Great Expectations
Notes
Transcript
Introduction- Great Expectations
Introduction- Great Expectations
“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. 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!
Great Expectations-Matthew 7:7-11
The Sermon on the Mount calls us to a different way of living, Persistent Praying Pays Off !
Prayers-Why
Prayers-Why
some may ask why pray; is praying really important? What does prayer truly accomplish? Does God care about my prayers?
These are great questions and are not new to the believer. Even people outside the faith ask the same questions.
Lee Strobel did and incredible job in Case for Miracles and give accounts of how skeptics became convinced of the reality of God and how God powerfully works miracles and answers prayers.
Before i elaborate on with I feel we should pray; I just want to set one scripture before us which gives me comfort knowing God answers prayer.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
You don’t have to believe any of my ramblings about this but hold on to God’s Word John says God hears us and He will act on the request we make to Him.
This proves God answers prayer; God is both Transcendent and imminent. Yes He is High above the heavens; however at the same time He is near us and with us.
That’s great news for many of you; you have been waiting on God to move on your behalf. You have prayers that need to be answered; John says God hears and knows and will act.
when i look back over my life, i can see answered prayer. My life is a sum total of prayers from my Grandmothers Bertha and Odessa praying for me. My parents praying for me, I know God answers prayers.
Years ago i adopted this method of writing out prayer cards; it was mentioned in the Book a praying life by Paul Miller. When people would ask for prayer I write it on a note card and store them away in a box that Has 1 John 5:13-15 written on it. I would write and write; prayers for family, my wife, my kids. . . . friends. I pray and put it in the box. Life was still going on, prayers were being answered right before my eyes and i did not realize nor see the hand of God moving. .
until I opened the box and was looking at request i had made. Card after card. . . God had moved.
relationship prayers- financial prayers- salvation prayers-
prayers for healing. . and then there were some that would have to be seemingly miraculous.
One young family was told they would never be able to have children. They took every test, medicine everything and nothing,
We began to pray. . weeks and months. . she was heading in to have procedure done to try again; the morning she goes in; the doctor say ooo-oh!!! We are not going to be able to do this, she momentarily defeated. . . the doctor interrupts and says: “there is a baby inside”
Everyone was amazed. . shocked. . doctors could not believe it.
I saw the card and saw another answered prayer
Then there are others that I am still waiting on God to move. Some have not been answered but i continue to pray. . because I am a witness that He will answer.
Now before we move to the next point.. let me be clear about the two extremes that exist when it comes to prayer.
Some believe for too little from God; while others believe in a transactional God.
Some believers enthusiasm for prayer have been trampled by those who claim we should only pray to God for the salvation of Souls. We pray that the Gospel goes forth to open the eyes of the spiritually blind.
The transactional side believes God is obligated to act on their behalf; They see God as Jackpot Jesus and a Slot-machine saviour.
The next point is going to tell us to keep asking , keep seeking keep knocking!!
God can do exceedingly and abundantly above all. . . He will supply all of our needs . . I always come into His presence expecting for Him to move. . . .
however He moves on His own timing.
Many of you ought to be thankful that God did not answer some of your prayers. I am certain we all have asked for things, opportunities, relationships, resources that would not have been for our good.
We wasn’t ready for those request, some of those request would have taken us out. . some of those people would have run us into the Ground . . some of those opportunities would have put us in financial ruin.... But praise be to God!!!
He knows what we need. .
Persistence: v.7-8
Persistence: v.7-8
“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.
Pay Off: v.9-11
Pay Off: v.9-11
God gives good gifts, even better than what we give to our own
the benevolence of God:
“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
God gives good gifts as it relates back to mat 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
This doesn’t mean we get everything we ask for. Many times, prayers are unanswered because we ask for stuff that ain’t good for us. We don’t share God’s perspective of what’s good.
every good and perfect gift comes from above, first and foremost is God’s desire for our salvation. Psalm 103 gives great perspective for how God operates. How He richly lavishes His Goodness on us
Forget not all. . . ALL His benefits
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
We look for God to only give us material blessings: which He is capable of doing. He can do exceedingly and abundantly above all-yes. . . there are spiritual blessing we look over and don’t value as much as the tangible things we can see.
Spiritual blessings-
daily forgiveness, deliverance from evil, peace, the increase of faith, hope and love, in fact the indwelling work of ‘the Holy Spirit’ as the comprehensive blessing of God
I don’t know about you but I want it all!!