Evening Sermon

February 3, 2008

Praying for One Another

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Praying for one another is such a vital part of church membership. Praying for one another is such an essential part of the life of the church. It is an indispensable element of what it means to belong to one another within the body of Christ. So let me begin with an encouragement and exhortation for you to pray for one another. And, as well, to do it together. In terms of the life and the health of the church, even the very strength of the church, no meeting is more important than that hour we spend together on Wednesday nights. And if you are not in the habit of joining together with the church at that appointed opportunity, and you are able to do so, let me urge to come. The Bible says, "pray for one another." And Session has arranged for a time of corporate prayer for our church every Wednesday evening at 7 PM.

James 5:16 "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

But let me go further, because our text tonight is not merely a foundation for the exhortation to pray, but rather, assuming that you do pray for one another, here is an apostolic example of such prayers that actually provides for us invaluable instruction and training. Here is an apostolic example that challenges me, in my praying for you as a pastor, both privately and publicly. Here is an apostolic example that is so stunning in its profound scope, that we are left perhaps speechless in humility when we think of how little we actually pray for one another.

We pray for things like protection for those who travel. And that's a good thing to pray for. We pray for those who are sick. And that's a good thing to pray for. We pray for those who have decisions to make, those who are struggling with a particular problem. We pray for guidance, and health, strength and blessings. And all of that is good. As are our specific prayer requests. They are good. It is good to pray specifically, which is why I print that list out for you each Wednesday night. It is good to be reminded to pray very specifically and very personally.

But it ought to go much deeper. That's what we have before us this evening.

I. SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS. And specific prayer requests that plumb the very depths of our spiritual being. These requests delve to the deepest level of your relationship with the living God, the Creator the heavens and the earth. So notice the content of those specific prayer requests, v.9

Let me read a cross reference or two, Phil. 1:9 "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ."

And, Eph. 1:15 "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him."

Paul then gives definition to that knowledge of God with the example of these words,

Eph. 1:18 "...the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power."

I'll tell you what these words do to me. They make me realize how inadequately I pray for you all. They really do. They challenge me, even as they teach me how to pray. And not just the imitation of the words as good and profitable as those words are, but the whole idea of praying at this depth and level of personal request.

These are not merely pious words from someone trying to sound good before others. They are the words of man whose life is devoted to the spiritual well-being of the precious sheep whom Jesus has redeemed to be his church. And the prayer is for the,

A. Knowledge of God's will. Don't understand that in a superficial, external sense of merely knowing what decision to make in a difficult or uncertain circumstance. The prayer for the knowledge of God's will is not simply some mechanical method for having an answer to a particular question, some sort of divine guidance by which you can claim God's authority for a particular decision you have to make.

That is how it was in the Old Covenant. You asked the priest, who consulted the urim and the thummin. And the Lord's will was revealed. A prophet spoke, at various times and in divers manners, and the Lord's will was revealed. Or maybe a donkey spoke. Maybe you cast lots. Or there was a voice from God in heaven, or from the midst of a burning bush.

Those ways of God's revealing his will are now all ceased. They have ended. We read in Hebrews 1 that "God spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets," "at various times and in various ways," but, by contrast, he "has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds."

Those old ways were pre-Christ. Now we have Christ, whose word has been recorded for us in Scripture. Written down. And of that written word, we know this,

2 Peter 1:3 "...His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue."

We have everything we need. So now, the knowledge of God's will is not some form of continuing revelation, but rather the ability to discern. As Paul writes,

Rom. 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

The renewing of your mind. Not some simplistic answer to a simple question, but a total and complete transformation. A change of thinking. Then you can "prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

That requires what Paul also mentions also in verse 9,

B. Spiritual wisdom and understanding. That is what knowledge is all about. Being able to apply it to life.

Not just some sort of secret knowledge, or deeper knowledge. That error plagued this Colossian church, the so-called Gnostics. Those who claimed a higher, mysterious knowledge that surpassed the average or ordinary Christian's ability. We will be examining that problem in weeks to come. For now, the answer. The right knowledge of God, that which is obtained in all wisdom, spiritual wisdom, and spiritual understanding. In other words, the knowledge that comes by the mind-transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

And that knowledge, that wisdom and understanding, begins with the fear of God. Such wisdom is the hallmark of the inspired book of Proverbs, which begins with these words,

Prov. 1:1 "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; 4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion-- 5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction."

So what is Paul praying for the Colossians? Nothing less than their ability, by the effective power of the Holy Spirit, to understand and apply the Holy Scriptures. And notice, please notice, how utterly practical Paul becomes. This wisdom, this knowledge in wisdom and understanding, is not the least bit theoretical. It is not some sort of educated erudition or intellectual scholarship. It is rather consumed with,

II. THE PRACTICAL MATTERS OF LIFE. The purpose of the knowledge and wisdom and understanding of verse 9 is defined by the very words of, v.10

There is the goal of knowledge. There is the purpose of wisdom and understanding. Here is the end, or intended outcome, of our knowledge of God. Our walk. Our lives. Our manner of life. The way that you live.

So let's keep the big picture here for a moment. You should pray for one another to be filled with the knowledge of God so that that knowledge will transform their lives. Specifically,

A. A manner of life worthy of the Lord. Now, that language really bothers some people. It seems to contradict the whole notion of grace. Grace means that we are aren't worthy, and put that way, that is correct. Grace is a gift, a gift given to us by God entirely because of God himself. A gift, a pure gift, has nothing to do with how deserving the recipient might be. That's what grace means. A free gift, and free grace is the only kind of grace there is. If it isn't free, then it isn't grace!

Grace is contrasted with the whole notion of wages. Wages are what you earn, what you deserve to receive because of your own merit. Or demerit. Remember, the wages of sin is death. That is what we have all earned. That is what we have all merited. Death.

So how, then, can Paul pray for the Colossians to "walk worthy of the Lord"? Simple. Understand what the word means, worthy. It does not mean to merit something, to earn it. It doesn't mean that you can deserve any good from God by living any certain way. You never become worthy of your salvation. You, yourself, are never worthy of the gift of grace which God has bestowed upon you by faith in Jesus Christ. But you are called to live a manner of life that corresponds to that calling, and that's the meaning of this word "worthy." Corresponding to. Appropriate for. Consistent with.

Wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of God means that your life reflects the reality of your faith. You life a manner of life consistent with the gift of grace which you have received by faith. Did you get that? You are called to live your life in a manner that is consistent with the gift of grace which you have received by faith. You who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, you are now called to apply that faith to your life such that your manner of life is appropriate for someone who claims to belong to God! In the more simple wording, you are to "walk worthy of the Lord."

Beloved, you are called to "walk worthy of the Lord." And we ought to pray for one another with that very specific request.

Paul gives just a bit more of explanation of what is involved in such a calling in his letter to the Ephesians.

Eph. 4:1 "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Look again at verse 10, the second phrase. The second description of how the knowledge of God affects and transforms the practical matters of life. We are called to live,

B. A manner of life well pleasing to the Lord. That's the goal. To please God. Which means, of course, to live the way he wants us to live, not necessarily the way we want to live ourselves. We are to be God-pleasers. And we know how to be God-pleasers. At least, it is revealed to us. In the law.

How do you live in a way that pleases God? You obey his law. How do you live a life worthy of the Lord? You obey his law.

Did you earn or merit anything from God? NO. Everything you have from God is a gift of grace. Everything we are called to do is a response to that gift of grace. That's what all this means.

So what does that mean? Turn with me to, 1 Thes. 4:1 "Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God."

There it is. How you ought to walk and to please God. You received it from Paul. And what was it that they received?

1 Thes. 4:2 "...for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit."

Holiness. That's the definition of a life pleasing to the Lord. Practical, personal, experiential holiness. That is the will of God. And one specific example, that you abstain from sexual immorality.

Also, Eph. 5:8 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."

Goodness, righteousness, and truth. That's what it takes to please the Lord.

Not that you are somehow atoning for your sin or earning favor with God, but that you are bringing him pleasure! That he might delight in you. That's what is being held out to us in this text, the call to live in such a way that God would be pleased with your life.

And, to go further, that means,

C. A manner of life filled with good works. v.10 "...that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work."

Now, wait a minute. We can't do good works, right? We aren't perfect, we're sinful, and we can't do it. I've heard that before. The preacher can't exhort Christians to do good works because we aren't able to do them. If you hold up the standard of good works before the Christian, that means the Christian is earning his salvation by those good works. That's what the modern culture is telling us, and the church is often all too quick to believe it.

But that is not at all what the Bible teaches. Paul actually expects Christians to be fruitful in good works. In other words, to produce them abundantly. And that does not in any way contradict the proclamation of grace. Just consider Paul's great words of grace in,

Eph. 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Do you know the next verse? You should. Eph. 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

God created us, he saved us, to do good works!

Jesus puts it this way, Mat. 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Think about, Heb. 10:24 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works."

Then there is, Titus 2:6 "Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you."

And further down in that chapter, Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you."

The grace of God that brings salvation teaches us to put sin to death, and Jesus redeemed us to make us zealous for good works. And we are called to be strenuously energetic in that pursuit of good works, we who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. So writes Paul to Titus in,

Titus 3:4 "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men."

You who are saved by grace, be careful to maintain good works. So pray for one another, that they would be fruitful in those good works! Pray for one another, that they would live in such a way as to be well pleasing to the Lord. Pray for one another that they would live a life worthy of Lord.

And one more practical matter of life. One more specific prayer request in all of this, the prayer for,

D. A manner of life increasing in the knowledge of God. v.10

Again, that doesn't have any reference at all to some higher, mysterious, theoretical knowledge accessible only by some. But rather it refers to the knowledge of God as that knowledge is defined by this whole context, the knowledge of God that in intimately and inseparably connected with the transformation of your lives in the most practical of ways.

That's how you should pray for one another.

Now, let me end with a focus on verses 11-14, which today will be merely to mention them in order to provide the right context for all that we have looked at so far this evening. Next week, we will focus on these verses alone, and study them in much more detail, but they are necessary to complete the subject of tonight.

The focus of these verses might best be summarized as,

III. THE GOAL OF LIFE. And that goal is what we read in verse 11, "patience and longsuffering." It is,

A. The goal of steadfast endurance. Faithful endurance. Standing up under whatever difficult circumstances might arise. With joy.

But note so clearly the only way in which that faithful endurance is possible. Endurance or perseverance is within your grasp only when you are,

B. Strengthened by the power of God. v.11

That doesn't mean you are passive. It doesn't mean that endurance is something that God does apart from your own personal involvement and exertion. But just as clearly, or even more clearly, it is not something you can do in your own strength.

This prayer is not the foundation of a self-help seminar or a motivational symposium. This is a deeply, deeply spiritual endeavor. And in your own self-help, you are doomed to failure. So this glorious prayer that Paul prays for the Colossians and for the transformation of their lives is utterly and completely dependent upon the power of God at work within them.

And that power is at work most especially in the work of salvation, such that all that I have preached this evening, all the Paul prays for with regard to these Colossians, and all that I might exhort you to do as I preach the Word of God to you, all of that is nothing other than,

C. A thankful response to your eternal salvation. The exhortation unto good works, the prayer for fruitfulness in good works, is in the context of those who have been saved. By grace through faith. And their response to that salvation is one of eternal gratitude, gratitude so great that it impels them to live a manner of life worthy of the Lord. v.12-14

Do you see how this fits together? The motivating impulse in the life of a Christian is not the fear of condemnation, but the gratitude for justification. The application of the law of God in the pursuit of personal holiness is not in the vain attempt to merit God's favor, but to thank him for that favor so freely bestowed upon us as a gift of his grace.

And so beloved, pray for one another. And expect me to pray for you, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, that you might live lives fully pleasing Him, that you might be fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power."

With such prayers for you, I will preach the word of God to you, that you might be zealous for good works.

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