05_38 Luke 11:5-13
Notes
Transcript
Engage
We find ourselves in the middle of a small mini-series on Prayer.
The last few sections we’ve read through as well as this segment describe how we are to relate to God and those around us.
Last week Eric led us through the Lord’s Prayer with the goal of helping us take a step back and see it in a fresh light - to see its beauty.
Jesus challenges us to call God our “Father”
to view him as that loving, caring, Father.
He invites us to align ourselves with God’s purpose & plan BEFORE asking for our petitions.
**TRANS - What we’re going to do today is take a look at a couple of illustrations Jesus uses to help us understand how we are to approach God in prayer.
I LOVE this about Jesus - There’s no confusion, doubting, or second-guessing about how we are to relate to God!
Depending on what tradition you come from, you may have different understandings on HOW we are to come to God.
God is Holy, Other, Separate - approach with humility & caution. Not to be truffled with.
God is Love, Friend, Father, Abba (pappa) - approach like a child, no wrong way.
Tension
If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ve heard us use the language of “unbeliefs”.
All of us have truths that we struggle to believe.
We tend to know they are true but we struggle to functionally live that way.
Exercise and good diet.
Reading our Bible & Praying every day
God made us in His image, we are worthy and loved.
Or we know that something is untrue but we still find ourselves believing it.
Don’t have to look far in today’s culture of “Fake News” or Misinformation.
It’s absolutely clear that our culture has unbeliefs about God and Prayer, but I wonder how many of us here are holding on to these same untruths?
For Example:
Untruths about God & Prayer
Untruths about God & Prayer
We believe that God is too busy to deal with our concerns.
We believe that God is too busy to deal with our concerns.
He’s got bigger things to care for than my petty issues.
Who am I that he would listen to my prayers.
We believe that God only answers the prayers of those who deserve it.
We believe that God only answers the prayers of those who deserve it.
I am too sinful.
I’ve failed Him too many times.
Why would He answer my prayers after what I’ve done?
We believe that God is unable or unwilling to answer our prayers.
We believe that God is unable or unwilling to answer our prayers.
God either can’t help or he doesn’t want to.
I’ve prayed before, He’s never answered.
I’m just wasting my time.
At best I am doubtful that I will receive what I ask for.
He’s just going to do what He wants to do, whether or not I pray.
We believe that God is withholding or vindictive.
We believe that God is withholding or vindictive.
He won’t give that to me after what I’ve done.
He only answers the prayers of special people.
**TRANS - Let’s take a look at Luke 11:5-13 and see how Jesus taught his disciples to view and approach God in prayer..
Teach
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves,
for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’?
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
Imagine for one moment that you’re climbing into bed, a little later than normal, and you hear a knock on your door.
You’re a little annoyed but you climb out to go see who it is.
When you open the door you realize it’s a very dear friend who’s passing through town and needs a place to crash.
His phone died, he couldn’t phone ahead to let you know he was coming.
As you welcome him in, you realize that you have no food in the house.
It’s way too late and there are no grocery stores open.
Your friend looks like he hasn’t eaten in days and is starving.
It’s obviously way too late to ask a neighbor for help, but what other option do you have?
You’re stuck in a nightmarish midnight “would you rather”
Would you rather be a bad host or a bad neighbor?
If you’re a bad host EVERYONE’s going to hear about it.
If you’re a bad neighbor, your neighbor’s going to hate you.
How many of you would rather be a bad host? Bad neighbor?
In Jesus’ day, being a good host to those passing through was extremely important.
But waking his neighbor meant waking the entire family.
One big room
Slept on mats on the floor together.
Doors were loud
Not to mention, just by knocking he made the problem his neighbor’s problem.
Now his neighbor is the bad host if he doesn’t help.
This man was stuck between two bad options!
Can you feel the awkward?
How many of you feel awkward asking a waiter for a refill?
How about asking someone to move out of your assigned seat on an airplane?
Jesus tells his disciples that the neighbor WILL get up and he WILL lend the bread.
Why? because he’s a friend? No!
Solely because the man will continue to knock until he gets what he needs.
The word Luke uses for the man’s persistence is “Anaideian”
ESV translates it “Impudence”
Others use “Persistence”
The Gk word is a unique combination of Shamelessness and Boldness.
The point is not that we need to pester God until He gives us what we need...
The point is that if this annoyed neighbor will respond to shameless boldness, How much more will God, the perfect neighbor, gladly give what we need?
Jesus invites us to approach God with the same Shameless Boldness.
You and I can approach God at any time, in any place.
We can ask Him for something serious or something that seems trivial
We don’t have to worry about him getting annoyed or angry with us.
He’s not going to hold it over us.
He’s not put out by our request.
He is waiting eagerly for us to come and ask!
I have nothing to be ashamed of.
I have nothing to be afraid of.
He’s my Father.
**TRANS - Let’s read on..
9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Grammatically, the Gk has this as a separate idea.
The language of Asking & Knocking makes it sound like it belongs to the previous segment, but it’s a unique thought.
In this next illustration Jesus tells us bluntly to Ask, Seek, and Knock.
There are two significant challenges for you and me here today.
(1) Jesus invites us to believe by faith that when we Ask, we will receive.
(1) Jesus invites us to believe by faith that when we Ask, we will receive.
When we Seek, we will find.
When we Knock, the door will be opened.
(2) Jesus challenges us to KEEP ON asking, KEEP ON seeking, and KEEP ON knocking.
(2) Jesus challenges us to KEEP ON asking, KEEP ON seeking, and KEEP ON knocking.
The Gk. is in a grammatical tense called a “Present, Active, Imperative”
It means...
“To continually, habitually follow this command. The Present Imperative is often a call to a long-term commitment and calls for the attitude or action to be one's continual way of life (lifestyle).”
This means that when you are praying for something but you don’t see God moving, don’t stop!
Believe that He hears and will answer (may be a no!)
Keep on asking, seeking, knocking.
Jesus invites us to approach God with Confident Faith.
**TRANS - Let’s wrap this up...
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;
12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Ch 10:19 - Jesus uses the examples of Serpents & Scorpions to describe the “evil things” that the disciples would encounter on their journeys.
I thought about trying out an experiment on Ellie this week
When she asks for food, giving her a toy banana
When she asks for ice cream, giving her mayo.
I DIDN’T DO IT!!
And that illustrates this point so much more than any experiment would
A loving Father would NEVER give their child something evil when they ask for something good that they need.
What do you need from God the Father today?
Is it good?
He promises He won’t withhold that from you!
If those who are evil (read “sinful”) know how to give good gifts, How much more does the perfect heavenly Father?
Notice Luke makes a slight “edit” here.
Matthew just says “How much more will the heavenly Father give good things”
Luke recognizes that the best gift the Heavenly Father can give you and me is the Holy Spirit!
Because the HS will lead us in truth
The HS will always point us to Jesus
The HS will comfort and strengthen us
The HS will even help us in our prayer.
We will talk about the HS even more in a couple of weeks.
What’s the point here?
Jesus invites us to approach God with Childlike Dependence.
He’s our loving Father
We can come to Him when we have needs.
He will gladly meet them.
Apply
Shameless Boldness
Confident Faith
Childlike Dependence
Which of these three do you struggle with the most?
Do you believe that God is too busy to deal with your concerns?
Do you believe that God only answers the prayers of those who deserve it?
Do you believe that God is unable or unwilling to answer your prayers?
Do you believe that God is withholding or vindictive?
As you pray this week, do a little self-inventory - which of these three do you struggle most with?
Talk to God about it.
Ask Him to help you approach Him in this way.
Inspire
22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
15 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.
Action