Four Points of Prayer for the Gospel

Again, it's good to be together with everyone, and I appreciated the first message today and the concept of really the most important trail. We were hearing about those that went down the Oregon Trail and had a bright future that they were looking to build and had thrown their life, their effort, their energy into traversing that trail and working through the hardships and reaching the destination. And Mr. Rope showed us that as important as that trail was, there's actually a more important trail, right?

The one to the kingdom of God, that path. And I appreciate that because that dovetails in nicely with what I'd like to discuss in my message today. I'd like to begin the sermon with a question and ask you to give this some thought for a moment. Ask yourself, what is the most important message you have ever received? What is the most important message you have ever received? By important, I mean a message that was so impactful, so life-changing, that receiving it actually caused you to majorly alter the course of your life.

It caused you to consider your day-to-day decisions and to make them based upon, frankly, that message and the direction it provided. What was the most important message you have ever received? Was it the moment you received a diagnosis? Maybe a medical professional that comes into the room and tells you what the scan says, what the test results are, and gives you news that changes your health journey going forward. For many that have received various levels of news, indeed, that is a very impactful message to receive.

And it does, rightly so, alter day-to-day their life. But was it the most important message? Was it the news of a job opportunity? You know, a job promotion, maybe even a job relocation, something that really had the ability to impact your standard of living, maybe raise it dramatically. Now, words of opportunity are opened, and there's things you'll be able to provide your family and your children that maybe weren't the options before.

Those are important messages to receive. Was it the words, I love you? You know, spoken by someone who eventually became your spouse. You know, those words that forever altered your life. You know, very important message, indeed. But was it truly the most important message of your life? You know, brethren, all of these messages and others certainly have the ability to impact one's life in a very profound way.

But you know, for above all of these things, for those of us who have encountered it, I would say the most dramatic, the most important, the most impactful message that we have ever received is what? Somebody want to tell me what comes to mind?

The gospel message. Right. The gospel message. Indeed, the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ in the soon-coming kingdom of God. It is the message which has set us free, as it not. That's to that message. You know, we were all sold under the slavery of sin leading to death, but the message of redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, by coming under that through baptism, by being reconciled to the Father in covenant relationship, has changed the course of your life.

It has set you free. It is the message, indeed, brethren, that has brought purpose into our lives. Told us, who are we? Why are we here? What's the purpose of my life? What, indeed, does God have planned for my future? And each and every day we make decisions based upon this life-altering message that we have received. I would suggest that our decisions that we make that are encompassing of the other messages which are important are framed in the perspective of the gospel, of the realization that God has a plan and purpose, not only for us, but for all of mankind.

Indeed, the gospel is the most important message we have ever received. In fact, it is the power of God unto salvation, as the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1, verse 16, the power of God unto salvation because of what he accomplishes through what that message portrays and our response to it. And yet, as we gather here today in the peace and the comfort and, I would say, the reality of having embraced that message, I mean, that's why we are here.

We've responded to it. We recognize that we live in a world, brethren, that still needs this hope. We live in a world that is literally starving, whether they recognize it or not, for the hope of the message that you and I have embraced. If you've turned on the news recently, you can't help but notice the need, the challenges, the distress that there is in this world.

People all around us are searching. They're hurting. Again, just the challenges of this last week and this world. There's war and conflict. There is political upheaval. There is natural disaster and heartbreaking loss. And to find answers in the midst of those things, apart from understanding the true gospel of Jesus Christ in the soon-coming kingdom of God, I don't even know how people cope, frankly.

Because it's heart-wrenching enough for us as the people of God to witness what the world around us goes through. And we have the hope. We have the message. But hopefully it causes us to pray for others that they too would one day receive and embrace the same hope and the same message that you and I have. It is truly a hope that is given for them as well. And brethren, it must be preached. It must be preached. Among the many significant signs pertaining to the second coming, Jesus Christ told his disciples in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 14, he said, This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world, as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.

He said, It will be preached. Not, It ought to be preached. Not maybe it'll be preached. Not, It's recommended it be preached. It's actually a prophecy. It will be preached. And then the end will come. The United Church of God acts on Christ's declaration with great urgency by reaching out to this world with the very same message of hope. And indeed, with each new generation, because you say, you know, the gospel went out in the day of Herbert Armstrong to all nations on earth, and it's been preached.

Well how many decades has that been? How many generations of people have come and gone on this earth? How deluded has the gospel of Christian world around us become and so far removed from the true message? Indeed, with each generation that is born is the need and the opportunity for the ongoing preaching of the message of hope.

And it needs to go on continually until the return of Jesus Christ. And so from time to time, I think it's important for us to stop and remember the importance of keeping the proclamation of the gospel in our prayers. My message today is not so much going to be about the gospel message itself, but actually the part that we all play in this process through the prayers we offer up to God on behalf of the gospel. I want us to see just how important that is, because it's not just a nice little memo that we pass along to the world when we have time.

Again, as you and I have experienced, this message is a life-altering message that frames the whole perspective of your life. You know, every major decision you make along the way has been made, I hope, framed in perspective of your relationship with God and Christ and the soon-coming kingdom of God. And indeed, whether they will respond or not is in their court and according to God's calling, but the commission for the message to go out has been given.

And it is the responsibility of the church to carry on with that today. So the title of my message is Four Points of Prayer for the Gospel. Four points of prayer for the gospel. I want to consider how the church supports the advancement of the gospel through bold and purposeful prayer. And this isn't the concept of just, you know, pain pray, as some might boil it to. You know, this, we all have a part to play in the gospel.

I hope to show you today through our prayers the fact that it does make a real impact on the work that the church does in the world. And it's the concept taken from the Apostle Paul's request for prayers in 2 Timothy chapter 3. So let's begin there today. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 and 2. This will be, I suppose, the anchor scripture for the message today because this is where we're going to find our four points of prayer that I want to focus on throughout the message.

2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse 1. 2 Thessalonians 3, sorry if I misspoke that. Verse 1, okay, Apostle Paul writing. And he says, finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may run swiftly, or if you have the original King James it says that the word of the Lord may have free course. Okay, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified just as it is with you. He says, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for not all have faith.

There's actually quite a bit packed into this short prayer regarding the spreading of the gospel and those involved with it. Okay, and clearly this is more than simply a prayer of God bless the work.

You know, I think there's times where maybe we're in a hurry with our prayers, or maybe there's times where we're trying to give an all-encompassing prayer, and I'm not saying that's inappropriate, but I'm saying there's a time and place to beat the incense fine, right? The prayers are like incense which go up before God, and we can beat that incense fine at times, bring out detail in these prayers. And what we'll see today is this is more than just a God bless the work and move on, sort of all-encompassing prayer. Rather involves a prayer that will break into four parts to help us more fully understand how we can pray for the preaching of the gospel and those who take it to the world, because there's still many people, once again, who need to hear this most important message.

And as the Church of God, we've been commissioned to bring it to the world. So four points on prayer for the gospel. Point number one, Paul says here we're going to break down his instruction. Point number one is pray for us.

Pray for us, Paul says. You know, brethren, the gospel message doesn't simply go out on its own. God doesn't just thunder his voice from heaven, you know, at regular intervals so that the whole world hears the gospel message from his mouth from time to time. That's not how this works. It's been commissioned through the Church, and the good news is largely conveyed through people. And those people need our prayers. And Paul said, pray for us. This is a personal request from the Apostle Paul to the Church not only to rejoice in the spread of the gospel, but to pray for those who are carrying it. And you know, it's interesting when you look at the Church today and all the multifaceted, I'd say, complexities that go into doing the work because we have so many avenues at our disposal.

The preaching of the gospel has actually taken on, even though the message is the same, a little bit of a different form than it did in the day of the Apostle Paul. And there's many hands that are involved in making this possible. The work of the Church, again, takes many forms. In the United Church of God, I'll speak to our organization. We are not the only organization preaching the gospel, but we are one. And in terms of our organization, we have the Beyond Today television program, right?

We have presenters who write scripts for this program and present the program. And in some ways, that's sort of the face of the gospel. You know, the people that present the program. But there is so much more involved than simply the recording of the program.

There are the technicians, the web developers, those who work on the apps to go on the smart televisions for streaming. There's a whole network and team of people who work to get this message out in a variety of different ways where it is accessible to the world. We have the ucge.org website, which is 30-plus years now of material. We had about a year or so ago an online pastors conference, and we were sharing what are some of the most useful commentaries that you use for putting together your messages.

And a few things were put out there, but one of the ones that was most widely agreed upon was ucge.org, because there are years of scholarly research and articles and commentary that is written there to be pulled from. It is a treasure trove, I would say, of knowledge of not just the thirty years of the current church, but going back decades in our history. So that is there. There are those who are writing articles for the Beyond Today magazine, those who are printing and distributing them, shipping them around the world, people who are receiving them.

We have people in Africa, right? It gets printed and goes out from the home office, and they receive it in Africa, and somebody puts their hands on it, and they take it out, and it goes around the community. And we've had people walk in the door to the church in far-flung places in the world by the message going out through that means.

We have people who travel the world to preach the word abroad in international regions as well. And each of these are just a slice of the pie, and there are so many in between. There are a lot of people involved in this process of taking the gospel out. Okay? So different from Paul's day, and your prayers for all of these individuals are needed. So what sort of things should we pray for? We know we have people and processes, but what sort of things should we pray for in specifics? Ephesians 6, verse 18, gives us insight.

Ephesians 6, verse 18, recognized we're jumping back 2,000 years into the mode that the gospel was preached in this day, which was men walking the streets of the known world at that time, proclaiming it by mouth, being responded to well in some cases, and thrown out of the city and stoned nearly to death in others. Okay? But there are things to pray for. Ephesians 6, verse 18, Apostle Paul writing, and he says, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, and for me, Paul says, verse 19. Okay, he started verse 18 by saying, pray always. He says, and for me, pray for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. He says, for I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. And I think it's fascinating to realize Paul was imprisoned for the gospel's sake when he wrote this book, under chains, under duress. And, you know, there was one point where God said, you're going to take this message to Rome, and you'll be an example in Rome. Well, how did he get to Rome? It was under shackle and chain and arrest, being passed from leader to leader and on a boat, shipwrecked, eventually under house arrest in Rome. But God said, you'll take the message even there. So as he's under this arrest and in chains of imprisonment, he says, pray for me, that I would have boldness to speak forth this message that God has given me to speak. You know, how many people would just say, well, you know, the game's up. They're in chains, they're shackled, and I guess now I just have to be quiet. But Paul says, this is the reason I'm here, and God has brought me here for a reason. It has to be wisdom in these things. But again, there must be boldness. And I would say for us all, a prayer for those that are doing the work of the church specifically, and our part we play in it, pray for boldness, for strength and courage, to speak the words that the world needs to hear. Because remember, the gospel is not just be converted. That's part of the message. It's good news. But that's not the only reason it is preached. Even if it falls on deaf ears, it is to be preached. For a witness, for a warning, and for a calling, some will respond. But the message must go out boldly anyway. In a world of censorship and cancel culture, pray that these people spreading the good news remain bold and faithful in the message. It is the most important message this world will ever receive. And again, we've been commissioned to take it forth, despite the challenge, despite the obstacles. And I would dare say, in most cases, our obstacles don't even compare to Paul. Read Paul's story. You know, a night and day I've been in the deep. The greatest story I could maybe say is a night and day I've been on the airplane that takes me to get there. A night and day in Africa without air conditioning. Well, wah, wah. You know, it's compared to the work. 40 stripes minus one, stoned, beaten with rods. Pray for boldness, yet to carry forward, Paul said. Pray for us, he said, pray for wisdom to know where to go and how to get there and what to speak when you indeed do arrive. Pray for discernment to recognize an open door and a closed door when it arises. Not every door is open. And sometimes you maybe got to force your way in a little bit, but every door actually isn't meant to be kicked open. So pray for God to give discernment. What is an open door? What is a closed door?

So, notice Acts 16 in this regard.

Acts 16, verse 6. Again, the apostle Paul writing.

Acts 16, verse 6, it says, now when they had gone through Phrygia in the region of Galatia, okay, they hear being Paul and Silas and Timothy. It says, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. You know, this is kind of a curious section of passage. What does it mean? How did this present itself? I can't tell you. I don't know necessarily. Somehow God made it clear through the Spirit to them that Asia today is not an open door. That's not where I want you to go. I want you to go over here. And Paul had said, well, this is where I was determined to go. But God said, no, taking you this way. That is a closed door. Pray for discernment to understand how God leads by his Spirit. Verse 8, carrying on, Acts 16, and verse 8, says, so passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, come over to Macedonia and help us. Now, after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Okay, so open doors or closed doors, they required discernment to understand.

And there's times and places where you try to take the gospel, and it seems like this is just a closed door. And maybe it just requires a little more of a bold effort to push it open. But maybe there's other times by God's direction, he says, don't go there, go there. You know, we can put our best efforts into preaching the gospel. I believe we have some brilliant web technicians at the home office. I believe we have good writers, we have good presenters. We can do the best we can humanly to present something that is good. But unless God opens the door and it goes forward, unless he blesses the effort, the increase does not come. So we don't do this apart from him, but we have to do it with his wisdom. Christ was crucified. He was dead. Later, three days and three nights he was resurrected. But what did the disciples do? The apostles, you know, they were many of them fishermen by trade. And once Jesus was in the grave and they were sort of mulling over these things, where do we go from here? Peter said, I go fishing. And you remember the story, they were fishing all night and nothing. Professional fishermen on the sea of Galilee, couldn't they catch breakfast? Apparently not. Until Christ, the resurrected Christ, came up on the shore and said, uh, cast your net over there. And then it was filled with so many fish, right? And that was a miracle. That was the blessing. And I think to be fishers of men, it is very much the same. We can be professional in what we present. But apart from God and Christ opening the door and saying, cast your net there and providing the increase, we could just spin our wheels. So we do our part to the best of our ability and we pray for God's blessing upon the man and the effort to carry it forward. I would say when you pray for those doing the work, be specific.

Think of names of people who you know who are involved in these things specifically. And raise them up before God. Their part, their effort. Again, each are just a small piece of the pie, but these are ways we can beat that incense fine in our prayers for the gospel. Personally, I'm directly involved with the work in Africa, so I understand what that entails. And I understand the challenges. And I understand sometimes it's a difficult process. So when I know other men, other senior pastors are traveling to various parts of Africa to do the work there, they are in my prayers personally, directly. Again, that's my most direct connection. I pray for Louis Van Austel. Right? Louis is the senior pastor of Malawi and Zimbabwe, so when I know he's over there and he's traveling, he's seeing multiple congregations, things come up you don't expect. Everyone wants a piece of you when you're on the ground, and frankly, there's oftentimes you walk in the door to a room of people you've never looked in the eye before and you stand up and you give an answer for the hope that's in you, because they want to know what your church teaches and what you believe. Those things are things God has to give blessing in by his Spirit. So when Louis is over there traveling, I pray for Louis. I pray for Ed Dowd. Ed's the senior pastor for Zambia.

I pray for George De Campos, for Angola. I pray for Monty Knutson. Monty travels throughout East Africa. I pray for Tim Pebworth. You know, we joke we cross in the air as we fly in and out of West Africa. I have English and he has the French and there's overlap between those countries, but again, this is just me with my insight into what I walk into. I know what they walk into, and I very much pray for them. I pray for Benjamin Light, who assists me in English-speaking West Africa, and I pray for their spouses because of the support that they put into that effort as well. So again, there are so many ways we can be specific. I would say, in terms of these individuals, pray for their wisdom and understanding as they preach the Word. Again, speaking from personal experience, there's many times you are just impromptu put on the spot, and you walk in the door with a room full of people you've never met, and they have questions, and you give answers, and it always comes to my mind when I walk out afterwards that God's and Christ's promise is true. Don't worry about what you will say. I'll give you what you need to say, but it better be in there, you know, to have begun with. They'll call to mind, but you know, we need to do our part as well.

Pray for their strength. Pray that they don't grow weary in well-doing.

Pray for their health. You know, this can be exhausting work at times physically, emotionally, mentally. Health can be up and down in Africa. You know, you can eat something you shouldn't have eaten, and it's all over for days. Or maybe it's not all over, but there's this internal, can I say, conflict going on while you're trying to serve the people of God. Pray for their protection. You know, Africa is not the safest place to travel and take the word. Accidents are common. Years ago, John Elliott was involved in a serious automobile accident in Africa and was sidelined literally for months as he recovered. I've seen many, I would just say, accidents, a number of fatalities just in my travels around, and we've had a few close calls ourselves. Pray for protection. Pray for the families and the spouses and the children of those who are over there, because it's kind of hard to focus over there if there's a disaster going on at home, but you're there, you're not at home, and the family are carrying those things. Pray that the gospel message is presented well with accuracy and truth. Again, when you're put on the spot and you have to open your mouth and speak, pray that God would guide and direct those who speak.

Pray that we can be effective instruments in God's hands to convey the messages He wants conveyed. Again, that's just a slice of the pie, but I'm trying to give us a little insight of how we can pray, things we can pray for. Paul said, pray for us. Pray for those who are actively engaged in the spreading of the gospel around the world, and by doing so, you'll be an active part of that process as well, because that's what Paul told the church. You know, we're going to present this, but you're supporting the effort dramatically in your prayers.

Step number two, pray that the word of the Lord may run swiftly or have free course.

Pray that the word of the Lord may run swiftly or have free course. The Greek word translated run swiftly here, or free course. Again, that's from 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. That word literally suggests speed. Okay, it's like a runner that's out running a race. He's out in the field. All right, maybe a long-distance runner. So this is, pray that the word goes out freely with speed, but unobstructed. That's also included in this word, that there would not be obstacles to trip up that runner, to trip up the word of God. This is the central request, actually, to the whole passage, that the gospel message would spread rapidly and freely. But you know, the reality is we live in a world of obstruction and obstacles and things that would threat to trip people up, because this is a world that is not on the trail to the kingdom of God. So as his people, we're swimming upstream in so many different ways, and there's resistance. There was resistance in the day of Paul, and there's resistance today. There are places, for example, in this world, where certain Beyond Today programs can't be played, where certain Beyond Today articles can't be circulated, at least not openly, not with what the church's biblical position is on certain issues, such as homosexuality or gender-related issues, the fact that there's laws in various places that restrict articles, teachings, publications, through what are basically hate speech laws in those nations, that you can't just walk in the front door with this specific element of the gospel message. But it still goes out, and it still must go out. Maybe it does not go out as, shall we say, front and center and openly in certain ways because of those restrictions. But in recent years in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and other western nations, they've passed these various laws that prohibit the teaching of what the Bible says about some of these specific issues. But the message should and must still go out. It must go out boldly, but there also must be coupled with it wisdom into how these things should go forward.

Fortunately, in the age of internet, you know, people can still access our UCG website. They can still see the complete nature of the message and what we teach on all these things. So these things are put forward, but let's pray. It's a prayer that reflects our commitment to the Great Commission Jesus Christ gave the Church, and it shows our reliance on God's power to advance the gospel according to His timing and purpose. Prayer isn't just a nice thing to make us feel good.

It is actually calling upon God as His people collectively to advance the mission that is, frankly, His mission in the world. Psalm chapter 147 in verse 15 says that God sends out His command to the earth. His word runs very swiftly, you know. So it's not hindered. It's not tripped up by obstacle. It will go where God wants it to go, and it will produce what God wants it to produce, and it reminds us that God is in control. His word is alive and effective and at work in the world and in our lives, and when we preach the gospel, we are conveying His message, which He has given to us to convey. It's not an invention of the Church. It is the commandment of God. Again, pray about it, brethren. Pray about it, and even where there is obstruction, pray for the Word of God to prevail in spite of it, that it would be received with open hearts and minds by those who God intends to receive it. Just because there's resistance, sometimes it has to go through the resistance to reach those God intends. Notice Acts 13, verse 42.

Acts 13, verse 42. Again, I just love reading through the Apostle Paul's, if I can call them, adventures. Maybe it's a little different when you're reading the adventure, but a couple thousand years later, it's very much like an adventure novel in certain ways. What He persevered through to bring the message. And again, there was resistance. Acts 13, verse 42, says, So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, Paul had been here now in Antioch, and as his custom was on the Sabbath, went in and preached these words. So as the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. It says, Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Now in the next Sabbath, almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. Let me just consider the dramatic spread here, as they came in on the Sabbath to the synagogue, just a small portion, and proclaimed this, but it had such a dramatic impact that it spread out to the entire city, and it was a buzz, right? Running swiftly, and it says almost the whole city gathered here on this next Sabbath to hear the word of God. Verse 45, But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold, and said it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first, okay, to you Jews, to you ones who are actually looking for the Messiah. Okay, this message would be proclaimed first to you. But since you reject it and judge yourself unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth. So, you know, God's purpose was still being fulfilled despite the opposition, despite the fact that those who should have heard it and received it with thanksgiving were actually now putting up a front to the message. It still actually went through the opposition to reach those who God had specifically sent Paul to, again, most directly in this way, that he should be set as a light to the Gentiles. Verse 48, Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. It says, And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region, running freely, going out, being received. And this now leads us to the next segment of the prayer. Point number three is pray for the word of the Lord to be glorified even as it is with you. Okay, Paul's short prayer in 2 Thessalonians 3, 1 and 2, it just can be read over so quickly, but there's so much depth you could pull out of it. Pray that the word of the Lord be glorified even as it is with you. This prayer emphasizes the desire for the gospel to be received and honored in the same way it was with us. Like when we heard it, and we recognized the value of it, and we grabbed hold of it, and we allowed it to change our lives, pray that those who would hear it on the other end, that there would be fruit, that there would be response in the same way, that they would be impacted, and that their life would be changed.

Back up here again to Acts 13 verse 48. I just want to reread because Paul put the message out the next Sabbath. The Jews confronted, but the Gentiles rejoiced. Notice verse 48 again, when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord.

As many as been appointed to eternal life believed. They glorified it.

Understand, brethren, the purpose of the gospel is not merely to be preached. It's meant to transform lives. It's meant to be a wake-up call to the world. It's meant to draw people to a right relationship with God, and truly bring a change in their lives. When the Gentiles and Antioch heard the good news of salvation, they didn't just listen passively, they received it with joy. And it said it impacted their life, and they glorified the word of God. That means they actually responded to it. They praised it, and they glorified it as a light to the world, by the way. Then it impacted in their lives. They honored the message, because they recognized it as the truth. And that led to a response that we call obedience. That is the word running freely and being glorified. Upon people that had never heard it before, recognized the pearl of great price, and they allowed it to change their lives. Paul said, pray for the word the Lord to be glorified, even as it is with you. So, brethren, I'd like to ask you to pray this prayer specifically for a group in Africa. There's a group in Africa I'd like to tell you about, and I would like you to pray this prayer regarding them, that the word of God would be glorified as it is with you.

A little over two years ago, I received a plea for help. And no, it wasn't from Macedonia, and no, it wasn't in the form of a vision, unless you think I've lost it, okay? It was an email from Liberia, and it was a plea for help. It was from a small group that basically said, you know, we've found the United Church of God online. We've been studying through your information that we can access, and it is good. You know, we agree. We believe this message that you are taking forward, and we want a part of it. And they said, please come and help us, teach us, baptize us as soon as you can. Okay, this is Liberia. This is somewhere that is in English-speaking West Africa, technically my area. So the email was routed to me a little over two years ago, and this didn't all come in one single email, but it was through some back-and-forth communication that we had up front. Understand, I get emails fairly frequently from West Africa, from groups that express a desire to be connected with the United Church of God. And I'll just say that, for the most part, many of them are fishing expeditions, okay, if you understand that concept. All right, because if you can connect with a church in the United States, and you're a church in Africa, there's deep pockets there. Okay, there's money, there's benefits, there's helps, there's various things that could be a blessing to that group if they could connect. So there's literally groups there that will send out emails to 50, 100, 200, you know, it's like we tell our students, if you're sending out scholarship applications, make it a job this summer, you know, send out hundreds of applications. There are literally churches in Africa that do that, that seek to have this connection in the U.S. So you have to discern. Is this a sincere request regarding the gospel, or is this someone that doesn't even have a clue who we are? They just, you know, found us online, sent a message, and it came through. So I basically have a reply that I send in an attempt to discern who is sincere and who is not about who and what we are. If this is an open door, is it not? And I would say, frankly, after one or two emails, 95% of the connections drop off when they realize we're not a mainstream in our teachings, in our doctrines, and those things. This group in Liberia did not. It's a small fellowship of around 20 people in Monrovia. Monrovia is the capital of Liberia. They're leaders and man by the name of Richard Clark. I'm giving you some of this so you can be specific in some of your prayers.

Mr. Clark reached out in December of 2022, again, desiring a relationship with us. His group keeps the Sabbath. They did keep the Sabbath long before they contacted us, and they had some concept of the Holy Days, but they weren't really that deep in their understanding. But part of what attracted their connection was the Holy Days. And over our course of dialogue for the last two years, they have become active in keeping the Holy Days and observing them in many ways, just as we do. They want to know more about how to observe them and what they mean. So again, over the course of the last two years, sending them information, sending them my sermons for the Holy Days, and they in part take those things and dissect them and study them and share them among themselves. And they use those as their Bible studies on the Sabbath, looking up the scriptures and proving these things for themselves. And for me, this is what causes this group to stand out from most. Again, they keep the Sabbath and they acknowledge the value of the Holy Days. And God has said, my Sabbaths are a sign between me and my people. That's not just the Seventh-day Sabbath. That is also the Holy Days. It is my Sabbath, plural, God says, are a sign between me and my people. There's lots of Sabbath keepers in Africa, but when somebody recognizes that the Holy Days are of value to Christians today, that they're not just nailed to the cross and done away with, as so many would teach, I say, you know, there is actually something here that I believe that God is doing at work that I just simply can't turn a blind eye to. I have to try to help and support where I can. This group has ceased observing Christmas and Easter, recognizing they are pagan holidays. They received the Beyond Today magazine. They've received our literature over the course of the last couple of years. Mr. Clark is quite educated. He holds a bachelor's degree in theology, and he also has a bachelor's degree in economics, and he's a high school teacher at a high school in Monrovia. So, you know, they understand what they are studying when they dive into the Word of God. And again, he has asked me to come and visit them in Liberia and to baptize them. And after two and a half years now, it is definitely been time for a first visit. But I'll just admit, you know, sometimes I'm bold, but I'm not the apostle Paul. And so I go, well, do I really want to step into a West African country where I've never met a person face to face and we don't have a church support system in place? So here's what I would ask your prayers for. I've come up with a plan. As you know, Darla and Ben Light and I are traveling to Ghana here this next month for our leadership conference we are having there. And this week I directed Henry Aikens, and he purchased two tickets for Mr. Clark and another leader of this group from Liberia. We're bringing them to Ghana to meet with us following that leadership conference. We'll set aside two days where we'll be able to meet with these individuals and to kind of do a deep dive into getting to know one another and to open the door further on our relationship.

In a recent memo I sent to the home office, I said, I believe the small group may be a door God is opening into Liberia. While I'm not in a big hurry to expand my scope of West Africa travels, I do believe these individuals need some face-to-face attention to fully ascertain their sincerity, which seems legitimate. So again, I would ask your prayers in this regard. As far as I can determine, the worldwide Church of God never had a church presence in Liberia. I've gone back and researched through the archives. I can find there was a time where Mr. Armstrong visited the president of Liberia, but it was a touch-and-go, basically, in and out on the same day. But this does seem to be, at least at this point, a door that God has opened. So please, brethren, pray that the Word of the Lord will be glorified among them just as it is with you. That this would be sincere, that they would receive it with thanksgiving. Again, depending on where this leads, my travels may soon expand into Liberia as well. And that may be a reality of it, and God knows, but for this first stage, I think this is the best we can do. Bring them to Ghana. We'll sit down, and we'll see where it goes from there. Isaiah 55, verse 10.

Isaiah 55, verse 10. Because again, this is not our message that we are carrying. This is the Word of God. Isaiah 55, verse 10, says, So understand, when God sends out His Word, He sends it out with divine intent. And it's meant to have an effect. It is meant to bring a transformation, to give life, and to bear fruit to His glory. And so when we bring the gospel to the world, that's not merely information. It is the Word of God, as has been conveyed through, you know, it was vocalized through the prophets by His Spirit, but also brought by His Son. And delivered through His Holy Spirit is what we bring to the world. Again, it is the power of God unto salvation. And through it, He will accomplish His purpose. Fourth and final step to this prayer, pray that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men. That's Paul's request. You know, when you consider where he went and what he faced in the opposition, he said, pray that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men. He says, for not all have faith. Okay, because the sad truth of the gospel is actually, it does divide.

It does divide in certain ways. Christ said, I came to actually set divisions in households, not because He is a divider, but some would believe the gospel and some would not. And as a result, divisions would come. He said, I came to bring a sword. The sad truth is there will always be enemies of the gospel. In the early church, leaders experienced imprisonments and beatings and stonings and even martyrdom because they preached the word with boldness. And Paul said, not all have faith. And there would be those who would resist it. And there would be a hostility that would withstand. We know where it comes from. This isn't just a physical contest. This is a spiritual contest. And there is the prince of the power of the air who works in the sons of disobedience that does not want the message to go out. He stands in resistance. Understand why. Understand why he hates the message. He hates the message because his demise is tied up in this message. His control over the mind of mankind is tied up in this message. His defeat of man, if he can keep them under the penalty of sin and death, is his, but it is broken through this message.

And the future of the kingdom and the binding of his power and his rule is contained in this message. And he hates that message. And he will oppose it in any way he can. And he will use those who do not have faith. Jesus said in John 15 verse 18, if the world hated you, know that it hated me before it hated you. So if you're opposed for the gospel's sake, you're in good company. That's, you know, we live in a comfortable place and rarely opposed for the gospel's sake. That's going to change.

And the spiritual adversary is at work. Acts chapter 12 records an account of Herod killing James, the brother of John, and then throwing Peter in the prison because he saw it please the people.

I think his intent was likely to do the same to Peter. Acts chapter 12 and verse 5.

Again, we're talking about the church's involvement with prayer in these things, okay? Paul said, pray we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men. Acts chapter 12 and verse 5.

It says, Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer, constant prayer, was offered to God for him by the church. When Herod was about to bring him out that night, Peter was sleeping bound with two chains between two soldiers and guards before the door were keeping the prison. So understand, this isn't just he's locked in a cell. Yes, he's locked in the cell and the door is locked and there's guards outside the door watching and in the cell with him is a chain on the right hand and a chain on the left to a guard on the right and the guard on the left, okay? They don't want this guy slipping out in the middle of the night. Herod, by the way, I think is safe to say, was an unreasonable and wicked man. And the church is praying.

Okay, verse 7. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and the light shone in the prison, and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, arise quickly, and the chains fell off his hands. I mean, what an experience! You might be thinking, is this a dream? I mean, you know God's there, you know God's active, you know he intervenes, but you know in the moment this is supernatural deliverance that is taking place. As the story continues, Peter walks out of the prison, through the city gates, down the street to the door where people of the church, members there, are praying for him. Verse 11. Verse 11, and when Peter came to himself, you know, kind of like, wow, that was incredible, kind of thought about what just happened. When he came to himself, he said, now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and has delivered me from the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the Jewish people. So when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. Okay? Pray for us, pray for the gospel, pray for free course, pray for glorification, and pray for deliverance. This was a praying church, just as we must be today as well. Verse 13, and as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer, a love that we have her name, you know, somebody actually who believed, okay, as the story goes on, it says, when she recognized Peter's voice because of her gladness, she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. You know, just, they're in there praying, they're pleading, they're crying out to God. All hope maybe seems lost, except for what God would do. Peter's knocking out front, she hears the voice, and it's just, you know, such great excitement. You know, Peter's here, Peter's here, and he leaves him, she leaves him just kind of, you know, outside the gate. Verse 18, but they said to her, you're besides yourself.

Yet she kept insisting that it was so, so they said, it is his angel. I mean, come on, we have to pray, yes, but should we not pray with an expectation of an answer?

I think sometimes we face the same challenge in the world, excuse me, in the church today, that we pray, and we pray earnestly, but do we sometimes lack the expectation of an answer? We've prayed for people to be healed, we've prayed for people to be delivered, and maybe they die in the faith. You know what? They're sealed. But does that cause us to somehow just go through the motion without really believing? You know, God does miracles, as Mr. Imes pointed out very well last week. So here's Peter at the door, and they're like, it's in your head, girl, little girl. Now Peter continued knocking, hello? Anybody home?

And when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison, and he said, go tell these things to James and to the brethren, and he departed and went to another place. Okay, so prayers of deliverance for those who spread the gospel of God is a model we see demonstrated time and again in the New Testament, and it's something we must emulate as well.

Those that are bringing it out, there is opposition, there is evil in the world, pray for, be a praying church for those who do this work. Final scripture, 2 Corinthians 1 and verse 8. We'll see an experience with the apostle Paul and Timothy. Again, prayer being foundational to this deliverance process. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 8. Paul says, For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure above strength, so that we despaired even of life. We don't know exactly what this opposition was. It's probably safe to say it was of individuals. Many commentaries would consider it was perhaps of the authorities in this area, but again, whatever it was, they were under such distress. They said, we despaired even of life. Verse 9, Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death and does deliver us in whom we trust, that he will still deliver us. So clearly, God at times allows opposition to the degree that there is no other choice, but to depend on him. This isn't by your power or your hand or your smarts that you're going to get out of this, but by God's deliverance. But notice verse 11. To the church, he says, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf, for the gift granted to us through many. Okay, the gift granted to them refers to the mercy and the deliverance of God. Paul here is recognizing before the church the value of this intercessory prayer that is offered up on their behalf. The fact that they were afflicted, the church prayed, God heard, and God responded by the only deliverance that could bring them out. Again, his divine intervention. Again, it shows the vital support system the church is for those who preach the gospel. So again, Paul said, pray that may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men.

Brethren, the gospel is the most important message anyone can ever receive, and Jesus has entrusted the church that carried out to the ends of the earth and to the end of the age. Okay, this is a work that goes hand in hand. Let us not grow weary or discouraged in doing this work, but rather let us pray. Let us pray for those who proclaim it. Let us pray that it may run swiftly and unhindered. Let us pray that it may be glorified by others just as it is with us.

And let us pray that God would deliver his messengers from unreasonable and wicked adversaries.

You know, when we pray in this way, we are not just watching the work get done. We are a part of it.

We're truly a part of it. For, brethren, truly the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man or a righteous woman avails much.