Been Praying Long?

Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Focus: Prayer

Function: to focus on Jesus instead of politics

Form: storytelling

Intro: Monday night, Michele, Dan and I went to hear Jim Wallis speak at Calvin College.

He was promoting his new book: America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America. I got a signed copy!

With words like: “America’s original sin...” and “White Privilege...” it has a provocative title.

I love the way Jim Wallis framed the conversation in light of the Church and the Church’s responsibility to continue Jesus’ work of reconciling the world to God and each other.

I loved it because he framed what had become a political discussion without using any politics. He placed the onus for change back where it belongs: The Church.

Brother Wallis describes himself as an Evangelical with a passion for Social Justice. And because he was speaking at Calvin College, he continually reminded them that he Spiritually IS one of them.

I appreciated that because although spiritually he is one of them, the same could not be said FOR SURE that they have similar political views.

And he did not offend. His heart for justice came through. I wish I could do that better.

Let me get a little bit personal in my own life to help us see the importance of this scripture.

I have to tell you why Jim Wallis and Tony Compolo resonate with me so much. When God called me to ministry, I overwhelmingly heard a separate voice, I don’t know if it was out loud, or just in my mind, but it happened while I was praying. It was May 30, 1978, around 1:30 in the afternoon and I was with my family at Oubache State park near Bluffton Indiana, for a family Memorial day picnic.

I was off by myself, with my bible under my arm (show bible -worn to much to use anymore) and I heard this simple phrase: “Luke 4:18.”

I had no idea at all what that verse was. I was new to Bible Study. I had read the gospels several times, but at the time, the only book I had studied thoroughly was Matthew. This verse does not appear in Matthew.

But the verse turned out to be the foundation of my call into the ministry. Here it is:

“¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because She anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
She has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,”

I heard that verse right about that time that Jim Wallis began a provocative ministry of social justice among evangelical Christians. I was excited to be proclaiming the good news as both salvation from sin, and a calling to change the structures of the world.

Either the culture wasn’t so politically charged as it is now, or I was ignorant of the Politics involved, but it seemed that talking about ministry to the poor and marginalized was easier among the cross section of Christianity then as it is now.

It was easier, a lot easier, actually. But there was still opposition. There was still opposition to doing justice ministries. And the fact that any opposition existed at all surprised me. It surprised me because it resonated so well with my own calling and I guess I am just human and I expect everyone else to see things the way I see them.

As I have followed these men’s ministries over the years. I have grown with them. One of the harder lessons I have learned is that not everyone is called to care for the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed in the society. I have had to forgive others for not sharing the degree of passion I have for it.

I felt like Jim Wallis was well received last Monday night and his good reception brings me a lot of hope for the future of the world.

Brother Wallis absolutely refused to let the discussion get political. And, that has cost him.

I had a brief moment to share with him his memories of my niece. She worked for him as a development coordinator for many years until she began directing a woman’s shelter in Washington D.C.

And she tells me of how God refocused his ministry in a painful way in 2010. The story might explain how he learned to keep things out of the political arena. I think he learned the hard way.

Jim Wallis was on platform at the Inauguration of our President in 2008. He offered one of the prayers. He was recommended because of his successful work at reconciliation after 9/11 as he worked with both Imams, Rabbis and Pastors in the New York City area. He consulted first with President Bush, and then President Obama.

He was an up and coming spiritual/political figure until he told the current President that he could not claim to be a Christian leader and continue the war in Iraq or Afghanistan.

His logic was simple. He asked this question: How can a Christian give the order to use a drone when so many innocents are killed in collateral damage? That was his question.

And, because of those tough questions, Brother Wallis lost a lot of favor. He was no longer invited to the White House, the organization suffered, layoffs happened and praise God, she was able to continue ministry in another setting.

So, I was impressed with how well brother Wallis kept the conversation out of politics and how he kept it spiritual. There was no anger represented by him about all that on Monday night. He just keeps on with his message to whomever will listen.

But, it leads us back to our scripture for this morning: Look again at verse 1 and the beginning of 2: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, ²for kings and all who are in high positions.

This is a biblical command to pray for our leaders.

One may not need an whole sermon to get the idea across, but when I think of who Paul is talking about, I am amazed.

Paul is telling the people to pray for Nero.

If history is to believed, and for the most part it is, Nero was crazy. We have a logical fallacy in our current culture called “Ad Hitlerum. What it means is this: “you can’t go around comparing everyone to Hitler, there was only one Hitler.”

Nero was so bad, the same thing could have been said about him.

He hated people. He hated his people. He hated the Jews and he really hated Christians. He literally soaked them in rags covered in oil to use as torches at his orgies.

And God says this: “pray for him.”

Now, there are specific things to pray for: That we might have peace to do our Christian duty to a world that is hurting.

Christianity spread like wildfire in its first 3 centuries.

It was a counter culture religion. It was revolutionary. It upset the status quo of society.

Christianity spread quickly because the church took on the responsibility of caring for the poor wherever it went. There was no difference between the teachings of Jesus and the lives of the believers. This was huge because they focused on the equality of every single person. Everyone.

Jim Wallis pointed out that Galatians 3:28: ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus, was part of the baptism vows of new believers.

They interpreted it this way: In Roman culture, men have power of women, no more. In Roman Culture, slave lives didn’t matter. Instead of Black Lives Matter, the church was living out a counter principle: “Slave Lives Matter.” And there is no difference between the races.

So, when one was baptized into the body of Christ, it was with the explicit statement that there is no longer class, gender or racial privilege.

The Church lived out this principle in its life and the Emperor Nero hated it. He probably hated it the most because Christians would no longer declare the emperor as a God.

But understand this, those kinds of pogroms, were hundreds, thousands or even millions are killed happen because those in power have their power threatened.

So, when Nero was full force in his oppression of both the Jews and Christians, Paul’s response to the Church is this; “FIRST!!!!! Pray!!!”

Pray for peace. Pray that we might live in peace and be able to continue doing our work.

His command to pray really has nothing to do with nation building, national security, national economies, or the defeating of national enemies. His prayer is simple, pray that God opens a door for us to share good news and continue Jesus’ work.

I sensed that my niece was a little bit bitter about the loss of her job and the problems that brother Wallis’ organization was having for taking a stand for peace.

During that time, She asked me this question: “How can we bless a man who has the responsibility for continuing an unjust war?”

My only answer was that although I respected him, it wasn’t my fault that he was the Commander in Chief of the greatest military the world has ever known. He is doing what he thinks we want him to do.

She got me to thinking about this scripture, the prayer for Nero and an entire political system that was designed to keep some people in their places so that others can benefit from their misery.

So, I love the way verse 5 puts this into perspective. It seems to be the perspective from which Brother Wallis shared Monday night.

Verse 5: “there is one mediator between God and humankind… ...Christ Jesus”

This is a song that the early Church sang. Through the music, he is redirected to the hope we have. God changes hearts.

Now more than ever, we need to keep on praying in hope. God is able.