The PRECEDENCE Of PRAYER-II—1Timothy 2:1-7
Attention:
Communication is vital to every aspect of life.
Maybe you are mute, or know someone who is mute.
Maybe you are deaf, or know someone who is deaf.
The challenges you/these people face every day are mountainous because of such physical ‘hindrances.’ Yet you/they discover ways to overcome both obstacles.
Likewise, prayer(communication between God & yourself) is vital to individual Christians as well as for Christians gathered for worship.
BUT...sometimes Prayer does not hold the Precedence that it should!
Need:
Paul exhorted Timothy regarding the place of prayer in the Church.
Prayer must take precedence in the Church.
When does prayer hold authority in the church?
7 priorities for prayer in the Church.
Previously we found that Prayer takes precedence when properly...
1. COMPREHENSIVE(:1)
2. UNLIMITED(:1b)
3. RECOGNIZANT(:2)
Today we also find that
4—Prayer takes precedence when properly...
EVANGELISTIC(:3-4)
4—Prayer takes precedence when properly...
EVANGELISTIC(:3-4)
Explanation: (:3-4)
:3—“For this is good & acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,”
:4—“who desires all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
A)—“For this is good & acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,”
Living “in all godliness & reverence” is God’s intention for us all. Actions which secure such behaviors are integral pleasing God.
It is God’s intention(“desire”) for us to live rightly as He is the agent effecting our salvation. His intention is that we will know Him & be able to freely lead others to Him in truth. This cannot be done unless we are given undisturbed freedom to serve Him(:1-2).
B)—“who desires all men to be saved...”
God’s primary “desire” for His creation is that “all men”(all humanity) experience salvation in Christ...That all mankind get on the same page of the playbook of which God is author.
Man has strayed from the get-go! God has prepared & does prepare, prophets & events which are ordered to return us to Him. All true Christians are God’s tools bringing salvation to all men.
2Cor. 5:18—6:1—“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, & has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, & has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”
C)—“& to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
The truly “saved” person has placed himself/herself in a position whereby he/she is then capable of extending this to a full “knowledge of” the manifold reality of God’s “truth.” God’s truth is “THE truth!”
Without God’s salvation one cannot pretend to grasp the truth(s) of God because the lost—of any ilk, & particularly the religious-lost—are incapable of properly assessing such “truth.”
*1Cor. 2:6-14—“However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Js. 3:13-15—“Who is wise & understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy & self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast & lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.”
Rom. 7:25—“I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”
1Cor. 2:16—“For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
How? By the presence of the Holy Spirit Himself...we obtain all things in Christ future & all things in Christ past.
Jn. 14:26—““But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, & bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
“Good”—kalov—Beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable. A much higher word. It means beautiful, physically or morally. It is, however, distinctly the beauty which comes from harmony, the beauty which arises from a symmetrical adjustment in right proportion, in other words, from the harmonious completeness of the object concerned. Strong—properly, Beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively--Good(literally or morally), i.e. Valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use).
“Acceptable/Pleases”—apodektov—Adj.—Accepted, acceptable, agreeable. Used 2X.
From—apodecomai—To take fully, i.e. Welcome (persons), approve (things).
“Sight”—enwpion—1) In the presence of, before.
“Desires”—yelw—To will, have in mind, intend
“Men”[See :5]—anyrwpov—A human being, whether male or female; 2) Indefinitely, someone, a man, one; 3) In the plural, people; 4) Joined with other words, merchantman.
“Saved”[See :15]—swzw—To save, keep safe & sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.
“Knowledge”—epignwsiv—Precise & correct knowledge. Has an intensive meaning as compared with gnwsiv, it is a fuller, clearer, more thorough knowledge.
“Truth”[See :7]—alhyeia—Objectively: What is true in any matter under consideration; Subjectively: Truth as a personal excellence—That candor of mind which is free from affection, pretense, simulation, falsehood, deceit.
Argumentation:
Mat. 9:37-38—“Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.””
Jn. 4:34-38—“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, & to finish His work. “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months & then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes & look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, & gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows & he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows & another reaps.’ “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, & you have entered into their labors.””
Prov. 1:7—“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom & instruction.”
*Rom. 10:10-15—“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!””
*Mat. 18:18-20—“And Jesus came & spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven & on earth. Go therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”
Prayer will always bring us to evaluate our purpose in relation to God’s! His purpose is that others experience His glory & live life truthfully & thus salvifically.
Illustration:
Effort expended on a gift that makes your wife happy/Something she has always wanted/Maybe...Jewelry—Clothes—Cooking utensils—Land—Vehicle/You have scrimped & saved(prayer) for years/EVANGELISTIC(bringing good news)
Application:
?Your/Our Prayer take Precedence thru its EVANGELISTIC emphasis?
?Prayer take Precedence in OUR Church(local & beyond)?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Communication—Overcoming deafness & muteness.
Action:
Prayer takes precedence when properly...
4. EVANGELISTIC(:3-4)
1. COMPREHENSIVE(:1)
2. UNLIMITED(:1b)
3. RECOGNIZANT(:2)
Presented 04/29/2012am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
