1 Timothy 2:1-6

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Tonight, we all know our country is at a very precarious time. I think you know that. Almost a year of a pandemic, a political divide that won’t quit, a moment in time that is supposed to be a peaceful transfer of power and we are discussing impeachment, insurrection, and in some ways insanity.

Personally, I’m ready for it all to stop. Pray that it does.

But this morning, I noticed in my news feed that an Alliance City Schools staff member had their home vandalized. I don’t kmnow if you saw this or not,but their home was spraypainted with a racial epithet. And my heart that had no room to sink lower, sunk lower.

I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. You know this weekend is MLK weekend. And that happens. It just disheartens me for this person/family, and places the conflict at a much closer to home level.

I suspect that you may be disheartened as well. So, what can you do? Right?

1 Timothy 2:1 ESV

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

First of all. What is most important, not what should happen first… what is the most important aspect of public and private worship? Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for all people.

In the New Testament, there are 7 words used for prayer. We find 4 of them in this verse.

Supplications. It carries the idea of deep need. All prayer, I suspect, finds its beginning in a felt need. But that is not the end of it. It goes further.

The second word is prayers, .. it occurs 37 times in the new testament. It ispublic and private prayer to God.

The third word is intercessions. It only occurs in this book. And yet, it is one of my favorite words. Some say it is a more general way of prayer, perhaps more relaxed. Instead of formal petitioning, it means a conversational communication much like you would have with a friend over a cup of coffee or tea. This word recognizes that we can come to God boldly, because he is truly someone who we can talk to.

Finally, the last word is thanksgiving, or eucharisto. the giving of thanks.

Because we can thank God for what He has done in the past, we build faith in thee prayers for what He will do in the future. Someone has said that this type of prayer will be the only type that lasts into eternity, for only then will we know exactly what our salvation cost Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:2 ESV

2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

We are to pray for everyone, but especially for those who are kings and in high positions.

Note, this term “king” , would have been used for the emperor at Rome during this time. That would have been Nero, a cruel and monstrous ruler- who actually would have put Paul and Peter to death. Let that sink in.

We are to pray for leaders- those we think are reasaonable and we like… and those who we don’t. Paul is writing this letter to Timothy as Nero was persecuting the church and leading up to the time that He would have Paul put to death!

And Paul’s reasoning is simple. That we can live peacable and quiet lives. In our own case, we worship peacably because of those who uphold our countries freedoms and liberties afforded us. pray for them, they are the pivot between us having that and losing that- irregardless of your political affiliation.

1 Timothy 2:3–4 ESV

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

This verse declares monotheism, in a time when there were polytheistic minds everywhere.

Monotheism, one God, is the basic belief of both Judaism and Christianity.

And look at the word “mediator”. Between us and God. Jesus.

When Job was facing his trials, there is a verse that he spoke in Job 9.33. Listen to it:

Job 9:33 ESV

33 There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.

Here, Paul answers that question. There is an arbiter between us and God.... Jesus, the mediator between us!

The basic meaning of mesitēs is “one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or to form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant.” Thayer goes on to say that Christ is called the mediator between God and men “since he interposed by his death and restored the harmony between God and man which human sin had broken” (Lexicon, p. 401).

In this sense Jesus has become a bridge builder.

1 Timothy 2:6 ESV

6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Ransom.

1 Timothy 2:7 ESV

7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Paul was a “preacher”, a herald.... a voice chosen for the King… the King of all Kings. To tell the news God had:

I want you to imagine for a minute what we just discussed. A man who had been jailed by the Emperor Nero, and eventually would be killed by him- told Timothy that as one called to testify to the saving , atoning, mediating work of Jesus Christ- he should pray for everyone including the very leader that may have his head one day.

Paul had such a deep commitment to the message of the gospel: There is one God who we are estranged from because of sin, but that one God has reconciled himself to us because of the mediating work of His only son Jesus Christ. In other words, you can be saved, those you pray for can be saved, and the Emperor may be saved. So pray.

Paul did not see his purpose to overthrow the rule of Nero against Jews or Christians. Paul saw his purpose to proclaim the salvation of Jesus Christ.

So He told Timothy, “Pray”. For everyone. For the leaders. for the government. anyone. so the message can continue to get out.

Bottom Line:

Your Prayers May Be The Best Sermon Ever Preached

You know, your personal prayers are private. arent they? Between you and God.

Public prayers, others hear. They may know.

But all of our prayers have purpose. So who do you pray for?

You get that prayer request from a friend or a church prayer chain, or somewhere else. You pray for it.

But what about everything else. I mean, no request, no requirement- what does God want you to pray for?

Paul said everyone- then he said rulers and kings- good or bad.

We in the western world, and in particular the US, have never known war or major civil disturbance in our own country. Until last week. ( I know some argue it was large, small, whatever. that is not my point.”)

My point is, we have lived relatively secure and free lives and so long as our government allows us to meet on Sundays and travel freely we are pretty secure. We’d like our taxes lowered, and frivolous spending to stop, but overall we just get on with it. Right?

But pray for them? I mean, really?

When God’s people were in exile in Babylon, they were waiting for the government to be overthrown by someone else so they could go home again. And listen to what the Prophet Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 29.7,

Jeremiah 29:7 ESV

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

If Babylon was at peace, they would be at peace.

I can hear some of you upset with what I just said. Stay with me a moment longer, please.

When the Romans were oppressing their subjects to pray to the emperor, and invoke him as lord and savior, many people did. But it didn’t work with the Jews, and eventually the Christians. Because they believed in one God- One God. Remember the 5th verse in todays text. Because they believed in only one God, they were allowed to pray to their own God on behalf of the emperor. Did you get that?

That is the background to the early Christian attitude about praying for those in authority. And while they may have held their noses while doing it, they did.

And consider, the very pagan rulers they were praying for- not to- helped to establish the right situation for Christianity to grow and for Christians to live and to worship. And when the church is growing, the message is being proclaimed. And when the message is proclaimed, the gospel thrives.

So pray. Pray FOR your leaders, not to them. And seek the stability and peace that allows for the kingdom of God to thrive.

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