Perspectives on Prayer 2
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The brethren asked Abba Agathon, "Amongst all our different activities, Father, which is the virtue that requires the greatest effort?"
He answered, "Forgive me, but I think there is no labor greater than praying to God. For every time a man wants to pray, his enemies, the demons, try to prevent him; for they know that nothing obstructs them so much as prayer to God. In everything else that a man undertakes, if he perseveres, he will attain rest. But in order to pray, a man must struggle to his last breath."
For the most part, prayer continues to be a struggle for Christians today. Waaay to many distractions. There are always things that seem to get in the way and keep us from praying or praying like we ought. There is always a bump in our routine. There is a major distraction. There is some kind of emergency. All out of wack. But what I am finding more and more, is that a big obstacle to prayer is not understanding prayer. And because of it, we just don’t want to pray. The God is a vending machine prayer. The God is an ATM prayer. The God is a tour guide prayers. The God is my therapist prayers. The God is my Genie in a lamp prayers. So much awful teaching out there concerning prayer is only making things worse, its making it irrelevant. We gotta just stick to the scriptures. And know that the apostle Paul inspired by the Spirit sheds some serious light on this topic. He gives us new perspectives on prayer.
Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.
Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.
And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.
Gratitude for Grace
Vision of Vindication
When He Comes
The first thing we will look at today is the back drop for what and why the Apostle prays for the Thessalonians. Second we will see the reality of our values and how it affects our prayers in anticipation to the coming of Jesus.
Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to have misplaced values in the material, it is the Lord Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause our treasure to be all of that which is in heaven so that there our heart will be also.
I. Gratitude for Grace
- For what do we give thanks to the Lord?
A. Before we begin… lets look forward to v.11 of this chapter
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.
2 Thessalonians
B. Paul tell the people that he constantly prays for the Thessalonians with this in mind. He is telling us the context of his prayer for them. When we pray what do we have in mind? When we pray what is controlling what we pray for? In this passage, Paul shows us his framework of what is on his mind while he prays, the framework of what is controls what he is praying for.
C. Next month we will explore what it is that he is praying for, but before we do that, we should take time to consider the context of his prayer. What is our motivation when we pray.
D. The first thing he does is give thanks to the Lord… But for what? What is it that we thank the Lord for? Think about it. We offer the Lord thanks for our meals. We give thanks when the loan we’ve applied for comes through, or when we first turn on the lights in a house we’ve just bought. We may sigh a prayer of sweaty thanks after a near miss at an intersection; we may utter a prayer of sincere and fervent thanks when we recover from serious illness. But by and large, does it not seem that our thanksgiving is tied rather tightly to our material well-being and comfort.
E. Here is something of note. The truth is that what we most frequently give thanks for actually betrays what we most highly value. If a large percentage of our thanksgiving is for material prosperity, it is because we value material prosperity. This is why what Paul says here is so striking. His focus is not on what we normally focus on. He thanks the Lord for signs of grace.
Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.
Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.
2 Thessalonians 1:3
Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.
2 Thessalonians 1:
2 Thessalonians
E. What is it that we thank the Lord for? Think about it.
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (p. 23). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (p. 23). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (p. 23). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
F. Number 1. He thanks the Lord that their faith is growing. The Thessalonians are continuing more and more to rely on Christ in all things. He is thankful that their trust in the Lord and His Gospel is increasing. Their reliance is not in their efforts or ingenuity, but in the Lord and His Gospel. He is thanking the Lord that he sees the grace of God evident in their lives. He is thanking the Lord that they are maturing in their faith. Do we thank the Lord that we see faith increasing in people? Is faith increasing in our community?
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (p. 23). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
G. Number 2. He thanks the Lord that their love is growing. This is something we should truly be thankful for. If your love is truly increasing for each other then it shows that you are truly disciples of Christ.
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
H. Christian love for each other is the most incredible, excellent, and beautiful things to see. This is one of the sad things in modern evangelicalism. Demographic studies show that people are drawn to close knit societies… it is easy to find love in groups with shared ideas, goals, age and interest. It is easy to find tolerance, patience, and inner cohesion. Churches with lots of commonality among the members will always show signs of transparent love for sure. But this shows nothing of the power of the Holy Spirit.
I. Even non-christian groups and institutions can display this kind of cohesion and fondness for each-other. Special interest groups, clubs, support groups, sport teams, drinking buddies, fishing buddies… is there a difference? They all show some sorts of transparent affection for each other.
J. But for us Christian it is to be different. And of course those of us who are filled with the Holy Spirit are able to do more. The church is supposed to be diverse. And the church can be diverse. Because of the love of Christ. We saw it in Ephesus and we see it here in Thessalonica. Christianity is not about causing people with lots in common to be kind to one another in time of difficulty. Christianity causes natural born enemies to give up their lives for each other. Introvert extrovert, jock brain, rich poor, rock country, man woman, republican democrat, bronco fan raider fan, race, nation, age…it does not matter.
K. No political ideology, no special interest group, no common goals of enterprise, and no piece of modern technology can unite a people so much so that natural born enemies will give up their lives for each other. Nothing in this world but Christ and Christ alone. No two peoples in the world hated each other more than Jew and Gentile and yet in the first century church they were dying for one another. For Christians the love for each other is so intense that it will get the worlds attention and cause them to know that we are disciples of Christ.
L. Do we thank the Lord that we see love for others increasing in people? Is love for others increasing in our community? Now hopefully we see how love for each other is supposed to be. And that is why it is always awfully pathetic when a local church becomes an arena of resentments and increasing bitterness. This unfortunate state of affairs may begin simply because there is very little at the social, economic, temperamental, educational, traditional, cultural, or other levels to hold people together.
M. This is why, when Christians lose sight of their first and primary allegiance, they will squabble. When social, racial, economic, generational, or temperamental unity becomes more important than living in the love of God in Christ Jesus, idolatry has appeared.
O. Henri Nouwen in the New Oxford Review - “Technology is so far ahead of human relations! As for the latter, we are still in the Stone Age. Why do we human beings learn so much, so soon, about technology, and so little, so late, about loving one another?”
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (p. 24). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
P. Number 3. He thanks the Lord that they are persevering under trial. Again not that they have been free from trials, but they are enduring trials. Now that truly goes against the way of society today. We are always on the look out to avoid pain. Jeanine took a sales class from Nike and the secret to successful business is to come up with a product that will relieve pain.
Q. This is the unfortunate lie of the prosperity Gospel today. Paul is not thanking the Lord because they were free of trials, but that they were enduring trials. This is truly something to be thankful for.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
R. Are we thankful for the true blessings from God. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the poor in Spirit. Blessed are the Meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the Peacemakers. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the persecuted for righteousness sake. Don’t you see that the Lord wants us to be holy more than happy.
S. Do we thank the Lord that we see people persevering under trials? Do we see people persevering under trials? It is becoming more and more common for Christians to crack under the pressure of trials these days. It does not take much pressure either. Too easily discouraged with obstacles. What we should know is that trials and tribulations, suffering and circumstances not only make us stronger, but even takes out the bad in us.
T. One dramatic experience for me was the continued suffering of Scottie’s accident. When they needed to take out the infection. I had to hold him down while he was in agonizing pain.
U. We feel like God has forsaken us when we experience difficulty in life, but He is right there with us maybe even holding us down to get the bad stuff in us out. He is right there with us while we get burned with fire to be purified. He is right there when our sins are purged. He is right there with us.
V. And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.
5 And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.
II. When He Comes
- He will be praised.
A. So what are the things in life are we thankful for? Paul is showing us that its not the normal material things. Our hearts should be set on things above right?
Colossians
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
B. Where does our heart lie? If what we highly cherish belongs to the realm of heaven, our hearts and minds will incline to heaven and all its values, but if what we highly cherish belongs to the realm of earth, our hearts and minds will incline to the earth.
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
C.
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (p. 25). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
C. If in our prayers we are to develop a mental framework analogous to Paul’s, we must look for signs of grace in the lives of Christians and give God thanks for them. It is not simply that Paul gives thanks for whatever measure of maturity some group of Christians has achieved, before he goes on to ask for yet more maturity (though in part that is what he is doing). Rather, the specific elements in his thanksgiving show the framework of values he brings to his intercession—and we urgently need to develop the same framework.
D. For what have we thanked God recently? Have we gone over a list of members at our local church, say, or over a list of Christian workers, and quietly thanked God for signs of grace in their lives? Do we make it a matter of praise to God when we observe evidence in one another of growing conformity to Christ, exemplified in trust, reliability, love, and genuine spiritual stamina?
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (p. 26). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. over a list of Christian workers, and quietly thanked God for signs of grace in their lives? Do we make it a matter of praise to God when we observe evidence in one another of growing conformity to Christ, exemplified in trust,
E. Where does our hearts lie? If our hearts are set on the realities of heaven. If our values become the values that the Apostle Paul hold to our prayer and our prayer life will change dramatically. But the reality is that our hearts continue to value the things of the world. Why?
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (pp. 25-26). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (p. 26). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Carson, D. A.. Praying with Paul (p. 26). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
F. This is the reality of sin in our lives. This is the struggle. This is the confusion. This is our condemnation. This is why we struggle with prayer today. And when He comes he will payback.
G. But is there hope for us? Absolutely. This is why Jesus came. To seek and save that which was lost. He died for our sins according to the scriptures...
H. He also made more promises. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord ...
I.