Leading The Way – Lead Through Prayer

All right, it's good to see you this morning.

You know, I'd like to get you involved a little bit.

So I want to start by asking you how many of you love playing

games, card games, board games. All right, there we go.

All right, so everyone's going to get involved.

Even if you didn't raise your hand.

I want to know what is your favorite game to play?

Board game, card game, whatever. Share it with someone near you.

Find someone. If you're by yourself, texted

someone, what's your favorite game to play?

Some good conversation. I like it.

We're alive today. All right, hey, one of one of

one of my favorite games. My youngest son Jack came to me

this week, earlier this week and and he said, Dad, can we please

play Yahtzee? We have anyone say Yahtzee.

I love Yahtzee. It's my it's one of my favorite

games. And I said, absolutely, we can

play Yahtzee. Now here's the thing about

Yahtzee. It's not really a kids game.

I mean, there's a lot of math involved.

There's a lot of strategy. And so I've, I've, I've taught

my kids Yahtzee before, but what happens when I play Yahtzee with

my kids is I roll my turn and, and I write down whatever I'm

doing and then I will move to the next kid and I will watch

them roll. And then I'll say, Hey, you

should do this. And I'll guide them.

And then they'll go through their turn and then I'll move to

my next kid and say, OK, here, do this.

And so I'm kind of playing four different, you know, rounds of

Yahtzee against my now here's the thing, as a dad, I'm, I'm, I

am super competitive, just so you know, I am competitive.

But, but when I'm playing Yahtzee with my kids, I, I love

it when they do well and I want to help them.

And so I'm not going around I could sabotage them to make sure

I win. I don't do that because I want

to help them. I'm there to, to guide them and

coach them. And one of the things I love is

it's a great game for kids because it teaches them to do

math. It teaches them to think

critically. And so, so we played some

Yahtzee this week. I don't know if you've ever been

in that position where you either needed help from someone

to teach you a game or you taught someone else.

But the reason I bring that up is that we're in this series

called Leading the Way. And in this series, we're

talking about leading other people to Jesus, leading people

to grow in their faith. And I want to say this just as

I, as a Father, love sitting there helping my kids, I'm right

there with them. I'm listening to them, I help

them along the way. I want you to know that we serve

a God that is right here with us.

We serve a living God that wants to walk with us every day.

And when, when he calls us to something, when he says, I want

you to go share, you know, the hope that we have with others,

he doesn't leave you on your own to figure it out.

He's there the same way that I would walk around the table and

play for it. God wants to help us and this

whole thing. So, so far we've talked about

and, and maybe we've done this out of order.

Forgive me for being out of order.

We've talked about inviting others.

We've talked about the fact that we have to be a model of Christ

for others. We've talked about the fact that

we need to, to, to pour ourselves out to help others

grow in maturity and walking with Jesus.

And today I'm, I'm, we're going back to the very beginning and

that's that we need to be connected to the source.

We have a God that walks with us.

He doesn't just call us to do something, He wants to help us

hold our hand through it. So we're in First Timothy 2.

I know you just sat down, but we're all about exercise here at

the church. So if you will, would you stand

up and, and honor God's word? And the reason we're standing is

because we believe this God's word.

And even though it's written a long time ago, we believe that

God wants to speak to us today. So if you're new, we're not

weird. Maybe we are weird, but I but I

really believe that God, the God that created everything, wants

to speak to you today through his word.

So this is first Timothy chapter 2.

1 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

Paul wrote this. Paul is one of the early, maybe

the best missionary at the church has ever seen.

And so he would go out early on and start churches.

He would go from city to city or town to town and he would start

churches and then he would keep going as a missionary and then

he would write letters back to the churches that he started.

And so, so this first Timothy 2 is a, a letter to Timothy, one

of his proteges, one of the guys that has worked with him.

And Timothy is the leader at the church at Ephesus at this point.

And so Paul is writing back. And usually Paul's goal is to

instruct and to teach and to encourage the church to to

follow Jesus and to bear fruit. And so Paul writes this.

It's in the context of some difficulty, he says in chapter

2. And really what Paul's talking

about here is kind of corporate worship.

He says, I urge then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,

intercession and Thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings

and for all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and

quiet lives and all godliness and holiness.

This is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants all people

to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and

mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for

all people. This has now been witness to at

a proper time. And for this purpose I was

appointed a herald and an apostle.

I'm telling the truth, I'm not lying.

And a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

You can have a seat. So Paul is writing back the the

church in Ephesus is going through some difficulty.

There are some false teachers. There's some division.

And, and I want to say this, when we, when we stand and we

say that God's word is, is relevant to us.

I really believe that today we live in a culture that is not so

dissimilar to the culture that this was written into it.

It doesn't take much to notice that there is division, there's

disagreement, there's a lack of unity in our world and, and

sometimes and and listen, if you if you're new here today, the

church is a great place. It is God's church, but we're

not perfect. And sometimes and some I want

you to know, there's, I don't think there's any of that right

now here. But, but sometimes because we're

not perfect, that happens. And so, so I believe this is

relevant for us today. And, and Paul in chapter 1 has

said, Timothy, here's the issue. You've got your false teachers,

you've got all this division. And at the end of chapter 1, he

says, now I call you to lead them through it, to lead them to

Jesus. And so in chapter 2, he starts

to give the instruction of how that happens and, and we're

going to work through it. He starts by saying, I urge you

then first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession

and Thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings, for all those

in authority, that we may, we may live peaceful and quiet

lives and all godliness and holiness.

So, so the first thing he says in the midst of what you're

dealing with, the first thing you need to do is pray.

There's two phrases here. He says, first of all, pray for

all people. So first of all, pray for all

people. Listen, whether whether we're

dealing with difficulty in the church, whether we're going to

serve, whether whatever it is we're doing, we are called to

pray first. Now he's talking about the

church. But I want you to know, like the

corporate gathering, what we're doing here today, but it holds

true personally that whatever it is that you're doing, you should

first of all start with prayer. If you're going to serve, if

you're going to go serve someone else, the best thing you can do

before you go is to pray to get your heart in the right place.

If you're going to get up and you're going to preach in front

of several 100 people, you know what the best thing to do is

before you come up here, pray and make sure you go to the

bathroom. I'm kidding.

No, pray. And listen, I want you to know,

every week I sit over there and before I come up here because I

understand that more so than what's in my head, more so than

any preparation that I've done, the biggest thing I can do is I

can pray because the truth is, God is the one who's working.

It's not my brilliance or lack thereof.

It's God that works. And so he says, first of all,

pray guys, we we have got to be a people of prayer if we are

going to be witnesses for Jesus, if we are going to share Christ

with others, if we are going to live Christ like lifestyles, if

we're going to live holy lifestyles in a broken world, we

have to pray first. But then he says pray first of

all, pray for all people that doesn't say pray for those

people that you really like. Pray for the people that are

nice to you. Pray for the people that believe

the same things you do. It doesn't say pray for the

people that vote the same way you do.

Don't don't pray for just the people in your section.

It says pray for all people. And so we are called as the

church to first of all pray for all people, no matter what it is

we're doing. The most important thing we can

do for others is to pray for them.

And why is that? Is it because God is some, you

know, magic genie in a bottle that when we pray, we rub that

bottle and God comes out and does something?

No, no, it's, it's because God is always at work.

And just as I, with my kids are making my way around the table

helping, God is here and we pray 1st and we pray for others

because we believe God is actively involved in what he's

called us to and what we're doing here on earth.

We will not be the church, we will not be the church that God

wants us to be if we don't pray, if we don't stay connected to

him. And so the first thing I want to

say is prayer changes things. It changes our hearts and it

changes the hearts of others. And in fact, EM Bounds had this

quote. I thought this was really good

this week. He said it's more important to

talk to God about men than men about God, more important to

talk to God about men than men. Now that doesn't let you off the

hook. You are supposed to invite.

You are supposed to share your faith.

You are supposed to share your testimony.

We've already talked about that. But the most important step is

talking to God because when we talk to God, we're connected to

the source and he changes our hearts and changes the hearts of

others. It goes on.

It says pray for first of all, pray all people.

It even goes on and says kings and those in authority.

And then it says this, that we may live peaceful and quiet

lives and all godliness and holiness.

So the first thing is we pray because we believe God changes

our hearts and others when we pray.

But then it says so that you can live at peace, you can live

loving and godly lives for others.

So prayer doesn't just, it doesn't just change our heart,

it change our it changes our relationships.

Have you ever been really mad at someone when you came to church?

Anybody nod your head, You don't have to raise your hand.

Don't point at them. It's don't point at me.

You've been really mad at someone when you came to church.

Have you, have you ever worshipped and prayed for that

person and seen how God changes your heart and then that changes

the way you deal with others? Guys, there are plenty of times

where I am tempted and, and I'm be the first to tell you I don't

always, I don't always go to prayer first.

Sometimes I mess it up. I told you we're not perfect

here in the church. And sometimes I get it wrong.

And when I react out of Alex Mahaffey's personal feelings, I

usually get it wrong and, and it causes more difficulty.

But when I pray first, God changes my heart and then that

opens the door for my relationship with others to

change to where I can forgive. I can love others even if

they're not being real loving to me.

And so we pray because God changes our hearts, but it's

also God changes. Praying for others leads us to

love and live at peace with others.

We actually become better at relationships when we pray

first. Just like with Yahtzee, God's

showing us, here's what you do, here's how you handle this,

here's where your heart should be.

It's nearly impossible to have bitterness or hatred in your

heart for someone else if you truly are praying for them, for

their good. I, I've come, I'm, I'm not, I'm

not going to lie to you. I've come into church plenty of

times upset about something or upset at someone.

And the second I start praying and I'm forced to pray for that

situation and that person, it changes and everything changes.

And so prayer changes hearts. Prayer changes our

relationships. And then the third thing it says

is prayer pleases God, verse 3. This is good and it pleases God

our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a

knowledge of His truth. Prayer is important because it

pleases God, because it helps us to understand what God wants.

It says because God's desire is for all people to be saved,

praise the Lord. If you're mad at someone today,

you may not feel like saying praise the Lord to that, but if

you'll really pray for them, God will change your heart.

He'll change your relationship, and all of a sudden He'll open

your eyes to the fact that God loves the people around you.

God's desire is for all people to be saved.

There is not a person walking this earth that God says, I

don't want that one. I don't like that one.

He loves all of us and I know that's hard because there are

some rough people out there. You're looking at one there.

His desire is for all people to be saved.

By the way, when I say you're looking at 1, I don't, don't

come tell me later. Oh, you're a good person.

Listen, apart from the work of God in my life, I am just as

selfish as any other person on this earth.

But through the power of the Holy Spirit, my heart has

changed. And God's desire is that that

would be the case for everyone. And so God's desire is all

people would be, would be saved. The people that you work with,

the people in your family, the people that you're praying for,

God wants them to be saved even more than you do.

Think about that. And sometimes I think we pray

for someone and we think we're convincing God to love someone

and to save someone. The truth is he wants it all

along more than we do. But prayer opens our eyes to

God's desire to save others. Have you ever had someone come

and, and like when my kids come and say, Dad, can we just watch

football? Yes.

Thought you'd never ask. Megan comes and says, hey, can

we go to this restaurant? And it's just the one I want to

go to today. Yes, I thought you'd never ask.

It's like when we pray and we go to God and we pray for others.

It's like he's saying, yes, yes, those are my people.

I want them to be saved. But it's not just that prayer

tunes our hearts to God's desires.

It also tunes us to God's plan because God's desire is for

others to be saved. Now the question is, couldn't

God just snap his fingers and everybody would be saved and

everything would be fine? The answer is yes, God is all

powerful. He could do that.

Now that would change the equation.

That wouldn't be love and grace and forgiveness.

That would be coercion. That wouldn't be relationship.

That would be a bunch of robots. God's play.

God's desire is that all people would come to know Him.

God's plan is to show people His love and grace through His

church. God's plan is that all people

would come to know Him through us.

When I say the church, I don't mean the building, I mean us.

That's God's plan for the world around us.

So, so #1 Prayer changes our hearts #2 it changes our

relationships #3 prayer tunes us to God's desires that that

someone that we might see is rotten.

When we pray to God for someone else, He shows us just how much

he loves them. And then number #4 God.

Prayer changes tunes our hearts to God's plan that He wants

actually to work through us. His love at work through us to

reach others and save others. Our board verse this year is

Romans 10. Starting in verse 14 it says how

then can they call them the one who they have not believed in?

How can they believe on the one whom they have not heard?

How can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can anyone preach unless they're sent as it is written?

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news?

Guys, God's plan is to change our hearts, to change our minds

to where we see others the way that He sees them, to see his

plan, and then to be sent out as messengers, as examples, as

models, as ambassadors for Christ to love others.

The truth is He's already done the work.

In fact, it goes on in verse 5 and it says for there is one God

and there is one mediator between God and mankind, the man

Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom as a ransom for all

people. This has now been witnessed at

the proper time. So I just want to stop.

We're going to stop the leading the way sermon here.

And, and I just want to really talk to all of you, especially

anyone that's here that doesn't know God as their God, anyone

who doesn't know Jesus as their savior.

We took communion together. We, we, we had the, the bread

and the juice and then and that's that represents the body

and blood of Christ that was broken and shed for us.

Let me tell you the good news of the gospel that every single one

of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory God, every

single one of us in our own actions has blown it.

But God loves you so much that He sent his one and only son,

Jesus Christ, who came to live here on earth.

It's proven, it happened. There is historical evidence

that Jesus walked this earth. He died on a cross for your

sins. Once again, historical evidence.

It's not myth, it's real. He rose from the dead.

Once again, historical evidence. You can argue all you want, but

it's true. And He did it because God loves

you and his desire is for all people to be saved.

And today, if you are not there, all it takes is surrendering

your heart to say God. I know on my own I could never

be enough. I could never be good enough.

So I choose to accept your grace and your salvation, your

forgiveness, and I want to live for you.

There's one God. There's one mediator.

So here's the thing, it tunes us to his plan, but but this plans

been already in the works and Jesus has already done the work

on the cross and in the empty tomb for us to be saved and have

life. We get to be witnesses and

today, not just to have salvation, but to have life.

There's one God. There's one mediator.

Guys, I don't mean to be negative, but but our world is

broken, right? And there's a lot of ugliness

around us. And it won't take you long when

you leave here today to encounter some things that will

be, you know, troubling. And I don't want to oversell it

because I want you to know that our God is good.

And just as much as there is evil at work in our world, there

is a God that's at work in our world.

And I want you to know that the only chance that our world, and

when I say our world, I mean each individual person, the only

chance that we have for salvation in life is Jesus

Christ. If you're here today and you're

trying to figure it out on your own and you're trying to be

better, the only way to salvation is through Jesus

Christ. That's the gospel we can offer

as a church. We can offer a lot of things.

We could give you good counseling.

We could give you a nice list of rules that'll make you look like

a good Christian. We can have good music.

We could have, you know, compelling teaching.

We could do all that. But listen, if it's not leading

you to a relationship with Jesus, it's worthless.

The only way to salvation is a relationship with Jesus Christ,

and He's invited you today. I want you to know that you're

here because He loves you and because He is.

He has drawn you to Him. You may think that you got in

the car and drove yourself on your own will today, and maybe

you did on your own will. But I want you to know that God

has been working because His desire is for all people to be

saved and to walk with Him. He's already at work.

I want you to know once again that following Jesus is not just

an idea. This is why prayer is so

important, guys. Following Jesus is not just a

change of idea. It's not just a new set of rules

to live by. It's an invitation to a

relationship with the Almighty God.

And as much as I sit at the table and I love my kids and I

help them and I walk with them in life, and when my kids have a

hard day, I want to lift them up.

And when my kids need to learn a lesson, I want to teach them as

much as I want the best for my kids.

There's a God that loves us, and he's real, and he's living and

he's here. It starts with prayer.

I'm going to have the worship team come up.

We talk a lot about bearing fruit, about sharing Christ with

others, about growing in our faith, about sharing our faith

with others. And we believe, I believe

wholeheartedly here at the church, that God is calling us

to be fruitful in our relationship with Him.

Not that we're called to come and sit and be a part of an

exclusive club, but that we're called to love others and share

Him with others. And that God wants to change

hearts, That His desire is to see our world saved.

And He wants to use you and me to do it.

Listen, prayer is the key to bearing fruit for God's Kingdom

because it changes our hearts, it changes our relationships, it

aligns us with His desires and His plans, and it connects us to

the source, the only one that can save.

So here's what we're going to do.

Stand with me. We're going to sing a song, I

speak Jesus, and I want to invite you today.

Maybe today you're here and you are not a follower of Christ.

This is your first time at church or your 10th time, and

you've never given your heart to Him.

You've never accepted His salvation.

Today I want to invite you and tell you that there is a living

God that's here and He's calling you.

And right now you can receive him.

You can receive salvation. All the things you've ever done

that make you unworthy and terrible, He's paid the price

for Him, and you can have justification in life.

You could stand before God today, forgiven and redeemed.

If that's you today, I want to encourage you to come.

The altars are open right here. They're a place of prayer.

They're not a place of shame. They're a place of victory.

I would encourage you to come. Maybe some of you just need your

heart changed on something. Maybe you've been seeing things

the wrong way. Maybe the world is getting to

you. Maybe you got some relationships

that need changed. Prayer is where it starts.

Maybe God is calling you to something.