Tag: prayer

The Lesson of the Fig Tree – Mark 11:12-25

December 14, 2023 / Matthew Wilson

Sermon Text: Mark 11:12-25

Sermon Video

Outline

Jesus curses fruitless faith (12-14)

Jesus condemns fruitless faith (15-19)

Jesus calls us to living, fruitful faith (20-25)

Sermon Notes

Last week, we saw Jesus, God’s Messiah King, enter Jerusalem in judgment and salvation on Palm Sunday. He also looked around in the temple (Mark 11:11).

Today we see Jesus’ conflict with the religious leaders beginning to come to a head. What is the real issue behind the conflict?

Jesus curses fruitless faith (12-14)

¹²On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. ¹³And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

The presence of the leaves indicated that the tree would have fruit on it. Jesus saw the leaves from a distance and he came to the tree hoping to find the small figs that would ripen with the leaves before the main figs appeared a couple months later. However, when Jesus got close to the tree, there were no fruits to be found.

By its outward appearance, the fig tree was inviting because of its leaves. But, upon further examination, the tree was all show and no substance.

This is what Israel had become, especially the temple and those who oversaw it. They gave an outward appearance of spirituality and devotion to God but they were hypocrites. Gentiles were restricted to worship in the outer court. The religious elites had made the temple a place of fake religion and commerce instead of a place for authentic prayer and worship.

Thus, the cursing of the fig tree was an acted parable and not a petty loss of temper. In the OT, the fig tree was a symbol of faithless Israel (Jer 8:13; 29:17; Hos 9:10, 16–17; Joel 1:6–7; Mic 7:1). One verse that illustrates this is Jer 8:13. In fact, Jesus may have had this verse in mind when He cursed the fig tree.

Jer 8:13

When I would gather them, declares the Lord,
    there are no grapes on the vine,
    nor figs on the fig tree;
even the leaves are withered,
    and what I gave them has passed away from them.”

The chosen people had rejected the chosen one.

The Jews, who were called to be a kingdom of priests (Ex 19:6) to display God’s glory to the nations had failed to offer true worship and they had failed to trust in the Messiah.

The state of worship in Jerusalem and the temple was as useless as a tree that doesn’t produce fruits.

A fig tree with no good fruit is worthless. Likewise, a faith with no good fruit is worthless.

Charles Spurgeon said, “The great majority of persons who have any sort of religion at all bear leaves, but they produce no fruit.”

If you are a professing Christian, is your faith bearing fruit?

In your life, is the Holy Spirit at work within you producing Christlike character and the fruits of the Spirit?
Are you seeking to further God’s kingdom?
Or, are you like the do you come to church hoping to feel better about yourself, receive a blessing, and check your box for the week?

There is no such thing as a fruitless Christian.

If you are not producing the fruits of the Spirit…
If you do not have Christlike character…
If you are not seeking to please God with your life…
If you are not loving your neighbor as yourself…
If you have no desire to help others to know Christ…

Then Jesus will curse you like he did the fig tree.

Like this fig tree, we can put on a show, but Jesus knows the true spiritual condition of our hearts. We should ask him to make us useful and fruitful for his kingdom work.

Jesus curses fruitless faith and he also condemns it.

Jesus condemns fruitless faith (15-19)

The acted out parable of the fig tree comes to life in vv. 15-19.

¹⁵And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. ¹⁶And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. ¹⁷And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” ¹⁸And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. ¹⁹And when evening came they went out of the city.

Throughout his ministry Jesus has angered the Pharisees, but during his Passion week, Jesus angered his most powerful enemies – the chief priests and the nobility of the Sadducees, which made up the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was a powerful ruling council that controlled and administered the temple affairs. It was this group that Jesus angered during his temple cleansing.

When Jesus went into the temple complex and looked around (11:11), he saw a lot of religious activity but very little spiritual fruit.

Those celebrating Passover had to bring an acceptable sacrifice that had to pass a rigorous inspection. Most chose to buy an approved animal that had been approved by the temple priests that were backed by the religious leaders.

This business was conducted in the court of the Gentiles.

In v. 15, Mark mentions the moneychangers and those who sold pigeons. The moneychangers were in charge of the exchange of currency. They would take the foreign currencies of Jewish pilgrims in exchange for Jewish currency (which was acceptable for temple transactions). They would often extort people with the exchange rate and then the merchants would mark up the prices on the animals. Mark mentions those who sold pigeons. Pigeons were the sacrificial animal for the poor and the price for pigeons was outrageous. One commentator suggested the price may have been 16x the normal price.

This irreverence and corruption in the temple courts is what angered Jesus. The temple had been transformed into a place of corruption. Commerce and convenience in the temple court was a sign of hearts that had moved away from worship. The money changers represented a worship where sacrifices were available but did not come with the proper preparation of the heart.

In v. 17, Jesus quoteed from Isa 56:7 and Jer 7:11.

Isa 56:6-7

⁶“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
    to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
    and holds fast my covenant—
⁷these I will bring to my holy mountain,
    and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
    for all peoples.”

The prophecy from Isaiah concerns the true purpose of the temple – the temple was to be a place of true and sincere worship of God for Israel and all the nations.

In the Old Testament the only separation in the temple was between priests and people. In Jesus’ day, however, the temple was also segregated by race (Jew and Gentile) and gender (male and female). By quoting Isa 56:7, Jesus showed his concern for the Gentiles. They were not to be second class citizens in God’s kingdom.^[1]Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Mk 11:17.

Most Jews hated the Gentiles and hoped that when the Messiah came, he would cleanse the temple of all Gentiles and get rid of them once and for all.

Ironically, instead of cleansing the temple of the Gentiles, Jesus cleansed the temple for the Gentiles. It was to be a house of prayer for all the nations, not a building to be admired and praised. There should have been no racial or gender segregation.

The prophecy from Jer 7:11, which was Jeremiah’s famous temple sermon, is a warning that false religion is worthless in God’s eyes. This false religion was exactly what Jesus witnessed in the temple.

Jeremiah 7:8-11

8 “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.

In Jeremiah, God’s people were worshiping Baal and other false gods and believed that God would preserve them because of the temple. They thought that because they oversaw God’s temple that he would not destroy them. In Jesus’ day, just like in the time of Jeremiah, the temple had become a place for criminals to hide. The temple had become a refuge for rebels against God. Jesus is saying that the temple will not protect them—it too will be destroyed. Jesus is condemning the belief that empty rituals would cover the people’s crimes and spare them from the coming judgment.

Sacrifices without a heart for God are meaningless. God desires faithfulness and not just sacrifice (Hos 6:6).

The despicable practices of the religious leaders and those who ran the temple business were robbing God of true worship. All wickedness is an abomination to our Lord, but especially religious wickedness that is done in His name.

This is why Jesus burned with righteous rage and cleaned house (vv. 15-16).

Jesus was purifying the building and restoring its original purpose as a house of prayer and worship.

As we see Jesus’ response to false worship, it is worth asking: What is our attitude towards worship and prayer?

Is it a box you check or a privilege you enjoy?
Do you prepare yourself for Sunday worship? Some ways to do this would be by getting enough sleep, praying for the service, listening to worship music, confessing your sin, and reading the sermon text beforehand.
Is the worship of God important enough to you to show up on time?
Do you love your fellow church members enough to get here before the service and stay late to hear how they’re doing and love on them?

Do you think you can live however we want during the week and that if you come to church and look good in front of everyone else that God will spare you? Like the Jews of Jesus’ day, it is entirely possible to live a life of rebellion against God and to still convince yourself that you’re okay with God because of some religious activities in a building once a week.

We must realize that:

Going through the motions of religious rituals is not sufficient to please God.
God is not impressed by outward actions that are accompanied by a calloused heart.
God is looking for those who worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).
We are to honor God with our lives every moment, not just with occasional activities.

In vv. 18-19, Jesus’ cleansing of the temple caused the chief priests and scribes to commit to destroying Jesus (economic interests).

The rulers were angered when Jesus upset the status quo. Friends, there are a lot of professing Christians that don’t want their church to be biblical. They don’t want a church that holds people accountable. Rather, they want a religious social club that hands out blessings but doesn’t reflect the holiness of God. There are pastors fired every week because they tried to get churches to be more biblical. This angers God.

We must seek to be a church that seeks to conform to God’s Word in every way.

Jesus curses and condemns fruitless faith. Instead, he calls us to a living, fruitful faith.

Jesus calls us to a living, fruitful faith (20-25)

²⁰As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. ²¹And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” ²²And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. ²³Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Mark sandwiches the account of the temple cleansing between the account of the fig tree to show the relationship between the temple scene and the state of the Jewish people as pictured by the fig tree. The temple situation is symptomatic of a larger national problem.

The cursing and withering of the fig tree is a metaphor for God’s judgment on the dead, fruitless religion of the Jewish people that opposed him. Jesus did not just cleanse the temple – he cursed it. The temple and the religious leaders had failed in their assignment and it would be destroyed less than 40 years later.

In vv. 22-25, Jesus concludes the lesson of the fig tree and temple cleansing with lessons on faith, prayer, and forgiveness. These are the very things people should have found in the temple.

What is true faith?

True faith is in God (v. 22) – “Have faith in God”
True faith believes that God can do the impossible (v. 23) – move mountains
True faith is believing without doubt (v. 23) – “does not doubt”
True faith believes that what we pray will come to pass, as long as we are seeking God’s purposes and not our own (v. 24, cf. Matt 6:9-10; John 15:7) – “believe that you have received it, and it will be yours…”

True faith manifests itself in prayer that trusts in God’s power to give us what we ask but also trusts in God’s wisdom to give us what we need. When God says no to a prayer request, we should trust him enough to know that he knows what’s best. We have confidence in God’s power but are willing to submit to his will. True faith desires what’s best for God’s kingdom and not our own personal comfort.

True faith allows you to forgive others (v. 25). We are able to forgive others because we have been forgiven.

In the lesson of the fig tree, Jesus teaches about true faith, which is expressed in dependent and believing prayer. This kind of faith is willing to forgive and can accomplish great things.

Conclusion

John 15:5-8

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

There are only two options. You can be a fruitful disciple of Jesus that bears fruit or a tree that withers and is thrown into the fire and burned.

I don’t want our church to be barren like a fig tree or a temple that was condemned by Jesus and later destroyed. I want our church to be fruitful for the kingdom of God.

To do so, we must be people that truly worship God by having a living and fruitful faith.

We must be people that go to God regularly in believing prayer.

We must be willing to forgive others because of the forgiveness we have experienced through Christ.

We must love and welcome all kinds of people – we must be a church that is a place of prayer for all nations.

These are the things Jesus demands of us as his followers.

Do you worship God with your whole life or are you putting on a show like those in the temple?

Do you have faith that trusts that God can move mountains?

Are you able to forgive others including those you once hated because of the grace you have experienced through Jesus Christ?

In closing, I want to ask you, which picture best describes you? A barren fig tree that withers and dies or a branch, like John 15:8, that bears much fruit? What is the spiritual fruit of your life?

References[+]

References
↑1	Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Mk 11:17.

Jesus Cares for the Desperate – Mark 7:24-37

August 25, 2023 / Matthew Wilson

Sermon text: Mark 7:24-37

Summary

Jesus and his disciples went to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon for some rest and relaxation and to evade the Jewish leaders, whom Jesus clashed with in Mark 7:1-13. Even in Tyre, Jesus’ fame is known. He is sought out by a humble woman who begged Jesus to exorcise a demon from her daughter.

After leaving Tyre, Jesus and his disciples traveled to Sidon and eventually the region of the Decapolis. There, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and unable to speak well.

The text speaks to the importance of seeking Jesus in desperate times. Seek him humbly and persistently, knowing that he cares for you and he is able to help. When you experience deliverance, the natural response is to proclaim Jesus to others.

Outline

In your time of desperation, seek Jesus (vv. 24-35)

When you experience deliverance, proclaim Jesus (vv. 36-37)

Verses Referenced

Matthew 5:3

Sermon Video

Three Priorities of Jesus’ Ministry – Mark 1:35-45

March 14, 2023 / Matthew Wilson

Sermon Video

What are the priorities of a healthy church? Jesus said that he will build his church (Matt 16:18). It follows that if we believe Jesus is going to build his church and we want to be used by him, then we need to do what Jesus did. We need to prioritize what he prioritized.

In the last two posts, we’ve seen Jesus call his first disciples (Mark 1:14-20) and the authority of Jesus in his teachings, his healings, and his exorcisms (Mark 1:21-34).

The first thing we see in our text is that Jesus prioritized prayer.

Jesus Prioritized Prayer (35-37)

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

Jesus prioritized prayer by eliminating distractions.

The text says, “rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he went out to a desolate place and there he prayed” (v. 35). Jesus got up before anyone else and he went to where no one else was (“to a desolate place”). Jesus knew that after the previous day that many people would be seeking him (v. 37). Remember, the “whole city” had come to Peter’s house the night before (vv. 32-33).

So, Jesus knew that to make prayer a priority, he needed to eliminate distractions. Personally, I have to get away from my computer and cell phone in order to pray well. Jesus prioritized prayer by eliminating distractions.

Jesus prioritized prayer by disconnecting from others.

Verse 36 says that Simon and the other disciples searched for him. The reason that they were looking for him was that Jesus had disconnected so to speak. If Jesus would have had a cellphone, he would’ve powered his off. Jesus knew that time with the Father was more important than checking Facebook, Instagram, or email.

Sometimes we need to disconnect with other people so that we can connect with God through prayer. It is okay to unplug from others. We sometimes think that we must be available to everyone 24/7. If we’re honest, some of us have a savior complex. A mentor of mine once said that a man that’s always available isn’t worth much when he is. The reality is that if the true Savior of the world had to disconnect from others to spend time alone with the Father, how much more do we need to?

Well, look what happens. When they find him, Peter and the disciples rebuke Jesus for ignoring the crowds (v. 37). Essentially, they say, “Jesus, what are you doing out here? Everyone is looking for you.”

In Peter’s mind, he wanted Jesus to return to Capernaum and capitalize on the excitement generated by the previous night’s healings.^[1]John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Mk 1:37. We are often like Peter. We want crowds and numbers whereas Jesus was content to minister to one person at a time (as we will see in vv. 40-45). At this point in time, Peter didn’t understand the priority of prayer. And the reality is that many of us don’t value prayer as highly as we ought.

I thought about prayer this week and I think that one of the reasons that we don’t prioritize prayer is that we are not attempting anything supernatural. We are not attempting to further God’s kingdom. You don’t have to pray to eat a meal. You don’t have to pray to get dressed. You don’t have to pray to accomplish many of the things we do from day-to-day. But there are things in this life that you will never accomplish apart from prayer. Without prayer, you won’t understand parts of the Bible. Without prayer, you won’t be effective in evangelism. Without prayer, you will not be successful in overcoming temptation.

If the Son of God prioritized prayer, how much more should we prioritize prayer? We need to know the will of the Father. We need to be empowered by the Spirit.

For us as Christians, prayer should be like breathing. Just as breathing enables every activity that we do, so should prayer.

For Christians, prayer should be like breathing.

Prayer humbles us and reminds us that we need God’s help. Prayer reminds us that we don’t live for ourselves, but for God’s glory.

What if we started every day like Jesus? What if our prayers expressed the heart of Jesus?

Matthew 6:9-10

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”

Here are some things we should pray for:

Your local church. Pray that your church will be faithful to the Great Commission. Pray for unity, your pastoral leadership, preaching of the Word, and physical and spiritual needs of other church members.
That specific lost people to come to faith in Christ.
Personal holiness, confession of sin, and repentance
Personal material and spiritual provision (our daily bread)

As a church, we must realize that we will not be effective without the fuel of prayer.

“Prayer is the pump at the gas station that connects us to the fuel for faithful evangelism.” (John Onwuchekwa)

When you go to the gas station, you fill up your vehicle with gas because without gas, it’s not going anywhere. The motor can’t run without fuel.

Similarly, when we pray, we get fuel for evangelism.

We connect our hearts with the heart of God and his love for the lost.
We feel empowered for the task because we understand it’s God’s job to save people, not ours.

In vv. 35-37, we see that Jesus prioritized prayer. In vv. 38-39, we see that Jesus prioritized preaching.

Jesus Prioritized Preaching (38-39)

38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Jesus prioritized preaching:

“Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (38)
“And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues.” (39)

What does Jesus mean by came out? Did he come out of the house, out of Capernaum, or did he come from God? Luke’s parallel (4:43) helps us see that this text means that Jesus came from God to preach.

Luke 4:43

but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent [from God] for this purpose.”

People were coming to Jesus for physical healing, but he came to bring spiritual healing. There is often a difference between what people want from Jesus and what they need from him. People want material blessings and physical healings but what they need the most is to have peace with God through the forgiveness that Jesus offers.

Today, churches do many things.

They share fellowship meals together.
They have men’s and women’s fellowships.
They give to the poor and needy.
They have special song services.

But friends, the church’s primary task is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus didn’t go town to town making friends. Jesus didn’t go around and hang out at community events and hope that people got saved. Jesus loved people, but he loved them so much that he told them they were dead in their sin and that they needed to follow Him.

In short, Jesus explained the Scriptures and preached the gospel!

Shared meals, fellowships, giving to the needy, and special singings can all be good things. But none of those things save people from God’s wrath. The only way for someone to be saved from God’s wrath is for us to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This morning if you’re here and you’re not a Christian, you need to know that you are a sinner that is destined for God’s wrath because of your sin. Because God is perfectly holy, there is nothing you can do to earn God’s favor and forgiveness. You need a substitute to pay the penalty for your sin. That’s why Jesus came – to preach about the forgiveness of sins and then to become sin for us on the cross and die for our sins in our place so that we can be reconciled with God (2 Cor 5:21). The response that saves you from God’s wrath is to turn from your sin and put your faith in Jesus and his finished work.

Also, notice Jesus’ evangelism strategy. He went from town to town throughout the region of Galilee. Jesus didn’t invite the lost people to the synagogue. Instead, Jesus went to the lost. What if instead of inviting people to church we went from one area of Harrisburg (my local town) to another sharing the gospel? From area to area, person to person? We must, like Jesus, go to the lost (Luke 19:10).

It’s so tempting to think that if we have a nice building and the right programs that people will come. That used to be the case but it’s not any longer. Many people have a less than favorable view of Christianity and the church in general. Now, more than ever we must go to the lost.

When is the last time that you shared the gospel with someone?

When is the last time you shared a meal with a nonbeliever?

When was the last time you asked someone their name?

When did you last take cookies to your neighbor?

Are you, like Jesus, seeking to preach the gospel to the lost?

Jesus prioritized prayer. Jesus prioritized preaching. And finally, Jesus prioritized people.

Jesus Prioritized People (40-45)

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

Leprosy was a skin disease that in its worst form led to the loss of fingers and toes. Lepers were considered ceremonially unclean and unfit to worship God (Lev 13:3). Anyone who came into contact with a leper was also considered unclean. Because of this, lepers were to stay at least 50 feet away from others (think extreme Covid social distancing) and would cry out, “Unclean” if someone got too close.

Warren Wiersbe notes, When you read the “tests” for leprosy described in Leviticus 13, you can see how the disease is a picture of sin. Like sin, leprosy is deeper than the skin (Lev. 13:3); it spreads (Lev. 13:5–8); it defiles and isolates (Lev. 13:44–46); and it renders things fit only for the fire (Lev. 13:47–59). Anyone who has never trusted the Saviour is spiritually in worse shape than this man was physically.^[2]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 114.

This man had at least heard of Jesus’ healing power but had probably witnessed it as well.

Instead of the leper keeping his distance from Jesus (as the law directed), he came directly to Jesus, fell on his knees, and cried out for Jesus to make him clean. This man was full of faith. He was desperate and believed that Jesus could heal him. In the same way, we must come to Jesus as sinners who believe that he can cleanse us from our dirty sin.

If anyone else had the power to heal, he would have healed the man first and then touched him. But not Jesus. He knew this man had not felt human touch in a long time, so he reached out to touch him first.

In Luke 5 there is a parallel account of Jesus cleaning this leprous man. Luke wrote that this man was “full of leprosy” (Luke 5:12). It is reasonable to assume that he had not been touched by another person in years.

Can you imagine not embracing your spouse or children for years? This man longed for human touch.

Jesus was moved with pity. Jesus cared for people.

When was the last time you were “moved with pity”?

When was the last time you prayed for someone?

When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone and told them that “Jesus can make you clean”?

Notice what happens. When Jesus touched the leper, Jesus did not become unclean. Rather, Jesus made this man clean.

This is exactly what happens in salvation. We bring our dirty sin to Jesus, but he doesn’t become dirty. Rather, he gives us his righteousness and makes us clean (2 Cor 5:21).

2 Cor 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

In this context, Jesus physically healed this man. Even if we cannot physically heal someone, we can share the good news of Jesus who makes people clean! When someone is born again, this is the greatest miracle!

43-45

“See that you say nothing to anyone”

Jesus did not want people to love him for his miracles. He wanted them to embrace his teachings and his call for them to deny themselves and follow him. Many people want God’s blessings, but they don’t want to embrace the cross that Jesus calls them to carry (Luke 9:23-24).

Jesus told the cleansed leper to do “what Moses commanded.” This refers to two sacrificial offerings. After the offerings, the diseased individual would be considered clean and could be reintegrated into the community (Lev 14). Though Jesus had already cleansed the man, the priest would directly examine him to certify that the source of uncleanness was gone.

As I’ve said, to touch someone with leprosy violated OT law and rendered a person unclean. Nevertheless, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, and healed the man immediately.

When Jesus makes you clean, it should be easily recognized by others! No one that truly encounters Jesus can leave unchanged. Notice what happens. Even though Jesus commanded this man to keep quiet he could not keep the good news to himself (v. 45).

This morning, if you’re here and you are not a Christian, you need to cry out to Jesus, “If you are willing, You can make me clean.”

Leprosy was a condition that defined someone. Some of you in this room feel like sin and shame defines your life (user, addict, alcoholic, divorce, pornography, abortion, etc.). Here’s the good news of this passage. After this man encountered Jesus, that’s what defined him.

Conclusion

Through prayer, Jesus communed with the Father and stayed focused on His mission.

Through his preaching, Jesus proclaimed the message that saves for all of eternity.

Through his miracles, Jesus displayed his power and showed his care for people.

References[+]

References
↑1	John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Mk 1:37.
↑2	Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 114.

Commit to the Church: Pray Fervently

October 18, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

I recently began a new sermon series called Commit at my church on what biblically committed church membership looks like. This post is based off of the sixth sermon in that series. You can watch the sermon here.

Today, we continue our sermon series on biblical church membership based on the pattern we see in Acts 2.

We started our sermon series in Acts 2 and I want to again look at a couple of verses from there. If you would let’s look again at Acts 2:41.

Acts 2:41

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

This verse summarizes the response to Peter’s preaching on the Day of Pentecost which occurred a few days after Jesus had ascended back to heaven. Those present heard the gospel. Many responded by receiving Peter’s message, repenting of their sins (Acts 2:38), and trusting (believing) in Jesus. After trusting in Jesus, they were baptized and added to the church.

So, what happened next? Look at verse 42.

Acts 2:42

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers

The rest of Acts 2 describes how the early Christians committed themselves to one another. This is the paradigm we see in the rest of the New Testament – conversion, baptism, committed church membership.

Earlier in this sermon series we saw the importance of baptism and church membership. Since then, we’ve been looking at how we can be faithful church members. In other words, what should we do after joining a church?

Look at verse 42 again. It says that the early Christians “devoted themselves” to four things: the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer.

Last week, we saw that just as the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, we should submit to God’s Word both as a church and as church members.

Today, we are going to see how we can be committed to the church by being people that pray.

During the week of his death, Jesus made this statement: “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Matt 21:13). The temple is no longer standing, but the church of Jesus Christ is alive and well. We do not gather in a holy place. Instead, we gather as those who have been redeemed by Jesus, our great high priest. And when the members of His body gather, they should gather as a prayerful people.

Just as these early believers devoted themselves to prayer, we should devote ourselves to prayer.

BIG IDEA: In order for our church to experience the fullness of God we must be devoted to prayer.

What is Prayer?

There are two ends of the spectrum when it comes to prayer. On one end of the spectrum, we may think that prayer is all about us and our needs. In this way, God is a means to an end. We only pray when we need something – material provision, healing, etc.

On the other end of the spectrum, some people believe that God has already decided everything so they believe that prayer is pointless.

But really, what is prayer? Graeme Goldsworthy writes, “Prayer is our response to God as He speaks to us.” That definition makes sense when you think about it. God has spoken through the gospel and in the Bible, His written Word. Prayer is our response to God as He speaks to us through His Word.

We pray because we believe God hears our prayers. Why do we believe that? The Bible.
We pray because we believe God loves and cares for us. Why do we believe that? The Bible.
We pray because we believe God answers prayer. Why do we believe that? The Bible.
We are commanded to pray. Why do we believe that? The Bible.

We pray because we believe God has spoken through His Word. We believe that He hears us when we pray. We believe He cares for us as a loving Father. We believe He answers prayer in accordance with His will. Therefore, we pray.

The Model of the Early Church

We’ve already seen that the early church was devoted to prayer (Acts 2:42). If you read the book of Acts, you’ll find that the early church prayed about anything and everything.

They prayed as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
They prayed as they choose leaders for the church.
They prayed for Christians who were in prison.
They prayed while they were in prison.
They prayed for boldness to proclaim the gospel.
They prayed for the spread of the gospel.
They prayed for the sick.
They prayed for safety.

The early church understood two things. First, they knew they were totally dependent on God through prayer. Second, because they knew they were totally dependent on God, they set aside time to pray when they got together. They were not limited to two or three prayers in a worship service.

The early church could not have imagined not praying with one another. The truth is that if we want to see in our church what happened in the early church, then we need to pray like they prayed.^[1]Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 165.

Like the early church, we need to remember the necessity of prayer. We must realize that without prayer our labor is in vain.

The Necessity of Prayer

Ps 127:1

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”
Psalm 127:1

One theme of Ps 127 is that without the Lord’s blessing, all human work is worthless. The same holds true in our church. If we change the word house to the word church, here’s what it says:

“Unless the Lord builds the church, those who build it labor in vain.” That is the clear teaching of the New Testament. Look at the following Scriptures.

Matt 16:18b

I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Acts 2:47b

the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

1 Cor 3:6-7

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

If you’ve ever tried to share the gospel or plead with someone in unrepentant sin, you know that none of us has any power to change someone’s heart. The Holy Spirit has to work before there can be spiritual fruit.

In the Bible, God has given us His plan for building the church. Through prayer, God supplies the power for building the church.

When we pray, we are acknowledging that we have no power in and of ourselves. In John 15:5 Jesus told his disciples that apart from a relationship with Jesus, they could do nothing of spiritual value. When we pray, we are acknowledging that we are helpless without God.

Many churches today think if they do certain things that their church will grow:

If we get an eloquent preacher who doesn’t speak too long.
If we do enough marketing.
If we change our music style.
If we design our services around unbelievers.
If we have flashy children’s and youth programs.

To that, God says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

Many churches are in steep decline and it’s in large part because they are operating without the power of God that is supplied through prayer.

Our sound doctrine, our good works, our money, and our seminary degrees can never accomplish what only the power of God can accomplish. And the power of God never comes upon a prayerless church. It’s been said that “Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the hand of God.”

Our sound doctrine, our good works, our money, and our seminary degrees can never accomplish what only the power of God can accomplish.

If our church wants to experience a movement of God, then we need to be on our knees in the presence of God. This is something that’s been on my heart since I’ve been a pastor and I want to grow in this area. I want us as a church to pray together. It is wonderful if you are a prayer warrior at home, but churches need to pray together.

At this point, I hope I’ve convinced you that we need to pray. I want to now help us know how to pray and whom to pray for.

How to Pray

If you’re like me, then prayer is hard. We know that we need to pray and because we often don’t pray, we grow frustrated because we are not praying.

There’s obviously a lot we could say about how to pray. Books have been written on the subject. I’ll mention two things.

First, we should pray constantly (or consistently).

1 Thess 5:17

Pray without ceasing.

This verse doesn’t mean that we are always praying. It means that we have an attitude of prayer and we’re ready to pray at any time.

Rom 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Col 4:2

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Phil 4:6-7

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It’s been said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”^[2]Quoted in Prayer by John Onwuchekwa, p. 17.

As church members, we need to be constant (or consistent) in prayer. Second, we need to pray in the Spirit. This doesn’t mean that you have a private prayer language or that you’re speaking in tongues. It means that as you are praying, you are being controlled (or filled) by the Spirit (Eph 5:18; 6:18).

Eph 5:18

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Eph 6:18a

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

Again, when Paul says to be filled with the Spirit, he means to be controlled by the Spirit. He says don’t be filled or controlled by wine, but instead be filled by the Spirit. If you are filled with the Spirit then you will pray according to the will of God which is of course found in the Word of God.

So we’re to pray constantly and in the Spirit.

What and Whom to Pray For

Pray for other church members (Jam 5:14-16)

I hope that someday we’ll again have a membership directory so that we can regularly pray through it. Pray for those on prayer list. Pray for those in your Sunday school group (or small group). As you begin to pray for those in the church, you will grow to love them more.

Pray for the preacher and his sermons (Eph 6:18-20)

Pray that the preacher will speak God’s Word accurately and in the power of the Spirit. Pray for those listening, that they would have ears to hear and obey God’s Word.

Pray for revival and reformation (Acts 1:14, 2:1)

Pray for a movement of God in our church and our community. Pray that we would be bold to share the gospel and that God would prepare the hearts of those who need to receive it. Pray for people to repent and trust in Christ.

Pray for gospel laborers (Matt 9:36-38)

Pray for missionaries that are sharing the gospel. Pray that many will receive the gospel and come to know Christ. Pray for God to raise up more pastors for our church and pastorless churches. Pray for other churches.

Pray for those in authority (1 Tim 2:1-3; Rom 13:1-2)

In Scripture, we’re told to pray for our government officials. This includes national, state, and local government. Pray that they would seek the good of all people. Pray that they would govern in accordance with God’s Word and that we as a church would be free to share the gospel without hindrance from the government.

Pray for those who persecute the church (Matt 5:46-47)

We are even called to pray for those who persecute the church. Pray for those who are persecuting the church and for the persecuted church.

I hope in that by now you’re seeing the importance of prayer. We need God to move in our lives and others’ lives. John Piper says this about prayer:

“Prayer is a walkie-talkie for warfare, not a domestic intercom for increasing our conveniences.” ^[3]John Piper, Desiring God, 147.

The most obvious way to lose a war is to not realize you’re in one. Friends, we’re in the middle of a spiritual battle for the souls of men. If you were in a war and you desperately needed supplies, you would be on your walkie-talkie trying to get them. Let us never forget the power of God that we can only access through prayer. We’re in a battle and we desperately need God’s help.

Conclusion

Friends, how’s your prayer life? Are you seeking God daily through prayer?

How can we be more faithful in prayer?

Discipline yourself for prayer.
Plan times of prayer in your life.
Pray with others.
Attend church prayer meetings.
Be informed as you pray.
Pray God’s Word.

If we long for the blessing of God upon our church, then we must seek the face of God.

References[+]

References
↑1	Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 165.
↑2	Quoted in Prayer by John Onwuchekwa, p. 17.
↑3	John Piper, Desiring God, 147.

Unity, Joy, and Peace in Christ – Philippians 4:1-9

August 8, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here (though not all of it got recorded).

So far in Philippians, there have been two main concerns:

External opposition (Phil 1:27-30; 3:1-2)
Internal division (Phil 2:1-4)

In the first three chapters (81 verses) there are 15 imperatives. In today’s text (Phil 4:1-9), there are nine imperatives in nine verses. In the last section of Philippians (Phil 4:10-23) there are no imperatives. Thus, the meat of the actionable commands Paul gives in Philippians are found in today’s text.

Sermon Text: Philippians 4:1-9

We are to stand firm in the Lord (1)

1 – Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Verse one is a transitional verse. It says to “Stand firm” (also see Phil 1:27). Roman soldiers were commanded to “stand firm” and never retreat even when their life was in danger.

Likewise, Paul says to the Philippian church: stand firm! Whatever happens in this life, we are to stand firm in the Lord and pursue Him with all we have as we look for His return! I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 10.

Matthew 10:28

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

We are to seek unity in Christ (2-3)

2-3 – entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Paul wants the Philippian church to be unified. In Phil 1:27, he writes that the church is to “stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”

Unity isn’t just essential for keeping the peace. It’s essential for the sake of the mission. We will never be a faithful Great Commission church to the extent that we are fighting amongst ourselves. The same thing holds true in the SBC, the convention of churches to which we belong. To be clear, I’m not advocating in any way the compromise of truth.

Keep in mind that Philippians was a letter delivered to the church (probably by Epaphroditus) that would be read in church. Paul names two ladies by name – Euodia and Syntyche.

As I read verses two and three, I’m reminded that our source of unity is Christ. In verses 2, Paul says, “agree in the Lord.” The glue that holds the church is our love for Christ. First John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.”

We also see that even those who love Christ will have disagreements. Notice what he says about these ladies: They have “labored side by side with me in the gospel.” Their names “are in the book of life.”

Churches die everyday because they forget that the mission of the church is not to draw a crowd, or to make themselves happy but to make disciples (Matt 28:18-20).

Paul is reminding the church who these two ladies are and reminding these women that the spread of the gospel is more important than their disagreement.

The same is true for us. The spread of the gospel and the making of disciples is more important than you getting your way or me getting my way.

The question we as a church need to answer when making decisions in the church is, “Will this help us make mature disciples of Jesus?”

The question every church needs to answer when making decisions is this: “Will this help us make mature disciples of Jesus?”

Third, we are to help one another resolve conflicts. Paul writes, “help these women [to agree in the Lord].” True companion or true partner refers to someone in the church. This could be a pastor or someone else. We simply don’t know.

We need to be people that tell our church members to “agree in the Lord.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt 5:9).

Will you seek unity with one another in the church?

Will you ask for help when you have a conflict in the church?

Are you willing to provide help to people in conflict?

We are to find our joy in Christ (4)

4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Paul tells the Philippians where to find their joy – “in the Lord”. He even repeats the command just in case they missed it (“again I will say, rejoice”). Paul writing from prison, wants these believers to know that their inner attitude does not have to reflect their outward circumstances.

Your inner attitude does not have to reflect your outward circumstances.

If Paul would’ve dwelled on his circumstances, he would have been bitter towards God and useless for the advance of the gospel. Instead, Paul was in prison writing a letter to the Philippian church.

Where do you find joy in your life? If I looked at your bank statement and your planner I could take a few guesses. Here are some possiblities:

Health
Money and possessions
Freedoms
Marriage
Children
Being liked by others
Sports

There is nothing wrong with any of these things per se, but if you are finding your joy in these things then your joy can be taken away.

Health – a car wreck, an accident on the job, a bad diagnosis
Money and possessions – fire, tornado, flood, stock market crashes
Freedoms – can be taken away
Marriage or children – your spouse isn’t perfect and your children are not worthy of your worship
Being liked by others– people are fickle and will disappoint you
Sports – your favorite team will lose and there will be dry spells

Most people think you will have joy when you get what you want, but real joy comes when you realize what you deserve. This is the truth of the gospel.

As sinners, as people who fall short of God’s glory, we deserve God’s wrath to be poured out on us. Instead, we are offered salvation through faith in Christ and his work on the cross. When you realize that you deserve judgement, but you’ve received salvation, this leads to great joy. True joy is not found in getting what you want, but being grateful for what you have in Christ.

True joy is not found in getting what you want, but being grateful for what you have in Christ.

Remember, Paul is writing from prison. In next week’s sermon, Paul tells the Philippians that he has learned how to be content in any situation. Would you like to have contentment in any situation?

If you want to have true contentment, then you have to get your joy from Christ! This is what Christ meant when He said that He came that we might have abundant life (John 10:10)! Abundant life comes from knowing Christ and treasuring Him above anything else.

Christian, rejoice in the Lord!

We are to be gracious people (5a)

“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.”

The ESV says reasonableness, other translations: graciousness, considerate, gentle spirit, gentleness.

We need this kind of spirit to get along with others and to be reconciled when there is division. We need to respect one another, even when we have disagreement. It’s also important for our witness to a watching world. John 1:14 says that Jesus dwelt among us, and He was full of grace and truth.

If someone observed your life, would they describe you as gentle, gracious, and reasonable? What if we looked at your social media feed?

We are to be gracious and gentle people.

We are put off anxiety as we pray to God (5b-7)

Paul wants the church to know “The Lord is at hand” (5b)

This phrase could mean that the return of Jesus is near or it could mean that His presence is near.

Both statements were and are theologically true. I’m going to focus more on the latter meaning. For Christians, God is always near. We see this in verses like 1 Peter 3:12.

1 Pet 3:12a

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.

Have you ever been in a scary situation? In a museum one time, I stepped onto an elevator with my kids. They weren’t scared at first, but then the lights went out. At first they got really scared, but then they weren’t afraid. Why? Because I (their dad) was with them and they could hold my hand.

The same is true with God. Whatever we’re going through, we can reach out to our Father. This is a church that is suffering (Phil 1:29). We know that there is disunity, and that they are experiencing opposition from the Roman government and the Judaizers. They are concerned about Paul and Epaphroditus. In some sense, the church is in a “dark” place.

When you experience darkness in your life, how do you respond?

Do you have a panic attack?
Do you hit the bottle?
Do you call a friend?
Do you take some anxiety pills?

Paul is telling us, “The Lord is hand.” He goes further:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (6)

It’s no surprise that these verses are so close to v. 4. In v. 4 we are told to rejoice in the Lord. Here, Paul tells us to not be anxious. Anxiety (or worry) is the greatest thief of joy.

Prov 12:25 – Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down.

How is it possible to not be anxious about anything? Really, Paul?

Remember, Paul is in prison and is unsure whether or not he will be put to death for treason for declaring that Jesus, and not Caesar, is Lord.

Paul says not to be anxious about anything, but in everything we are to go to God in prayer with a heart of thanksgiving.

When we are anxious, we are acting like unbelievers.

We are doubting God’s goodness. We wonder, how could God be good if this is happening to me?
We are doubting God’s sovereignty. We wonder, how could God possibly use this for good?
We are doubting God’s power. We wonder, can God really deliver me from this trial?

But when we go to God in prayer, we are proclaiming to ourselves:

That God is a good and perfect Father and is worthy of our trust.
We are totally dependent on God and only He has the power to deliver us.

We sometimes pray that we could be closer to God but often we don’t like the methods He uses to answer our prayer.

Remember, if Jesus is your ultimate treasure and your source of joy, no matter what happens, He can never be taken away!

Philippians 1:21 – For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!

Am I or Paul saying that we never experience great pain in this life? Absolutely not. What Paul is saying, is that through the pain, don’t be anxious but go to God in prayer.

Proverbs 3:5a – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

When we do this, look at the result:

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (7)

Paul was chained to a Roman guard. There was no escaping. Paul is telling the Philippians: just as certain as I am being guarded by Roman guards, God will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

True peace is not found in positive thinking or good vibes, but in knowing that God is in control.

True peace is not found in positive thinking or good vibes, but in knowing that God is in control.

What are you anxious about this morning?

The state of our country
Inflation, gas prices, and the stock market
How you’re raising your kids
Your marriage isn’t where you want it to be
Job security
Your health
Your finances
Getting older and closer to death

Do you find yourself anxious? Take time to prayerfully memorize and meditate on Philippians 4:4–7.

Defeat all of your anxiety by trusting in God’s goodness and in His sovereignty. The same God that Paul wrote about is the same God we serve today. He is just as worthy of our trust today as He was when Paul wrote these words.

I’ve never met someone who is faithful in prayer who is also anxious. Isaiah 26:3 says that God keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him.

We could summarize verses 5-7 like this:

If you’re every anxious about anything, go to God in prayer and then you will have the peace that surpasses all understanding.

We are to think about excellent, praiseworthy things (8)

“if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Paul defines what things are excellent and praiseworthy: things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable.

Don’t fill your mind with anxious thoughts, but instead fill it with things that are excellent and praiseworthy.

Our thoughts should be focused on God, His Word, and the hope that we have in the gospel.

We are to be obedient to Christ (9)

9 – “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things”

Paul says the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – do them! The truths of Scripture only take root when we practice (obey) them.

As a pastor, I can teach my flock the Bible, but they have to choose to obey it. The end result of preaching and teaching is not Bible knowledge, but obedience to Christ!

Are you a follower of Christ that can say this: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things?”

We can’t live the Christian life alone. Thankfully, God is with us (9b, 2:13).

In conclusion, there is a lot in this passage. Let’s obey it together for God’s glory!

We are to stand firm in the Lord (1)

We are to seek unity in Christ (2-3)

We are to find our joy in Christ (4)

We are to be gracious people (5a)

We are to put off anxiety as we pray to God (5b-7)

We are to think about excellent, praiseworthy things (8)

We are to be obedient to Christ (9)

To Live is Christ – Philippians 1:18b-26

June 14, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here.

People will do incredible things to avoid death. Perhaps you’ve heard the story of hiker Aron Ralston.

While hiking, a boulder fell and pinned his right arm. After attempting to get free, on the sixth day, he amputated his right forearm with a dull multi-tool. He then rappelled down a 60 foot cliff and hiked eight miles before finding a family that took him to a rescue helicopter. He wrote a book called Between a Rock and a Hard Place, which was later made into a movie called 127 Hours.

People will do incredible things to avoid death. What lengths would you go to in order to avoid death?

Here’s a more important question: What do you live for?

Sermon Text: Philippians 1:18b-26

We should live for the glory of Christ (18b-20)

18b – Yes, and I will rejoice.

It’s evident through the book of Philippians that Paul is full of joy stemming from his union with Christ and his relationship with the Philippian church.

In v. 19, Paul mentions that he knows that he will be delivered. The deliverance that Paul speaks of is not his release from prison, but rather ultimate deliverance – the hope of being with Christ in life or in death (Phil 1:20-21).

Paul knew that whether he was executed for his faith or he continued to live and minister, that he would honor Christ in his body (v. 20). Paul’s confidence in this fact came from the prayers of the saints, the provision of the Holy Spirit, and the plan of God.

First, like Paul, we should have confidence in the prayers of the saints (v. 19).

Our trials should lead us not to despair, but to God in prayer.

Our trials should lead us not to despair, but to God in prayer.

Prayer is the normal means by which God provides help to the struggling believer (Jam 5:16). God uses the prayer of his people to provide strength to his servants.

In my church experience, there are some people that want prayer for the smallest things. If they stub their toe, they desire prayer. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some people never want to be put on the prayer list because they are so full of pride that they don’t want others to know about their struggles.

I want to encourage you to be like Paul and to be transparent with your prayer requests. This implies that you have relationships with others in your church that you can share your prayer requests with them. Relationships between believers are meant to be a source of encouragement to us!

Second, like Paul, we have confidence in the provision of the Holy Spirit (v. 19).

The Holy Spirit helps us in our hardest trials. I’m reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 8:26.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
Romans 8:26

Third, like Paul, we should have confidence in the plan of God (v. 20).

Paul trusted in God’s sovereign plan when mentioned “whether by life or by death” in v. 20. Paul trusted that God knew what was best for him and the churches he was ministering to. Paul was resolved to honor Christ in life or in death. May we have the same confidence in God’s sovereignty. After all, He knows all our days (Ps 139:16).

We should long for the presence of Christ (21-23)

Paul lived for the glory of Christ, but he also longed for the presence of Christ.

Phil 1:21 – For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

What does it mean to live is Christ? It means that Christ completely defines the meaning of life. I’m reminded of Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

Verse 21 is a test for our lives. What do you live for? We show what’s most important to us by what we speak of and how we spend out time and money.

Some would say, “For me to live is money and possessions and to die is to leave it all behind.” These people work all the time so they can buy more stuff to make themselves happy.

Some would say, “For me to live is power and to die is to lose it all.” These people spend all their time trying to influence people for their own gain.

Some would say, “For me to live is beauty and to die is to rot in the grave.” These people work out all the time, eat perfectly, and spend hours in front of a mirror.

Some would say, “For me to live is entertainment and pleasure and to die is to be bored.” These people play video games or watch countless hours of TV or maybe enjoy pornography and sexual pleasure.

Some would say, “For me to live is sports and to die is to not get to enjoy competition.” These people spend lots of money and time playing and/or watching sports.

Some would say, “For me to live is the weekend and to die is to be alone.” These people spend excessive amounts of time with family and friends, to the detriment of their walk with Christ.

What will you be known for at your funeral?

A good man that worked hard and took care of his family?
Someone that loved to play golf?
A woman that was very beautiful?
A man that loved going hunting and fishing?

None of those things are bad, but by God’s grace, I hope that all of us would want to be known as men and women that were passionate about Christ and the furtherance of the gospel; that the gospel was the driving passion of our lives.

The gospel should change us. It should affect us so greatly that we can’t help but want to share its message with others. Consider Paul’s attitude in Acts 20:24.

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:24

Phil 1:22-23 – If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

We see in these verses that Paul was torn between two options. He desired to be with Christ but he also saw the need for him to be able to minister to the Philippian church.

In v. 23, we see that if Paul only had his own interest to consider, then he would depart and be with Christ.

In our culture, we avoid death at all costs. Today, people die in hospitals and hospice houses. In the not-so-distant past, people died in their homes and even children knew about the reality of death.

In reality, death is not the enemy for the Christian. It is a boat that takes you where you want to go – to be with Christ. I’m not going to spend a ton of time on this topic, but Phil 1:23 is a verse that speaks against the idea of soul sleep.

Finally, notice that Paul doesn’t mention a desire for rewards or to be reunited with loved ones, but instead Paul desires Christ himself, who is the ultimate reward.

We’ve seen that we should live for the glory of Christ and long for the presence of Christ. Finally, we should labor among the people of Christ.

We should labor among the people of Christ (24-26)

There is more to life than meeting our needs and sustaining our bodies – we are to help others grow into spiritual maturity (vv. 24-26).

Paul is saying, “I want to be with Jesus, but I want to help your progress in the faith.”

Are you serving others in your local church? Are you a “necessary” member? Is it necessary for you to stay at your church? If you left, would people really miss you?

Are you serving for the progress and joy of others (v. 25)? Do you live for the benefit of others’ progress in the faith?

Paul was in his late 50s or early 60s when he wrote Philippians, yet he was continuing to faithfully labor among the churches he had planted for the glory of God. There is no such thing as retirement from God’s kingdom work!

Conclusion

What is the focus of your life?

For me to live is ___________. If you’re honest, how would you answer that question?

“Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
C.T. Studd

Do you live for the glory of Christ?

Do you long for the presence of Christ?

Are you laboring among the people of Christ?

At the beginning of my message, I said that people will go to great lengths to stay alive. The reality is that every one of us will die. When you depart from this life, will you be with Christ or separated from Him for all of eternity?

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians – Philippians 1:9-11

May 22, 2022 / Matthew Wilson

I recently began a sermon series in Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here.

How’s your prayer life? When you pray for other believers, how do you pray for them?

In our text today, Paul gives us a wonderful prayer to pray for believers – especially Christians who are young in the faith.

Philippians is a letter that Paul sent to a church that he had planted about 10 years earlier. He was writing to the Christians in Philippi who were discouraged and concerned about his imprisonment.

We saw last week that despite being in prison because of his faith, Paul had great joy because of his relationship with Christ and the Christians at Philippi.

Philippians 1:9-11 (click for text)

BIG IDEA: We should pray for other believers to grow in love and purity as we prepare for the return of Christ.

The request of Paul’s prayer (9)

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more”…

Paul wants the Philippians to grow in love – in their love for God and in their love for one another. The latter is probably what Paul has in mind.

As we will see in the rest of the letter, the church was struggling to maintain unity. Later in chapter one, Paul wanted the church to have one spirit and one mind, and to stand firm side by side for the sake of the gospel.

In chapter two, Paul encouraged the church to have unity and to put the needs of others before themselves.

In chapter four, Paul specifically addressed two women in the church and told them to agree in the Lord.

It should be the prayer of all of us that our church would grow in love for God and for one another. Every church should be marked by a love for one another. Jesus said it this way:

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus said that the way that people know that we are His disciples – that we are Christians and we belong to Him is by how we love one another. Paul prayed for this church to grow in love because a church will never be unified if the church members do not love one another.

On the flipside, if Christians are growing in love for one another, then there will be unity. Notice I said unity, not uniformity. Though we may love one another, it does not mean we will all have the same preferences or agree on everything. My wife and I love each other very much, but we don’t agree on everything. She likes her bacon a little more crispy than me. She loads the dishwasher differently. But we are unified because of our love for Christ.

Paul writes of this kind of love in the church in First Corinthians.

1 Cor 13:4-7

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

As a church, let’s pray that:

We will be patient with one another.
We will be kind to one another.
We will not envy or boast.
We will not be arrogant or rude.
We will not insist on our own way.
We will not be irritable or resentful.
We will not rejoice at wrongdoing but will rejoice with the truth.

When we do sin against each other, we should be quick to forgive.

Eph 4:32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

If we will commit to loving one another, then will be able to endure anything this world throws at us and the world will know that we belong to Jesus.

Also, notice that Paul wants the love of the Philippians to grow with knowledge and discernment:

“…with knowledge and all discernment…”

Paul doesn’t just want the Philippians to grow in love – he wants their love to be filled with knowledge and discernment.

This is such an important topic today because the world says that if we don’t celebrate certain behaviors that the Bible calls sin, then we are not loving.

The world embraces homosexuality, transgenderism, co-habitation, fornication (pre-marital sex), no-fault divorce, and pornography.

The world says, “All you need is love” and, “If it feels good, do it.”

Many individuals make this argument – “This person makes me happy. I wish you would just love me.”

I had a conversation with a relative years ago that said, “I know I’m just supposed to love people.”

Here’s the problem with that statement: without the Bible, we wouldn’t know how to love someone. Love must be rooted in the knowledge of God, because God is love (1 John 4:8).

To truly love someone means that we tell them the truth. We just read 1 Cor 13:6, which says that love rejoices with the truth. We tell them the truth about God and what His Word says. We point them to Jesus. We speak the truth in love.

Of course, we are called to love our neighbors. The best way to do that is to tell them that they are sinning against God, destroying their lives and their families, and that they need to repent.

To enable someone’s sin is not to love them – it’s to hate them. The Bible says it this way – “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him” (Pro 13:24).

Our love must be filled with knowledge and discernment. We are to love the things that God loves and to hate the things that God hates.

We are called to be loving people who are biblically informed. We must submit to the authority of God’s Word – not to our feelings or the opinions of the culture.

Paul wants the Christians in Philippi to be able to ask and answer this question: “What is the best way to love this person based on what God’s Word says?”

“What is the best way to love this person based on what God’s Word says?”

How would our church be different if we prayed this prayer regularly – “Lord, based on what your Word says, help me to love my church family well.”

What if we prayed this about every relationship?

“Lord, based on what your Word says, help me to love my son or daughter that is watching pornography, or living with their boyfriend/girlfriend, or having sex before marriage.”

See how that prayer changes things. Instead of trying to indulge someone’s happiness, which is based on their feelings, we speak the truth in love, knowing that God’s way is what is truly best. They may not like what you say. They may even despise you for a time. Guess what – many people didn’t like Jesus either and they crucified Him for telling the truth.

Let’s side with Jesus, not our feelings or the culture.

Before we go further, let’s pray:

Father, please increase our love for one another. Help us to be faithful to love one another based on our knowledge of Christ and His Word. Help us to speak the truth in love. Amen.

In verse 9, we see The request of Paul’s prayer.

In verse 10, we see The purpose of Paul’s prayer (10a) – “to approve what is excellent.”

The purpose of Paul’s prayer (10a)

“…so that you may approve what is excellent…”

The verb that is used here means to “test and approve.” It’s the same Greek word used in Rom 12:2.

Again, Paul wants the Philippians love for one another to abound more and more. But this love is not a worldly, hippie love – it is a love that is discerning and is based on a knowledge of biblical truth.

What Paul means by this phrase “so that you may approve what is excellent,” is that the Philippians are to set their affections on the most important and excellent things rather than things that distract us.

Aren’t churches prone to get distracted and do this? Here are a couple of quick examples:

We tend to focus on the style of music and our own preferences when the real purposes of singing in church are to glorify God and encourage one another.

Sometimes churches fight over using a hymnal or using a projector. However, the important thing is not the way we read the lyrics, but that we are truly worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).

The purpose of Paul’s prayer is that we would be able to approve what is excellent – that we as a church will be so focused on glorifying God, making much of Christ, and being filled with the Spirit that we don’t spend time arguing and fighting about trivial things.

We’ve seen The request of Paul’s prayer. We’ve seen The purpose of Paul’s prayer.

And finally, we see the desired results of Paul’s prayer (10b-11)

The results of Paul’s prayer (10b-11)

“…and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…”

When we are able to approve what is excellent according to God’s Word, then we will be pure and blameless when Christ returns.

This phrase speaks of moral purity and completeness. In plain English, when we know the Word of God, we can judge what is right and wrong and live pure lives. Paul wants the Philippians to live in a pure way and to be spiritually mature as the return of Christ approaches.

The fact that Jesus is coming back should encourage us to live this way.

When Jesus comes back, I hope that He will find us pure and blameless. The word blameless means to not cause offense. We should not be doing anything that might cause division in the church – whether it’s gossiping, complaining, or arguing.

Look at the next phrase. Not only should we be pure and blameless, but Paul says we should be

“…filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ…”

Paul means here that as Christians, we should be producing spiritual fruit because of our relationship with Christ. If we have been made righteous because of Christ, then we should be producing spiritual fruit.

During John the Baptist’s ministry, he told the Pharisees to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt 3:8).

As Baptists, we believe there’s nothing we can do to earn our salvation, but we recognize that those who have come to know Jesus should produce spiritual fruit (John 15:8).

Just as you can recognize an apple tree because of its apples, you should be able to recognize a Christian because of their love for God, their love for others, and the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.

As you read this:

Are you someone that is filled with the fruit of righteousness?
Are you growing in your love for God and other Christians?
Are you growing in your knowledge of God’s Word?

If you’re not, then you need to repent of your sin and believe the gospel.

All these things that Paul has prayed for the Philippians point to one overarching goal. Look at the last phrase in verse 11.

“…to the glory and praise of God.”

The glory and praise of God is why we exist and why our church exists. We exist to make much of Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

This morning, that is my prayer for our church.

Prayer

Father, help us to pursue what matters most – knowing Christ, loving others, and fulfilling the Great Commission. Give us pure motives. Help us to be people that seek to be blameless. Above all, help us to seek to glorify You in all that we do. Help us to live for Your glory in how we love, by the way we think, and by the way we live. Help us to live in view of the return of Your Son, Jesus. In His name we pray, amen.

Tag: prayer

The Lesson of the Fig Tree – Mark 11:12-25

Jesus Cares for the Desperate – Mark 7:24-37

Three Priorities of Jesus’ Ministry – Mark 1:35-45

Commit to the Church: Pray Fervently

Unity, Joy, and Peace in Christ – Philippians 4:1-9

To Live is Christ – Philippians 1:18b-26

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians – Philippians 1:9-11

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