Grosey's Messages

Ambassadors For Christ.

Call To Worship

Law and Grace Reading  Ezekiel 3:1-21

Bible readings 2 Corinthians 5:6 -21

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight.⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

¹¹              Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.¹³ For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.¹⁴ For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;¹⁵ and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

¹⁶              From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Ephesians 6: 18-20

To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

In Proverbs 13:17, Isaiah 18:2, 30:4; 33:7 and Jeremiah 49:14 we find the word ''envoy', meaning an ambassador. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul speaks of himself as Christ's ambassador (Ephesians 6:20), and of all Christians as the ambassadors of the Lord (2Corinthians 5:20).

I.              The Ambassadors Commission

Did you see these amazing words in Ephesians 6. I want to tell you, understanding this word "Ambassador" changed my life.

What is an ambassador? In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul says, ""We are therefore Christ's ambassadors…"…" An ambassador is a REPRESENTATIVE –- one who represents another. He goes to a foreign country and represents the Throne and the Government of his own people. Now this is true of ambassadors for Christ representatives of the King of heaven and of heaven itself in a foreign country –- this world.

The Ambassador's commission. You see, we've been commissioned. Look, if you will in verse 18, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ…" Thank God we're saved. "…And hath commiteth unto us the ministry of reconciliation." Now, look up here and let me tell you something. If you're saved, you're called into the ministry. If you are saved, if you are reconciled to God, you have been called into the ministry.

You have been given a ministry by God. Your ministry is the ministry of reconciliation. "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." Just as God was in Christ, Christ is in us. "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we beg you in Christ's stead…" or "we pray you…" or "we beseech you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." Now, we had an important person in the eyes of the world in our services this morning, but I want to say something, folks, any child of God, any twice-born child of God is somebody because you are an ambassador to the King. (amen) Now, don't forget that. You are an ambassador to Heaven's King. You don't have to be a doormat, like you're not important; I don't care if you work in the stock market or the stockyard. It makes no difference. Friend, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a minister, you are an ambassador!

An ambassador is the person who represents the person of a king in the court of another. And I am still an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ. And, and not to share the message, not to share the message of reconciliation is not only to miss a blessing, it is not merely to be ineffective, it is to be in revolt.  And the same thing is true about a church. Any church that is not engaged in evangelism is guilty of apostasy.  We need to be soul winners and all of us live in a world that's going to hell and its time we told this world to go to heaven. And told them how to go to heaven. And, ah, I know of no greater thrill, I've preached in many places, I've preached around the world. I've had some experiences. I've been in what some people would call some interesting places. The greatest thrill of my life still today is to personally lead a soul to Jesus Christ more than preaching before crowds, more than meeting important people, is to win a soul to Jesus Christ. I'm going to let you in on a secret. I get a bigger thrill out of leading someone to Jesus Christ than the thrill I got when I got saved. Why? Because I know a whole lot more about what's happening to them then I knew what was happening to me when I got saved. And you can let Federal Parliament make the laws and let the PM try to run the nation, let the Reserve Bank handle the finances, let the media take care of the entertainment, let the athletes have the Olympics, you let me be an Ambassador for Christ. I'm telling you, when all the dust is settled, when it's all over, and when God has put the last full stop upon the last sentence, upon the last paragraph, upon the last page, upon the last chapter, upon the last Book of Life, when it's all said and done, when all the dust is settled, you're going to understand what the Bible means when it says, "He that wins souls is wise."

What is an ambassador? In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul says, ""We are therefore Christ's ambassadors…"…" An ambassador is a REPRESENTATIVE –- one who represents another. He goes to a foreign country and represents the Throne and the Government of his own people. Now this is true of ambassadors for Christ representatives of the King of heaven and of heaven itself in a foreign country –- this world.

 The Ambassador must be a citizen of heaven. No alien can ever represent our Queen or her Government in a foreign Court. Now look at 2 Corinthians 5:17, because a true ambassador must be ""in Christ…"…", ""a new creation…"…" and ""redeemed……with the precious blood of Christ…"…" (1 Peter 1:18-19).

 The Ambassador must be above reproach. Our Queen would never send out a man of doubtful character; and the Lord requires that His ambassadors should live lives that are above suspicion. Notice again in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "…"…the old has gone, the new has come…"…", and compare Philippians 2:15. He is the object of the closest scrutiny, and in every relationship he must be blameless.

The Ambassador's position is one of great RESPONSIBILITY, so think of this in its spiritual significance. Christ is our representative in heaven (Hebrews 9:24) and we are His personal representatives on the earth (2 Corinthians 5:20).

 The Ambassador must be selfless. He must be willing to put aside completely his own interests so that he might do the will of his king. Is the whole determined attitude of our lives, 'Not I, but Christ''? Do we ""die every day""? –- look up 1 Corinthians 15:31. Have we entered, by faith, into the experience of John 12:24 and Galatians 2:20?  Our ambition is to please Him!

 The Ambassador must be in constant contact with the Throne. He will make use of every modern method of communication. In the same way, by prayer we can be in constant contact with the Throne of God –- how necessary for a true ambassador!  And that is why this role follows upon Paul's desire for us to be a people of prayer.  We are in the enemy's territory.  We are in Spiritual warfare. And very much some of us will suffer indignities  by the emissaries of Satan.  So you need that constant contact with the Lord Jesus through prayer.

II. The Ambassadors Conviction 

that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

 The Ambassador must be steadfast and loyal. Look up Ephesians 6:20. The Apostle Paul is in prison, but how willingly he suffered these "chains" for Christ's sake! How faithful and how utterly loyal he was to his King!

 The Ambassador must be diplomatic. Diplomacy is the art of negotiation. We have no wisdom of our own and we certainly do not have the wisdom needed to win souls and to represent the Lord before men; but we have a great promise that God will fulfil in us if we ask Him (James 1:5).

 The Ambassador must know the language of the people among whom he lives. How important it is for the ambassador to be able to communicate in a foreign country. The language that we, as ambassadors, need to learn is the language of love. Look up Luke 10:33-35.

This is clearly defined in 2 Corinthians 5:19-21. We are to proclaim the fact that at infinite cost to Himself God has made a way of reconciliation possible; that He has done this by sending His own Son to die for sin; and that through His sacrifice the barrier of sin has been removed and God and man have been brought together in Christ, by His at-one-ment. The ambassador is to proclaim this message and to tell men and women that these are God's terms for reconciliation, and he is to press them to accept these terms and to be reconciled to God. The ambassador's message is therefore one of absolute certainty; it is one of great heavenly and spiritual authority –- for it has been "committed to us" (verse 19), and we proclaim it "on Christ's behalf" (verse 20); and its proclamation calls for great loyalty on the part of the ambassador. Philip was a good ambassador - look up and compare Acts 8:5 and 35.

that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

The twenty-first century in Australia will look more like the first century than any in between.

In the first century, the Christian movement had no buildings or denominations; in twenty-first century Australia, our buildings are less populated and our denominations are less trusted than ever before in living memory. Look at the Uniting Church - abandoning biblical Christianity they have become merely a faint echo of the societies values. 

In the first century, Christians were considered irrelevant and even dangerous to secular society. In twenty-first-century Australia , it is the same.

In the first century, Christian Scripture was largely unknown to the larger culture; in twenty-first-century Australia , its truths are known but its morality is rejected.

In the first century, Christians were increasingly reviled and persecuted by the culture and its authorities; in twenty-first-century, it will be the same.

And yet, by Acts 17:6 this new Christian movement had "turned the world upside down." By the end of the book of Acts, the gospel was being proclaimed in the capital of the Roman Empire "with all boldness and without hindrance" (Acts 28:31).
And by the end of the first century, the Christian movement was on its way to becoming the most powerful and transformational spiritual movement in human history.
What were their secrets? What did they know and do that we can know and do today? If we want to impact our culture as they impacted theirs, what best practices can we identify and follow?  If we can embrace first-century faith, I am convinced that we will have a first-century impact on our world. May it then be said of us that we "turned the world upside down" to the glory of God.

III. The Ambassadors Compulsion

An Ambassador in Chains. The chains of love towards Christ. Do you think Paul didn't like being in chains? Who likes being in chains or in prison?   Our prisons are pretty good.  When Lorelle and I were in Glen Innes and our kids were under three years  old, three prisoners who had only weeks before their release walked 50 km's to come to our house to give themselves up so that they could continue in prison a few more years. They had become Christians there and dried out from drugs and booze, and life was relatively better in prison, so they wanted to be able to stay. So they broke out!  

Paul is chained not to guards, but to the Lord Jesus whom he loved. We similarly should be chained to the Lord Jesus because of the experience we have of His great love towards us.

The love of Christ (verse 14). His great love for us, and in us (Romans 5:8) compels us to go out with His message of reconciliation.

I cannot work my soul to save, that work my Lord has done;

But I will work like any slave for the love of God's dear Son!

IV. The Ambassadors Compensation

The Judgment Seat of Christ (verses 9-10). One day our King will recall us, then –- Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 3:13.          An Ambassador in Chains.

Now, you make think this is a little sentimental, and maybe it is, maybe it won't happen this way, but you know what I want? I want to get up to heaven and I want somebody to take me by the hand and say you told me of the Saviour!

Must I go in empty handed? Must I meet my Saviour so without one soul with which to greet Him? Must I empty handed go? Some of you have never won a soul to Jesus Christ. But that's not the worst thing. The worst thing is some have never tried. You've never tried

V. The Ambassadors Compassion   An Ambassador in Chains –the chains of love.

The dire need of the lost (verse 11). The fact that men are lost and bound for a Christ-less eternity should stir us, not only to live so that we truly represent our Lord, but to proclaim with passion the message that He has committed to us. This passion was in the heart of the Prophet when he wrote –- Isaiah 62:1, and it was certainly in the heart of the great Apostle himself when he wrote –- Romans 9:2-3. It is the passion of our beseeching God that burns within us, that becomes a part of us and that finds its expression as we pray for men and women ""on Christ''s behalf"" that they will be reconciled to God.

Bill Gaither was asked, "What are the greatest song lyrics ever written?"

Beyond any shadow of a doubt, these are the greatest lyrics ever written:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,     And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,    And every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above,     Would drain the ocean dry.

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. (Frederick M. Lehman)

VI. The Ambassadors Confidence

However, none of us can truly represent the Lord in our own strength, but when He sends us out we go with all the RESOURCES of heaven behind us. He is our sufficiency, and we go in His Name. Compare 2 Corinthians 6:1.

October 16, this call is amplified for me today as I remember the significance of this day in Christian history.

Lighting "a candle in England"

The Martyr's Memorial in Oxford University in England was erected in 1843 to commemorate events that occurred three centuries earlier. The memorial includes statues of Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Nicholas Ridley, the bishop of London, and Hugh Latimer, the bishop of Worcester. All three were sentenced to death for their Reformed Protestant convictions; Ridley and Latimer were burned at the stake on this day in 1555. Cranmer was forced to watch, then he was burned to death the next year. Latimer's last words have echoed across the centuries since: "Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man, for we shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust by God's grace shall never be put out."

The candle of Reformation lit by Ridley and Latimer soon burned bright across the nation and much of the world. However, it is in greater danger today than at any time since it was "lit" by these courageous martyrs.

Less than half the population of England or Australia even claims to be Christian. Less than 5 percent attend church services on any given Sunday. The stark decline of religion is public knowledge often mocked by the radical left of our society.  A growing consensus considers evangelical Christian faith and morality to be outdated, irrelevant, and even dangerous to society.

However, none of this changes our calling to preach God's word. Like Nathan courageously confronting David with his manifold sins (2 Samuel 12) and Isaiah speaking God's word to Hezekiah in the face of Assyrian aggression (2 Kings 19), you and I are commissioned to seek and speak God's word to the crises and leaders of our day.

Here's how I know this calling is especially urgent in our post-Christian culture: the more people reject God's word, the more they need to hear it. The sicker the patient, the more urgent the physician.

that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Call To Worship   Jude 17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.¹⁸ They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions."¹⁹ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.²² And have mercy on those who doubt;²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

False teachers:  focus on small stuff, they cause divisions.

They don't read their Bible's. little understanding or personal knowledge of God.

Godly folk: built up in their holy faith… understand more and more of God's Word.

They pray as the Holy Spirit directs (not as their own emotional whims waver nor as their mouths "name it and claim it" for worldly wealth or power.

They are more concerned about experiencing more and more of the love of God, because they know His love as their personal ongoing experience.

They are people who recognize their sinfulness and value the mercy of God so greatly!  They are keen to lead others to the same Saviour who brought mercy and grace to them. And they recognize that even the worst of people can experience pardon and grace from God and be transformed. They don't try to intimidate them into being better people; because they recognize that God's grace can do all the work.

Law and Grace Reading  Psalm 61

Bible reading Ephesians 6:10-20.

Benediction:  Ephesians 3:20,21

Ephesians 6:10-20   Ready For Battle: Praying In The Spirit.

¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

DMLJ   The Christian Soldier wrote "the Apostle is really repeating in this verse what he has already said in verse 10: 'Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might'. He started with this precept, but he so well knows how we tend to concentrate on the last thing we have heard, that he goes on to tell us about the whole armour of God in detail. He also knows that many a man is likely to say, 'This armour is the one thing that matters', and then to forget that with which the Apostle started; so he brings it in again—'Praying always'. It is in this way that we become 'strong in the Lord and in the power of his might'; 'praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit'. We are utterly dependent upon God and upon the Lord Jesus Christ; and we must realize that if we do not remain in constant contact and communion with God, whatever we may have done by way of putting on the armour will avail us nothing. We must ever maintain this essential intimate relationship with God. Let us never forget that in the Christian life prayer is essential.

The place given to prayer in the New Testament is remarkable.. in the life of our Lord Himself. As the Son of God He possessed marvellous knowledge, and displayed it at times to the amazement of the Pharisees and scribes and others; and yet note the frequency with which He turned aside to pray to God. He would spend a whole night in prayer, He would rise a great while before dawn in order to pray to God and maintain this communion. He found this to be essential to His ministry. And so it is not surprising that He should have taught His people that 'men ought always to pray, and not to faint' (Luke 18:1). It is the only alternative to fainting, it is the only way to avoid fainting. We must always pray, or else we faint.

What is the place of prayer in your life? What prominence does it have in our lives? What part does prayer play in our lives, and how essential is it to us? Do we realize that without it we faint? Do we practise it in the way the Apostle indicates here?

Are you consistent and regular in praying? Do you have a daily time alone with God? Or are you haphazard in your praying, and find yourself drifting into prayerlessness unless a problem or crisis arises? Are you growing in your prayer life? Or do you feel like you have stagnated in your knowledge and practice of prayer? When you pray, do you find that your mind tends to wander? Is praying boring to you—or is it exciting? Is praying an obligation to you, or do you see it as an opportunity for fellowship with God? How many of your prayers are getting answered according to the way you prayed? When was the last time you really felt the presence of God when you were praying, and you were so consumed by His glory you cried and praised Him, and did not want the prayer to end? How often do you find yourself running out of things to say as you pray?

Learn how to "PRAY IN THE SPIRIT."   John 4:24 Jesus said we are to, "…worship God in the Spirit." Gal. 5:16 Paul said we are to, "…live in the Spirit." Gal. 5:25 Paul said we are to, "…walk in the Spirit."

Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Jude 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

Often we do not Pray in the Spirit. Rather, instead, we Pray in the flesh.

It is a sad commentary on the true spiritual condition of the church and individual Christians today. There is high interest in every activity and event except praying. 

Praying together. Listen to the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18: 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

Here in Ephesians 6 there are four marks of praying in the Spirit!

Praying in the Spirit is listening prayer. Lingering prayer. Loving prayer. Labouring prayer.

To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

1. Praying in the Spirit Is Listening Prayer

"praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication."

Remember how the Lord Jesus prayed in the Spirit in the Garden of Gethsemane?  Luke 22:41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed,⁴² saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."

Wow.. no name it and claim it here!  No blab it and grab it!  No yelling at God to tell Him what He had to do!  And this was God the Son talking with God the Father!

1 John 5: 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

We sometimes don't know what to pray for as we ought to pray, and so the Spirit shows us what to pray for. That's prayer in the Spirit: where we listen to the Lord, and the Lord says, "here's what I want you to pray for; here's what I want." It is listening prayer.

Leading a child in prayer.  She hears and repeats what I pray. Now, friend, that's what the Holy Spirit does for us who are grownups, you see. "We know not what we should pray for as we ought." And the Lord says, "Pray for this." I say, "Lord, this is what I want." He says, "Now, pray for that." And He says, "Pray for this." And I say, "Lord, this is what I want." And, you see, He directs our prayers;; He tells us what to pray for. Hallelujah! That's the secret of getting your prayers answered. The prayer that gets to heaven is the prayer that starts in heaven. How wonderful it is to be in the Holy Spirit! For we know not what we ought to pray for, but He knows our weakness and He knows our infirmities. He becomes our helper, and He helps us. And then the Bible says in this verse He also "maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

As the Holy Spirit of God teaches us how to pray sometimes with groanings that cannot even be uttered, oh, I tell you, sometimes, friend, prayer is too heavy for human words. But thank God for the blessed Holy Spirit of God who makes intercession for us when we're in the Spirit, when we're listening to the Lord. It is listening prayer—listening prayer.

God is my Father, and I'm His son. Don't you think a son ought to listen to his father? And you know another way that the Bible describes our relationship? As husband and wife. Don't you think that a wife ought to listen to her husband?

Somebody asked a little boy, "What were your daddy's last words?" He said, "He didn't have any. Mama was with him right up to the end."

Well, don't you think that it ought to be more than a one-­sided conversation? Don't you think that there ought to be a listening relationship there? The Bible describes our relationship not only as father and son, husband and wife, but master and servant. Don't you think that the servant ought to listen to know what the boss wants?

Friend, you know, your prayers would be a lot better if rather than giving God instructions, you'd just report for duty, amen? Just say, "Lord, speak: thy servant heareth. You're the master;; I'm the slave. What do you want?" The Bible describes us as friend and friend. Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants. This time, I call you friends." (John 15:15) Friends love to talk and listen. That's what makes a good friend: a good listener, amen?

B. Praying in the Spirit Is Lingering Prayer

"praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication."

"Praying always with all prayer." (Ephesians 6:18) Linger in the presence of the Lord. Many of us never pray in the Spirit, because we don't take time to be holy; we don't linger in the presence of the Lord. Jesus Christ said in John 15, ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15:7,8) Do you know what the word abide means? It means "to dwell permanently." Prayer in the Spirit is lingering prayer—"always…all prayer." Spend much time with the Lord. Linger in His presence, if you would pray in the Spirit. Too many of us run in and out of the presence of God in our prayers, and therefore our prayers don't get answered. Do you know that Jesus said we were to abide in Him just like a branch does to the vine? (John 15:5)

Now, prayer in the Spirit is lingering prayer—just to abide in the Lord Jesus Christ, to stay in Jesus, to walk in Jesus a moment at a time. Too many of us want to use the Lord as a first aid kit. When we get in trouble, we run and take Him down, and say, "O Lord," and that's it, rather than taking time to be holy. "Take time to be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord." It is listening prayer: "Speak, LORD;; for thy servant heareth." (1 Samuel 3:9) It is lingering prayer.

There's an old song, I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses,

And the voice l hear falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses. And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own. —C. AUSTIN MILES

C. Praying in the Spirit Is Loving Prayer

Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

It is loving prayer. with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." (Ephesians 6:18) Now, underscore that: "all saints." Prayer in the Spirit can never be egocentric; it must be for others. May I suggest that's another reason that many of us don't have power in prayer: most of our prayers are, "Lord, bless me." I, myself, and me are our three favourite words. We're like that girl who prayed, "Lord, you know I'm not selfish. I'm praying for my mother. She'd like to have son-in-law." And that's the way so many of us are.

Now, friend, we can pray for personal needs but not for selfish needs. Do you know the Bible tells us that Job was set free from all the bad that Satan was inflicting on his life, when he prayed for his friends. The Lord told him to pray for his "comforters" who had been a real pain in his neck.  Is someone causing you trouble? Pray for them!  Not against them!  Pray for them!  Prayer in the Spirit is loving prayer: it is for others. When you learn how to give in prayer, friend, you'll learn how to get in prayer.

D. Praying in the Spirit Is Labouring Prayer

Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.  always keep on praying

Remember how the Lord Jesus prayed in the Spirit in the Garden of Gethsemane?  Luke 22:41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed,⁴² saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."⁴³ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.⁴⁴ And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Notice this word again in verse 12: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers." (Ephesians 6:12) Did you know that prayer is wrestling? Did you know that's what Jacob did when he wrestled with the angel of Yahweh? All night long he wrestled in prayer.

Do you know what Paul said in Romans? "I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, (Romans 15:30) Listen: " strive together with me." Do you know that the word strive together comes from a Greek word that we get the word agony from? The Greeks had an athletic contest they called the agon, and it was the most severe of athletic contests. It's the word we get our word agony from. Can you see a man, a wrestler, as he's wrestling, as he's straining? There's an agony; there's perspiration. He's holding on; he will not let go. According to the Greeks, that was the agon. Now, that's the same word that Paul uses here when he says, "You [agonized] with me in your prayers."

I have always been challenged by one line in the bible that describes one fellow.

Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.

Did we in our own strength confide     Our striving would be losing

Were not the right Man on our side    The man of God's own choosing

Dost ask who that may be?  Christ Jesus, it is He

The Lord of hosts, His name From age to age the same   And He must win the battle

Listen. Prayer in the Spirit is sometimes the kind of prayer that Jesus Christ did in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is listening prayer, yes, because the Spirit directs our prayer. It is lingering prayer, because we abide in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is loving prayer, for God wants to intercede through us. And it is laboring prayer: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood." (Ephesians 6:12)

There is a war. There's a battle to be fought. There's a victory to be won.

I'm so glad I know Jesus and I've got a God who says, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:3) What a privilege to pray!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

With thanks to DMLJ The Christian Soldier and Adrian Rogers sermons on Ephesians.

CHAPTER THREE : WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOD DOING?

In our small and myopic ministry context we can often feel as though there are seasons of dryness and stagnation, discouragement and inactivity. We wonder what God is up to and where the growth is, or why we're not "growing". But a look back on the history of redemption reveals similar seasons of inactivity and despair. What is God doing?

Hope emerges from the silence. It is captured in 1 Peter 1 where Christ is the fulfillment of prophecy, the long-expected salvation, and the message of hope for the world. "A breathtaking picture emerges from this extraordinary little paragraph in 1 Peter. In fulfillment of His ancient plans, God has brought salvation by sending His Christ to pass through suffering to glory. He is now announcing this momentous news to the world by His Holy Spirit working though human evangelists, and by this method He is saving people, bringing them to new birth, and granting them an eternal, unshakable, incorruptible inheritance in His eternal kingdom" (p.35).

"This is what God is now doing in the world: Spirit-backed gospel preaching leading to the salvation of souls... And by it, He is gathering a new Christ-centered people as His very own; a quiet, steadily growing profusion of leaves on the great vine of His kingdom" (p.35).

"Throughout the world, the gospel is spreading, propagating, budding, flowering, bearing fruit. People hear it and by God's mercy respond and are saved. But it doesn't stop there. Once the gospel is planted in someone's life and takes root, it keeps growing in them. Their lives bear fruit... so that they walk in a manner worthy of their calling, fully pleasing to the Father, bearing fruit in every good work" (p.37).

The focus in not on numerical growth, or especially structural growth. The focus is on gospel growth "as it is spoken and re-spoken under the power of the Spirit" (p.37).

There are three important consequences resulting from this view of God's purposes in the world:

We must "say goodbye to our small and self-oriented ambitions, and... abandon ourselves to the cause of Christ and His gospel.. Is there anything more vital to be doing in our world?" (p.38).

"The growth God is looking for in our world is growth in people. He is working through His word and Spirit to draw people into His kingdom, to see them born again as new creations, and to see them mature and bear fruit as servants of Christ" (p.38). The only growth that matters is the growth of believers... "individual, born-again believers, grafted into Christ by His word and Spirit, and drawn into mutually edifying fellowship with one another" (p.38).

"This people-growth happens only through the power of God's Spirit as He applies His word to people's hearts. That's the way that people are converted, and that's the way people grow in maturity in Christ" (p.39). This can happen anywhere.

"However, despite the almost limitless number of contexts in which it might happen, what happens is the same: a Christian brings a truth from God's word to someone else, praying that God would make that word bear fruit through the inward working of His Spirit.  That's vine work. Everything else is trellis" (p.39).

CHAPTER FOUR : IS EVERY CHRISTIAN A VINE-WORKER?

The "simple but profound proposition" put forth by Marshall and Payne in the first three chapter is: "that the work God is doing in the world now, in these last days between the first and second coming of Christ, is to gather people into His kingdom through the prayerful proclamation of the gospel. God is growing His vine through His word and Spirit" (p.41). All Christians should agree with this proposition, although they might use more, less or different words to articulate it.

The next and very important question is then: Who does the vine work?

Is the gospel work of proclamation and prayer reserved for the "professional" - full-time pastors and ministry leaders? Or is it a job for every Christian to participate in, or is vine growth the primary job of the saints, while APEST's do the equipping according to Ephesians 4?

"The call to discipleship is the same for all" (p.42). There are no classes or castes in Christendom. "The Great Commission, in other words, is not just for the Eleven. It's the basic agenda for all disciples. To be a disciple is to be a disciple-maker" (p.43).

There might appear to be a contrast in calling and sacrifice between the majority of western Christians and that of the foreign missionary who has forsaken the luxuries of life in America to go to an unreached, third-world people group. Not all Christians will be full-time pastors or ministry workers. Ministry is not reserved for those who are "full-time". If you are a follower of Christ, you are in full-time ministry.

"Speaking God's word for the growth of the vine is the work not of the few but of the many" (p.44)

Speaking the word to one another

Ephesians 4 provides help. Whether it's the "foundational word ministers" (APEST) who have special leadership responsibilities in the church, or the saints, "we see that it doesn't make an enormous difference in our investigation. Paul goes on to say that the goal of all ministry (whoever is doing it) is the building of the body of Christ to unified, doctrinally sound maturity. We are not to be tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine: 'Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love' (Ephesians 4:15-16)" (p.45).

There are numerous examples in Scripture of the truth-speaking word ministry among all believers.

"Simply by virtue of being a disciple of Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit of the new covenant, all Christians have the privilege, joy and responsibility of being involved in the work God is doing in our world, the 'work of the Lord". And the fundamental way we do this is by speaking the truth of God to other people in dependence on the Holy Spirit" (p.49).

Is every Christian a missionary? (...YES!)

In the early church, Christians faced heavy persecution and the threat of death. But that did not stop the spread of the Gospel. Paul is the key example, and he calls his fellow believers to imitate him and to take up their commission as ambassadors for Christ. "Although the mission responsibilities and activities of the Corinthians would have differed from Paul's, their orientation in life was to be the same. Their whole aim was to be the glory of God in the salvation of others. The Christian without a missionary heart is an anomaly... We have to conclude that a Christian with no passion for the lost is in serious need of self-examination and repentance" (p.52).

"The New Testament envisages that all Christian disciples will be prayerful speakers of God's word, in a multitude of different ways and contexts. In each context, the message is essentially the same" (p.53). This can and does happen anywhere and everywhere. Marshall and Payne give 10 examples of the infinite "ways in which any Christian might 'speak the truth in love' to someone else in the name of Christ, and thus participate in God's great work in the world" (p.54). Marshall and Payne also provide an example matrix on page 56 of "Home, Congregation, Community" and "One to one, Small Group, Large Group" to further map out all the ways in which this could be carried out.

Imagine a web of relationships where the simple act of speaking the Gospel truth to one another in love is happening everywhere. So simple, and so glorious, and so essential.

"However, if we pause to reflect on the implications of this vision of vine work by every Christian, many of our most cherished assumptions about church, ministry, evangelism and congregational life are called into question" (p.57). For starters, everyone is a vine worker, not just the "professional, full-time ministers". "The pastors and elders certainly take the lead in vine work (in prayer and proclamation), and are responsible for guarding and teaching the word and maintaining the gold standard of sound doctrine. But one of the effects of this work is to equip and release the members to do vine work themselves" (p.58).

Gospel vine work is the responsibility of all Christians.