2. Meet one of today’s most serious threats to the cause of Christ Faithful Word Baptist Church, Tempe, AZ Steven Anderson After April 14, 2009 – Border Patrol incident
3. August 17, 2009 – President Obama visits Phoenix, AZ Christopher Broughton With his preacher, Steven Anderson
4. From Anderson’s August 16 sermon, “Why I Hate Barack Obama” “God hates Barack Obama. I hate Barack Obama. … I’m not going to pray for his good. I’m going to pray that he dies and goes to hell. When I go to bed tonight, that’s how I’m going to pray.”
5. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— (2) for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (3) This is good, and pleases God our Savior, (4) who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (5) For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (6) who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.
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7. Few passages stress the universal scope of the gospel so strongly We are to pray for everyone God wants everyone to be saved Jesus gave his life a ransom for everyone Walter Lock (ICC): “God’s will to save is as wide as his will to create”
8. This appears in NT again & again 2 Corinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”
9. The gospel includes everyone Emperor & slave Scholar & uneducated Rich & poor Good & bad Christian & non-Christian No one is outside ourprayers
10. Four aspects of prayer are grouped in one verse 1 Timothy 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone Requests (Gk. deesis) Prayers (Gk. proseuche) Intercession (Gk. enteuxis) Thanksgiving (Gk. eucharistia)
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12. This is a cardinal principle of Christian prayer Emperors tried to stamp out Christianity Even then, the church regarded it as an absolute duty to pray for the Emperor & his subordinates 1 Peter 2:17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. Remember,the Emperor at that time was Nero
13. Tertullian Of prayers for the emperor, pray for “long life, secure dominion, a safe home, a faithful senate, a righteous people, and a world at peace” (Apology 30) “We pray for our rulers, for the state of the world, for the peace of all things and for the postponement of the end” (Apology 39)
14. Theophilus of Antioch “The honor that I will give the Emperor is all the greater, because I will not worship him, but I will pray for him. I will worship no one but the true and real God, for I know that the Emperor was appointed by him.... Those give real honor to the Emperor who are well-disposed to him, who obey him, and who pray for him” (Apology 1:11).
15. Justin Martyr “We worship God alone, but in all other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging kings and rulers of men, and praying that they may be found to have pure reason with kingly power” (Apology 1:14,17).
16. Clement of Rome1st Letter to Corinth “You, Lord and Master, have given our rulers and governors the power of sovereignty through your excellent and unspeakable might, that we, knowing the glory and honor which you have given them, may submit ourselves unto them, in nothing resisting your will. Grant unto them, therefore, O Lord, health, peace, concord, stability, that they may administer the government which you have given them without failure. For you, O heavenly Master, King of the Ages, give to the sons of men glory and honor and power over all things upon the earth.
17. Clement of Rome1st Letter to Corinth Lord, direct their counsel according to that which is good and well-pleasing in your sight, that, administering the power which you have given them in peace and gentleness with godliness, they may obtain your favor. Youwho alone are able to do these things, and things far better than these for us, we praise you through the High Priest and Guardian of our souls, Jesus Christ, through whom be the glory and majesty to you both now and for all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (1 Clement 61).
18. The Church prayed for rulers with two things in mind 1 Timothy 2:2b ... that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. Peaceful & quiet lives Godliness & holiness Godliness (Gk. eusebeia) Holiness (Gk. semnotes)
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20. What motivates godly prayers? The one & only God The one & only Mediator Because there is one God & one Mediator, we are all brothers Our world finds this hard to believe “Your religion is good for you and ours for us” Jesus gave his life as a ransom for all
Notas del editor
Started Faithful Word Baptist Church on December 25,2005.Attendance between 25 & 50 in a store front church.Has no formal Bible training.First exposure was YouTube video after he was belligerent & tasered by law enforcement at a Border Patrol inspection station near Yuma, AZ.Later confronted Border Patrol in fast food restaurantLater: sermon on 1 Kings 14:10 KJV “Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall …”His point: The problem with our society, including our leaders, is that too many men sit down to relieve themselves!Taken literally, the text suggests preference for sitting over standing, since God threatens to cut off those who stand!This guy’s a NUT!
August 17, 2009, President Barack Obama made an appearance in Phoenix, AZ.Broughton showed up with an AR-15 assault rifle over his shoulder & a semiautomatic handgun on his left hip.News reports failed to mention that he is African-American, so his motivation was not racial.Broughton is one of the members of Steven Anderson’s tiny church.The day before President Obama appeared in Phoenix, Steven Anderson preached a sermon, just for the occasion.
Most powerful emperor & weakest slave Intellectual scholar & uneducated illiterateRich & poorGood & badModern church welcomes respectable people & is skeptical of sinnersNT says the church exists, not only to edify the good, but to welcome the sinner!Christian & non-ChristianEmperors & rulers were not ChristiansThey were hostile to the churchYet church was to pray for themNo one is outside ourprayers, becauseNo one is outside the love of Christ, & No one is outside the purpose of God, who wants all to be saved
“Requests” (Gk. deesis) Not just religious; may be request to man or GodBasic idea is need; prayer begins with needWeakness is the basis of all approach to God“Prayers” (Gk. proseuche) Deesismay be addressed either to man or GodProseucheis used only of approach to God There are needs that only God can satisfyForgiveness & strength that he alone can giveNo help when we take needs to the wrong placeThird: “intercession” (Gk. enteuxis)It is the noun from the verb entugchaneinOriginally of meeting or falling in with a personLater of intimate conversation with a personThen entering king’s presence with a petitionThat says we have access to God with our petitionsFourth: “thanksgiving” (Gk. eucharistia)For many, prayer is an exercise in complaintIt should be an exercise in thanksgiving We have the right to bring our needs to GodWe have also the duty to thank him
Tertullian of Carthage – died 225 AD
Theophilus of Antioch – died 181 AD
Justin Martyr – died 165 AD
Clement of Rome – died 99 AD1 Clement was written ca 90 AD when Domitian was on the throne & empire-wide persecution of Christians was official Roman policy1 Clement is the oldest authentic Christian document outside of the NT
Clement of Rome – died 99 AD1 Clement was written ca 90 AD when Domitian was on the throne & empire-wide persecution of Christians was official Roman policy1 Clement is the oldest authentic Christian document outside of the NT
Prayed for “peaceful & quiet lives” Prayer for freedom from war, rebellion & anything that disturbs the peace of the empireThe good citizen’s prayer for his country“Godliness” (Gk. eusebeia )Attitude that respects man & honors GodEusebius: “reverence towards the one & only God, & the kind of life that he wishes us to lead” Never forgets the reverence due to God, the rights due to men, nor the respect due to self“Holiness” (Gk. semnotes) Adjective semnosis always applied to gods R. C. Trench: one who “has on him a grace and a dignity, not lent by earth” He is one who “without demanding it challenges and inspires reverence” For one who is semnosAll life is one act of worship; all life is lived in the presence of God; he moves through the world, as if it was the temple of the living GodHe never forgets the holiness of God or the dignity of man
The one & only GodWe do not live in a heathen world with many gods in competition with one anotherChristianity affirms there is only one GodThe one & only Mediator Mediator stands between & acts as go-betweenJews believed in angel/mediatorsGreeks believed in all kinds of mediatorsPlutarch said it was an insult to God to think that he was directly involved in the world; he was involved only through angels, demons and demigods as his liaisonsNeither believed a man had direct access to GodIn Jesus, we have unrestricted access to GodBecause one God & one Mediator, we are all brothers Our world finds this hard to believe“Your religion is good for you and ours for us” If many gods & mediators, religion divides, not unitesPaul adds: Jesus gave life a ransom for allThat means that it cost God the life and death of his Son to bring men back to himself
A godless man lost a friend in battleLoss brought him face to face with God & changed himAt grave: “I guess you had to go down to lift me up” That’s what Jesus did; it cost his life & death to show God’s love & to bring men home to himSing them over again to me, Wonderful words of life,Let me more of their beauty see, Wonderful words of life;Words of life and beauty Teach me faith and duty. Christ, the blessed One, gives to all, Wonderful words of life;Sinner, list to the loving call, Wonderful words of life;All so freely given, Wooing us to heaven.Sweetly echo the Gospel call, Wonderful words of life;Offer pardon and peace to all, Wonderful words of life;Jesus, only Savior, Sanctify us forever.Refrain:Beautiful words, wonderful words,Wonderful words of life;Beautiful words, wonderful words,Wonderful words of life.
