2020-03-15 1 Timothy 2:1-7 PUBLIC PRAYER (2): ONE GOD, ONE MEDIATOR, ONE WAY

PUBLIC PRAYER (2): ONE GOD, ONE MEDIATOR, ONE WAY (I Tim 2:1-7) March 15, 2020 Read I Tim 2:1-7 – To prevent the shipwreck of unfaithful lives at the end of I Tim 1, Paul urges of prayer as of first importance. Last week we looked at I. The Intensity of Prayer – 4 kinds indicates urgency! II. The Inclusiveness of Prayer – It’s to be global – “for all people”. III. The Influence of Prayer – to provide a place for the gospel to thrive. Today we move on to the core of Paul’s message. Our prayers can be dangerously trivial, majoring on physical needs. But while Sister Betty’s shoulder surgery matters, as seen in Jesus’ many miracles, her soul is ultimate. So, we must ask, do our prayers aim high enough? It’s not that physical needs aren’t important and worthy of prayer. They are. But I fear we are often unbalanced in the how we pray for physical vs spiritual needs. IV. The Intent of Prayer What we should pray for is clear. God 4) “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. “God desires” = literally, God wills. This is God’s heart. He wants everyone to be saved from their sin. So, shouldn’t everyone eventually make is somehow? Unfortunately, No. This is where we run up against God’s perfect will and God’s decreed will which is what He determines as best when dealing with a fallen human race. As God looks at humanity, He sees hopelessness. He knows left to our own devices, all people would reject Him. We are at sea in an ocean of our own sin. Some can swim a little better than others, but none can make shore. God’s verdict is clear in Rom 3:10b: “None is righteous, no, not one.” It is not a pretty picture. But God is gracious. He has chosen some out of that sea of despair. Eph 1:4-5: “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5) he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” Jesus told His disciples in Jn 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” They’d never have come on their own. Nor the Thessalonians “because God chose you . . . to be saved” (II Thess 2:13b). So, if God wants “all people to be saved” and chooses some, why not all? Simply stated, it is not for us to know. We know it’s possible, even for us, to 1 want something and yet choose something else, right? We may desire a day of leisure, but the desire for food on the table compels us to go to work instead. We must assume that God’s higher purposes drive all His decisions. But the invitation is open to all. All may come. No one who repents will ever be turned away. And all will answer for their own decision. Jesus taught, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (Jn 6:44). He also taught, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (Jn 6:35). Jesus loved that word. Used over 100 times. So which is it – God choosing, or whoever will? John Stott answers, “The right response is neither to seek a superficial harmonization, nor to declare that Jesus contradicted Himself, but to affirm both parts of the [paradox] as true, humbly confessing that at present our little minds are unable to resolve it.” Even John Calvin admitted we can’t resolve this paradox. So what can we do? We can pray for “all people to be saved” knowing it is the will of God. Ezek 33:11: “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die?” “It’s your decision,” God begs them to repent. “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live” (Ezek 18:32). II Pet 3:9: God is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” That’s God’s heart and must be ours as well. Ravi Zacharias was hosted in Hungary by a govt official, a physicist and a businessman – none Xns. They spoke of spiritual issues for hours, then Ravi asked if he could pray. He thanked God for the chance to meet them, for their nation, their families and that God would reveal Himself in some meaningful way. Next day, at a conference miles away, Ravi saw some of the same guys. Afterward the businessman approached, “Something happened last night. I walked most of the night thinking of our visit until I felt compelled to accept Jesus Christ for who he claimed to be – Son of God and Savior of the world. I just want you know I’ve accepted Him as Savior and Lord.” I want to tell you, that didn’t happen bc someone had all the answers. It happened bc someone prayed. Are you praying for lost friends and loved ones to be saved? That people be exposed to the truth of God’s Word and called to faith! Jesus gave the example: Lu 10: 2) And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3) Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” Interesting! Jesus told them 2 to pray. Then He told them to go! – to be a partial answer to their own prayer. Is that why we don’t pray. We fear Jesus might ask us to go as well? But don’t fear that, Beloved. Embrace it. Pray for people to turn to Christ – then do all you can to make the Word available – inviting people to church, supporting missionaries and Gideons, handing out books or tracts, sharing your own faith. Get the Word out. God promises in Isa 55:11, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.” By praying and then doing, we can be part of that. As a 21-year-old college student John MacArthur spoke at a banquet where he was getting football award. Someone came afterwards and said, “There’s a girl in the hospital who needs to hear what you have to say.” He went and found a 17-year-old girl whose boyfriend accidently shot her in the neck severing her spinal cord – paralyzed for life. He said, “I can’t imagine what you’re going thru.” She replied, “I’d kill myself if I could. I have no reason to live.” At a loss, John started a presentation of the gospel, “It’s not what happens to your body that matters, Polly; it’s what happens to your eternal soul. You’re going to live forever somewhere. God can bring joy to your heart if the issue of your soul is taken care of. Would you like to know how?” She replied, “Sure. I’m desperate.” So he told her how Christ died to pay for her sin and give her eternal life. He asked “Polly, would you like to confess Jesus as your Lord and follow Him, receiving forgiveness and eternal life?” She replied, “I would. I don’t know where else to turn.” She accepted Christ and on a later visit told John, “In some ways, I’m glad this happened. If it hadn’t, I would never have met Jesus Christ.” Coming to the truth. John says, “As I saw Polly realize knowing Christ was worth any price of physical suffering, I realized, this matters! Running around on a field with a pigskin under my arm doesn’t matter. This matters!” That was a major factor in John becoming one of the great preachers in our time. Truth matters. Our hearts join God’s when we pray this way. V. The Incentive to Prayer The incentive to pray for unbelievers is very, very simple. There’s only one way to God. If people miss it, they miss eternal life. It’s urgent we pray. A. One God – 5) “For there is one God” – always the Bible’s message! The plagues in Egypt each dethroned an Egyptian deity. But the message was not that Jehovah is greater than others. The message was, “Beside Jehovah, there is no other.” Deut 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our 3 God, the Lord is one.” Isa 44:6d: “Besides me there is no god.” Isa 45:5: “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God.” One God implies, one way! Isa 45:22: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” Ends of the earth – for all people everywhere, there is only one God, the one and only hope of salvation. Jesus prays, Jn 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” One God and one way. Satan has long propagated the lie of multiple gods and so, multiple ways to heaven. Stated another way -- we all worship the same God, just by different names. How about Allah? Isn’t he God by another name? Not so. In the 7th century Arabian world of Mohammed, people worshipped 360 gods – one for each day of the lunar year. The moon god had various names, one being Allah – the favorite of Mohammed’s family. When Mohammed invented his religion, he chose Allah as the only god, though he had been one of over 300! Jehovah of the Bible and Allah of the Koran are nothing alike. Allah demands; Jehovah gives. Allah requires killing of enemies; Jehovah requires love of enemies. Allah is monotheistic. Jehovah is Triune, and therefore can truly be said to personify love. Allah enslaves; Jehovah frees. Allah is a false god. Jehovah is the only true God – the one and only true God. Most people worship a non-existent God, one of their own making. Someone asked Christopher Reeve why, after 50 years without religion, he joined the Unitarian Church after his riding accident. His reply: “It gives me a moral compass. I think we all have a little voice inside us that will guide us. The Unitarian believes that God is good, and believes that God believes that man is good. Inherently. The Unitarian God is not a God of vengeance. And that is something I can appreciate.” He was worshiping a self-defined god. The self-revealed God is Scripture is much more complex. So we must pray for those who worship a god of their own making rather than the one, true God. B. One Mediator – So, how can we reach a loving but holy God? One way. V. 5: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” No wonder we need to pray for unbelieving friends. The world is full of people pursuing a god of their own making, by means of their own devices when in reality, there is only one true God, the God of the Bible, and only one way to reach Him – thru Jesus Christ. “Mediator” – μεσίτης – from μεσος – middle, thus middle man. A gobetween. Someone who represents both sides in a dispute, beautifully pictured 4 in Exod 32. Moses gets the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, but arrives back at camp to find the people in an orgy of idol worship and drunken debauchery – having broken every one of the commandments even as God was writing them. Moses says in Exod 32:30: “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin. 31) So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32) But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33) But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.”” Moses offers to take their penalty if God will forgive them – the middle-man – representing God to man and man to God. But in this case, God cannot accept his offer. Moses is a sinner, too, just not as blatant. He cannot atone for others. But there is a greater mediator. The “man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all.” Christ became man so He could die to as a ransom for all, mediating between God and man. What Moses could not do, Jesus did. He did it at “the proper time” – the time of God’s choosing. Gal 4:4) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” How did He do that? Gal 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (hell) by becoming a curse for us.” “For us” – literally “on behalf of” or “over” us. In death, Christ placed Himself over us – taking the Law’s curse, redeeming those who “shall live by faith” (Gal 3:11). What Moses could not do; what Buddha could not do; what Muhammed could not do, Jesus did – He is the one and only mediator between God and man. This is why Jesus is the only way to the Father, a message people hate. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach represents most of the world in saying, “I am absolutely against any religion that says that one faith is superior to another. I don’t see how that is anything different than spiritual racism. It’s a way of saying that we are closer to God than you, and that’s what leads to hatred.” What he fails to see is, it’s not religion that is superior – it is one unique Person that makes all the difference. R. C. Sproul: “Moses could mediate on the law; Muhammad could brandish a sword; Buddha could give personal counsel; Confucius could offer wise sayings; but none of these men was qualified to offer an atonement for the sins of the world…. Christ alone [could do that].” That’s why He is the only way; so we must pray for an unbelieving world, to see the one God; one mediator; one ransom and one way. 5 Conc – Thomas Johannes Bach was a pioneer missionary in South Africa and general director of The Missionary Alliance, whose godly life influenced thousands – all of which would never have happened except – when he was a young man in Copenhagen, a young boy offered him a gospel tract: “Will you please take this? It has a message for you.” Bach responded: “Message indeed! Why don’t you people keep your religion to yourself?” But the boy continued to hold out the leaflet until Bach snatched it, ripped it and stuck it in his pocket. The boy said nothing, but Bach watched and saw something he’d never forget. The boy stepped into a nearby doorway, folded his hands, closed his eyes and began to pray – with tears running down his cheek. 59 years later, Bach stood in the same doorway marveling at how that encounter changed his life. Because God answers prayer. So – for whom are we praying? Let’s pray. 6