WEBVTT 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:07.139 Hello and welcome to this week's episode of Trinity 00:00:07.139 --> 00:00:10.220 Sermons. This week we are continuing our sermon 00:00:10.220 --> 00:00:12.640 series called Summer on the Mount, where we are 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:16.120 diving into Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. And today 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:19.300 Jesus says, Ask and you shall receive, seek and 00:00:19.300 --> 00:00:22.179 you shall find, knock and the door will be opened 00:00:22.179 --> 00:00:25.260 to you. Now does that mean that Jesus will give 00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:28.699 us anything that we ask for? Does this mean that 00:00:28.699 --> 00:00:31.440 whenever we knock, any door will be opened to 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:35.000 us? I'm not so sure. But that's what Rob is going 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:37.880 to unpack with us in our sermon today. Let's 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:46.039 listen in. Today our reading is from the Gospel 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:51.299 of Matthew, chapter 7, verses 7 through 12. Ask, 00:00:51.420 --> 00:00:55.179 and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will 00:00:55.179 --> 00:00:59.079 find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:03.250 For everyone who asks, receives. The one who 00:01:03.250 --> 00:01:07.030 seeks, finds. And to the one who knocks, the 00:01:07.030 --> 00:01:10.890 door will be opened. Which of you, if your son 00:01:10.890 --> 00:01:14.349 asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if 00:01:14.349 --> 00:01:18.269 he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If 00:01:18.269 --> 00:01:21.269 you then, though you are evil, know how to give 00:01:21.269 --> 00:01:24.689 good gifts to your children, how much more will 00:01:24.689 --> 00:01:27.549 your Father in heaven give good gifts to those 00:01:27.549 --> 00:01:31.689 who ask him? So in everything, do to others. 00:01:32.170 --> 00:01:34.810 what you would have them do to you. For this 00:01:34.810 --> 00:01:38.269 sums up the law and the prophets. The word of 00:01:38.269 --> 00:01:42.290 the Lord. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you 00:01:42.290 --> 00:01:46.829 will know that that was Harry's cousin, Dudley 00:01:46.829 --> 00:01:52.069 Dursley. And Dudley is the spoiled child of Vernon 00:01:52.069 --> 00:01:57.090 and Petunia Dursley. And in Dudley, there is 00:01:57.090 --> 00:01:59.849 the perfect storm of three really toxic traits 00:01:59.849 --> 00:02:02.530 going on. First, he's self -centered. Dudley 00:02:02.530 --> 00:02:05.450 thinks that the whole world revolves around him 00:02:05.450 --> 00:02:09.550 to cater to his every whim. Secondly, he is entitled. 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:12.050 All those... presents he got, they weren't really 00:02:12.050 --> 00:02:15.150 gifts because he felt like he was owed them. 00:02:15.189 --> 00:02:18.069 The world owes him. He's entitled. And thirdly, 00:02:18.090 --> 00:02:22.569 he's shallow. His relationships have become merely 00:02:22.569 --> 00:02:26.550 transactional, right? His parents just give him 00:02:26.550 --> 00:02:28.550 things to keep him happy, not necessarily because 00:02:28.550 --> 00:02:31.669 they love him. And his parents, the reason he 00:02:31.669 --> 00:02:33.430 has parents, according to him, is basically to 00:02:33.430 --> 00:02:36.090 supply for his needs. There's no real depth in 00:02:36.090 --> 00:02:39.469 his relationship. He's self -centered. He's entitled. 00:02:39.909 --> 00:02:43.770 and he's shallow. Now, even though Dudley is 00:02:43.770 --> 00:02:47.409 a fictional character, unfortunately, he's a 00:02:47.409 --> 00:02:49.509 real reflection of a lot that goes on in our 00:02:49.509 --> 00:02:53.719 own culture and society today. seen parents like 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:55.560 that from time to time. And let's be honest, 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:59.500 we've been parents like this from time to time, 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:02.120 spoiling our kids, maybe spoiling them rotten 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:06.680 even. And like Dudley, what happens is when parents 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:09.020 constantly say yes to their children, they too 00:03:09.020 --> 00:03:12.840 end up creating these self -centered little monsters 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:16.699 who believe that the world exists just to satisfy 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:19.900 their desires. In fact, research shows that overly 00:03:19.900 --> 00:03:23.879 indulgent parenting actually correlates strongly 00:03:23.879 --> 00:03:28.349 with narcissism in children later in life. And 00:03:28.349 --> 00:03:32.810 like Dudley, many children today, they also feel 00:03:32.810 --> 00:03:36.030 entitled. They believe life owes them. They won't 00:03:36.030 --> 00:03:38.610 accept a no. They're very impatient. They're 00:03:38.610 --> 00:03:42.930 frustrated easily. Those are all signs of entitlement. 00:03:43.210 --> 00:03:46.150 And thirdly, like Dudley, this kind of parenting 00:03:46.150 --> 00:03:50.430 style can lead to shallow relationships. Relationships 00:03:50.430 --> 00:03:52.469 that are more based on, hey, what have you done 00:03:52.469 --> 00:03:56.590 for me lately, rather than relationships based 00:03:56.590 --> 00:03:59.340 on love. love and affection. And again, some 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:03.780 studies actually link highly permissive parenting 00:04:03.780 --> 00:04:07.719 with low emotional intelligence in children later 00:04:07.719 --> 00:04:10.599 on in life. It's just harder for spoiled kids 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:14.319 to sustain meaningful, deep, and affectionate 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:16.720 relationships. So the research is clear, right? 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:21.519 Dudley isn't just a fictional exaggeration. But 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:23.800 he's a reflection of something that's dangerously 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:26.959 real in society today. And here's where things 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:30.279 get a little bit uncomfortable and closer to 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:33.600 home. Because here's the thing. If a parent who 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:37.120 always says yes to his or her child can form 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:40.060 them into self -centered, entitled, and shallow 00:04:40.060 --> 00:04:43.100 creatures, then what happens when that's our 00:04:43.100 --> 00:04:46.959 view of God? That God exists primarily to always 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:50.199 say yes to our prayers and to indulge in everything 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:54.680 that we ask him. I call it Dudley discipleship. 00:04:55.160 --> 00:04:58.980 And it arises when we believe that God is always 00:04:58.980 --> 00:05:01.939 there to say yes to what we ask for and give 00:05:01.939 --> 00:05:05.040 us everything. And therefore, the same kind of 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:08.060 stuff ends up happening spiritually in our lives, 00:05:08.180 --> 00:05:12.040 too. It leads to self -centered prayers. Our 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:14.939 prayer life becomes all about our personal wish 00:05:14.939 --> 00:05:17.959 list. We don't really pray, Lord, thy kingdom 00:05:17.959 --> 00:05:21.800 come. What we're praying is, may my kingdom come. 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:26.899 And it also leads to... an entitled kind of spirituality, 00:05:27.459 --> 00:05:31.339 a spirituality where we say that we deserve constant 00:05:31.339 --> 00:05:33.480 blessings from God, and if they don't come, then 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:37.500 we're very, very resentful. And it leads to a 00:05:37.500 --> 00:05:41.639 shallow relationship with God. I mean, when God 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:44.759 is just there to dispense gifts to us, then our 00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:48.040 relationship with him is just paper thin. God's 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:52.139 a tool. for our desires rather than the treasure 00:05:52.139 --> 00:05:55.040 of our heart. There's no intimacy. There's no 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:58.800 depth there. And so here is the danger. The danger 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:01.040 is when a bunch of self -centered and entitled 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:05.079 and shallow Christians get together into a church 00:06:05.079 --> 00:06:09.319 and this takes root, it actually screws up the 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:12.139 mission that God gave us, which was actually 00:06:12.139 --> 00:06:15.720 to be people who are marked by self -giving love 00:06:15.720 --> 00:06:18.459 and who sacrifice their own wants and needs for 00:06:18.459 --> 00:06:20.139 the sake of others and for the sake of the world 00:06:20.139 --> 00:06:22.600 and for the sake of the kingdom. Like Paul, what 00:06:22.600 --> 00:06:25.839 we end up actually becoming are lovers of self, 00:06:25.939 --> 00:06:29.839 lovers of money, proud. arrogant, abusive, disobedient 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:33.860 to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:37.779 lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:43.230 Sounds like Dudley. Sounds like me. If I'm honest, 00:06:43.290 --> 00:06:46.389 it sounds like you too, probably, if you're honest. 00:06:46.449 --> 00:06:48.790 The question we have to ask this morning, where 00:06:48.790 --> 00:06:50.610 does this self -centeredness come from? Where 00:06:50.610 --> 00:06:53.250 does this entitlement, where does this shallow 00:06:53.250 --> 00:06:57.269 spirituality arise from? And I'm sorry to say 00:06:57.269 --> 00:06:59.730 that I think a lot of it comes from a misreading 00:06:59.730 --> 00:07:05.029 of a very famous part of Jesus' Sermon on the 00:07:05.029 --> 00:07:07.810 Mount. We've been going through Jesus' most famous 00:07:07.810 --> 00:07:09.529 teaching, the Sermon on the Mount. It's found 00:07:09.529 --> 00:07:13.250 in Matthew chapter 5, 6, and 7. And we have already 00:07:13.250 --> 00:07:15.290 gone through chapter 5. We've already gone through 00:07:15.290 --> 00:07:18.709 chapter 6. And today we break into chapter 7. 00:07:18.810 --> 00:07:20.449 Now I should say, you'll notice we didn't cover 00:07:20.449 --> 00:07:24.069 chapter 7 verses 1 to 6. And the reason is because 00:07:24.069 --> 00:07:26.589 that whole bit, which was about not judging others, 00:07:26.769 --> 00:07:28.910 is something I already preached on back on June 00:07:28.910 --> 00:07:32.110 1st. So if you want to access that, you can go 00:07:32.110 --> 00:07:33.930 to our YouTube channel and you can dig that up. 00:07:34.009 --> 00:07:37.089 But today what we're really arriving at is Matthew 00:07:37.089 --> 00:07:41.279 7, 7 to 12, which Sally just read for us. sounds 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:44.639 a lot like Jesus is pulling an Aunt Petunia and 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:48.509 an Uncle Vernon. Ask, and it'll be given to you. 00:07:48.589 --> 00:07:51.870 Seek, and you'll find. Oh, knock, and the door 00:07:51.870 --> 00:07:55.009 will be opened for you. Whoever asks, gets. And 00:07:55.009 --> 00:07:58.750 whoever seeks, finds. And whoever knocks, the 00:07:58.750 --> 00:08:02.290 doors will be opened to you. I mean, doesn't 00:08:02.290 --> 00:08:05.810 that sound like God is teaching us to be self 00:08:05.810 --> 00:08:08.769 -centered, entitled, and shall, oh, Rob, whatever 00:08:08.769 --> 00:08:11.430 you want, you can have it. Oh, little dudders 00:08:11.430 --> 00:08:14.389 here. Do you want more? Have another present. 00:08:14.490 --> 00:08:17.779 Have another present. You want 30? 30, 40 presents? 00:08:18.420 --> 00:08:20.899 Seek and I'll give it to you. Ask and you'll 00:08:20.899 --> 00:08:23.259 have it. Knock and the door will be open to you. 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:26.579 Is that enough? Is God trying to raise us the 00:08:26.579 --> 00:08:29.879 way the Dursleys raised Dudley? Giving us everything 00:08:29.879 --> 00:08:33.320 we want? Making us into self -centered, entitled, 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:35.960 and shallow Christians? Is that what he's saying 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:39.669 here? It might look like it, but actually couldn't 00:08:39.669 --> 00:08:43.710 be further from the truth. No way. If we take 00:08:43.710 --> 00:08:46.490 a closer look at what this passage is really 00:08:46.490 --> 00:08:50.490 saying, we will see that Jesus is trying to teach 00:08:50.490 --> 00:08:54.980 us a way. better method of prayer, and that God 00:08:54.980 --> 00:08:57.740 is actually trying to raise us, his children, 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:02.600 in a way better manner of life, okay? So I want 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:04.100 to invite you just to follow along. There are 00:09:04.100 --> 00:09:06.500 some sermon notes that we've handed out on your 00:09:06.500 --> 00:09:08.179 way in, and if you're joining us online, you 00:09:08.179 --> 00:09:10.279 can access the sermon notes online by visiting 00:09:10.279 --> 00:09:14.120 our church app, which is called Church Center. 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:16.220 So let's get started. Here's the first thing 00:09:16.220 --> 00:09:19.659 I want to say. When Jesus says, ask and seek 00:09:19.659 --> 00:09:23.049 and knock, It's easy to rip those verses out 00:09:23.049 --> 00:09:25.889 of context and to imagine that God is saying, 00:09:25.950 --> 00:09:27.929 hey, whatever you want, I'll give it to you. 00:09:28.309 --> 00:09:31.629 But if we actually read the context, we will 00:09:31.629 --> 00:09:34.970 realize that that's not true. That in context, 00:09:35.309 --> 00:09:38.549 Jesus is not speaking about every kind of prayer 00:09:38.549 --> 00:09:40.850 that you pray, I will answer and give to you. 00:09:40.870 --> 00:09:44.590 But he's talking about a very specific kind of 00:09:44.590 --> 00:09:48.210 prayer. Not a self -centered prayer, a prayer 00:09:48.210 --> 00:09:51.980 for me. It's about God. other centered prayers. 00:09:53.059 --> 00:09:55.519 That's what he's promising to answer. But to 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:57.100 see that, you've got to look at the context. 00:09:57.240 --> 00:10:00.279 Here's what I mean. Just before Jesus speaks 00:10:00.279 --> 00:10:03.139 these words, what is he talking about? He's talking 00:10:03.139 --> 00:10:05.539 about how we judge others. He's talking about 00:10:05.539 --> 00:10:08.659 hypocrisy. He's talking about the need for us 00:10:08.659 --> 00:10:11.039 to remove the plank from our own eye before we 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:13.299 try to pick the speck out of somebody else's 00:10:13.299 --> 00:10:15.320 eye. In other words, what's he talking about? 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:16.940 He's talking about making peace with others. 00:10:17.059 --> 00:10:19.519 He's talking about restoring relationships. He's 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:22.340 talking about forgiveness. That is the context 00:10:22.340 --> 00:10:26.820 of ask, seek, knock. It's about relationships. 00:10:27.740 --> 00:10:30.879 And then afterwards, what is Jesus talking about? 00:10:30.980 --> 00:10:33.179 Oh, guess what? He's also talking about relationships. 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:35.840 This is where he gives us the golden rule, do 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:38.360 to others what you would have them do to you. 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:41.279 That is not a verse about me getting my own way. 00:10:41.340 --> 00:10:44.419 It's a verse about loving others the way that 00:10:44.419 --> 00:10:48.500 we want to be loved. So that's the context after. 00:10:48.580 --> 00:10:51.200 So follow with me here. Right before Jesus says, 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:53.299 ask and seek and knock, he's talking all about 00:10:53.299 --> 00:10:55.960 restoring relationships. And right after Jesus 00:10:55.960 --> 00:10:58.360 says, ask and seek and knock, he's talking all 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:00.940 about loving others and again, relationships. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:05.159 Which means that the prayer that Jesus promises 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:09.980 to answer in Matthew 7, 7 and 8 are prayers for 00:11:09.980 --> 00:11:14.259 relationships. It's a certain type of prayer, 00:11:14.340 --> 00:11:17.559 a kind of prayer where we're asking God to help 00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:22.590 us love other people well. If you've ever had 00:11:22.590 --> 00:11:25.230 to mend a broken relationship, then you'll know 00:11:25.230 --> 00:11:28.429 exactly what I mean. It is hard. You cannot do 00:11:28.429 --> 00:11:31.289 that on your own. You need wisdom. And Jesus 00:11:31.289 --> 00:11:33.570 is saying, ask me and I'll give you that wisdom. 00:11:33.809 --> 00:11:37.070 Seek me out. Knock on the door. I'll teach you 00:11:37.070 --> 00:11:39.110 the wisdom. I'll give you the courage to restore 00:11:39.110 --> 00:11:40.870 that relationship. I'll give you the patience 00:11:40.870 --> 00:11:43.090 and the grace to forgive that person. Come to 00:11:43.090 --> 00:11:46.809 me and ask. So I'm going to say it again. Jesus 00:11:46.809 --> 00:11:50.669 is not promising us anything we want in these 00:11:50.669 --> 00:11:54.090 prayers. But in context, what he's really offering 00:11:54.090 --> 00:11:58.590 us is wisdom for healing relationships. Okay? 00:11:59.049 --> 00:12:02.029 Leon Morris is a commentator. He agrees. He says, 00:12:02.149 --> 00:12:04.549 the request Jesus speaks of here is not a carte 00:12:04.549 --> 00:12:07.610 blanche for selfish desires. The prayer arises 00:12:07.610 --> 00:12:10.679 from the preceding teaching, like we said. wisdom 00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:13.320 to live righteously grace to forgive and the 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:16.720 courage to reconcile and then again craig blomberg 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:18.700 talks about the verses that come right after 00:12:18.700 --> 00:12:21.220 he says the linking of verses seven and eight 00:12:21.220 --> 00:12:24.519 with the golden rule suggests strongly that what 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:27.580 we're to request from god is whatever will enable 00:12:27.580 --> 00:12:30.320 us to treat others as we would want to be treated 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:33.240 therefore the emphasis is on ethical and the 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:36.879 relational not the material i am so sorry this 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:40.129 morning If you thought that this reading we just 00:12:40.129 --> 00:12:43.169 read was teaching us to pray for a Ferrari. Or 00:12:43.169 --> 00:12:46.070 pray for a bigger house. Or that God would give 00:12:46.070 --> 00:12:48.350 us a lifetime supply of chocolate if that's what 00:12:48.350 --> 00:12:51.730 we wanted. No. When Jesus says ask, he is not 00:12:51.730 --> 00:12:54.950 saying ask for Raptor Seasons tickets. When Jesus 00:12:54.950 --> 00:12:57.870 says seek, he is not saying seek for a new iPhone. 00:12:57.970 --> 00:13:00.809 When Jesus says knock, he's not saying knock 00:13:00.809 --> 00:13:03.289 on the door of an all -inclusive resort in Maui. 00:13:03.350 --> 00:13:08.110 No. This is a certain kind of prayer. where Jesus 00:13:08.110 --> 00:13:13.009 is inviting us to pray for help to heal our relationships. 00:13:13.190 --> 00:13:15.309 So therefore, Jesus is saying, I will help you 00:13:15.309 --> 00:13:17.429 when you pray prayers like this. And I've left 00:13:17.429 --> 00:13:19.210 these blank. You can fill them in however you 00:13:19.210 --> 00:13:21.649 want. But when you pray a prayer like this, Jesus 00:13:21.649 --> 00:13:25.409 says, I will help you. Lord, help me to forgive 00:13:25.409 --> 00:13:31.090 my spouse. Jesus says, yes, I will help you with 00:13:31.090 --> 00:13:34.230 that. Father, give me the courage to apologize 00:13:34.230 --> 00:13:40.139 to that. Fill it in. Coworker. God, show me how 00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:45.500 to love that family member or that person at 00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:48.899 coffee hour who's really, really annoying. I 00:13:48.899 --> 00:13:51.539 know it's not what we wanted to hear. We thought 00:13:51.539 --> 00:13:54.360 that God was offering to give us anything. That's 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:56.200 not what the context shows us. And it's actually 00:13:56.200 --> 00:13:57.720 a good thing because we don't want to grow up 00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:02.580 to be dudley disciples. Okay? So that brings 00:14:02.580 --> 00:14:05.820 us to the second. The first misunderstanding 00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:08.200 is this is actually, this is about relationships, 00:14:08.259 --> 00:14:10.639 not about material things. The second misunderstanding. 00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:13.860 that we need to work out is these ask, seek, 00:14:13.940 --> 00:14:16.539 and knock prayers. Make it sound like God is 00:14:16.539 --> 00:14:19.000 this emergency responder. That normally in life, 00:14:19.019 --> 00:14:21.220 we're going along just fine. Thank you very much. 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:23.460 I can handle life myself. But if we need something, 00:14:23.539 --> 00:14:25.620 God says, oh, if you run into trouble, ask me. 00:14:25.659 --> 00:14:28.279 I'll be there. If you run into a bind, seek me 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.279 out. If you have a real problem, just knock on 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:34.220 the door and I'll sort you out. And then you 00:14:34.220 --> 00:14:36.580 can be on your merry way again in your life. 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:40.590 I'm just there if you need it. But a closer look 00:14:40.590 --> 00:14:42.649 at what Jesus is teaching us to pray here actually 00:14:42.649 --> 00:14:44.830 shows us he isn't encouraging us to pray these 00:14:44.830 --> 00:14:48.710 entitled one and done kind of prayers. He's teaching 00:14:48.710 --> 00:14:53.090 us to rely on him through prayer in this ongoing 00:14:53.090 --> 00:14:57.490 way. Here's what I mean. When commentators look 00:14:57.490 --> 00:15:01.929 at what Matthew 7 to 11 is really saying, many 00:15:01.929 --> 00:15:04.409 suggest that the best way to read it, given the 00:15:04.409 --> 00:15:08.929 tense of the verbs, is keep asking. Keep seeking, 00:15:09.250 --> 00:15:13.169 keep knocking. The verbs in Greek are in the 00:15:13.169 --> 00:15:15.690 present tense, the imperative mood and the active 00:15:15.690 --> 00:15:19.330 voice, which apparently expresses an action that 00:15:19.330 --> 00:15:22.970 is ongoing and it's continual rather than a one 00:15:22.970 --> 00:15:25.950 time event. So you see what this means is God 00:15:25.950 --> 00:15:29.190 wants you to be relying on him through prayer 00:15:29.190 --> 00:15:34.250 all day. Every day, not just when the going gets 00:15:34.250 --> 00:15:37.389 tough. Entitled people say, you know what, God 00:15:37.389 --> 00:15:41.690 owes me. But when we develop the spirit of reliance, 00:15:41.789 --> 00:15:44.809 we actually come to say, no, God cares for me 00:15:44.809 --> 00:15:48.490 each and every day. Entitled people say, I deserve 00:15:48.490 --> 00:15:52.750 this. But people who are reliant on God day in 00:15:52.750 --> 00:15:57.490 and day out say, no, I need him always. Entitlement 00:15:57.490 --> 00:16:03.309 is about getting. But reliance is about staying, 00:16:03.669 --> 00:16:07.250 staying in a relationship with God, not to make 00:16:07.250 --> 00:16:13.289 us spoiled, but to keep us close. Again, Leon 00:16:13.289 --> 00:16:15.990 Morris says, prayer is not an attempt to force 00:16:15.990 --> 00:16:18.570 God's hand, but it's a humble acknowledgement 00:16:18.570 --> 00:16:24.870 of our continual dependence on him. Dudley, he 00:16:24.870 --> 00:16:27.789 had this once a year windfall, his birthday. 00:16:28.190 --> 00:16:31.909 Right? And if you see God only that way, as this 00:16:31.909 --> 00:16:34.230 guy who shows up to hand you gifts on special 00:16:34.230 --> 00:16:37.309 occasions, your relationship will always have 00:16:37.309 --> 00:16:39.370 that sense of entitlement. But when you keep 00:16:39.370 --> 00:16:42.169 coming back to him, keep relying on him day by 00:16:42.169 --> 00:16:45.830 day, moment by moment, that's when you move from 00:16:45.830 --> 00:16:49.049 a birthday relationship with God to an everyday 00:16:49.049 --> 00:16:52.690 relationship with God. I mean, think about Israel 00:16:52.690 --> 00:16:56.190 when they were in the wilderness. When Israel 00:16:56.190 --> 00:16:58.870 was in the wilderness, you know, could God have 00:16:58.870 --> 00:17:02.629 whipped up a Costco -sized pallet of food and 00:17:02.629 --> 00:17:05.349 given them food for a whole week? Yes, but he 00:17:05.349 --> 00:17:08.970 didn't. He gave them bread day by day. And why 00:17:08.970 --> 00:17:12.309 was that? It was so they would keep coming back 00:17:12.309 --> 00:17:15.890 in reliance on him. Or consider what Jesus said 00:17:15.890 --> 00:17:20.289 in John chapter 15. He says, apart from me, you 00:17:20.289 --> 00:17:24.119 can do nothing. Now, that's not a statement about 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:27.259 the occasional need for emergency help. It's 00:17:27.259 --> 00:17:30.180 a reminder that our very life, all of our life, 00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:35.440 flows from an ongoing connection to God. You 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:36.660 know, I probably should have done this a lot 00:17:36.660 --> 00:17:38.539 earlier, but now that we've got more drivers 00:17:38.539 --> 00:17:41.900 in our house, I went in for the family -sized 00:17:41.900 --> 00:17:46.160 CAA membership, you know, just in case anyone, 00:17:46.599 --> 00:17:49.220 whether it's Sophie or Petra or me or Sal, need 00:17:49.220 --> 00:17:53.539 some roadside assistance. that is often how we 00:17:53.539 --> 00:17:57.960 treat God, roadside assistance. We're fine cruising 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:00.660 along until something breaks down and then we 00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:03.960 just dial in a quick fix. But Jesus isn't offering 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:09.259 us CAA for the soul. He's inviting us into a 00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:12.440 relationship where we don't just call him when 00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:15.859 we've got a flat. We invite him into the car 00:18:15.859 --> 00:18:19.269 for the whole trip. Okay. That brings us to the 00:18:19.269 --> 00:18:21.289 third and final thing I want to share with you 00:18:21.289 --> 00:18:24.430 today about how we sometimes misunderstand this 00:18:24.430 --> 00:18:29.789 command about prayer. At first glance, Jesus 00:18:29.789 --> 00:18:32.170 seems to be describing this very shallow relationship 00:18:32.170 --> 00:18:35.630 with God as if God's this heavenly ATM. Insert 00:18:35.630 --> 00:18:38.329 your prayer, get your blessing. Insert your coin, 00:18:38.470 --> 00:18:41.609 get your result, right? But upon closer inspection... 00:18:42.579 --> 00:18:45.119 Praying the way that Jesus is teaching us does 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:48.299 not result in a shallow relationship, but actually 00:18:48.299 --> 00:18:50.440 one of the most intimate relationships possible, 00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:53.500 the relationship between a parent and a child. 00:18:53.660 --> 00:18:55.519 Listen to what Jesus says. He says, which of 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:59.359 you, if your son, this is parent -child language, 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:01.500 asks you for bread, we'll give him a stone. Or 00:19:01.500 --> 00:19:03.319 if he asks for a fish, we'll give him a snake. 00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:05.880 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good 00:19:05.880 --> 00:19:08.480 gifts to your children, how much more will your 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:13.299 father in heaven... Give good gifts to those 00:19:13.299 --> 00:19:17.160 who ask him. Now notice the shift. Jesus does 00:19:17.160 --> 00:19:21.759 not say God gives. He says your father gives. 00:19:22.099 --> 00:19:25.740 Prayer isn't about a shallow transaction. It's 00:19:25.740 --> 00:19:29.660 developing a relationship of intimacy with your 00:19:29.660 --> 00:19:32.799 heavenly father. That's the result Jesus is after. 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:37.420 Good parenting. doesn't just result in kids who 00:19:37.420 --> 00:19:39.759 believe that their parents can meet all their 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:44.480 needs. Good parenting results in kids who know 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:48.500 they're loved and who love their parents. You 00:19:48.500 --> 00:19:51.700 can't love a vending machine, but you can love 00:19:51.700 --> 00:19:55.220 a father, and a father can love you. And Jesus 00:19:55.220 --> 00:19:58.500 wants us to develop that kind of intimacy in 00:19:58.500 --> 00:20:02.460 our prayer lives, which helps us to know God 00:20:02.460 --> 00:20:07.359 as our Father, we need, even if it's not what 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:10.599 we want. And that's actually really important. 00:20:10.779 --> 00:20:12.819 I put this quote from Dallas Willard actually 00:20:12.819 --> 00:20:14.940 into your notes because I think it's really important. 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:19.000 The idea that God would automatically give us 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:22.160 whatever we want is not the mark of a loving 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:26.619 father, but of a careless stranger. Do you get 00:20:26.619 --> 00:20:31.299 that? Like the very fact that we don't get what 00:20:31.299 --> 00:20:35.349 we ask for is a sign That we are relating to 00:20:35.349 --> 00:20:39.910 a person, not a machine. When God says no, or 00:20:39.910 --> 00:20:42.869 when God says not yet, it's actually a sign of 00:20:42.869 --> 00:20:45.750 love. We don't always know what's good or bad 00:20:45.750 --> 00:20:48.809 for us, but our father does. A toddler might 00:20:48.809 --> 00:20:51.529 ask for candy for breakfast every single day, 00:20:51.609 --> 00:20:54.150 but a good parent won't say yes. Not because 00:20:54.150 --> 00:20:56.829 they don't love them, but precisely because they 00:20:56.829 --> 00:21:00.930 do love them. What Dudley needed most in Harry 00:21:00.930 --> 00:21:04.569 Potter wasn't more yeses. He actually needed 00:21:04.569 --> 00:21:07.869 more no's or not yet. He didn't need more gifts. 00:21:08.069 --> 00:21:12.329 He needed more love, more care, and more intimacy 00:21:12.329 --> 00:21:15.910 with his parents. They kept handing him snakes 00:21:15.910 --> 00:21:19.849 and rocks and gifts that weren't good for him 00:21:19.849 --> 00:21:22.849 and actually hurt him in the long run. But a 00:21:22.849 --> 00:21:25.269 good father doesn't just give you what you want 00:21:25.269 --> 00:21:27.849 in the moment. He gives you those things that 00:21:27.849 --> 00:21:30.509 are going to grow you up into the person you 00:21:30.509 --> 00:21:32.849 were made to be. And that's how we should pray 00:21:32.849 --> 00:21:36.490 too. Because when we approach God as a father, 00:21:36.690 --> 00:21:40.390 then prayer actually becomes less about getting 00:21:40.390 --> 00:21:44.950 stuff from God and more about getting God himself. 00:21:46.690 --> 00:21:50.789 Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you 00:21:50.789 --> 00:21:52.950 will find. Knock, and the door will be opened 00:21:52.950 --> 00:21:56.529 to you. If we misunderstand Jesus' words, we'll 00:21:56.529 --> 00:22:00.750 become spiritual Dudleys or spiritual Duds. Our 00:22:00.750 --> 00:22:04.000 arms are loaded with presents. But we're never 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:08.680 satisfied, self -centered, entitled, and shallow. 00:22:10.059 --> 00:22:12.799 That's not what Jesus is teaching us here. Now 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.660 we've seen. Jesus doesn't want to make us spiritual 00:22:15.660 --> 00:22:18.599 Dudleys. He wants to move us from being self 00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:22.410 -centered. to other -centered, repairing relationships, 00:22:22.769 --> 00:22:25.349 living out the golden rule. He wants us to move 00:22:25.349 --> 00:22:29.230 from entitlement to reliance, making prayer the 00:22:29.230 --> 00:22:31.970 posture of our life every day and all day. And 00:22:31.970 --> 00:22:34.730 he wants to move us from a shallow relationship 00:22:34.730 --> 00:22:37.450 where God is a vending machine to a deep, intimate 00:22:37.450 --> 00:22:40.890 relationship where God is our Father who gives 00:22:40.890 --> 00:22:44.950 us what is best, even if it's not what we expect. 00:22:45.369 --> 00:22:47.730 Friends, how are you approaching God these days? 00:22:48.589 --> 00:22:52.190 Are you approaching God like Dudley or like a 00:22:52.190 --> 00:22:57.349 disciple? A Dudley comes to God demanding, but 00:22:57.349 --> 00:23:01.809 a disciple comes to God depending. Dudley wants 00:23:01.809 --> 00:23:06.569 gifts, but a disciple wants the giver. Dudley 00:23:06.569 --> 00:23:10.549 wants more stuff from God, but a disciple wants 00:23:10.549 --> 00:23:13.450 more of God himself. And so this week, I just 00:23:13.450 --> 00:23:16.190 want to encourage you to renew your own prayer 00:23:16.190 --> 00:23:19.480 lives in this way. And as you're praying this 00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:23.920 week, ask yourself, am I praying to get something 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:27.140 from God? Or am I praying to get close to God? 00:23:28.140 --> 00:23:30.960 And then take Jesus at his word. Keep asking, 00:23:31.099 --> 00:23:35.859 keep seeking, and keep knocking. Not because 00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:38.559 Jesus or God is stingy or hard of hearing, but 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:41.420 because he loves you. And because he's shaping 00:23:41.420 --> 00:23:45.019 you into someone who can love others like he 00:23:45.019 --> 00:23:49.779 does. So thanks be to God. Amen.