The Primary Duty of the Church.

Introduction:

Today as we begin ch.2 of 1 Timothy in our study “House Rules”; we enter into a new section of the book that runs through 3:13 and covers the duties and order of conduct for the local church.

Remember that Paul is writing to Timothy in Ephesus, where Timothy was sent , by Paul, to set the church their in order.

Ch. 1 serves as Paul’s introductory comments to Timothy in order to urge or charge him to be faithful to carry out the task he had been assigned to.

Vs. 7-11 of chapter 1 set out for us what the main issue was in the church at Ephesus and that was heretical teaching. That false teaching had two legs upon which it stood:

Works righteousness-There were Judaizers who were claiming that salvation was entirely through the keeping of the mosaic law. That the way in which to garner salvation was through keeping all of the tenets of Judaism plus faith in Christ.

Intellectual religious elitism through elements of what would become known as Gnosticism. This teaching argued that salvation only came to those who could achieve some high level of secret mystical knowledge.

As you can imagine, these forms of heresy didn’t lead to much evangelism. They ate away at any desire to pray for the lost or to share the Gospel with the lost. Both of these false teachings denied the essential truth that the Gospel is universally available to all. That doesn't mean that the Gospel will be universally accepted by all, but it is universally available to all. To put it another way, the Gospel is sufficient for all but is only efficient for those who call on Christ.

The goal of the New Testament church then is to reach the world with the saving truth offered through the Gospel. That’s the primary purpose of the church in this world. Not fellowship, not knowledge of the Bible, not the holiness of believers, God could have accomplished all of that by just taking us to heaven the moment we accepted Christ. The central function and purpose of the church is to reach the lost.

Paul knew this would never happen if the Ephesian church was focused on exclusivism. So, v.1-8 of ch.2 serve as a polemic against the teaching of exclusivism and give direction toward the practice of evangelistic prayer.

Reaching the lost with the Gospel begins by first praying for the lost to receive the Gospel.

So, Paul instructs Timothy and the church how exactly to do that.

Our text before us this morning contains for us:

How we should pray. (v.1a)

For whom we should pray. (v.1b-2a)

What should we be praying for. (v.3-7)

Where and in what manner should we pray. (v.8a)

1.) How should we pray? (v.1)

This is an exhortation to pray, meaning that Paul is both encouraging and commanding the church to pray.

In fact, the word exhort share a root word with the word “charge” in 1:18. Its not the same word but they are very similar to each other. The believer is encouraged to pray in the same way a soldier is charged to fight.

“First of all” - This stresses to us just how important prayer is to the church. It is above all else, of supreme importance, we are to put in order of importance to anything else we do as a church.

“If I announce a banquet,” a pastor said, “people will come out of the woodwork to attend. But if I announce a prayer meeting, I’m lucky if the ushers show up!”

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 214.

It’s a sad day when times of corporate and persoanl prayer are given less attention than anything else that is in the life of the church!

Paul mentions for us four types of prayer that we should pray:

A.) Supplications:

These are prayers that focus on special or felt needs. It is when we know something is lacking, so we plead with God to meet the need. We supplicate for people when we carry their needs before God in prayer with a great sense of urgency, pleading and begging. It is intense and deep brokenness before God on behalf of others.

Just think what would happen if we really took the names and needs of people before God and pleaded for them with an intense broken. How many more would come to faith if we were broken before God on their behalf.

B.) Prayers

This is the most generic of the terms that Paul uses and refers to special times of prayer that we set aside for devotion and worship.

C.) Intercessions

Intercessory prayer is when we boldly carry the names of others before God expecting God to hear and answer and we do this in the name of Christ. Specifically this is praying for God to show his mercy and grace in salvation to others.

D.) Thanksgiving

This kind of prayer is when we thank God for hearing and answering, thanking him for what he has done and will do.

The call to pray for the lost is one of the greatest and most important challenges laid at the feet of the Lord’s church. But, so often we treat prayer as if it is unimportant and doesn't make a difference.

Application: These four types of prayer outline for us what evangelistic prayer should look like. We should have special set aside times of worship where we plead and beg with God for specific people to come to faith and then we thank God for working through us and in them with the power of the Gospel. If these components of prayer are lacking in our church and lives we will become indifferent to the need of the Gospel in others.

2.) For whom should we pray? (v.1b-2a)

We are told here at the end of vs.1 that we are to pray for all men (people). This would include:

The rich and the poor.

The educated and the uneducated.

The young and the old.

The friend and the enemy.

Those who are in power and those who aren't.

We are not to neglect or by pass praying for anyone. Every person without Christ should be brought before the Lord in prayer!

But then Paul narrows the focus to be more specific. We are in fact supposed to pray for anyone and everyone who is without Christ to come to faith but we are specifically commanded to pray for civil authorities in vs.2

Understand what Paul is commanding here: This means no matter how good or bad the civil authority is; No matter how moral or immoral they may be; no matter how just or unjust they are; we are commanded to carry each and every civic leader to the Lord in prayer.

If that seems shocking to you, think of the evil leaders who ruled the world in Paul’s day. Nero was the Roman Emperor at the time of Pauls writing. At this point, he had already burned Rome to the ground and blamed it on Christians. Massive violent persecution was beginning to spread around the Roman Empire toward Christians. Yet, Paul under inspiration from the Holy Spirit, says we are to pray for all who are in authority.

There are two reasons given to us here for why we are to pray for civic authorities:

A.) That we can lead quiet and peaceable lives.

The only way for christians to live “quiet and peaceable” lives in the midst of a wicked nation is for their rulers to be filled with wisdom, morality, a sense of justice, compassion and understanding. So we need to pray for our leaders to be filled to first be saved and then filled to the brim with these things so that peace and security gain reign throughout the land.

B.) That we can live godly and sincere lives.

As christians we desire freedom of worship for all citizens. We desire this so that we too can have freedom of worship and the right to live for God without being opposed and persecuted.

Application: We must realize that we are not called to put our trust in rulers, we are called to pray for them. Our trust must only be in the Lord. Politicians are not the answer to our countries woes, Jesus is! Prayer and peace go hand in hand with each other.

3.) What should we be praying for? (v.3-7)

We are told that the main prayer we are to praying for all of mankind, including civic authorities, is for them to be saved.

A.) God is our savior desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

God wills that all should be saved. Not in the sense of decreeing all to be saved, but in the sense that he loves and longs for all of mankind to come to Christ. If a person perishes without Christ it is their own fault for rejecting. God has provided the way of salvation through Christ, if we are lost, it is of our own choosing.

The truth that God longs for all mankind to come to him is what follows in the next verses.

That there is only one God, and there is only one Mediator who gave Himself a ransom for all—the truth that all can be saved from sin and death and judgment to come through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. God loves man so much that He has provided the way for man to be saved. That way is the truth, and that truth is the truth that God wants man to know.

John 14:6 NKJV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

This is why we are called to pray for all mankind. God desires for them to be saved regardless of who they are and no matter how wicked they may be.

2 Peter 3:9 NKJV

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

We must pray for men to believe that Christ died for them—pray that they might be saved. Then we must rush to proclaim the glorious news that Christ Jesus has paid the ransom price for us: we can now be set free from sin, death, and condemnation. We can now live with God eternally.

4.) Where and in what manner should we pray? (v.8)

The command is given that we should never stop praying. We should be praying all throughout the day. Paul’s command here is that we are to pray and keep on praying no matter where we may be.

But, then he goes on to tell us the manner in which we are to pray.

A.) Lifting up holy hands.

This isn't necessarily referring to a physical posture of outstretched hands, although it is not in appropriate to pray that way.

It is referring to a spiritual position of the heart. We are not to come before God in prayer having touched or handled “forbidden things.” In other words, we are not to come before God in prayer with unconfessed sin in our hearts.

Psalm 66:18 NKJV

18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

B.) Without wrath

There are to be no feelings of anger in our hearts toward others as we come before the Lord to pray.

Matthew 5:23–24 NKJV

23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 6:15 NKJV

15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 18:35 NKJV

35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

C.) Without doubting.

We are to pray in an expectant manner.

Mark 11:24 NKJV

24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Conclusion:

Praying for the lost is not an option for the church, it is the very command of God. We have been given the duty to pray evangelistically for all people. I wonder this morning, when is the last time we truly came broken before God over the souls of men lost and on their way to hell. Who in your sphere needs jesus. Have you prayed for them? God honors evangelistic prayer. Friend if we have a genuine desire to reach the lost, it must first begin with prayer.

Challenge the church to pray in that moment for someone they know is lost. Invite them to come to the front to pray if they so desire.