Pentecost: Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-11 New King James Version

Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday when God poured out the Holy Spirit on His followers.

Pentecost Sunday reminds us of our need, Jesus’ invitation, Jesus’ promise, and Jesus’ provision.

1. Our Need (Matthew 6:31-32).

a. Matthew 6:31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

b. Matthew 6:32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

2. Jesus’ Invitation (Matthew 6:33; Matthew 7:7).

a. Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

b. Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

3. Jesus’ Promise (Matthew 7:8).

a. Matthew 7:8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

4. Jesus’ Provision (Matthew 7:9-11).

a. Matthew 7:9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

b. Matthew 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

c. Matthew 7:11 If you then, being 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!

i. Matthew 6:32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

ii. Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

d. Matthew 7:11 If you then, being 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!

i. Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

1. Luke is the Pentecostalof the four Gospel writers.

2. Luke emphasizes the empoweringwork of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus’ followers.

a. Writing to believers (Luke 1:1-4).

i. Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,

ii. Luke 1:2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,

iii. Luke 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,

iv. Luke 1:4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

1. Instructed – Greek: katēcheō to be informed (verbally) v. — to be or become a recipient of information by word of mouth.

b. The empowerment of the Holy Spirit In the ministry of Jesus (Luke 4:16-19).

i. Luke 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

ii. Luke 4:17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

iii. Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

iv. Luke 4:19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

c. The empowerment of the Holy Spirit In the life of believers (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

i. Luke 24:46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

ii. Luke 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

iii. Luke 24:48 And you are witnesses of these things.

iv. Luke 24:49 “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

v. Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

vi. Acts 1:5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

vii. Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

d. The empowerment of the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4; Acts 2:16-18)

i. Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

ii. Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

iii. Acts 2:3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

iv. Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

v. Acts 2:16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

vi. Acts 2:17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

vii. Acts 2:18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

e. The empowerment of the Holy Spirit is available to you (Acts 2:37-39).

i. Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

ii. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

iii. Acts 2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”