"Ask, Seek, Knock"

Bible Passage

Matthew 7:7–12 CSB

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Who among 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 snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. 12 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Hook (Grab Attention)

Illustration

How many of you enjoy getting the things that you have been looking forward to?

Something that you have been wanting for a while?

Book

Bible Passage

Matthew 7:7 CSB

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.

Explanation

“Ask, Seek, Knock” are ALL present imperative verbs

What does that mean?

KEEP ASKING

KEEP SEEKING

KEEP KNOCKING

WHY would Jesus say this??

because OUR Father in Heaven DELIGHTS in giving GOOD GIFTS

James 1:17 CSB

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

If there are GOOD GIFTS to be given, they are given by Our Father

they are PERFECT gifts

complete in EVERY way…from EVERY facet…on EVERY level…EVERY angle

These gifts that Our Father gives are DARKNESS!!

There is NEVER an evil intent with these gifts

There is no ulterior motive in the GIVING

God does not give gifts to “bribe” you or to “win your affections”

He is NOT underhanded with His intentions

THEY ARE GOOD AND PERFECT GIFTS

Jesus tells us to:

KEEP ASKING

KEEP SEEKING

KEEP KNOCKING

Matthew 7:8 CSB

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

“Asking”

To CRAVE/DESIRE

How bad do you crave/desire the thing you are “asking” for?

How well do you know that the One you are asking is able to do the very thing that you are asking?

Are you convinced that God can do it?

Are you ALSO convinced that His main goal is to form you into the image of Christ and that doesn’t always mean getting what you THINK you need?

To CONSULT

This “asking” also has the implication of you “consulting” with God

“Father, SHOULD I do this?”

“Father, what do you think about this situation?”

“Father, HOW should I move in this situation?

Do you CONSULT with God before you do a thing, or are you presumptuous?

presumption will cause us to get into some pretty sticky situations.

Do you have a CRAVING to CONSULT with God about any and everything?

“Seeking”

A DESIRE to DISCOVER

You are LOOKING for something

What does your heart desire to discover?

Are those things merely rooted in this world or do you have a desire and a passion to discover God?

Are you settling for lesser pleasures?

Jesus says that if you SEEK, you WILL FIND!!

“Knocking”

When you are knocking on a door, what is typically your reason for doing so?

You are PRESSING in to join their PRESENCE…

Do you find yourself always knocking on the door of some THING that you are wanting, or are you knocking on the door of Our Father because you want to sit in His presence?

Are you more concerned with “knocking” for God to show you a DEED or are you “knocking” to God to teach you His WAYS IN HIS PRESENCE??

Jesus tells us that if you’ll “keep knocking”, the door WILL be opened…

Matthew 7:9 CSB

9 Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

Who would do something like that??

Your OLD father, the devil, the dragon, that old serpent...

He will give you something that LOOKS like a “good gift”, ESPECIALLY by your OWN ESTIMATION…

a round loaf of bread, in those days, looked like a stone…

The enemy will give you something that LOOKS like it’s nourishing, but it will break your teeth out and have you looking like a fool in the end.

This is NOT SO with OUR FATHER…

Matthew 7:11 CSB

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.

If we, in ALL of our being JACKED UP, know how to give a good gifts, how much more does OUR FATHER know, and He is PERFECT, and HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, and JUST, and GOOD, and FAITHFUL, and HE IS LOVE, ESPECIALLY TO HIS OWN CHILDREN!

Illustration

Look

Application

Do you KEEP ASKING?

Are you CRAVING TO CONSULT with God??

Do you KEEP SEEKING?

Are you DESIRING to DISCOVER??

Do you KEEP KNOCKING?

Are you PRESSING to get into HIS PRESENCE?

Jesus is expressing and explaining the Kingdom of God…

What He is telling us that we need to have conversations with Our Father in EVERY aspect and with every intention that we have…

Took

Challenge Application

I want to challenge us all this week to BE CONSCIOUS of what we are CRAVING before God in our conversations with Him?

ARE WE CRAVING HIM, by ASKING?

ARE WE CONSCIOUSLY DESIRING to DISCOVER MORE OF GOD, by SEEKING??

Are you PRESSING to get into His presence, by KNOCKING??

Pray for Holy Spirit to show you where you are lacking in these areas and pray that Holy Spirit will teach you how to practice His presence.

PRAY/TALK WITH JESUS

GET INTO YOUR BIBLE…AND GET YOUR BIBLE INTO YOU.