Pray for All People 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Timothy is Paul’s young apostolic representative to the churches in Ephesus. In 1st Timothy Paul tells Timothy to stop the false teachers in the church (some of them were so bad they had to be removed). Timothy was to aim to win them back with love and truth. No one is beyond the reach of God’s amazing grace. Why 1 Timothy? 1 Timothy 3:14-15 (NLT), “I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.” • Ephesus was famous for the Temple to Artemis. • But, the church wasn’t intimidated by the great Temple to Artemis. The church is the true wonder of the world, sharing the most wonderful news in the world – the Gospel. • The next two chapters in Timothy are a manual for conduct in the church. • First in importance is how the church is to conduct itself in prayer. **1. Pray for all people. ** 1 Timothy 2:1 (NLT), “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity…. 8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.” • We pray for anybody and everybody you know – whether you know their need or not. Everyone needs prayer. • We pray for kings and all who are in authority – whether we like them or not. • Who was the king/emperor at this time? Nero! • Some Christians choose not to get involved in politics! But, God commands the church to get involved in politics, in prayer. • Pray for the president, the governor, senators, representatives, judges, the sheriff, school officials, the mayor of your town. Do you know these people? Do you pray for them? How do we pray specifically for them? • Pray, “so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” (v.2) • It is good to pray for peace, not so that we may have untroubled lives, but so that the Gospel may spread. • Pray for favorable conditions for the Church and freedom for Gospel witness. • This is of first importance. We must pray this way. • Remember the mayor in Ephesus? In Acts 19, the mayor stood in the gap between the angry mob and the church. He stopped the riot. Don’t you think that mayor needed prayer and a word of thanks from the church? He was not a Christian, but he respected the law and defended the religious liberty of the church. That’s an answer to this prayer! This section ends in verse 8. It is a call for the men to lead in public prayer, in every house of worship, with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.” • I think the false teachers had stirred up the men in controversy and anger. • Now, that these false teachers have been put out of the church, the men can raise their hands in prayer – not in a fist fight. • We use our hands to get our work done in this world. • When we lift our hands in prayer, we ask God to work in this world. • Our body language should match the occasion of our prayers. **2. Pray the world will know the Gospel. ** 1 Timothy 2:3 (NLT), “This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, 5 There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 7 And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the truth.” • God is pleased with the church praying as it should. The Gospel in a Nutshell: There is one God. There is one Mediator. There is one God-Man (Jesus). There is one ransom payment to free people from sin and death. There is one message of salvation for everyone, and it must be received by faith. • Jesus was not a mediator who worked out a compromise between God and man. Jesus is the only one able, to go between God and Man and enable a relationship entirely on God’s terms. He is God in flesh. • Only Jesus paid the ransom price with his own life by taking humanity’s place as a substitute, enduring the judgment on the cross that we deserved for our sin. • This is called penal substitutionary atonement. God's absolute justice has been violated; hell is the penalty. A substitution and payment for our sins had to be made by the sinless Son of God. Only He can pay. Only Christ can save. Only one way. “There’s only one way to Heaven because there’s only one God that exists who’s made only one offer of forgiveness through His only one Son.” - Alan Shlemon CONCLUSION: Pray for All People Pray and intercede for everyone and give thanks. Pray for kings/authorities for favorable conditions for the Church & Gospel. Men must lead in public prayer with holy hands lifted and without dispute.