Devotion to prayer

Introduction: As we continue with our Worship of the Lord this morning, I want to invite you to turn with me to 1 Timothy 2:1-15. Now, I want to say this upfront, we are going to read all of chapter 2 together this morning because I believe they form a complete unit of thought that is focused on Godly membership and their roles, but we are going to focus mainly on verses 1-7 this morning and we will talk about verses 8-15 next week. I want to do this because I want us to see the beauty that is found here.... but at the same time… there are some rather difficult verses that come at the end of the chapter, and I want to make sure we have enough time to work through them properly instead of ignoring them or washing over them.

Keep in mind too, as we read this chapter this morning, we are seeking to answer the question

What Is A Healthy Church? Remember, Paul has left Timothy in Ephesus so that he can put some things in order because the church is facing some problems. In chapter 3, we find the main purpose of Paul’s writing… he is writing so that Timohty has an idea on how the people of God are supposed to behave in a healthy community that Paul calls the “household of God” or the “Church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth.”

That is the aim here in this letter: how are we to be a healthy church? We have to keep this in mind as we read through the letter, because if we take the words out of their context then we run the risk of altering their meaning… and we don’t want to do that. We want to understand the word rightly so that we can apply it correctly to our lives.

Let’s read this text together this morning. Hear the Word of God for you. 2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 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. 8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control (1 Ti 2:1–15).

Let’s pray together as we consider the Word of God this morning. Let’s pray together.

Body: Paul spent most of Chapter 1 giving instructions to Timothy about what he was supposed to be doing there. The church was being bombarded with false teachers and a false Gospel message. Paul told Timothy that he did not need to run away from the problem, instead, Timothy needs to run toward the problem and correct those who were preaching a false gospel, which really was no gospel at all.

Timothy needed to be reminded of what was at stake. We are not talking about trivial matters here when it comes to having a correct or incorrect understanding of the Gospel message. We are talking about life and death. We are talking about eternal life or eternal death. We are talking about heaven or hell. That is what is at stake… and because it is such an important matter for the church to have right ...Paul tells Timothy to stay… we read these words in 1:3.... As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine....

And from chapter 1 we said these words in connection with the purpose of the Book... A Healthy Church Must Understand the Gospel Rightly.

The Gospel is about the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is about God saving rebellious humanity. That is the Good news of the Gospel. We rebelled against God… and despite our sinfulness, He came to save us.

I like how Warren Wiersbe described this chapter, he said that chapter 1 of 1 Timothy is about The Church and Its Message. And Warren Wiersbe describes the chapters 2-3 by saying that they are about the Church and Its Members.

Or we can frame it this way as we think about the text this morning…Main Point: A Healthy Church Has Members Who Are Committed to Prayer.

This is going to be the main driving force in Chapter 2. We looked at Timothy's role in the church… that is correction... now Paul turns and tells Timothy how to instruct the members of the church.

Look at verses 1-2 with me. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way (1 Ti 2:1–2).

As a matter of first importance, notice the language that is used here to start chapter 2. It is the same language that we see in chapter 1.... Paul is urging Timothy to do something… but this time, as we shall see next week, it is not just Timothy's responsibility… it is for the whole church... ... But Paul say’s “First of all...” this is to take priority in the life of a church… and what is said next is what is a little surprising.

When we think of church life, we think that a church's primary responsibility is to help the poor, take care of those who are suffering, to minister to the world around us… and don’t get me wrong, those things are great things… and Paul will touch on them later on in this letter when we talk about The Church and Her Ministries… but out of the overflow of understanding the Gospel correctly… Paul tells Timothy that his next move is to something that we find rather difficult in our context… and that is to the area of Prayer.

You see, we have to understand, Prayer Is the Work of the Church.

Here is what I mean by that statement. We can get so busy in church life… and have so many different events going on… that we honestly get too busy for prayer. And prayer is one of the most vital ministries of the church. I think we struggle with it so much because unlike events and activities, we don’t always see immediate results. We can pray, but we may not see that prayer come to pass until much later.... and that to us is a little draining if we are honest. However, if we hold an event or are doing some activity, we see the results at the end. We can see how many people came. How many Bibles did we pass out? How many people did we tell about Jesus? Again, all really good things… needed things to be sure.

But we can pray and pray and pray, and we may not see those results as quickly as we would like. And I believe that is part of the reason why it is so much easier to do something than it is to devote ourselves to prayer. Activities we are a little more in control over… but prayer… is a complete and total reliance on God.

And on the other hand, and I would even say the scarer thing is… we can go on with our lives as Christians and even as Churches… and as long as we look busy and we are being active… no one will even know that we are neglecting to pray… but when we do that… when we live that type of life style… we are going to drain ourselves dry. We begin running on fumes. We become spiritual empty… and we start doing out of obligation instead of delight because now we have to prove something.

But what if… and I know that this is a big question to ask ourselves this morning, what if we gave ourselves to prayer as the work? What would our lives look like? What would this church look like? What would this community look like? What would this nation look like if the church and Christians took serious God’s words here at the beginning of chapter 2 and made serious the call to be a praying people?

Look at what Paul says here...First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made.... This is where we are getting the idea that we are to be a praying people… or to put it another way... We are to be devoted to prayer. And don’t get hung up on what the different nuances of each of those words mean. There is slight variation in them. The people Paul is making there is that we are to offer up all kinds of different prayers. Supplications are prayers where we are humbling asking God to do something. Prayer is the act of coming before God and speaking to Him about different matters. Interessions is praying on behalf of someone else… standing in the gap so to speak... and Thanksgiving is giving thanks. Not much different here in the words that are being used… because the point is that different types of prayers are to be offered up before God based on what is needed at the time. That is how prayer works.... and often, you will find yourself as you pray for others, working through all of these.

But who are we to be praying for? Christians Are to Pray For.... All People. Kings. All who are in Authority.

That is a very general list, isn’t it? Like, Paul, who should we pray for today? Everyone. All people. No one is to be excluded. But what about those people who hate us and are trying to oppress us? What about those who are killing us because of our faith?

Yes, pray for them too. Pray for Kings. Pray for all of those who are in authority, in fact. Do not exclude anyone from your prayers.

Do you see what is going on here in this text? More than likely, part of what these false teachers were promoting was a religion that focused on exclusion. You had to be in the “know” if you were going to be important. Only certain people matter... and if you were not in that group…. Then you meant very little to these false teachers.

And Paul, and Jesus for that matter, blow that kind of logic out of the water. As Christians we are told to pray for everyone… no expectations. Remember what Jesus said... 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Mt 5:43–45).

Remember, the Main Point: A Healthy Church Has Members Who Are Committed to Prayer.

And why does Paul say that Christians are to offer up these kinds of prayer to God on behalf of all people, even Kings and those in authority? Look at the text.... that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Paul does not mean, and cannot mean, that Christians praying will result in a pain-free life while here on earth, for the Bible says in other places that all of those who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. The Christian life is not a pain-free life, so how then does prayer bring about... or to use Paul’s language here in the text.... lead to a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way?

I think that a lot of this has to do with two things primarily. The first one is this: We are praying for God’s Kingdon to Come and His Will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. That is the first thing. When we are praying for all people, leaders included, we are praying in such a way that brings about God’s Kingdom. We should want what He wants in the world. We are asking God to do what He can do... and that is to advance His Kingdom… and I think this ties well into what we see next in the text.

Secondly, when we are praying, to use the words from the Scriptures, when we see that our world is a mess, our first reaction should be to pray…because we are told in Philippians 4:4-7 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

By being devoted to prayer, we are taking our hands off of the situation and control, and we are turning it over to God... who is the one who is rightfully in control to begin with. Prayer is the open acknowledgment that we can do nothing about the situation or circumstances that we are bringing before God. This kind of prayer leads to that type of life Paul is describing. Let’s ask the question then, Why Do We Pray?

That We May Lead a Peaceful and Quiet Life.

That We May Lead a Life that is Godly and Dignified.

But there is one more reason… and it is so good. Look at verse 3 with me. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

What is good? Praying for everyone. That is what the word “this” is referring to here in the text. But notice what it says in connection to our question…why do we pray?.. How does it answer that question?

It Is Pleasing to God. How awesome is that? Have you ever wondered how you might please God in your daily life? Like, shouldn’t that be the Aim of the Christian life? Shouldn’t we want to please God? Well, according to the text, one of the ways that we do that is by praying to Him on behalf of all the people, even the Kings and those in authority.

Why Is It Pleasing to God? That is a good question to ask, isn't it? Why does our praying to God please him when we are praying for all people, kings, and those in authority?

Another question to ask, as we think about this, would be: What Are We Praying for Them?

Now, the Bible does give us all kinds of guidance when it comes to our relationship with those who are in authority over us.... But I want us to keep our focus here. What is in Paul’s mind when he is telling Timothy to have everyone pray for these people, and how does is type of prayer please God?

The text answers this question for us. Look again at verse 3....look toward the end. What does Paul call God? “This is pleasing in the sight of GOD OUR SAVIOR” .... do you remember this from week 1? Paul is drawing attention again to the heartbeat of God. This is the kind of God we serve. He is known as Savior. He comes to rescue people from their sins. Continue to verse 4 with me… look at how Paul continues with this description… 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Let’s go back to our questions: Why does it please God and what are we praying about for them? I want to answer them in reverse order.

We Are Praying for Their Salvation Because This Is God’s Desire for Them. The Bible is clear on this fact. No one is excluded from the Grace of God. No matter what a person has done… no one is so far gone that they cannot come to have a relationship with God through Christ Jesus our Lord. God does not take delight in the death of the wicked... the Bible says. The Bible says that God is patient with you not wanting any to perish but ALL to come to repentance. John 3:16 says that “For God so LOVED the WORLD that HE GAVE His One and ONLY Son, so that WHOEVER believes in HIM shall not perish but have eternal life.” That is the heart of God. This is the heart of the Gospel… this is the overflow from chapter 1 of understanding the Gospel rightly… then we have to pray for those who are around us… pray for all kinds of people... even those who are in authority to come and know Christ. This is what we as a church need to make a matter of priority.

Why do we pray for their salvation? In one sense because this is God’s desire for them. He wants them to come to Him through Christ... and in another sense… because He is the only hope there is for eternal life. Look at verses 5-6 with me. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

How Can Man Be Made Right with God? The Bible is absolutely clear on this fact. Jesus said in John 14: 6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Man Is Made Right with God by Trusting in Christ. It is that simple. The Bible says that there is no other way for you and me to be made right with God. There is no amount of effort or works that we can do to earn God’s forgiveness. There is an outstanding debt that needs to be paid… and there is only one mediator… one person who stands to fill in that gap for us… and that is the God-Man Jesus Christ. Jesus came, the Eternal God the Son, stepped out of heaven 2000 years ago, took on flesh, became fully man… while still being fully God… and gave His life for you and I... died on that cross. bore the wrath of God… took our punishment, was buried, and three days later rose again so that we could be made right with the eternal God. But, as we said earlier, this promise is for all who believe on Jesus for Salvation. When Paul says that Jesus was a ransom for all… that is paid the debt for all… that does not mean that all are forgiven. You must repent for your sins and believe the good news of the Gospel... and that becomes the prayer we pray for others… we are asking God to grant them repentance and faith. We are asking God to do a work on their hearts. We are asking God to open their eyes. Some people hear this message and reject it, while others hear it and live… but this is the testimony at this present time. God has made a way for people to come to him.

And this is what Paul is saying in verse 7, look there with me really quick.... 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.

This Message Is to Be Shared with All.

The Gospel message that has been given; is a message this is to be shared with the world. This good news is too good to keep back and hide for us. This is what Paul is saying here. God appointed him to this task of getting this message out. Do you see this here in the text? Both are needed. Christians should pray for everyone… and we should make their salvation a priority in our prayers… but the Gospel is also to be shared verbally with others. It is not to be kept secret.

Conclusion:

‌I want us to go back to the main point of this message: Main Point: A Healthy Church Has Members Who Are Committed to Prayer

This is what we need to seek to do in our lives. We have to see God’s word here as not something optional for us to consider. God has given us clear directions on things that we should be doing as followers of Christ. He has told us His desires. Wouldn’t it be wise for us then to do the things that are pleasing to Him?

‌How Do We Apply This Text? ‌We are in a very volatile year, as many of you know politically. We are in a Presidential election year. And there are huge implications for what direction our nation will take based on that election. Al Mohler always says, “Elections have consequences” … and that is true. But in light of the text today, what do we do?

Pray For Our National Leaders.

Pray For Those in Authority Over Us.

Pray For Those Who Are Close to Us.

Pray For Their Salvation.

Share The Message of Salvation with All That We Can.

This is what the text is calling us to this morning. If you are a Christian, I want to challenge you over the next several months, become a person who is committed to prayer. Pray for the salvation of all men, kings, and those in authority. How are we going to see the world change? It is not by power or by might… that is for sure... we will only see the world changed as God changes the hearts of people… and that is something only He can do.

And if you are here this morning, and you do not know Christ as your savior… you are not sure that if tonight if you were to die that you would go to heaven, I want to encourage you... come to the only one who is able to make you right with God. Repent of you sins and place your faith and trust in Jesus today.

I want to close this morning with a time of prayer. We are going to pray for the salvation of those in this county... and if you are here this morning… I want you to know that we are praying for you… and we are going to pray for our local leaders, state, and national leaders… even the ones that we don’t want to.... because God desire all people to be saved and to come to Him.

So, before Phil comes and leads us in song together… let’s spend a few moments praying together as a church.

Let’s pray.