I want to turn to the Word of
God first this evening before we come to prayer and look primarily
at this first verse in this second chapter. On Timothy 2, chapter
one. Let's read it again together.
It says, I exhort, therefore, that first of all supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. there is a tendency in our own
lives, our own prayer life, to become selfish. This is because
we're, of course, acutely aware of our own needs, aware of our
own sins and need of forgiveness and grace. We're aware of our
own shortcomings and our relationship personally with God. But we should
remember that it is a Christian's privilege not to only pray to
God for ourselves, but to also pray for others. We have that
touching example of Job. As we read of him in the opening
verses, we read of how when his sons and daughters would meet
together and they would eat together and feast together, that Job
would spend time to sacrifice for them in case They had done
anything grieving to the Lord. He was concerned for them, for
his own family, and for their standing with God. But this exhortation
goes beyond just our immediate family members, though that may,
of course, be of concern to us. Because the apostle here is exhorting
Timothy and the church at Ephesus and others that there should
be prayers made for all men." And we notice first of all in
this verse the great importance that the Apostle puts on praying
for others. You notice he says, I exhort
therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, giving
him thanks be made for all men. It was the first thing that he
wanted to address Now the apostle is well aware, of course, as
is Timothy, that there are other things of great importance as
well. Timothy was called to pastor the church. He was called to
be faithful in the ministry. He was called to set up elders
and leaders. He was called to care for the
flock. He was called, as God's servant, to lead that church
there, as the under-shepherd. There were many things which
were important. Paul tells him, first of all, prayer should be
made for all men. It's important to remember this
way round that really in anything that we do, particularly in the
work of God in the church, first of all, there should be prayer. Before someone stands to preach,
there should be prayer. Before we come to here, there
should be prayer. Before we meet for worship, there
should be prayer. Before we do any form of outreach
or evangelism around us, there should be earnest prayer. Indeed, before we have any contact
with unbelievers, there should be prayer. First of all, pray
for all men. And so the apostle puts great
importance on prayer for others. And of course this was especially
important for Timothy. Timothy was called to be a pastor. He was called to lead, in that
sense, the church. He was a great example. He was
to be used in his ministry. He was to care for the flock.
And especially for him, in his responsibilities, he needed to
pray. But of course he also needed
to pray for the lost. He needed to have his flock in
his heart. He needed to have the needs of
his people in his heart. And for those, some, probably
the majority in the New Testament age would be believers, would
be those who had come in, had been converted and therefore
wanted to meet with the Church of God. He would be pastoring
the believing church and therefore he needed to pray for them but
he would also have others increasingly who would come in because they'd
been invited or they'd been encouraged or because they had questions
themselves about this new faith of Christianity and he needed
to pray for them as well. So the apostle is saying to him
as your role in this church you should pray first of all. Well then who was he exhorted
to pray for? Well, as I've mentioned already, clearly he was exhorted
to pray for all men. We should not pass by any in
our prayers simply because of who they are. We should not pass
them by because of their age, or background, or race, or gender,
whatever, differences there may be. We're exhorted to pray for
all men, but I believe the apostle in writing to Timothy has particularly
unbelievers in his mind when he is exhorting him to pray.
And the reason I say that is because he then goes on in these
verses in chapter two to remind Timothy of how God is willing
and able to save. and therefore there is an encouragement
to pray for those who as yet are outside of Christ because
God is one God who is willing who will have all men to be saved. So he has a particular concern
I'm sure here for the lost or for the currently unbelieving
and there's an encouragement here to pray because God will
have all men to be saved. Let me address this verse. It's not an easy verse. It's
interpreted differently by many who would claim to be Christians.
Some would say that it means that God is willing and desires
everyone to be saved. Some would say, and I lean more
in this direction myself, that in fact it means that God is
willing and desires for all peoples to be saved. That is, there is
no nation, no group, no tongue, no race which is outside of God's
grace. All men. Remember, this is written
in a context when beforehand, in the millennia before, it was
the Jewish people who had been blessed. And Paul is reminding
Timothy, God will have all men. Wherever they come from, whatever
their background, whatever their situation, God is able to save
all men. And of course, he reminds Timothy
of who he was himself. in the passage we read in the
earlier chapter, in chapter one, he reminds Timothy of what he
was. Saul of Tarsus was a blasphemer
and a persecutor and injurious. He's reminding him that he was
far outside of God's grace, far outside of the knowledge of Christ
in his own sinful way. And yet God had mercy on him. God reached him. He was able
and willing that Saul of Tarsus should be saved. And there the
encouragement is, God will have all men. Go to all men. Do not stop your prayers at anyone
because of simply who they are. And he encourages him further,
having said that God will have all men to be saved and come
to the knowledge of the truth, that is all peoples to be saved,
There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified
in due time. Here's another encouragement
to pray. There is a mediator. There is a savior. There is a
ransom which has been paid. And therefore we can pray for
others with that encouragement to know there is a savior who
is able to save. Not just that God, uh... has a people throughout the world
of all nations and tongues but that there is a savior who has
given himself a ransom for all that is he has a people from
all nations and tongues so there's encouragement to pray for others we cannot look on any we must
not look on any and consider them to be unworthy of our prayers
on their behalf all ages, and nations, and statuses, and intellects,
and their past, and what sins they've committed, they should
not be beyond our prayers for them. I know that there is, of
course, the clearly biblical doctrine of election. We know
that only a certain number have chosen, a certain number are
saved. But do not allow the doctrine of election to keep you from
praying for others, simply because we do not know who the elect
are and there is therefore from our perspective hope for all
and for any. God knows and we leave that with
him. So we're encouraged prayers first
of all to be made for all men but he specifically mentions
one group of people for kings and for all that are in authority.
Now why does he mention that? Well, firstly, he gives the reason,
so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and honesty. So that is the reason so that
we can live a quiet life, so that we can pray that we may
have gospel freedoms maintained to us, so that we can live an
honest Christian life in our society. But I'm sure that the
apostle also was concerned not just for the quietness of the
life, that the rulers ruled over, but remember our rulers for their
souls' sake as well. God is willing to have all men
to be saved, those in authority. Our queen, our prime minister,
our government are also to be prayed for, for wisdom in governing,
but also for their souls. Pray for those in authority.
Remember them. Remember their souls. And although
I don't think he's addressing it specifically in this passage,
let us remember not just secular authorities, but pray for those
in spiritual authority also. And of course, tonight is a good
time to remember to pray for our pastor. Remember him and
his responsibilities, and his needs, and his own spiritual
needs, and the health of his own soul as he labors and ministers
here. So pray, pray for those. and authority. But you notice,
lastly, he uses four particular words in encouraging us how to
pray for others. I exhort therefore that first
of all supplications be made for all men. How are we to pray
for others? we are to supplicate supplications
are to be made what does that mean well to supplicate means
to entreat someone it means to come with our hands out asking
for something it means to come because there is a felt need
that we are lacking something we're missing something so we
need that thing to be given to us that is to entreat someone
for that blessing to supplicate for them so we are to come and
pray for others in this attitude of supplications so do we pray
for others with a realization that they are lacking something
do we bring the needs of others to the Lord saying they are they
are lacking something most of all they are lacking life They
are lacking spiritual life. And we bring them to the Lord
and pray for them, supplicating the Lord that he would bless
them with what they are lacking. If we really think about it,
we have to acknowledge that the needs, the spiritual needs of
the unbelieving, they are so desperate. They're in such desperate
need, they are so empty. They are, as we read, without
hope and without God in the world. and therefore we come and we
supplicate, we plead with God that he would bestow on them
what they currently lack which only of course God can give,
which moves us on to the second word prayers that prayers be
made now prayer is a unique thing isn't it, in that prayer is God-ward
it is towards God we do not pray to each other it is a word which
indicates prayer to God and therefore we remember that
when we pray, we pray to a God. A God who can do these wondrous
things. We're not talking to an ordinary
man. We're not speaking to one of
us. We are coming to a God who is
almighty, who can work miracles and can bestow these blessings
on others that we cannot give them. And isn't that wonderful
to realize? When perhaps we preach or we
speak to other people and it It feels like we're doing so
little, we're having such little impact, and how can we possibly
get the truth into their heart? We realize we can't. And yet
the apostle says, first of all, supplicate and pray to a God
who can break into their hearts. Supplications, prayers, interceptions. intercede, we think often don't
we on the intercessionary work of Christ that he speaks on our
behalf, but the apostle here is saying that we should intercede
on behalf of others that we should act on their behalf and in order
to act on their behalf we need to have an element of sympathy
or even empathy with them to understand them to put ourselves
in their shoes and go on their behalf as an intercessor to plead
their case and plead their cause. And here is the challenge, isn't
it? When we pray on behalf of others, do we really pray feeling
their need ourselves? Feeling their desperate need? Or do we just pass on and easily
pass over and mutter a few words and they feel it's done? Or do
we feel that weight that we intercede for them? We come in their shoes
on their behalf. It's not something that's abstract,
something that's distant, or something that's easily forgotten. We want to represent them to
God. What a privilege to think, perhaps there are those that
we particularly have, each one of us have on our mind as I say
these words, and we think they've probably never prayed. We don't
know, but from all we can see, they may never have prayed. Never
have sought God, never have come to the throne of grace, never
have asked for His blessing or salvation. And yet the Apostle
says, intercede for all men. You have the privilege of taking
them to the Lord and asking that he would so work that they would
come to prayer themselves. Pray for them. Pray intercessionary
prayers. Remembering where you once were
and now feeling where they are. And then finally he says in giving
of thanks. Giving thanks. Pray with this
attitude of thanksgiving. Why? What reason do we have to
give thanks when we're praying for all men? Well, we have thanks
that there is a gospel, that there is a way of salvation,
that there is a Jesus to preach and a way to be saved. Giving
thanks that there is hope for all, for we know not who is in
and who is outside of the church of God. Giving thanks that there
is a powerful, heart-changing work of a Holy Spirit which can
break down the barriers and change the will of sinners. And giving
thanks that God is still working today as he has been throughout
the ages. Giving thanks that as we pray,
we can pray with confidence to a God who can work. As I was thinking about this,
thinking over the last few weeks, what have we done here? particularly
at this time of year, we think we've distributed calendars,
distributed John's Gospel to 2,000 homes and therefore we
can be confident that more than 2,000 people, I'm making the
assumption an East household has more than one person in,
more than 2,000, perhaps four, five, 6,000 people have had their
hands on the Gospel of John in the last few weeks. We have held the market still
the same day. I don't know how many people
took books and Bibles but a number did and many people walked past
and saw the things that were displayed and the messages and
the things which were there. We've put the advert in the magazine
for the Sunday School. We've had the text up on the
station for four weeks at Red Hill. And we can have done those
things and think, well, what can we do now? Perhaps we're tempted to think,
well, we've done it, there's nothing for us to do now. The work is done. The posters come down, the calendars
have been distributed, there we are. And perhaps we're tempted
to think, well, is there any point in doing anything now,
because as far as we can see, and remember, it's only as far
as we can see, there's been little to no fruit. There's been no
phone calls, there's been no one coming through the doors,
we don't know. And perhaps we're tempted to think, well, what
is the point of it all? And where is the fruit from it
all? And what can we do now? Is it anything? So the apostle
exhorts us. Remember, he exhorts us. He's
not suggesting. He's not just putting it to us
if we have a spare moment or two. He's exhorting us, therefore. First of all, supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving you thanks be made for all men. So let's come together. Let's
try and remember these things. And let's remember that God's
word tells us not to give up. God's word tells us we have a
powerful weapon in the sword of the spirit, the word of God.
We have a powerful weapon in our witness in speaking and walking
before men, but we have an even more powerful weapon that we
can take it to the Lord in prayer. He calls us first of all to pray,
come to a miracle working God and leave the souls of men with
him. I exhort therefore that first
of all supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks
be made for all men.