Title: “Purpose of Christian Prayer: God’s Glory” Scripture: II Thes. 1:11-12
Type: Expository Series Where: GNBC 10-24-21
Intro: Throughout his entire ministry many hearers remarked that they were moved by his preaching, but yet still more affected by his praying. D. L. Moody after his first visit to England, being asked upon his return to America, "Did you hear Spurgeon preach?" He replied, "Yes, but better still I heard him pray." A close friend of Spurgeon's, commented on his prayer life, "His public prayers were an inspiration, but his prayers with the family were to me more wonderful still. Mr. Spurgeon, when bowed before God in family prayer, appeared a grander man even than when holding thousands spellbound by his oratory." At one point, when visitors came from America to see New Park Street Church (Later Metropolitan Tabernacle) When people would walk through the Metropolitan Tabernacle (as New Park Street Church became known), Spurgeon took them to a basement prayer room where people were always on their knees interceding for the church. The famed preacher declared: “Here is the powerhouse of this church. ” The Apostle Paul would’ve heartily agreed. God is glorified through the prayers of His people.
Prop: Exam. II Thes. 1:11-12 will give us 3 Examples of how Christian Prayer Glorifies God.
BG: 1. I&II Thes unique, every chapter has some reference to the 2nd coming of Christ.
2. The church was suffering persecution. Persecution ramps up the believer’s prayer life.
3.
Prop: Exam. II Thes. 1:11-12 will give us 3 Examples of how Christian Prayer Glorifies God.
I. Keep Praying for Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ. vv. 11 a
A. Paul Made it a Point to Continually Pray for believers.
1. Paul states that the times in which believers live are impetus for prayer.
a. “we pray for you always” – Wow! How would that have made you feel to have known that the Apostle Paul said he was praying “always for you”? Pretty good? Why? Because Paul? NO! Because praying TO Jesus for you! Illust: Robert Wright is a pretty quiet and humble man. Many of you may not know him personally. However, he has probably prayed for you. One of Robert’s great desires is to pray daily for the people in this church. He practices what the apostle stated: “We pray for you always.”
b. V.11 – NASB “To this end”, RSV “Thus”, KJV “Wherefore” is a neuter relative that refers the reader back to the previous verses 5-10. It is the linking of a guiding thought. So what was that thought? Well, it was within the context of persecution and coming judgment.
2. This Prayer was written within a Specific Context.
a. What was the context? The context is the 2nd Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ – we see that in vv.7-10 (Read). In light of Christ’s coming and subsequent judgment, we need to be people of prayer. In I&II Thes., there are at least 14 separate instances in which Paul reminds the readers of their need to pray. That is a lot of references in these relatively short letters. What does that tell us? Prayer is important. No, prayer is essential!
b. Paul wrote 2 Thess from Corinth in AD 51 within months of writing the first letter. Since the subject matter of the second letter has a number of thematic similarities to the first, Paul probably had received a second report from the city detailing continuing questions or problems regarding the end times. Several of Paul’s references indicate that some in Thessalonica were deliberately misleading these new believers, even to the point of false teachers forging letters to make them look as if they had come from the apostle.
B. How Should We Follow Paul’s Admonition today?
1. As 21st Century Believers, we too should seek to continually pray for believers.
a. Daily pray earnestly for believers. Look at v. 3 in this chapter. “: “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater.” We do not know what a believer may face in a day. Life may be altered in a moment. We need to pray. But one of the most important items we need to pray for one another is that our love for one another would grow daily. The world needs to see unified, loving, Christ honoring congregations firmly standing on the WOG.
b. Illust: Pray for Christian leaders. When Roman legions invaded Caledonia (modern-day Scotland) in the late first century AD, it was said by the historian Tacitus that the powerful Celtic chieftain Calgacus emerged and rallied his tribes against the might of Rome, famously declaring, "They make a desert, and they call it peace." Today's Christian leader is likewise making similar stands for biblical Christianity in the midst of a secular desert created by an anti-Christian culture. The Bible describes a faithful pastor as an elder who oversees the flock and the household of God. According to Paul, pastor/elders rule the church (Titus 1:5) and guard the treasures of Christ (v. 9). Additionally, they minister to the people by teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). If ever there was an era in Christian history that believers should be committed to praying for their pastors, it is now. James rebukes our prayerlessness when he says, "You do not have, because you do not ask" (James 4:2).
2. As 21st Century Believers We Must Never Forget to Pray for Non Christians as well.
a. Even in the face of persecution, the Church must never lose sight of the fact that we need to be willing to share Christ with the world around us. Often we see the more Biblically conservative wing of the church developing a “bunker” mindset. We are assaulted by so many things spiritually and culturally, that we forget we are to be salt and light in a dark world that needs preservation. Let me ask each of us? Who are we actively trying to share Christ with? Does a name come to mind? If not, may I ask you to pray and ask God to give you a name? If we are living our lives solely focused on ourselves we are missing the point of Christ’s redemption. Begin by praying for the lost.
b. Illust: The story of Christopher Yuan’s conversion is quite amazing. Christopher comes from a Chinese immigrant family that valued hard work and education. He did well academically and was accepted to dental school. While in dental school he began to follow a homosexual lifestyle and also began to experiment with drugs. Eventually, he was expelled from dental school and arrested for selling illegal drugs. He also discovered that he is HIV positive. I can only imagine the despair and fear he must have felt at that time. His mother and father had become Christians and began praying for him and sharing the gospel with him. His mother, famously, daily wrote out her prayers to God for her son on a toilet paper roll! By God’s grace, while in prison, Christopher put his faith in Jesus Christ and now, years later, is a professor at Moody Bible College and travels the world sharing his remarkable testimony of the work of the gospel in his life. Friends, I am not sure if Christopher Yuan would have been converted had he not had a praying mother. (Jeffrey Jue, Ligionier, May 13, 2017)
c. Applic: A lot of life can transpire in a week. Pray for your brothers and sisters.
II. Pray Your Brother/Sister Will Live a Worthy Life.
A. The 2nd Section of Paul’s Prayer was that the Thes. Believers would live a Worthy Life.
1. We need to ask: “Worthy of Who or worthy of what?”
a. The counting of one being “worthy” in v.11 is the same as in v. 5. That worthiness is looking forward to the final goal, which is worthiness for heavenly glory. V.11 specifically looks at that which is intervening, at our present calling, and how we measure up to that calling.
b. Illust: “Measure up” – When I was a kid my parents took our family to King’s Island, an amusement park near Cincinnati, OH. One section of the park there were 2/3rds scale replica Model T’s. Cars drove on a track with a rail down the center so couldn’t go off the road. However, was a real gas engine, accelerator, brakes, steering, topped out at probably 5 mph! I was about 6-7 years of age and I wanted to drive that car! Thought it would be so cool. Stood in line. Waited. When finally got to the front and about to go through gate to have access to cars was a sign with person: “You must be this tall to drive this car.” Guess who wasn’t tall enough. I literally didn’t measure up. I was missing the required mark.
2. We are to Serve the Lord with Godly Character.
a. “To this end” may refer back to verse 5, where Paul has said that the persecution which the Thessalonians were enduring was so that God would consider them worthy of the kingdom. Or, it may refer to verse 10, to the goal that the Lord would be glorified in them at His coming. But either way, as late Bible scholar Leon Morris says (The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians [Eerdmans], p. 210), the meaning is, “that they may so live between this moment and the judgment that God will then be able to pronounce them worthy of the calling wherewith He called them.” Or, Paul is praying that at the judgment Jesus may say of them (Matt. 25:21, 23), “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
b. Illust: Very popular word used to in segments of Evangelicalism, that term is “deconstructionism”. It is often used by some former pastor or leader who has for whatever reason walked away from the faith or morally compromised so he can now redefine his beliefs without feeling guilty. Before this was popular, used to be a couple of other words used: “falling away” or “apostate”. Whatever you want to call it, at the end of the day, it is simply NOT LIVING A LIFE WORTHY of the calling received.
B. We Live A Worthy Life Because of God’s Effectual Call to Salvation, Not the Cause of It.
1. We live redeemed Lives because we are Redeemed. Our redemption is not caused by our “worthy lives”.
a. It’s important to keep in mind that being counted (or, “made,” ESV) worthy is a result of God’s effectual call to salvation, not the cause of it. The point is, we don’t walk worthily to obtain or merit salvation, but rather because God has graciously saved us. Living worthily of our calling is a concept that Paul used often. In Philippians 1:27, he wrote, “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Ephesians 4:1-3 commands, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
b. What does this mean? It means we can live a worthy life. It also means that we can miss the mark and not live a life that is worthy of Christ’s calling. The word for "live a life" is consistent with the term "walking". Just like we were not born with the skill of walking, with practice we could do it better each time. Living a life worthy of our calling, is learning to walk with Jesus every day in a spiritual sense. Each day we become more familiar with his life, so we can grow in walking in his footsteps. (Are we? Sexual sin? Addictions? Abusive speech? Cursing? Watching what shouldn’t? Thinking evil of others or gossip? Are you daily reading and praying? Worship priority? Telling others? Tithing?)
2. Let’s Pray that We Seek to Live Lives that are Worthy of the Calling that We Have Received.
a. You don’t need to be perfect to serve the Lord. If that were the requirement, no one could do it! But we do need to be living in obedience to Him, seeking to glorify Him. If you or I are living a double life, we need to confess that to the Lord, seek help from Him and accountability with another godly individual,
b. Illust: Sadly, arguably the most brilliant Christian apologist of our time, a man used by God to write dozens of books, travel millions of miles, speak to tens of 1000’s of people, lead countless numbers to Christ, head of an international ministry that employed a team of men and women making an indelible impact upon the world. Sadly, it came out that he had not lived a life worthy of his calling. Now, I am not minimizing his sin or guilt, but I do wonder if any Christian ever prayed that Ravi’s life would be worthy of the calling he had received. Or, were we all just impressed with a brilliant mind and assumed that was good enough. Did anyone ever ask him hard questions of accountability?
C. Applic: Friend, will you take time to glorify God by praying that your brother or sister in Christ will live a life worthy of the calling he/she has received in Christ?
III. Pray Your Brother/Sister will Serve the Lord Joyfully in His Power.
A. Pray for Christians to Serve the Lord Joyfully.
1. Pray that Christians will joyfully serve their Lord. Paul prays (2 Thess. 1:11) that God will “fulfill every desire for goodness.” The ESV has, “every resolve for good.” But such resolve stems from inner desire. The Greek scholar, J. B. Lightfoot (Notes on Epistles of St. Paul [Baker], p. 106) translated it, “delight in well-doing.” In other words, serving the Lord (“desire for goodness”) should not be a duty that you do grudgingly out of guilt, while you’d really rather be doing other things. Rather, it should be a delight: You serve Him joyfully from the heart. Psalm 100:2 puts it, “Serve the Lord with gladness.” (Steven Cole, II Thes.1:11-12)
2. When God saves you, He puts desires for godly character and good works in your heart (Eph. 2:8-10). Psalm 37:4 commands, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” When we are saved, God puts new desires into our hearts, so that our desires and His desires become the same. Sometimes new believers wonder, “Where should I serve God?” Part of the answer to that question is, “What do you enjoy doing? What kind of service for the Lord brings you satisfaction? When you do it, does God seem to bless it?” God doesn’t say, “Oh, do you like doing that? No, I want you to do something you hate!” Of course, even when you’re doing what you enjoy, it may be difficult. God wants you to serve Him joyfully in accord with your desires for goodness. Illust: I know I’ve told this one before, but reminds me of the woman who on a Sunday morning went and knocked on her son’s door: “Johnny, time to get up and get ready for church!” “I’m not going to church mama.” “Now Johnny, why aren’t you going to church?” “I don’t like the church people and they don’t like me.” Give me two good reasons why I should go to church, Mom? “Well, you’re 47 yrs old and you’re the pastor!” Doesn’t sound like Johnny was serving in area of his heart’s desire!
B. Pray for Christians to Serve the Lord in His Power.
1. Paul prays (2 Thess. 1:11) that God will fulfill “the work of faith with power.” Genuine faith results in good works (Eph. 2:8-10; James 2:18-20). The fact that the works come from faith shows that we must rely on God for His power in everything we do to serve Him. Work hard, but at the same time, rely on God to work in and through you by His own power!
2. As American Christians we always think we have to be busy. Busy lives, busy schedules, busy serving the Lord. Listen to the words of G. Campbell Morgan: ““Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.” Don’t think of prayer as useless. Don’t lessen it’s value. It is through prayer that the individual Christian and the corporate Church moves forward.
C. Pray for Christians to Serve the Lord for His Glory.
1. V.12. This verse highlights the reason we serve the Lord. The aim of worshipping and serving the Lord is that He would be glorified. To “glorify” God means to make Him look as good as He really is. “Name” here refers to all of God’s attributes and abilities. Paul wanted the Thessalonians to rejoice so much in serving the Lord that those around would see Who He is and love Him as well. (Are you and I glorifying God in our lives?)
2. Serve the Lord according to His grace.
a. Paul wants us to serve the Lord prayerfully, out of godly character, joyfully in His power and for His glory (2 Thess. 1:12), “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Note, again, how Paul without explanation couples God and the Lord Jesus Christ, showing that Jesus is equal to God. Experiencing the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ is the main motive for serving Him. We don’t serve to earn acceptance with Him. We serve because He graciously accepted us when we trusted the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. None of us is worthy in ourselves to serve Him. Rather, we serve Him because He graciously made us worthy through Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
b. Ilust: Back in September of 1996 we heard Billy Graham was going to be preaching his final crusade in his hometown of Charlotte, NC. We knew this was the end of an era and possibly last time to see him. Packed up our then three small children and made the hour and a half trek north to see the 77 year old evangelist. I remember it was a warm night. Graham spoke for about 30 minutes, much like how a loving grandfather would speak to his grandchildren. When the invitation was given, to my shock, 1,000’s went forward. In 4 days, Graham preached to 330,000 people. Stunning. Why? Done according to God’s grace. Age, strength, academic accomplishment, means nothing when we operate in God’s grace. PRAY that we all do, so Christ may be exalted.
D. Applic: Let’s follow the Apostle’s admonition to pray for one another so God might be glorified through the lives of His people.
