A Gospel for everyone (1Tim 2:1-7)

In 2007, Tearfund, a leading Christian relief and development agency, published a report at the launch of the Tearfund Global Poverty Prayer Week. In the report they detailed some interesting statistics about prayer and praying Christians in the UK. It was found that 20million adults in the UK pray outside the normal church services. Of those 20 million, 1 in 5 of us pray at least once a month, 1 in 4 once a week and 1 in every 6 who pray do so every day.

When asked ‘Why do they pray?’

Almost 12 million believed prayer could change their own lives.

A staggering 68% of people who prayed did so for family and friends.

41% thanked God for something.

But only one quarter of adults, however, who pray regularly prayed for worldwide problems.

It seems to me that we are confused about what to pray to God for. These statistics clearly show the people who pray in the UK pray for different things depending on their circumstances at the time. 41% thanked God – that means 59% of those who pray don’t even give God the courtesy of thanking for his role in our lives, for the things we have, for his gifts of common grace, for his son Jesus dying for us – 59% of us do not even thank God. I don’t know about you, but I was taught as a child to always thank those who gave me anything. I remember every Christmas and Birthday once I had opened the presents, I would spend an hour or so writing thank you letters to my family who had sent presents to me. It was polite, thoughtful and shows you are grateful.

59% of us don’t thank God for his gifts to us and he has given us so much more. I hold my hands up, I am often part of that 59%, when I remember to pray, I quite often forget to thank God for the things he has done for me.

I also find these statistics eye-opening because only 25% of us who pray, pray for the world and the problems there in and 68% pray for friends and family. So it seems we prefer to pray for those we know and love, rather than people we would never have the chance meet, let alone know.

When I became a member of Church of England only a few years ago, I was astounded at the difference in prayer life compared to that of what I was familiar with through the Salvation Army. You see there, when people pray in the meetings they pray off the cuff, they pray from the heart, they pray what is close to them that particular day or week. But here in the Church of England, prayers are regularly held for family and friends and world problems, persecuted Christians around the world, among others.

It would seem Paul’s idea of what we should be praying for has only reached a small percentage of the Christian people today. Only a fraction of those who pray are praying, according to Paul, the correct way. You could perhaps now understand why Paul believes this topic to be of upmost importance. We have forgotten the underlying reason for our prayers.

Verse 1:

Paul has just finished encouraging Timothy to recognise the false teachers and to oppose them. He wants Timothy, a young church leader to ensure the old ways were not given credence and that Christ is given full authority in the Christian’s lives. False teachers were rising up in every church, trying to change the gospel. Some of the facts were changing, some were introducing new rules that had to be followed in order to be close to God, new rituals had to be followed, new beliefs were being shared. Paul believed this was an urgent matter. 1Tim 1:3 Paul urges Timothy to stay in Ephesus to command certain people not to teach false doctrine any longer or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Here again in verse 1 of 1 Tim 2, Paul urges Timothy to use all their prayers to God for the purpose of praying for all people.

All our petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings is to be made for all people. There is no hint here that Paul is referring only to those who are saved or those who just attend the church, therefore, it is more likely he means we must pray for all people.

As if to confirm this astounding command, Paul reiterates this important idea four times in the first 7 verses.

V1 for all people

V4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth

V6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people

V7 and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles

4 times Paul says we must focus our effort as Christians on all people, including those who teach false gospels, those who are against the Christian movement, those would persecute Christians, everyone.

V2 confirms this by reminding us that all in authority over us is put in power by God. Romans 13:4 calls them God’s servants. Irrespective of whether they are Christians or not, God has put them in places of authority to govern his people. This is why Paul urges the Christians in Rome to submit to all authority in a prayerful thanksgiving. This has to be so, in order for us to live in a stable society, where the church is free to obey God’s commands, worship God and spread his gospel. We are told we must pray for them that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

So, we are to use all our prayers for all people, not just those we know and love, not just for ourselves, not just for our friends and family, but for all people, everywhere, whatever their status is in society. All our petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people. But why is Paul insistent here, why does he believe this is so important?

Obviously, there was the threat of false teaching sweeping across the Christian world, something that seems to have taken root in our society today. We all do it, it is so easy to do. When I attended the Salvation Army, I loved being a part of the band and songsters. I loved wearing the uniform as a statement to everybody that I was saved to serve. I abstained from drinking alcohol, doing things on Sunday that were not church-related, selling Salvation Army newspapers to raise church funds on Friday night around the town pubs. I loved and cherished everything the Salvation Army stood for. What I didn’t know was a lot of what I believed to be essential for being a Christian was nowhere declared in the Bible. The gospel is not about wearing a uniform to stand out from others, it is not about controlling what food or drinks you take or not, the gospel is about having a relationship with Christ our Saviour.

If we pray for all people to hear the gospel of Christ, the gospel itself, powerful enough to change even the vilest offender’s life, if we as today’s Christians pray all prayers for all people, then God as it says in verse 3 will be pleased because he wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

What is that truth?

V5-6

That is the simple truth. A truth that is clear and life changing. A truth that convicts our very soul of the sins we choose to live. There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

If you will, please turn to John 3:16-18 and re-read that famous verses we all have been taught time and time again.

John 3:16

What did God do? He sent his Son.

Why did he do it? God loved the world.

John 3:17

What was God’s primary purpose in sending Christ? To save the world through him.

What did he not intend on doing by sending his Son? Condemn the world

John 3:18

What happens to those who believe? They are not condemned.

What happens to those who do not believe? They are already condemned.

What does this tell us about what God knows will likely happen when he sends his Son to save the world? Not everyone will be saved.

You see, God knows not everyone will be saved. Many will choose to ignore the truth, as John 3 goes on to describe - they choose to live in the darkness because they don’t want their sins revealed to all in the light and so are already condemned. There is nothing we as Christians can do for these people other than to pray for them consistently, all our petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings must be directed toward them. Our prayers must focus on these people.

The other reason many will not be saved is because they have not heard the truth. They have not heard v5 and 6 of tonight’s passage. They have not heard about the Christ who was a man who gave his own live for all people, for them. They are none-the-wiser and because we have not gone out to spread the gospel to them, they are condemned.

How does that make you feel?

I can tell you it makes me feel terrible. As terrible as me walking by a homeless man on the streets of Preston without stopping and speaking. Without given him a cup of tea or a blanket. Without acknowledging him as a human being. Prejudging his position as one he dealt as opposed to society.

It’s alright for me, I have heard the Gospel, I know I’m heading for eternal life because I believe in the name of Christ. But what about that homeless man? What about the Syrians who have never heard of Christ? What about the Muslims, the Hindus, the Atheists? Its times like this, I am so glad God forgives our mistakes.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that we have to give up our lives here and go to some treacherous region of the world, putting our life at risk for the sake of sharing the gospel to those who have not heard the truth. Although, if you have that calling and you believe in your heart that is what God wants to do, then by all means go and do it. But Paul is not saying that here. Remember this letter was to Timothy who, in chapter 1 was urged to remain with the young Christians in Ephesus. He was not told to go to all the regions of the world to share the gospel, rather stay at home with the people he knows and those he lives nearby. That was Timothy’s mission.

That is our mission. With the way society is going. God is being pushed out in every area. We, as Christians are feeling the pinch of society as they go out of their way to re-write God’s law, they ignore the teachings of the Scriptures and they stop trusting the truth, they’ve become false teachers. We are forced to walk on eggshells for fearing to offend someone in some part of society, whether it be Homosexuality, Muslim, Atheist or anything of the like that stands up against the Gospel. In a society that believes there are 63 different genders, that a child of 3 is allowed to consider themselves as transgender and a Christian Bakery is sued for refusing to bake a cake because of their beliefs, it is ever so more important to pray for all people that they hear and believe the Word of God.