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They turn in your Bibles to 1 
Timothy chapter 2. 1 Timothy chapter 2. We're going 
to look at the specific direction for corporate prayer. We're dealing 
with conduct in the house of God and the church of God, specifically 
in corporate worship. We looked at Paul's command to 
pray in verse 1, the reasons that he gives in verses 3 to 
7, and here in verse 8, he deals specifically with some things 
that men need to consider when they pray. So I'll just begin 
reading in chapter 2, verse 1, to remind us of the context, 
and then we'll take up verse 8. Therefore, I exhort first 
of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of 
thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, 
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness 
and reverence. For this is good and acceptable 
in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved 
and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one 
God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 
who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time 
for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle. I am speaking 
the truth in Christ and not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in 
faith and truth. I desire, therefore, that the 
men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and 
doubting. In like manner, also, that the 
women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation. not with braided hair or gold 
or pearls or costly clothing, but which is proper for women 
professing godliness with good works. Let a woman learn in silence 
with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to 
teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then 
Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but 
the woman being deceived fell into transgression. Nevertheless, 
she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, 
and holiness with self-control. Amen. Let us ask God's help as 
we look to his word. Father, we thank you for this, 
your word. We pray now for the Spirit to guide, to illumine, 
to shine the light upon our hearts. And may we as a church be molded 
and shaped by the truth of Holy Scripture. May we seek to honor 
and worship and glorify you in this place, and we ask through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, the Apostle 
is already given a command in verse 1. Therefore, I exhort, 
first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving 
of thanks be made for all men." Prayer is not a tack-on. Prayer 
is not an add-on. Prayer is not something that 
is optional in the life and ministry of Christ's churches. But rather, 
he stipulates, first of all, this is what it is to be about. 
You are to be a prayerful people. In fact, the prophet Isaiah, 
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Psalter describes God's house as a house 
of prayer. And so if we are not praying, 
we are in rebellion against God's appointed apostle, even Paul. He gives the scope. Prayer is 
to be offered up for kings and all who are in authority. This 
is a subset of all men. He tells us the reasons why, 
because God desires the salvation of all men. Again, we saw that 
doesn't mean all men without exception. It means all men without 
distinction. In other words, all kinds of 
men. Kings, men who are in authority, 
men from whatever tribe or tongue or people or nation. God has 
his purposes to save a great multitude. He argues from the 
redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one mediator 
between the one God and sinful men. The man Christ Jesus gave 
himself a ransom for all. Again, not all without exception, 
but all kinds of men in order to be testified in due time. And then Paul highlights his 
role. He is an apostle. He is a preacher. He is a teacher. 
He is primarily focusing upon the Gentiles. And now Paul turns 
his attention to deal with some, what appears to be, disruptive 
practices in the church. In verse 8 he deals specifically 
with men at corporate prayer. When I say corporate, I mean 
church. I mean in the context of worship. I mean in the context 
of local church worship. He deals specifically with men 
at worship. And then he deals with women, 
specifically in the areas of modesty. Women are to adorn themselves 
modestly. It ought not to be the case that 
we're struggling when we're trying to sing praises to our God with 
wanting to look around at what sister so-and-so looks like or 
is wearing today. This is what the Apostle takes 
up. This is a real issue. It is a 
real thing. And if we don't really get our 
minds wrapped around it, we can unwittingly cause brethren to 
stumble. But not only this issue of modesty, 
but it seems that there were women that wanted to teach in 
the church. And then Paul deals with that 
whole situation. We'll take that up, God willing, 
in a couple weeks when I return. But then that turns his attention 
to what leadership in the church does look like. Chapter 3, verses 
1 to 13, where he deals with elders and he deals with deacon. 
Having said that women are not supposed to be leaders, he then 
transitions into what men are supposed to be if they are to 
lead in the church of the living God. So that's a bit of a framework 
or context of what we're looking at here in our study in 1 Timothy 
chapter 2. Now tonight as we consider verse 
8, I didn't want to try to do eight in the rest of the section 
and just sort of rush through it, so we'll spend a little time 
on verse eight this evening under three considerations. First, 
the Apostle's desire. Secondly, his focus. And thirdly, 
his directions. So his desire, his focus, and 
his directions. Perhaps if I spent more time 
I would have got a middle D. and been able to alliterate that 
but such as it is. Desire, focus, and directions. Notice first of all his desire. Verse 8, I desire therefore. The therefore resumes. that therefore 
brings us back to what he's already stipulated in verse 1. Therefore, I exhort first of 
all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of 
thanks be made for all men. Here's the kinds of men I want 
you to pray for. Here's why I want you to pray 
for them. And now he resumes this thought in verse 8 to say, 
I desire therefore that the men pray. Now, when we read this, 
and he uses this word desire, we almost read it as if it's 
optional. Well, just suffice it to say, 
when the Apostle Paul desires something, and we desire something, 
it is significantly different. I desire that all Christians 
read J. Gresson mentions what is faith. 
I cannot command that. I cannot make you do that. But 
when an apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ says, I desire you to 
do something, he is speaking as Christ's spokesman. He is 
speaking as Christ's representative. He is laying down for the church 
rule. He is laying down for the church 
mandate. He is laying down for the church 
command. And again, he's already said 
in verse 1, I exhort. That's a word with some teeth. Here his desire is expressed 
that men would in fact pray within the context of church worship. The apostle Paul was mindful 
of his authority in the churches. Chapter 1, verse 1. Paul, an 
apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior, 
and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope. Again in chapter 1 at verses 
11 and 12. According to the glorious gospel 
of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. And I 
thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me because he counted 
me faithful putting me into the ministry. And there in chapter 
2 at verse 7. He has been appointed a preacher 
and an apostle. Again, Apostle carries weight 
in the churches. When the Apostle says, I desire, 
it's not optional, it's not suggestive, it's not if you guys think you 
might want to. But 1 Timothy 2, verse 8, is 
binding upon all churches everywhere for all times. In other words, 
we, to our own peril, if we resist or reject or rebel against this 
particular command. Remember the overarching context 
is 1 Timothy 3 verse 15. Verse 14, he says, these things 
I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly, but if 
I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to 
conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of 
the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Do you suppose 
that when Paul finally met up with Timothy and he said, how 
is the corporate pair meeting going? Timothy said, well, you 
just said it was your desire. We didn't really actually think 
you wanted us to do it. That would be folly. It would 
be foolish. The point I'm trying to make, 
brethren, based on verse 1 and verse 8 of this particular passage 
has been well stated by C. H. Spurgeon. He says, brethren, 
we shall never see much change for the better in our churches 
in general till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the 
esteem of Christians. I think it was Leonard Ravenhill. 
Again, a man I don't know anything about in terms of his orthodoxy, 
but I know that I saw a quote one time. And it said that if 
the morning service is well attended, then the church is popular. If 
the evening service is well attended, then the preacher is popular. If the prayer meeting is well 
attended, then God is popular. I think there is a degree of 
truth in a statement like that. So Paul tells the church that 
he wants them to pray. Notice, secondly, his focus. He says, I desire, therefore, 
that the men pray. I desire, therefore, that the 
men pray. The word used means, specifically, 
males. There are two Greek words that 
are utilized for men. One is anthropos. You've heard 
the word anthropology. That's inclusive of males and 
females. There is a particular word, andros, 
which you've heard of androgens, perhaps, or andropause is an 
interesting phenomena that they say is actually a reality. It's 
the male version of menopause. Andropause, that's a man pause, 
whatever the pause element is in that statement. But Andros 
is specifically males. You see, Paul envisages a church 
at prayer and he envisages men leading in prayer. Now, is he 
speaking about men only? Yes. There are several interpretations 
that really go a lot differently from this point on in 1 Timothy 
2. There is what is called the egalitarian 
position. And what an egalitarian says 
is that men and women are on equal footing, not just because 
they've been redeemed by Christ, but they are on equal footing 
with reference to ministry and service in the church. Anything 
that is available in the church is available to men and to women. That is the egalitarian position. There is what's called the complementarian 
position. That means that men and women 
are equal in terms of redemption, but in terms of function, God 
wants men to lead. God not only wants them, but 
God demands that men lead in the church. I prefer to call 
that the biblical view. That's the position that we hold 
to here at Free Grace Baptist Church. Hopefully this doesn't 
rock anybody's world, But the Apostle says, I desire therefore 
that the men pray everywhere. Gill makes this statement. in 
the Declaration of the Apostle's Will concerning prayer, he only 
takes notice of men. Not but that it is both the duty 
and privilege of women, as well as men, to pray in their houses 
and closets, but because he is speaking of public prayer in 
the church, which only belongs to men, he speaks only to them. Again, we're dealing with corporate 
worship, the gathered people of God, on the Lord's Day Sabbath, 
conduct in the house of God, which is the church of the living 
God. The Apostle stipulates, the Apostle 
says, that in that corporate gathering, it is to be the men 
that pray. There are several other passages 
in the New Testament that deal with this issue. We do not have 
the time and I think it's outside the scope of investigating each 
and every one of those in particularly. But I will mention them and give 
a few comments concerning those various passages. 1 Corinthians 
chapter 11 verses 2 to 16. It is the passage that deals 
with head covering. It is the passage that deals 
with when a woman prays or prophesies, she must cover her head. And 
many people have taken 1 Corinthians 11 2 to 16, and said, as long 
as a woman is covered, as long as she's wearing something on 
her head. Others have taught that it's a veil, or it's a doily, 
or it's a hat, or whatever it is. But something has to be on 
her noggin, and then she's free to pray or prophesy within the 
context of the church. I absolutely disagree with that 
interpretation. I think Paul is telling us specifically 
in 1 Corinthians 11, 2-16 that women are not supposed to pray 
and prophesy in the gathered church. I side with Dabney. Dabney makes this very perceptive 
statement on the subject. He says, thus, he who stands 
up in public as the herald and representative of heaven's king 
must stand with uncovered head. That's what Paul says. If a man 
stands in the pulpit to pray or prophesy, it must be with 
uncovered head. Dabney goes on to say, the honor 
of the sovereign for whom he speaks demands this, but no woman 
can present herself in public with uncovered head without sinning 
against nature and her sex. You gotta follow this. Just to 
appeal to a paper and some sermons that I did on this. If the pulpit 
is the place of the uncovered head, Not what Paul says in 1 
Corinthians 2, 11, 2-16. If a man stands to pray or prophesy 
in the gathered church, we're not talking about in the fellowship 
hall. That is a distinction that we 
make in our church that may puzzle some people. and can probably 
be viewed as somewhat arbitrary. But there is a distinction, at 
least in my thinking, that between the corporate gathering of God's 
people at worship in the church and the fellowship meeting, or 
a Wednesday night meeting. There's something unique about 
Sabbath services designed specifically for corporate worship. At any 
rate, Paul says the man who stands in the pulpit must do so with 
uncovered head. But you see a woman cannot occupy 
that position with uncovered head. The answer according to 
the rest of the Bible is not as long as she puts on a hat, 
as long as she puts on a doily, as long as she covers her melon, 
she can stand in the pulpit. It's just the opposite. He is 
saying she's not supposed to stand in the pulpit. Dabney's 
right. He says no woman can present 
herself in public with uncovered head without sinning against 
nature and her sex. Hence, no woman can be a public 
herald of Christ. Thus, this passage, instead of 
implying the admission, really argues the necessary exclusion 
of women from the pulpit. I think he's right. It would 
take too long to develop 1 Corinthians 11. 2 to 16, if you're interested, 
email me, I'll send you a paper. You can read all about it and 
ask me any questions that you may have. I believe that what 
Paul is doing in 1 Corinthians 11 is arguing from the economic 
trinity that within the context of the local church, there is 
a leadership hierarchy. Men are supposed to lead in terms 
of prayer and prophesy. There is no difference in the 
ontological trinity. The Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Spirit are equal in power and in glory. Each of the persons, 
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, are each autotheos. They are all 
self-existent God. But within the economy of redemption, 
the son willingly submits himself to the father. The spirit proceeds 
from the father and the son. And it's that theology that Paul 
then uses to argue. Men and women are equal in terms 
of being made out of dirt. Men and women are equal in terms 
of redemptive privilege. We are saved by grace alone, 
through faith alone, and Christ alone. But just as the son willingly 
submits himself to the father in the economy of redemption, 
so within the context of the local church, men are supposed 
to lead. In Psalm, there aren't supposed 
to be skirts in the pulpit. In 1 Corinthians 14, verses 34 
and 35, there is another prohibition against women speaking in the 
church. Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are 
not permitted to speak, but they are to be submissive as the law 
also says. And if they want to learn something, 
let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for 
women to speak in church. Now, if you and I have spotted 
something of an anomaly, if 1 Corinthians 11, 2 to 16 authorizes a woman 
to pray or prophesy with her head covered, And then we come 
to 1 Corinthians 14, 34, and 35 where Paul says they're not 
allowed to speak. Do you think that we're the only 
ones that have ever spotted this? Do you think that Paul the Apostle 
didn't spot this? Do you think that Paul didn't 
know what he was doing? Of course he did. If we understand 
1 Corinthians 11, 2-16 establishing the fact that men are to pray 
and prophesy in the local church gathered together. When it comes 
to meetings within the church there is a structure for order. 
There is an application of the principle of order. And here 
it's delegated in verses 26 and following. There is order to 
be imposed upon tongue speakers, and upon prophets, and upon women, 
according to the Apostle here in 1 Corinthians 13. This does 
not mean that women are bad. It does not mean that women are 
wicked. It does not mean that women are evil. It does not mean 
that Paul the Apostle was the eternal enemy of women, a la 
George Bernard Shaw. It means that in God's world, 
he has established an order. It means that in God's world, 
he has established structure. In God's world, fish swim. In God's world, birds fly. And in God's world, in the home, 
men lead. And in the church, men lead. That's the emphasis. That's the 
point. And I think when we synthesize 
those three passages of Scripture, we find consistency and we find 
cogency with reference to this issue of women in the church. So Paul says, I want, or I desire, 
therefore, that the men pray everywhere. Do you brothers know 
why women are leading in the church today? Yes, it's sin. Yes, it's rebellion. Yes, it's 
a failure to exegete 1 Timothy 2. It's probably due in part 
to passive men. It's probably due in part to passive 
men. Somebody's going to lead. If 
men don't man up, then the sisters are going to man up. And then 
we've got a big problem. You see, when Paul says, I desire 
therefore that the men pray everywhere, men pray. Come to church and 
be ready to pray. come to church and be ready to 
call upon the living and true God. Now, by the way, for those 
of you who are relatively new with us, we used to do that. 
At the pastoral prayer, we'd call a couple of brothers to 
pray. I think the reason why now is probably the acoustics 
or we don't get some of it on the internet. I don't know what 
it all is about. But this is not uncommon for 
churches to do. Men pray in corporate worship. That's a good thing. That's what 
Paul is addressing. That's what Paul is urging. So 
when the men don't pray, when the men are passive, when the 
men are weak-kneed and the men don't man up, then somebody's 
going to pray. And oftentimes, it's a woman 
who's going to step in. We said, well, at least somebody's 
praying. And then before long, we have women preachers, and 
we have women bishops, and we have women whatever. Again, women 
aren't bad. Women are wonderful. I'm married 
to one. I took that from John MacArthur. 
Apparently, one time, he was preaching on male headship in 
the home and in the church. And a bunch of people were picketing 
outside the church. And there were news crews. See, 
when John MacArthur does this, High profile, big profile guy. 
So a news reporter says, what have you got against women? He 
says, I've got nothing against women. I'm married to one. But there's 
an order, you see. There is proper procedure. This is something we must appreciate 
in our studies of the pastoral epistles. The church is not a 
free for all. The church is not a democracy. The church isn't a, let's do 
this. The church is God-ordained. There are commanded activities 
that we must obey. We must hold the line. And in 
this particular instance he says, I desire therefore that the men 
pray. Open your mouths and pray, brothers. That's what the Apostle is saying. We've seen the desire, we've 
seen the focus. Let's look thirdly at his directions. This word prayer that he uses 
is the most common term in the New Testament for prayer. It 
certainly embodies the rest of those terms. that are utilized 
in verse 1. Supplications, prayers, there's 
our word again, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made 
for all men. Here he says, I want you to pray. That certainly encompasses 
all those other things. Supplications, prayers, intercessions, 
and giving of thanks be made for all men. And then he specifies 
the manner. He specifies the manner. How 
are we to pray? The first thing he deals with 
is location. And the second thing he deals 
with is godliness. Note first of all, I desire therefore 
that the men pray everywhere. It's an interesting term. If 
you've ever read this passage, do you think he means that wherever 
men are, they are to pray? There's other passages that teach 
that, to be sure. But remember, he's dealing with 
the church. He's dealing with the church at worship. He's dealing 
with the church on the Sabbath day. He's dealing with the church 
as they gather together in obedience to their Lord for corporate worship. So what does he mean by everywhere? 
It certainly means all churches, every church that gathers, they 
ought to be a prayerful people, which is interesting because 
if the rule applies in terms of praying everywhere, then what 
he stipulates in 9-15 concerning the women applies everywhere 
as well. You see, the egalitarian comes 
to 9-15 and says, well, that wasn't universal in its scope, 
there was just a problem in Ephesus. You had some bushy, bossy women 
that tried to assert their authority So Paul in Ephesus is dealing 
with that particular issue. But that's not how Paul argues. 
He says that I want this to be done everywhere. If we are to 
pray as men lifting up holy hands without wrath and disputing everywhere, 
then the rules concerning women, verses 9 to 15, apply everywhere. Do you think it's only in Ephesus 
that women needed to be modest? Do you think it's okay in Chilliwack 
for women to be immodest? Of course not. Paul says, I want 
the men everywhere to pray. But there might also be an illusion 
here. There might also be an echo here 
of an Old Testament passage. And dear brother John Gill pointed 
this out to me. He says, now was the prophecy 
in Malachi 1.11 fulfilled. And now was the time our Lord 
Jesus refers to. Just first working backwards, 
what does Jesus say when he's talking to that woman at the 
well? He says, the hour is coming and 
now is, when men won't just worship at this mountain, but they'll 
worship everywhere. Malachi 1, verse 11, For from 
the rising of the sun, even to its going down, my name shall 
be great among the Gentiles. In every place, incense shall 
be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name shall be 
great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi foretells 
a time that the gospel would transcend Israel, that the gospel 
would go to all the nations, that the gospel would be proclaimed 
from every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation. When 
God promised Abraham that in him all the nations of the earth 
would be blessed, Malachi reaffirms that, he reiterates that, and 
here in 1 Timothy 2 at verse 8, when Paul says, everywhere, 
I think Gil is right, and I think the context manifests that. Because 
what has been the emphasis? He desires all men to be saved, 
not just Jews. He desires all kinds of men, 
every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation. Jesus gave 
himself a ransom for all. Again, not every single man, 
but black men, and white men, and Canadian men, and I mean 
man and woman, anthropos there. from every tribe, tongue, people, 
and nation. And then what does Paul say? 
Paul says he was appointed as a teacher to the Gentiles. So 
when he says here in 1 Timothy 2.8, if John Gill is right, and 
he says, I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, that 
the prophecy of Malachi is fulfilled, that teaches us that that prophecy 
of Malachi in 1.11 is promoted, is fulfilled, is advanced, and 
is carried forth, yes, by the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus, 
who gave himself a ransom for all, but through the prayers 
and the preaching of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. a modern 
commentator says that church in its proclamation and prayer 
becomes the vehicle by which the promise is fulfilled for 
from the rising up the sun even to its going down my name shall 
be great among the Gentiles in every place incense shall be 
offered to my name and a pure offering for my name shall be 
great among the nations says the Lord of hosts so that's that 
demand or command to pray everywhere. Now notice, he not only says 
prayer must be offered, but he says how prayer is to be offered. You see, it's not just pray, 
but it's pray like this. And it's not pray like this the 
way Jesus describes in Matthew, where he gives us the specific 
petitions we are to take to the throne of grace. Paul deals, 
again, more with church conduct. He deals more with church life. He's dealing with what were probably 
problems in the church, not only that church, but churches to 
whom he was writing. And so he says pray, but he says 
pray this way. The first thing that he indicates 
in verse 8 is lifting up holy hands. Lifting up holy hands. There is a literal interpretation 
of this. A dear brother of mine, he's 
a Reformed Baptist pastor, believes in the literal view. That means 
when men pray, they lift up holy hands. I am certainly not against 
that. If you want to lift up your holy 
hands when you pray, by all means, lift up your holy hands when 
you pray. It's not a bad thing. It's not 
a wicked thing. It's a biblical thing. You read 
through the scriptures. You trace through the scriptures. 
You see men pray with their hands raised. It's good and it's godly. Gill says it's an emblem of the 
elevation of the heart in prayer to God. That's a good observation 
on that particular text. I kind of think the emphasis 
is on purity. I kind of think the emphasis 
is on righteousness. It's on holiness. Psalm 24 verses 
3 and 4 says, Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord, or 
who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a 
pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn 
deceitfully. The opposite is seen in Isaiah 
chapter 1 at verse 18 in a passage of condemnation. He says, when 
you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though 
you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full 
of blood. You see, the emphasis seems to 
be on purity. It is on righteousness. It is 
on holiness. It is on godliness. In other 
words, when you gather together for corporate worship, be ready 
to pray. Have dealings with God in secret. Confess your sins to your wife. Whatever it is, you gotta clean 
up, so that when you come into the church, you can't sit there 
and say, well, I'd love to pray on behalf of the brethren, but 
I'm not living the way I ought to be. No, live the way you ought 
to be so that when you gather together for corporate prayer, 
you pray. That's the emphasis as far as 
I understand. Again, another commentator says, 
within Israel's cultic regimen, that means their system of worship, 
the actual outward act of washing the hands was a fundamental preparatory 
step for priests to enter the tent of meeting. The visible 
public act of purification signified the presumed inward condition 
of purity and holiness of those about to engage in ministry. Paul says, when you come together 
to pray, make sure you're able to lift holy hands. He doesn't stop there. He says, 
secondly, without wrath. Without anger. Without malice. The word wrath here is usually 
applied to God. It's usually in terms of the 
wrath of God. It's used in Ephesians and in 
Colossians in terms of man toward man. Having an anger. Having 
a wrathful heart. having enmity, having an unreconciled 
difference with a brother or a sister. The point, your issues 
with brethren must be fixed prior to prayer meeting. Horizontal 
reconciliation must precede vertical supplication. That's his point. Everybody with me? You need to 
follow this. This is important. We can't pray and beseech heaven. We can't storm the gates of heaven 
if we don't understand verse 8 in our text. It needs to be 
without wrath. Jesus taught us that in the Sermon 
on the Mount. Therefore, If you bring your 
gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something 
against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go 
your way. First be reconciled to your brother 
and then come and offer your gift. You see, you cannot come 
into the corporate gathering of God's people, wrathful toward 
a brother, wrathful toward a sister, husband wrathful toward his wife, 
wife wrathful toward her husband, and expect God to receive our 
prayers, our supplications, our intercessions, and our giving 
of thanks. God says clean it up, deal with 
it, own it, confess it, forsake it, find forgiveness, and then 
pray. That's it. Same thing with the 
Lord's Supper. Let a man examine himself. What? 
For spotlessness? For no sin? Of course not. But for the fact that we're dealing 
with sin. It's never going to be the case 
that we come to church and we're able to lift up perfectly holy 
hands. There's never presence of sin. That's not what he's saying. 
He's saying that you need to live with a conscience void of 
offense toward God and men. In other words, you can't approach 
God if you know there's issues with men. You gotta deal. You 
gotta be upright. You gotta be holy when it comes 
to this particular issue. The way that we conduct ourselves 
toward others has an effect on our prayer lives. 1 Peter 3, 
verse 7. Husbands, likewise, dwell with 
them with understanding. It's an admonition to husbands 
to dwell with their wives with understanding. Don't be a meathead. Don't be a fool. Don't be hard-hearted. Don't be a nay-ball. Dwell with 
her according to knowledge. Know her. Understand her, esteem 
her, revere her, honor her, is what Peter says. You can't do 
that. You need to repent. You need 
to forsake your sin, and you need to confess it to God, and 
you need to beseech God for the Spirit, so that you as a man 
can deal with your wife the way Peter says. He says, Husbands, 
likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to 
the wife as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of 
the grace of life, that, here it is, that your prayers may 
not be hindered. In other words, if you live with 
your wife and you're a fool, if you live with your wife and 
you're a navel, if you live with your wife and you're a knucklehead, 
and you do not esteem her, and you do not revere her, you do 
not honor her, and you do not treat her as a co-heir of the 
grace of life, then your prayers are going to be hindered. Don't 
pray to God for a bag of money when you treat your wife like 
garbage. He ain't going to hear you. And of course, how we deal 
in our own lives. If I regard iniquity in my heart, 
the Lord will not hear. Psalm 66, verses 18 and 19. If I regard iniquity in my heart. Again, it's not if there's presence 
of sin in my heart. There's presence of sin in our 
hearts all the time. Regarding it means an unwillingness to 
deal. It means we're gonna hold on 
to it. We quite like it. We like it nestled down in there 
where nobody can see, and I'm going to regard it, I'm going 
to take it out from time to time, I'm going to play with it, and 
then I'll put it back, and I'll look like everybody else. He 
says, if I regard iniquity in my heart, if I am that kind of 
a hypocrite, the Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard 
me. He has attended to the voice 
of my prayer. As the psalmist is saying, he's 
living faithfully, he's living consistently. He is not regarding 
iniquity in his heart. He is seeking to deal with things 
as they come. And then the third statement 
the Apostle says, lifting up holy hands without wrath, without 
doubting. Kind of has the idea of doubt 
with reference to God. I take it rather that it's disputing. The word is used in Philippians 
2.14. And because there's this horizontal emphasis here, I don't 
think Paul is saying, when you come to the corporate prayer 
meeting, do so without doubting. That's assumed, that's presupposed, 
that's obvious. You don't doubt God when you 
pray to God. The idea seems to be disputed. A quarrelsome attitude. I was 
reading one of the commentaries and he said something to the 
effect that It's pretty crazy to think of somebody praying 
in anger. Really? What prayer meetings 
has he visited? I've been in some doozies. I've 
heard angry prayers. I've prayed angry prayers. Or 
preaching prayers. You ever heard those? You know when you pray, you pray 
to God. You don't preach to brethren. Lord God, help that wretched, 
good for nothing, terrible human being that is sitting next to 
me. That's not prayer. It's preaching. Shame on us that 
we would take the occasion to address the High King of Heaven 
to pick on brethren. Parents do this, children do 
this, husbands do this, wives. Oh Lord, help my wretched husband. He's sitting there going, what? 
What's happening? Yeah, help me. I want that. But something's 
going on here. You see, we can express some 
terrible things in prayer. Remember the way it's described 
of that man in Luke's gospel? The Pharisee stood and prayed 
thus with himself. That's what Jesus says. He wasn't 
praying to God. He wasn't addressing the high 
king of heaven. Jesus tells it like it is. He prayed thus with 
himself. I thank you, God, that I'm not 
like other men. I mean, really, that that commentator 
says it's hard to imagine somebody praying in anger. Really? What church does he go to? I 
want to go join that one. I'm not condemning anybody here. 
Maybe it's just my own reflection of my own heart. There's anger 
in prayers at times. If we're going to be angry, let 
it be righteous and let it be spent on those God Himself is 
angry with. When David utters imitations, 
I would imagine that he didn't have a great big goofy smile 
on his face. There's a holy and a righteous 
indignation that he reveals to us in Psalm 119, for instance. When I see men who forsake your 
law, indignation takes over. That's legit. That's righteous. 
But if you're mad at a brother, you're mad at a sister, your 
wife made you upset, and so you're going to come sniveling and whining 
in the church, that's wrong. That is just bad behavior on 
a whole host of levels, and Paul will not have it. When you come 
to pray, lift up holy hands without wrath, without disputing. In some, we see the emphasis 
on prayer. It is to be a priority within 
the context of the Church of the Living and True God. First 
of all, the Apostle says, not that you have the best preaching 
ministry, not that you have the most nicest people, but first 
of all, I urge, I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, 
and giving of thanks be made for all men. Secondly, we see 
in this passage, in terms of verse 8, it'll be fleshed out 
further in verses 9 to 15, that men are to lead in the church. 
This is not chauvinistic, it is not ungodly, it is not unrighteous, 
it is not unholy, it is a reflection of, it is the revelation of God's 
will with reference to his church. You see, when he argues that 
he does not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over 
a man, it's not because there were pushy women in Ephesus. 
It's because God made Adam first. There's an order. There's a structure. 
There's a priority. He made Adam first and Eve was 
to help him. Eve was deceived and transgressed. You see, he argues from creation. It is not something that is localized. It is not something simply that 
was a problem in Ephesus. It is a problem that Paul addresses 
with creation. and therefore it is lasting, 
it is perpetual, it is binding upon the churches. Thirdly, the 
manner of corporate prayer, certainly in all the churches. But let 
us see ourselves in light of that statement by John Gill. 
Let us see ourselves in light of Malachi chapter 1, verse 11. Through the preaching ministry 
of our church, through the prayers of our church, we are being used 
by God in some small way to affect the nations of the earth. That's 
what Malachi 1.11 is all about. We need to remember the manner. 
Not that we're sinlessly perfect because we never pray. Not that 
we are sinlessly perfect because we never participate in the Lord's 
Supper. But that we're dealing with sin. When you sin against somebody, 
deal with it. Let's be men and women of the 
book. And then finally, with reference 
to the gospel, I realize the word is absent, but the concept 
is present. The entire context bespeaks the 
necessity for us as the church to pray because God desires all 
men to be saved. God desires the redemptive work 
of Christ to be proclaimed, to be believed on, so that sinners 
may be saved. And as the church, it is our 
great privilege, it is our great prerogative to be able to pray 
to that end. God bless your word as it goes 
forth. May it conquer and may it indeed 
be victorious. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for your word, and we thank you for the very beautiful 
instruction that we find here in verse 8. And give us grace 
to deal properly and righteously in the context of the local church. 
Give us grace as men to lift up holy hands, to do so without 
wrath, without disputing. Help us, God, to come to the 
throne of grace through our blessed mediator, even the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Go with us now. Watch over your 
people. Bring us back together again 
that we may worship you in spirit and in truth. Bless your people 
all over the earth, Lord God Almighty, and we pray through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.