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#. *Our mission and God’s?*
Since we’re rewarding knowledge - here’s another chance.
What is our mission statement here at St Mark’s?
A = to present everyone mature in Christ.
Do you think that it is presumptuous to include everyone as our mission?
Perhaps too extreme?
Shouldn’t we just focus on the people who are here?
In coming up with that mission statement 5 years ago, we had to work out what we thought God’s mission was.
After all no point setting a mission which isn’t what God wants.
So what do you think God’s mission is in the world?
That’s what 1 Tim 2:1-7 help us understand – God’s mission in the world.
And Paul shows Timothy how the church is part of it.
We see how St Mark’s in 2006 is to be part of it.
And the question for us is – are we on board?
Does God’s agenda set our agenda?
So let’s pray for God to help us understand his word, and then live it out.
PRAY
#.
*Our role in God’s mission?*
Last week as we began our series in this letter, we saw one of the key verses was 1:15 – Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Part of the proof was Paul himself.
But is it just up to God? Or do we have any part to play in helping people be saved?
Look with me at 2:1 – READ.
Having set the framework in chapter 1, Paul is now setting out in the next few chapters what the church in Ephesus is to be like.
And right up front, of prime importance, is this command that the church in Ephesus prays for all people.
Now that may seem a strange thing – after all we in 2006 think that we should pray for all people, even though we may not do it very often.
But in Ephesus some false teachers had come among God’s people.
They were probably a group called Judaisers, who were teaching that people needed to become Jews.
And because of that they were teaching ideas about who would be saved and how, that were very different to Paul’s teachings.
So as we saw last week in chapter 1, these false teachers were suggesting that salvation was somehow by keeping the law.
We saw last week Paul’s correction of that, how the law doesn’t save people, but rather points out sin, and that salvation and forgiveness are only through Jesus.
Now, it also appears they were teaching that God was only into saving the Jews.
After all they were God’s people.
And so if you wanted to be saved you must become Jewish.
And so they only prayed for people who were Jews, and excluded from their prayers the Gentiles.
And so it is in 2:1 that Paul says no – Christians are to pray for all people.
Even – v2 – for kings and people in authority.
Why are Christians to do that?
Not so that authorities can get away with dodgy bribes; not even so that we may have an easy life, but because God wants all people to be saved.
The focus of these verses is not so much on prayer but on salvation.
The church should be praying for the salvation of all people.
It’s a good question for us – are we, as a church, prayerfully concerned for the salvation of all people?
Paul gives 4 reasons why we should.
Let’s look at them.
#.
*The proof of God’s mission?*
*a) **It is good and pleases God (v3)*
Firstly we can say that the spread of the gospel in our country and others is impacted by the way we live, and the things we pray for.
Why? Governments are ordained by God to provide a peaceful and orderly society, and so we are to pray for them that this would happen, to provide the best possible conditions for spreading the gospel.
Our conduct is not to bring Christianity into disrepute, so the gospel can be more easily spread.
As other people see how Christians behave it either commends the gospel, or can turn them away from Jesus.
We want to make sure that in all we do we are commending the gospel.
Of course governments are not the only authorities over us – what others can you think of?
Parents, employers, teachers, ministers, husbands, police, and so on.
We are to live under their authority in peaceful and quiet lives, commending Jesus by the way we live, so we can get on with being godly and holy.
And we are to pray for them!
Pray for their salvation.
In this country and others.
The best thing for the spread of the gospel is that those in authority are followers of Jesus.
So in all we do and pray we want to see as many people as possible become Christians and grow in their knowledge of the truth.
Praying for the salvation of all people, even those in authority over us, pleases God, who is the Saviour.
Why does such prayer please God?
It shows we know the truth about God, that he is a saving God.
What he wants, secondly, is for all people to be saved.
* *
*b) **God wants all people to be saved (v4)*
If God wasn’t interested in the salvation of people it would be no point praying for it would there.
But God is a saving God.
He is still a saving God.
The trouble with living in Australia is we don’t see evidence of huge numbers of people coming to Christ.
We think God has stopped working, that he has forgotten his mission ands started doing something else.
No!
Let me give you some examples of God’s mission in our world.
a) According to the latest CMS magazine, in Nepal 50 years ago there was no church.
The first Church group was formed in 1959 with 29 Christians.
All attempts at preaching the gospel or baptizing converts were severely punished.
Now Operation World estimate there are 3000 or more congregations, with perhaps 400,000 believers.
b) In Myanmar where Bron was, Operation World estimate there are almost 4m Christians, out of a population of perhaps 47m people.
And this growth is despite 40 years of repressive military rule.
c) At Men’s Convention David Cook told us about the church in Mongolia, where his daughter has gone as a missionary.
In 1989 there may have been only 4 Christians.
By 2000 it is estimated there were 4-5000 worshipping on any Sunday in over 60 churches.
d) In Ethiopia where the Wades are, in 1960 Protestants numbered less than 200,000; by 2000 they had grown to almost 12m; again despite severe persecutions.
4 examples – but there are many more all over the world.
God does want all people to be saved.
God does show his mercy to all people, regardless of race, colour, status, sex, riches, or anything else.
It is not saying all people will be saved, but that God has provided a way of salvation for all people, because he does love all people.
No one is beyond God’s reach, or God’s heart.
God loves all people without distinction – the horrible error of the false teachers was to say that God was only interested in some people not all people.
We must never say that.
So how do we know God loves all people?
We see what God has done in Jesus.
*c) **Mediator’s ransom for all (vv5-6)*
So look with me at vv5-6 which tell us about this person Jesus - READ.
There is only one God.
The Greeks and Romans had elaborate systems of gods and deities, do you have to please just one, or all of them, are there different gods for different groups of people?
Paul says there is only one God – and so all people are created by him and accountable to him and called to be in a right relationship with him.
So all people are rightful objects of prayer.
There is only one God.
And there is only one Mediator between God and man.
Because of our sin, we can’t have a relationship with God without a mediator.
But who can this be?
A mediator must be a representative for both parties – Jesus Christ is suitable for he is acceptable to God, having been anointed by God and sent from God, and yet is truly human as well, and so can represent humanity.
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