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1 Timothy 2:1-7

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Pray for All People 2 1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 v for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and w dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and x it is pleasing in the sight of y God our Savior, 4 who desires z all people to be saved and a to come to b the knowledge of the truth. 5 For c there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man 1 Christ Jesus, 6 d who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is e the testimony given f at the proper time. 7 g For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle ( h I am telling the truth, I am not lying), i a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-7

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2 1 Παρακαλῶ οὖν πρῶτον πάντων ποιεῖσθαι δεήσεις προσευχὰς ἐντεύξεις εὐχαριστίας ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, 2 ὑπὲρ βασιλέων καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐν ὑπεροχῇ ὄντων, ἵνα ἤρεμον καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγωμεν ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι. 3 τοῦτο καλὸν καὶ ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ, 4 ὃς πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. 5 Εἷς γὰρ θεός, εἷς καὶ μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνθρωπος Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, 6 ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων, τὸ μαρτύριον καιροῖς ἰδίοις . 7 εἰς ὃ ἐτέθην ἐγὼ κῆρυξ καὶ ἀπόστολος, ἀλήθειαν λέγω οὐ ψεύδομαι, διδάσκαλος ἐθνῶν ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.

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Sermon notes

God's gospel is for everyone Introduction A new section from here to 3.13, how to see the church re-shaped (reformed) by gospel centrality and godliness, rather than legalism and ungodliness. How to steer the ship away from shipwreck; 2.1-7 steer it into the deep waters of the gospel; 2.8-15 encourage behaviour pleasing to the Lord; 3.1-13 faithful leaders to steer the ship How to avoid shipwreck [can we tie up our men, and put wax in our ears, like Odysseus and co?] 'all'; prayer for all, all to be saved, ransom for all, preaching to all (ie the nations) false teaching produces inner circles and elites; whether overtly gnostic or not. Initiated, enlightened ones. Elements of this in church planting - Jesus died for more than students, or creatives. Cf the HUP and its absence in Acts! cf Communism and champagne socialism. Perhaps teachers in Ephesus had put up walls of regulations eg 1.7, 4.3, in order to provide security and stability and protection from the occult and darkness of Ephesus. But, what then happens is that you only focus on things within those walls, becoming inward looking (and increasingly unrelated, ridiculous, irrelevant to the world outside - cf the two fold actions of 'secularisation'), with a corresponding lack of prayer or concern or interest for those outside. This is a big issue for TCC - perhaps a live one right now for some of us, but a potential one for all of us. Self-centred prayer, limited in vision [analogy of limited vision on on-call shifts]. Whereas Paul's gospel-centred vision is driven outward, and extensive [cf the good example of Acts 29]. Pray for all, 2.1-2 v1 so many different types of prayer...does your prayer life reflect this? Structure on PrayerMate etc? Why 2.2? Issues of bad reputation of the church from the false teachers and their bad fruit. Pray for civic leaders to rule over a stable society so that the church can live lives which will commend respect of outsiders/simply live godly and dignified/honourable in every way. cf 1 Thessalonians 4.11-12 Pray for their wise government. Pray for church members to live godly lives [cf 5 things to pray for your church]. Pray for salvation of everyone. cf 1662 book of common prayer limits prayers for leaders to 'Christian kings, princes and governors'. A rut in our prayer lives? Often a vision problem. What things/people do we always pray for? What things/people do we never pray for? [We hope to begin a TCC prayer gathering this year, but remember we pray together every week in CGs] The purpose of our PrayerGram God wants all to be saved, 2.3-5 God's love is the basis of prayer for all 2.3-4 2.3 the thing that is 'good' is the church praying for all people to be saved, since it is God's own desire too. But if God is king and all-powerful, what he wants must surely happen? . Even in 1 Tim it doesn't teach universalism - cf 5.24 or 6.9-10. All is all types; 'all without distinction'. cf we want everyone to come to TCC. Difference in desire and decree; different ways of talking of the love of God. Remember the specific context Paul is addressing; a narrow-mindedness at Ephesus, which needs waking up with the loving heart of God - same for us. How will people be saved? By a knowledge of the truth 2.4 . So we must teach the truth, like Paul 2.7 ; preaching and teaching is central to absolutely everything. And, we must really be concerned about false teaching - it's not just unhealthy, but it stops people being saved! So, prayer and preaching are hand in hand. v4 all to come to a knowledge of the truth - cf elitist, gnostic inner circles of knowledge. v4-5 logic is, since there's one God, he desires all men to be saved. Suppose there were thousands or millions, like the greeks or hindu pantheons. Wouldn't they share out people among them - isn't that exactly what you read about? People appealing to one god, others to another, and in the old myths some gods save some and some save others. But God has no rivals or competitors; he desires all to be saved, since he is the only God. Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all, 2.5-6 But it's not just that monotheism in an abstract sense is true; it is Jesus who saves. cf Judaism or Islam and what they say about Jesus, or all the cults. Jesus' death is the basis of love for all 2.5-6 One mediator; cf John 14.6 Ransom. 'On behalf of'. So this message is the truth which saves! If Jesus and his work aren't central, you have false teaching, no matter how otherwise Christian-esque it sounds. Not one point among many, but the central fulcrum. A grid, or two main ways to err. Jesus was divine, but not fully human [so his work is inaccessible until you reach some higher plane], or he was human, but not fully divine [so his work is incomplete and must be topped up]. In the former, you can't have union with him until or unless you know or become something. In the latter, union with him simply isn't enough. One mediator: are you fluent in this? Understand mediator and you'll understand union, and vice versa. v5 a ransom for all. Sufficient for all, effective for his church. If everyone's sin stands forgiven at the cross, why isn't everyone saved? Because they don't have faith. But lack of faith is a sin. Yet even all this theology - which is there to give unspeakable comfort to Jesus' precious bride amidst her troubles and tribulation - so often has led to speculation and inward-obsession, rather than its correct function, which is the confident, prayerful movement outwards. Preach it to all, 2.6-7 2.7 Paul is an authentic apostle. Distinction between preacher/herald, apostle, teacher. Nations - continues idea of gospel for all. v7 presumably people in Ephesus were saying that Paul was just lying about being an apostle? Note how this passage hedges against universalism on the one hand and hyper-calvinism [only preach to the elect] on the other. 'the testimony/witness in its due season'. So the sense is, now that it [the incarnation, death, resurrection] has finally happened, it is no longer foretold and prophesied, but is a testimony for now, for all. Its due season is now here.' Paul was appointed a preacher 'for this' - ie for this testimony, this witness. FCF: Our inclusivity, desire to make elitist circles. We don't pray for all [evident in our prayer]; we don't want all to be saved [evident in our relationships and lifestyles], we don't preach to all [evident in our conversation and ministry styles]. All do this tribalism but we have a blind spot for our own [eg the 'somewheres' and the 'anywheres', are still tribes not that concerned with the other] Jesus' person: shows compassion-driven concern for those far off. Gospel strategic priority to go after the lost. Jesus' work: died for people from all races and types as a ransom for us. He lives as our Mediator. In him, brought near to God our Saviour. Nothing to add, nothing to activate it. True knowledge given plainly in Jesus. In him, a witness to share with all kinds of people. Conclusion 'Our motivation to pray should come not from any new legalism but from reflection on the love of God and the sacrifice of Christ.' 'On the basis of God's love and Jesus' death we are to pray for and preach to all people.' Gospel for all nations - the mission of the church, every local church has a global vision. This must guide how we pray. We pray based on the work of Jesus. Prayer and preaching, again and again. Never move beyond.

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