Luk 11,1-11 Ask, search, knock
SERMON/PREDIGT WORKSHEET
Date: August 19, 2007 Where: SHMC Words:
Sermon Title: Ask, Search, Knock
Text: Lukas 11: 1-11
W. L: Vic Toews
Often when we pray
We come before God
With our wishlist of hopes and dreams
Of things we want God to do for us.
Sometimes we really want to tell God
What he should do and how he should answer our prayers.
Shadowlands is a powerful movie
Based on the life of C.S. Lewis.
In one scene Lewis has just return from London to Oxford.
Thru interesting circulmstances he met Joy Gresham,
And American woman who was interested in his writings.
Later on in the story
Lewis marries Joy Gresham in a private ceremony
In her hospital room, since she has developed cancer.
Thru her illness,
A strong bond of friendship has developed
And they discover the profound love
That they now share for each other.
After the wedding,
As Lewis returns to the College in Oxford where he teaches,
Harry Harrington, and episcopalian Priest
Ask what news he has.
Lewis decides to share about the wedding
And not the cancer.
And he says, “Ah, good news, I think, Harry.
“Yes, good news.”
Harrington doesn’t know about the wedding and assumes
That Lewis is referring to Joy’s improving condition.
And he responds,
“I know how much you have prayed…
Now God has answered your prayer.”
And Lewis answers,
“That is not why I pray, Harry.
I pray, because I cannot help myself.
I pray because I’m helpless and needy
Whether I wake or sleep.
It doesn’t change God;
It changes me.”
Prayer doesn’t change God…
It changes me!
Often when we pray
We attempt to convince God to do it our way –
Or at least to influence God’s thoughts.
Especially when we pray for the health of loved one…
How many of us have not agonized in prayer
Like Jesus in the garden,
“If it is possible,
Let this cup pass me by.”
And reluctantly we add,
“but… not my will…”
And we wrestle with that lump in our throat…
“but your will be done.”
It just doesn’t seem natural
To submit our needs -
That we can see and feel –
To the will of a God that we cannot see.
Jesus’ disciples must have felt that too
When they sais to him,
“Master, teach us to pray.”
“We don’t know how to pray
In order to change God –
Or at least in order to influence God’s will.”
“So, teach us.”
And Jesus taught them
What we know today as “the Lord’s Prayer”.
And then he followed that up with a parable.
The parable of the “annoying friend at midnight”.
Luke 11:5-13
5-6Then he said,
"Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend
in the middle of the night and said,
'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread.
An old friend traveling through just showed up,
and I don't have a thing on hand.'
7"The friend answers from his bed,
'Don't bother me. The door's locked;
my children are all down for the night;
I can't get up to give you anything.'
8"But let me tell you,
even if he won't get up because he's a friend,
if you stand your ground,
knocking and waking all the neighbors,
he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
As a background to the story of Jesus
Let me say that in Palestine
People would often travel at night
To avoid the exhausting heat during the day.
Also, hospitality was holy duty
for every person in the Middle East.
It was not enough to just give a traveller “whatever”…
Like the left-overs, or something like that.
It was the duty of the host to make the guest
As comfortable as possible –
In fact to go out of his way
To ensure that the guest was well taken care of.
In the case of this friend,
His family had consumed all the bread they had for that day.
There was nothing left.
And so, he found himself in an embarassing situation
Because he could not provide
For the unexpected traveller.
As late as it was
He ran over to his friends house in the hope to see
That his candle was still burning.
But it was dark,
And the door was locked.
In the Middle East,
When the door was locked for the night,
It was like having a big “do not disturb” sign
Hanging on your door knob.
A house that was locked for the night was not to be bothered
Except in an extreme emergency.
All day long there was not much privacy,
And the door to the single-room house was always open…
Except when it was closed for the night.
Once the door was shut
It was a sign that now you have to respect
The privacy of those who live there.
But the Friend in need comes and knocks anyway…
He is persistent.
Even annoying…
The greek translation says, “Shameless”.
He’s got no shame.
He knocks and knocks.
And his knocking gets so loud,
That someone’s ready to call the caps.
“Man, leave me alone,” says the friend who was asleep.
“You’re waking my wife and children…
And the neighbor’s dog is already barking…
You’re disturbing the whole neighborhood.”
But, with shameless persistence
The friend in need insists on getting
A few loaves of bread.
This man is determined.
And he’s not going to give up
Until he gets what he needs.
Now, if a reluctant friend
Will finally get up in the end,
And help out his annoying friend –
If nothing else, just to get some peace –
How much more will God,
Who loves us infinitely
Give us everything that we need.
And Jesus says,
9"Here's what I'm saying:
Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.
10-13"Don't bargain with God.
Be direct.
Ask for what you need.
This is not a cat-and-mouse,
hide-and-seek game we're in.
Sometimes we have the feeling that
God really lets us wait long for an answer.
We sometimes wonder
If our prayers even make it to the ceiling.
Can you really influence the heart and mind
and eternal plan of God
through persistent, passionate and unrelentless prayer?
Or is it more often than not,
That “Prayer doesn’t change God.
But it changes us?”
Prayer changes how we see things…
The expectations that we come away with in the end…
Do you sense the tension between C.S. Lewis’s experience
And the point of the parable?
Jesus says,
Ask… and do not stop asking!
Listen to Eugene Peterson’s version in the Message,
Don't bargain with God.
Be direct.
Ask for what you need.
This is not a cat-and-mouse,
hide-and-seek game we're in.
In other words,
Bring your prayers and petitions before God,
In total dependence on his grace and mercy,
Knowing that He is able to do it.
Be unashamed in bringing your requests before God.
(This is different from attempting to manipulate God
Into doing what we want).
Step into God’s presence with confidence
And trust that He will provide
So much more than all we ask or imagine.
Ask… and you will get.
Seek… and do not give up searching.
Sometimes God’s answer is so obvious
Right in front of our eyes
That we miss it.
Often God has a different answer in mind
Than what we expect
Or that we are able to imagine.
God’s ways are infinitely higher than our ways.
God sees things that remain a mystery to us.
Often we stop looking for answers
Just before we reach the promised land.
“Seeking” and “searching” implies
That we are actively engaged in finding the answer.
We can’t just abandon our prayer before God and say,
“I’ve done my part.
Now it’s up to God to deliver.”
The searching friend in our story
Was ready to knock down some doors
And raid his friend’s fridge if he had to.
He went to the one who could answer his need
And insisted on an answer until he got it.
Only when we earnestly search the depths of God’s wisdom
Will we find the answer to all our needs.
Knock… and keep on knocking.
The persistent knocking at the door of the sleeping friend
Keeps getting louder
Until he finally gets up
To provide the help
That is in his hands to give.
So God also gives us…
Not always what we want
But always what we need.
And our lives will be transformed
As we place ourselves in the will of the one
Who directs time and eternity.
If your little boy asks for a serving of fish,
do you scare him with a live snake on his plate?
If your little girl asks for an egg,
do you trick her with a spider?
As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing—
you're at least decent to your own children.
And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love
will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"
When we come to God
In the depth of our utter dependence on him
We will come to realize that prayer is not about
Getting all the items on our wishlist checked off.
But rather we will realize that God is a God of love
Who hears our asking,
Who gives us clues and points the way in our searching,
And who answers our knocking.
God isn’t changed by our prayers.
But, the experience of surrendering our lives…
Our heart and soul…
Our abilities to do for ourself…
Our pride…
Into God’s hands…
That experience changes us
And enables us to receive with open hands
What God so much wants to give us.