“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you”
What do you pray for? If you’re like most people, you probably pray for your family, for those that you know are sick, your friends, and yourself.
There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, each of these facets of prayer are very biblical, but I want to challenge you today to expand your prayer life.
Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, asks for prayer from them (as he did every other church that he wrote to). He asks a very specific prayer that I think deserves a little more attention. He asks the Thessalonians to pray that the Word of God (the gospel) move in power even ahead of Paul and his evangelistic campaign.
This is interesting, because he ends with “as happened among you.” Obviously, the word of God was moving in power among the Thessalonians (probably from someone who had brought it back with them from a trip), even before Paul got there.
Think about that for a minute. What’s Paul really asking? He’s asking that the Thessalonians pray that God’s word is spread quickly and powerfully across the entire earth, moving in power and with fruitfulness.
Do you ever pray for this? Do you pray for all those nameless missionaries that are right now sharing the faith with those who are lost? Do you pray for all those that will share their faith tomorrow at work, or at school?
We should. In fact, imagine the power behind that prayer as millions of Christians around the world pray for those who will be sharing their faith with the lost, and for the lost who will hear it. What a powerful thought.
When you pray today, remember the gospel, and pray for those who will be sharing and hearing it.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: A Christian leader prays for the gospel as it goes out throughout the earth, and for those who share and hear it.
Here’s a set of verse to meditate on today: Matthew 9:35-38
Prayer: Father, help me to remember all of your servants as they share your word today. Help me to be one of those servants. In Jesus name, amen.
Showing posts with label false gospel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label false gospel. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Day 21: Galatians 1:9
“As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
We have to be very careful about what we’re doing, what we’re saying, and what we’re relaying in our teachings. If you read Paul much, you’ll notice that he’s very concerned with the purity of the Gospel. Look at the strength he projects with Galatians 1:9. He is literally saying “if someone is preaching another gospel, let him go to hell.” Yeah, it’s that serious.
Paul was fighting a group of people that were purposefully coming behind Paul and trying to tinker with the gospel. It was turning the hearts of the people that Paul taught towards legalism, and Paul rightfully deplored it.
We can take a look at that and say “shame on those guys, who do they think that they are, screwing with God’s word like that?” We’d be right to do so. Remember, though, that most heretics don’t start out that way, and they don’t believe that they are heretics.
Why did Paul send Timothy into Ephesus? To stop people from falsely teaching. One of the main reasons that John wrote his first epistle was to stop a rash of false teaching. No doubt that these guys thought that they were right, too.
What I’m trying to say is that it’s real easy to get into bad teaching, and even easier for us as teachers to start practicing it. We have to be on our guard against it. Don’t be teaching or preaching from what we think is right, or what feels right to us; always back up your teaching biblically. Always be in context. Study from other sources to make sure you’re on the right path. Run your stuff by other people that you trust to have sound doctrine and teaching. You are not a force unto yourself, and given time and a good dose of ego, you’ll land yourself on the wrong side of Paul’s warning; and that’s not a place you want to be, even by accident.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We have to be very careful about what we teach. We are held to a higher level of responsibility than others. We don’t want to be found preaching a wrong gospel or message.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: James 3:1-2
Prayer: Guard my heart and my words, Lord. Make them Your’s. Help me keep from striking out on my own when I teach, Lord. Help me to seek You in all that I do. In Christ’s name, amen.
We have to be very careful about what we’re doing, what we’re saying, and what we’re relaying in our teachings. If you read Paul much, you’ll notice that he’s very concerned with the purity of the Gospel. Look at the strength he projects with Galatians 1:9. He is literally saying “if someone is preaching another gospel, let him go to hell.” Yeah, it’s that serious.
Paul was fighting a group of people that were purposefully coming behind Paul and trying to tinker with the gospel. It was turning the hearts of the people that Paul taught towards legalism, and Paul rightfully deplored it.
We can take a look at that and say “shame on those guys, who do they think that they are, screwing with God’s word like that?” We’d be right to do so. Remember, though, that most heretics don’t start out that way, and they don’t believe that they are heretics.
Why did Paul send Timothy into Ephesus? To stop people from falsely teaching. One of the main reasons that John wrote his first epistle was to stop a rash of false teaching. No doubt that these guys thought that they were right, too.
What I’m trying to say is that it’s real easy to get into bad teaching, and even easier for us as teachers to start practicing it. We have to be on our guard against it. Don’t be teaching or preaching from what we think is right, or what feels right to us; always back up your teaching biblically. Always be in context. Study from other sources to make sure you’re on the right path. Run your stuff by other people that you trust to have sound doctrine and teaching. You are not a force unto yourself, and given time and a good dose of ego, you’ll land yourself on the wrong side of Paul’s warning; and that’s not a place you want to be, even by accident.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We have to be very careful about what we teach. We are held to a higher level of responsibility than others. We don’t want to be found preaching a wrong gospel or message.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: James 3:1-2
Prayer: Guard my heart and my words, Lord. Make them Your’s. Help me keep from striking out on my own when I teach, Lord. Help me to seek You in all that I do. In Christ’s name, amen.
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