06b) Instruction on Prayer Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Today we continue Paul’s instruction on prayer to Timothy. The instruction was aimed at correcting some concerns that Paul had from hearing about some behaviors and attitudes in the church in Ephesus. Hearing these concerns and not having the ability to come to Timothy at the moment he wrote this letter of instruction to help him put the church in order.
15 But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
The church, Paul proclaims is the pillar and foundation of truth. The church of God is to be solidly protective of the truth. And as Paul continues to speak against those that distort the message that was entrusted to him. The good news of the gospel of salvation. The church must fight against all attempts to distort or manipulate the truth. It must seek to understand, protect, and testify to the truths that God has given to his people.
In a church that holds to the truth of the word of God, the people are to conduct themselves inline with that truth. This is what Paul is correcting. The creation of false teachings, myths, and arguments about genealogies.
3 As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach false doctrine 4 or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.
In this correction of conduct and exhortation to guard the truth he starts his instruction on the topic of prayer.
1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.
Last week we looked at verses 1 and 2 where Paul urged them to make prayers, petitions, intercessions and thanksgivings for everyone. This included kings and those in authority. We explored that they early church lifted up the authorities in prayer along with all men. Since all Christians were once like them we are instructed to pray for all people.
1 Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. 3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.
There were different views developing in the church that certain groups of classes of people were not to be prayed for or were being neglected in their prayers. The prayers were to be lifted up so that the believers may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. Tho live without internal or external disturbances.
The hope to the answer of prayer is that the christian community may live at peace and live in obedience to God.
The church is to conduct themselves in this way. Not excluding groups or classes of people from the prayer life of the church.
After he makes this assertion, he then make a declaration of why these prayers are to be lifted up by the church.
Pleasing to God
Pleasing to God
3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior,
The church is to pray in this way because it is good and it pleases God. To live and behave in a way that thinks about pleasing God. Scripture teaches that believers are to live in ways that are pleasing to him. Each person should ask, “am I living in a way that is pleasing to God”. Maybe you have asked how do I please God or how does he want me to live? Romans 12 tells us we are to give our lives over to God as a living sacrifice.
1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
In all ways that we think of worship is a life given over to God that worship continually. To have have the desire to be holy and pleasing to the Lord. How we live is pleasing to God.
16 Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
As believers support one another with a portion of what has been given to them. With a cheerful heart and not begrudgingly. We are also told that our generosity to the mission of God is also pleasing.
18 But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided—a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
The walk of a christian who has this type of life will receive spiritual blessings.
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.
To pray for the lost of all men is pleasing to God who is savior. For without being saved a person is incapable of being pleasing to God.
8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Those who have not been regenerated by the spirit cannot please God because it is impossible to please God without faith.
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
We may ask why would God not be pleased with an unbeliever. They do not believe he exists and they have no desire or inclination to please God. They are not standing across the way trying with all of there might to please God and he is ignoring them. On the contrary God is sending out his message of hope and salvation to all men, through his church, and those that do not have faith are the ones that are ignoring the call of God.
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
God was well pleased with his son as he sent him into the wold to be the Savior of his sheep.
17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!”
The prayers that Paul is calling Timothy to direct the church to perform, are evangelic in nature. They are prayers that those that need to be saved hear the message and come to repentance and saving faith. For these prayer are good and pleasing to God our Savior. Prayers for those that are on a path to destruction spiritually are good.
God Desires
God Desires
3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Paul declares that prayers for all men to be saved is good and they please God. He gives God the title of savior and then declares that God wants or desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. That phrase the knowledge of truth is a phase used to describe saving knowledge. This is the truth that the church is to be a pillar and foundation for.
24 The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth. 26 Then they may come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
As a servant of the Lord interacts with lost souls, they are to conduct themselves in a holy manner, not quarrelsome, gentle, teaching, patient, and gentle. The hope is that perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of truth. That they will be saved and come to faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The believer is to pray for this to take place in the hearts of men. For Paul says that God wants all men to be saved. No matter how wicked a king or authority is God does not take pleasure in the death of that person.
11 Tell them, ‘As I live—this is the declaration of the Lord God—I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?’
We see God desires for the wicked to repent and live. God Commands all people everywhere to repent and turn from their evil ways.
30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
There is a day when judgment will come so even though God desires all men to be saved and commands all people to repent there will still be a judgement which means that God has not willed all people to be saved. He is the creator of the universe and Jesus sustains all of creation together by his word.
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
He continues to sustain all things as he sits at the right hand of the father after he made purification for sin.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
God’s grace and mercy were seen in the man of Jesus and he brought salvation for all. He taught that they were to repent and believe and it did not matter who was in the crowd he taught the same and gave the same message. Not everyone would repent and believe even though they had seen the savior. No one spent more time with Jesus in his ministry than his disciples and Judas would never come to repent and believe.
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
14 These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Those that are saved are those that have turned from their evil ways.
26 God raised up his servant and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”
There is a difference in God’s desire and his purpose. God desired Adam and Eve to be in fellowship with him, to worship him and to obey. But they did not. God desired Isreal to fulfill the mosaic covenant but they did not. He desires all men to be saved but they all will not.
His purpose on the other hand will come to pass as he has established it. The Abrahamic covenant, the new covenant, the redemptive purpose of God all will be fulfilled in the way that he has willed it.
In his purpose he sent Christ the Son of God to redeem his children back to him.
There is One God Who...
There is One God Who...
Paul instructs that prayers should be lifted up for all men. That there is no one that we get to strike off of the list of potential future believers. These prayers are good and pleasing to the saving God who desires all men to be saved and the church is to pray towards that end.
And why is this important?
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.
There is only one hope for each lost person. The world has always created ways in their own minds to attempt to find what is next. To make sense of life. But the bible consistently teaches that there is only one God.
35 You were shown these things so that you would know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.
39 Today, recognize and keep in mind that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other.
4 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
10 “You are my witnesses”— this is the Lord’s declaration— “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. No god was formed before me, and there will be none after me.
6 This is what the Lord, the King of Israel and its Redeemer, the Lord of Armies, says: I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but me.
This is the truth of the bible and that means there is no other hope for anyone who does not receive and believe the message of salvation. Any other message that promises a different way to be saved is a false idea and leads people into a false state of confidence in the final state of their souls. But they face God in the end without a mediator.
12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
It is by the name of Jesus that people are saved. There is not only one God who each person must be reconciled to, but there is only one mediator.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.
A mediator stands between two parties and speak on the behalf of the other. The author of Hebrews teaches that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant that was inaugurated with the death of Jesus.
15 Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.
and
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
The prayers of the church and the saint should reflect the heart of God towards those that are perishing. As the church has the message of salvation, it is called to be in prayer that the message would expand across the nations. The fall of man separated man from the holy presence of God.
The only way to be in the presence of God is through the blood of Jesus as he has provided the way through the curtain into the presence of God in the new Jerusalem and the new tabernacle in heaven.
Jesus, himself man is the great high priest and because of his sacrifice by willingly going to the cross, he gave himself as a ransom for all.
The word used for ransom here is more than just a payment to bail someone out or to just pay a debt. The idea is that he not only paid the debt but also took the place of the one who owed the debt.
The consequence of sin is death and Christ willingly stepped into the place of each and every person who would become a child of God.
He was the ransom for all and came at the proper time as foretold by God and his prophets. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the testimony or the evidence of the what was accomplished on the cross. The ransom of lost men and women back to himself.
26 It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The prayers of the church are to include that all men would hear the message and be saved. Paul said that God had made him an example of this message.
12 I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry—13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Paul again testifies that this message and the prayers that he is instructing them to is the gospel message that was given directly to him and that he was appointed to proclaim.
The Message
The Message
7 For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
There were no cell phones, no billboards, no news papers, no pagers, tv, or any other formal means to mass distribute information. So if you wanted a message to get to the most people you would stand in the public squares of a city or at the gates and you would shout out your news. You would be a herald of information. Paul says this is what he was appointed to do and we see his life inline with that appointment. He claims that he is not lying and that he has been appointed to teach the gentile in faith and truth.
This was the same message he proclaimed for three years when the church began and when he wrote to the church in the book of Ephesians. He is not bringing new information he is calling them back to the original message.
8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. 10 This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. 11 This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And this message was not only to the Ephesisans.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience. 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
The Ephesians church was not the only one Paul had to correct.
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him! 9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him! 10 For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.
Paul, who God spoke through for much of the New Testament was focus on this message.
3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood.
1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.
He not only believed that was his message but that his message was to be passed on through the church. To plead with men to be saved.
16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 1 Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.” 2 For he says: At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!
But in 1 Timothy Paul instruct that a foundational part of proclaiming this message is lifting up prayers for all people to be saved. So he exhorts the church to prayer.
Men Called to Pray
Men Called to Pray
8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.
Paul has urged that prayers be made for everyone and specifically leaders and authorities. He has given the reason why, it pleases God, and the purpose of the prayers for the message of the gospel to be heard. So finally he wraps up this section on pray with the who and the attitude.
He is speaking of the corporate gathering of church for worship. Every Sunday we gather as families of believers for a purpose. We will do many different things, we will study God’s word, sing songs, read scriptures, hear his word preached, we will fellowship, and we will take the Lord’s supper together. But the purpose for all of those corporately are to worship our lord and savior. To lift God’s name.
It is to be holy and sacred in what we do and say. In the early church, when the Jews met in the synagogues and when the early church met corporately it was men who were to pray in the corporate assembly. But even then it was not and is not all men who pray in the church. The church is to be holy and the words that are lifted in the congregation are to be aligned with his word. They are to be edifying and building up. They are to cal on the promises and commands of God.
They are to be given with order and thought. The church in Ephesians is being corrected here as well as Paul did not deem it necessary to explain this previously when he wrote to the church earlier. Though he mentions prayer multiple times he does not give this instruction or correction. We do not know for sure what was taking place in the corporate assemblies but it was not holy and was filled with anger and debates.
I heard of a church recently that was dealing with some church issues and as I understand the story the Pastor was informing the church of a hard decision that was being made and the worship service devolved into a heated argument. Instead of a group of saints coming to worship God and advance the kingdom, a scene that may have looked like what Paul was addressing may have been taking place.
So in correction Paul strongly directs them to have men pray in every place, lifting holy hands and with clean hearts that are not filled with anger and derision.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Yesterday we witnessed what happens when men act out in the wickedness of their hearts. In our history as a county it has been 43 years since we have had an attempt at an assassination. Yesterday Donald Trump was shot at and his ear was nicked. After weeks, months, and years of verbal rheteric name calling, crude jokes, calling names, we see this happen.
I am not speaking of Trump and Biden. I am speaking of the language that I see and hear from God’s church. From God’s people. Yesterday three people were shot and one died.
To be in the middle of this section of 1 Timothy and to have a presidential candidate shot at should cause every christian to take a hard look at their own words and actions. I have seen a lot of posts, a lot of articles, and I am not sure if I have seen a single prayer for our leaders. I am not talking about the prayer to beat the other guy. Even though I have not seen those ether.
I am talking about the prayer that Paul calls for the church to pray for all men and specifically for leaders and authorities. Do you pray for the salvation of These men and their families? Were you moved to prayer for the families of the shooting victims to come to know Jesus as their Lord and savior. Are you in prayer for the shooters family? He made his decision and he will now stand before God and only God knows what drove a 20 year old man to take lives in this way.
Tonight for our prayer meeting we will be doing just that. At 6:00 tonight we will come back to lift our hands, and our hearts in prayer. for our nation and leaders.
I like Paul encourage you to come and tonight let us be the church. Invite any believer you know who want to come a pray for our nation together.
The bible promises that that this is pleasing to God let us be pleasing to our Lord and savior who mediates for each and every saved person who is here.
Let me pray.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Communion
Warning
Children, Lost, Sin
19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Prayer
Song
Closing
Blessing/Benediction
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.