Men Must Stay Focused in Prayer

 

Men Must Stay Focused in Prayer

Spiritual Leadership in the Church Series

1 Tim 2:8

THEME: the church is to conduct its services with order.

RELEVANCE: Devoted men offering church or public (mix congregation) prayer during the services is part of God's order. Approaching Almighty God on behalf of a church is a serious undertaking where a godly man represents an entire assembly. An orderly, reverent, wise, thankful, powerful, honest, and devoted man should approach God on behalf of others. We are NOT calling for perfection, but extreme seriousness should mark occasions of conversation with the Holy Most High!

INTRODUCTION:

Both men and women prayed in the early churches' various meetings (1 Cor. 11:4–5), but the emphasis here is on the men in the congregation. What attitude or disposition should characterize men who engage in public prayer?

MESSAGE:

Our Attitude As We Pray to God (1 Tim. 2:8).

A holy, orderly, reverent, thankful, powerful, and devoted man should approach God on behalf of the church. This is not the time to be routine, relaxed or cool, guessing, respectful of loud people, boring, or merely ceremonial! 

1. Paul Stated Definitely That “Men” Should Pray In The Local Assembly.

a. This Requirement Respects God's Order in the Church.

·       The Subject Of Public Prayer Is Now Resumed, And This Time Our Attention Is Directed To Those Who Should Lead The People Of God In Prayer.

o   Paul’s expressed desire was that the men pray.

o   The word men does not mean mankind in general, but men in contrast to women.  The apostle’s instruction is that public prayer should be led by the men rather than by the women. And it means all the men, not just the pastors. 

·       Undoubtedly Paul Wanted All Christians To Offer Up Prayers For A Widespread Spiritual Awakening Among The Populations And Their Rulers. Yet in the public assembly Paul specified that men (“males”) everywhere are to lead the congregation in prayer.

·       The Expression Everywhere May Be Taken To Mean That Wherever A Mixed Group Of Christians Is Gathered Together For Public Prayer.  In the public service, it is the men and not the women who should lead in this exercise.

b. It is common to find women’s prayer meetings, but not often do we find men’s prayer meetings. If the men do not pray, the local church will not have dedicated leaders to oversee its ministry.

2. It Was Customary For Jewish Men To Pray With Their Arms Extended And Their Hands Open To Heaven. 

a. “Lifting up holy hands.” This Was A Custom Practiced In The Early Church.

o   It revealed the dedication in the lives of those praying.

o   This was a common Old Testament practice (1 Kings 8:22; 2 Chron. 6:13; Ezra 9:5; Pss. 28:2; 141:2; Lam. 2:19).

o   Paintings on the walls of the catacombs in Rome portray this posture.

o   Now there are those who lift up their hands in services today, and they are sometimes criticized for it. There is nothing wrong with lifting up your hands in prayer if it is something you feel you want to do.

o   Our traditional posture of bowing the head, folding the hands, and closing the eyes is nowhere found or commanded in Scripture.

b. Actually, There Are Many Prayer Postures Found In The Bible: standing with outstretched hands (1 Kings 8:22); kneeling (Dan. 6:10); standing (Luke 18:11); sitting (2 Sam. 7:18); bowing the head (Gen. 24:26); lifting the eyes (John 17:1); falling on the ground (Gen. 17:3). 

c. The Important Thing Is Not The Posture Of The Body But The Posture Of The Heart.

3. Paul Stated Three Essentials For Effective Prayer.

a. The First Was “Holy Hands.”

o   Obviously this means a holy life.

o   “Clean hands” was symbolic of a blameless life (2 Sam. 22:21; Ps. 24:4). If we have sin in our lives, we cannot pray and expect God to answer (Ps. 66:18).

o   The hands were to be holy (“devout, undefiled”), signifying an internal cleanness on the part of these spiritual leaders.

o   The emphasis here is not so much on the physical posture of the one praying as on his inward life. His hands should be holy hands. The hands here are figurative of the man’s entire manner of life.

o   Personally, I have always hesitated to do it because I’m not too sure about my hands, whether they are clean or not, clean physically or otherwise. But it means that they are hands dedicated to God’s service. My friend, you ought not to poke up your hands in a meeting if those hands are not used for the service of Christ.

b. Secondly, he should be without wrath.

o   “Without wrath” is the second essential, and requires that we be on good terms with one another.

o   “Without anger” might be what is required. Such prayer leaders must be men of sound relationships, not characterized by anger (“outbursts of temper”).

o   A person who is constantly having trouble with other believers, who is a troublemaker rather than a peacemaker, cannot pray and get answers from God.

o   Broken human relationships affect one’s ability to pray (Matt. 5:22-24; 6:12; 1 Peter 3:7), which would include leading others in prayer.

o   “Without wrath”—all sins have been confessed. You don’t come in prayer with anger in your heart, or a bitter spirit, but with all your sins confessed.

o   This points out the inconsistency of one who is given to displays of temper, rising in the local church to speak to God in behalf of those assembled.

o   When we have anger in the heart, we often have open disagreements with others. Christians should learn to disagree without being disagreeable. We should “do all things without murmurings and disputings” (Phil. 2:14).

c. Thirdly prayer should be without “Doubting.”

o   “Without … doubting.” In Hebrews 11:6 we read: “But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

o   When we come to God in prayer, we are to come in faith. One of the reasons I feel that our prayer meetings are not better attended today is that people lack faith. They do not believe that God is going to hear and answer prayer.

o   I do not mean to be irreverent, but I sometimes think that the Lord must yawn during our prayer meetings because they are so boresome. Prayer should be made in our public services by those who have their sins confessed, who come without bitterness in their hearts, and who come in faith, believing that God will hear and answer. It is this kind of prayer that will make a prayer meeting what it ought to be.

o   We should have faith in the ability and willingness of God to hear and answer prayer.

4. Effective Praying Demands These Prerequisites.

Specifically that I be in a right relationship with God (“holy hands”) and with my fellow believers (“without murmurings and disputings”).

a. Jesus taught the same truth (Mark 11:24–26). 

b. If we spent more time preparing to pray and getting our hearts right before God, our prayers would be more effective. 

c. We can summarize these qualifications by saying that a man should exhibit holiness and purity selfward, love and peace manward, and unquestioning faith Godward.

 CONCLUSION: Beloved, we desperately need devoted men offering church or public (mix congregation) prayer during the services as part of God's order. We must have men who view approaching Almighty God as a serious matter where a godly man represents an entire assembly. He must be equipped with an orderly, reverent, wise, thankful, powerful, honest, and devoted attitude as he enters the very presence of God in Jesus' Name. Jesus modeled godly behavior and attitudes as He prayed! Again, the goal is NOT perfection, but extreme seriousness and transparency should mark occasions of conversation with the Holy Most High!

 

“The Foundation of Our Prayers”

Spiritual Leadership in the Church Series

1 Tim 2:5-7

 

THEME: churches are to conduct their services with order with prayer to God in Jesus Names as the first Priority.

INTRODUCTION:

Church prayers like private prayers are rooted in Christ and the privileges He affords each believer. Yes, our prayers have a glorious foundation in Jesus Christ. 

MESSAGE:

The Basis For Prayer (1 Tim.2:5–7).

            1.  The Perfect Mediator.

Many believers do not realize that prayer is based on the work of Jesus Christ as Savior and Mediator. 

a. There is one God.

1) God is one; therefore, He is the God of all men, and prayer should be addressed to Him in behalf of all men.

·       As the one God, He desires the salvation of all men. If He were one of many gods, He might be concerned only about His own worshipers.

2) There is no other way of salvation (Acts 4:12).

Acts 4:12, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

3) Hence there is the need to pray for the lost to come to know the one true God (Deut. 4:35,39; 6:4; Is. 43:10; 44:6; 45:5,6,21,22; 46:9; 1 Cor. 8:4,6). 

b. As The God-Man, Jesus Christ Is The Perfect Mediator Between The Holy God And His Failing Children.

1) Mediator refers to someone who intervenes between two parties to resolve a conflict or ratify a covenant.

·       One Mediator between God and men. This being so, no man can come to God in any other way.

o   A mediator is a go-between, a middleman who can stand between two and communicate with both.

o   Through Christ, Himself Man, God is enabled to approach men with forgiveness of sins. Consequently any poor sinner can approach Him, and will by no means be rejected. 

·       Jesus Christ is the only “Mediator” who can restore peace between God and sinners. (see Heb. 9:11–15).

o   Hebrews 8:6, But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

o   Hebrews 9:15, And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

o   Hebrews 12:24, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

·       “Mediator is a concept derived from the ceremonial worship prescribed in the Old Testament. In the tabernacle and later in the temple, the priests meditated between God and the Israelites by offering animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people and by interceding to God for the nation. In their position as mediators, the priests were the only ones eligible to enter the Holy Place, the place where God had made His presence known.” ---(Nelson Study Bible)   

2) One of Job’s complaints had to do with the absence of a mediator who could take his message to the throne of God. “Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.” (Job 9:33).

3) Since there is only one God, there is need for only one Mediator; and that Mediator is Jesus Christ. No other person can qualify. (1Tim. 2:5)

·       Christ Jesus is both God and man, and, therefore, can be the “umpire” between God and man. There is one God from whom salvation is available. There is only one way to Him, through the Mediator, Christ Jesus, who has the full nature of God and the full nature of man. Christ has identified with us; He understands us perfectly and represents us at the right hand of God the Father (see Rom. 8:34).

·       Paul identifies the Mediator as the Man, Christ Jesus. This does not deny the deity of the Lord Jesus. In order to be the Mediator between God and men, He must be both God and Man. The Lord Jesus is God from all eternity, but He became Man in Bethlehem’s manger. He represents the whole race of humanity. The fact that He is both God and Man is indicated in the name Christ Jesus. Christ describes Him as God’s anointed One, the Messiah. Jesus is the name given to Him in Incarnation.

4) “The verse effectively answers the teaching so common today that the blessed Virgin Mary or angels or saints are mediators between God and man. There is only one Mediator, and His name is Christ Jesus.

Verse 5 summarizes the messages of the OT and NT. One God was the message of the OT entrusted to Israel; one Mediator—the message of the NT entrusted to the church. As Israel failed in her responsibility by worshiping idols, so the professing church has failed in her responsibility by introducing other mediators—Mary, saints, clergy, etc.”     --- MacDonald, W.

c. In His Perfect Life And Substitutionary Death, He Met The Just Demands Of God’s Holy Law. (1Tim. 2:6)

1) He was the “ransom for all.” This is the work of the Mediator (v. 5) giving Himself a ransom for all.    (1Tim. 2:6)

·       The word ransom means “a price paid to free a slave.”

·       The ransom is a payment given instead of a slave or prisoner—that is, in substitution for him or her. The person holding the slave accepts the payment as a substitute.

·       According to Gal. 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. The law held us captive in its condemnation, and no one but Christ could pay the price to release us from this bondage.

o   Galatians 3:13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

·       Christ substituted His life for ours. Our sins had separated us from God and held us in condemnation. Christ paid the penalty for our sins so that we could be reconciled to our Father and freed us from the prison of the Law.

2) His death was “for all” or “on behalf of all people.”

·       Though the death of Christ is efficient only for those who trust Him, it is sufficient for the sins of the whole world.

·       Jesus said that He came “to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). (see Mark 10:45)

·       This verse is one of many which teach that the death of Christ was substitutionary. He died in behalf of all. Whether all will accept it is another question, but the fact remains that the redemptive work of Christ was sufficient in value for all.

            2.  The Perfect Method.

Christ died for “all men,” and God is willing for “all men to be saved.” How does this Good News get out to a sinful world? (1Tim. 2:6)

a. God Calls And Ordains Messengers Who Take The Gospel To Lost Sinners.

1) To Be Testified In Due Time Means That The Testimony Concerning Christ’s Substitutionary Work Was To Be Borne In Its Own Time. (1Tim. 2:6)

·       The same God who desires the salvation of all men and provided the way of salvation for all men, has decreed that the gospel message should go out in this age in which we live.

·       All of this is designed to demonstrate the overwhelming longing on the part of God to save and bless mankind.

2) Paul Was One Of These Messenger! (1Tim. 2:6-7)

·       He Was A Preacher (The Herald Of The King).

o   As a final evidence of God’s desire for the salvation of all men, Paul states that he was “ordained” or appointed a preacher and an apostle to the Gentiles.

·       Then, as now, Gentiles constituted the greater portion of the population of the world.

·       It was not to one small segment of mankind, such as the Jews, that the apostle was sent, but rather to the Gentile nations.

o   Paul had been appointed a preacher (herald or messenger; see 2 Tim. 1:11).

·       A preacher is literally a proclaimer of the gospel.

·       He was to declare the gospel to the majority of the human race, not only to the Jews.

·       A herald was one who brought important news, much like our announcers at important events or like political ambassadors.

·       Thus, as Paul reminded the Ephesians, it can be seen that God desires everyone to be saved.

·       He was An Apostle (One Sent With A Special Commission). (1Tim. 2:7)

o   He speaks of himself as an apostle also.

·       The duties of an apostle may be somewhat broader—he not only preaches the gospel but plants churches, guides local churches in matters of order and discipline, and speaks with authority as one sent by the Lord Jesus Christ.

·       He operated with a sense of divine commission (1 Cor 15:7-11).

·       He was sent by God on a mission to establish Gospel ministries abroad.

o   Those who felt that the gospel was only for Jews in the Ephesian Church  were evidently being corrected.

·       This was a common problem, remember the case of Peter (Acts 10:9-43; Gal. 2:11-13).

·       Thus Paul cited his own commission as apostle . . . to the Gentiles as a clincher.

·       He was A Teacher. He was one who expounds the word of God in such a manner that it will be understood by the people. (1Tim. 2:7)

o   To give added emphasis to what he is saying, Paul confirms his claim to be a teacher of the Gentiles by the words “I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not.”

o   Teacher of the Gentiles describes the ministry to which Paul had been commissioned (see Acts 9:15; Rom. 11:13).

·       Faith refers to one’s initial salvation (justification);

·       Verity (truth) relates to the believer’s growth in salvation (sanctification).

·       Paul was called not only to preach the gospel to the Gentiles but also to guide their growth in the truth.

·       This is why he left Timothy at Ephesus. Timothy was to charge the Ephesians not to teach other doctrines, fables, or endless genealogies (1:4).

o   The words “in faith and verity” may describe the faithful and honest way in which the apostle carried out his teaching ministry, but more probably they describe the contents of his teaching. In other words, he taught the Gentiles in matters pertaining to faith and verity. (1Tim. 2:6)

o   Paul’s assurances of his truthfulness were stylistic devices designed to stress the importance of his point (Rom. 9:1; 2 Cor. 11:31; Gal. 1:20).

b. The same God who ordains the end (the salvation of the lost) also ordains the means to the end: prayer and preaching of the Word. This Good News ministry should still define us today. 

c. If the basis for prayer is the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the cross, then prayer is a most important activity in a church.

·       Not to pray is to slight the cross! To pray only for ourselves is to deny the worldwide outreach of the cross. To ignore lost souls is to ignore the cross.

·       “All men” [people] is the key to this paragraph: We pray for “all” because Christ died for “all” and it is God’s will that “all” be saved. We must give ourselves to God to be a part of His worldwide program to reach people before it is too late.

 

Our Prayer Focus Can Influence the World

“Our Prayer Focus Can Influence the World”

Spiritual Leadership in the Church Series

1 Tim 2:1-4

THEME: the church is to conduct its services with order.

RELEVANCE:

Often, what we think is the “freedom of the Spirit” are the carnal ideas of some Christian who is not walking in the Spirit. Eventually this “freedom” becomes anarchy, and the Spirit grieves as a church gradually moves away from the standards of God’s Word.

INTRODUCTION:

To counteract this tendency, Paul exhorted the men and women in the church and reminded them of their spiritual responsibilities. Paul's urge, “I exhort therefore,” echoed his original mission for Timothy (1:3). False teaching had to be challenged, and right actions needed to be reinforced.

MESSAGE: 

The Focus Of Prayer (1Tim. 2:1c-2).

1. “All Men” Makes It Clear That No Person On Earth Is Outside The Influence Of Believing Prayer.

a. Although God is all-powerful and all-knowing, he has chosen to let us participate in His changes in the world through our prayers. How this works is a mystery to us because of our limited understanding, but it is a reality. 

b.     This verse highlights the words “for all men” everyone.

1.     We often miss the inclusiveness of these words and focus instead on the examples that Paul immediately gave.

2.     Prayer for all men is both a privilege and an obligation.

·       It is a sheer privilege for us to have audience with God in behalf of our fellow men.

·       And it is an obligation, too, for we are debtors to all with reference to the good news of salvation.

·       This passage means we should pray for the unsaved and the saved, for people near us and people far away, for enemies as well as friends.

c. We have no examples of encouragement that say we should pray for the dead. If we should pray for the dead, Paul certainly had a good opportunity to tell us in this section of his letter.

d. Unfortunately, the Pharisees did not have this universal outlook in their prayers, for they centered their attention primarily on Israel.

·       “The wider the subjects for prayer, the larger becomes the vision of the soul that prays.” -- Donald Guthrie

·       Missions and Missionary Praying can certainly be included here.

2. Paul Urged The Church To Especially Pray For Those In Authority.  (1 Tim 2:2)

a.     Kings.

                              1. Godless Emperor Nero was on the throne at that time, and yet the believers were supposed to pray for him!

·       “Paul's command to pray for kings was remarkable considering that Nero, a notoriously cruel ruler, was the current emperor (A.D. 54-68). When Paul wrote this letter, persecution was a growing threat to believers. Later, when Nero needed a scapegoat for the great fire that destroyed much of Rome in A.D. 64, he blamed the Roman Christians so as to take the focus off himself. That triggered severe persecution throughout the Roman Empire. Not only were Christians denied certain privileges in society; some were even publicly butchered, burned, or fed to lions.” --- (from The Life Application Commentary Series) 

·       Even when we cannot respect men or women in authority, we must respect their offices and pray for them.

·       But believers are taught to support the government, not rebel against it (Rom 13:1-6; 1 Peter 2:13-25).

2. “Christian public prayers for the emperor and provincial and local officials showed Christians as good citizens of the society in which they lived (Jer 29:7). Paul's motive is more than keeping peace (1 Tim 2:2); it is also to proclaim the *gospel (2:3-4).” --- (Craig S. Keener)

·       Jeremiah 29:7, And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

·       Elsewhere, Paul has reminded us that the authorities that exist are ordained of God (Rom. 13:1) and that they are ministers of God to us for good (Rom. 13:4). 

·       “The NT teaches that a Christian is to be loyal to the government under which he lives, except when that government orders him to disobey God. In such a case his first responsibility is to God. A Christian should not engage in revolution or in violence against the government. He may simply refuse to obey any order that is contrary to the word of God and then quietly and submissively take the punishment.” –William MacDonald

b.     Authorities (1 Tim 2:2)

1.     “[All that are in authority] This does not necessarily mean those who hold office, but refers to any of elevated rank. The happiness of all who are under their control depends greatly on them, and hence we should pray for them that they may be converted people, and inclined to do that which is right.” --- (from Barnes' Notes) 

2.     If we live in a country with a good government, our lives move along peacefully and quietly, making it difficult to remember to pray for those in authority. We take good government for granted.

·       But we should pray for those at the top -- whether we agree with them or not, whether we voted for them or not. In this way, we Christians can make a difference in the course of our nation.

·       We should also pray for world leaders so that other cultures will be open to the gospel.

·       Pray for your leaders, not just in times of national crisis, but every day -- thousands of decisions are made daily that affect everyone. And beyond praying for those decisions that will affect you, also pray for the conversion of your leaders.

c.      Their Realm of Influence.

1.     In fact, it is for our own good that we pray for them: “that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:2b). The early church was always subject to opposition and persecution, so it was wise to pray for those in authority.

2.     “Quiet” refers to circumstances around us, while “peaceful” refers to a calm attitude within us. The results should be lives that are godly and honorable.

3.     It is for our own good that the government should be stable and that the country be preserved from revolution, civil war, turmoil, and anarchy.

4.     To be sure, Paul has not named all the persons we can and should pray for, since “all men” covers the matter fully. We can’t pray for everybody in the world by name, but we certainly ought to pray for those we know and know about. Why? Because it’s a good thing to do and because it pleases God.

The Reasons For Prayer (1 Tim. 2:3–4).

            1. Its Good.

·       The word “good” is a key word in Paul’s pastoral epistles (1 Tim. 1:8, 18; 2:3; 3:1, 7, 13; 4:4, 6; 5:4, 10, 25; 6:12–13, 18–19; 2 Tim. 1:14; 2:3; 4:7; Titus 2:7, 14; 3:8, 14).

·       The Greek word emphasizes the idea of something being intrinsically good, not just good in its effects. “Fair” and “beautiful” are synonyms.

·       Certainly prayer of itself is a goodly practice, and brings with it many good benefits.

2. It is Acceptable.  Prayer Is Also Pleasing To The Lord.

·       It pleases the Father when His children pray as He has commanded them to.

1.     The Pharisees prayed in order to be praised by men (Matt. 6:5) or to impress other worshipers (Luke 18:9–14).

2.     True Christians pray in order to please God.

o   “acceptable in the sight of God our Savior”

o   “As in modern times, some in the Ephesian church were prepared to question the validity of a prayer for the salvation of all men. Thus Paul defended his instructions by pointing out that such a prayer is good, and pleases God our Savior (cf. 1:1). Literally, the Greek says that such a prayer is “acceptable before” (in the presence of) God. Many prayers are unacceptable to God, but not this one.

The reason this prayer is acceptable to God is that it is a prayer “according to His will” (1 John 5:14). God, who is by nature a Savior, wants all men to be saved.” ---Walvoord, J. F. 

o   “The title which Paul gives to God here is significant. God’s desire is for the salvation of all men. Therefore, to pray for all men is to promote the will of God in this regard.” ---William MacDonald 

3.  It is God’s Will. (1Tim. 2:4)  “Who will have”                                                 

·       This suggests that we must pray in the will of God, because it certainly does not please the Father when we pray selfishly (James 4:1–10; 1 John 5:14–15).

o   James 4:2-3, Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. [3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

o   1 John 5:14-15, And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: [15] And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

o   1 John 3:22, And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

·       It’s often said that the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth.

4.  It is for the Salvation of People. (1Tim. 2:4)  “Who will have all men to be saved”

Prayer Should be made for the Salvation of Souls.

a.     What is God’s will?

1. The Salvation Of Lost Souls, For One Thing.

·       We can pray for “all men” because it is God’s will that “all men” come to the knowledge of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 

·       This explains further what we have already pointed out in verse 3. God desires all men to be saved (Ezek. 33:11; John 3:16; 2 Pet. 3:9). Therefore, we should pray for all men everywhere.

·       God loved the world (John 3:16) and Christ died for the whole world (1 John 2:2; 4:14).

·       1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

·       1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

·       Jesus died on the cross that He might draw “all men” to salvation (John 12:32).

o   John 12:32, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 

2. God Desires That No One Perish (2 Peter 3:9), That The Entire Human Race Come To Salvation. He wants all to know the truth through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the Truth (John 14:6).

·       2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

·       Isaiah 45:22, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

3. Of Course Not All Do Come To Salvation; Paul Was Not Teaching Universalism.

·       This is the belief that all men are children of God and do not need a personal salvation from sin. The doctrine of universalism denies many important Bible doctrines, such as man’s lost condition, the necessity of the new birth, the atonement, and the uniqueness of Christ as The Savior.  

a.      This verse does not mean all people will be automatically saved without exception, for certainly the whole world is not going to be saved.

b.     It does means all people without distinction—Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, religious and pagan.

·       “From this, it should be clear that this verse does not teach universal salvation. Although God desires that all men should be saved, yet not all men will be saved. It was not initially God’s will that the children of Israel should wander for thirty-eight years in the wilderness; yet they did it just the same. He permitted it, but it was not the pathway of blessing which He had planned for them.” ---MacDonald, W.

b.     If God doesn’t want anyone to perish, then why are so many lost? (1Tim. 2:4)

1. God Is Long-Suffering With Lost Sinners, Even Delaying His Judgment That They Might Come To Christ (2 Peter 3:9).

2. But Salvation Depends On A “Knowledge Of The Truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).

·       Not everyone has heard the truth of the Gospel, and

·       Many who have heard have rejected it.

3.     We Cannot Explain The Mystery Of God’s Sovereignty And Man’s Responsibility. 

·       John 6:37, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  

·       But realize that both are taught in the Bible and are harmonized in God’s great plan of salvation.

a.      This verse (1Tim. 2:4) sets forth clearly the divine and the human aspects of salvation.

b.     The first half of the verse indicates that man must be saved. The verb here is passive; man cannot save himself but must be saved by God. This is the divine side of salvation.

c.      In order to be saved, man must come unto the knowledge of the truth. God does not save men against their will. He does not populate heaven with rebellious subjects. Man must come to Him who said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” This is the human side.

4.     We Do Know That Prayer Is An Important Part Of God’s Program For Reaching A Lost World.

a.      We have the responsibility of praying for lost souls (Rom. 10:1). 

·       Romans 10:1, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.   

b.     And to Make ourselves available to share the Gospel with others.

 

CONCLUSION:

Men should seek to maintain an atmosphere of holiness and unity in the church (1 Tim. 2:8).