“Above It All”

Introduction

We are living in tumultuous, uncertain, and distressing times. Violence is escalating. Civil discourse is retreating. Statesmanship among our political leaders is on life-support. Our national mood is gloomy and irritable. Angst hangs in the air like a sweaty day with no relief in sight. People are hurting. And the world is getting meaner.

How do we as a church, – and as individuals cope with this?

My goal this morning is to help all of us, as the Lord’s precious people, His beloved flock, the apple of His eye, His treasured possession tp process these realities in a spiritually healthy, soul-nourishing, Bible-based, God-honoring, gospel-promoting way.

Text Passage: 1 Timothy 2:1-6

Above all the voices. Above all the noise.  Above all the emotions.  Above it all there is One clear message.  And One voice reigns supreme.  And from His view, the common denominator among mankind is He wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

So let’s take a walk through our text and see how the Lord wants us to help us deal with being in it all and at the same time above it all.

I.  “First of All…”

Paul opens by establishing priority: “I urge, then, first of all…”

Paul directs us to something deeper, something more spiritually formative.  Something more constructive.  It’s not an ironclad law. It’s treatment.  It’s medication.

II.  “Petitions, Prayers, Intercession, and Thanksgiving”

• Petitions (Supplications) – Specific needs. Naming what’s broken, asking for healing. “Lord let there be light in the darkness.”  But also adding, “Not my will, Lord, but Yours be done.”
  • Not investing so much in our side “winning” but for God’s will to be done as He builds His kingdom.
• Prayers – A space for honesty, for comfort, for inviting His presence into our reality.
• Intercessions – Advocacy for others. Personally. That person who irks you and the people distressed by their irksomeness
• Thanksgiving – For God’s faithfulness in all the chaos. For what He is doing, even when appearances suggest otherwise.

III.  “For All People… Kings and All Those in Authority”

This is not a prayer of endorsement.  And it doesn’t have to come from a place of affection. That they would come to know Christ.  That they would be instruments of God’s grace. This includes not just the authorities we like. Or just the ones we voted for.

This instruction is based on the premise expressed in Romans 13:1: “The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

This is hard. It stretches us. But it’s how we live above it all instead of feeling buried beneath it or swallowed up by it.  It’s drawing near to God and experiencing Him drawing near to us.

And it’s the path to what follows…

IV.  “Peaceful and Quiet Lives in All Godliness and Holiness”

This is not a call to passivity or withdrawal; it’s a prayer for the Lord to create conditions that will allow the gospel to flourish.  Not so we can disappear into isolation.  We are to let our lights shine before men. We are asking for Peace and Quiet so we can stay focused and go about the work the Father has given us.

We have a different kind of work than the world. It’s not to cobble on and patch up a world that is passing away. Ours is to help our Father build his kingdom.  The evil one would like nothing more than to have us engaged in work, those who don’t know Christ can do just as well, and for us to neglect the work that we as believers alone can do.

To the extent that we work on this world and in this world, it is as citizens of heaven passing out invitations verbally and the way we live our lives – to an eternal party in a world that will never end in a place where we will never grow old.

V.  “This is Good and Pleases God”

And isn’t that our primary objective? To live in a way that pleases the heart of God. When all is said it done, it’s not the mark we leave on earth that will matter but the marks we are making in heaven. It is not how impressed we leave the world, but how impressed we make our Lord.

VI.  “Who Wants All People to Be Saved…”

God’s desire is clear: That all would be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
That truth is this: There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind—the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.

His desire is not to conquer the culture, but to build His eternal Kingdom.

Conclusion

This is our calling. To be a people of prayer, of peace, of gospel-centered hope. To not live with fear, bitterness or anger, tossed by various opinions, but with intercession. Not just with reaction, but with prayerful reflection. Not just with noise, but with quiet godliness.

This instruction is not to create proper Christian etiquette, or to create a new ritual, or just to make a nice people. This is partnership with God.  And maintenance for our souls.

So tomorrow morning, when the headlines hit and the coffee brews, maybe we pause.

Maybe we say, “Lord, before anything else—first of all—I’m coming to You.” To help me see above it all, You at work – in all of it.