Ask, Seek, Knock

Intro

Opening Story/Illustration: I remember when I was a kid my family and I a few times went on vacation to Panama City. And there is a place there called the Grand Maze. Think like rats being experimented on, only it is done with people. It’s these big white fences made into this massive maze. It takes a long time to get out. You run into a lot of dead ends. Sometimes we felt like giving up. But they had these like observation towers throughout it. They were like check points. They towered above the maze and you could get to them and then you could get sort of a bird’s-eye-view of the maze. It was easier to sort of map out a plan from there, but it was still really difficult.

Life can feel this way sometimes. It’s often referred to as a “Rat Race.” Like we’re all in a big maze trying to find our way around. We run into dead ends, get lost, and struggle to find our way often. Sometimes we hit moments of clarity where we can see a little further ahead, but many times we feel like we are wandering.

This time of life can often feel that way - this 18-40 period - we feel like we are trying to figure things out and we wander around a bit, trying to follow God.

We use terms like “Adulting” and “Quarter life crisis” or “mid-life crisis” to refer to those moments in life where we feel lost or like we keep running into a dead end.

Transition to text: What do we do in those moments? When life feels like a maze. I want to submit that in those moments we remember that we are not alone.

Tonight our text is found in

Matthew 7:7–11 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. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

We are in the last chapter of the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus has been talking to us about what it means to be a part of His kingdom.

He has laid out what kind of people we should be. He has told us the things that we should practice like prayer, giving, and fasting.

He has reminded us not to worry and to be self-aware (aware of our own issues) rather than looking down at everyone else.

This week he’s going to remind us that in the middle of the issues of life, He is good.

Points

God is a good father who answers when we pray

This is the whole point of this passage - It’s a reminder that God is Good.

This passage is about prayer, but it is about much more than that. It is included in Luke’s gospel right after the Lord’s prayer.

He says, You guys, as horrible as you are, you take care of your children. When they ask for something, you give to them.

Don’t you think God is better than you are? If you’re horrible and you take care of your kids, won’t God answer and take care of you?

We often struggle to know if our prayers even make a difference!

This reminds us of the passage we read a few weeks ago about worry - Where Jesus poses a set of questions. Here he poses another set to point out God’s goodness.

We pray and pray and pray and we often wonder if God is even hearing us.

We can get ourselves to the place where we want to give up and not pray because we think - It’s not making any difference anyway!

We often use guilt to try and make people pray more.

Like you should feel bad if you aren’t praying 8 hours a day

Or our should feel terrible about yourself if you don’t want to rush home and get to the prayer closet - Are you even saved?!!??

But notice what Jesus uses here as the motivation - The goodness of God.

He says, You guys, as horrible as you are, you take care of your children. When they ask for something, you give to them.

Don’t you think God is better than you are? If you’re horrible and you take care of your kids, won’t God answer and take care of you?

This reminds us of the passage we read a few weeks ago about worry - Where Jesus poses a set of questions. Here he poses another set to point out God’s goodness.

Jesus is saying that God is a good father who gives good gifts to those who ask! So ask away!

But all of this poses a deeper question - Why does it feel like sometimes God doesn’t answer or at least not the way we wanted?

There isn’t an easy answer for this.

I think this is why Jesus is reminding us to rest in the goodness of God.

There’s an old song that says this, “When you can’t see His hand, trust his heart.” I think we have to trust that God is good.

We also have to realize that what we think is the good gift may not be the good gift.

One commentator put it this way: The “good gifts” God gives include everything that pertains to seeking first his kingdom and its righteousness (6:33).91 They do not necessarily correspond to everything for which we ask. The commands of vv. 7–8 are in the present tense, suggesting persistent prayer over a period of time. “It” in v. 7 is somewhat misleading. The word does not refer to any particular thing requested but forms part of a divine passive construction that means ask and God will give you [what he deems best].

The “good gifts” God gives include everything that pertains to seeking first his kingdom and its righteousness (6:33).91 They do not necessarily correspond to everything for which we ask. The commands of vv. 7–8 are in the present tense, suggesting persistent prayer over a period of time. “It” in v. 7 is somewhat misleading. The word does not refer to any particular thing requested but forms part of a divine passive construction that means ask and God will give you [what he deems best].

Illustration: My daughter’s birthday is in a few weeks and she could ask for a tesla, but she’s not getting one. Even if I had the money. She might think it’s a good gift - But everyone knows you don’t gift a four year old a car. They would hurt themselves. She might not understand this, but her parents do.

Our Good Father answers when we pray.

This passage is about prayer, but it is about much more than that.

We often struggle to know if our prayers even make a difference!

We pray and pray and pray and we often wonder if God is even hearing us.

We can get ourselves to the place where we want to give up and not pray because we think - It’s not making any difference anyway!

Sometimes what we ask for, thinking that it is good, in God’s eyes isn’t so good.

We often use guilt to try and make people pray more.

Like you should feel bad if you aren’t praying 8 hours a day

Or our should feel terrible about yourself if you don’t want to rush home and get to the prayer closet - Are you even saved?!!??

But notice what Jesus uses here as the motivation - The goodness of God.

God sees things we don’t see. He knows things we don’t know.

Don’t you think God is better than you are? If you’re horrible and you take care of your kids, won’t God answer and take care of you?

It may feel like we didn’t get what we wanted, but God is good. We have to trust his character and his plan. This isn’t easy. This isn’t what we want to hear when someone passes away or the money or job doesn’t come through.

This reminds us of the passage we read a few weeks ago about worry - Where Jesus poses a set of questions. Here he poses another set to point out God’s goodness.

I’m not here tonight to give you cheap, easy answers - Sometimes I’m not sure there is a good answer - But I am here to remind you of the goodness of God.

Jesus is saying that God is a good father who gives good gifts to those who ask - So ask. Seek. Knock.

This I know, this you can stand on - God is good. God loves you. God is working.

God is a Good Father who Shows us what we didn’t see before

We said this is about prayer, But I believe this passage is about more than prayer.

The three commands here: Ask, Seek, Knock - are about venturing forward into life with God.

Asking leads to receiving, seeking leads to finding something.

This brings us to the question of - “What exactly are we to seek?”

reminds us that we are to first of all Seek God’s kingdom.

Matthew 6:33 NLT

33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

If we seek God and his Kingdom, we will find it.

This opens up a way of living that we previously did not see before.

A way of living that seems upside down to the world.

A way of living where we the

The world sees power and money and pleasure as the things to pursue, but in God’s kingdom as we seek him, we find that our world is turned upside down - That the way we think about power and money and pleasure changes.

This takes us back to the first part of the Sermon - and we are reminded that in Seeking God we find a better way of living. A way we could not see before.

A way of loving our enemies

A way of humility

A way of Showing mercy

A way of peace

A way of purity

Illustration: A few weeks ago while I was on vacation I was in the room with my son as he was taking a nap and I turned on the movie “Tomorrowland.” It’s sort of based off of Walt Disney’s idea that technology would create a wonderful future. There is this girl in the movie and she is taken into “Tomorrowland” and she realizes that there is more to life than what she has been seeing. There is a better world. This is the Kingdom of God - Not that technology is going to save us - But that because of Jesus there is a better world. One that isn’t just coming, but one that is partially already here. A world that we can participate in. It’s called the Kingdom of God.

If we seek we will find this better world. This better kingdom. This better way of living. A way we didn’t not see before!

God is a Good Father gives us access where we were shut out before

The idea here of knocking is interesting

Closed Doors are normally there to keep people on the outside out and on the inside in.

They are also used as a means of entrance.

The whole New Testament is clear - There was once a time when we were on the outside.

In John Jesus tells us that He is the door.

In the book Ephesians Paul tells us that once we were on the outside, but because of Jesus we have been brought near to God.

Through Jesus, God, has given us access to things we were Shut out from before.

Access to salvation

Access to the power of the Holy Spirit

Access to his help and his provision

Access to the community of believers - The Kingdom of God

Illustration: Last year I went to a High school graduation for Isaiah Stewart. If you know His dad, Loyd Stewart, is like high up in the Sheriff’s department. He at the time was the director of Safe schools I believe. So he was in charge of all the security at the local schools. We went to this graduation and we got there early - and we walked in like this special entrance, escorted by an officer. We came into an empty arena and were told we could sit anywhere we wanted. They asked us if we wanted any water and treated us like we were royalty. Normally, I would have had to wait in the crowd, watch a fight or two, etc. But because I was with Loyd, I had access to places I previously was shut out from.

Jesus gives you and me access to places we previously were shut out from!

He’s summoning us and saying - Knock!

He’s got more for you - Knock

Some of you quit because you came upon what you thought was a wall - It’s a door, knock!

I’m not making this out to be some - Knock and God’s gonna give you a better job...

But there are things God wants to do in your life - Things God wants to show you and do though you and in you. Places Jesus wants to take you..

But you gotta knock.

Conclusion

Here’s the bottom line - We serve a good God who answers when we pray, shows us what we didn’t see before, and gives us access to places we couldn’t go before. Ask. Seek. Knock. Go after God.

When life feels like it’s a maze - Ask, seek, knock.

I want to close tonight with a quote from Martin Luther: "The World is insane. It tries to get rid of its insanity by the use of wisdom and reason; and it looks for many ways and means, for all sorts of help and advice on how to escape the distress. But the shortest and surest way is to go into a little room or a corner and there to open your heart and to pour it out before God, filled with complaints and sighs, but also with confidence and trust that as your faithful heavenly Father He wants to give you His help and advice in this distress." - Martin Luther

Tonight I want us to find our own little corner and ask, seek, and knock for a moment. Let God show you some things maybe you didn’t see before. Let Him give you access to something you didn’t have before.