spreading the Gospel. The first is…
I. The Spread of the Gospel Depends on Prayer (1)
I. The Spread of the Gospel Depends on Prayer (1)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
As we discussed in the introduction, prayer is pivotal for the spread of the Gospel. Paul urges Timothy to pray for all people. And he starts off with the phrase “first of all” here which means that this is of prime importance. It is like adding a spotlight on this verse. He is reminding Timothy not to forget about the importance of prayer.
The Greek word for all and every in this section of Scripture is pas. We see it occur 6 times in the first 6 verses of this chapter.
We will discuss this word further in our next point, but note the repetitive use for this in these first few verses of chapter 2.
This concept of ‘all’ is one of the main themes of these verses. The spread of the Gospel depends on prayer and this prayer is to be for all people.
But how then should we pray for all people?
Understanding the different aspects of prayer will help our prayer lives. Prayer is not just a series of requests. Prayer is a conversation with God. As we discussed before, we hear from God through His Word, and we pray to God by using His Word as well as what is on our hearts. It is a two-way conversation. Paul is going to be addressing how we converse with God in three different ways. Paul gives four different words and aspects of prayer in this verse. The second word is really only translated as prayer. It encompasses the entirety of prayer. But the other three words focus in on three important aspects of prayer. The first of these three aspects of prayer given asserts that:
1. We Are to Pray with Supplication
Supplication means a request or a petition. This word is used some 12 times in Paul’s letters.
This term understands that we are in need. We lack what is necessary for a certain task. We plead with God to help provide what we cannot provide on our own. This is applicable in an endless array of situations in our lives. We are in need of our daily bread, shelter, food, clothing, and a so much more. If we are honest with ourselves, we are a needy people! There are so many things that we need from God that we don’t even realize. Consider even things such as air and water that He provides for us to sustain our bodies!
However, in the context of this chapter, we will see that this concept is directly applied to the spread of the Gospel. We cannot save anyone, but Christ can. Only by His power and grace can our requests and petitions come to fruition.
Listen to Paul bring this up in Philippians 4:6:
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
We are to let our requests be made known to God. He wants to hear them. How wonderful is that!
Next we see that…
2. We Are to Pray with Intercession
The prayer of intercession is a lot like the prayer of supplication. However, the prayer of intercession is always in regards to asking on behalf of another. This is an appeal on behalf of another person. The Greek word used here is only present twice in the New Testament (it is also found in 1 Timothy 4:5). The verb form of this Greek word is used other times, however, as we see the intercession of Christ for us in Hebrews 7:25:
Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
As well as seeing the Holy Spirit intercede for us in Romans 8:26:
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
We are to follow the model of intercession that we see in Christ and the Holy Spirit as we go to the Lord on behalf of another’s need. As we will see in a moment - we are not needed as a mediator - but instead we are blessed to be an intercessor. We will discuss the difference between these two in a our final point. Christ acts as a mediator and intercessor on our behalf. However, we only pray intercessory prayers and these prayers are lifted up to Jesus Christ who is our True Intercessor and Mediator!
Finally we see that…
3. We Are to Pray with Thanksgiving
We are to pray with a heart of thanksgiving. This word occurs in Paul’s letters twelve times and is commonly paired alongside supplication. We showed this already in Philippians 4:6:
Philippians 4:6 (ESV)
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Why are these two words paired so often? Because we can ask our Heavenly Father with greater faith when we reflect, in thanksgiving, for what He has already done for us and given us.
Now that we have discussed the importance of prayer, we then see that…
Scripture References: Philippians 4:6, 1 Timothy 4:5, Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:26
II. The Spread of the Gospel Transcends All Persons (2-4)
II. The Spread of the Gospel Transcends All Persons (2-4)
for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
Our evangelistic prayers and outreaches should be directed toward all persons. Paul then goes on to define more clearly who ‘all people’ are. Not only are we to pray for those who are in our lives including family and friends, coworkers, and neighbors, etc - but we are also to pray for the leaders of our world. The Bible is clear that God ordains those who are in charge - even those who are evil (Romans 13:1).
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
The Gospel knows no boundaries. It is open for all - even ungodly leaders. We must remember that we are in a spiritual battle and that politicians are not our real enemy. Satan and his demons are. It is justifiable to pray that godly leaders are elected. It would be amazing to have a country or even a world that was filled with godly politicians who were all God-fearing and Bible-believing. But in the meantime, we should pray for the salvation of our world’s leaders and pray that they make godly decisions.
for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
Paul then gives a practical reason why we should pray for our leaders. Good leadership allows us to lead a peaceful and quiet life. We are able live in a godly and dignified way more easily when we have good leadership. We should live that way despite the quality of our leadership, however with good leadership this is easier to accomplish. With favorable leadership, we are given more opportunities to share and spread the Gospel.
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
God is glorified and pleased when His saints pray regularly for all people. God wants us to pray for everyone. I know that this is tough to consider, but we are to pray even for the most heinous of criminals. We are to pray for even the most heinous of leaders. Men such as Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Xi Jinping of China, as well as Kim Jong Un of North Korea should each be regularly prayed for. We should pray for them to repent and come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
We understand that these are difficult prayers. We obviously know that it is righteous to pray that God's justice rolls down on those who are evil and wicked and unrepentant. The Lord says that it is His to avenge and that He will repay. Vengeance is His and not ours. We understand this through Romans 12:19.
But in the meantime we are to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
And what are we told is good and pleasing in the sight of God here?
We are told that praying for the salvation of all people is good. And we see that this prayer of intercession on behalf of all people is congruent with the very nature of God.
Hear this in verse 4:
who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
This is an incredible verse in the Bible. It says that God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
We will hit on the practical nature of this verse in our final point, but I want to take a quick moment to explain how to balance this verse with the entirely of Scripture.
This verse brings up an important doctrine called soteriology - which is the study of salvation and how it occurs.
This is an important doctrine that we need to understand as it has many practical applications in our evangelism.
Sadly, there are those who let there doctrinal leanings cloud the hermeneutics in this verse. If you recall, the word hermeneutics means how we interpret Scripture.
Some fall into a trap called universalism - meaning that everyone is automatically saved because of Christ’s death on the cross. We know this is a heretical doctrine. The Bible is clear that only those who repent and turn to Christ are saved.
Others fall into a trap of free will thinking that negates the sovereignty of God. This puts all the power in the hands of man and ignores many of the Scriptures of God’s sovereignty.
Listen to these verses (there are many more that discuss the sovereignty of God, but this gives us a good idea of His power and authority):
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God could not work together all things for good if He wasn’t sovereign! God always keeps His promises. And in order to keep this promise, He must be in control.
Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?
Here we see that God disciplines those in sin. We see His sovereign hand over all. And He is sovereign over salvation as we see in Ephesians 1:4-6:
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
We understand here in Ephesians that God has chosen and predestined those who would come to Him. These verses have shown the absolute power and authority of God. You can’t explain away this power or authority as some attempt to do. We must accept that God is sovereign. It is peaceful and comforting to know that God is in control!
But we also must not miss the fact that man does have a will. Man does have the capacity to make decisions and choose right or wrong. We are not robots. God is fully sovereign, but man is still responsible for his actions. This is where a verse like verse 4 here starts to make sense the most.
who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
We must also understand in verses such as this that God has a desire for all to come to a saving knowledge of the Gospel. The truth here refers to the Gospel in its entirety. The understanding and faith in Christ - that He died on the cross, rose three days later, and now is at the right hand of the Father - that by repentance and faith one can be born again and saved.
God desires that all people be saved. Yet, we understand that not all people are saved. So how to we manage this apparent tension? We have a sovereign God who is complete control and who makes His will known and His promises always will come to fruition. But here we see God has a desire that does not come to fruition.
God’s desire is consistent with Who God is. God is just, but God also is love. God does not delight in judging and punishing people. See Ezekiel 18:23
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
and again in Ezekiel 18:32
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
God does not take pleasure in casting lost souls into hell. People go to hell not because God desires that they go. They go because they refuse to repent and turn from their wicked ways.
God has offered salvation to everyone:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Salvation is offered to all people. And God’s desire is that they be saved. Listen to Jesus desire that the Jews would turn toward Him shortly before they crucified Him:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
Although Christ desired for the Jews to repent and turn to Him, they still crucified Him. That was because God’s desire and His decreed will are separate.
God’s Desire - These are the things that are consistent with God’s character. God desires sinlessness and perfection. God desires man to repent and sin no more.
God’s Decreed Will - These are the things that will happen no matter what. Consider the coming of Christ and the prophesies therein.
Now that we have discussed both sides - God’s desire and God’s sovereignty - we must take a step back and humble ourselves before Him.
This is one of those times that we must understand that we do not and cannot fully understand. I know that sounds somewhat oxymoronic. However, we must realize that we can never fully understand the mind and ways of God. We must firmly grasp hold of what is clear in Scripture.
God is fully sovereign. God predestines those before the foundation of the world that will come to a saving knowledge of Him. God desires that all come to a saving knowledge of Him. And man has responsibility for responding to the Gospel. These are all truths. They may seemingly contradict but do not. Understanding this great truth is beyond our human mind. We are finite and limited - God is limitless and transcendent. God has revealed what we need to know for now. And we must trust Him with the rest.
We must preach like everyone is chosen. Yet, we must have peace knowing that no one is saved apart from God's work and drawing in his or her life. This frees us from over-focusing on our own performance. We understand that God is sovereign, and that no one is saved apart from His drawing. Yet, we also understand that they must hear the Gospel from us. And verses 5-6 give us the Gospel in a beautiful way.
Scripture References: Romans 13:1, Romans 12:19, Romans 12:21, Romans 8:28, Lamentations 3:37-39, Ephesians 1:4-6, Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 18:32, John 3:16, Matthew 23:37
III. The Spread of the Gospel Amends All Punishment [for those who are saved] (5-7)
III. The Spread of the Gospel Amends All Punishment [for those who are saved] (5-7)
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Here we see that there is one God. We see the clear teaching that Jesus is God. And Christ Jesus is the only mediator. He is the one mediator. There is no requirement for Mary to mediate for us. There is no requirement for a priest to mediate for us. There is no requirement for any saint to mediate for us. Only Jesus Christ is our true mediator.
The words mediator and intercessor in English overlap somewhat in their definitions. However, the New Testament only uses the word mediator in reference to Jesus Christ. It is used here in verse 5 as well as Hebrews 8:6, 9:15, 12:24.
Christ is our only true mediator between us and God - meaning that He is the only One who can intervene on our behalf to reconcile us to God.
It is great for us to pray an intercessory prayer on behalf of others as we discussed in our first point. But these prayers go directly through Christ who is the only true mediator!
In a sense, Christ is the answer to Job’s cry for a mediator. Listen to Job 9:33:
There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.
Jesus is both truly God and truly man and is able to be the mediator we need.
Verse six tells us why He can be our mediator. He can be our mediator because He gave His life as a ransom for all.
A ransom is a price that is paid to gain the freedom of or the redemption for someone.
This refers to the substitutionary death that Christ did on the cross for our sins. He paid the ransom to redeem sinful man from the punishment to come.
Who has this offer of redemption been given? Who has their ransom paid for if only they will accept this free gift? See verses 5-6 again:
1 Timothy 2:5–6 (ESV)
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Paul asserts that Christ gave Himself as a ransom for who? For all! Here is that Greek word pas again. The offer of salvation is available for everyone.
As we share the Gospel with others we, in light of 1 Timothy 2:4, can confidently say the following:
Christ died on the cross for you. He desires that YOU be saved!
My friends, maybe you need to hear that for yourself today. I have been talking about the mission of the church being evangelism. We do need to preach the Gospel to the lost. But maybe you, yourself are the one who is lost today. Maybe you needed to hear that Christ desires that you be saved.
If so, make today that day. Today is the day of salvation. Repent, or turn away from your sins, and place your faith and trust in Christ alone. May His overwhelming love for you draw you to Himself. He bore your penalty on the cross.
Although the free gift is universally offered - it is only effective for those who repent, believe, and place their trust in Him for salvation. Salvation is universally offered but exclusively obtained through Christ alone.
I would love to talk with you about what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ. See me during our time of prayer and reflection or after the service, and I will tell you more about how you can be saved. Christ wants you with Him in heaven forever. Accept His loving offer.
For those of you here who are saved. Remember this great truth - He died for even your worst enemies. He offers salvation even to the foremost of sinners. Like Paul - Christ saves murders and blasphemers. Share the good news of the Gospel even with those who you think could never be saved. Let them know that Christ desires to save even them! He saved you, and He can save them as well.
And remember the Gospel daily in your own lives. Apply the Gospel to yourself day by day. Christ died for you. Christ desires for you to be saved. And if you have been saved, God elected you! Don’t remember the Gospel to boast in yourself. But by remembering the Gospel daily, it should fill you with thanksgiving and appreciation for Christ’s wonderful gift of eternal life. It should remind you of the punishment that He bore on the cross for you. And that should change you from the inside out.
1 Timothy 2:6 (ESV)
who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Paul finishes verse 6 with letting us know that this testimony was given at the proper time. This tells us that God's timing is always perfect. Jesus Christ came at the exact right time in history. He came at the time appointed by God. God sovereignly orchestrated the coming of Christ at just the right time for us.
And Paul ends with verse 7…
For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
And Paul came at the right time as well. He was appointed as a preacher and apostle and a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth. Paul asserts his truthfulness in the middle of this verse. He wants to remind Timothy and the Church of Ephesus of his integrity.
Although we might not all be preachers, and we are certainly not big ‘A’ Apostles like Paul - we are little ‘a’ apostles - we are sent out to spread the Gospel of Jesus of Christ. May we preach the Gospel and evangelize our world through the power of Christ.
Scripture References: Hebrews 8:6, 9:15, 12:24; Job 9:33
Conclusion:
Today we have discussed the second part of the mission of the church. Along with discipleship and doctrinal purity, we must also evangelize well. This can only be done through Christ’s power within us. We must start with prayer. Our evangelism depends on prayer.
Next, we must realize that the Gospel transcends all persons. There is no one too far to be saved. Christ offers salvation to everyone. Yes, there are many who will refuse this free gift, but remember that Christ desires all to be saved.
And finally, remember that the Gospel amends all punishment for those who are saved. Christ paid the entire ransom for those who are His. There is nothing you can do to add to it. Remember the Gospel and live out the Gospel. Let others know the freedom from sin that Christ offers.
Our world needs to hear this good news. May we at CrossPointe be all about Christ’s mission.