Corporate Prayer as a Means of Grace (4)

Introduction: The Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church and Corporate Prayer

0:03 The message was delivered on Sunday morning, April 17, 1994, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now before we turn to the portion of God's Word that I shall read in your hearing, I do want to announce again, as I have done on several occasions, and both children and parents have encouraged me to believe you have found it helpful to do a little hunt-and-find exercise in the afternoon. God willing, this evening, our simple signpost to the Celestial City will be taken from a verse in the sixth chapter of Romans. And so for those of you who have found this helpful to use it as an exercise of both sanctified reading and a little bit of a sort of a Bible study, again, for a Lord's Day afternoon, Romans 6 contains tonight's signpost. Now if you will turn with me, please, to that same epistle, the letter of Paul to the church at Rome, I would ask you to follow, please, as I read, beginning in verse 22.

1:25 Romans 15 and verse 22.

1:31 Wherefore also I was hindered thee, these many times, from coming to you. But now, having no more any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to come unto you, whensoever I go unto Spain, for I hope to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first in some measure I shall have been satisfied with your company. But now I say, I go unto Jerusalem, ministering unto the saints. For it has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints that are at Jerusalem. Yea, it has been their good pleasure, and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to minister unto them in Christ. And I say unto you, when therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by you unto Spain.

2:47 And I know that when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive, strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judea, and that my ministration which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come unto you in joy through the will of God, and together with you find rest. Now the God of peace, be with you all. Amen. Now when you receive and subsequently open the annual report that is to be made available to you at the conclusion of the service this morning, you will find in the opening report, the report of the elders, that the elder who drafts this report before the rest of us go over it for any additions or alterations, has sought to outline the emphasis of the public ministry of the word of God

4:14 on the Lord's day mornings over the past year. And in conjunction with that ministry in which we have been considering the manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church, you will find this statement. These messages have been a solemn declaration of the biblical truths, which are at the heart of all that we are as a church. We have been called to a heart-searching examination of our biblical roots, and to hold fast our faith in difficult and unbelieving days.

4:55 Perhaps the primary note of concern being expressed is the vital importance of the present generation becoming thoroughly established, upon these biblical foundations, if Trinity Church is to continue to prosper into the 21st century. And that does indeed capture the burden of this series of messages that we've been involved in for some 35 messages a year, over a period of a couple of years, this morning's message being the 106th in that series. And we are presently examining the ninth tenet in that manifesto, namely that we are determined in this place to maintain a balanced New Testament doctrine of conversion, the Christian life, and the mission of the church. Now in drawing towards the conclusion of our consideration of that ninth tenet, focusing our attention upon what constitutes a balanced doctrine of the Christian life, we have considered on a number of Lord's days this very vital principle

6:23 that there are no effective substitutes for the God-appointed means of grace in living the Christian life. Having examined the major private or individual means of grace, we have focused our attention upon the public or corporate means of grace, using the description of the church at Jerusalem in the early days of her experience as a framework and outline to identify and then to flesh out something of these public means of grace. In that text we read concerning the church in Jerusalem, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in the prayers. And we are presently occupied with a consideration of the last of these four public means of grace identified by Luke as he records the history of the church in Jerusalem, namely their continuance in the prayers, that is, in the stated seasons of corporate prayer.

The Mandate for Corporate Prayer: Apostolic Epistles to Congregations

7:51 And in opening up this very vital subject, we examine for two Lord's days the unique promise of our Lord with respect to the corporate prayers of his church. And our text was Matthew 18, verses 19 and 20. Then, two Lord's days ago, the last time we considered this subject, we began to consider the manifold mandate of our Lord regarding the duty of corporate prayer. Having examined the unique promise of our Lord in connection with corporate prayer, we have now moved to contemplate the manifold mandate for this duty of corporate prayer. And having established that directives from the apostles are nothing less than the very commandments of Christ to his church, 1 Corinthians 14, 37, we then examined what I believe to be the most clear and crucial passage concerning the duty of corporate prayer in all of the New Testament, 1 Timothy chapter 2, verses 1 through 8. Now, today, we shall take up

9:17 some additional supportive texts establishing the duty of corporate prayer. And as we do, I believe it's necessary to underscore a very obvious fact, for often it's when we forget the obvious that we get into trouble. And this fact needs to be underscored especially because we live in a climate of crass individualism both in the world and, sad to say, in many churches. And the obvious fact to which I make reference is the fact that the vast majority of what we call our books of the New Testament, the epistles in particular, were written to specific congregations of Christians and that in their original form they would have been read to the entire congregation long before any copies were found in the individual congregations, let alone in the hands of individual Christians. When Paul wrote this letter as we now call the book of Romans, he wrote it, as the opening words indicate, to the church, to the congregation of God's people at Rome.

10:45 The same is true of the letters to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, Thessalonians, and others. And the practice with these letters is clearly indicated in a passage such as Colossians chapter 4, where in verses 15 and 16, Paul writes, Greet the brethren that are in Laodicea and Nymphos and the church that is in their house. And when this epistle has been read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you also read the epistle from Laodicea. These apostolic epistles would be circulated among the churches and would be read in the churches. Now, my reason for making that point, I trust, will become increasingly obvious as we attempt to look at some of the additional supported texts establishing the duty of corporate prayer. The foundational text in 1 Timothy 2, 1-8 is very clear.

12:12 Paul is writing and he tells us he is writing in order to give directives for behavior in the church. 1 Timothy 3 and verse 15. And with respect to behavior in the church, he says, I will therefore first of all that prayers, supplication, intercession, giving of thanks be made for all men. I will that the men pray in every place.

12:42 Though that is the foundational text, and in the context of the whole purpose of 1 Timothy, there is absolutely no question that it is a clear directive concerning the duty as well as the drift and concern of corporate prayer. There are also many supported texts scattered throughout the epistles. Time permitting, we shall look only at three such texts this morning. So those of you who are taking notes, our outline is very simple.

Supportive Text 1: Paul's Entreaty for Prayer in Romans 15:30-32

13:20 We are going to look, Roman numeral number one, several supported texts which establish the duty of corporate prayer, and secondly several vital applications of those texts to us as a congregation. Now the first of those supported texts is the one that I read in your hearing from Romans chapter 15. Romans chapter 15, verses 30 through 32. Romans 15, verses 30 through 32.

13:59 Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judea, and that my ministration, which I have for Jerusalem, may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come unto you in joy, through the will of God, and together with you find rest. Now the reason I read verses 22 to 29 was that you might be made acquainted or have your memory refreshed with respect to the setting of this directive for corporate prayer in verses 30 to 32. In verses 22 to 29, the Apostle Paul discloses to the Romans his intention to come to them after he has gone to Jerusalem. He desires to go to Jerusalem that he might bring to the poor saints in Judea and in Jerusalem in particular the gift that had been gathered among the Gentile believers in the area of Macedonia and Achaia.

15:27 Then he says, having fulfilled that ministry of bringing this expression of true Christian love and concern from the Gentiles who are spiritual debtors to the Jews, I then purpose to come to you who are at Rome. Now my coming to you, as I have already indicated in my opening remarks, chapter 1, Paul would remind them, is that he might stay with them for a while, that he might contribute something to them and they to him, but that he was not viewing Rome as the place of permanent ministry or the place of an early retirement. Rather he was viewing Rome as the launching pad for a new gospel endeavor up into Spain. He said in all of these parts I have fully proclaimed the gospel. It did not mean that he had spoken to every single individual person in every one of those areas, but he had preached the gospel in all of those areas and the church had been established and realizing that he had a unique commission from the Lord Jesus to take the gospel to the Gentile nations, he now has this burden to go on to Spain and he views the church at Rome, a strong and well established church, as one that would make

16:57 an excellent base of this new foray into the kingdom of darkness with that gospel which he believed was the power of God unto salvation. Now having disclosed this outline of what he proposes to do, namely go to Jerusalem, deliver the benevolence offering, from there to come to Rome, and coming to Rome spend some time with them that eventually he may be sent on with their support into Spain for the proclamation of the gospel, he then turns from this outline of his proposed itinerary over the next months and lays before the Roman Christians and remember, they would have heard this as a congregation gathered on the Lord's day and this epistle would have been read to them and in that setting we have indeed a supported text with reference to the duty of corporate prayer. He desires their prayerful involvement in everything

The Manner, Motives, and Focus of Paul's Prayer Directive

18:22 respecting his proposed future activities. And notice with me as we briefly open up the text, first of all the manner of his directive to the duty of corporate prayer on his behalf. What is the manner in which he gives the directive? Now I beseech you, brethren.

18:50 The manner is that of gracious entreaty to the entire congregation. This is the same language he uses in chapter 12 in verse 1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God. The word beseech could be rendered, I entreat you, I implore you, I draw alongside and I take the posture of one who desires to secure your good will and commitment with respect to this directive.

19:32 And then he addresses them as fellow members of the family of God. I beseech you, brethren. So the manner of his directive is that of gracious entreaty. Then secondly notice the motives undergirding his directive to corporate prayer.

19:54 I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit. Now he didn't just put that in his fillers. He knew that to the heart of a true child of God the name of the Lord Jesus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit were precious realities. If you can hear of anything with respect to the Lord Jesus and to the ministry of the Spirit with a pattern of indifference, it's because you're not a Christian.

20:38 Now there are times when through spiritual dullness and backsliding of heart or the loss of a night's sleep we may hear of the name of Christ, and the work of the Spirit, and not feel anything of an inward twitch of holy excitement. I am not saying that is not tragically true. What I said was this. If there is a pattern in your life where the name of the Lord Jesus and the reality of the work of the Spirit do not excite you, you are out of the orbit of grace.

21:17 You are yet dead in your sins. But the Apostle believes he's writing to a true church, a church comprised of people to whom Christ is precious, a people who have been regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit as he clearly teaches in chapter 8, and therefore the motives by which he undergirds his directive to the duty of corporate prayer is the motive of their common attachment to the Lord Jesus Christ and their common experience of the love of the Holy Spirit shed abroad in their hearts. Some have suggested that perhaps when he says, I beseech you by our Lord Jesus that he is there emphasizing his own apostolic authority and by the love of the Spirit he is emphasizing that which God has placed in the hearts of the believers in a unique way to those whom Christ has given as apostles. I frankly believe that that interpretation is rather arbitrary. Both phrases are introduced by the same preposition and I'm personally convinced what he is doing is this.

22:42 I take this posture of giving this directive one of gracious entreaty and the motives by which I would move you to comply are all of the motives that grow out of all of the glorious retentive realities that are yours and mine in our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and in particular by that love which you have in your hearts to me and which I have in my heart to you because we are jointly born of the Spirit indwelt by the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit is supremely what? Love, then joy, peace, longsuffering, etc. The apostle knows that in seeking to move these brethren to the duty of corporate prayer, love, love to and allegiance to the Lord Jesus and the experience of the love of the Holy Spirit are two very powerful motivations because they are common realities among all of the people of God. Then thirdly, notice the focus of his directive

24:10 to the duty of corporate prayer. We've looked at the manner of his directive, gracious and treating. The motives, their common attachment to the Lord Jesus, their common experience of the love of the Spirit. Now what is the focus of his directive to the duty of corporate prayer?

24:28 It's this, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. In summary, the focus of his directive to this duty is that they as a congregation engage in real, earnest prayer to God for him and with him. That's it. That's the focus of his directive to this duty.

25:03 That as a congregation they engage in real, earnest prayer to God for him and with him. And in using that terminology, I've simply sought to capture the emphasis of the text. Look at it again. He says, I beseech you by our Lord Jesus and by the love of the Spirit that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.

25:41 He uses that word, agonize, with a prefix that means together or with. In other words, he is concerned that they agonize, that they give themselves to real, earnest prayers. Not that they say a prayer for him. He doesn't say, I beseech you brethren by our Lord Jesus and the love of the Spirit that you say a prayer for me.

26:14 How often have people said that to me? Well, Reverend, say a prayer for me. Do a little religious thing for me. Open up a prayer book or say a memorized something that approaches prayer.

26:29 Paul had no stomach for that. He left that behind when he left his Phariseeism behind. And he is concerned that if the church at Rome is going to pray that it be real, earnest prayers. And so he says that you strive in your prayers.

26:50 He is concerned that it be real prayer to God. So he says that you pray to God for me. And you say, who else would they be praying to? Well, I don't know.

27:04 But all I know is that the text says that you strive together with me in your prayers to God. Underscoring that in real, earnest prayer there is real, heart engagement of God, of God himself, the infinite creator, sustainer, upholder of the whole universe. That there at Rome the church would be engaging in real, earnest prayer to the real, living, almighty, majestic, exalted, glorious God of heaven and earth. And he says that you strive together with me in your prayers for me, indicating that he is already making these things a matter of earnest prayer. He is already going out and blazing the trail in real, earnest laying hold of God with respect to the things he is going to lay before them. Now he is saying to the church, come along with me to the church. And as the congregation take the burdens that now move me and the concerns that fill my prayers and make them yours.

The Specifics of Paul's Prayer Requests: A Mirror Image of His Plans

28:24 And that brings us fourthly then to note the specifics of his directive to the duty of corporate prayer. And what struck me in my preparation of this text, examination of it in preparation to preach on it, that when we look at the specifics of his directive to this duty of corporate prayer, the specifics are a strict mirror image of the plans that he outlined in verses 22 to 29. He writes of his plans and purposes in verses 22 to 29. Now when he seeks to secure the corporate prayers of the church at Rome, their prayers are not the same as the prayers of the church in Jerusalem. Their prayers are a mirror image of his plans. What were his plans? To go to Jerusalem and at Jerusalem to deliver the benevolent offering.

29:30 From Jerusalem to go to Rome. When he came to Rome to spend some time in mutual strength in each other's faith prior to going on the road to Jerusalem, he said that he was going to go to Jerusalem and he said that he was going to go to Jerusalem and he said that he was going to go to Jerusalem in a very troubled way. He said that he had to go along the way of Jerusalem in a very strenuous way. And he said that he was going to go to before us, in order that I may come unto you in joy through the will of God, and together

30:53 with you find rest or refreshment. So you see his directives to the duty of corporate prayer become a mirror image of his proposed plans outlined in verses 22 and 22-29. He asked them, with reference to the visit to Judea and Jerusalem, that he may be delivered from the evil influence of the unbelieving Jews in Judea. This was a very real plague to the Apostle Paul. As our Lord was continually hounded by the Pharisees and Sadducees and religious leaders of his day, at times they would come all the way up from Jerusalem, into the Galilean area, to seek to catch him in his words, to see if there was something he was saying or doing in which they could portray him, either as someone who was a renegade Jew, or who was a poor Roman citizen, or a poor citizen under Roman rule. Well, in the same way, wherever Paul went, these apostate, unbelieving Jews hounded him, and he was

32:14 in his steps, dogged his steps, and he knew it would be no different this time, and so when he gives the specific directives for this duty of corporate prayer for the church at Rome, he says, pray that I may be delivered from the evil influence of the unbelieving Jews in Judea, and secondly, an amazing request, pray that my ministration, which I have for Jerusalem, may be acceptable to the saints. Well, why in the world would you have to pray that a bunch of poor people who are going to have a Christian Santa Claus come, with his wagon loaded full of goodies, pray that they'd say, stop at my house and unload a few bags? Isn't that a strange request? It always struck me as strange. Suppose I were to call you up and say, are you going to be in the next hour? Yes. Well, I'd like to stop by, and a rich uncle died and designated

33:17 that I had to give away three-quarters of what he left to me, and since we have a long-standing relationship, I thought I'd drop by a new car I'd just bought and something else, and by the way, I'm going to send out a call through the prayer, through the telephone chain of the church, that people will pray that my gifts will be acceptable to you. Well, you say that's ludicrous. Well, no, it wasn't ludicrous. You see, the believers in Jerusalem had heard strange things about Paul. They had heard, you remember, that when he preached the gospel, he denigrated their great religious traditions. They had heard that he was preaching the gospel in such a way as to downplay so much that was precious to them, and there was suspicion of Paul, and therefore, he asked the Romans to pray that as he came with this outpouring of the love of the believers from these primarily Gentile areas, God would destroy them. Well, you see, I'm going to stop by, and a rich uncle died and designated that I had to give away three-quarters of what he left to me, and since he had heard strange things of me, he began to claim the gospel, but as I had been speaking to you in attendance, I am going to ask you if you could please God to give away this outpouring of the love of the believers from these primarily Gentile areas in Jerusalem. Well, he did not say that when he preached the gospel, but he did not say it in such a way that I would have to come to you and go and pray that my gifts would be acceptable to you, that you would be acceptable to me in the second area, that you would be acceptable to me in the second category.

34:26 Well, I didn't tell him what God was going to do so that he would come to me, and then I was going to ask him if he could give me that other gospel, but God was going to tell him I would be acceptable to you if you would be acceptable to me, and that way it was perfectly acceptable to me. So that was Paul. them to pray in the second place, or in the second category, in order that I may come unto you in joy through the will of God. He didn't know God's decrees. When he laid out his plans and purposes as he describes them in verses 22 to 29, he was a prayerful, thoughtful, responsible Christian man, making plans, making an itinerary in terms of the generally revealed will of God. But he was also very conscious of the truth reiterated in the book of Proverbs, that though the heart of man purposes, it is not the purposes of the human heart that determine our steps. It is God who directs our steps, and so

35:25 So he says, pray that I may come to you in joy through the will of God and that when I come to you, I will find rest. Not in the sense that I'm going to be on an R&R, but I'll find a climate blessedly free from the harassment that I've known in these other places. That I'll find a climate in which there will be refreshment, as he says in chapter 1, their faith encouraging and strengthening him and Paul adding something to their faith by his presence and by his ministry. Now, this is what Paul writes to the church, assuming that they were a praying church. You see, after...

Assumptions of a Praying Church and a Theology of Prayer

36:17 After he opens up his plans and says, now I beseech you, brethren, by the Lord Jesus and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. He assumes that those words would not fall upon ears that couldn't sort them out in the categories of the brain and say, what's he talking about? Strive in prayer to God for me. He assumes that they not only are a praying church.

36:48 But he assumes that they are a church that is motivated by their attachment to Christ and is under the impress of the love imparted to their hearts by the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, he doesn't pause and stop to tell them that prayers have efficacy in the throne room of God, though hundreds of miles separate the things for which we pray. Here. Here are believers at Rome.

37:19 Here are believers way over in Jerusalem. And he says, you pray to the God who can so dispose the hearts of a bunch of suspicious Jewish Christians that they'll welcome me and my gifts with open arms. Pray to the God who even controls the hearts of unbelieving evil men in Judea. Some who perhaps were even instrumental in the death of my Lord.

37:49 Pray. Pray to the God who has the heart of kings and even apostate, blind, religious leaders in Judaism. You see, he assumes that they have a theology of prayer and an experience of prayer that will make it natural for him to lay these concerns before him. Do you see then, dear people, how right it is as we communicate amongst ourselves as church.

38:19 That brethren should lay out before us what has happened in their church life, what they are presently experiencing, what they purpose to do for the advancement of the gospel, and then at the end of their letters say, now will you specifically pray for these things. Do you see the marvelous paradigm for a church prayer letter in this passage? Do you see it?

The Balance of Divine Sovereignty and Human Planning in Prayer

38:48 Do you see what some say? Say in a disparaging way is the trinity mentality. We're always looking for a text for something. Well, dear friends, if we believe that the word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light to our pathway, and some of us are responsible to lead a prayer meeting, and we say, God, how should we lead a prayer meeting in a way that it honors you?

39:12 Thank God for apostolic paradigms of a prayer letter. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:20 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:20 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:20 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:20 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:20 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:21 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:21 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:21 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:22 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:22 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:22 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:22 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:23 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:23 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:23 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:37 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:39 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

39:39 Yes. Yes. Yes. of those things if they do not prove to be part of the secret, decreed will of God. And though Paul firmly believed in the secret, decreed will of God, it didn't hinder him from making plans and asking people to pray that his plans would be realized in his own experience. That is a biblically balanced perspective of how the Christian is to live. And so in this passage we have set before us one of those clear, supportive texts that establish our duty of corporate prayer, and that duty particularly with reference to the servants of God in conjunction with the work of the gospel, praying that they would be

40:32 that God will indeed watch over his servants, that he will grant them doors of utterance, that they may be delivered from evil men, that they may have acceptance with those to whom they minister, that they may be brought into every situation into which God purposes to bring them, and there know his blessing upon them. Well, I can see from the time that we're going to have only time to touch the second subplot. But let's look at it. I pass over texts that I wrestled with, and it was a good exercise for me. 2 Corinthians 1.11, 2 Corinthians 9.14, Ephesians 6.18 and 19. When you read

Supportive Text 2: The Supply of the Spirit Through Prayer in Philippians 1:19

41:20 them in the light of the fact that they would have come to churches, gathered for praise and worship and ministry and hearing apostolic letters read, each one of those texts I've mentioned. It becomes a supportive text for the duty as well as the content of corporate prayer. But I want you to look with me at Ephesians, Philippians, I'm sorry, chapter 1, for the second supportive text. The second supportive text, Philippians chapter 1 and verse 19.

41:57 For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation. Through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Now let me just make a brief statement about the circumstances surrounding this Philippian letter. As many of you know, Paul is imprisoned at Rome. He speaks of his chain in chapter 1, verses 13, 14 and 17. I'm sorry, his bonds. 1 Corinthians 1.11, 2 Corinthians 9.14, Ephesians 6.18 and 19. For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

42:35 He speaks of his bonds. And while he is there awaiting the decision of the imperial court, the Philippian church expresses its love and concern by sending Epaphroditus to Rome with a gift to supply Paul's needs. That's clearly indicated in chapter 4 and verse 18. I have all things in abound, I'm filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you.

43:08 I have all things in abound, I'm filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you. An odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. Back to verse 10 of the same chapter. I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you've revived your thought for me wherein you did indeed take thought but you lacked opportunity.

43:27 So the Lord opened a way for the Philippians who had had fellowship with Paul in the gospel from the first day until that very day. Philippians 1 in verse 5. Now as Paul is determined to write a thank you note with pastoral concerns interspersed throughout that thank you note, in the specific context of chapter 1, he's informing the Philippians about his present circumstances so that they won't be dispirited. Most of them would naturally feel discouraged and think that perhaps, all is discouraged, they had seen his active seal to spread the gospel. Now he's under house arrest at Rome, he doesn't have the liberty, and he says, no, no, no, I want to set your minds at rest. Verse 12. I would have you know, brethren, that the things which have happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel.

44:31 Don't think that somehow the gospel has been restrained because I, Paul, Don't think that somehow the gospel has been restrained because I, Paul, Don't think that somehow the gospel has been restrained because I, Paul, am in a Roman prison. No, everything that has happened to me has resulted in the furtherance of the gospel. Then he's going to give specific examples of how that has worked itself out. Some people, seeing Paul imprisoned, have waxed bold to preach the gospel more fervently.

44:56 Seeing his courage, they have, as it were, felt the contagion of his courage. Courageous men are contagious. Zealous men are contagious. And Paul saw something of that contagion.

45:13 Verse 14. Most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. But then he says it's not all pure motivation. Some are doing this out of good will.

45:31 Some are doing it out of envy. They think now that I'm off the scene, they can climb up the ladder of influence. And though they're preaching a pure gospel, they're preaching it out of wrong motives. But he said, that doesn't trouble me.

45:44 So long as more of Christ is being preached by more people with more zeal, hallelujah, Christ is preached. Therein will I rejoice. Verse 18. What then?

45:56 Only in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, that is, out of true, honorable motives, Christ is proclaimed. And therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. Now our text. For I know that this, all that I've described to you, that on the surface seems to be a setback for me and for the gospel, I'm telling you now, all of these things shall turn out to my salvation through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Paul's Confidence and the Explanation: Supplication and the Spirit's Supply

46:38 Now we've looked at the overall setting of the letter. The immediate context of this text. Now look briefly at the substance of the text. There's first of all Paul's expression of confidence.

46:50 The expression of Paul's confidence. He said, everything that is happening is going to result in my salvation or deliverance. Now, deliverance from what? Salvation from what?

47:05 Well, later on he seems to indicate his confidence. That this imprisonment will not result in his death. Whether God gave him a special revelation when he said, I'm in a strait. I want to depart and be with Christ.

47:19 I want to stay on and serve Christ. That would be in your interest. And he says, I know that I shall remain for the furtherance of your faith. Whether God gave him some special revelation, we don't know.

47:31 And some say, this is that to which Paul makes reference. This shall turn out to my deliverance through your faith. This shall turn out to my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit. But in the context, I don't believe that's the proper understanding of the passage.

47:46 Notice what he says in verse 20. I know this shall turn out to my salvation through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. According to my earnest expectation and hope that I will by all means be brought out of prison. No.

48:06 That in nothing shall I be put to shame. But that with all boldness as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body. Whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

48:23 His expression of confidence is that he will persevere in fidelity to Christ no matter what he faces, even death itself. I know that all that is transpired shall turn out to my ultimate salvation. A salvation that is in accord with the deepest yearning of his heart. That he shall never have occasion to be ashamed that he has defected from Christ.

49:00 From confessing him, from preaching him, from remaining loyal and faithful to him. Here is this expression of confidence. But now notice the explanation of that confidence. He is confident of the abundant supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

49:22 It is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Not some inherent heroism. Not some inherent strength of character. Not some inherent power of his own that will enable him to remain true to Christ no matter what he faces.

49:39 It will be the constant supply of the Spirit. Either the supply of the person of the Spirit. Greater and copious, more copious measures of the Spirit's presence and grace within him. Or those things which the Spirit supplies in the heart of a true believer.

50:01 In either way, the one includes the other. He says my confidence is rooted in the ministry of the Spirit of God to me. But then this amazing statement. He sees that supply of the Spirit inseparably connected with the supplications of the Philippian church.

50:28 See it in the text. I know this shall turn out to my salvation. Through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Two things are clear in the thinking of the Apostle.

50:50 He was confident that the Philippian church was praying for him. Now how did he know that? Did Epaphroditus bring a letter from the church? And in the contents of the letter, some assurance, beloved Apostle Paul.

51:11 We assure you of our constant and fervent prayers for you as a church. And many of us in the secret place and in our families plead for God's grace to uphold you and to strengthen you. Maybe a letter accompanied the gift in which they assured him of their prayers. Maybe it was simply a letter.

51:36 Maybe it was simply based on his previous experience. For remember he was the spiritual father of that church. And knew something of their eminent prayerfulness. And he had a unique intimacy with this church.

51:50 And they with him. If we could say that Paul had a teacher's pet among the churches. It was the church at Philippi. They seemed to resonate with sympathies for the spread of the gospel.

52:04 In ways that none of the other churches did. And he mentions that in the epistle. And though there were some emerging problems and some possible dangers. And even a couple of eminent ladies who were not quite getting along as they ought to.

52:19 And he had to address those things. He was confident that they were a praying people. And secondly, he was confident there was a real connection between their corporate prayers. And the supply of the Holy Spirit.

52:36 He was confident that there was a real connection between their prayers. And the supply of the Spirit. John Stone in his excellent commentary on Philippians writes. Paul tells his Philippians friends that the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ will be obtained for him through their prayers.

53:04 Their prayer. Our Lord said if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. For this supreme blessing Paul did habitually ask God.

53:21 Powerful aid however was given him by the prayers of his friends for him. And this help is here with beautiful courtesy and gratitude. Made prominent. The Apostle prayed for his converts and they for him.

53:38 And thus both were richly blessed. Delighting to know that the Lord Jesus was pleading for them all. They rejoiced to be permitted to cast by intercessory prayer their grains of incense into the divine high priest's censer. Paul believed with full energy.

53:59 That prayer is the grandest of all the powers. Which we have of helping each other. He believed with full energy. That prayer is the grandest of all the powers.

54:17 Which we have of helping each other. Now listen to this next statement. To believe this heartily and operatively. That is to say we believe it in the heart.

54:29 And to live accordingly. Is the greatest evidence. That in a man's soul. The powers of the unseen world.

54:39 Have triumphed. Over those. Of the seen. What's the greatest evidence John Stone says.

54:50 That a man a woman has been brought to the place. Where the powers of the unseen world have triumphed over the world of sight and touch and sense and smell. He says. When a man believes in his heart.

55:08 And operates by that conviction. That the grandest of all powers given to us. To help another. Is the privilege of prayer.

55:22 And it was that conviction that lay behind Paul's statement. With reference to the corporate prayers of the church at Philippi. This shall turn to my salvation. No matter what has happened.

55:38 And what will yet happen. I have. This earnest expectation and confidence in God. That in nothing I shall be put to shame.

55:49 But that with all boldness is always so now. Christ shall be magnified in my body. Whether by life or by death. And he says.

56:00 No little part. Of that supply of the spirit. By which he will be enabled. So to persevere.

56:09 Is to be found in the prayers. Of the Philippians. Again you see he writes. Assuming they are a praying church.

The Assumption of Gospel-Centered Corporate Prayer

56:20 He assumes that their corporate prayers are dominated by a passionate concern. For the spiritual well-being of God's servants. And the lofty concerns of the spread of the gospel. What a wonderful thing when constant earnestness.

56:38 Gospel centered prayers are assumed. As a vital element in the life. Of any congregation. Paul had grounds to assume it.

Personal Application: Steadfastness in Corporate Prayer

56:50 With reference to the Philippians. Well our time is gone. I think the best thing to do is just to wait God willing. And next week deal with.

57:04 Two other passages that will give me an opportunity then. To take up with you second Thessalonians. Three one and two. And then I had decided to throw out Philemon 22.

57:14 But it's one of the most powerful witnesses. For corporate prayer in what is. A letter addressed to an individual and a church. But nine-tenths of it is all individual.

57:25 And yet when Paul comes to solicit prayers. He switches. From the individual. To the corporate consciousness of that group.

57:34 And then to open up. In more fulsome ways. Some of the applications. But let me just.

57:43 Seek to nail down one very fundamental application. This morning. And that is this. If Luke.

57:50 We're back from the dead. And if he were given. By the Holy Spirit. The privilege of writing an inspired account.

58:04 Of Trinity Church. Would he be able to write of us. And they. Continue.

58:12 To write. Of us. Continued. Steadfastly.

58:18 In the prayers. Let me make the question more personal. If his account. Had to be written.

58:27 Based. On. The patterns. Of your life.

58:31 In relationship to our seasons of corporate prayer. Not somebody else. Not your wife. Not your husband.

58:35 Not your closest friend. But if. Luke. Had to write.

58:39 On the basis. Of the pattern. Of your. Involvement.

58:44 Then. He would be able. To write. On the basis.

58:48 Of the pattern. Of your. Involvement. In the corporate prayers.

58:52 Could he say. They. Continued. Steadfastly.

58:56 In the prayers. If not. Why not. Is it.

59:01 That there is. A canker. Of unbelief. In the soul.

59:09 That really. Doesn't. Believe. That God.

59:13 Hears. And answers. Prayers. Is there.

59:17 A subtle. Form. Of unbelief. That confesses.

59:22 God. Is sovereign. God. Can do.

59:26 All. He will. He holds. The hearts.

59:30 Of kings. In his. Hands. But when.

59:34 It comes. To persist. Specifically. Praying.

59:38 As Paul. Request. Of the. Romans.

59:42 That he. Be delivered. From evil. And unbelieving.

59:46 Men. That God. Work. Grace.

59:50 In the hearts. Of suspicious. Christians. That his.

59:54 Ministry. Of mercy. And benevolence. And that it.

59:58 Would be. A time. Of mutual. Refreshing.

60:02 Is there. Really. A spirit. Of unbelief.

60:06 That when. We gather. To pray. It's.

60:10 Kind. Of an. Irksome. Necessary.

60:14 Thing. Because. I made. A commitment.

60:18 To do. It. When. I became.

60:22 A member. Or. Is. There.

60:26 Of his. Kingdom. May. God.

60:31 Grant. That. As. We.

60:35 Consider. The. Answers. To.

60:39 That. Question. That. We.

60:43 May. Do. So. With.

60:47 Judgment. A. Honesty. And.

60:51 If. Unbelief. Has. Possessed.

60:55 Our. Own. Stone. Says.

60:59 In. Our. Patterns. Of.

61:03 Life. That. We. Do.

61:07 And. Believe. Do. Indeed.

61:12 Believe. That. This. Is.

61:16 The. Greatest. Ministry. We.

61:20 Can. Exercise. For. The.

61:24 Cause. Of. Your. Heart.

61:29 Why. Is. There. No.

61:33 Desire. To. Inquire. More.

61:37 Deeply. Into. The. Marvelous.

61:41 Display. Of. Who. He.

61:45 Is. And. What. He's.

61:49 Done. As. It. Is.

61:53 Found. In. The. Love.

61:58 Of. The. Spirit. My.

62:02 Friend. It's. Because. You're.

62:06 A. Stranger. To. The.

62:10 Grace. Of. God. And.

62:14 You. Need. To. Take.

62:18 Even. From. This. Passage.

62:22 Which. Has. Been. Directed.

62:26 In. Your. Own. Heart.

62:31 May. God. Establish. Us.

62:35 With. Fresh. Conviction. In.

62:39 The. Blessed. Duty. And.

62:48 Privilege. Of. Corporate. Prayer.

Pastoral Prayer for Conviction and Belief in Corporate Prayer

62:52 Let. Us. Pray. Our.

62:56 Father. We. Thank. You.

63:00 For. These. Of. Corporate.

63:04 Believing. Prayer. On. The.

63:08 Part. Of. The. Churches.

63:12 And. Appeal. So. Tenderly.

63:16 And. Passionately. And. Even.

63:20 Confidently. With. Respect. To.

63:24 Those. Prayers. We. Ask.

63:28 That. You. Would. By.

63:32 Corporate. Means. Of. Grace.

63:36 Lies. Unused. Because. We.

63:40 Are. Enfeebled. By. Unbelief.

63:45 Lord. We. Pray. That.

63:49 In. The. Days. To.

63:53 Come. As. Much. As.

63:57 We. Plead. That. We.

64:01 Will. Prayers. To. You.

64:05 On. The. Half. Of.

64:09 Your. Servants. And. The.

64:13 Work. Of. Your. Kingdom.

64:17 Lord. God. Seal. Your.

64:21 Word. To. Our. Hearts.

64:25 And. Grant. That. Even.

64:29 This. Day.