Corporate Prayer as a Means of Grace (3)

Introduction: The Terrifying and Joyful Knowledge of God

0:04 The message was delivered on Sunday morning, March 27, 1994, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Will you turn with me in your own Bibles, please, to Paul's first letter to Timothy, 1 Timothy and chapter 2. 1 Timothy, chapter 2, and I shall read the first eight verses of this chapter. I exhort, therefore, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings, and all that are in high place, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.

1:19 For there is one God, one mediator between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony to be born in its own times, whereunto I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, I speak the truth, I lie not, a teacher. I am a preacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire, therefore, that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without wrath and disputing. Let us pray and ask the help of God, not only in terms of the Spirit's ministry of illumination, as some of you have perhaps already detected, I've been struggling with a cold, that is affecting my vocal cords and my sinus passages, and pray that God will undertake and sustain us and enable us to deliver his truth by the enablement of the Spirit. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for the very powerful and repeated reminders you have already given to us in this hour of worship,

2:47 that we are utterly, completely known, by you. Many of us can remember a time when this truth terrified us. We sought to drive it from our minds that you looked upon us in our unwashed, guilty, vile, foul, and hell-deserving state. And now we come as your children rejoicing in the thought that you know us, rejoicing that you know our frame. You remember that we are dust. And having cleansed us in the blood of your dear Son and adopted us into your family, we now come with joy in the knowledge that you know us all together. And we pray that out of your perfect knowledge of all of our individual needs and of our corporate needs as a church, you would grant every dimension of grace to us. May we be strengthened with grace that is in our Lord Jesus and is needed for this hour and pour it down upon us in copious measures. May we be strengthened with might by the Spirit

4:07 according to no lesser standard than the riches of your glory. Hear us and answer us, we plead in Jesus' name. Amen. The Bible contains a verse.

The Amazing Reality of God Answering Prayer and Corporate Means of Grace

4:29 The Bible is the merciful storehouse of truths which, when soberly contemplated, cause every reflective mind to feel that it is being stretched to the very breaking point. With reference to many realities unfolded in the pages of the Word of God, a humble, believing man or woman will be driven again and again to exclaim with the apostle in Romans 11, 133, O the death of the riches, both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways tracing out. Now one such reality revealed in the scriptures which cannot help but almost in one sense paralyze the mind and yet on the other hand provoke the spirit to praise is the fact that the God of heaven actually hears and answers the cries of his pathetically weak and sinful creatures on earth who cry out to him by means.

5:51 This amazing reality is captured in hundreds of texts in the scripture but surely one such text is Jeremiah 33. In which God declares, call unto me and I will answer you and will show you great and mighty or hidden things which you know not. Now in our ongoing consideration of our determination as a church to maintain a balanced doctrine of the Christian life, we have come to this vital principle that there are no effective substitutes for the God-appointed means of grace in living the Christian life. Having identified and expounded the scriptures relative to the private or individual means of grace, we have for some time been concentrating our attention upon the corporate or the public means of grace. And using Acts 2.42 as a spirit-inspired description, of some of the major public means of grace which were consistently implemented and wonderfully

7:15 blessed by the Spirit of God in the Jerusalem church, we have been seeking to open up what are these public means of grace. And according to Acts 2.42, where we read that they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, in fellowship, and in prayer, we have been seeking the fellowship in the breaking of bread and in the prayers, here we see the Jerusalem church in its steadfast continuance in the public reading, teaching, and preaching of the Word of God, its steadfast continuance in the manifold interaction with the people of God, its steadfast continuance in the special remembrance of the Son of God, and in the forthcoming ministry of the Holy Spirit. Now, having demonstrated from Acts 2.42 that the term, continuing steadfastly in the prayers, has reference to the corporate or social prayers of the Jerusalem church in contrast to their individual or secret prayers.

8:36 We spent two Lord's Days examining what I called the unique promise of our Lord with respect to corporate prayer. And I attempted to open up Matthew 18, 19, and 20 as foundational to our perspectives on this means of grace, namely corporate prayer. And I began with this unique promise deliberately. I began with the promise that nothing should so excite the heart of a true believer than to understand at least some aspect of this marvelous promise of our blessed Lord with respect to corporate prayer that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching what they shall ask, it shall be done of my Father who is in heaven for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there is a God. There is a God. There is a God. am I the midst of them. And if you were not here and there were part of this assembly

The Manifold Mandate of Our Lord: Apostolic Directives as Christ's Commandments

9:45 when those two sermons were preached, and I rarely say this, please take them out of the tape lending library or purchase those tapes from the Trinity bookstore because they are crucial, they are crucial to our ongoing development and maturation as a congregation with reference to this God-appointed means of grace, namely our corporate prayers. Now having contemplated the unique promise of our Lord in connection with corporate prayer, I want to begin with you this morning a consideration of the manifold mandate of our Lord regarding the duty of corporate prayer. We began with promise, now we turn to duty, and we'll be considering for several Lord's days the manifold mandate of our Lord regarding the duty of corporate prayer. And as we turn to the scriptures to consider the manifold mandate concerning the duty of corporate prayer, let me remind you of a...

11:07 This is a very simple but very vital fact. It is the fact that apostolic directives to the churches are nothing short of the very commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Please turn to 1 Corinthians for just a moment as by way of introduction I justify speaking of the manifold mandate of our Lord in connection with corporate prayer. In conjunction with corporate prayer, while turning you to statements in the apostolic letters. In 1 Corinthians chapter one, verses one and two, Paul identifies himself and those to whom he is writing. Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ to the will of God and sostenes our brother unto the Church of God which is the Church of His name. The apostle's name where the church stands is the name of God, where Jesus Christ is God and the order of the Holy Spirit. And where God is called, to be the judge, for God's

12:07 will. These words are an absolute fact. These are the words that have been uttered in the at Corinth. Paul, conscious of his identity as an apostle, writes to the congregation of the people of God who gather in the city of Corinth. And in chapter 14 of this letter, a section in which he has been sorting out the mess created by the ongoing charismatic free-for-all that was the hallmark of their public gatherings, and Paul has been giving specific directions about tongues and prophecy in particular. He writes in verse 33b, as in all the churches of the saints, 1 Corinthians 14, 33b, as in all the churches of the saints, let the women keep silence in the churches.

13:05 For it is not permitted unto them to speak, but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law. And if they would learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. What? Was it from you that the word of God went forth, or came it unto you alone? If any man thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord. Now it is that simple statement that epitomizes the uniqueness of the apostles in the purpose and plan of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were given a unique and irreplaceable position of authority to establish his will and law

14:17 for the churches for all ages. Therefore the church, in its new covenant, full blossoming characteristic, is described in Ephesians 2.20 as the church built upon the foundation of the church. The church is the foundation of the church. The church is the foundation of the church.

14:38 The apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. God is adding no materials to the foundation of his church since the death of the last of the apostles. Their teaching, insofar as it is embodied in the apostolic writings as they are contained in the New Testament, They are foundation material, and as long as the church grows until the last living stone is placed in and our Lord Jesus returns, not one square millimeter of foundation material is being added to that church. The teaching of the apostles is teaching with absolutely unique authority according to the will and purpose of the Lord Jesus.

15:45 Therefore, the apostle can say that as he is establishing practices at current, that he establishes universally among all the churches with regard to gender functions in public places, ministry, these directives are nothing short of the very commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Now, why do I emphasize that? Well, I could emphasize it for many reasons, but I do it this morning for this very simple and central reason. We must do all to nurture the direct lines of communication and communication and the communion between ourselves and the Lord Jesus Christ and resist anything that would distance our hearts in their affections and in their choices from direct dealings with the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, when we turn to 1 Timothy chapter 2, as we shall do in a few moments, we must not picture ourselves as being distanced from Christ and sitting at the feet of the apostle Paul

17:09 to receive this manifold mandate with respect to corporate prayer, but as we so often sing, we are seated at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ himself. Blessed Jesus at thy feet, we are gathered all to hear thee. And when we come to the apostolic writings as the people of God, we must consciously think in these terms. These are the words of my blessed Lord.

17:48 These are the words of the one who loved me and paid himself for me. These are the words of my great prophet as well as my priest and my king. Lord Jesus, may I know heart communion with you. As you speak to me in and through your word.

18:08 And in a sense, it's irrelevant whether the human instrument is Paul or Peter or James or John. For behind all of those human instruments is our blessed Lord himself communing with us in the apostolic word and drawing us into an intensified measure of communion and fellowship. So as we contemplated the unique promise of our Lord with respect to corporate prayer and there we were dealing with the actual words of Jesus as recorded by Matthew, we are not now coming to words that have just a few degrees less of divine authority or of the mind of Christ. May I say this? That reverently these words ought to be received as the word of Christ as much as if Christ had spoken them in the gospel records. For Paul says the mark of one who is in tune with spiritual reality is this.

19:20 He will recognize that what I write as an apostle of Christ is nothing short of the very entole, the very commandment of the Lord.

The Most Clear and Crucial Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-8

19:34 For that rather lengthy introduction that I felt vital introduction while I am using the same terminology having contemplated our Lord's unique promise, we now will consider our Lord's manifold mandate concerning corporate prayer. And I shall do so along two lines. The first this morning and God willing the second two weeks from today. The most clear and crucial text that's my task today and then God willing two weeks from today the many convincing and confirming texts that set forth the manifold mandate of our Lord regarding the duty of corporate prayer. Now this morning the most clear and crucial text and I've already indicated what I believe that text to be and it is found in the passage read in your hearing or it is the passage read in your hearing 1st Timothy chapter 2 verses 1 through 8. If I were asked Pastor Martin what do you believe is the clearest word from the Lord Jesus concerning the duty of corporate prayer I would answer without any reservations.

21:04 I believe the clearest text in all of scripture is 1st Timothy 2 verses 1 and as I attempt to think through this passage with you we shall do so under three heads first of all noting the framework of the mandate for corporate prayer secondly the essence of the mandate for corporate prayer and then thirdly the implementation of the mandate for corporate prayer. First of all then the framework of the mandate for corporate prayer. These words of 1st Timothy 2 1 and following should carry unusual weight with any of the people of God in any age in any set of circumstances where they found in any letter from any apostle. For example if there was in Ephesians chapter 7 and it were to begin with the words I exhort therefore first of all that supplications prayers intercession thanksgiving be made for all men I am saying that those words found in any setting from the pen of any apostle in any letter written by a bona fide apostle should carry unusual weight for the subject matter obviously is the issue

22:32 of corporate prayer and the duty of the church to give herself to corporate prayer. However they carry even a more unusual matter measure of weight because they come in a framework where the explicit concern of the apostle is the issue of the patterns and standards of church life which Christ desires to see prevailing at Ephesus. The particular setting of these words is a setting in which the burden of Christ through his apostle Paul is focused upon patterns and standards of church life. Now how do we know that? We know that from looking at chapter 3 verses 14 and 15 of this epistle. These things write I unto you hoping to come unto you shortly.

23:43 By tarry long I have sanctified sanctified desires I have sanctified prayerfully laid plans have no direct revelatory message from God that my sanctified plans and desires will be realized therefore if they are frustrated if I tarry long that you may know how men to behave themselves in the house of God which is the church of the living God the pillar and the ground of the truth. If we clear away some of the subordinate clauses to feel the thrust of what Paul is saying this is what he says. Timothy these things I write unto you that you may know men ought to behave themselves in the church ah do you feel the weight of it these things I write unto you that men may know how they ought to behave themselves in the church and the word ought is a little particle of necessity

25:12 that has tremendous force duty responsibility it's an inescapable directive and the apostle says the great passion and burden of my heart Timothy is that I am concerned that there at Ephesus men will be absolutely clear concerning the kind of behavior that is mandated by the Lord of the church even Christ himself. So you see the framework of this mandate for corporate prayer is very significant. Why? While it is true that 2nd Timothy 3 16 and 17 teaches that all scripture is God breathed and profitable for doctrine reproof correction instruction in righteousness it is equally true that here in 1st Timothy there is a density of materials a concentrated focus of data relative to church behavior. While we glean from old and new testaments principles and precepts to guide the church in its overall behavior do you feel the force of the fact that this epistle

26:40 has as its focused concentrated point of burden regulating behavior in the church of the living God. Therefore ignorance of or indifference to the precepts and perspectives of this letter with respect to the corporate life of any church which professes to desire to please Christ is peculiarly culpable and perverse.

27:18 I view strong words chosen and carefully we profess to be a company of disciples who want to please Christ not only in the chambers of our hearts where thoughts are generated which only God and we know we desire to please him in our homes in our relative relationships to husbands wives children in the place of business but surely we desire that in this place in our corporate life the will of Jesus Christ the head of the church will be done therefore ignorance of or indifference to the precepts and perspectives of this epistle in particular written that we might how we ought to behave ourselves in the church of the living God surely such ignorance or indifference makes us peculiarly culpable and manifest a horribly perverse spirit and so this mandate that I believe is the most clear and crucial text on the subject comes in a framework which presses the mandate upon us with unusual spiritual pressure having then considered the framework of the mandate for corporate

The Essence of the Mandate: Critical Place, Comprehensive Elements, All-Embracing Scope

28:47 prayer now note with me secondly the essence of the mandate for corporate prayer the essence of this mandate falls very neatly into three categories the critical place assigned to corporate prayer secondly the comprehensive element of corporate prayer and thirdly the all-embracing scope of the mandate for corporate prayer first of all as we look at the essence of this mandate for corporate prayer we note the critical place assigned to corporate prayer notice how the chapter begins I exhort therefore first supplications intercessions thanksgivings be made for all men now the word translated in the American standards therefore some render it now the exact connection and inference from that connective is difficult to ascertain some commentators say it is a mild illative particle that's a fancy word for a word that's just used to let you know you're making a transition when I look at my notes often at particularly as I write out word for word

30:17 my introductions I move from one thought to another by starting the next sentence with the word now and it has no great significance and we do that in common usage and some responsible commentators say that we have a weak illative particle that is just letting us know that Paul is leaving the subject in which he has been exhorting Timothy at the end of the first chapter with respect to the spiritual dangers that others have faced and before which they have fallen but now as he begins to address specifically this matter of behavior in the house of God he makes the transition with the therefore I exhort therefore or now but this much is clear first in other words as I now begin to focus on specific aspects of behavior in the church of God of all in the number of many things to come first in importance with respect to behavior in the house of God and what is the first concern it has to do with the prayers of the church at Ephesus it has to do with the company of the people of God at Ephesus and their experience

31:45 of corporate prayer so we see in the essence of this mandate the critical place assigned to corporate prayer by the Lord Jesus Christ himself through his apostle therefore any church that reflects submission to Christ will make it evident that corporate prayer has a place of primacy in its corporate life it seems to me that it's an unavoidable conclusion from the language when the church meets for worship though there are the elements of praise in psalms and in hymns framed by the truth of scripture and though there is the exposition and the application of the word of God it is right that on the threshold of our worship we should corporately pray and make it evident that we are dependent upon the God of heaven for his grace to rest upon us it is right that throughout our service of worship there should be seasons when we are led in prayer for the needs of the people of God and the work of

33:14 God and the servants of God and the cause of God throughout the earth in any kind of biblically directed worship surely prayer will form an integral a central a primary place in such worship but beyond that as we consider this passage and the things that are mandated as part of the corporate prayer responsibility of the church this can't be done simply by having sporadic places in our seasons of worship where we pray but there must be seasons when the people of God gather primarily not to sing praises and not to have the preaching of the word and not to remember the Lord at his table but gather primarily that they might themselves to supplications prayers intercessions thanksgiving for all men for kings and all that are in authority etc. the critical place assigned to corporate prayer mark it well any church that in its corporate life ceases to manifest that it gives to

34:43 corporate prayer a place of kindness has previously departed from the word and will of Jesus Christ as revealed in the scripture just mark it that whatever else in its place whatever I'll come to take up the room when in a place of primacy Christ is no longer regulating the life of that church but then notice secondly as we look at the essence of this mandate for corporate prayer not only the critical place assigned to corporate prayer but the comprehensive elements comprised of corporate prayer or corporate prayer

35:45 note that here as to my knowledge and the commentators are careful to underscore this as in no other passage from his pen the apostle Paul is guided to use four distinct words with reference to prayer I exhort therefore first of all that supplications prayers intercessions thanksgivings be made for all men now there are other passages where he joins intercession or supplication and petition but thanksgiving the familiar Philippians passage be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving they have three elements no other places Ephesians six but here and here alone we have these four elements brought together to demonstrate the comprehensive elements that ought to be part and parcel of the corporate prayer experience of the people of God when you ask Pastor Martin is there some fundamental and clearly defined distinction between these four things supplications prayers intercessions thanksgivings well obviously there are

37:14 certain nuances with each one of the words but the second one is the most generic word for prayer that in other places includes all of the others so to come up with some kind of a technical ironclad insulated definition would be unsound exegetically and philologically and perhaps the best conclusion to which we can come is that to which Patrick Fairbairn the godly and learned Scottish divine came to and expressed in his commentary on this passage he writes the multiplication of terms for this intercessory function is somewhat remarkable petitions and then he gives the Greek word the simple expression of want or need prayers that's the general word for prayer supplications with the subordinate idea of closer dealings entreaties or earnest pleadings the distinction between them cannot be sharply drawn for in several passages certain of them are used where we might have expected others if respect were to be had to the distinctive shade of meaning suggested by the etymology of the various words the variety of expressions is perhaps chiefly to be regarded as indicating the large place the subject

38:44 of intercessory prayer had in the apostles mind and the diverse forms he thought should be given to it according to the circumstances in which relatively to others the people of God might be placed hence thanksgivings were to be added when the conduct of the parties in question was such as to favor the cause of righteousness and truth a fit occasion being thereby presented for grateful acknowledgments to God who had so inclined their hearts that is the leaders who had inclined their hearts to create a climate favorable to the Christian faith and when it is said first of all such thanksgivings and supplications should be offered if the expression is coupled with the acts of devotion referred to it can only mean that they should have a prominent place in worship should on no account be overlooked or treated as a little moment not that anyone should actually have the precedence over others in other words the fair man is saying that when the spirit of God guided Paul to write I exhort therefore first of all that supplications prayers intercessions thanksgiving be made for all men he is not only assigning a critical place to corporate prayer first of all

40:12 but he's concerned that there be this comprehensive engagement in prayer and using what is described in Ephesians six as all prayer every legitimate form of prayer prayer in which we more particularly make pointed requests prayers in which we stand between great need and God as intercessors prayers in which we prostrate our hearts before him and cry out for a manifold spectrum of needs and prayers in which we give thanks to God that his ear is open to the cry of the righteous we give thanks for prayers answered in the past we give thanks in the anticipation of faith for prayers that we believe will yet be answered though we have not seen the answer with our eyes you see it is obvious that unless corporate prayer has a primary place in the life of a church the use of all kinds of prayer will be neglected one simply cannot as a primary function of the church be found given to all of the various kinds of prayer if prayer is pushed off into a secondary place

41:41 in the life of a congregation now as we look at the essence of the mandate for corporate prayer we've noted the criticalness of the mandate for corporate prayer the comprehensive elements of corporate prayer now look at the all embracing scope of this mandate for comprehensive prayer corporate prayer it's to include all men in general verse 1 these all kinds of prayer are to be made for all men to put it bluntly there is never any man any woman any boy any girl whose circumstances are such that they cannot become the legitimate subject of our prayers except the prohibition that John gives and I don't understand the respect to someone who has sinned a certain kind of sin unto death John says I do not ask that you pray for me but with that exception notice how comprehensive this is that intercessions prayers supplications thanksgiving be made for all men in general the church's duty of corporate prayer is to be one in which she stands ready to come before God on behalf of all men that is all men women boys and girls whose concerns come within

43:10 the orbit of her responsibilities in the providence of God and then secondly all men in places of influence in particular for kings and all that are in high place for kings and all that are in high place not only is the all embracing all men in general but all men who in the providence of God have been put in places of influence in particular we are to pray for them my conscience smites me but somehow we must in our corporate prayer experiences of church be more regular and consistent in including an explicit act of obedience to Jesus we are to pray for kings and all that are in high place I hear that some of us spend more time and more words criticizing those in high places and cry to God for them and the great duty of the church is here clearly delineated but it's all embracing stoke is not only all men in general all men in places of influence in particular but all men with respect to the saving purpose of God look at verse 4 who will have all men to be saved

44:40 and come to the knowledge of the truth you see the emphasis upon all men all kings all men is the hope of corporate prayer that we are to plead with God for the salvation of men now hear me careful not on the basis of God's secret decree to save his elect God's secret decree to save his elect is not that which shapes our prayers for men's salvation it determines who will ultimately be but what is to shape our prayers is the goodness revealed in the gospel that is that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked eternally why will he die look unto me all the ends of the earth and be ye saved we are not embarrassed by our biblical particularism when we come to a text like this there is a good will in the heart of God to all men a good will revealed in the gospel and this is exactly what Paul goes on

46:09 to state one God one mediator between God and men himself man Christ Jesus whose salvation is suitable and is offered to all men in the gospel oh how all embracing is the scope of this mandate for corporate prayer and brethren may I say it reverently it can't be done in a minute or two in our Sunday morning service or in seven or eight minutes in the pastoral prayer Sunday morning or Sunday night there must be additional times to engage in such an all embracing scope of corporate prayer for even as we found last Wednesday when the spirit of God gave enlargement in men's hearts praying that the gospel preached in Urdu from that station in the Seychelles Islands would penetrate into the ears and hearts of multitudes we were so drawn out praying for the all men of that section of the world that I had to say brethren the three letters of communication from other churches will have to wait until next Wednesday even in a midweek service of an hour and a half we're constantly frustrated that we find we don't have enough time to even begin to do but this

The Implementation of the Mandate: Who, Where, and How to Pray

47:37 past you feel something of the all embracing scope of this mandate for corporate prayer supplications intercessions thanksgiving be made for all men now that doesn't mean we must pray for every single living individual upon the face of the earth but all men who come within the orbit of our concern in the providence of God with the broadest spectrum of human need are worthy subjects of all kinds of prayer well having sought to lay out before you the framework of this mandate for corporate prayer the essence of the mandate for corporate prayer thirdly and finally we look at the implementation of the mandate for corporate prayer the implementation of this mandate for corporate prayer and it answers the question who is to take the lead where are such prayers to be made and how , are the men to pray look at the text after giving these general directives

49:03 he says verse 8 I desire therefore in the light of this clear mandate in which it is to have a place of primacy first of all in which it is to be evidently comprehensive in its scope in which all kinds of prayer are to be used in the United States today and that I desire therefore that andras that means the male adult male members of the assembly not mankind or men generically that can include men and women he uses the word which refers to adult males I desire therefore that the man pray it is the adult male members who in the corporate assembly of the people of God are to take the lead and be the mouthpiece of the people of God in the special presence of God as we come trusting in that wonderful promise given to us by the Son of God. And here, men, I want to say something to you, not just the elders and the deacons.

50:30 Why do you need to study the prayers of the Bible Ezra 9, Nehemiah 9, Daniel 9? Why do you need to study the prayers that Paul prayed for the churches? Ephesians 1, Ephesians 3, Philippians 1, Colossians 1? If you are to fulfill this responsibility, the apostle doesn't say, I desire therefore that the elders pray in every place.

51:00 He speaks about elders and bishops in chapter 3. He speaks about them again in chapter 4. In chapter 5, he could have used the word he said, the men, the adult males, in general, those who are part of the assembly, the burden to be those who lead in prayer is theirs.

51:22 This is why you need to pour over the recorded prayers of the Bible that when you stand to be our mouthpiece at the throne of grace without even consciously attempting to quote them portions of the Psalms, these great prayers recorded in the Bible would pour out of you and your very prayers will be hammered out upon the anvil of Holy Scripture. This is why you need to get Matthew Henry's recently reprinted book on prayer and read the section on public prayer and perhaps get Samuel Miller's book on public prayer. All of the men to seek to stir up within you the gift of public prayer and to prayerfully study and analyze how to pray unto edification. Rarely is there a man who by sheer divine endowment of the Spirit of God will pray unto edification over the long haul without making it a matter of conscious prayerful study anymore. Then rarely is there a man who will be able to preach with any sustained long-term edification who doesn't make preaching an object of lifetime study and labor. Presence.

52:39 Presence. And power of the Holy Ghost is not given to negate our labors but to make them effectual. This is why Paul said to Timothy, do your utmost to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who needs not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth. He didn't say, Timothy, go off and fast and pray three days a week and then you'll come out and be a workman who needs not to be ashamed.

53:02 He said, no, you must study. You must apply yourself. You must do your utmost. He said, Timothy, stir into play the gift of God that is in thee with the laying on of my hands.

53:12 It was a divine endowment that you must stir it up. Brethren, brethren, are you...

53:20 The gift of public prayer. I never thought of it. Oh, I hope you've thought of it this morning. And I hope you've seen what the Word of God says, the implementation of the mandate for corporate prayer.

53:32 Who is to take the lead? I desire, therefore, and remember Paul's words, I desire are the words of your spirit, the Savior speaking to you, redeemed by his own blood, saying to you, my son, my purchased one, I desire that you pray. I desire that you pray. And if you love Christ and you love his people and you want your prayers to be an instrument of edification, prayers to which the brothers and sisters can add the amen of an unreserved and hearty affirmation, yes, Lord, the praises, the confessions, the petitions, the thanksgiving, the supplications, the intercessions, that brother, oh, the Lord, those frame the yearnings of my heart. Amen. Amen. Who is to take the lead?

54:27 To Zandras, the men. Where is such prayer to be made? Look at the text. I desire, therefore, that the men pray in every place.

54:41 Every place. That is, in every place where the church is gathered. You say, well, where do you get that? Well, just read on.

54:50 In like manner that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel. Verse 11, let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection. I permit not a woman to teach nor to have dominion over a man. He's speaking of the church in its gathered, in its corporate expression with males and females present.

55:12 And he says, not only, who is to take the lead? To Zandras, the men. But where? In every place.

55:22 In every place where the church is gathered. Remember, in our exposition of Matthew 18? Jesus said, where two or three are gathered in my name, at home I will. There!

55:44 See the parallel? I will that the men pray. Where? In every place.

55:49 In every place where the church gathers. When she gathers, with the primary focus being worship and proclamation. When she gathers with the primary focus being remembrance of the Lord at this table. When she gathers for the primary purpose of giving herself to prayer.

56:09 I will that in every place the men pray. And how are those men to pray? Look at the text. Lifting up holy hands and hands.

56:24 Without wrath and disputing. Apparently the ordinary practice in that day in the public setting. Some suggested it was so in the synagogue was that when one prayed he lifted up his hands to heaven. And I'll never forget a dear brother who when I prayed with him privately no one any of you know.

56:47 He always lifted his hands when he prayed privately and he said to me, I love this posture because when a Christian comes to pick up someone who wants to get money from him what's the first thing he says? Pick up your hands. You're helpless. You're defenseless.

57:05 You can't punch him out. And give it to him. You can't tackle. Put your hands up.

57:09 You're defenseless. And he said secondly when the hands are up and open they're reached out for help in heaven. So you stand defenseless helpless and dependent. He said that's why I love to lift my hands.

57:25 It helps me outwardly to take the inward disposition. Now as God is saying that we must lift up our hands I don't believe so because there are other passages where there's no indication that this was true. When our Lord prayed it says he fell upon his face in the garden of death. It says he lifted up his eyes in John 17.

57:48 But the assumption is that in this setting the ordinary posture was one in which a man would lift up his hands. So Paul takes that ordinary practice and he says now I want to make sure that this is not a charade. So when you pray men make sure that what you lift up is holy. That is let the hand that symbolizes the activity of the life be joined to a life that is a holy life.

58:19 Don't live like the devil and come and expect to pray like an angel.

58:25 I will that the men pray yes and pray in every place but pray out of the context not of a sinless life but a holy life. A life in which there is a constant effort to keep a conscience void of offense to God and man. In which when you pray and your wife is next to you she can without any reservation add her amen to your prayer rather than sit there and bite her lip and say oh God if I hear that man pray one more prayer I'm going to scream. What does your wife say when you pray men?

58:59 You say I don't know. We'll go home and ask her today. Say honey when I pray in prayer meeting can your heart add an unreserved amen to my prayers and if not why not and be honest with me dear with judgment day out. Maybe that's why some of you men don't pray when your wife is next to you.

59:22 You can only pray on the nights when she stays home because you know that the hypocrisy would make her vomit up her supper on your lap.

59:38 And then he says without wrath that is you have no horizontal controversy with your brethren.

59:46 Jesus said when you pray stand pray forgive. If you forgive not men neither will your heavenly father forgive you. And the word translated disputing or doubting is a word that can mean one or the other. It speaks of the mind in turmoil and it can be a mind in turmoil with respect to others or to itself.

60:06 And I agree with the commentators who say that in this context it probably means doubting. A mind that unlike that which James described is double minded. Here is the man who stands praying and because he has holy hands he has a conscience void of offense to God and man. He is able to pray in faith and with boldness.

60:29 He stands praying without wrath. His horizontal relationships are what they ought to be. And without doubting he prays as a man of faith. Now you see dear brethren the burden that's upon us is men.

60:49 And what happens in a church where men don't take that burden sooner or later the women who love God and want to obey God will adopt the attitude Lord I know it says that the men ought to pray but it's better if women pray rather than have nobody pray and though that may be what we might call as a noble and almost excusable rationalization of the text it's the open door to a downward slide of spiritual declension and God alone knows where to look. If the men in this place don't pray the answer is not have the women pray the answer is men get right we've got that's the answer stand and pray so I've got a bad conscience about what? Then deal with it when? Today! Today!

61:51 Wednesday you can stand with holy hands without wrath without doubt and pray.

62:01 Does it make sound so simple? Well at the end of the day it is pretty simple isn't it? If you're willing to walk honestly and humbly with God it's not all that complicated it's not all that complicated but it does mean that the words honey I sin will you forgive me they're going to come out of these lips lots of pains kids daddy was wrong when he spoke that way to mommy will you forgive him? Daddy's asked Jesus to forgive him will you forgive daddy?

62:35 You see that's not complicated it's so plain and simple that it's your stinking rotten pride that keeps you from having holy hands able to pray without wrath and without doubt and you women aren't exempt because if you're going to have your amen better not be a hypocritical amen you see the standard of holiness is not a double standard that's why he goes on to address the women and in specifics what holiness will mean for the women in the gathered assembly for when they are gathered and they are given to corporate prayer the women must likewise be a company of holiness holy women for who shall ascend into the hill of God who shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully that applies to men and women alike all dear people this I believe is the primary text in the word of God with respect to the mandate of the given by our Lord for corporate it means that the setting of the mandate the essence of the mandate the implementation of the mandate now I ask you as we conclude this morning

Conclusion: God-Centered Prayer and the Offensiveness of the Gospel

64:02 do you see now why a God-centered climate must be maintained that any church is to stay on biblical tracks you see the minute a church becomes man-centered entertainment-centered felt-need-centered it will no longer be a praying church it's only the God-centered church it is a praying church when anything or anyone else takes front center it's only a matter of time before prayer will be pushed to the periphery if it exists at all in such a place furthermore do you see why the Christian faith is so offensive to man by nature it's the faith of helpless dependent creatures and guilty and needy sinners it's the religion that when it flourishes under the power of its own dynamics makes people often and frequent and fervent in saying oh God I need forgiveness oh God I need pardon oh God I need grace oh God we need your power we need your wisdom we need all that you alone can give to be what you've called us to be

65:31 and to do what you've done to us and to do what you've called us to do proud people can't stomach a religion it's made of the stuff of the dependence of creature and sinner upon God but my friends it's either that religion or go to hell with your own ain't no other my unsaved friend though we've been going after the consciences and the minds of God's people you've heard enough to let you know that what we believe this book teaches is as Paul said in this passage why do we need to pray for all men for kings and rulers and those in authority that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity if there might be a climate where the gospel can go forth the gospel that preaches Christ and why is that so important because there is only one God and one mediator between God and man himself man Christ Jesus that's why the prayers of God's people are so crucial because in the purpose of God to bring the name and the power of the salvation of his son to men prayer holds an integral part we have pleaded with God for this service today that unsaved people who came among us would under the preaching of the word come to the awareness that they are lost and undone and under the wrath of God and that their only hope for life and salvation

66:58 is in Jesus Christ in the perfection of his person and work and we beg you to go to that one mediator we don't ask you to come down the front raise a hand bow in the stairs but we tell you right where you are go in repentance and faith to Christ as he sits upon the throne of grace welcoming sinners who will humble themselves and stand up in the pride and say I don't want any of my religion like that God be just the power of my friend one day your knee will bow you'll be humbled you'll sink into hell with a bent knee right sink into hell under the judgment of God and Christ welcome you to come now while the door of mercy is open we pray for you we have prayed for you even this day may God answer those prayers as you go to Christ let us pray our Father we stand amazed again at the wonder of your grace thank you for your precious word and oh God we thank you for this portion that sets out so clearly how we are to behave ourselves in your house forgive us when we have not given

68:26 to corporate prayer the place you've assigned to it forgive those of us in leadership who have not directed your people as we ought forgive me oh God cleanse us all and teach us afresh what it is to be a church that first of all is given to supplications prayers intercessions giving of thanks for all men for kings and rulers and those in authority gracious God we want to be obedient to the word of our Savior give us the grace give us the power we pray that the word brought to the conscience of the unconverted would fasten itself upon them this morning give them no rest until they flee in true repentance and faith to lay hold of the Lord Jesus dismissing this is what your blessing and your grace rest upon us in power in the remainder of this day may we be gathered together again this night under the canopy of your blessed presence we ask in Jesus name