Ask, Seek, Knock! (Shorter)

MIT: God answers to all our prayers because He is a good Father.

Introduction

Thank you(s)

“Thank you, Brother Brian Young, for entrusting me the pulpit this morning.”

“Thank you, South Quay (key) Baptist Church for having me here with you this morning.”

“On behalf of many students at Southeastern, thank you for giving to the Cooperative Program. Because of your givings, I am able to to stand here with you, today.”

If you may, turn with me to Matthew 7:7

“Today’s sermon is on the topic of prayer.”

What is Prayer?

I took the liberty of interviewing some influential Christians in history, what they though about prayer.

Here are some of their answers:

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Prayer, Definitions Of

Prayer. The chief exercise of faith, by which we daily receive God’s benefits.

John Calvin

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Institutes of Christian Religion

Prayer is the most important subject in practical religion.

J.C. Ryle

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Institutes of Christian Religion

I know of no better thermometer to your spiritual temperature than this, the measure of the intensity of your prayer.

C.H. Spurgeon

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Institutes of Christian Religion

Prayer, in many ways, is the supreme expression of our faith in God.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

What do all these men have in common? They regarded prayer as the chief manifestation of our faith.

If we were to ask Jesus, he would simply tell us to look at his life. Prayer was his No.1 non-negotiable activity.

He could go days without food or water.

He could go days without resting.

He could go days without ministering to people.

But He could not go a single day without prayer.

And yet, prayer is usually the first thing to go out in our agendas.

“My prayer this morning is that you see prayer not as another task in your agenda, but that you see God at the other end of our prayers.”

Not that you feel burden to pray more.

But that you’ll see God the Father so magnificent that you’ll be drawn to pray more to him.

“As a matter of fact, this morning I want to reassure you that God answers all our prayers, because He is a good Father.”

If you may, turn with me to Matthew 7:7-11

Matthew 7:7–11 ESV

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

God Is Inviting You To Pray (vv7-8)

The passage we just read is found, in its larger context, in what it’s known as “The Sermon on the Mount.”

If you know anything about the Sermon of the Mount, you’ll know that is a provocative sermon (in a good sense). It went against the religious culture of the day.

The Sermon of the Mount was a sermon that challenge the religious status quo of Jesus’ days.

Likewise, it challenges our own faith and Christianity.

More then inviting us to pray more, Jesus words invites us to pray better. And this morning I want to make the same plea to you.

The Invitation to Pray.

Jesus makes his invitation to anyone and everyone. - “For everyone who asks receives...” (v8)

Anybody* can have an audience before the Throne of Grace. God’s throne is not restricted to the “Christian elite”.

Students and teachers can come alike.

No religious etiquette or manners are required.

The simplest word are often the most appropriate words.

“Now, I say anyone, but if this was an advertisement about prayer, we would need to include a fine print at the bottom that says: “Some Restrictions Apply.”

The Prerequisites to Prayer

Jesus is not telling us everything there is to say about prayer.

There are, very important elements about prayer, he assumes we already know.

You have to be a member of God’s family, God’s child. That is a common thread in the Sermon of the Mount, for it is addressed to Jesus’ disciples.

Mt 5:16 “16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Mt 5:48 “48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

[The Lord’s Prayer begins] Mt 6:9 “9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”

God doesn’t answer most of the sinners’ prayers, for sin build a barrier between man and God. (Prov 15:29)

God doesn’t answer most of his children’s prayers, if they have unconfessed sins. (Ps 66:18)

You ought to pray with faith. (Jam 1:6-7)

You ought to pray according to His will. (1Jn 5:14)

“Once these prerequisites (pre|re|khue|zut) are meet, and only when these prerequisites are meet, God promises to answer our prayers.”

“For God is not merely granting you a hearing, He is inviting you into his presence!”

The Manner of our Prayer - With Perseverance

“Look how intensity escalates in these verses.”

It seems Jesus wants us to realize there are different degrees of pursuit, when it comes to prayer.

Illustration: When a child needs his mon or dad, does he quit at the first attempt?

-He ask.

-If he is not heard, he seeks.

-If he finds they are busy, he knocks!

[Then they ask you why mom and dad are locked up in their bedroom]

This is not only true of children, it is also true of adults who truly know they can’t do anything apart from God.

Example - The Canaanite Woman - Mt. 15.21-28

Matthew 15:21–28 (ESV)

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Three (3) times she came to Jesus. Each time with more boldness.

And yet, it was not her boldness that Jesus points out, but her faith!

“She persevered, not because she was bold, but because she had faith.”

(It is not like she had the gift of telemarketing)

Jesus was NOT trying to look down on her. He surely wanted to teach his disciples a lesson about faith.

Jesus also wanted to test her faith, for He knew she had plenty of faith to keep on asking.

“I wonder, how often has God not answered our prayers because we quitted too soon?”

We ask only, when we should have sought.

We seek only, when we should have knocked.

You might think, “I don’t want to come across as annoying to God.” Or, “I’ve prayed enough times about it.”

I hope you find confident in knowing that Jesus himself is asking you to persevere with Him.

[“Let me know if you need anything” story]

When listening to people’s struggles back home sometimes I say, “If you need anything, let me know.”

I know there isn’t much I can do from here. They know there isn’t much I can do for them.

Thus, my saying is nothing more than a cordiality at best, a formality at worst.

Jesus is not trying to be cordial with us. This is not a mere formality because unlike myself, He can do anything and everything!

Thats why he is not commanding you to ask, but to keep on asking.

The verbs “ask”, “seek” and “knock” are imperative, meaning it is a command.

Moreover, they are in present tense meaning, “keep on asking”.

Matthew 7:7 NLT

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

In other words, Jesus does not have a mere action in mind, but a habit, a way of life.

The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations Institutes of Christian Religion

Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.

D.L. Moody

Application

Some of you may ask me: “Does it really matter? Is prayer really going to make a difference?”

I would reply, “when did it stop making a difference?”

Persevering is not the problem for us. We do that often.

We endure strict diets and workout because we believe it will give us good health.

We endure stressful work environment because we believe it will give us a comfortable retirement plan.

We endure long nights studying because we believe a good education will open many door.

But we don’t endure in our prayers, because we don’t believe in God.

“We claim to believe him, but our prayer life says otherwise.”

May I challenged you to continue praying?

Like the Canaanite woman, I wan to encourage you to pray until one of two things happen:

God answers your prayer, in whatever fashion He desires.

God changes your heart about the think you are praying about.

God Is Inviting You To Pray With Confident (vv9-11)

Matthew 7:7 ESV

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

He guarantees to answer your prayers (v7).

Ask and you shall receive.

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and it will be opened.

Just in case you are wandering if Jesus really meant to said what he said, take a look at verse 8.

Matthew 7:8 ESV

8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

It is easy for us to overlook the fact that verses 7-8 sound repetitive.

“Well, Jesus is just saying the same thing in a different way.

Exactly! But why?

In Hebrew culture, when you wanted to emphasis somethings, you would repeat it.

Ex. “Verily, verily I say unto you...”

Ex. “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.

Jesus is eager for us to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God will answers to all our prayers.

“He wants us to know that we can approach the Throne of Grace with confident, because our Father sits on the throne.”

Because He is your Father.

Verses 9-11 grounds Jesus invitation in the sole fact that God is our Father. But not any Father, He is our Good Father.

Matthew 7:9–11 ESV

9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

For us, to see God as our Father is not uncommon. But for a first century Jew, this was inconceivable.

In the Old Testament, the attribute of God which is most highlighted is his holiness.

In the New Testament, however, the attribute of God which is most highlighted is his love.

God is portrait as a loving God who is willing to do the unimaginable to redeem his people.

Moreover, he is a Father whom is eager to adopt his enemies as his children.

“You sum up the whole of New Testament teaching in a single phrase, if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator. In the same way, you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father.” - J.I. Packer - “Knowing God”

“Father” is the Christian name for God. - J.I. Packer

“Your Heavenly Father is so loving that he desires nothing but good for you.”

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Now, I know God is not talking to South Quay Baptist Church, but to an Israel in exiled.

However, is not the God of Israel the same God of South Quay Baptist Church?

Would God do less for the bride of his Son? His very children?

“For what would He not now give to [his] sons when they ask, when He has already granted this very thing, namely, that they might be [his] sons?” - St. Augustine

But I may as, is there someone here today whom God has not granted this very thing? To be his son/daughter?

You see, when God spoke these words to Israel, they were in a serious pickle.

Their sin and disobedience lead them to a state of suffering.

You could say, in a way, they were cast away from God.

But there was still hope. If they only called upon God!

Jeremiah 29:12–13 ESV

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Are you searching for God?! Here is the key! Here is the invite! Search him with all your heart!

[Briefly Present the Gospel]

“If you are not among God’s children today, these are the prayer God cannot turn down.”

Because He knows what we need.

God desires nothing but good for us. But here is the problem: Our definition of good is not the same as God’s.

We think...

To be healthy is a good thing.

To have financial stability is a good thing.

To fulfill your desires is a good thing.

But sometimes,

God prospers our spiritual life through financial hardship.

God heals our soul through our illness.

God satisfies us when we have nothing left but Him.

Moreover, we don’t even know what is good for us!

Sometimes we think we are asking God for bread, but He knows we are actually asking for stones.

Sometimes we think we are asking God for fishes, but He knows we are actually asking for serpents.

Sometimes we complain to God because he’s given us stones, when in fact He is giving us fishes.

Sometimes we complain to God because he’s given us serpents, when in fact He is giving us bread.

Like the child who complains to his mother that the medicine she is giving him has a bad taste, when in fact could save his life.

“We simply don’t know what is best for us, but our Father does.”

My Favorite Illustrations Prayer

I have lived to thank God that all my prayers have not been answered [granted].

—Jean Ingelow

Here is the bottomline:

“No matter what God sends your way, it is good for you.”

Look at Paul for example…

2 Corinthians 12:8–9

8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul plead God to remove a “thorn in the flesh”.

God denied his request.

Paul rejoices in the suffering God has inflicted on him.

Brother and Sisters, a denied prayer is as much as blessing as a granted prayer.

That cancer of yours, may be a blessing from God.

Perhaps losing your job during the pandemic was an act of God’s grace towards you.

Remember: The greatest blessings in the history of mankind came as a result of a prayer denied.

Matthew 26:39 ESV

39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Jesus knows what it’s like to have your prayers denied.

Jesus knows what is like to feel forsaken as he pleaded to his Father.

But He also knows God the Father is a good Father. He did it all out of love for you and me.

Conclusion - Invitation

“My brothers and sisters at South Quay Baptist Church, I don’t know what you have been praying for this past few years as a church. I don’t know what you’ve been asking God lately. But I want to encourage you to keep on praying!”

If you need to ask, ASK!

if you need to seek, SEEK!

If you need to knock, KNOCK!

“Take Jesus’s word for it, and pray with the confident that our Father is eager to answer your prayers.”