GUIDELINES IN THE WORSHIP OF GOD
(Part One: The Importance and Priority of Prayer)
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Dorn Ridge Church Of Christ May 19, 2013
Audio link to this sermon: http://chirb.it/FxLd9A
INTRODUCTION:
1.) As we have said before, Paul had written this epistle to Timothy as kind of a ministerial manual for him in ministering to the Church at Ephesus.
2.) Most of this second chapter deals with issues of worship, and what was to be done, or not done in the church.
A.) Though the entire chapter deals with many aspects of worship I am going to divide this into two messages.
aa.) Today, I want us to look at the significance the early church placed on prayer in worship.
ab.) Next week to I want to examine the second half of this topic and examine the roles of Men and Women in regards to worship and leadership.
I. THE CHURCH IS A PLACE WHERE PRAYER IS TO BE A PRIORITY.
1.) This is not necessarily the kind of prayer practiced in most churches today.
A.) Most Churches regardless of their religious affiliation will spend 3-5 minutes in the service to pray primarily for the sick and dying; beyond this might be perhaps a single minute of prayer time being devoted to the ministry of the church, and evangelization of the world.
B.) I am not completely sure what the worship service of the first century was like, but believe it would have been much different than what is being practiced in most churches including our own today.
2.) Prayer in the New Testament church seems to have been more concentrated, and probably considerably longer than 3-5 minutes of the worship service.
A.) In fact, I expect most Christians of the 21st. century would not be overly impressed by the worship service of the 1st century Church.
B.) Today’s churches are programmed and timed between 45 and 90 minutes in duration.
ba.) In the first century would have gone on quite regularly for several hours at a time.
bb.) The early church in their worship would have been conditioned quite closely by the pattern of worship in the Jewish temple and synagogues.
bc.) There would have been many things that carried over from the Jewish worship.
bd.) One thing that had remained in importance was the dedication of extended times of going to God in prayer during the worship service.
II. THE CHURCH IS TO BE A PLACE WHERE MANY TYPES OF PRAYERS ARE TO BE PRACTICED. [verse 1]
1.) We are to make requests.
A.) Certainly this would include, though not be limited to the type of prayers we usually make in the church for the welfare of the sick and dying.
2.) We are to make prayers.
A.) I was not clear on this second term, as to what the difference is in term.
B.) Having looked at the writings of John Calvin, Burton Coffman, Albert Barnes, and other commentators, I have concluded that this term used here for prayers is referring to the well wish prayers we make either for ourselves or others.
C.) It seems to be the kind of prayers where we are seeking and asking for some kind of a blessing from God.
3.) We are to have prayers of intercession.
A.) Certainly, this is a type of prayer the church needs to be making for the lost.
aa.) 1 Tim.2:3-4
ab.) Other than a person seeking God and a relationship with Him, there is no indication from Scripture that God hears the prayers of anyone who has not given their lives to Him.
aba.) Therefore, as Christians, we need to be praying for every area of that person’s life, that God would touch them, and bless them in the entire person of their being.
ac.) We need to be praying and interceding for the souls of the lost, that God would soften their hearts to the Gospel, and that he would put in their paths people who love them enough to tell them of their need for Jesus Christ.
ad.) Another area of intercession the church has a responsibility to engage in is prayer for Christians who have fallen into sin.
ada.) Whenever we see fellow Christians fall into sin, there is a need to both confront them with love, but also to be in prayer that God would restore their spiritual walk with Him.
adb.) We need to pray that they would forsake the sin that is separating them from an intimate fellowship with God.
adc.) We need to intercede for the person who has fallen into sin, because the consequences are severe for those who do not turn from sin, and turn back to Jesus Christ.
add.) Heb. 10:26-27
4.) We are to have thanksgiving for everyone.
A.) Certainly those of the church.
aa.) In the letters Paul had written to the church he always takes time to give thanks for them.
B.) Paul specifically mentions a specific group of people: For Kings and those in authority.
ba.) 1 Tim. 2:2
bb.) Certainly this is not the only place that Paul gives such advice to the church.
bba.) Rom. 13:1-2
bbb.) As Paul wrote these words to the Church at Rome, he verifies that obedience to the authorities over us is established and commanded by God Himself.
bbc.) As such we have an obligation to honour, respect, obey, and pray for those authorities over us.
bbd.) The only time when God does not require us to submit to those authorities is when they are commanding us to do or to practice something that is contrary to the Word and will of God
bbd-1.)The apostles Peter and John were put in this situation before the Jewish council of the Sanhedrin.
bbd-2.) Note the response these men gave at that time:
-- Acts 4:19-20
bc.) We are to pray for the kings and authorities so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives, in godliness and holiness.
bca.) Certainly the political climate of a nation regarding the Church and Christianity is going to affect the kind of life we will live as Christians.
bcb.) It will also affect our freedom to be able to assemble and worship God.
C.) To be honest this area of praying for our leaders is an area of my prayer life that I would not be consistent in.
ca.) I pray for the leaders when there is an election, or when there is a political or national crisis, but not on a consistent basis.
D.) I want you to notice how we are to pray for our political leaders.
da.) In verses 1 & 2 we are told we are to pray for our leaders with thanksgiving.
db.) To be honest, I am not always thankful for the political leaders of our province, or of our country.
dc.) In fact there are many times I would tend to be more critical than thankful for them.
dca.) But Paul says we are to be thankful.
dd.) If we take an honest evaluation of our political parties and leaders in Canada and the United States, we can find a great deal in our nations and leaders to be thankful for, even if we ourselves did not vote them into office.
de.) But the apostle Paul was not writing about the leadership of Canada or the United states, though certainly the same principals would apply.
E.) Paul was writing to the Churches in the city of Ephesus, under the dominion and leadership of Emperor Nero of the Roman Empire.
ea.) Paul was writing to a church that was experiencing very intense persecution under Nero.
eb.) Paul was writing to churches that may have had some of their membership burnt alive for the purpose of entertainment, or have had loved ones eaten by hungry lions.
ec.) When Paul told the church at Ephesus to pray for their king, Emperor Nero would have been the king or high power that they were to pray for with thanksgiving..
ed.) If you had been a member of that church, and had seen friends, family, and loved ones tortured and killed because of the name of Christ it would not have been an easy thing to go to God and pray with thanksgiving for Emperor Nero.
eda.) Yet that was exactly the situation in the churches of Ephesus to whom Timothy was to minister.
ee.) Paul showed them that prayer is truly a ministry of the highest calling in the Church of Jesus Christ.
ef.) The prayer life of the early church was far deeper, and more thought out and from the heart than merely praying for those of the sick and dying in hospitals.
eg.) They were given the task of prayer on a very deep level, with an intensive commitment to Almighty God.
f.) Paul is giving the church of the first century as well as the church of the twenty-first century the challenge to make our time in prayer more than just the saying of words, we have repeated a thousand times in the church.
fa.) We are to give prayers from the heart, and prayers that come from a complete and total dedication of our lives to Jesus Christ, regardless of what the consequences, or the situations in our lives and churches.
fb.) God is not seeking an abundance of empty prayer words, but prayers motivated from the heart, fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
III. THE CHURCH IS TO BE A PLACE WHERE OUR PRAYERS GLORIFY GOD BY THE SALVATION OF MAN.
1.) Paul said we are to “pray for kings and all those in authority.” (verses 1-2).
A.) We then are told the reason for this prayer request: “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives.”
aa.) I don’t know about you, but I can buy that.
ab.) If my prayer to God means that I can live a peaceful and quiet life it is a prayer that is worth praying -- is it not?
ac.) We then see the reaction of God on our prayers that have resulted in that kind of lifestyle for us.
aca.) 1 Timothy 2:3
acb.) This verse tells us that God is pleased when that happens.
acc.) We can rejoice that God so wants to please us, and make us comfortable as we worship Him—right?
acd.) I want you to see something about this that Paul has to say to us:
2.) News flash: ‘It’s not about us!”
A.) 1 Timothy 2:4
B.) The reason that God wants us to pray for our leaders is not for our peace and comfort, but because he wants all mankind to be saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
ba.) To our surprise God is not giving us what we desire in this regard for our own benefit.
bb.) God’s desire is that He might be glorified through souls brought into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
bb.) God has all of eternity to reward the faithful. He has all of eternity to give us strength and comfort.
bc.) But for those who are heading to an eternity without the presence of God, He has only a few short years to try and impress them with His love and goodness.
bca.) 1 Tim. 2:5
C.) When you consider the cost and sacrifice that Jesus paid for the salvation of man, He wants to bring as many to him as he possibly can.
ca.) 1 Tim. 2:6
D.) That is also the reason Paul was appointed to preach.
da.) 1 Tim. 2:7
CONCLUSION:
As I close today:
1.) This second chapter of 1 Timothy shows us some of the worship in the early church, especially in regards to the importance and priority of prayer.
2.) The early Church was a place where many types of prayer were offered to God; it was not just prayers for the sick.
3.) Though it is contrary to the way we think, the practice of prayer in the early church was not just for them, but to bring about the glory of God through the salvation of man.
4.) As we leave here today, let us have the goal of seeking to follow the early church into a life of deep and serious communion with God from the depths of our hearts.
A.) Let us be determined to offer more to God in prayer than just casual and superficial utterances without thought or spirit.
