Ask, Seek, Knock

Intro:

Sam: ask, seek, knock for a hotwheels car. Did I give it to him? no. He can’t learn how to wear me down. Do I not give good gifts? Contemplating passage.

Ask, seek and knock- and you’ll recieve. However, our experience is that we often don’t. Often we have had a painful experience of not recieving. This passage has, at times, been taught poorly if not falesly. Like God might be a pokies machine and if you keep persisting you’ll get lucky. Or in a way that God can be worn down and give into your wants so long as you keep badgering him. That’s just not true. Worse yet, some teach this that- you’ll recieve, so long as you have enough faith. That teachings wrong, and without time to unpack, the simple reason is that it’s just not up to you. If you could ‘pray enough’ to do anything, then the power and glory would be yours. And that’s just wrong.

Let’s turn back to our passage and I’d like to unpack it for you today. Verse 7 & 8.

Matthew 7:7–8 ESV

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Jesus provides us a poem, that he says in repitition, he repeats himself, which is a common Rabbinic teaching technique. He gives us three actions: ask, seek and knock which are presented in a sense of ascending urgency. Each of the actions are presented in presernt tense which infers a continous action. Ask, seek, knock- not once, but always. So what does this mean? It’s a teaching on prayer and what prayer for the christian should look like, but I’d like to unpack each of those actions for us today. Let’s first look at ‘Ask’.

1. Ask

Asking is the only verbal action. When you pray, speak it. Or, outwardly express it. Jesus instructed us in the previous chapter that when we pray, we should pray to our heavenly Father. I wonder though, if you’ve ever thought: “Why do we need to outwardly express to our Heavenly Father, who is described at ‘omniscient’ (All-Knowing)”. I think prayer is sometimes misrepresented in its purpose. The Pharisees (religious leaders of Jesus’ day) approached pray as a religious activity required for legalistic reasons but also for growing status- its why they prayed openly and publicly on street corners. Prayer isn’t for us to tell God what God already knows, nor is it for showing off how religious we are. Instead prayer is for having communion with God and for our own discipleship to Jesus and our santification (process becoming clean or holy).

Okay, so prayer isn’t just a tick-and-flick deal, it’s for knowing God better and becoming more like Him. That’s an important premise for answering the next question: why then do we not recieve what we ask for? One reason could be what James writes in his letter:

James 4:2–3 ESV

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

We don’t recieve because we don’t ask- God is drawing us to seek after Him. However, James also says we don’t recieve when we do ask because we ask wrongly, with wrong intentions. James talks about murder and fighting but in other words- forcing a result, taking rather than waiting. Have you ever considered you might be praying wrongly? If we are sinful, falliable beings- then that’s definitely possible. However, I think God actually anticipated that, it’s likely why Paul writes this in Romans 8

Romans 8:26–27 ESV

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

The Holy Spirit was described to us as a Helper. Someone to come and fill us with power, and to help us follow Jesus. God knows us, weaknesses and all. He knows that often when we pray, it’s half-distracted, half-hearted or half-asleep. So Holy Spirit prays for us on our behalf, He prays for what we need, how we should. It’s God’s grace and kindness to us, helping us even in our fickleness.

Prayer is one of the tools provided to us, to become more like Jesus, or holy. What I don’t mean is that the more you pray, you grow in equal amounts in holiness. People who pray the most aren’t always the most holy- if holy at all. Case in point- the pharisees, right.

Instead, as we draw near to Him and enter into communion with God, by praying, serving, giving and reading His Word- the more we become like Him. The more we become like Him the more we will desire for what He desires for and pray inline with His will.

Jesus calls us to ask from God for what we need, and this teaching is found amongst a full script on how to follow Him and live like Him. There’s an assumption that we will be asking of God, amidst a discipleship journey to Him. What we need most in our discipleship to Jesus, the Father is willing and able to give to those who ask.

Ultimately, the process of asking grows a realisation in the christian of their deep need for Him. Genuine prayer develops dependance, and we begin to, with all that we have, seek after Him.

2. Seek

“Seek and you shall find”- so what is it we are to be seeking? It is God Himself. God is not hiding from you, no matter who you consider yourself to be or what you have done. He has displayed His love for you in everything, from the stars hung in the heavens, to the breath in your lungs to the Saviour He sent to die for you on the cross. If you’re having a hard time finding God, the question then begs- are you really seeking Him or are you seeking something from Him. After all, if we can ask wrongly, coluld we assume we might seek wrongly also? So, how do we seek Him?

Seeking is an activity of the mind. If you remember from my last sermon on Treasures in Heaven, the mind is often associated with the eye. Where our eyes look, our body naturally follows- where our mind is, our desires generally go.

God speaks to us, in great length, in His Word about ensuring our minds are seeking after Him. Paul encourages us to “take every thought captive”, Joshua instructs the Israelites after Moses’ death to “meditate on God’s Word night and day”. A person who desires God, who wants to know and be known by Him, who desires to ask according to His will, will seek to set their mind on Him. If you seek His truth in His Word you will find it, if you set your mind on Him you will find Him.

It’s worth taking a moment to speak to the opposite, because it is true also. Again, the Pharisees are a great example. They did all the right behaviours- praying, giving, fasting, reading. But their mind was set on earthly things: their own social standing, success, wealth and prosperity, they sought to see themselves on the throne and in control. So, when God came in the flesh, that’s Jesus, they didn’t recognise Him. In fact, their own self-righeousness was so aggrevated by Jesus’ genuine holiness, they had Him killed.

Anyone can play the part of a good religious person, but end up being far from God when their mind is set on something else.

A few weeks ago, Ps Julie preached through the great passage of Matthew 6:33

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We are to seek first the Kingdom of God, this means putting God’s plan before our own. But we’re also called to seek “God’s righteousness”. Whilst asking is prayer spoken out loud or expressed to God, to seek God in prayer is about disciplining our thought life. Perhaps you could admit with me, you have some invasive thoughts. Thoughts you wouldn’t want to be public, perhaps that you never tell anyone. What are those thoughts? What would it looks like for you to ‘take captive’ those thoughts, like Paul says and take the moment to pray in your mind, surrendering them to God? To seek Him and His righteousness in that moment?

To seek is to pursue God with our thoughts, praying as often as we remember. Paul writes:

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 ESV

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Obviously we cannot be praying outloud without ceasing- people would think you’re crazy. Prayer is an attitude of the mind, Paul is calling us to pray as often as we can and remember to and, He says that those who pray ‘unceasing’ in this manner are people who find themsleves able “give thanks in all circumstances”. This is what scripture means when we read about God’s peace ruling out hearts. Seeking God, means you find- what do you find? That you become like Jesus.

I recently spoke to a friend who has 15 years of ministry experience. They began leading young and found for the first 10 years of their ministry work, consistantly found themselves following in the midst of failed leadership, and those leaders who hadn’t crashed out were often tried, cynical or complacent. My friend eventually burnt out and took a year sabbatical with the intention of travelling to meet christian leaders and pastors. Part of this was to try and answer the question: “What does it take to be a christian that radiates joy and hope?” You know, those christians you meet and talk with and afterwards you just think “wow, there is something different about them.” They are people of peace and hope and joy, not cynical or too comfortable or “always busy”. According to Paul, that reality is “the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. FOR you. Jesus’ promise to us is inner peace is available for those who ask, seek and knock.

He became that person.

3. Knock

Lastly, Jesus calls us to knock. One of my commentries says “what is the natural behaviour of someone who desires what is behind a door? To knock. And If the door isn’t opened? Keep knocking.” Once again, what Jesus is conveying to His listeners is the idea of continous, persistant prayer. Persistant prayer, like knocking at the door isn’t meaning an attempt to wear down God’s resistance to our answer- but to not become disheartened.

Genuine prayer is made perfect with patience. This is true because the genuiness of the prayer is tested by time. We live in a time and age of instant gratification. We hate to wait. It’s true. If we want something now and the service we are using to get it isn’t delivering- we change services. Sometimes, when we pray, and the desired result isn’t delivered within the desired timeframe- we too change service. Perhaps we could force the result, do it on our own or find something to mitigate the disappointment. When we pray like this, we are praying wrongly. We are praying like God is our dad with cash in his wallet, like the Holy Spirit is a genie of somesort or Jesus is our personal bus-boy. We are praying like we’re god and our demands best be met. Let us remind ourselves on how Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6.

Matthew 6:7–10 ESV

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

The first two things we get taught in how to pray is the basic foundation - 1. God is Holy and ought to be worshipped as such, and 2. considering that He is God, not us, it is therefore His will that ought to be done not ours. Another way of saying that, is; Recognise that God is God, then recognise where you stand in light of that truth. So what does this mean for us?

Sometimes, it means that God might be saying know- and that’s okay because He is God, not us. Secondly, it means he may be saying no for now. And that’s also okay because He is God and He knows what is best for us and when it’s best for us. Thirdly, what you want isn’t always good for you. I’m sure you’re aware- just consider any vice people have. What we think is the best thing for us, often isn’t. Lastly, prayer is like offering a gift at the altar. Now, we don’t do that anymore as a practice, but what it means is a laying down and a letting go of what we are bringing into His presence. So sometimes, God saying no or not yet is an opportunity for us to let go of what we are holding so we might be able to take hold of what he is offering. He is a good father, and he gives good gifts.

A Good Father

Matthew 7:9–11 ESV

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 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!

Jesus just called you and I evil. Oof. I looked at the greek, the original language, to sort of see- “oh did maybe the translator take a bit of liberty with this one, maybe it’s contextual??” And, ah, nope. It just means evil- that’s the literal translation. Can’t do an original language cartwheel out of this one.

You, likely, wouldn’t consider yourself evil. However, we are, all of us, sinful. The bible makes that really clear. Paul says “we all fall short of the Glory of God”. To be a “sinner” isn’t a moral judgement, it doesn’t mean everything you do is sinful or evil- even Jesus points out that “those who are evil know how to give good gifts”. Rather, it’s a relational word. Again, you might give good gifts to your children, you desire that- to love them. Yet, in the same vein, every single one of us have wronged, failed and hurt those same kids. In the same way, most of us would claim faith in God, that we love God yet would also admit- it’s a daily battle to “Seek first” His will for our lives. We are sinful. It makes more sense than, the literal definition of “sin” is to “miss the mark”, like an archer missing the target. Everything we seem to do and say feels blemished, imperfect or without clarity.

And it is also us, we who are evil, who are wayward, and fickle, and non-committal, and selfish, self-centred- sinful, if even we know how to provide for our children in our own blemished way- HOW MUCH MORE WILL HE PROVIDE FOR US? FOR YOU? FOR ME?

What hope do we have, we who are evil- sinful and selfish? We who often do good deeds badly? How can we hope to repair, un-do, the separation between us and God? It is for this truth that God the Father sent Jesus, His perfect Son, who lived a perfect life, was without sin, and- most notably, was perfectly obedient to the father. Paul writes in his letter to the colossians:

Colossians 1:21–23 ESV

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Not only has God sent Jesus to die for you, to “bridge the gap” of relationship between you and Him, but He also makes it so that you might be presented to Him as “holy and blameless”. Jesus calls us to follow after Him in the obedience He demonstrated to the Father. To ask for His will for our lives to be made known, to seek after His righteousness and the rule of His peace in our minds and to knock, waiting on His timing- not losing heart but contuing in faith “stable, steadfast and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel” the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus says:

Revelation 3:20 ESV

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The painting on the screen is of this passage, by artisit William Holman Hunt is called “The Light of the World”. William Hunt painted it with this passage in mind. Jesus knocks on an overgrown, rusted, long unopened door. Famously, William Hunt was told “you’ve made a mistake, you forgot to paint a handle”. To this he replied, “so the one within must open it”.

You’ve put up with me for half an hour, but before that we all got to witness the declaration of testimony of the power in the christ in the lives of our dear friends and their baptisms. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for all- there is power in the name to which I can testify as, like Paul, I too am a minister and give my life to this. You have witnessed it, and if you’ve yet to make that decision to follow Jesus and believe in Him for life eternal- behold, he stands and knocks at the door: you’ve but to let Him in.

Ask for gospel response.