Well, this morning we're continuing on with our series,
All kinds of Prayer for All kinds of People.
Last Sunday, we talked specifically about praying for one another,
praying for our church.
This morning, we're going to turn our focus outward
and talk about how do we pray for unbelievers,
people who don't believe in Jesus.
Hopefully, you have some of those people in your life.
Most of us do.
What is God's will for the unbelievers in our lives?
We've talked a little bit about this already in this series so far,
and I think we all probably know the right answer.
God desires for all people to be saved.
But I think we wrestle with that at times.
We pray for people in our lives who don't know Christ
that they would be saved.
And we wait, and we pray some more, and we wait.
And sometimes we wonder, or start to wonder,
does God really desire to save all people?
If He does, why hasn't He saved the person that I'm praying for?
And so, we're going to dig into this a little bit this morning.
And we're going to try to anchor our thinking and our praying clearly
in the truth of God's Word.
And so, we're going to begin with the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3.
2 Peter 3.
If you have your Bibles, please open them up.
Beginning in verse 3.
Above all, you must understand that in the last day,
scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
They will say,
Where is this coming, He promised?
Ever since our ancestors died,
everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.
Peter tells us that
there will be people who mock us
for believing in Jesus.
There will be people who mock
the promise that Christ has given us,
that He is coming back.
It's been a long time.
Where is He?
Things just seem to keep going on and on,
just as they always have.
Where is He?
I'll tell you where He is.
Jesus is just the stuff of myth and legend.
That's why He's not coming.
That's why we haven't seen or heard from Him.
All of this stuff in the Bible,
that was just made up by people.
It's a crutch for the hopeless and the weak
to lean on to help them get through life.
But,
says Peter,
verse 5,
they deliberately forget
that long ago,
by God's word,
the heavens came into being
and the earth was formed out of water
and by water.
By these waters also,
the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
By the same word,
the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,
being kept for the day of judgment
and destruction of the ungodly.
Peter says,
they deliberately forget.
What does that mean?
Typically,
when we forget,
it's accidental.
It's unintentional.
We'd probably be happy most times
to remember everything.
Peter is talking about a different kind of forgetting here.
He says,
they deliberately forget.
There are people alive on our planet today
who don't know the truth about how the world began.
And the reason for it,
says Peter,
is because somewhere along the way,
their ancestors made a choice
to deliberately forget.
they knew the truth
and they made a choice
to cover it up,
to hide it.
We tend to do that,
especially when it comes to
things that show where we are at fault.
There's something in human history
that we're ashamed of
that looks bad,
that makes us look bad.
And if we just stop talking about it,
then hopefully in generations to come,
they'll completely forget about it.
In each generation,
God's people have proclaimed His word,
the truth that God created the world.
Jesus is the Messiah.
He is the one that we need.
And in every generation,
a new generation,
rises up to play their part
in deliberately forgetting.
Paul calls this
suppressing the truth
in unrighteousness.
Scoffing and mocking is difficult.
We don't want that.
But,
if I understand Jesus and the apostles,
there will be a time in the future
when it gets even worse
for those of us who believe.
Peter gives us a word of encouragement
for when that happens.
And for those moments,
he says this in verse 8,
but do not forget this one thing.
Dear friends,
with the Lord,
a day is like a thousand years.
And a thousand years is like a day.
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise.
As some understand slowness.
Instead,
He is patient with you,
not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance.
We tend to measure the passage of time
by the span of our lives
or the span of human history.
But God's sense on how time is passing
is different than ours.
He's eternal.
He has always existed.
It's only been a couple days
by His sense of things
since Christ was first here.
And when Jesus comes back,
He will be right on time.
But we are not good at waiting.
We are not good when it comes to patience.
We get impatient
even when the website
takes a few seconds longer to load.
And as the persecution
and scoffing and mocking
gets even worse,
as we see that it may,
we may even come to the place
where we also are saying,
God, where is the coming
that you promised?
How long do we have to wait?
It's been 2,000 years already.
Why the delay?
Peter says,
listen,
the reason why Christ
doesn't come back yet
is not because
He's procrastinating.
It's not because
He's thinking,
oh,
yeah,
one of these days
I've got to go back
and deal with earth,
finish what I started there,
keep my promises.
He says,
no,
it's not procrastination,
it's because He is patient.
He is waiting for something,
says Peter.
Waiting for what?
He is waiting for more people
to be saved.
our world
is on a ship
that is sinking
towards judgment,
towards destruction.
And here we are
as believers
in the lifeboat.
We're safe
and we're saying,
come on, God,
let's get out of here already.
Let's go home.
Get us back to land.
And God is saying,
no,
not yet.
There are more people
yet to be saved.
In our impatience,
we just want to hit
the red button
and we've got lots
of people in the boat.
Let's go.
But the truth is
that the Lord
desires to save people
even more than we do.
He is committed
to saving people
even more
than we are.
Peter kind of summarizes
this truth
in verse 15.
He says this,
bear in mind
then
that
our Lord's patience
means
salvation.
That more people
will be saved.
Just as our dear
brother Paul
also wrote you
with the wisdom
that God gave him.
We already looked
a little bit
at what
Paul said
in his letter
to Timothy.
That's where we
started this series.
I want you to pray
all kinds of prayers
for all kinds of people.
Why?
For this is good
and pleases God,
our Savior,
who wants all people
to be saved
and to come
to a knowledge
of the truth.
Amen.
it's crystal clear.
The Lord's heart,
His desire
is that all
would be saved.
And so we can pray
with confidence
for the salvation
of people
in our lives
who don't believe.
If God
has clearly said
it is my
will
that
everyone
be saved,
then we can pray
with confidence
that God
would save
the people
in our lives
who don't believe.
Period.
In fact,
Paul actually
prays
for the salvation
of other people.
If you have
your Bibles with you,
turn to Romans
chapter 10.
Romans chapter 10
verse 1.
Verse 1.
Paul says this,
Brothers and sisters,
my heart's desire
and prayer
to God
for the Israelites
is that they
may be saved.
He's been praying
for his fellow
Jewish people
that God
would save them
literally
for their salvation.
If Paul
prays that way,
so should we
with confidence.
Even
if it seems
like we've been
praying for years
and the answer
has not come.
Part of me
wants to end
the sermon there.
That's
kind of
the definitive
word,
the place
that we
need to come down on
when it comes
to the unbelievers
in our lives.
We should be
praying for God
to save them,
asking God
to save them.
That's his will.
But I know
that
we all have
that question
kind of rumbling
around somewhere
inside of us.
If God's desire
is to save
everyone,
why doesn't he?
why doesn't he
just do it?
God's desire
with the rest
of us
this morning
I'm going
to do my
best to
answer that
or to
point us
to the
answer
of that
question.
we start
with the
simple truth
that
not everyone
is saved.
Even though
God desires
to save,
that everyone
be saved,
not everyone
is saved.
There are some
people who believe
that everybody
will be saved.
They're called
Christian
universalists.
They believe
that at the
end,
ultimately,
Jesus is
going to
somehow
bring all
of humanity
into the
fold.
And everybody
will be
restored to
a right
relationship
with God.
And part
of the reason
they believe
that is
because
they just
how can
God be
loving
and yet
allow some
to perish?
They wrestle
with that.
And so
that's kind
of the
conclusion
that they've
come to.
The problem
with that
is that
it's not
what Jesus
taught.
Jesus
said this.
He said,
enter through
the narrow
gate,
for wide
is the gate
and broad
is the road
that leads
to destruction
and many
enter through
it.
But small
is the gate
and narrow
the road
that leads
to life
and only
a few
find it.
There is
another occasion
which Luke
records in his
gospel,
Luke chapter
13,
verse 23.
He was
asked,
Lord,
are only
a few
people going
to be
saved?
The question
doesn't really
get any
clearer than
that.
And Jesus'
answer was,
make every
effort to
enter through
the narrow
door because
many, I tell
you, will try
to enter and
will not be
able to.
And then he
goes on to
talk about how
there will
come a time
where it's
too late
and people
will be
turned away
from the
door.
The time
is up
and they
will be
sent away
into
everlasting
punishment.
the truth
that Jesus
taught is
clear.
Not
everyone will
be saved.
In fact,
relative to
the number
of people
that there
are in
our world,
only a few
will be
saved.
Many
will perish.
Should that
stop us
from praying
for God
to save
certain people?
Absolutely
not.
It didn't
stop Paul
from praying
for the
salvation of
people.
In fact,
if we go
back to
Romans 10,
right after
he tells us
that he
prays for
the salvation
of his
fellow
Jewish
people.
Not right
after,
but soon
after.
In chapter
11,
verse 25,
he says
this,
I do not
want you
to be
ignorant
of this
mystery,
brothers and
sisters,
so that
you may
not be
conceited.
Israel
has
experienced
a hardening
in part
until the
full number
of the
Gentiles
has come
in.
The
implications
of that
are
God
has
some
kind
of
a
plan
here.
He
has
a
number
of
people
that
he
desires
to
save
from
among
those
who
are
not
Jewish.
And
until
that
happens,
the
Jewish
people
are
going
through
a
hardening.
And
yet,
Paul
still
prays
for their
salvation.
God
has
to
be
to
God
to
God
to
God
can
keep
his
promise
when
it
looks
like
all
of
his
people
have
rejected
him,
mainly
the
Jews.
And
he
says
that
even
while
many
have
rejected,
there
is
still
a
remnant.
In
11,
verse 5,
he says,
so too
at the
present
time,
there
is a
remnant
chosen
by
grace.
There
are
some
who
have
believed
and
accepted
Jesus
as their
Messiah
from
among
the
Jewish
people
and
the
rest
have
been
hardened.
That
doesn't
stop
Paul
for
praying
that
God
would
save,
even
though
he
knew
that
it
wasn't
in
God's
plan
that
every
single
person
that
he
prayed
for
necessarily
would
be.
How
did
Paul
pray
for
the
salvation
of
other
people
I
want
you
to
look
for
a
minute
at
Romans
9
verse
1
this
really
moved
me
he
says
this
I
speak
the
truth
in
Christ
I
am
not
lying
my
conscience
confirms
it
through
the
Holy
Spirit
I
have
great
sorrow
and
unceasing
anguish
in my
heart
for
I
could
wish
that
I
myself
were
cursed
and
cut
off
from
Christ
for
the
sake
of
my
people
those
of
my
own
race
the
people
of
Israel
if
I
could
he
says
I
would
trade
my
own
salvation
my
own
place
in
the
life
boat
for
all
of
theirs
if
I
could
I
would
give
up
my
own
place
in
the
kingdom
of
Christ
for
all
of
theirs
that's
the
heart
and
the
attitude
of
Paul
as
he
prays
and
asks
God
to
save
his
fellow
Jewish
people
the
Jewish
people
he
knows
in
his
life
which
brings
us
back
to
that
question
if
God
desires
to
save
everyone
why
doesn't
he
why
doesn't
he
this
is a
difficult
question
and
the
answer
of
some
is that
the
reason
that
he
doesn't
is
because
in
some
sense
he
is
not
able
to
it's
up
to
the
individuals
to
choose
think
of
Jesus
on
the
life
boat
throwing
the
rope
out
to
the
people
that
are
sinking
on
the
ship
it's
up
to
them
to
grab
onto
the
rope
if
God
was
to
make
them
or
to
do
that
for
them
it
would
undermine
their
freedom
their
choices
would
no
longer
be
real
their
love
would
not
be
genuine
because
they
were
made
to
do
that
kind of
reduces
them
to
robots
some
have
said
God
is
a
gentleman
he
doesn't
force
anyone
to
do
anything
but
this
line
of
thinking
has
some
pretty
serious
implications
especially
when it
comes
to
praying
for
people's
salvation
what
is it
that
you
are
asking
God
to
do
when
you
ask
him
to
save
someone
if
you're
not
asking
God
to
intervene
in
that
person's
life
and
prevent
them
from
making
a
terrible
mistake
a
horrible
decision
if
you're
not
asking
God
to
change
their
heart
and
whatever
it
takes
to
pull
them
away
from
that
choice
that
they
would
make
then
what
are
you
asking
God
to
do
for
them
when
you
pray
for
their
salvation
in
all
my
years
of
being
a
Christian
I
have
almost
never
heard
anybody
pray
for
a
person
to
be
saved
like
this
father
in
heaven
I
pray
that
you
would
make
the
conditions
right
and
favorable
so
that
so
and
so
would
come
to
a
place
where
they
can
make
the
choice
to
believe
in
you
but
at
the
end
of
the
day
I
know
that
whether
they
are
saved
is
not
up
to
you
Lord
it's
up
to
them
and
so
at
least
make
the
conditions
right
so
that
it's
clear
in
their
minds
just
who
they
are
either
accepting
or
rejecting
but
thank
you
that
you
have
given
them
true
freedom
to
choose
between
eternal
life
and
eternal
punishment
I've
never
heard
anybody
pray
that
and
I
think
part
of
the
reason
is
because
nobody
deep
down
inside
really
believes
that
that's
how
it
is
between
God
and
us
this
picture
of us
on the
lifeboat
with
Jesus
throwing
out
the
rope
is
not
really
the
picture
of
the
New
Testament
the
picture
in the
New
Testament
that
we
get
of
salvation
is
Jesus
gets
out
of the
lifeboat
swims
onto
the
ship
sees
us
there
unconscious
dead
on
the
deck
ties
the
rope
around
us
brings
us
back
to
life
as
a
gift
of
grace
and
once
we're
alive
we're
too
weak
to
even
hold
on
to
the
rope
so
he
grabs
our
hand
in
his
and
squeezes
it
onto
that
rope
and
carries
us
all
the
way
through
till
we
get
back
to
safety
that's
the
picture
I
see
of
salvation
in
the
New
Testament
do
we
really
believe
that
God's
hands
are
somehow
tied
by
our
freedom
by
our
will
because
if we
do
the
implications
for
this
go
beyond
just
praying
for
salvation
they
ripple
through
to
praying
for
other
people
about
anything
I
mean
what
do
we
really
expect
God
to
do
for
people
if
he
can't
interfere
with
their
freedom
to
choose
can
we
pray
and ask
God
to
send
workers
into
the
harvest
if
ultimately
it's
not
up
to
him
whether
they
go
or
not
it's
up
to
them
can
we
pray
and
ask
God
to
change
someone's
heart
would
that
not
also
be
a
violation
of
their
freedom
to
choose
if
this
is
how
it
is
between
God
and
us
it
doesn't
make
sense
to
pray
and
ask
God
to
save
people
because
we
be
asking
God
to
do
something
that
he
can't
ultimately
in the
full
sense
do
for
that
person
wouldn't
it
make
more
sense
for
us
to
go
to
those
people
that
we
love
that
we
want
to
be
saved
and
to
ask
them
to
do
what
God
can't
do
for
them
and
receive
the
gift
I
think
Paul
does
give us
an answer
here
why
doesn't
God
just
save
everybody
God
his
answer
is
here
it's
specific
to
Israel
in
this
case
but
it
applies
more
generally
and
even
as
Paul
gives
us
his
answer
or
at
least
what
leads
to
the
answer
he
admits
that
we're
going
to
have
problems
with
it
that
we're
not
going
to
like
it
that
we're
going
to
have
objections
and
that
if
we
try
to
accept
what
he
says
what
he's
about
to
say
about
God
and
how
he
deals
with
us
we're
going
to
accuse
him
of
being
unjust
I'm
going
to
read
it
for
you
Romans
chapter
9
verse
10
these
are
Paul's
words
not
mine
Rebecca's
children
were
conceived
at the
same
time
by
our
father
Isaac
yet
before
the
twins
were
born
or
had
done
anything
good
or
bad
in
order
that
God's
purpose
in
election
might
stand
not
by
works
but
by
him
who
calls
she
was
told
the
older
will
serve
the
younger
just
as
it is
written
Jacob
I
loved
but
Esau
I
hated
what
then
shall
we
say
is
God
unjust
not
at
all
for
he
says
to
Moses
I
will
have
mercy
on
whom
I
have
mercy
and
I
will
have
compassion
on
whom
I
have
compassion
it
does
not
therefore
depend
on
human
desire
or
effort
but
on
God's
mercy
for
scripture
says
to
Pharaoh
I
raised
you
up
for
this
very
purpose
that
I
might
display
my
power
in
you
and
that
my
name
might
be
proclaimed
in
all
the
earth
therefore
God
has
mercy
on
whom
he
wants
to
have
mercy
and
he
hardens
whom
he
wants
to
harden
one
of
you
will
say
to
me
well
then
why
does
God
still
blame
us
for
who's
able
to
resist
his
will
but
who
are
you
oh
man
to
talk
back
to
God
shall
what
is
formed
say
to
the
one
who
formed
it
why
did
you
make
me
like
this
does
not
the
potter
have
the
right
to
make
out
of
the
same
lump
of
clay
some
pottery
for
special
purposes
and
some
for
common
use
as
I
said
before
many
don't
like
this
answer
there's
a
reason
why
many
choose
a
different
answer
to
the
question
of
why
God
doesn't
save
everyone
but
I
think
that
this
is
God's
answer
the
reason
he
doesn't
save
everyone
is
that
he
has
his
own
good
and
wise
and
right
and
holy
reasons
he
has
the
freedom
he
says
to
show
compassion
and
mercy
to
some
and
not
to
others
he
has
the
right
to
set
apart
some
for
a
special
purpose
but
to
allow
others
to
receive
what
they
deserve
for
their
sins
and
it's
not
your
place
or
mine
to
take
God
and
put
him
on
trial
and
evaluate
whether
he
is
unjust
or
just
in
doing
this
in
the
decisions
he
makes
here
whether
he
is
good
or
evil
back
to
Israel
in
chapter
11
verse
7
Paul
had
said
they
were
hardened
why
were
they
hardened
what
then
what
the
people
of
Israel
sought
so
earnestly
they
did
not
obtain
the
elect
among
them
did
but
the
others
were
hardened
as
it
is
written
God
gave
them
a
spirit
of
stupor
eyes
that
could
not
see
and
ears
that
could
not
hear
to
this
very
day
the
reason
that
they
were
not
saved
is
not
because
God
was
trying
to
preserve
their
freedom
but
because
God
hardened
them
that
was
his
decision
to
make
injustice
and
yet
knowing
all
of
this
Paul
still
says
that
he
prays
for
their
salvation
we
must
not
make
the
mistake
of
assuming
that
because
of
all
of
this
you
know
if
God
knows
who's
and
already
decided
who's
going
to
be
saved
and
who
hasn't
then
what's
the
point
of
prayer
what's
the
point
of
sharing
the
gospel
that
didn't
stop
Paul
from
praying
with
tears
and
in
anguish
that
they
would
be
saved
the
way
that
God's
will
relates
to
ours
is
a
mystery
somehow
he
has
woven
each
one
of
us
into
the
story
as
truly
responsible
choosers
our
choices
are
real
they
have
real
impact
they
have
real
significance
our
prayers
have
real
weight
and
bearing
on
how
things
go
in
the
story
and
yet
amazingly
God
is
still
sovereignly
directing
and
overseeing
all
of it
we
can't
understand
how
that's
possible
but
in
everything
the
Lord
is
totally
innocent
and
pure
of
all
evil
and
he
gets
all
the
credit
100%
for
our
salvation
start
to
finish
there
will
be
no
boasting
on
our
part
at
the
end
and
so
don't
make
the
mistake
of
assuming
that
God
will
somehow
just
because
he's
decided
to
save
people
without
your
praying
for
them
without
your
sharing
Christ
with
them
listen
to
what
Paul
says
sandwiched
in
the
middle
of
all
this
Romans
chapter
10
verse
13
he
says
everyone
who
calls
on
the
name
of
the
Lord
will
be
saved
how
then
can
they
call
on
the
one
they
have
not
believed
in
and
how
can
they
believe
in
the
one
of
whom
they
have
not
heard
and
how
can
they
hear
without
someone
preaching
to
them
our
witness
matters
our
prayers
for
people
to
be
saved
matter
God
really
does
hear
and
answer
our
prayers
and
so
just
like
Paul
we
should
pray
for
the
salvation
of
the
people
in
our
lives
we
should
not
assume
that
God
will
somehow
save
them
without
them
and
so
as
I've
been
encouraging
in
the
last
weeks
I
would
encourage
with
this
as
well
keep
a
list
of
at
least
five
people
in
your
life
that
are
not
believers
and
pray
for
them
that
God
would
save
them
every
week
that
list
may
change
from
time
to
time
but
pray
for
them
father
in
heaven
we
bow
before
you
and
acknowledge
that
you
are
the
Lord
you
are
God
and
we
are
not
Lord
we
can't
trade
our
salvation
for
others
we
are
truly
at
your
mercy
as
your
creatures
but
we
know
that
you
are
a
good
and
compassionate
God
and
you
have
said
that
you
desire
to
save
people
give
us
confidence
and
courage
both
to
bear
witness
to
Christ
but
also
to
ask
you
for
this
good
gift
for
the
people
in
our
lives
in
Christ's
name
Amen