Paul wrote these words to Timothy, 1First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (I Timothy 2:1-7)
In these verse Paul connects his urging for prayer in the church to the advancement of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ - through lives that are tranquil, calm, quiet and godly. I was struck as I studied these verses that Paul lived on the verge of utter chaos for Christians. The ruler Paul urged the church to pray for was Nero - one of history's worst persecutors of Christians. Here in the US we have peace, perhaps like never before. The opportunity for the advancement of the gospel may be historically unparalleled. It seems in large part that we are blowing the great opportunity that we have to advance the Gospel - more concerned with growing churches, creating or re-creating a moralistic society, protesting Target, and Disney World, and WalMart, and gay parades.
I think about these verses and the mission of New City Church downtown - to see the Gospel transform everything within our reach - ourselves, our church, our city, and the world.
