Praying Together

 

1 Timothy 2:1-8 gives very important instruction on the priority of prayer in the church:

Prayer: What

This is, first and foremost - a call to prayer. 

Petitions - this is about praying for needs. 

Prayers - this is the basic word for prayer and its focus: God. Prayer is an act of worship 

Requests - Coming alongside - having empathy for the one we are praying for.

Thanksgivings - pray with gratitude. We have the great joy and privilege to be the able to approach the King of the universe.

Prayer: Who

The emphasis here is: all men. 

With an intentional focus on evangelistic prayer.

all men is to be the focus of our prayers. The ones to whom the gospel should be proclaimed.

Prayer: Why

Here’s why we should want freedom: for our evangelistic efforts. 

Remember Show and Tell

Show them what the gospel looks like

what a life radically transformed is

Tell them how they can have that too. 

When we pursue godliness and dignity, We promote and foster, Tranquil and quiet lives so that we have greater freedom and opportunities for sharing our message of hope with others.

Practical Prayer Principle: 

Prayer Catalyzes Love

No greater way to foster a genuine, right love and care for someone than to pray for them.

As you pray for someone, your heart will turn toward them.

Richard Baxter - puritan pastor:

Let your heart yearn for your ungodly neighbors. Alas, there is but a step between them and death and hell. Many hundred diseases are waiting, ready to seize on them and if they die unregenerate, they will be lost forever. Have you hearts of rock that cannot pity men in such a case as this? Do you not care who is damned as long as you are saved? If so, you have sufficient cause to pity yourselves, for it is a frame of spirit utterly inconsistent with grace… Do you live close by them? Or, do you meet them in the streets or work with them or travel with them or sit and talk with them and say nothing to them of their souls? If their houses were on fire you would run and help them. Will you not help them where their souls are almost at the fire of hell?

We need to see those we encounter in our lives as Bound for Hell if they die without Christ

And all of this is the starting point for us to be:

A fired up church, 

Radically obedient to a 

Passionate pursuit of

knowing God and

making Him known

Pursuing Passionate Prayer

1. Prioritize Prayer

Take every opportunity that you have to join

in prayer. 

2. Engage

Don’t zone out - focus - tune in. 

3. Think and Look Back

Be a prayer historian. Track your prayers and 

their answers. 

4. Be a Catalyst

Always be ready to pray.

Ask others how you can pray for them this 

week. Then follow up next week.

Pray through the membership directory using 

Colossians 1:9-14 as a prayer guide

There’s probably no better way to foster  unity in our church than to pray for one  another this way. It will knit our hearts together in love.

Let’s re-commit ourselves to praying for one another, praying for the lost, and for those in authority. 

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob

Be Like Batman, part 2

 

Three major elements Chapter 1

• Guard the Gospel (1-11)

• Celebrate the Gospel (12-17)

• Fight for the Gospel (18-20)

• Celebrate the Gospel (12-17)

Be thankful to GOD: the Source of Grace (v. 12)

WE Need Grace (v. 13)

His Grace is Superabounding (v. 14)

SAVING GRACE (v. 15)

We are all sinful and stand desperately in need of His grace

Why did God save a wretch like me? (v. 16)

So that when people look at you they would see a picture of what a life transformed by the gospel looks like.

The gospel is not about you.

It’s about God’s amazing grace put on display

Pause for Praise (v. 17)

Paul can’t even get through the first chapter without a doxology of praise for God’s grace.

Conclusion/Application:

Verses 18-20:  FIGHT for the gospel.

What does it look like?

Know the Gospel.

Celebrate the Gospel

Fight for the Gospel

Practical Steps:

1. Join a Sound Church

2. Show Up

3. Be Discerning

Use the target to help evaluate teaching:

1. The center: The Gospel

There are unwavering gospel truths that, if you deny, you’re not a Christian. Those are always central and must be continually taught. These truths should be the core of Christian teaching.

Colossians 1:28 – Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom

2. Second Circle

We can differ on these issues & still go to church together (Example: Eschatology & Spiritual gifts) We can disagree and still contend together for the faith of the gospel,

3. Third circle

Not a denial of the gospel, but an issue that means we cannot go to church together. 

Example: infant baptism vs. believers baptism

Outside the Circle:

You can affirm the biblical gospel, but be in the “dangerous” category if your teaching falls outside the circle. It’s not a drop-dead-done-you’re-a-heretic issue, but outside the circle is a dangerous place to be. 

These are all outside the circle:

Woke/Critical Race Theory

Social Justice Movement (we do, however, need to be impacting our communities) Anything Prosperity related

Claiming you can “release the power of God in your life when you _________…”

Affirming extra biblical revelation.

If you deny the inspiration, inerrancy, authority, or sufficiency of God’s Word (all Scripture that is breathed out by God) - you’ve stepped outside the circle.

Yes - You can affirm the gospel and still be outside the circle.

Marks of a False Teacher. 

Man Pleaser

Criticizing Faithful Servants of God

Teach their own wisdom, not God’s Word

Emphasizing minor things - not gospel focused

Uses eloquent words to disguise false teaching

Inconsistent - true doctrine is beautifully consistent.

Final Characteristic is what Sound Teaching produces (false teaching does not produce this).

Sanctification, Growth, and Holiness

If the goal is not your sanctification - FLEE!

We must hold tightly to truth and reject what is false.

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob

Be Like Batman: Guard the Gospel

 Today, we started a new sermon series in 1 & 2 Timothy (and at least one Rabbit Trail over to Titus, the other pastoral epistle). The first major point in the series titled, "Dear Timothy..."

 Growing up, Grandma sent letters from Africa every week. The purpose was to keep us up to date with what was going on and to encourage along the way. I'll always treasure her letter to me after hearing that I'd trusted in Christ as my Savior. 

The purpose of 1 Timothy is found in Chapter 3.

1 Timothy 3:14-15 – I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you soon, but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

1. The Greeting (vv 1-2)

Don’t just breeze by the introduction.

This is a personal letter from Paul to Timothy, it’s also intended for a wider audience.

It’s an essential letter:

For Timothy

For every pastor

For Every Christian

The letter opens with a reminder of the hope we have in the gospel because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.

This letter has one of the clearest answers in the Bible to the question: what is the church supposed to look like?

First instruction:

2. Guard the Gospel (vv 3-11)

This is the starting point for what we must do in the church. 

One of the primary tasks of those who lead in the church. 

Also critical for those who are in the church.

This is where we need to Be like Batman

Who had no super powers

Was not from another planet

He didn’t get bitten by a radioactive spider

He was just a guy who, when his city was 

threatened, went out and did what he could, 

using all of, his resources - to guard his city.

We need to guard the gospel like Batman guarded Gotham City.

False teachers are threatening the church. 

Timothy was instructed to command them to put a stop to it. 

A. The Error

The error of the files teachers was some form of legalism. Ultimately, it was “a different gospel.”

It seems that it was elements of Judaism mixed in with some of the strange OT interpretations that floated around occasionally.

B. The Goal

The goal of a true teacher of the gospel and a false teacher is different. 

The true teacher - the faithful shepherd

The goal is sanctification. Loving God and loving fellow believers. (Matthew 22:37,39, 

John 13:35, 1 John 4:7-8 & 3:10)

Three things about true teaching: (verse 5)

1. Pure heart (Titus 3:5 , Psalm 24:3, Psalm 5:10, Romans 6:17)

2. Good Conscience

Your conscience either affirms or accuses 

3. Unhypocritical faith

False teaching points away from the gospel, miss the mark, and go off course

C. The Motive

Look to someone’s motive and you’ll see much truth there. (Matthew 12:34)

And the false teachers wanted recognition as teachers. It wasn’t about knowing and exalting the Lord

The false teachers were seeking to be teachers for their own satisfaction, not for the sanctification of others.

Ultimately - what is 

D. The Effect

False teachers are not only unable to truly understand God’s truth, they’re absolutely convinced they do. 

The whole point of Mosaic Law: you can’t achieve holiness on your own

A right understanding of the gospel

A right understanding of Scripture

Leads you to mourn over all of your sins

Here’s your self-test. 

Everyone teaches in some manner. You might not stand up in front of a group, but your life, your attitudes, your actions, your words, your texts, emails, Facebook posts, t-shirts - they’re all teaching others what the gospel is and how it affects someone’s life in real time.

Are you growing in love?

   Love for Christ

   Love for the Church (Christ’s Body, His people)

   Love for the Lost

Guard the gospel. Be radically committed to it!

What is the Gospel?

Here it is in one minute:

The one and only God, creator of everything, who is holy, made us in His image to Know Him and glorify Him.

But we sinned, we rebelled. We did our own thing and cut ourselves off from Him. There’s nothing we could ever do or would ever do to earn our way back to Him or even begin to fix the problem.

BUT – In His great love, God became a man in Jesus, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, taking on himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever turn to and believe in Him. He rose again from the dead, showing that God accepted Christ’s sacrifice and that God’s wrath against us has been satisfied.

He now calls us to repent of our sins and to trust in Christ alone for our forgiveness.

If we repent of our sins and trust in Christ, we are born again into a new life, an eternal life with God.

I pray we all grow in our commitment to guarding the gospel. 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Rob