1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,040 For something that takes about 15 minutes to say out loud, give or take, it's taken 2 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:11,660 us months to just begin to scratch the surface. 3 00:00:11,660 --> 00:00:19,580 And even then, let me emphasise this, we have only just begun to scratch the surface. 4 00:00:19,580 --> 00:00:26,280 This is a sermon that you can revisit for the rest of your life and see something different 5 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,320 every single time. 6 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:36,040 Such is the powerful and deep preaching of the world's greatest teacher, the Word made 7 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:40,920 flesh who came to be with us. 8 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,920 I mean, think about what we've heard over the months. 9 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:50,440 Jesus has revealed to us what it is to be blessed. 10 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,320 In fact, that's where he started, right? 11 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:59,900 It is those who are poor in spirit who are blessed in the sight of God. 12 00:00:59,900 --> 00:01:06,160 It is the poor in spirit who enter the kingdom of heaven. 13 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:11,200 Now Christ's original audience like us may have been sitting there going, I wonder what 14 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:12,200 that means. 15 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,520 I wonder what it means to be poor in spirit. 16 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:23,880 Well, they didn't have to wonder for very long as Jesus showed what the law was really 17 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:25,840 given for. 18 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:30,640 And he showed that over and against what the Pharisees had taught the people. 19 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:36,520 And Jesus showed us that the law was given to expose the very thoughts and intentions 20 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:37,520 of our hearts. 21 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:45,160 I mean, once he did that, it was very obvious to all who heard and even us that no one can 22 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:51,240 live in the sight of God perfectly in all that they do. 23 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:58,760 It's simply impossible in light of what Jesus has to say on things like hatred for others, 24 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:07,000 lust, truth telling, revenge, and even loving one's enemies to then walk away feeling like 25 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,400 you're doing a great thing with this thing called life. 26 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:15,400 But Jesus didn't stop there, did he? 27 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,800 No, he dug his point in even deeper. 28 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:25,880 Not just exposing the wrong teaching of the religious elite of the day, but even exposing 29 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,920 their very actions as false. 30 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:36,200 Saying to his disciples that the way that the Pharisees acted was in no way something 31 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:43,160 to emulate, as all that they did was a show for others, their giving to the needy, their 32 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,360 prayers, their fastings. 33 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:53,960 It was all an act to draw people's attention to themselves and not for the audience of 34 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,320 one, namely, God's. 35 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:03,040 You can imagine it right, these disciples sitting there at the feet of the Lord Jesus 36 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:12,040 having been educated and shown the way on how to follow God all these years by the Pharisees, 37 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,000 all their life with all these impossible standards. 38 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:22,960 And Jesus says to them, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers 39 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:31,160 of the law, you'll certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. 40 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:32,160 You can imagine it right. 41 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:37,720 On the one hand, you're listening to Jesus and possibly thinking to yourself, yeah, I 42 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:44,920 can see how the law goes so much deeper than just washing the grime off the surface. 43 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:52,080 But on the other hand, thinking, but those whom I've looked up to and listened to my 44 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,800 whole life, well, I thought that they had it all together. 45 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,080 I thought that they were holier than thou. 46 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:07,440 I thought that they were the ones that I was meant to be like to please God. 47 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:13,560 You might for a moment imagine the original disciples sitting there thinking, so if my 48 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:18,840 righteousness is to surpass the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, what am I meant 49 00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:20,280 to do? 50 00:04:20,280 --> 00:04:22,040 How am I meant to act? 51 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:30,440 But this is the thing that Jesus has been doing for his disciples from the very beginning 52 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,440 of this wonderful sermon. 53 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:38,480 He's been taking their eyes off the religious teachers of the time with their traditions 54 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:46,480 of men and slowly bringing their attention to a real and living relationship that his 55 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:56,440 people, the church has with God whom he reveals to be our heavenly father. 56 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:01,360 Notice that throughout the sermon, God in the language of Jesus Christ is our heavenly 57 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,200 father. 58 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:10,040 And so what we see in the ministry of Jesus is that all those who trust in Jesus and all 59 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:17,440 those who follow Jesus as his disciples have a right, a privilege and an honour to be able 60 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:23,880 to go to God as none other than their father. 61 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:25,280 Amazing. 62 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:30,760 And we've seen this theme come to the forefront through the sermon on the mount in the way 63 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:37,380 that Jesus talked about his people as being the light of the world in chapter five. 64 00:05:37,380 --> 00:05:43,320 And how his disciples, how our light will shine before others and that the world will 65 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,400 glorify our father in heaven. 66 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:53,080 Then again in chapter six, Jesus makes his point even stronger in saying you, you have 67 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,040 an audience of one in all that you do. 68 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:03,400 So when you give, when you pray, when you fast, all of that is leading you to a closer 69 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:08,720 intimacy with none other than your heavenly father. 70 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:14,600 Not to mention the incredible intimacy that Jesus reveals that we have with God in the 71 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:24,240 prayer that he gives us saying that when we go to God Almighty, we go to him as our father 72 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:25,240 in heaven. 73 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:30,720 Now I want you to think about that for a moment church. 74 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:39,120 The world's greatest Bible teacher, the word made flesh tells us, his disciples, that when 75 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:48,240 we go to God in prayer, we're to call him none other than our heavenly father. 76 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,920 I mean think about that for a moment brothers and sisters. 77 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:59,080 For those of you who have trusted in Jesus Christ, who have called upon his name to save 78 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:09,680 you from your sin, you have intimacy at this very moment with the creator of the universe. 79 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,400 Let that soak in for just a moment. 80 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:19,320 The Lord Jesus is telling us, his disciples, that when we approach the creator of all there 81 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:25,720 is, the judge of all living creatures, the one who spoke everything into being, well 82 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:34,240 we're to go to him like a child goes to their father. 83 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:39,760 I mean what a radical understanding in the nature of God that we have seen in this sermon 84 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:41,760 over the months. 85 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:49,280 God Almighty isn't to be approached through a whole bunch of religious babbling and pious 86 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:57,080 hoops like a poodle might go to their master, but we're invited to go to God by and through 87 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:02,240 Christ as none other as our father. 88 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:10,560 It's mind blowing stuff which would have been so alien to those who were under the yoke 89 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,120 of the phariseeical system of the time. 90 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:20,600 And so Jesus here again in chapter 7 takes his disciples tender minds from that which 91 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:27,280 is before them and again raises their hearts heavenward to our heavenly father saying, 92 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:34,240 ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be 93 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,840 opened to you, verse 7. 94 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:43,320 Okay so that's big picture stuff and now I want to slow down a bit here and have a think 95 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,520 about a couple of things. 96 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:53,480 First, about why Jesus uses these interesting descriptive words and second, what is he wanting 97 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:55,920 to draw our attention to? 98 00:08:55,920 --> 00:09:05,340 Okay so the first thing that we might ask here is what exactly is Jesus talking about? 99 00:09:05,340 --> 00:09:12,280 What does he have in mind using ask, seek and knock to illustrate his points? 100 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:20,280 Well it's all language that's directing our attention to the way in which we're to approach 101 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:24,240 our heavenly father in prayer. 102 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,480 That's what we're meant to have on view here. 103 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:33,600 Jesus is using these words to describe how we're meant to go to God in prayer which is 104 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:42,000 all language that's meant to bring our attention to someone who is persistent in their endeavour. 105 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,960 And that answers our second question here this morning, and what is Jesus wanting to 106 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,200 draw our attention to? 107 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:55,040 It's all about being persistent. 108 00:09:55,040 --> 00:10:00,680 Now I use that word persistent because the command that Jesus is giving us isn't said 109 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:07,200 in a way that we're just to do it once or haphazardly. 110 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:14,000 You know it's said in such a way that it shows us that we're to consistently go to God in 111 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:15,240 prayer. 112 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:21,320 Using words which make us think of someone who's kind of annoying in that they keep asking, 113 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:26,520 keep seeking, keep knocking at the front door kind of thing. 114 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:32,240 You might be thinking to yourself this morning, so does that mean we're always playing hide 115 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:38,800 and seek with God, always trying to find Him to no avail? 116 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,440 Well no that's not being said at all. 117 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,280 In fact just the opposite. 118 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,000 Look again with me at verse 7. 119 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,480 Jesus says ask and it will be given to you. 120 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,080 Seek and you will find. 121 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:57,880 Knock and the door will be opened to you. 122 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:03,800 This is incredibly encouraging language because I don't know about you but sometimes when 123 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:11,080 I pray it feels like I'm just vibrating the eardrums of other people or speaking to the 124 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:12,080 ceiling. 125 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:16,400 Not so says Jesus. 126 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:22,000 You're in no way playing hide and seek with God. 127 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:23,000 Just the opposite. 128 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:30,280 Your prayers are actually being heard by the creator of the universe. 129 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:35,960 And more than that, He's concerned about the things that you share with Him and more than 130 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:42,080 that He's ready to act upon those things that you bring to Him. 131 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,000 What an encouraging sentence right? 132 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:54,120 Including in the fact that when we go to our Heavenly Father our prayers have an audience 133 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:59,040 with none other than God Himself. 134 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,360 That begs the question. 135 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:05,520 Why wouldn't we want to be persistent in that? 136 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:12,360 Why wouldn't we want to consistently go and share what's on our heart with the one who 137 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:18,760 can really do something about what we bring to Him? 138 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:25,960 Well I think disciples of Jesus become dispassionate in prayer, become cold and don't persist because 139 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:33,760 at the end of the day they lose sight of God's personal touch in their lives. 140 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:41,600 And so I want you to notice that more than a rebuke on His disciples, Jesus is in fact 141 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:50,600 again lifting our eyes heavenward to the awesome nature of our relationship with God to encourage 142 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:55,840 us to keep on keeping on. 143 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,120 I want you to notice a few words. 144 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,760 First, that word ask. 145 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:10,440 Now it's a word that's used in a sense of an inferior to a superior expecting a reply. 146 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:14,480 With let's say a child in need asking for help kind of thing. 147 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:17,280 But again remember the context here. 148 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:21,720 These people were taught that they had to go through a company of things to feel like 149 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:23,600 they were heard by God. 150 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:31,480 Yet Jesus says here simply go in prayer, ask and keep on asking and not only will He hear 151 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:36,400 you but what you ask for will be given. 152 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:42,160 That word seek, it's meant to bring to mind something more than a text message. 153 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:47,120 Hey dad, just letting you know I sinned a bit today, sorry about that but could I please 154 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:49,880 have such and such. 155 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:58,000 That language of seeking is deeply rooted in the Old Testament and it draws our attention 156 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:04,840 to actively endeavouring in our communication with God, taking time to really spend with 157 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,640 Him in the so called prayer closet. 158 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:14,760 And again this is mind blowing in that we can approach God in this way. 159 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:19,360 That we would even gain the attention of the Almighty. 160 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:27,880 But not only do we have it but our Lord and Saviour says we're invited to it. 161 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:35,720 As Jesus says here ask because you're heard dear ones, seek because you'll find what you're 162 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:42,560 looking for and finally knock because the door will be open to you. 163 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:49,680 Now this last word that Jesus uses is interesting because it's a word that's more associated 164 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:52,760 with banging on a door. 165 00:14:52,760 --> 00:15:00,760 Now I don't know about you but when I go to a stranger's house I might politely tap and 166 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:05,080 then walk away if they don't answer because I'm not sure if they're home or not, I don't 167 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,120 want to be impolite. 168 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:10,360 But that's not the sense that Jesus gives here. 169 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:15,360 Now this is more like you know dad's home, he's probably just taking his time to get 170 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:20,680 to the front door so you pound on that front door because you want to get him moving because 171 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:25,160 you know he's there and you want his attention. 172 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:30,000 So you keep pounding with a boldness so to speak. 173 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:38,540 All this to say what Jesus is giving us here is all language to indicate a personal relationship 174 00:15:38,540 --> 00:15:42,880 between a father and his children. 175 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:46,840 We ask knowing that we're heard. 176 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:54,320 We seek knowing that we won't be ignored and we knock because we know dad's home and he 177 00:15:54,320 --> 00:16:00,920 doesn't ignore his children. 178 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:07,040 Admittedly church I think that many don't pray like this with this fervour in our western 179 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:13,940 world because a lot of the time we have everything we need right? 180 00:16:13,940 --> 00:16:21,480 If you have an infection you go to the doctor, if you're hungry you go to the shops, if you 181 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,380 need money there's government helps. 182 00:16:24,380 --> 00:16:31,840 We live in a world in a day and age where so much of our needs are taken care of by 183 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:37,840 what we can do with our very own hands. 184 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:43,520 That's so much of the time we don't go to our father in heaven in a position of need 185 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,720 but more in a stance of want. 186 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:52,560 Kind of trading places with him as if we're the father and he's the child, as if we know 187 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:57,800 how to better run our lives than he does. 188 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:03,640 And so if we're not careful our prayers can become more of a to-do list, a to-do list 189 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:09,200 of things that we want God to do for us. 190 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:19,120 And thus we become annoyed or discouraged because we don't get the answers that we want. 191 00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:22,480 But we have to understand something here church. 192 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:33,040 Jesus isn't giving us a formula to get God to do whatever we want him to do for us. 193 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:36,360 That's not what Jesus is getting at here. 194 00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:45,520 So God is our father and when we pray to him we must come to him in that position of where 195 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:49,840 a child comes to a father. 196 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:54,240 That's how Jesus taught us to pray in chapter 6 right? 197 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:58,720 That's how he taught us to approach God. 198 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,400 He's dad and we're the children. 199 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:09,680 Meaning we ask and we heard it this morning from Matt, we ask for his kingdom to come, 200 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:15,000 for his will to be done not the other way around. 201 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:19,880 In other words God's not a genie who's in heaven waiting on standby for our wishes to 202 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,800 be thrown up to him so that he can do our will. 203 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:31,200 Now it's as it's been said this morning, he's our father and our father knows what's best. 204 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:37,720 And sometimes we're not asking for the best things. 205 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:42,760 Now don't mishear me this morning, I'm not saying that your dreams aren't big enough, 206 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:49,600 that your wants aren't lavish enough and you just gotta reach for the sky. 207 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:57,800 No I'm saying that we don't ask for what's best because sometimes our hearts aren't gravitating 208 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:02,560 towards God's way of doing things in his world. 209 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:10,400 James says it like this, when you ask you don't receive because you ask with wrong motives 210 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,760 that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 211 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:20,040 And I want you to hear that, he's basically saying that God isn't out to automatically 212 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:26,160 answer every request that his children have. 213 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:32,840 Because sometimes we ask for things with totally wrong motives in mind. 214 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:40,520 Which is another way of saying our own ways over God's will as revealed in his word. 215 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,080 So keep that in mind here. 216 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:50,040 Jesus isn't saying to us disciples, hey if you're just consistent enough, God's gonna 217 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:52,600 give you whatever you want. 218 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:58,400 Tell him your heart's desire and he'll make your dreams come true. 219 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:05,680 Now Church he is raising our eyes heavenward in the midst of this incredible sermon for 220 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:10,540 our encouragement because of all that has been said. 221 00:20:10,540 --> 00:20:18,720 Because of all that is going to be revealed in the New Testament and about where we fit 222 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,280 in the scheme of things. 223 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:27,000 He's encouraging us here because of all that we're called to do in this world. 224 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:33,560 And he encourages us because we need to be going to God and asking, knocking, seeking 225 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:40,120 on Dad's door for the grace to live it out in the way that he wants us to. 226 00:20:40,120 --> 00:20:48,120 You see Church as we've seen over the months, the kingdom of heaven requires poverty of 227 00:20:48,120 --> 00:20:58,800 spirit, purity of heart, truth, compassion, a life of integrity amongst many other things. 228 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,680 And I have a sneaking suspicion that you're a lot like me. 229 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,840 A work in progress. 230 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:10,720 I mean for just one example, think about what we looked at last week. 231 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:17,720 Jesus told us disciples as brothers and sisters in the family of God that we're meant to not 232 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:23,840 judge one another by each other's standards, but get rid of the planks in our heads and 233 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:29,400 help one another with those specks in each other's eyes. 234 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:34,240 I mean how much wisdom and discernment does that take? 235 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:41,160 How much love and tender care does that require with those around us? 236 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:48,080 These are things that are impossible to do and to keep on doing in our own strength. 237 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,600 But this is the incredibly encouraging thing. 238 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:58,400 Jesus says when you see that need dear one, go to your Father in heaven. 239 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:05,360 Seek, knock in prayer because not only is God totally accessible to you, but everyone 240 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:12,560 who asks receives and the one who seeks finds and the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 241 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,480 Verse 8. 242 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,600 What blessing we see here church. 243 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:25,020 What incredible access through the Lord Jesus Christ that we have at this very moment. 244 00:22:25,020 --> 00:22:30,760 When you see those things in your life that you know you fall so far short in that like 245 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:36,720 Paul you might cry out, oh wretched person that I am. 246 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,520 We have an invitation from the Holy One. 247 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:45,560 When you see those things that we just don't have a clue how to deal with, we can go to 248 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,560 the one who is ready and willing. 249 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:57,360 When it all seems so dark and it all seems so hard to be the light, the salt in the situation, 250 00:22:57,360 --> 00:23:02,920 we can get in that room of ours and go to the one who will take you from that place 251 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:08,240 of despair to the place of hope. 252 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:12,040 I want you to notice one last thing in 7 and 8. 253 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:16,560 The invitation isn't to some Christians. 254 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:22,840 It's to everyone who asks in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 255 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:29,600 The promise is that everyone who goes to God in faith through Christ will not only be heard 256 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:31,600 but will be answered. 257 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:36,080 And that's significant for us to notice church and I want you to see this. 258 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:41,040 The language from verse 7 to verse 8 changes. 259 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:46,240 It changes from a future tense to a present tense. 260 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:51,440 Meaning that not just one day will you be heard and answered but that you'll be heard 261 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:55,240 and answered now. 262 00:23:55,240 --> 00:24:01,360 All this to say Jesus is encouraging us here to be persistent in our prayer life and is 263 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:09,400 determined to show us that we never ever labour in vain when we go to our heavenly Father 264 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:10,400 in prayer. 265 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:15,200 It is never in vain, never wasted time. 266 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:21,200 God really cares for his children, really hears his children. 267 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:27,960 He really answers his children when they cry out to him. 268 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:33,200 But our Lord, he knows how discouraged we can get. 269 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:42,480 So he kindly explains to us just how wonderful, how beautiful our heavenly Father really is. 270 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,960 Verses 9 to 11. 271 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:49,480 Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 272 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,000 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 273 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:58,600 If you then, though are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much 274 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:03,600 more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him? 275 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:12,040 Now there might be some of you here this morning who are thinking to yourself, that is just 276 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,600 so awesome what Jesus is saying. 277 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,640 But I've gone to God in prayer. 278 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,640 I've pleaded with him in prayer. 279 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:26,040 Yet I've struggled to see God do anything. 280 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:34,040 Well brother, sister, God knows the hidden doubts in his children's hearts. 281 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:40,580 He knows we wonder sometimes if it's really worth taking that matter to God in prayer. 282 00:25:40,580 --> 00:25:46,920 He knows that situation that you're going through even at this very moment. 283 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:53,320 He knows that there are people who have gone before the Lord with all sorts of situations 284 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:57,960 and said, Lord, spare me from this thing. 285 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:04,160 And the Lord hasn't seen to spare you from that situation. 286 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:09,240 So we might wonder, well, does this praying really work? 287 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,440 Why should I bother? 288 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:19,520 Jesus tells us two things to help us in these verses when we face those doubts. 289 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:26,640 First, church, as it's been said, we go to God as children. 290 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:35,560 We ask in such a way that we trust that he will hear us and will give us what we need. 291 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:42,760 And notice this, we are to trust and expect that God gives us good things. 292 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:45,000 It's what it says here, good things. 293 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:52,160 When we go to him, just as a child asks for food, we don't give them rocks or even something 294 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:56,560 that can harm them. 295 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:01,120 Even parents who have had a rough night's sleep because of their screaming child wouldn't 296 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:02,840 stoop that low. 297 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:09,400 Now, when we go to God in prayer and when we ask, we should expect that he will give 298 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:16,880 us good things because he is a good, good father. 299 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:24,280 Meaning he's not tainted by sin and selfishness with a temporal nature. 300 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:31,600 No, he can see things and he knows things that are far beyond our comprehension. 301 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:37,520 And sometimes, brothers and sisters, as it's been said, we set our hearts on things that 302 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:45,680 are not the best for us and we plead and beg God for them. 303 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:49,960 Imagine if we did ask God for a snake. 304 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:58,400 But in our heavenly father's wisdom, when he hears our requests, when he does say no, 305 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:05,440 that's not because he's ignored us or because he wants to watch us squirm. 306 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:12,880 It's because he knows in his infinite wisdom what's best for us. 307 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:18,760 I mean, for any parent out there who adores their child, if you were to say yes to absolutely 308 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:24,600 every request that they made, it would be tantamount to child abuse. 309 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:29,280 I mean, could you imagine the damage they would do to their little developing bodies 310 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,840 if you gave them everything they wanted to eat? 311 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:36,040 Let them do everything that they wanted to do? 312 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:41,760 Be any imaginary Pokemon that they wanted to become? 313 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:47,960 I mean, my own son would quite happily try to drive us all to church if I just said yes 314 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:53,360 to his requests. 315 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,520 Sometimes dad says no. 316 00:28:55,520 --> 00:29:02,880 And from our point of view, admittedly, it seems so unfair, so unjust. 317 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:07,640 But that's the point Jesus is driving here. 318 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:14,840 Even us, even in our human parenting, we know what's good for our children. 319 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:24,720 So how much more our Father in heaven who sees all, who is the Father of lights, in 320 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:29,960 him there is no shadow of turning. 321 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:35,760 Sometimes for whatever reason, we get no from dad. 322 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:41,480 But let me say this, isn't no sometimes the biggest blessing of all? 323 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:48,480 I mean, I thank God personally that he said no to some of my silly requests in the past. 324 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:53,120 And I'm sure that there's others here this morning who can testify to that very thing 325 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:55,440 in their lives. 326 00:29:55,440 --> 00:30:02,760 But with other things, we're being called to trust by the Lord Jesus Christ, the word 327 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:13,880 made flesh that our Father who spared not his only son knows what's best for us. 328 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:20,720 And that as we've asked, as we've sought, as we've knocked, he's answered us in his 329 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:25,180 goodness in a wise and gracious way. 330 00:30:25,180 --> 00:30:33,720 We might not see it now, but we can trust that he has heard and given what's needed, 331 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:39,000 even when we don't know what we need. 332 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:45,920 The apostle Paul puts it like this, we know that in all things, God works for the good 333 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:56,120 of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose, Romans 8 28. 334 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,760 That's what Jesus is driving at here. 335 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:05,500 Our heavenly Father hears our prayers and we can trust him to answer wisely and graciously 336 00:31:05,500 --> 00:31:06,880 in his goodness. 337 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:10,400 He is a good Father. 338 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:15,960 To which Jesus ends this section of his teaching by pointing us back to our responsibility 339 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,440 that we have with others around us. 340 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:24,240 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the 341 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:26,940 law and prophets, verse 12. 342 00:31:26,940 --> 00:31:28,400 And that's where we were last week. 343 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:35,060 We have a responsibility to each other, both in the family of God to help one another and 344 00:31:35,060 --> 00:31:40,320 to those outside to be the light and the salt of this world. 345 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:48,360 And it's difficult, it's time consuming and sometimes it's downright disheartening. 346 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:54,840 But that's what we are called to do as the community of Christ's disciples. 347 00:31:54,840 --> 00:32:01,040 But as we have seen again here this morning, we're not alone in any sense church. 348 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:09,240 No, as we've heard, we all have one Father in heaven whom we can go to and seek and find, 349 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:14,000 whom we can speak to and know that we will be answered. 350 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:19,480 That's the great privilege of being in Christ. 351 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:25,960 And Jesus reminds us here again, we're not alone, not alone in our Christian walk because 352 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:31,880 we have a Father in heaven who loves his children and a worldwide family here on earth, whom 353 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:37,480 we're learning to love more and more and more. 354 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,820 And so church, we have a responsibility. 355 00:32:40,820 --> 00:32:48,400 We have a responsibility on this side of eternity to serve each other in everything that we 356 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:56,000 do, both in the church with our gifts and those outside with our testimony. 357 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:03,820 And know this, whatever we face, in whatever season we go through, whatever trial comes 358 00:33:03,820 --> 00:33:09,640 our way, both individually and as a community of believers, both here in Armidale and the 359 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:17,280 wider church in the world, we can go to our Father asking, seeking, knocking with great 360 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:28,160 boldness and consistency, all because we know through Christ, we will never be ignored. 361 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:33,080 So as we end our time in this passage this morning, I do want to say a few things by 362 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:36,360 way of application for you to think about. 363 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:42,280 First, God wants you to ask. 364 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:44,280 He wants you to ask. 365 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:47,400 That's what Jesus is showing us this morning. 366 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:55,840 God wants us to bring our needs to him because he cares for you. 367 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:59,880 There's been things that have come up in the series of Matthew that for many of us have 368 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:01,720 been confronting. 369 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:08,880 Week after week we've asked the Lord to help us not to put it in the too hard pile, but 370 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:17,720 to help us in our discipleship, in our saltiness, in our light shining, if you will. 371 00:34:17,720 --> 00:34:26,080 This is the encouragement, such encouragement that where you fall short, where you see you 372 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:32,360 need to grow, you can go to God, ask, seek, knock. 373 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:41,920 And for those things that you don't know how to go to God about, well go ask, seek, knock. 374 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:49,160 Because you can know without a shadow of doubt that because we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, 375 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:56,520 who gave his life for his people and who is now seated at the right hand of the throne 376 00:34:56,520 --> 00:35:01,000 of God, we will never be ignored. 377 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:07,240 We have a good Father and he will answer us and he will give us what we need. 378 00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:13,120 Second, we've seen this morning that it's our Father who gives us good things and so 379 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:19,520 it puts limits on requests to those things that are in line with his good purposes as 380 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:26,040 revealed in his word and thus restricts his giving to us what is good. 381 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:30,840 And we've seen this this morning that that's actually a wonderful thing. 382 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:36,880 But sometimes like little kids who don't understand why they're not allowed to eat all the chocolate 383 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:45,480 in the house or swim in the deep end because they haven't all figured out. 384 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:49,000 We can get down because Dad says no. 385 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:55,720 So please be encouraged this morning that no is sometimes a great thing. 386 00:35:55,720 --> 00:36:00,480 We don't know why right now, but he knows. 387 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:05,280 He is good and he gives us what's best because he loves us. 388 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:09,520 And finally church, we're always on mission towards doing to others what you would have 389 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:11,640 them do to you. 390 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:18,520 And this incredibly simple principle would revitalise human relationships if everyone 391 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,060 was to do it. 392 00:36:20,060 --> 00:36:25,200 But as we know that's simply not the case in this world. 393 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:30,560 That doesn't mean we are to join in and live like the world. 394 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:36,880 No, we're told in Peter that repentance starts in the household of God. 395 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:44,040 And thus as we turn our attention and intention and actions towards the obedience of our Lord's 396 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:50,840 commands, the light that we have been entrusted with, the salt that we have become in Christ 397 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,880 will really do something great in this world. 398 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:59,840 So church, would you please join me now in praying for some of these things? 399 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:04,800 Would you please join me in asking God to show us where we fall short individually, 400 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:14,040 corporately, so that we can turn from our ways and follow his lead? 401 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:21,720 Father God, we thank you that as we've heard this morning, our prayers are not vibrating 402 00:37:21,720 --> 00:37:29,840 the eardrums of other people or hitting the ceiling, but they are coming up before the 403 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:34,280 throne of grace because of the Lord Jesus. 404 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:42,680 Father, we are asking as a community that you have put together, that you have purchased, 405 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:49,360 that you have brought together to be the salt and light in Armidale, in Perth. 406 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:55,560 We're asking Father, where we are doing things that are not pleasing to you, would you please 407 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:57,440 show us? 408 00:37:57,440 --> 00:38:04,600 We ask Father where we can be more mindful, more loving, more serving, would you please 409 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:06,240 show us? 410 00:38:06,240 --> 00:38:14,880 Father, where we can be holding Christ higher in our midst through the working with your 411 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:20,880 spirit and not grieving your spirit, not quenching your spirit among us, we ask that you would 412 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:27,800 show us that we might repent from our ways and do things in your way. 413 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:35,040 Father, we desperately want to make Jesus known in Armidale. 414 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:41,480 We desperately want to take the light, the salt into wherever you have us during the 415 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:42,480 week. 416 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:48,400 We're asking that you would help us, that you would lead us, that you would guide us. 417 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:55,080 Father, would you please make this church a disciple-making church, not one that is 418 00:38:55,080 --> 00:39:02,480 consumed with our own agendas, inward looking, but one that is looking to you and leading 419 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:08,680 people to you, from everything with welcoming people at the door to the proclamation of 420 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,200 the word and everything in between. 421 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:17,440 Father, we ask that you would use this community for your glory alone and we ask this in the 422 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:19,880 name of Jesus Christ our Saviour. 423 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:41,840 Amen.