Amen. We're going to turn in our
Bibles to 1st Thessalonians chapter 5.
We'll read from the verse 14 to the end of the chapter.
First Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 14.
Let's hear the Word of God reading, of course, as we've
emphasised often from the King James Bible, a most faithful and
reliable translation of the Holy Scriptures, First Thessalonians
chapter 5, verse 14. Let's hear the word of God now
we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly.
Comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, be patient
toward all men. See that none render evil for
evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good both
among yourselves and to all men. Rejoice evermore, Pray without
ceasing, and everything give thanks, for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench not the Spirit, despise not prophesying us, prove all
things, hold fast up which is good, abstain from all
appearance of evil, and the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly. And I pray God, your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved, blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, faithful as he that calleth you,
who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us.
Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all
the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you. Amen.
We know God will stamp with His
own approval and blessing this reading of His own precious and
infallible Word. Now my text this morning is
taken from First Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 25, and I want
to entitle today's theme the plea for partners in prayer.
Some of the shortest verses in Holy Scripture carry the
greatest weight, and here's a verse with only four words in
her English Bible. Yet it opens a window into the
heart and mind of the great Apostle Paul.
Brethren, pray for us. These words have come from the
heart and mind of the Apostle Paul.
Remember, he was the mighty preacher to the Gentiles.
He was the church planter. He was the great sound
theologian, the faithful missionary, the author of 14 of
the 27 books that make up the Canon of the New Testament
Scripture, a persecuted man, a man who suffered much for
Christ. And yet he genuinely, he humbly.
And what does he do here? He asked ordinary believers,
young converts in the church at Thessalonica to pray for him.
Now that alone should arrest us. That alone should arouse our
thinking. If the Apostle Paul needed
prayer and asked for it openly and genuinely, how much more
does every true preacher today? If an inspired apostle sought
the prayers of the Saints, how much more do pastors,
missionaries, evangelists, church workers, labourers,
elders in the church need the intercession of God's people?
See these words, brethren, pray for us.
Really teach us this truth. The prayer life of the church,
the gospel ministry, the work of God is not sustained by great
talent, personality, intellect or organisation.
It is sustained by the sovereign grace of God through the prayers
of the Saints of God. You see, we live in a day, and
I'm not saying this about this congregation, but far too many
churches criticise their ministers more than they call
unto God for their ministers. And yet here we are, brought
face to face with a simple verse that commands believers to
uphold God's servants before the throne of Greece.
And if you believe, as I do, that a praying church is a
powerful church, a purposeful church.
And of course the opposite is true.
A prayerless church is a powerless church.
It is a purpose church. If you believe that, will you
take this first to heart? Will you begin to put these 4
words into practise? You see, in the context here,
Paul is bringing his first letter to the Thessalonian
Church to a close, and throughout chapter 5 he has
given us very short but very simple, straightforward
spiritual expectations that help govern the life of the church.
The church is to comfort one another, esteemed faithful
leaders warn the unruly, rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing
and everything give thanks, quench not the Spirit, despise
not prophesying, prove all things, hold fast up which is
good, abstain from all appearance of evil.
And then he prays and his prayer there is in verse 23 and the
very God of peace sanctify you holy and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body be reserved, blamed us unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ faithful as he that calleth you
who also will do it. And then immediately after that
he then tells this, brethren, pray for us.
He turns his focus toward himself and his fellow
labourers, and he calls out as he closes the epistle, Brethren,
pray for us. I don't believe this is Paul
speaking or writing selflessly. I believe it's a spiritual
realism. Paul understands the advancement
of the gospel depends upon the mighty power of God himself.
And Paul knows that God in his suffering will dispenses that
power, the power of the Spirit through the prayers of his
people. So that's our theme for today,
the plea for partners in prayer. And I, when I looked at this, I,
I wrote down 4 little headings on a piece of paper.
OK, I want you to think firstly of the people addressed.
Look at the word Brethren. We'll underline that.
Now, this is not addressed to a particular denomination.
It's not a reference to the Presbyterian Church or the
Methodist Church or the Independent Methodists.
It's certainly not a reference to the Brethren Assembly.
It's not even a reference to the Free Presbyterian Church.
In fact, it's not a reference to a particular church group at
all. It's not about a building.
It's not about bricks and mortar.
Now, they're all included in this phrase.
But the prayer of the church, the prayer life of the church is
not merely the duty of a select few, but it is the privilege and
responsibility of the whole church family.
Those whom God has called out to repent and and faith in Jesus
Christ. Those whom God has called
together in a local area, a geographical area, but also then
the whole church's family worldwide.
You see, the term brethren indicates a family.
Now I want to emphasise that in one of Paul's prayers, Ephesians
3, verses 14 to 15, he says this for the church at Ephesus of
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.
You see, the name brethren is really generic and it's really
stands for the whole church family, the people of God on
earth, the local church, as well as the global church on earth.
God has a heavenly family on the earth.
Now let me ask, is God your heavenly Father?
Can you say even in the prayer meeting our Father, which art in
heaven? And you can say that with
assurance because you know that you're a son and daughter of
God. How do you become a son or
daughter? Well, you're born into your
family. When I was born into the
McLaughlin family, I was given the name David, surname is
McLaughlin. Why?
Because I was born into the McLaughlin family.
Well, you see, we're brought into God's family by rebirth.
Remember what John says. But as many as received him to
them give you power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
It's not hereditary. It's not of your own will.
It's not the will of the Pope or a priest or a preacher, but of
God born again by the Spirit of God.
Has that been your experience? Is it your testimony this
morning? You're not only born again by
the Spirit of God, but you've become a child of God by
redemption because the blood has been applied.
You've been justified by the blood of Christ, and you you've
received the privilege really of adoption into God's family.
Remember what we read in the book of Galatians, in Galatians
chapter 4 and in the verses 4:00 and 5:00.
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth
his Son made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them
that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of
sons. And Paul says in Romans 8 and
verse 15, because ye are sons adopted into God's family, we
couldn't cry. ABBA, Father, there's a
connection between our adoption into God's family and that
privilege of calling upon God and addressing him as Father.
So here's the question, Are you a true believer this morning?
Have you been born again of the Holy Spirit?
Can you testify to a real regenerating experience by the
Spirit of God where you've come from?
That dead state of being dead in trespasses and sin, and you've
been raised and resurrected on the newness of life and the
blood of Christ has been applied and you have that assurance that
you are a child of God. And you see one of the evidences
that you're a true child of God is the evidence of prayer.
It was JC Ryle, the first Protestant Bishop of Liverpool
said that one of the genuine indicators of true conversion is
prayer and the Sermon in the Mount in Matthew 6 and six, the
Lord Jesus said when thou pressed enter into thy closet.
He's assumed that those who are his and in Christ will have a a
desire to pray. Whenever the apostle Paul was
converted in the Damascus Rd. According to Acts Chapter 9 and
11, Ananias who questioned Paul's authenticity to
conversion the Lord given this sign will say, behold, he
prayeth. Now Paul had said prayers as a
Jew, as a Pharisee, no doubt sincere, but prayers that were
really repetition, prayers that were written out for him.
But now he's really praying. He's not just saying prayers,
but he's praying. He's communicating with the Lord
in heaven. He's in communion and fellowship
with God. He has had this new birth
experience. The blood has been applied.
He cannot say to the Lord, Lord, what will thou have me to do?
He's now your son and daughter in God's family.
So I, I ask again, I'm repeating, are you genuinely
born again? Are you a praying man and a
praying woman? Can you go to God even in the
secret place and pour out your heart to Him?
You can bring to him all your burdens and all your fears and
all your woes. And you can do that because you
know you're a member of God's family, God's your heavenly
Father, and you're part and parcel of those that belong to
the fold of God. This term, brethren, indicates
family very quickly. It also indicates unity.
It speaks of a people who are united with one heart and one
soul and one mind. And you see the prayer life of
the church is something that's critically important.
It's spiritually vital. It's desperately needed.
The New Testament church was born in prayer over there in the
book of Acts and Acts chapter one verse 14, we read that these
all continued with 1 accord and prayer and supplication with the
woman and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren,
that that's with his brothers, those that were the half
brothers of the Lord Jesus. I want you to think of the New
Testament church, 120 souls in the upper room at Jerusalem.
They tarried for 10 days. They were there with one heart
and one mind. They were pouring out their
hearts to the Lord in prayer, a 10 day prayer meeting.
And on the day of Pentecost the Lord answered and they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost. And the New Testament church not
only commenced by prayer, but the New Testament church
continued by prayer in Acts chapter 2 and in the verse 42 we
read. And they continued steadfastly
in the apostle doctrine and fellowship and the breaking of
bread and in prayers, and even in Acts 6, whenever there was a
big fallout in the church and the dispute over the neglect of
the widows, What was their answer?
They appointed 7 good deacons. But here's what it says in Acts
chapter 6 and in the verse 4. But we will give ourselves
continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word, the Word.
These men were not being sidelined or sidetracked.
They knew that prayer was vital, that prayer was paramount, that
prayer was needed. And we have sang that hymn this
morning. Prayer is the soul's sincere
desire uttered or unexpressed, the motion of a hidden fire that
trembles in the breast. Verse 5.
Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, the Christian's native
air. His watch were not the gates of
death. He enters heaven with prayer.
And remember, the psalmist said, behold how good and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
We live in a day when not everybody that professes the
name of Christ is regenerate. We live in a day when everyone
that professes the name of Christ is truly religious.
Sadly, there's many religious people in the world, but they're
not in Christ. They've never been born again,
the blood has never been applied.
They haven't really been adopted into God's family.
But this word, brethren, it indicates not only family, but
it indicates unity. Remember Paul says Paul, and
savannas and Timotheus unto the Church of the Thessalonians,
which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. First Thessalonians chapter one,
verse 1. The appeal here is not to the
world, not to those religiously outside the true church, not to
the unconverted. The word brethren is addressed
to the true child of God. And remember David said to the
true child of God. Psalm 66 verse 18 addressing God
in prayer. If I regard iniquity in my
heart, the Lord will not hear me.
You see, God is not under an obligation to hear the prayers
of anyone unless that individual comes with a penitent heart,
unless that individual has been born and energised by the Spirit
of God, unless that individual is being adopted into God's
family. Now God of course knows our
hearts and God knows our motives, but the world is this
morning full of religious people, not regenerate.
They're not truly part of the worldwide family of God.
They're they're not part of the fold of God.
They can't in truth, really address them as heavenly Father,
that their heart and mind is not in one accord with him.
And that's why today I I totally reject and renounce the
ecumenical movement. There is a true ecumenism among
the people of God, but there's a false ecumenism.
And of course we reject ecumenical worship.
We reject the coming together of religious bodies, whether it's
Roman Catholicism or Islam or Buddhism and joint worship, it's
all false in the sight of God. It's an abomination.
We could truly say unto the Lord.
Remember what Isaiah the prophet says in Isaiah chapter 59, and
he says this in verses one and two.
Listen to the word of God. Isaiah 59 Behold, the Lord's
hand does not shorten that it cannot see Him, neither is ear
heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have
separated between you and your God, and your sins have hit His
face from you that He will not hear you.
See, if you're not in a true relationship with God as
Heavenly Father, and you're not in true fellowship, then with
God as Heavenly Father. God says he will not hear.
We're not all worshipping the same God.
The Bible exhorts us have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Why? Because that darkness is
contrary to the light. It's contrary to the gospel.
It's contrary to the Fiat that was once delivered unto the
Saints. Now I believe, of course, in the
priesthood of all believers, and I say this this morning,
regardless of what denomination it is, every true believer in
Christ, born of the Spirit, washed in the blood, adopted
into God's family, they have access to the Lord at the throne
of grace. They can pray to God and pray to
God in the merits and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So I want you to understand this morning that this word,
brethren, while it indicates family and unity, this is really
an address to the true Church of born again believers.
So real, true, genuine prayer is confined to the true Church of
born again believers. So I, I trust I've stressed that
point. The second thing I want you to
see also this morning is the petition requested.
If you go back to our little text, notice what it says there.
Brethren, what's the second word?
Pray Now we'll pause there. Paul doesn't ask for money.
He doesn't ask for admiration. He's not asking for acceptance
or comfort. He's not even saying applaud me
for all I've done in the Lord's name.
He's asking for prayer. You see, the true pastor is not
a religious performer detached from his congregation.
No, he's a brother among brethren.
He's a member of God's family unfold.
He's a member of the body of Christ, and he's not super
superhuman. James Fivan, 17, says.
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and
ministers grow weary physically and mentally.
Ministers face many temptations. Ministers battle discouragement
often and especially from people that they least expected.
Ministers suffer personal attacks.
Did you know that from folks, but also from friends?
They certainly suffer spiritual attacks from the devil.
Do you know this morning that the devil especially targets
those who preach the Word of God?
If you link this up with Second Thessalonians chapter 3 and the
verse one, the second letter that Paul wrote to this young
church, he said this finally, brethren, pray for us now.
What was the reason that the word of the Lord may have free
course and be glorified even as it is with you Now, why did he
repeat that? Here's why.
If Satan can wound the shepherd, he can destroy the sheep.
In old times, when they had a war, the enemy would often aim
for the young Prince or aim for the king.
They would go for the officers first.
Why? To discourage the army.
To get the army to withdraw back to their city.
And what is true in physical warfare, and we can use that in
the story of Jehoshaphat and Ahab, we went out to battle.
What is true in physical warfare is true in spiritual warfare.
Faithful preachers of the word of God are strategic targets of
the devil. It was Leonard Ravenhill who
said the devil doesn't fear a preacher with a Polish sermon,
but he fears a spirit filled preacher.
Why? Because that spiritful preacher
is out to advance the Kingdom of God in the gospel.
So really these words, brethren, pray for us is a plea to pray
for your minister. Prayer is the greatest
contribution that the church can make to the gospel ministry.
Maybe you're here this morning and you say, but, but I can't
preach the gospel. I can't travel as a missionary
to Africa. I can't lead a meeting publicly.
I can't give large sums of money.
You're not asked to do that. But every born again Christian
can pray. And part of that prayer to God
dearly weekly is to pray for the gospel minister in the gospel
ministry. True prayer moves the hands of
God. And Acts 12 is a remarkable
example of God answering for Peter's in prison.
James already is dead. He has already been beheaded by
Herod. Herod now intends to kill Peter.
And we read in Acts chapter 12 verse 5.
But prayer was made without ceasing unto the of the church,
unto God for him. And what did God do?
God sent an Angel to deliver Peter from prison.
You see, the praying church will and can accomplish what
politicians can't. The praying church can and will
accomplish what political influence can't do.
The praying church will and can accomplish what human strength
and human ingenuity can never do because true prayer supplies
spiritual power. I asked this morning, what's the
greatest need and kind of FPC? What is the greatest need in the
work of our ministry? It's the presence and power of
our God. It's not cleverness, but it's a
covering of the spirit and power.
Not entertainment, but but unction.
Not something new and novel, but a divine power of God.
It's interesting the Apostle Paul wrote these words.
Brethren, pray for us. See the Apostle Paul, despite
all his many achievements, all the things that he could boast
in and glory off, he never outgrew the need for the power
of God. I believe this man lived in
daily dependence on God. As I've said, a man of many
talents, yet he constantly call for prayer.
He sought the face of God in prayer, but he besought God's
people to pray for him. He said in Second Corinthians
3:00 and 5:00 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, but our
sufficiency is of God. Remember, the psalmist said,
unless the Lord build the house, the labour in vain, that build
it. And yes, I can study faithfully,
I can prepare fully, but I must also pray thoroughly, because
prayer is the divine power upon the preaching of the Word.
The third thing very quickly is the principle included.
Notice these words, brethren, pray for us.
See, that's a reference to himself.
It's also a reference to Silas and Timothy.
In other words, pray for all the faithful ministers in Christ.
So again, we urge this, pray for the minister.
Pray for his personal holiness and his walk with God.
Pray for his family. Pray for his faithful preaching
to the blood in the book that he preached in the power of the
Holy Spirit. Someone has said, don't think it
was Leonard Ravenhill, but someone else said a sermon that
is without prayer is like a lamp with no oil.
See, a lamp with oil is something of structure,
something that's beautiful, but it hasn't got a fleam.
And we need that heavenly fleam. Pray for wisdom as he guides and
guards the flock of God. Pray for his protection.
As I've already told you, he's open to criticism from friend
and foe. Paul prayed for protection the
last time from wicked and unreasonable men.
We're not going to please everyone.
All of the time he tries to please everyone ends up pleasing
nobody. But let's pray for faithfulness
to Christ and the Gospel. Pray for a spirit of
stickability. I pray for insurance.
Remember what Paul wrote to the Hebrew Christians in Hebrews
chapter 13 and verse 17. He says this.
Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves,
for they watch for your souls as they must give an account that
they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is
unprofitable for you. You see, there's a fearful
responsibility in being a minister of the gospel.
Every soul in the church, young and old, I'm responsible to
before God. We should really pray then for
the ministers of the church. We should pray for them to be
spiritually bold. That's what Paul did.
He asked for prayer. That utterance might be given
unto him, that he might open his mouth boldly and not brashly,
but open his mouth boldly to to declare the work of God.
Pray for holy zeal, Pray for a passion before and with them of
God. Pray for a holy fire, because
this, this preaching is, is really a matter of life and
death. Pray that the word of God may
have free course that'll run freely, but pray that the word
of God is glorified. Let me tell you this little
story. Long time ago there was a young
man received a call to a new church and he preached on prayer
the first Sunday. A wonderful sermon, everybody
loved it. They were delighted.
Next Sunday he got up and preached the same thing, same
hymns, same sermon, same text. He did it the third Sunday and
the elders were getting a wee bit worried.
The woman were wondering what is going on.
The young people were saying he preached that before.
Did we not hear that last week? Was that not the first sermon?
It happened before Sunday. So you could just imagine me
preaching the same sermon 4 Sundays here in a row.
They brought him in afterwards, they asked him what's going on
and this is what he said. He said, well, I preached the
first sermon on prayer and the next Wednesday night there was
still the same number at the prayer meeting.
And the same happened the second week and the third week.
And that's why I'm preaching it again because I'm wondering, are
they really listening about the subject of prayer?
You see, a lot of professing Christians today are not in the
church's prayer meeting. And Leonard Ravenhill said it's
not more sermons we need, but it's putting into practise the
revelation God has already given us.
So it's not about learning new things, it's about in listening
to the things that God has already told us and living them
out in our lives. You see, this is a principle,
this is a a precept, not a mere suggestion.
It's a vital, important component.
It's not optional, it's obligatory.
It's not just a call, but it's a compulsory command.
Remember Paul's or, or Samuel said, God forbid that I should
sin against the Lord and ceasing to pray for you, prayerlessness
is a sin. It has serious implications.
And and this is a serious priority that that, that we must
pray privately and we must pray publicly.
And I encourage you to come to the prayer meeting.
And I'm not saying you have to come and pray out loud.
I'm urging you to come even if you only sigh in your heart,
even you only shed a tear, even if you only pray inaudibly on
other than to your heart. Lord help me, even if it's just
a, a silent Amen. Let me just quickly wrap this
up. Pray for your missionaries at
home and abroad. They labour in loneliness.
Many labour in dangerous circumstances.
They face much opposition. Many know poverty and much
discouragement, and we should really pray for the Lord to open
doors for our missionaries at home and abroad, Open doors to
missions. Where does it come from?
It comes from God. Pray for the advancement of the
gospel here. What we're told go ye into all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
How does the church advance? It advances on its knees in
prayer and advancing on our knees in prayer is connected to
the preaching of the gospel. It's connected to going forth in
an evangelistic manner. It's it's connected to giving
ourselves to God. Could I suggest this morning
that we pray for closed doors and hearts to open to the gospel
in our own community? Could I suggest that we pray
this morning for the persecuted church or missionaries at home
and abroad? I suggest that we pray for souls
to be concerted. Family, friends, neighbours.
I, I I suggest that we pray for for new churches to be planted.
Modern missions need our prayers.
William Carey, the father of modern missions to India, said
this. I will go down into the pit if
you will hold the ropes. That's the ropes of prayer.
Did you know that Spurgeon 6000, he ministered to every Sunday in
the Metropolitan Tabernacle? One time he brought his
students. He said he wanted them to show
the secret of the church. They come in and the church was
packed. Now these are young men, very
impressionable, packed Church of 6000 people.
And he says, now I want to show you the secret.
We'll go down to the boiler house.
They thought they were going down to look at the central
heating system, and they went down and there was 4 to 600
people in a room praying in the basement.
And he said this is the engine room of the church.
The people addressed family and unity.
The petition requested to pray. The principle included is for
us. And one final thing, the power
that's released. Why did he include this
exhortation? Brethren, pray for us.
You and I know that God is sovereign.
You and I know that the God who ordains the ends ordains the
means. He he ordains the salvation of
his people. He ordains the preaching of the
gospel go into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature, but he also ordains the instrument of prayer.
He says, for this I will yet be inquired of by the House of
Israel to do it for them. This is what strengthens
preaching. This is what protects the
ministry. This is what brings about our
deliverance from wicked man. Remember, we're facing a, a, a
satanic warfare. We're going to battle with the
devil. We're going to battle with, with
false doctrine and there's much opposition, false cults and
false religion there there. There's much discouragement.
Satan hates hates the preaching of the word of God.
Satan hates the exaltation of Christ.
Satan hates the exposing of sin. Satan tries to destroy the
Gospel ministry. He hates the salvation of souls.
So this is what protects the ministry and not only
strengthens it, but protects it, and also it produces fruit,
because whenever we pray, prayer moves the hands, it holds the
world, and God works through prayer.
The church's purity is maintained.
The church's power is bestowed. The church's perseverance and
continuance is explained. How do we exist decades on and
and hundreds of years into the future?
We exist because of the goodness of God.
It's God who's keeping and protecting his people.
The power that's released is included in this little plea,
the plea for partners in prayer. I leave this message with you.
I want you to take it to heart. And I would encourage as many as
possible to come and join us on the Wednesday night.
If you can join us on the Saturday morning.
Let's look to God for help in relation to the work of the
ministry. May the Lord take these few
thoughts and bless them to our heart.
This morning we're going to sing in.