A Church Prayer Guide, p.2

Will take your Bibles and let's go back to first Timothy were in chapter 2 this morning.

First Timothy chapter 2 we already started on this call this a prayer to God for the church that were in this series of going through this pastoral epistle of first Timothy were calling this beautifying the bride possess what the apostle Paul is doing.

He's writing to Timothy as Timothy has been left in Ephesus to oversee the church and to fix some things in the church, you know, the church needs fixing a lot better right used in the New Testament. The apostle Paul spends the bulk of his energies fixing the church and so he's telling Timothy now as you stay there. These are things I want you to deal with to address to get straightened out to develop whatever it might be, so that Christ's local church which is his bride may be the most beautiful that it can be.

You see the church exemplifies. It shines forth God's wisdom and God's power i.e. God's beauty to the world. The world should look on the local church and say man, your God is special wow your God is wonderful the way he's designed all this to work and done so we want to strive us grace lecture to the shoals in the now approaching 70 church plants and others around the world that we are mentoring and overseeing and helping we want to strive that we do show forth God's wisdom in God's beauty that we do things right here.

According to the word of God enough and by the power of the Holy Spirit. So this is a very important book to all of us. Not any more important than the others, but that it specifically addresses church life that we come to first Timothy chapter 2 verses one through eight, where Paul talks a lot about prayer in their some amazing truths that come together here. I just exhort you this morning to work hard in listening as I have worked hard studying and preparing for you psycho first Timothy rather chapter 2 beginning in verse one.

First of all, then I urge that entreaties and prayers and petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men for kings and all who are in authority are high positions so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. But there is one God and one mediator also between God and me and the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all the testimony given at the proper time for this, I was appointed a preacher and an apostle.

I'm telling the truth, I'm not lying as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath and dissension now reviewing quickly. We talked about the fact that again. This letter is addressed to a man who is to take the truce and address a local church. It's local church centered and remind ourselves again that we like the Scriptures make no apology for being strongly centered on God's local church as it is the centerpiece of God's purposes and God's glory for both time and for eternity. Let's remind ourselves for the 100 kind of not the 1000th time that the local church is not one of many ways you can serve God. It is the way to serve God. Everything else is to be connected to an extension of the complement to be overseen by God's local churches, the esteemed apostle Paul himself reported back to Antioch in the early apostles reported back to Jerusalem. The local churches there for the oversight of their work and their ministries now in chapter 1.

Paul's already told Timothy, not Timothy, I need you to confront two exhort to correct some men in the church there at Ephesus who began to teach false doctrine there taking Christian doctrine in my do we not have it in our day to day and are putting a twist on Christian doctrine and are making it something it's not. That sounds good.

It looks right.

It sounds like God's wisdom, but it's not being discerning men of God know the difference between those who use the Scriptures, but they don't preach the word.

Big difference. There so he exhorts Timothy fix this problem in the church and if that those men who are teaching strange or unsound doctrine or putting a spin on the truth for man center purposes. If they'll not repent there to be excommunicated now.

I continue in our review thesis. First of all I want you to pray for all be praying for all. He says they're in a and verse one on behalf of all men give something of a dissection of prayer. He talks about the word praying and then you just the word entreaties that he would uses the word petitions then uses the word thanksgivings and that these are all sub units of a whole. It's really kind of difficult to separate them out completely. They always connect together so we see not everything that is taught in the Bible about prayer. But a main treatise if you will, are a debt main dissection of what our prayer life should be about. Then secondly we talked about the direction of prayer.

He said all of you to pray on behalf of all men now.

Again, this might have been quite a shocking thing to these believers in Ephesus understand they are suffering severe persecution under Roman empire's control.

There there held captive if you will, under the governance of Rome and the Caesar's Nero at this time was not a good person.

He was a cruel, vile, ungodly and moral and wicked man, among other things, his own mother murdered out of power and control issues in the Empire and he's a he's also violently persecuted the church so they probably thought Nero's the antichrist. That's the world that's wickedness where were concerned with the church and it's not wrong.

By the way, it's just not completely invalid.

So what I think Paul's doing the same. Let's get a balance here. Yes, Nero is evil. Yes, the Roman governor's ruling in a wicked and vile way in persecuting the church, but you're still to pray for them because a sovereign God has put you in this place at this time cannot remind you church that God can take a crooked ruler and draw a straight line.

God can fulfill his perfect will through men or women who may be over us in governing authority who are not personally good people that we can change it.

Let's change it you get a chance to vote for somebody better vote for somebody better. But sometimes the options aren't very good. Can I get a man there just not very good well for the church at Ephesus there offices were not very good because I didn't get the boat so they just always what we got the possible causes what you got. So I want you to understand something you have something powerful in your hands and in your hearts, and that's prayer. Pray for all of these people now Roman to. We talked about praying that the governing authorities would bring blessings upon the church that this is a powerful thing and you wouldn't believe the commentaries and scholars that really miss this point that they missed the fact that this is the local church praying and one of our primary motives in praying for our governing authorities is that the church might be able to continue on without troubles without molestations, without persecution, that we might be able to serve God in the World Way, God's told us to, and they might just leave us alone by space acuity site here. How does he word here in our text in verse two, he said I want you to pray.

Verse two for kings and all who are in authority all in high positions that we need the church may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity, but which is to go on about what were doing in tranquility and in quietness that is with with a restful, peaceful spirit, not worried and concerned about who the gun on his door. The gonna knock on next to the going arrest next to the go to persecute net so as I talk to you about the sort of tongue-in-cheek a while voted for Donald Trump. This is one of the primary truths and that is that I wish we had a man with the personal morals of Billy Graham in office. We didn't have that we didn't have that option. So I'll look for the man that is most likely to have the policies and the agenda that will leave the church alone and allow us to do what God called us that's a clear biblical principle were to pray to that end, but understand Paul couldn't tell them when you go to the voting booth vote to that in because they could vote that should be our conviction strongly. I respect that I strongly disagree with the brethren who came out during this last election and said since trucks personal morals are so bad, at least in his past. List any claims he changed a lot of things and I were to believe the best is he I don't like some of this style.

I don't like a lot of what he says and does, but his agenda and his administration lines. It would biblical truth.

I all whole whole lot better than any Democrat on the ticket. I just forgot or not say that any of the one and so we are much more likely to have the kind of judges appointed and the kind of laws and policies enacted under a Pres. Trump that will allow the church, the going in tranquility and in quietness with reverence and godliness versus were more likely to have that kind of administration and that kind of the functioning of the church under him and we would Hillary Clinton who boldly said the church must change some of this doctrine, I will Hillary Clinton know something she's not our Lord shouldn't dictate our doctrine.

She doesn't dictate what we believe and we live in a country that believes in freedom of religion so there there's that point I got a whole whole whole lot more to say about that.

But I'm not will set now. So, as Paul tells Timothy pray for governing authorities pray with the good of the church is your primary motive did you hear that church, not even against abortion, though, we should abhor abortion as Christians, of course, we do is not just look the moral cleaning up of society. The bringing to bear of true justice in the culture is a concern of ours, but it's secondary to the purpose of the church which is centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the saving of also we where I believe a lot of the brethren getting way out of balance. Here there flying their banner of superior righteousness and wisdom and spirituality by saying were really to embrace these great big social movements, empowerment of women. Etc. etc. etc. I find not a thimbleful of Scripture to support that sure were concerned about immoralities in the culture.

Sure, we care about injustices in the culture, but was long as you're in the world you have some of that work to make sure we don't get out of balance and we stay focused on what is primary and that's the work of the church in a wicked world, is it not amazing Jesus and the apostle Paul. The two prominent voices if you will for the church didn't hardly at all address cultural issues just didn't come across their radar screen, but they with great thoroughness and emphasis taught us about being the church in an Indian just or unjust culture be the church in an immoral culture look God is not propolis. One thing God is not primarily concerned about cleaning up the world not yet. He's primarily concerned about building his church in the world listen to me. If that's can properly it will have the best effect to cleanup the world which can get those backwards.

You can even make him parallel's one is primary one is foundational and the other is the byproduct church in the gospel is primary, then we become the proper salt a lot of you sent Teagan a city many times 47,000 Southern Baptist churches. What if all 47,000 Southern Baptist churches had a man of the pulpit thundering the word of God and the power of the spirit, what of all 47,000 Southern Baptist churches faithfully practiced a regenerate church membership. They didn't just let people jump through the hoops of the part of God's church as it that's all it was involved in conversion one of all 47,000 Southern Baptist churches actively practice biblical church discipline. They didn't have warmongers and adulterers and homosexuals and everything else in the world on their church membership rolls. If all 47,000 so the baby churches were not perfect but were striving to be biblical. We have a far far far greater impact on the culture for good and all the social movements we could possibly get involved in. That's where Paul's coming from. Pray that the church would be right and then you will have the proper impact on this is not leaving out that God may lead some men to become legislators and judges.

I hope we have Christian men in those places late and they work ardently in those positions for biblical righteousness and justice in the land. I'm for that hundred and 10%, but the church must not be diverted from her mission. Paul tells Timothy, I want you to pray for all these people but tickly. Those people in authority and again that might become estranged to the believers in Ephesus because the those people trying to kill them sometime exhibit pray to the end that the church may go on without the troubling the molestations the persecutions of the governing authorities. I told you about how her truly in the second and third century church father's esteemed early church theologian how he prayed for and supported the Roman empire with all of its wickedness with all of its injustice.

Why, because he said that's better than any alternative.

I see so the church can be what is called to be vote. You just can't get around is it clear in the word of God very very clear now so prayer is a good thing. Prayers good for us.

Prayer properly realigns things the way they're supposed to be when you bow in prayer. You are the creature and he is your create tour when you bow in prayer. You are humbled, and he is exalted when you bow in prayer.

You acknowledge he is Lord and you are his servant prayers good for us prayers good for the church. It pleases our Lord it's acceptable to our logo.

Look at verse three. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our city is good for you to pray in this context particularly pray for governing authorities that the church can be left alone and prosper in the work God's called her to do in the world III now we come to new stuff prayed for the building up of the church through evangelism. It's as if Paul is saying how certainly pray for these kings and all her authority and in your case and in our case. Often that means men and authority women authority who are wicked who are ungodly. Can you believe that politician after politician after politician in our country would give up positivity, sometimes even a celebratory spirited affirmation of killing unborn babies up to the moment of birth is just unbelievable. Contemplate. I mean, you may have the most wicked of recruiters resist God can turn the king's hearts like rivers of water. Pray that the church will be benefited even though you have wicked men running country are presently are women nice shifts gears exceed one of the greatest things that can happen for the good of the church is these folks in authority get saved for the greatest things I could possibly happen in your cultures. Those who have the power structures actually come to faith in Jesus Christ. So he begins talking about evangelism and we begin in verse four he says who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge are. You could say to the recognition of the truth. So Paul says to Timothy, Timothy, as you leave the church instruct the church to keep praying for all men, even though Rickett wicked rulers whom you have over you to the end that some of them might be saved. Now another thought here on living in a sinful world. And when I as early Christian in without enough biblical understanding out a simplistic truth that maybe there's a man in town and he had a business and I knew he was something of around her.

He wouldn't a very godly person that I needed to avoid his business well that I wouldn't say that's wrong with the Bible says you can't abandon Association from wicked men, because if you did that you have to leave the world.

Some of you been in business and other things you have to have divine sale and have it and have social contact and business contact and interaction associated with people who don't love Christ is a part of being in the world but I want Paul talks about disciplining a Christian.

He says I told you not to associate with any so-called brother who lives in Imola.

He said I did not tell you not to associate with the people of the world who live an immoral life because if you did that you have to leave the world's other incident there's only two ways to avoid evil people are wicked people are ungodly people in the world to which you have to know wanted to leave the world on him to win them to faith in Christ is all what now we don't we don't choose to run and socialize with those who are outwardly wicked but we have to have some Association from time to time, wherever you are in business. Whatever a member businessman come to me one time. He said that my my boss takes us to these dinners with these clients and their drinking I don't drink I don't but I'm not don't beat that gutless know we just just do what you do and go home. Forget it. To avoid all that you have to leave the world.

We understand that Scripture teaches that, but pulses don't forget the praying for those people in the world.

The praying for them. He says in verse four, because we serve a Godis a here who desires for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth in the context this may include Nero. This may include that God might save others of the other.

The governors in the Roman Empire got Scott a desire for all.

Now what I would remind you that in in the balance of biblical truth. When Paul says God desires all men to be saved, he is not saying God has decreed all men to be set if God decreed all men to be saved that universalism. If God decreed all men to be saved and all men would be saved, your sin, there's no shortage in the power Jesus Christ to win every man on earth to Jesus is no shortage of power in Jesus Christ to save every man on earth are everyman on 100 Earth's God desires that all men would recognize the truth that he's the only Lord and Savior, that all men would recognize that there there sinful before this chart you know only God and a standard judged under this God. He said he's a God who desires that they see that and then see that Christ is their only hope and turned to him and repentance and insight application for us here is that we should also be praying this way our God desires this we should be praying and pursuing all men to come to Christ for salvation. In other words, are you listening to me.

Individual church member. Are you listening to me were to be like our God.

He desires all to be safe. So what.

At least we should desire all men to hear the gospel never stop. Never quit and never give up. If you've got a friend are a loved one are are relevant to the husband or wife or whoever it may be don't know Christ. You must not quit. At least you can bombard heaven praying for God to save them all of our small group classes. Let's revive our efforts as church elders and said we have a list of the lost that we pray for a regular young Sunday morning. We pray for those were aware of the God speaking to the heart that may not be safe I would challenge our small group plans to update your prospect rules put more people on it. Ask your class members who do you know it's not safe. At least we can pray for the wood you meet me in that challenge church can we renew our hearts. God who desires all men to be safe God's heart is always all would recognize their sin in my Savior's. Their only hope.*You to this challenge you to this challenging brother Jeff to this and I'm challenging you to this God's heart and God's will. Are above us God's heart and God's will is beyond our understanding. On the one hand, his love for man is such that he desires that all would recognize their sin and their need of Christ to Savior, but he's decreed that his elect will recognize it and repent and be saved. Pastor, how do you balance those I don't have to bow balance in this way, my God is greater in his intellect and his wisdom, and it is understanding that I can ever comprehend his ways are beyond finding out Romans chapter 11 versus 33 through 36 is a good reminder for us with a pulse upon the you know where Paul's been in Romans. He's been talking about the sovereignty of God in salvation the elect of God and how this works and then he comes to this statement all the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments how unfathomable his ways for who has known the mind of the Lord who became his counselor who was first RR who has first given to him that he not be paid back him again for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be the glory forever. Amen is just beyond finding out God has a heart of love for all to recognize their sin and the need to Savior.

But listen to me. It's as if God sent his son down here. His son dies on the cross he sets his son before the world with nail pierced hands and bloodstains hands and said whosoever will make, but and then God ordained in decreed, I will have some that will come because my son will receive the reward of his suffering. My son will have church he paid to get God desires all to be saved.

God decreed some will be saved. Our job listen church is to pray for all pursue all percent, all with the gospel. In this context, including those wicked rulers and authorities in our governments that we detest. Maybe their personal morality or lifestyle or whatever it may be God, not even save them that he goes on and amplifies with some glorious truths about our salvation. He continues on with him. Verse five for there is one God and one mediator also between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Here's the point. There's no other way.

They see a person change than through God's 1 Appointed Way to his son. The mediator, one who can connect sinful, fallen man with a holy and righteous God. He's the one and only way. There are many ways to heaven. They are not many ways to God. There's one way so Jesus prayed to God that man might know the one and only way if there was another way to see your governing authorities or other men's hearts change weed approach would we would sink that out to. There's only one way seeing them come to faith in Christ. Then in verse six I love these beautiful words that the apostle pulls out of the culture that we might get a deeper descriptive and understanding of salvation. Verse six, who gave himself as a ransom for all the testimony given at the proper time.

Jesus is the ransom for our sin. Listen to me carefully.

Jesus did not pay the price for us. He became the price for us. He didn't just take out of what was at his disposal. He became the ransom he died he gave all the purchasers back the ransom payment was payment so you would be free. He's paid the price that we might be free from sin and Satan's domain and the ultimate consequence of being a center eternal wrath of separation. God is the ransom payment up.

Paul says here to Timothy. He's the ransom payment for all. Now if you go to seed on these phrases for all and say what this is. This obviously teaches the Arminian doctrine. The Palladian doctrine that all men everywhere have had their sins paid for with them.

Paul loses a contradictory almost script schizophrenic with contradictory and that he is given us those with weighty thorough teachings.

Ephesus Galatians of Romans, and on and on about the sovereignty of God. I think what we need to remember and probably this side of heaven. This is the best understanding we will have about how could he give a ransom for all but the only elected certain ones to salvation.

We said you gave himself a ransom for all, I hold to the position that his death is indeed sufficient for all snow. Lack of power in Jesus.

As I said earlier to cover 100 worlds full of sinners, but though his death was sufficient for all. It is only efficient if I could say effective for the elect. How do we know the elect are there those who believe those who do not believe what I have themselves ransom will they not so in a sense, how can he be the ransom for all the summer not ransom because that's not what the text to say is teaching that beautiful balanced biblical truth that in one sense Christ is sufficient for all, and we must proclaim to all, we must pursue all we must tell all they can come in they should come to Christ. But we know and back of all of it in the sovereign mind of a holy all wise all-powerful God. It is only efficient for those who will place their faith in Jesus Christ. It will only have its proper outcome of saving those who believe on Jesus Christ.

The point here is that on this human side we can, we must pursue all men to come to Christ. In this context, even those wicked rulers in the Roman government has that phrase in verse six, the testimony given at the proper time. Christ death has power to save in any time but it was borne out.

It was provided for at the divinely ordained time by time that was established from the foundation of the world.

But now it's happened. The testimony has been given. He did come he hasn't God. He was buried in Concord death hell and the grave he rose for our justification. He's ascended to heaven.

That's all a historical fact. The testimony has been born.

So the point is God's atoning saving work is fully accomplished God's heart for sinners is laid bare and open all should come all should be prayed for. All should be pursued for salvation.

The context including those wicked government authorities, whom you may have previously previously said we don't have anything do them. Yet you do get pray for them to pray for the ransom is paid. There's nothing more to be done so God says to you, God sister all come come and we should pray that they come.

IV make godly men lead the church in this prayer effort make godly men lead the church in this prayer effort. In verse eight, the apostle says therefore basil all that I told you about kings and an authority in your to pray for, then, that the church may go on without harassment without molestation from governing authorities, but your also be praying for them and for all men to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now verse eight now will man to lead in this God has ordained headship in the home. And God has ordained headship in the church to men but notice the text should be godly men. They should be godly man, you may have heard some of the discussion abounding in bad dislike today that women have been held back long enough. Women need to have their voices.

Women need to have positions limit women may need to be allowed to teach and preach the man etc. etc. etc. all I got to save you is God's word hasn't changed. Women are not a second-class citizen in God's kingdom are in God's church, but women do have a different role than men in God's kingdom and in God's church.

We are not going to follow the trends of this wicked fallen godless world war two that you not here so I think, no I just go back in our culture little bit years ago they kept saying, legalize abortion legalize abortion legalize abortion.

What about rape enhances rape and incest, rape, and if we didn't legalize abortion. It's horrible. Women should have to bear a child if they been raped or had incidents well I can give a woman grace to bear that child loving child. It's happened thousands of time. That was their argument and then they got it didn't stop there now holds a Wyoming lady abortion is just another form of birth control kill that unborn child because he might in some way she might in some way hinder my full actualization as a woman motif. Satan is a liar. He's always been like what did they say about homosexual marriage. All were talking about, they said, is to people who love each other. They want to stay in a monogamous relationship for life just like heterosexual couples do. That's all we want is legalize marriage that what's happened in LGBT cupola. We can't stop just more and more and more and more perversity you open the door, you got it all coming now there at the church door.

We wanted there to you to start changing how you define the roles of men and women you got to start changing how I view you human sexuality you got to change in the church how you view the roles of women and on and on. We can go.

I wish I had a great obit would Dorothy know what I do like to open it on the shelf, slam it shut were not following the world into hail were not following in the war the world and wickedness you folks was. I know you got friends out there and they call themselves Christians and they call themselves good bad listener already jumping on these horses look this is my first rodeo. I watch this stuff for four decades now. It never Ian's well what's right and what's true stands in God's church in God's kingdom for now and forever. We might get down to me and Pam to my children and eight more. I don't know, but we're not going with the world on these issues and were not going to start this clever intellectualize narratives how we can kind of be accommodating but yet still hold our position. That's where it starts I'm seeing that a lot right now.

Bad dislike evangelical life starting to open the door accommodating understand all that is just the next wave of pragmatism, badness our world record holders at being pragmatic and making the culture feel comfortable with our gospel and they end up losing the gospel now look, there's 1001 things we can just come to be neutral on thousand one, things were not going to beat people up over but the things that are clear, systematically taught the word of God were to stand on and one of those is that in God's church and in God's ordained marriages headship belongs to man and one the reasons I hold that not only because it honors the wisdom of my creator, but because ladies deserve to be respected and honored and upheld and loved and protected by the godly men in their lives. And I'm not no race ladies up to a place where they lose that our daughters need that kind of protection in governance and guidance and oversight in their lives.

You know, just see the survey that just came out I'm I'm getting off track in my notes little bit okay I'm just kinda lost myself here for a moment just see the survey that went out they surveyed women about happiness just say that surveyed all kinds of women. Perhaps you know who far and away were the happiest women in America. Conservative Christian women by far, so they were happiest you can't violate God's ordained structure and end up well can't do it.

He said all godly men delete the church positivity.

Make sure godly men are leading the church in this prayer effort.

You see, if humble, godly men lead humble godly women will always follow should be men leading with arrogant, brash, carnal force. There should be a humble yet clear leadership lifting up holy hands. He said hands represent the activities of life. These men are to have no reproachful sin they have sin of the humble the repent. There's they're not clutching to sins and holding sins active in their lives there, men who have a good reputation without reproach were holy means unpolluted in this context it is as old men delete this prayer effort without wrath and dissension it. It's just an easy simple thing to listen if our lives and our hearts are holy and our spirits are humbled and there's not going to be any wrath and dissension coming to when you're when you're holy and humble you lose your desire to be. It you lose your desire to say what I have my way this platform in the church of my voice. Here are there, you just I just I just goes away. If you're holy until wrath. The dissension goes away, got our fleshly people who care about power and control have the kind of troubles we see in so many congregations we've been there ourselves. It's been many many years now since we've had in this praise God for that true that the one thing and one thing only that a good percentage of you guys strive to walk in holiness and humility. So were to pray men are distant, lose the flow of the tanks were to pray for the salvation of souls would pray men to be saved were pray for women to be savored to pray for governing authorities.

In this context were pray to that, that those might be saved.

Can I ask you something men in the church is your deleting your homes in your delete in the church in this carrying out the desire of God's heart heart that all men would come to the recognition of their sin and be saved. Men, how can we receive the bounty of the gospel than care little if others obtain.

How can we drink of the waters of life and care little if others drink of it, how can we eat of the bread of heaven and care little if others eat, Paul says, Timothy, as you get the church in line dictation to pray even pray for those people they don't like. You may not thought they ought to even pray for even those governing authorities, but pray for all to come to the knowledge of by the way, prayer is powerful. John MacArthur's commentary. He points out the story of Stephen in the book of acts is a story when Stephen the godly leader in the early church would not recant of his commitment to Jesus Christ of the gospel of Jesus Christ and so they taken not to stone him. Acts chapter 7 verses 58 through 60. When they had driven him out of the city.

They begin starting him and the witnesses notice this phrase laid aside their rooms at the feet of the young man named Saul, that was his Hebrew name is Greek name is Paul. They went on starting. Stephen had a call on the Lord and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them and having said this, he fell asleep, Stephen prayed for those who were stoning them that the Lord would not hold that sin against Saul of Tarsus was there that day they laid their garments and Saul of Tarsus feet. I do not know if he picked up a stone, but I do know he was in full agreement was stoning Stephen because the next chapters of acts, so this Saul of Tarsus with authority from the governing authorities to be persecuting the church which he did with a fervent zeal, but I Stephen prayed that day. God don't hold this sin against them.

Saul of Tarsus had to have heard that prayer.

More importantly, God heard that prayer you go to acts chapter 9 God apprehends Saul of Tarsus on his way to persecute the church. God converts this man. He's gloriously saved and instead of troubling the church instead of worrying the church into the hindering the church.

He becomes the great protector defender provider and builder of God's church, and from that point on he increasingly began to be called by his Greek name. The apostle Paul. Prayer staff that might be one the best ways to live under the kind of governing authorities that will bless God's church is getting them saved. I believe that's why Paul writes this he knows power prayer. So can I just end with that expectation I gave all of us earlier in your small groups. Let's bump it up a notch.

Let's update those prospect list and let's make time every week. Teachers small group leaders recite them in ladies, this remind ourselves to plead with God for these folks to be saved and do what we can to get them under the gospel or to share testimony with them is God's great heart's desire is that all men be saved come to the recognition of the truth even wicked governing authorities, even wicked ambassadors for wicked governments. Saul of Tarsus, who himself was saved, became a build rep of the church, not a destroyer of the church