Pray for Everyone | Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (ELCA) Manchester MO

Pastor:

Pr. Tom Schoenherr

Sermon audio:

“Pray for Everyone”

September 18-19, 2010

Pr. Tom Schoenherr

John and Brenda are having tough times in their lives and in their marriage. John is unemployed and finances are getting pretty tight. He is feeling the stress and the pressure of being without work and having to depend on Brenda’s income to support the family. It seems like every little thing that they talk about leads to an argument, and John leaving the room. This particular night just before they were going to sleep, Brenda started to pray. She prayed for John and for both of them as they were going through a very hard time. She prayed that John could find work, that they could listen to one another better and that the love of God in Christ would fill their relationship with love and deeper understanding. She thanked God for John and for the gift that he is to her and to many others, and she prayed for forgiveness and healing for their marriage. At the end John said “Amen” and kissed her goodnight.

Paul writes to Timothy to encourage him and all the followers of Christ to pray for each other, for the rulers, and for everyone. Why? Because God wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, so that Christians can live peaceably and in godliness and dignity.

We are living in a time, not unlike many other times, when there is great division and anger politically, economically, between people of different religions, like Christians, Jews and Muslims, and there is persecution and great fear from people on all sides. Even in our own church body of the ELCA there is division.

Paul is writing to Timothy later in the first century. There have been a couple of generations of Christians who have lived and died and Jesus has not returned like Paul had anticipated. Followers of Christ were being persecuted and killed by Nero and other leaders. Christians had to meet for worship in secret places to avoid being persecuted. Those in power wanted to stay in power and Christianity was not a popular religion. There was great division in the world.

Paul writes this letter possibly to encourage Timothy and the followers of Christ, and to reaffirm that there is one God, not a bunch of competing gods, and that the truth of God’s love for all the world has come in Jesus Christ who is alive and wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

In a time when revenge and anger against the government and against those in power might seem justified by persecuted Christians, and where our anger possibly can lead to destroying others and separates us further from God and from one another, Paul writes, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions (or prayers for specific needs for specific people), and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and for all who are in high positions so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, (who is Jesus Christ).” Paul is calling for them to pray for everyone, and who could be included in “everyone”? Heads of state, people in government, Muslim and Jewish and Palestinian brothers and sisters, leaders of the church, for the person who may have fired you, or maybe your least favorite teacher; all of these may be included under everyone. We pray so that we may live quiet and peaceable lives and so that the followers of Christ may be able to love the world that Christ came to love, for God wants everyone to be saved and to receive the love of Christ.

God is still getting his work done in this world too. Through Partnership for Missional Church, the 3 year process of focusing on our mission in this community, we are always looking to see where God is active and doing things that draw people closer to God and to one another. Out of God’s great love for the world God wants everyone to be saved, to receive God’s healing love and be connected in love for one another. God wants the love of Christ to be known by all, even kings and those in powerful positions.

Jesus Christ came to be the one to draw us together with God and everyone. His death and resurrection for us are life giving to us and to the whole world. Jesus even prays for those who nailed him to the cross, and through Christ our sins are forgiven. In Christ we can be working in the world to lead quiet and peaceable lives and bring quiet and peace to the lives of many others. It is through quiet and peace, possibly the most endangered resource on the planet, that God’s gift of love and care for all people can be received. As we keep praying for everyone, maybe the anger and division that separates us can be changed to peace and deeper understanding on everyone’s part.

Archbishop Michael Ramsey of the Church of England said that the life of the Christian can be a like an ocean, with the surface battered by storms of all kinds, but deep below the surface it is quiet and peaceful, resting in the promise of God’s abiding love in Jesus Christ. May we pray for that peace and pray for everyone so that there can be healing salvation for all and the love of Christ may fill our hearts. Amen.