Plenary Session 7 - Mark Minnick

January 6, 2010 – 3:35 pm

Mark Minnick preached again on Romans 15 in his second plenary session.

Forward on Your Knees: Progress by Prayer

Regarding a difficult, unreached province of China, Hudson Taylor told Jonathan Goforth, “Brother, if you’re going to go into that province, you’ll have to go forward on your knees.” Goforth already had a strong conviction regarding the necessity of prayer. He had been influenced by A. T. Pierson’s book The Crisis of Missions (published from an 1885 Student Volunteer conference in 1885). The final chapter of the book is entitled, “An Appeal to Disciples Everywhere.” Here are two excerpts:

If at some great center like London or New York, a council of evangelical believers could meet, to consider the wonderworking of God’s providence and grace in mission fields, to insure fields now unoccupied from further neglect, and to arrange and adjust the work so as to prevent needless waste and friction among workmen, it might greatly further the glorious object of a world’s evangelization; and we earnestly commend the suggestion to the prayerful consideration of the various bodies of Christian believers, and the various missionary organizations. What a spectacle it would present both to angels and to men, could believers of every name, forgetting all things in which they differ, meet, by chosen representatives, to enter systematically and harmoniously upon the work of sending forth laborers into every part of the world field!”

They were appealing to believers everywhere to send their leaders to a TBD conference for missions strategizing. But while Pierson was calling for planning, meeting, and much administrative-type work, he combined with it this strong emphasis:

But, above all else, our immediate and imperative need is a new spirit of earnest and prevailing prayer. The first Pentecost crowned ten days of united, continued supplication. Every subsequent advance may be directly traced to believing prayer, and upon this must depend a new Pentecost [Pierson is probably speaking figuratively]. We therefore earnestly appeal to all fellow disciples to join us and each other in importunate daily supplication for a new and mighty effusion of the Holy Spirit upon all ministers, missionaries, evangelists, pastors, teachers and Christian workers, and upon the whole earth; that God would impart to all Christ’s witnesses the tongues of fire, and melt hard hearts before the burning message. It is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord, that all true success must be secured. What we are to do for the salvation of the lost must be done quickly; for the generation is passing away, and we with it. Obedient to our marching orders, let us ‘go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature,’ while from our very hearts we pray, ‘Thy kingdom come.’

Grace, mercy and peace be with you all.

Done in convention at Northfield, Mass., August 14, 1885, D.L. Moody presiding.

Pierson’s Conviction. Goforth’s Conviction. Paul’s Conviction.

That’s the book that had predisposed Goforth to his conviction regarding the necessity of prayer. But that conviction didn’t begin with Pierson. That conviction is Pauline.

Let’s return to Romans 15. The first paragraph involves strategic planning (15:23-29), while the second paragraph involves prayerful dependence (15:30-32). Here is the archetype pioneer missionary, and he is requesting for the prayer of God’s people. What is your reaction to that? That’s amazing! The apostle Paul is asking the simplest of Christians to pray for him.  The most uniquely-gifted, spiritually-mature, God-exalting, Spirit-empowered, experientially-successful missionary desperately needs Christians’ prayers! There is no question that Paul was called by God! No Christian has ever experienced the direct revelations from God that Paul experienced (Galatians 1:16)! No part of church history has ever recorded a more successful era of gospel advance than Paul’s missionary journeys! I say all of that to give weight to this reality: the greatest of God’s servants considered the prayers of God’s people to be absolutely essential!

(Pastor Minnick recommended that every attendee do a personal study of the several passages in the NT in which Paul requests believers to pray for him.)

What Did Paul Ask Believers to Pray for Him?

First, Paul urges believers to pray for his safety (1:31, “…that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea.”). Five of the NT passages in which Paul requests the prayer of believers include his physical safety.

Secondly, Paul asks believers to pray that his ministry would be received (1:31). He’s referring to the offering that he’s collecting among the Gentiles to provide for the needy Jewish believers in Jerusalem. This gift involved God opening the hearts of the Jewish believers to be receptive to the gift and, in doing so, accomplish something much greater: evidence the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ for the glory of God.

Thirdly, (although it’s not immediately in this passage, it is in many other passages) Paul requested believers to pray for his boldness and clarity in preaching (2 Thessalonians 3:1; Colossians 4:3-4; Ephesians 6:19-20). We need to realize that, no matter how thorough our preparation, there will be spiritual warfare going on when we preach or teach the gospel. Boldness and clarity come as a result of prayer.

Paul Urged Believers to Agonize in Prayer.

During the late 19th Century, the missions emphasis of the Student Volunteer Movement was accompanied by the holiness emphasis of the Keswick Movement that often stressed a passive “resting in Christ.” During a sermon entitled, “Resting by Faith in Christ,” a Keswick speaker challenged his audience, “I dare any one to show me a verse of Scripture that commands us to wrestle in prayer.” R. A. Torrey, who was in the audience, muttered under his breath, “Romans 15:30.” Romans 15:30 commands us to agonize in prayer (compare it with the example of Jesus in Luke 22:44).

In urging us to agonize in prayer, Paul is not teaching that God is reluctant to answer or that our agony will earn us the answer. Our agony in prayer (in my experience) relates primarily to warring against our unbelief. Because of our native unbelief, prayer becomes an agony.

Were These Prayers for Paul Answered?

We’ll look at two passages to answer that question. The first is 2 Corinthians 9:12-13. This text teaches us what Paul wanted to happen. 

“For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ.”

By the gift of money, Paul wants the Jews to be so persuaded of the work of God in the Gentiles so that they will be united with them in heart. The second passage, Acts 21:17-20, records what happened.

“When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified God.”

Prayer answered! But, remember, there were two other requests: safety and boldness. Were those answered? In every chapter for the remainder of the book of Acts, Paul is a prisoner. But when I get to the last page of the book, Paul’s in Rome. And that was the itinerary (Romans 15:24, “I hope to see you [in Rome].”). It took him a few years, but he made it. Look at the last two verses of Acts.

Even if Paul had not gotten to Rome, God still would have answered prayer. God does not always answer as we request. We must believe that whatever happens is the answer to our prayers. Whether God answers with “Yes,” “No,” or “Wait,” we must trust that God does answer. In this work of advancing the gospel, we must learn to go forward on our knees.