Joy in Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Eratta / Clarification
Eratta / Clarification
Meaning of “Vanity” in Ecclesiastes
Series of messages by a pastor, seminary professor
Minority position, but I think the correct one
Allows the applications and theme of the book to make more sense
Hebel - vapor, breath; vanity; idols
Translated in Ecclesiastes:
Vanity (quality of being empty or vain) (KJV)
Absolute Futility (CSB)
Completely meaningless (NLT)
Futile (NET)
Meaningless (NIV)
Is God really saying that “everything is meaningless”, “life is meaningless” ?
alt Life under the sun is meaningless (but do we really need scripture to convince us of this?)
alt (orthodox): Life is meaningless apart from God, so live for eternity
Correct: Life is fleeting, so live for eternity
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
It has this idea, as expressed in James
Proposed alternatives:
Fleeting, temporary
Frustrating, enigmatic, unsatisfying
For almost every occurrence of “vanity” in Ecclesiastes, these alternatives provide a better fit.
14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
Trying to understand why things in life don’t go according to plan is frustrating (“striving after wind - which you can’t catch!”)
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?”
Trying to find fulfillment in pleasure is unsatisfying
18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.
Trying to find fulfillment in work is unsatisfying
19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.
Our short life which ends in death, the same as the beasts. Meaningless? no, but...
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
Injustice in the world - even these are temporary
One of themes - enjoy the pleasures that God allows in this short life
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
The theme of the book - in light of the temporary (but not meaningless) nature of life
Bible Backgrounds - Philippi and Colosse
Map - the cities are not that close to each other
Philippi
Named for Philiip II, king of Macedon (Macedonia in Greece), father of Alexander the Great
“After Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius, Julius Caesar’s assassins, on the plains near Philippi in 42 B.C., Philippi became a Roman colony and home for discharged Roman army veterans”
Its residents were Roman citizens and exempt from the poll tax (c.f. Joseph/Mary, census, the amount of taxes owed by Israel to Rome)
Paul started the church at Philippi on his second missionary journey. Early converts whom you might recall:
Lydia, the seller of purple
The slave girl freed from demonic oppression
The Philippian jailor
Paul writes to them from prison (house arrest) to thank them for a gift of financial support
It is considered by many to be Paul’s most personal epistle
Colossae
Colossians and Philemon I. To Whom Was the Letter Written? Colossae and the Colossians
Colossae was the least important church to which any epistle of St. Paul was addressed
It once was the center of a thriving textile industry (hmmm…Greenville?)
“It once was at the crossroads of two well-traveled highways”
Other larger, competing cities - Laodicea, Hierapolis
“An earthquake devastated the area sometime in the early 60s”
Its population was diverse; its people were exposed to the ideas of travelers passing through; it contained a mixture of political and religious views
The founder was likely Epaphras, a convert of Paul’s from his ministry in Ephesus
Most of the Christians in Colossae were probably gentiles (the same for Philippi)
Epaphras visited Paul in prison and shared the news that false teachings were threatening the Colossian church. This motivated Paul to write this letter of Colossians.
Philemon - written to Paul’s friend and coworker Philemon in Colossae
Colossians & Philemon: Verse by Verse Introduction to Philemon
many have considered it the least important book in the New Testament and have wondered why it was included in the canon. It is rarely preached from the pulpit or taught in Bible study classes, and it contains no important doctrinal issues, focusing instead on an ethical matter regarding Paul’s desire for Philemon to forgive his slave Onesimus and welcome him back.
This naturally brings to mind the subject of slavery, and our understanding of the world of slavery in Bible times. I think many of us will learn that it’s a bit different than what we have assumed.
1. Shared Faith
1. Shared Faith
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus: To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
v. 1 Note what he includes - Timothy, known to the church
Note what he omits - “an apostle”
ex: Wayne vs Pastor Wayne
“servants of Christ” - submission to Christ and dependence on Him
lowly service vs. exalted position
“saints in Christ Jesus” - what do you think about when you hear the word “saint”? sanctified, set apart, dedicated for service
You don’t use a gravy boat to change the oil!
“overseers (pastors) and deacons” - church leadership who had perhaps organized the gift project for Paul
v. 2 grace = undeserved favor which brings salvation
grace = divine enablement—the supernatural ability or power to persevere or continue in the face of difficulties
peace=that blessedness which includes freedom from worry, fear
Do you need grace and peace today? Do I?
2. Thankful Faith
2. Thankful Faith
3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Philippians: Verse by Verse His Joy in Their Partnership (1:3–5)
Greek letters commonly included a brief and stylized wish for the well-being of the friend to whom the letter was being sent. Paul Christianizes this convention and turns it into a genuine prayer of thanksgiving, and it has a twofold purpose—praise for the good relationship Paul has with the Philippians and an introduction to major theme(s) that will come up in the letter.
A thankful prayer which includes these elements:
intersession
thanksgiving, praise
joy
Philippians: Verse by Verse His Joy in Their Partnership (1:3–5)
The Christian life is by definition a life of joy, but often individual situations are filled with grief and pain
Paul - in prison
The church - no lack of challenges (dissension, severe persecution, false teachers)
Yet…Paul’s prayers for this church were “with joy”
v. 6 “I am sure of this” - confidence in the ongoing work of God in them - “will carry it on to completion”
v. 7 "partners with me” - you may have thought that your part was small, but hey - we are partners.
David going against Ziklag, those who had to stay behind with the supplies:
24 Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally.”
v. 8 “how deeply I miss all of you”
How do you think this type of encouragement made them feel?
3. Growing Faith
3. Growing Faith
9 And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
What are the characteristics of a growing faith?
v. 9 “love will keep on growing”
v. 10 “approve the things that are superior” - what do we call this? Wisdom/discernment
v. 10 “pure and blameless”
v. 11 “fruit of righteousness” - through our own works? No! through Jesus Christ
God gives us salvation, which we don’t deserve
God enables us to do righteous works
God rewards us for these works
Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible B. Prayer 1:9–11
What an excellent prayer this is! In our day when we tend to voice prayer requests for physical needs primarily we need to follow Paul’s example of putting the spiritual needs of others high on our prayer lists. Christians still need God’s supernatural enablement to value highly the things of greatest importance as revealed in Scripture. Only then will we make choices that will prepare us to give a good account of ourselves at the judgment seat of Christ.
