Men and Women in the Church (1 Tim. 2:8-15)

Outline: Men and Women in the Church (1 Tim. 2:8-15): 

1. Gospel effects on men in the local church
2. Gospel effects on women in the local church

Summary:  Just as we saw that the gospel is meant to inform the scope of our prayers (2:1-7), so now we see that the gospel is meant to shape the contours of how men and women live and relate to one another in the local church (2:8-15).  The gospel has implications. The gospel has effects.  It doesn't just save us, it also transforms us.  As Paul said in 1 Cor. 6:20-21, "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price, so glorify God with your body." The same logic is applied here.  Jesus paid your ransom and now He serves as the Mediator between you and God almighty; therefore, glorify God by living as men and women who are marked by godliness and a deep reverence for God's order within His household.  

Main Point:  Men and women should allow the gospel to effect the way they live the Christian life

Discussion Questions:

• What is the logical significance of the word "then" in v.8? 
• What does it mean that men should pray, lifting holy hands? (cf. Ps. 24:4; Isa. 1:15; Job 17:9)
• Read vv.9-10 then describe and discuss the five points on the "Modesty Spectrum":  1) dress to impress, 2) dress to seduce, 3) dress without thinking, 4) dress intentionally modest for the glory of Christ, 5) dress extravagantly with every good work (cf. 5:9-10).
• How are modesty, self-control, and good works related to one another? 
• Discuss this statement: all of us are under various layers of authority and are called to recognize and humbly respect God-given authority in our lives.
• What heart attitude should characterize how a woman learns in the church? (v.11)
• Why is a woman not permitted to teach or exercise authority over a man? (vv.12-13)
• What is the most probably interpretation of v.15 according to pastor Brandon? (v.15)

Application Questions:

• Am I currently expressing outward devotion to God while lacking integrity of heart and life?   
• What category do I find myself in when it comes to the issue of modesty: 1) I dress to impress, 2) I dress to seduce, 3) I dress without thinking, 4) I dress intentionally modest for the glory of Christ, 5) or aim to dress extravagantly with every good work I can (cf. 5:9-10)? Explain.
• How can I dress in a way that does not seek to impress others with costly clothes, name brands, fads, fringe fads etc?   
• How can I dress in a way that does not accentuate (or expose) the contours of my body, especially the most intimate parts?

Prayer Points:

• Confess to God any sin that is tainting your worship.
• Praise Jesus for His integrity of heart and life that make it possible for you to continually approach God with clean hands and a pure heart.
• Ask God to empower you by the Holy Spirit to live an integrity-filled life so that you can lift holy hands before Him in a lifestyle of worship. 
• Ask God to help us be a people who respect God-given authority in our lives, especially in the church as the household of the living God.  
• Pray that we would not be swayed by our culture and its sad confusion over gender God and that we would joyfully honor God's good design for men and women.

Prayer that Pleases God (1 Tim. 2:1-7)

Outline: Prayer that Pleases God (1 Tim. 2:1-7): 

The aim of this passage is two-fold:

1. To call us to pray for all people
2. To Motivate us to pray for all people

Summary:   If the church is to be a "pillar and buttress of the truth" (3:15), then prayer must be strongly prioritized ("first of all").  One of the primary means that God uses to bring about His purposes in the world is the prayers of His people. This passage has a two-fold aim, to call God's people to pray for all people and to motivate God's people to pray for all people.  And it is the description of God's heart for all people (2:3-7) that is meant to stimulate our prayers for all people (2:1).  In one sense, God is simply saying "imitate my heart for the lost."  Perhaps this is the secret of all faithful and effective prayer: crying out to God in such a way that God hears the echo of the loving desires of His own heart.

Main Point:  We must let God's love for all people shape our prayers for all people

Discussion Questions:

• What hints in v.1 teach us about the priority that prayer should have in our lives?
• Who should be included in our prayers? (vv.1-2)
• What in this passage is designed to motivate and stimulate our prayers for all people? 
• Reflect on the phrase "God our Savior." What do we learn about God's heart for all people?How should this shape our prayers for all people? 
• What does it mean that Jesus is the one and only Mediator between God and man?

Application Questions:

• Have I been seriously and urgently prioritizing prayer? Explain.
• What is the current scope of my prayers? Do they include all people? Civil authorities? What new habits need to be formed in order to increase the scope of my prayers?
• How has God's love for all people shaped my prayers for all people?
• What do we mean when we say Jesus is our "ransom"?

Prayer Points:

• Praise "God our Savior," whose big heart lead to our salvation
• Praise Jesus for paying our ransom with the high price of His own life
• Praise Jesus, our faithful Mediator, who made a way for sinful man to reach the holy God
• Ask God to allow His love for all people shape our prayers for all people
• Ask God to make us a church that is marked by fervent, big-hearted prayer for all people

Pray Expectantly (Matt. 7:7-11)

Outline: Matthew 7:7-11

1. The call to prayer (v.7)
2. Two reasons or motivations to pray confidently (vv.8-11)
• God answers our prayers (v.8)
• God loves to answer our prayers (vv.9-11)

Summary: In Matt. 7:7-11 Jesus sounds a call to prayer (v.7) followed by two motivations (vv.8-11) for heeding such a call.  Out of everything that the Scriptures teach about prayer, no truth is more  foundational to prayer than the inspiring fact that our Father in heaven loves to give good gifts to His children (vv.9-11).  If we really grasp this truth both in our heads and in our hearts, then we will be confident that God will answer our prayers (v.8).  And if we are confident that God will answer our prayers, then we will have all the motivation we need to heed this call to prayer (v.7).

Discussion Questions:

• What implied answer does Jesus expect when asking His rhetorical questions in vv.9-10?
• Compare Jesus' "lesser to greater" argument in v.11 with similar arguments made in 6:26 & 20.  Then try to explain His reasoning in your own words. 
• What effect should the fact that God loves to give good things to His children have on our relationship with God? On our prayer lives? On our doubts? 
• Does God give His children anything they ask for without exception? Explain.
• What are some biblical reasons we experience so-called "unanswered prayer"(cf. Matt. 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13; 15:7,16; 16:23,24; 1 John 3:22; 5:14-15)?
• In Jesus's call to prayer (v.7), how do the commands "ask," "seek," and "knock" relate to one another? What can this teach us about the nature of prayer?

Application Questions:

• At what level has the truth that God loves to give good gifts to me become real to my heart?
• How has this teaching helped me to think about so-called "unanswered prayer"?
• What "good things" is my Father calling me to ask for and seek after?

Prayer Points:

• Praise God for His fatherly affection toward you and His intense inclination to do good to you
• Confess to God any unbelief or doubt you have in your heart, especially concerning prayer  
• Ask God to help you feel His fatherly affection and to motivate you to ask, seek, and knock

Praying in Light of Our Real Needs

Outline: Matthew 6:11-15

1. Petition #4: Provision (v.11)
2. Petition #5: Pardon (vv.12, 14-15)
3. Petition #6: Protection (v.13)

Summary: Jesus teaches us to pray by giving us an example, a model prayer known as the Lord's Prayer (6:9-15).  The Lord's model prayer includes six petitions that are to be infused into our everyday prayers, shaping our communion with our heavenly Father.  The first three petitions teach us pray in light of our Father's top priorities: His glory, His kingdom, and His will.  In the last three petitions Jesus teaches us to pray in light our real needs: provision, pardon, and protection. It is when the Father's priorities become our priorities that we we are able to discern what our real needs are and to confidently ask our heavenly Father to meet those needs.

Discussion Questions:

• Review: What does it mean that the Lord's Prayer is a model prayer?
• Review: What is the basic structure of the Lord's Prayer? Significance? 
• Review: What two truths must we keep in mind when addressing God in prayer? (v.9) 
• What is meant by "daily bread" and how should the Father's priorities shape these prayers?
• How does asking God for forgiveness relate to forgiving others?  
• What is the relationship between "lead us not into temptation" and "deliver us from evil"?
• Discuss this statement: "God tests, Satan tempts."

Application Questions:

• To what extent are my Father's priorities shaping my prayers?
• How aware am I of my real needs?  
• Do my prayers align more with what I think I need or what God knows I need? Explain.
• Am I withholding forgiveness from anyone?  If so, how might this me effecting my relationship with God in general and my prayer life in particular?
• In what areas of my life do I tend to fail often when tempted and thus need extra protection?

Prayer Points:

• Confess to God your tendency to pray in light of your priorities instead of God's and your wants instead of your real needs.  
• Praise Jesus, the Bread of Life, who has come to satisfy your deepest needs.
• Thank God for providing so bountifully, above and beyond the basic necessities of life.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help more consistently pray in light of your real needs.

Praying in Light of God's Priorities (Matt. 6:9-10)

Outline: Matthew 6:9-10

1. Petition #1: Hallowed by your name
2. Petition #2: Your kingdom come
3. Petition #3: Your will be done

Summary: As an introduction to the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us two basic prayer principles.  First, our prayers should be fueled by pure motives (6:5-6). Second, our prayers should be characterized by deep trust in our Father's care for us (6:7-8).  What it would look like to infuse these prayer principles into our everyday prayers? Jesus shows us by equipping us with a model prayer, which is known as the Lord's Prayer (6:9-15).  The six petitions in this model prayer give us "hooks" to hang our prayers on. This week we focus our attention on the the first three petitions in which Jesus teaches to pray in light of our Father's top priorities: His glory, His kingdom, and His will.

Discussion Questions:

• What does it mean that the Lord's Prayer is a model prayer?
• What is the basic structure of the Lord's Prayer? What significance is there to that structure? 
• What must we keep in mind when we address God in prayer? 
• What are we requesting when we pray "hallowed by your name"?
• What are we requesting when we pray "your kingdom be come"?
• What are we requesting when we pray "your will be done"?
• In what way does the phrase "on earth as it is in heaven" serve as an interpretive "key"?
• What practical steps might we take to see our motives more fully shaped by God's priorities?

Application Questions:

• To what extent are my Father's priorities shaping my prayers?
• Am I more concerned about my glory, my kingdom, and my will or vice versa? Explain.
• If my motives more fully aligned with God's priorities, what powerful effects might this have on my life and the lives of those around me? 

Prayer Points:

• Confess to God your lack of concern for His priorities.
• Praise Jesus for being the perfect model of reverence, submission, and obedience.
• Praise Jesus for dying on the cross to forgive your self-centeredness, that is, your (very human) tendency to make life about your glory, your kingdom, and your will.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you align your motives with God's priorities.

Worship:

Here are three new kingdom-focused worship songs!

Build Your Kingdom Here - Rend Collective

Let Your Kingdom Come - Sovereign Grace 

All Glory Be To Christ - Kings Kaleidoscope 

Sincere Praying (Matt. 6:5-8)

Outline: Matthew 6:5-8

1. Sincere praying is fueled by pure motives  (vv.5-6)
2. Sincere praying is marked by child-like trust (vv.7-8)

Summary: Just when we've been freshly inspired to radically obey God's word and display God's character (ch.5), Jesus hits us with a sobering warning in Matt. 6:1: "Beware of doing the right things from the wrong motives!"  Jesus warns us that God will not reward an obedient act if that act was fueled by wrong motives.  Motives matter to God--big time!  In His second illustration of this warning, Jesus teaches us that sincere praying comes from pure motives and a deep trust in our heavenly Father's care for us.  Our praying should be fueled not by a craving to be seen and praised by others, but by a desire to be seen and rewarded by God.  Our praying should be marked not by the empty and mindless repetitions of a pagan, but by the assurance and confidence of a well-loved child of God.

Discussion Questions:

• Review: what is the relationship between ch.5 and the warning given in 6:1? 
• What is it about the activity described in v.5 that is hypocritical?
• Is it possible to be unsaved and still have a passion for prayer? Explain.
• What reward does a hypocrite receive?
• Why is God's special presence in the prayer closet and not on the street corner?
• What does it mean to have pure motives?  What motives should fuel our prayer lives?
• What difference is there between how Gentiles pray and how God's children pray? (vv.7-8)
• What rewards can be expected by those who pray out of pure motives and deep trust? 

Application Questions:

• How much do my motives matter to God?
• What motives have been fueling my prayer life as of late? What should be fueling me?
• What habits of empty, mindless prayer have I formed?  What are some remedies?
• What would it look like to pray like a pure-motived, active-minded child of God?

Prayer Points:

• Confess to God any impure motives or distrust that have hindered your prayers as of late.
• Praise Jesus for shedding his blood to wash away all your bad motives and distrust.
• Praise God for adopting you so that you can relate to Him in prayer as a well-loved child.  
• Ask the Holy Spirit to deepen your prayer life by purifying your motives and increasing your trust in your heavenly Father's care for you. 

Nearness to God

                                                                                                                        Visit fbcpierz.org/sermons to listen to this sermon. 

Outline: Psalm 34

1.  Praise (Ps. 34:1-3)

2.  Deliverance through Prayer (Ps. 34:4-7)

3.  Fear of the Lord (Ps. 34:8-14)

4.  Nearness to God (Ps. 34:15-18)

5.  Redemption through Christ (Ps. 34:19-22)

Summary:
David, who penned Psalm 34, wrote this Psalm not on the throne as King David,

but as a hunted man, running for his life.  David feigned insanity as a madman, as

he escaped from Abimelech (1 Samuel 21:11-15). Psalm 34 points to Christ, as

verse 22 says, “the Lord redeems the life of His servants, none of those who take

refuge in Him will be condemned,” and displaying God’s redemptive favor to the

righteous.  Verse 22 is the thrust behind why the psalmist is filled with praise.

Deliverance through prayer produces the fruits of fear of the Lord and ultimately

nearness to God.  Psalm 34 is both a song of praise and an exhortation on how

the righteous should live.

Discussion Questions:

• Why do you think that David command us to bless the Lord at all times? Why does he command us to do this together?
• What are the 3 sequences of prayer?
• What is fear of the Lord?
• What might a portrait of fear of the Lord look like in your life?
• Why is there a correlation between fear of the Lord and nearness to God? 
• Why is there no condemnation for those take refuge in Him?
• Do you clearly understand the gospel? 

Application Questions:

• Which team are you on? Righteous or unrighteous (enemy of God)? Articulate from the text several ways that God shows His favor on the righteous. 
• Is your heart filled with praise at all times? If not, can you identify what is lacking in your prayer life, fear of the Lord, or nearness to God? How can you strengthen what is lacking in these areas?

Prayer:

• Praise God that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
• Praise God that Jesus is our intercessor that delivers us through prayer, becoming one of us so that we can enjoy nearness to God, modeling for us what fear of the Lord should look like, perfectly obeying the Fathers will.
• Ask God to give us a heart that pursues holiness and hatred toward sin.
• Ask God for courageous, trusting faith and confidence that He will hear and answer us in our time of need.
• Ask God that we would grow in our fear of the Lord and nearness to God.

Written by Galen Janson