Evangelistic Praying, Part 2
1 Timothy 2:2-4
Well, let's open our Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 2...1 Timothy chapter 2. We are looking at verses 1 through 8. The theme of these verses is evangelistic praying, praying for the lost, those who do not know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And because of the nature of this particular passage and because of the emphasis this month in our church on evangelism, I've been spending some of my time in spare moments reading books on evangelism. And this week I was reading an old book that my dad gave me, a book entitled The Soul Winner. It's a compilation of sermons of Charles Hadden Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher of England. And I found one paragraph that struck my heart. He said this:
"One thing more, the soul winner must be a master of the art of prayer. You cannot bring souls to God if you do not go to God yourself. You must get your battle ax and your weapons of war from the armory of sacred communication with Christ. If you are much alone with Jesus, you will catch His Spirit. You will be fired with the flame that burned in His breast and consumed His life. You will weep with the tears that fell upon Jerusalem when He saw it perishing. And if you cannot speak so eloquently as He did, yet shall there be about what you say somewhat of the same power which in Him thrilled the hearts and awoke the consciences of men. My dear hearers, especially you members of the church, I am always so anxious lest any of you should begin to lie upon your oars and take things easy in the matters of God's Kingdom. There are some of you, I bless you and I bless God at the remembrance of you who are in season and out of season in earnest for winning souls. And you are the truly wise. But I fear there are others whose hands are slack, who are satisfied to let me preach but do not themselves preach, who take these seats and occupy these pews and hope the cause goes well but that is all they do," end quote.
Any‑true hearted pastor can identify with Spurgeon. Sadly the apathy of some in his church is the apathy of others in this church. And it always stifles aggressive witnessing and it always stifles evangelistic praying. And so it is good for us in these days to be reminded of the need to reach the loss. And a very basic and essential element of that is the matter of praying for them, not only for the sake of the communion with the Lord but for the sake of seeing God answer that prayer.
Someone said, "The church is dying from too much self‑ control. There is plenty of light but there is very little heat." And apparently that was true of the church at Ephesus. Timothy had been assigned, as you know, to set things in order in that church, to make things right for they were very wrong. One of the things wrong in the Ephesian church was the fact that they had designed a new theology of Evangelism. And that theology said that only certain Jews who keep the law can ever be saved and only certain Gentiles who enter into the elite understanding of mystical secrets can ever attain salvation. The consequent teaching was that salvation isn't for everybody, that God did not intend everyone to be saved, that we need not concern ourselves with taking the gospel to the ends of the earth‑‑even though our Lord said that. They had developed a convenient exclusivistic doctrine of evangelism that said salvation was only for a few.
And Paul is deeply concerned about that and so as he begins to write to Timothy in chapter 2 about the matters that must be made right in the church, he begins with this matter of evangelistic praying, of understanding that God's desire is for all men to come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the first concern is that the church begin to pray for the lost. This is high priority in the church of Jesus Christ. It attacks the narrowness of the error of the Ephesian church, but it also acts as a strong exhortation to us today to the matter of praying for a lost world.
Now we're noting here five elements of evangelistic praying: its nature, scope, benefit, reason and attitude. Remember last week we talked about the nature of evangelistic praying. And we said it is described in the four words for prayer given in verse 1: supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks. Those four terms we saw last time sum up the character or definition or nature of evangelistic praying.
Supplications indicate that there is a need. Supplication rises from a need. So we pray for the lost because of their great need of salvation. The word "prayers" recognizes God's glory. And we pray for their salvation because of the glory it will give to God. Intercessions have to do with feeling deeply the condition of someone and pleading on their behalf. And so we intercede on their behalf because our heart is concerned with compassion about their lost condition. And finally, the word "thanksgiving" indicates that no matter what occurs, we give God thankful hearts and expressions of gratitude. So the nature of evangelistic praying.
Then we talked last time about the scope of it. And we noted at the end of verse 1 that it is to be made for all men. It is a comprehensive mandate given to the church to pray for all men. No limit is set on evangelistic praying. Chapter 4 verse 10, it says God is the Savior of all men specially of those that believe. And again we are reminded in that that we are to pray for all men.
Now specifically within the category of "all men," he identifies a group of people who might be people the church would fail to pray for...for the sake of persecution, or because of abuse or whatever it might be. So he pinpoints that we especially are to pray for kings and all that are in authority. We are to pray for the lost worldwide and among those for the leaders who very often because they're bigger than life escape our prayers or because we see them perhaps as not a part of the church or as somewhat antagonistic to the church or because we get caught up in the attitudes of our society toward leaders that are not liked or respected. We might fail to do that. And so just as a strong encouragement, out of all of the groups we could have identified he identifies leaders and says especially you are to pray for them. And the intent is not so much to pray for their wisdom in leadership but to pray for their salvation. We as a church then are to be involved as a priority in praying for the lost and most particularly those that are lost in positions of leadership, those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we come to the third element...the benefit of evangelistic praying. To the church there is great benefit in prayer for the lost. Notice what it says in verse 2, "In order that...as we pray for the lost and particularly leaders who do not know the Lord...it may lead us into a situation where we can live a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and moral earnestness‑‑would be a proper translation." In other words, as we give ourselves as a church to prayer for the lost and prayer for the salvation of our leaders, it will create a national condition favorable to the life of the church which will expedite our evangelistic efforts.
Now this is an often overlooked passage of Scripture and I want you to think through it very carefully. This is the Word of the living God. As the church prays for the lost, it goes without saying that the intention of that prayer is that the lost may be saved, but as a side effect when a church in a city or a state or a nation pours itself habitually into unceasing prayer for the lost, particularly the unsaved in its leadership, that people begins to see the church as a compassionate caring loving concerned group of people who are all about seeking their best interest and welfare. And thus the church poses no threat to that society but perhaps a welcome friend. And as those prayers for salvation are answered and more and more people may be saved including leaders, the favorable condition of the church is even increased.
Now he says when we pray this way we do so in order that we may lead a quiet and peaceable or tranquil life. The word "quiet" carries the idea of the absence of outside disturbance. The word "peaceable" carries the idea of the absence of inside disturbance or turbulence. So the church has a goal then, and I want you to note this very carefully, the church has a goal in society to so conduct its life in prayer for the lost which involves love and compassion including all of the leaders that it creates by that attitude the absence of external, internal disturbances. To put it another way, the church is never to be the agitator of society by virtue of engulfing itself in those things which disrupt the national life. Conditions of peace, conditions of rest, the absence of strife and anxiety benefit the church in the task of evangelism.
Now I want to expand on this because I don't think this is a well understood thought. In 1 Thessalonians we have a similar word, chapter 4 verse 11, where Paul says that we are to study, that is to be diligent, to be quiet. We are not to be rabble rousers. If we are known for anything, we are known for our quiet demeanor. We do not make disturbances. We do not disrupt society as such, that is not our intent, that is not our overt effort. We are to be quiet, he says, do your own business, work with your own hands as we commanded you in order that you may walk honestly toward them that are outside, the unbelievers. They ought to see us as quiet diligent faithful people.
Second Thessalonians 3 also speaks to the same matter. We hear, he says in verse 11, that there are some who walk among you disorderly, working not at all. They're indigent, they are unemployed, they don't do as they ought. They're busybodies. Command them and exhort them by the Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.
Now listen, beloved, the church‑‑Paul is saying‑‑is never to be the political agitator. It is never to be seen as the perceivable enemy to national security or national peace. That is not our role. We are to seek to make all the people around us whatever their viewpoint politically, whatever their viewpoint philosophically, we are to seek to make them friends by praying for them rather than enemies by hating them and rejecting them. And sometimes that's difficult because when we're raised in a very clearly defined Christian environment we tend not only to hate the evil system, but we tend to see all the people in it as our enemies. And so we grow bitter against those who deny the life that we believe is so right. The church even today, I'm sure, in the United States is seen by many as an agitating political force endeavoring to disrupt things in our country.
Now I want you to understand what the Scripture is saying in light of that. Christians are to be model citizens. That doesn't mean we're indifferent or apathetic or don't have an opinion. But we are to model citizens in every way. We are to be a blessing and a benediction to every one around us. We are to pray for the salvation of every one. And if they know us, they should know the church not as a strong political lobby group, not as a powerful group with money moving through society for its own ends, they are to know us as quiet peace‑loving people who are constantly committed to praying for the salvation of those who are outside. We are to submit to the authority over us and more than just submit to it, we are to pray for the salvation of those very people. If we do that, if the church in this country was just banded together in spirit covenanting together to pray for the lost in our nation and to pray for our rulers and pray for our leaders and not engage in power kind of efforts and power kind of moves and power kind of politics to overturn things and eliminate people and get rid of people, but rather pray for their salvation, we would never be accused or even suspected of disloyalty. Nor would anybody miss the point of our existence. And we would be more likely to be allowed to worship and evangelize without fear or restriction and thus to live our lives in a quiet and tranquil way.
Now notice at the end of verse 2 he adds that the kind of life we live should be marked by all godliness and moral earnestness. "Godliness," that very familiar word, eusebeia used all through 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and even in Titus 1:1, the word "godliness" a very common word in the pastoral epistles, has the idea of an attitude of reverence. We ought to be people who are distinguished because our attitude of reverence marks us, reverence toward God, that we live for the majesty, the love, the holiness, the glory of our God. It ought to be that when someone says the word "Christian," all they think of is holiness, godliness. They think of people whose hearts are turned to the living God.
And secondly he says, not only godliness but...he uses the word semnotes, it's an unusual word. It's used another time in 1 Timothy and then in Titus chapter 2 verse 7. The basic translation of "moral earnestness" says it for me. It's the idea that we not only have right attitude, that's godliness, but right behavior. When that attitude comes out in our living there's a certain moral earnestness in the way we live. There's a certain commitment to morality. You might say that, if we were free with our translation, he would be saying we should do the praying for the lost that can lead to a quiet and tranquil life in all holy motives and holy behavior. That's really what he's after. We are to so live with holy attitudes and holy deeds that we contribute to the peace and the quiet and the tranquility of our lives. We are not to disrupt. We are not to create scandal nationally. We are not as we remember from Matthew chapter 7 to start going around ripping the tares...or Matthew 13 rather...ripping the tares out of the ground and judging all the unbelievers. We are to love them and compassionately pray for them.
Now as I read that verse I thought to myself, "Well, what about...what about the fact that godliness always creates problems? What about the fact that our message is going to be rejected and that's going to eliminate a quiet and tranquil life in some ways?" That's true...that's true. In fact, in 2 Timothy, twice he tells us we can expect that. Paul even says in chapter 1 verse 8 that he's a prisoner because of his testimony. In chapter 3 verse 12 he says everybody that lives godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But the point is this, and I want you to get it, if we suffer persecution and if we bear the animosity of our society and if we are resented and if we are hated and if we are despised, let it be for our holy attitude and our holy behavior, not because we are a problem to our national society, not because we are disruptive, not because we appear the enemy of men. We should live so that we are no threat to the peace and tranquility of our nation or our town, but that they perceive us as honorable, as dignified, as morally committed people, as trustworthy so that no one speaks evil against the Word of God and no one speaks evil against God Himself or the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, I thank God that Grace Church takes strong stands. We take very strong stands on things. And if we are rejected or rebuffed at all, it is because of the things that we believe. But our society arounds us...around us sees us as a friend. I am always encouraged by the response of the community, not only in this very vicinity of the valley but even around Los Angeles, to the life of the people in Grace Community Church. I'm always amazed that whenever the news media wants somebody to comment on a major issue that needs a religious spokesman, they'll call Grace Community Church because as one reporter said, "When we want a sane Christian comment, we come to Grace Community Church." The society does not see us as a threat.
I'm very grateful that when we went to the city a few weeks ago and asked for permission to lease from them all the land along the wash to put in the parking, they couldn't be happier to give that opportunity to us...which they did, because they see us as a friend to the community. I remember the year they gave us the plaque that hangs on the wall, The Valley Beautiful award for doing more than any other organization in the San Fernando Valley to beautify a region of the valley. I was even thankful that last Sunday morning in the Daily News there was a most interesting article about Grace Community Church and our link with Yoko Ono.
Now I don't know if you know about that, I did not know about that until I read that article. That was an amazing story. Her former husband and she had a child by the name of Kioko(?) and the father against the court order took the child, kidnapped the child and went into hiding and he's been there for 14 years. The child is now in her twenties, her name is Kioko. They came to Los Angeles to hide. We...I did not know this, nor did any of us until we read the paper...they came to Los Angeles to hide. They got involved in a cult down the street, The Church of the Living Word, run by John Robert Stephens whose daughter, by the way, has come to the Lord Jesus Christ and fellowships in our church. But nonetheless they got in this cult, deeply ingrained in this cult and then by the grace of God they were delivered out of that cult and when they wanted to come to true faith in Jesus Christ, this...the daughter of Yoko Ono and her husband...her father rather, came to Grace Church seeking help and money so they could escape the clutches of these people that had them. And the article went on to say how Grace Community Church not having any idea who these people were not only gave them spiritual counsel and so forth, but gave them the money they needed to escape and they have now become involved as born‑again Christians in the work of the Lord in another place. And several times it mentioned the church and always in a favorable light as a good Samaritan. That ought to be the way our church is known. That's the way our church should be known, as one who steps in...it doesn't matter who people are but we're there to show the love of Christ and meet the need that is there.
And I was encouraged that the paper put that in in a favorable light. I am very grateful for that. But it ought to be so that if they do not like us and if they resent us, it is clearly because they reject our message, not because they see us as the enemy. You understand that? Jesus Himself was a friend of sinners, was He not? And so it ought to be that we are marked as those who pray for the lost and even our leaders, even the leaders of our city. And we may not agree with them, we may not agree with their life style, their morality or their decisions, the leaders of our state, the leaders of our nation. We may have all kinds of problems with that. But I cannot see that anything ultimately spiritual is to be gained by becoming the enemy of those with whom we disagree. If we are to disagree, let us disagree on the truth of God not on something other than that. And let us with all our hearts commit that if this nation is to be turned around for the sake of God, then let it be that we do it by our spiritual weapons, not carnal ones. And the spiritual weapons are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds, spiritual weapons like praying for the lost and including the lost, those who lead us.
And this prayer brings about the conversion of lost people, the conversion of leaders. Gives the church a reputation of loyalty, honesty, integrity and dignity in the community. They become known as those people with holy attitudes and holy behavior and are not a threat to society but rather an encouragement to the goodness of society. That creates the peace and tranquility that allows evangelism to flourish, makes Christianity attractive and gives the gospel a hearing. And that's the side effect to evangelistic praying.
Now you say, "Well, wait a minute. Doesn't this contradict James 1? Doesn't James 1 say the trying of your faith has a perfecting work?" Yes, but there are all kinds of ways in which God can try us and test us and bring trouble and strengthen us without it having to come from the hostility of our society. You don't need to do it that way. If God wants to put you through the crucible of suffering, He has got a million options. You don't have to create one in the environment and neither do I and neither should the church. Trials come in many ways through many doors and God is not at a loss to find means to do that. And, beloved, from time to time it is true that those trials will be persecution. But if persecution comes, I say it again, let it come because of what we believe about the Word of God. As the Russian Christians have told me so many times, if we are persecuted in Russia, it will be for our faith not for our political, economic attitudes. And not for some animosity toward our people or even our leaders. Georgie Vins(?) told me that. Pray for them.
And even when persecution comes, you say, "What should we do then?" Well, listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 5. And it's pretty clear what we're to do. Verse 43, "You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." No, that's not the way. We've gotten into a little of that in the church but that's not the right way. "I say to you...what?...love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you...and here it comes...pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you." Pray for their what? Pray for their salvation.
And we've all read the story of the martyrs many times in the past who on their knees being killed, their life being taken, were praying for the ones who were killing them and that is the testimony of Stephen, is not...is it not...who is beneath the stones crushing out his life and cries out, "Father, lay not this sin to their charge." Don't hold them responsible. Which is to say forgive them. It's the spirit of Jesus, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
So, the point is that whatever the chaos, whatever the conflict that may come, it should not be a result of the Christians becoming the enemies of the lost. It should be only for what we believe and what we live for. As far as the society around us, they ought to see us as their friends, as compassionate loving people who continually pray for their salvation. Next time instead of writing a letter to your congressman to tell him how awful he is, write a letter and tell him you're praying for him every day for his salvation. And then give him the gospel. Let him know what the church is really all about.
And if we are concerned to pray, I believe God will answer that prayer. And that's why I'm so concerned by those people who insist that this nation or any other nation could never be godly, the church can never flourish, God's work can never be done unless we attack everybody in the society we don't like. And people ask me that so often, "Why don't you preach on issues? Why don't you..." Look, I'll attack sin but beyond that I don't really want to alienate everybody in our society because I think they need Christ. And I don't want them throwing Him away when they reject me. So God says pray for them. And there's a side benefit, you'll create an environment in which you'll be able to flourish.
And I really think in a small way by God's grace this church has enjoyed that. It really has. I'm always amazed when I pick up a real estate section of the paper and see a house advertised for sale by a realtor and underneath it says, "near Grace Church." That's good. I'm glad for that.
So, the realization that we are to commit ourselves to this high priority of prayer is based upon a deep sense of the need of the lost, the severe lack of their souls in facing eternity without God, a reverent petition to God with that need based on His own glory, a compassionate sense of falling into the very need itself so that we feel the lostness of the lost. We are to pray for them. And for all of them whether they're just the people or the leaders. And in so praying we shall see God save them and we shall see conditions rise from the love and compassion of the church toward the lost which will act as a benediction to the church and thus speed the gospel on its way.
That brings me fourthly, and I'm just going to introduce a portion of this fourth point, finish next time, but that brings me fourthly to the reason for evangelistic praying...the reason for it. And that is contained in verses 3 to 7. And this is one of THE most powerful statements of the saving purpose of God given anywhere in Scripture. I cannot rush through this. It is monumental stuff, just powerful dramatic truth about God's saving purpose. I do not want to get into a theological debate. I don't want to talk about systematic theology. I want only to let the text speak for itself. It is so powerful.
Why pray for the lost? Why pray for the souls of men? What is the purpose? Well, the answer comes in verses 3 to 7. "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. For this I am ordained to preacher and an apostle, I speak the truth in Christ and lie not, a teacher of the nations in faith and sincerity."
Now in that few verses is summed up the reason for the winning of the lost. This has to be one of the greatest evangelistic texts in all the Bible, one of the greatest statements on the mission of the church anywhere in holy Scripture.
Why do we pray for the lost? Point number one, and I'm going to give you several of them, some this week and some next. Point number one, it is morally right to do so. It is right. Look what it says in verse 3, "For this is good." The word "good," kalon basically means excellent, intrinsically morally good. This is good. It's just plain right. God sets it up as being right. Your moral conscience says it's right. I mean, you wouldn't argue that. If I said to you, "Should you pray for the lost?" I mean, everything in you that's right and true and good would say of course...of course, it's good to pray for the lost because it saves them from hell. It saves them from a meaningless life. It brings them into the place where they can glorify God. It allows them to have purpose in life and in eternity. It allows them to reach others. It's good. It's right. The word "this" points back to the praying for all men and for the leaders. This is good. It's right. It's excellent. Since the salvation of others would be the greatest benefit to them and the greatest benefit to God and the greatest benefit to the church, it's good, it's excellent.
Now somebody would say, "Well now wait a minute. Jesus said in John 17:9, `I pray not for the world.' If it's so good why did He say that?" Let's find out. Let's look at John 17:9 and I thought of this and I brought it in because I didn't want anybody finding that verse and saying, "Wait, this confuses me." Why in John 17:9 does Jesus say to the Father in His high priestly prayer, "I pray for them...that is for the disciples, those who You have given to Me, My own disciples...I pray not for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine?" And somebody would say, "Well, Jesus didn't pray for the whole world. He says right here I don't pray for the world."
And you know something? That's right...in this particular case, He said I don't pray for the world. What did He mean by that? Well, that's the whole point. Does that mean God doesn't love the world? Well, in John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," now the whole point of the verse is He gave His only begotten Son to fulfill His love, therefore if He loved the world He gave His only begotten Son to the whole world, therefore the whole world must be able to take advantage of the gift. That's the whole intent of the verse. So God loves the whole world. First John 2:2 says He is the covering for our sin and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world. So God loves the whole world, gave a Savior to the whole world, a covering for sin is offered to the whole world, why does He say I pray not for the world? And isn't Jesus' mission to go to the whole world? Didn't He say preach the gospel to every creature?
Yes. Well look down at verse 21 in the same chapter, John 17. He says, "I pray that they all may be one as Thou, Father, art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe." Now wait a minute. Here He says the reason I'm praying for the disciples and those who believe in Me is so that they can be one and the whole world will what? Believe. Why here He's actually praying for the salvation of what? Of the world. Look at verse 23, "I in them and Thou in Me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me and hast loved Me as Thou hast loved Me." In verse 21 He's praying for the belief of the world. In verse 23 he's praying that the world may know the truth. Why in verse 9 does He say I pray not for the world?
That's very simple. What He is saying here is I'm not praying for the world's success as the world. You understand that? The cosmos, the evil Satanic system...wh