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Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd.
(Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia.

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A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY


AUDIO


A call to intercession

Jerry Varnado, pastor
Gateway Church, Athens GA

March 2, 2003
  • Main Scripture text: 1 Timothy 1:18-2:8.
  • In this passage, Paul is giving instructions to Timothy, a young church leader -- instructions Paul considers critical to the mission of the church and to effectiveness in ministry.

  • The first instruction is a call to intercession, which means praying for others.

  • This is a call to get involved in the great adventure of pursuing God's purposes in this world. There isn't a place on this planet we can't reach or a person whose life we can't impact if we pray.

  • Next, Paul tells us for whom we would pray: "everyone." God wants everyone in the world prayed for regularly. You and I can't pray for everyone in the world, but we can pray for those whom God brings across our path. If Christians all over the world would do that, together we could get the job done.

  • Paul also addresses why we should pray: because God wants all human beings "to be saved" and "to come to a knowledge of the truth."

  • "Saved" means that God wants every person in the world to be whole, and to have power to overcome every obstacle to becoming the person that God made them to be.

  • The "truth" God wants people to know is spelled out in various places in the Bible:

First, he wants people to know that all humans need a Savior.

Second, he wants us to know that Jesus is that Savior.

Third, he wants us to understand that Satan resists God's saving grace. We are dealing with all the powers of hell. This is spiritual warfare for the souls of unbelievers.

Fourth, prayer destroys the barriers that separate us from God's saving grace and liberating truth.

  • God has given us powerful weapons, including the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus and the Word of God. Prayer is the means of delivering those weapons to the places where they are needed.

  • Through prayer, we can destroy the strongholds in peoples' lives, clear their minds of spiritual barriers, and remove the blinders the devil has put on their eyes so they can receive the truth of the gospel.


Supporting texts: Romans 3:21-25 | James 2:8-11 | 1 Timothy 1:5-6 | Acts 4:12 | 2 Corinthians 4:1-4 | John 8:31-32 | Psalm 119:11 | 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

This sermon references a "Praying for Greater Athens" prayer guide for the period from March 5-April 13, 2003.

For a copy, click the image at right.

(NOTE: The prayer guide is in PDF format, requiring the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.)



A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here.
(Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.)

An audio tape of this sermon is available
free of charge (U.S. requests only).
Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office.
Please specify tape number 030302a: A Call to Intercession.

© 2003 Gerald R. Varnado

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