WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:39.570 you Matthew 7 is our text this morning. Bear 00:00:39.570 --> 00:00:41.530 with me with my voice. I think it's just allergies. 00:00:41.729 --> 00:00:44.210 I know it's annoying to listen to, so I'll do 00:00:44.210 --> 00:00:47.710 the best I can. Matthew 7, we'll begin with verse 00:00:47.710 --> 00:00:51.729 7 and end at verse 12. The word Jesus speaking 00:00:51.729 --> 00:00:56.090 says, Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, 00:00:56.109 --> 00:00:59.450 and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened 00:00:59.450 --> 00:01:03.929 to you. For everyone who asks, receives. And 00:01:03.929 --> 00:01:08.140 he who seeks, finds. And to him who knocks, it 00:01:08.140 --> 00:01:11.599 will be opened. What man is there among you who, 00:01:11.659 --> 00:01:14.620 if his son asks for bread, will you give him 00:01:14.620 --> 00:01:18.540 a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will you give 00:01:18.540 --> 00:01:23.340 him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know 00:01:23.340 --> 00:01:26.620 how to give good gifts to your children, how 00:01:26.620 --> 00:01:30.980 much more will your Father who is in heaven give 00:01:30.980 --> 00:01:34.280 good things to those who ask him? Therefore, 00:01:35.189 --> 00:01:38.409 Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to 00:01:38.409 --> 00:01:44.189 them. For this is the law and the prophets. Let's 00:01:44.189 --> 00:01:48.670 pray. Our gracious God, this morning, Lord, we 00:01:48.670 --> 00:01:51.930 come and God, we have heard the word of the Lord, 00:01:51.950 --> 00:01:56.069 Lord, written and read. And God, now would you 00:01:56.069 --> 00:01:58.129 help us as it needs to be expounded and explained, 00:01:58.329 --> 00:02:00.890 Lord. Father, would you give the illumination 00:02:00.890 --> 00:02:04.180 of your Holy Spirit, Lord. Father, I realize, 00:02:04.340 --> 00:02:06.920 Lord, this morning my voice may be a distraction. 00:02:07.099 --> 00:02:10.340 God, would you help me? Lord, I pray that I would 00:02:10.340 --> 00:02:13.659 preach with power, not fleshly power, but, Lord 00:02:13.659 --> 00:02:15.580 God, the power of your spirit to unction, Lord, 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:18.939 that, God, you would give us, Lord, your grace 00:02:18.939 --> 00:02:22.620 and your spirit. Lord, as we hear the word from 00:02:22.620 --> 00:02:26.479 heaven, Lord, God, may this word take root, change 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:28.659 us, Lord, to be more like Christ because of what 00:02:28.659 --> 00:02:32.409 we're hearing. God, we need you, Lord. Help us 00:02:32.409 --> 00:02:35.330 to make much of Christ, even in our own weakness 00:02:35.330 --> 00:02:37.949 and frailty, Lord. Would you show forth your 00:02:37.949 --> 00:02:41.669 power? We pray this in Jesus' blessed name. Amen. 00:02:43.469 --> 00:02:45.810 We have spent some considerable time working 00:02:45.810 --> 00:02:49.129 our way through this masterpiece known as the 00:02:49.129 --> 00:02:52.050 Sermon on the Mount. Really, this sermon, it 00:02:52.050 --> 00:02:54.629 is the sermon. It is preached by the preacher. 00:02:55.689 --> 00:02:59.550 Nothing can even come close to rivaling it. If 00:02:59.550 --> 00:03:02.110 you talk about Matthew 5, 6, and 7, these chapters 00:03:02.110 --> 00:03:04.469 are so well known, not just within the church, 00:03:04.590 --> 00:03:07.050 but without the church as well. In fact, you'll 00:03:07.050 --> 00:03:10.710 find portions of them referenced or quoted. Politicians 00:03:10.710 --> 00:03:12.689 in various political speeches will use these 00:03:12.689 --> 00:03:17.389 verses. But if we're not careful, we can easily 00:03:17.389 --> 00:03:21.469 miss the big picture. What is the central point 00:03:21.469 --> 00:03:24.750 of Christ as he's preaching this message? Well, 00:03:24.810 --> 00:03:27.120 he's been talking about his kingdom. And he's 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:29.780 detailing what life in his kingdom looks like. 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:33.300 So the grand theme, if you will, the great subject 00:03:33.300 --> 00:03:35.819 of this entire sermon, Matthew 5 all the way 00:03:35.819 --> 00:03:39.340 through 7, really is the kingdom of God. Now 00:03:39.340 --> 00:03:41.280 the kingdom of God is also known as the kingdom 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:43.379 of heaven. That's how Matthew references it. 00:03:43.580 --> 00:03:46.120 It's also referenced as the kingdom of Christ. 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:50.139 All of those mean the exact same thing. Now there 00:03:50.139 --> 00:03:51.819 is some confusion. In fact, there's a lot of 00:03:51.819 --> 00:03:54.840 confusion on what the kingdom of God really is. 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:56.819 And I think there's some good reason for that. 00:03:57.379 --> 00:03:59.759 When we speak of the kingdom of God, what we 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:03.240 mean is the rule of God, the reign, R -E -I -G 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:07.300 -N, the reign of God. So if I would ask you this 00:04:07.300 --> 00:04:12.039 morning, where is Christ currently reigning? 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:16.360 Is he ruling over all the earth? Well, in one 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:18.939 sense, the answer to that would be yes. I mean, 00:04:18.939 --> 00:04:22.819 there's no one or no thing outside of his jurisdiction. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:27.800 Christ is the sovereign one. But not all the 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:32.279 nations, not all people, joyfully affirm his 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:36.980 rule. So where is Christ then recognized as king? 00:04:37.660 --> 00:04:43.379 In his church. With the Christian. With joy, 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:46.120 great joy I would say, and with great enthusiasm, 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:50.399 we do cry out, Christ is Lord. Now when we're 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:52.740 saying that, we're making some also denunciations. 00:04:53.550 --> 00:04:55.829 At the time of the writing of this, we would 00:04:55.829 --> 00:04:58.970 say Caesar is not Lord, although Rome was a political 00:04:58.970 --> 00:05:02.389 powerhouse. We would also say that no earthly 00:05:02.389 --> 00:05:06.410 king today is Lord. No president is Lord. In 00:05:06.410 --> 00:05:11.209 fact, Christ Jesus only is Lord. So when we're 00:05:11.209 --> 00:05:13.550 talking about the kingdom of God today, currently, 00:05:13.670 --> 00:05:17.829 we are talking really about his church. Christ 00:05:17.829 --> 00:05:21.389 rules over his people. He rules over them primarily 00:05:21.389 --> 00:05:24.910 in two ways. By his word and with the sacrament. 00:05:25.170 --> 00:05:28.149 And it is in his church that he is recognized 00:05:28.149 --> 00:05:32.470 as the great king. The word rules over us. It 00:05:32.470 --> 00:05:35.009 gives us our marching orders. The sacraments 00:05:35.009 --> 00:05:37.810 entrance into the community of God. And also 00:05:37.810 --> 00:05:42.149 it has fellowship with the risen Christ. If someone 00:05:42.149 --> 00:05:45.209 will not be obedient to the word. And they continue 00:05:45.209 --> 00:05:47.389 in their stubborn rebellion after being confronted. 00:05:48.060 --> 00:05:51.060 The church then brings discipline upon that person, 00:05:51.220 --> 00:05:54.180 excommunicates them from the table of the Lord. 00:05:54.699 --> 00:05:57.920 So he's ruling, he's ruling over his people. 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:01.220 But that's not the only thing that's meant by 00:06:01.220 --> 00:06:03.720 the kingdom. When we speak of the kingdom of 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:06.879 God, we're also referring to the final end time 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:11.339 event when Christ returns and all creation will 00:06:11.339 --> 00:06:16.459 once again joyfully, readily affirm his lordship. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:20.540 One day all the nations will cry out, Christ 00:06:20.540 --> 00:06:23.639 is Lord. Now so currently we say the kingdom 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:28.220 is here, but it's in seed form. But the kingdom 00:06:28.220 --> 00:06:32.160 has not yet fully come in fruition. That awaits 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:35.019 a future date. So a lot of times in scripture 00:06:35.019 --> 00:06:39.139 you see a motif. Already, but not yet. And there's 00:06:39.139 --> 00:06:41.480 many ways that this is done. But here's one of 00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:43.980 the ways that this is done. The kingdom is already 00:06:43.980 --> 00:06:47.800 here. but not yet in its final form or in its 00:06:47.800 --> 00:06:50.620 completed form. Now, how can I prove that? When, 00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:54.000 Matt, in Luke chapter 11, Jesus said, but if 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.540 I cast out demons with the finger of God, with 00:06:56.540 --> 00:07:00.279 the power of God, surely, now notice his wording, 00:07:00.500 --> 00:07:04.839 the kingdom of God has come upon you. The kingdom's 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:08.120 here, all right? But is that what Jesus means 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:09.839 when he talks about the kingdom? Well, no, in 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:13.439 a sense, it's not yet here in its final glorious 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:18.790 form. Revelation 11. Then the seventh angel sounded. 00:07:19.230 --> 00:07:22.550 There were loud voices in heaven. Well, what 00:07:22.550 --> 00:07:26.610 were those voices saying? The kingdoms of this 00:07:26.610 --> 00:07:30.310 world have become the kingdom, singular, of our 00:07:30.310 --> 00:07:35.069 Lord and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever 00:07:35.069 --> 00:07:39.829 and ever. In this great sermon then, we're starting 00:07:39.829 --> 00:07:43.310 to see what life looks like, how the people of 00:07:43.310 --> 00:07:45.980 God, that is, That is, the people of the new 00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:49.120 covenant are to order their lives this side of 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:52.019 heaven. The kingdom's here, folks. We're in the 00:07:52.019 --> 00:07:54.759 kingdom. It's just not yet arrived in its full, 00:07:54.779 --> 00:07:57.560 robust, glorious form. So if we're talking about 00:07:57.560 --> 00:08:00.639 the sermon, then this is how one is to live his 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:04.779 life in the kingdom of God. Because it is here 00:08:04.779 --> 00:08:09.360 in the kingdom. Our king, Jesus Christ, he makes 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:12.740 demands of his people. And these demands are 00:08:12.740 --> 00:08:16.319 inflexible. They don't change. They're not going 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:19.379 to be softened. And he makes difficult demands. 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:22.139 Let's just review some of them throughout the 00:08:22.139 --> 00:08:25.259 past few chapters. In Matthew 5, he said the 00:08:25.259 --> 00:08:29.360 believer is to be perfect. Verse 48, therefore 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:31.779 you shall be perfect. How perfect are you talking 00:08:31.779 --> 00:08:34.659 about, Jesus? Just as your Father in heaven is 00:08:34.659 --> 00:08:39.039 perfect. Then in Matthew 6, we are to pray, we 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:44.149 are to give, we are to fast, but secretly. Take 00:08:44.149 --> 00:08:46.009 heed that you do not do your charitable deeds 00:08:46.009 --> 00:08:49.950 before men. Take heed. Beware of that. So you 00:08:49.950 --> 00:08:52.629 don't want to be seen by them. Otherwise, you 00:08:52.629 --> 00:08:54.990 will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 00:08:56.009 --> 00:08:57.590 And by the way, as we're living on this side 00:08:57.590 --> 00:09:00.350 of earth, he says, yeah, lay up treasures. But 00:09:00.350 --> 00:09:02.769 don't do so on earth. Lay up treasures in heaven. 00:09:02.889 --> 00:09:05.110 Verse 20. Lay up for yourselves treasures in 00:09:05.110 --> 00:09:07.509 heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, 00:09:07.730 --> 00:09:11.250 where thieves do not break in and steal. Don't 00:09:11.250 --> 00:09:16.000 live on this side of eternity. Then we are also 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:20.240 to live quiet lives, trusting and depending upon 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:25.080 our Heavenly Father. Verse 31. Therefore do not 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:27.340 worry, saying, what shall we eat or what shall 00:09:27.340 --> 00:09:31.039 we drink or what shall we wear? Why not worry? 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:34.460 Life sometimes can be one big worry. Why not? 00:09:35.740 --> 00:09:37.899 For after all these things, the Gentiles, these 00:09:37.899 --> 00:09:39.360 are the pagans, these are people that don't know 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:43.549 God. They're all seeking those things. Every 00:09:43.549 --> 00:09:47.909 one of them. But you, you and the kingdom. For 00:09:47.909 --> 00:09:51.750 your heavenly father, he knows. He knows what 00:09:51.750 --> 00:09:55.070 you need. He knows what you have. He knows what 00:09:55.070 --> 00:09:57.570 you don't have. He knows that you need all these 00:09:57.570 --> 00:10:00.909 things. And then we turn over to chapter 7. You 00:10:00.909 --> 00:10:03.570 and I are to live in community with each other, 00:10:03.610 --> 00:10:05.230 with our brothers and sisters in this kingdom 00:10:05.230 --> 00:10:07.870 without being censorious, without being overly 00:10:07.870 --> 00:10:10.460 strict and overly critical. We looked at this 00:10:10.460 --> 00:10:13.940 last week, chapter 7, verse 1. Judge not, condemn 00:10:13.940 --> 00:10:17.340 not. Credo is the word. Condemn not so that you 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:20.779 be not condemned. That means don't set yourself 00:10:20.779 --> 00:10:24.779 up to be morally superior, but consider carefully 00:10:24.779 --> 00:10:29.440 how you judge others. Why? Because on the day 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:30.679 of judgment, friend, you're going to be judged 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:34.320 by the very same standard. Don't do it. Now, 00:10:34.340 --> 00:10:38.419 after reading all these demands, Every one of 00:10:38.419 --> 00:10:40.019 us, just starting with the first one about being 00:10:40.019 --> 00:10:43.679 perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. We 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:45.639 ought to start to despair. There ought to be 00:10:45.639 --> 00:10:48.059 a sense of our conscience bothering us a little 00:10:48.059 --> 00:10:51.440 bit. Who does this? It's like Paul when he's 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:52.840 talking about the care of all the churches and 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:55.100 he says, I have so much on me. Who is sufficient 00:10:55.100 --> 00:10:57.019 for these things? I think that's how we should 00:10:57.019 --> 00:10:59.019 feel right now when we look at the demands of 00:10:59.019 --> 00:11:01.059 the kingdom and Christ is saying this is life 00:11:01.059 --> 00:11:03.100 in the kingdom. We ought to be saying, but who 00:11:03.100 --> 00:11:06.340 then is sufficient for these things? If this 00:11:06.340 --> 00:11:09.480 is kingdom life, how can I, how can you, how 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:15.419 can we possibly endure? Who can do this? And 00:11:15.419 --> 00:11:19.419 this leads to our text today. See, what we do, 00:11:19.460 --> 00:11:21.659 we start to see our great need in being the disciples 00:11:21.659 --> 00:11:25.779 of Christ. And we do have great need. And we 00:11:25.779 --> 00:11:29.519 must have then great grace because there's not 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:31.899 one of us here this morning that on our own can 00:11:31.899 --> 00:11:34.440 fulfill these demands. They're too lofty. They're 00:11:34.440 --> 00:11:38.509 too high. The awareness, this awareness that 00:11:38.509 --> 00:11:42.289 we have lack, that we have need, it drives us 00:11:42.289 --> 00:11:46.909 onto our needs where we ask for grace, we seek 00:11:46.909 --> 00:11:50.289 for wisdom, and we knock on the very doors of 00:11:50.289 --> 00:11:53.629 heaven for the resources that we need to accomplish 00:11:53.629 --> 00:11:59.049 his will. Friends, listen. There is a sense in 00:11:59.049 --> 00:12:02.629 which we would despair that Christ, our pastor, 00:12:02.710 --> 00:12:05.480 our shepherd, He comes to us and he says, don't 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:09.340 despair. Why? Because you in the kingdom, you 00:12:09.340 --> 00:12:13.860 have a great high priest, the Lord Jesus, and 00:12:13.860 --> 00:12:19.179 he offers his help, offers his supernatural help 00:12:19.179 --> 00:12:24.419 to his people. Verse 7, ask. Just ask. It'll 00:12:24.419 --> 00:12:28.190 be given. Seek. And you will find, knock and 00:12:28.190 --> 00:12:30.129 it will be opened to you. For everyone, everyone 00:12:30.129 --> 00:12:32.789 who asks receives and he who seeks finds and 00:12:32.789 --> 00:12:35.129 him who knocks it's opened. That's a great promise. 00:12:35.289 --> 00:12:38.649 But let me tell you what it's not. This is not 00:12:38.649 --> 00:12:41.169 a blanket promise that the child of God is going 00:12:41.169 --> 00:12:44.529 to receive everything he asked God for. This 00:12:44.529 --> 00:12:49.230 is not the promise for selfish consumers. This 00:12:49.230 --> 00:12:50.889 is not for people who want to consume things 00:12:50.889 --> 00:12:53.830 upon their lusts. But there is a promise here 00:12:53.830 --> 00:12:56.710 and it's precious. There is a promise here for 00:12:56.710 --> 00:12:59.950 God's help and for God's empowerment to obey 00:12:59.950 --> 00:13:02.830 all that our Lord has commanded in these three 00:13:02.830 --> 00:13:06.629 lofty chapters. So it's an encouragement. How? 00:13:06.730 --> 00:13:09.309 You don't have what it takes, nor do I, but we 00:13:09.309 --> 00:13:11.929 go to God and the people of God. We go and we 00:13:11.929 --> 00:13:15.570 ask and we seek and we knock for what? Daily 00:13:15.570 --> 00:13:18.669 grace that is needed to be the disciple of Christ. 00:13:19.789 --> 00:13:24.539 I can't, but he can. We feel helpless. And we 00:13:24.539 --> 00:13:28.320 see our utter inability. And we cry out to the 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:31.059 Lord for grace. We cry out to the Lord for mercy. 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:33.919 We cry out to the Lord for his help. And this, 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:37.639 in our admission of need and his promise to give 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:41.840 it help, he's glorified that way. Because in 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:44.299 the kingdom, the King, the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:49.340 he is gracious. He is more than glad to offer 00:13:49.340 --> 00:13:52.259 his help to the subjects who are in his kingdom. 00:13:52.909 --> 00:13:54.950 Friends, you don't have a king that we ought 00:13:54.950 --> 00:13:59.789 to fear going to. He's gracious. Verse 7, this 00:13:59.789 --> 00:14:03.409 context, it is for disciples. And it's for disciples 00:14:03.409 --> 00:14:06.289 who know they need help. It's not for independent, 00:14:06.529 --> 00:14:08.990 self -sufficient people. It's for people who 00:14:08.990 --> 00:14:12.250 know they don't have what it takes. Andrew Farley, 00:14:12.289 --> 00:14:14.789 in his commentary, he says, Christ encourages 00:14:14.789 --> 00:14:18.490 them, that is us, his disciples, to boldly ask 00:14:18.490 --> 00:14:23.440 God for whatever they need. To seek from him 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:26.460 whatever they require to knock on the door of 00:14:26.460 --> 00:14:29.720 heaven with their petitions. And if they do so, 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:33.320 they will find their father in heaven hearkening 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:37.360 to them. Amen. See, the verb tense, though, I 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:39.539 know, grammar nerd here, this is in the progressive 00:14:39.539 --> 00:14:41.960 form. What does that mean? It means the disciples 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:44.639 are to Christ are to continue asking, continue 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:48.539 seeking, continue knocking. This is not a one 00:14:48.539 --> 00:14:52.250 and done deal, in other words. Keep on. Keep 00:14:52.250 --> 00:14:55.669 on what? Keep on asking the Lord. Keep on seeking 00:14:55.669 --> 00:14:58.230 the Lord. Keep on knocking on the door of heaven. 00:14:58.509 --> 00:15:02.870 Knowing, knowing, being assured, your Father 00:15:02.870 --> 00:15:06.429 in heaven will answer. Now, we have here other 00:15:06.429 --> 00:15:09.450 scriptures that will help us to understand there 00:15:09.450 --> 00:15:11.950 are certain conditions that our Father in heaven 00:15:11.950 --> 00:15:16.149 puts on prayer. Is he going to answer? Yeah. 00:15:16.230 --> 00:15:19.149 Well, Psalm 66 says, if I regard iniquity in 00:15:19.149 --> 00:15:24.009 my heart. Then the Lord will not hear me. 1 John 00:15:24.009 --> 00:15:28.370 3. Whatever we ask, we receive from him. That's 00:15:28.370 --> 00:15:31.370 a strong statement. Because, he's explaining 00:15:31.370 --> 00:15:34.090 why. We keep his commandments and do those things 00:15:34.090 --> 00:15:37.450 that are pleasing in his sight. What is John 00:15:37.450 --> 00:15:41.700 saying? We don't perfectly keep them. If you 00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:44.360 are living, friends, in the kingdom, in rebellion 00:15:44.360 --> 00:15:47.000 to God, and there is no repentance in your life, 00:15:47.139 --> 00:15:50.659 you can claim Matthew 7, 7. You can claim 1 John 00:15:50.659 --> 00:15:55.500 3, 22 all day long to know of El. The word will 00:15:55.500 --> 00:15:59.860 not hear. Moreover, the word searches our motives. 00:16:01.179 --> 00:16:04.539 James, speaking to us, he says, you ask. That's 00:16:04.539 --> 00:16:07.139 what we're told to do. But you don't receive. 00:16:08.509 --> 00:16:12.070 Why? I thought if we ask, we do receive. Because 00:16:12.070 --> 00:16:15.970 you ask amiss. You're asking wrongly. How? That 00:16:15.970 --> 00:16:19.289 you may spend it upon your lust, upon your desires. 00:16:19.710 --> 00:16:22.090 Lust doesn't mean sexual lust. It can mean that. 00:16:23.110 --> 00:16:25.230 But they're desires that are contrary to the 00:16:25.230 --> 00:16:27.789 will of God. So when he's saying, when we're 00:16:27.789 --> 00:16:29.929 asking and we're seeking, we're knocking, the 00:16:29.929 --> 00:16:32.590 petitions we ask of God must be according to 00:16:32.590 --> 00:16:35.389 his will. John tells us that again, 1 John 5. 00:16:35.789 --> 00:16:38.409 Now this is the confidence, okay, that's great, 00:16:38.490 --> 00:16:41.169 that we have in him that if we ask anything, 00:16:41.389 --> 00:16:45.830 now there's a clear caveat here, according to 00:16:45.830 --> 00:16:49.710 his will, he hears us. And if we know that he 00:16:49.710 --> 00:16:52.629 hears us, whatever we ask, because it's according 00:16:52.629 --> 00:16:55.730 to his will, then we know that we have the petitions 00:16:55.730 --> 00:16:59.190 that we have asked from him. Do you see how this 00:16:59.190 --> 00:17:01.070 is starting to come together and it paints a 00:17:01.070 --> 00:17:03.649 fuller picture for us? Far too many Christians 00:17:03.649 --> 00:17:06.250 have sought to take a biblical text like Matthew 00:17:06.250 --> 00:17:09.589 7 -7 as a promise and divorce it from its context. 00:17:09.849 --> 00:17:12.789 People do it all the time. Right now, TV and 00:17:12.789 --> 00:17:15.470 internet preachers are replete with false teachers 00:17:15.470 --> 00:17:19.210 who are seeking to fleece the flock of God by 00:17:19.210 --> 00:17:22.710 twisting these sacred promises. They do it all 00:17:22.710 --> 00:17:25.750 day long every day. So the request that we're 00:17:25.750 --> 00:17:28.230 coming to God with, it must be according to his 00:17:28.230 --> 00:17:30.799 will. That's 1 John 5. Because he's not going 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:33.420 to grant anything that would hurt us, because 00:17:33.420 --> 00:17:35.980 he's too wise. He's not going to grant anything 00:17:35.980 --> 00:17:38.559 that would hinder us from fellowshipping with 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:42.900 him. But Jesus is talking to his disciples. He's 00:17:42.900 --> 00:17:44.839 nearing the end of the sermon, and he's telling 00:17:44.839 --> 00:17:48.480 them, you need to continue in prayer. You don't 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:54.420 just come one time. Why does God do that? The 00:17:54.420 --> 00:17:57.269 Bible doesn't tell us. We have some clues. I 00:17:57.269 --> 00:17:58.990 think one of the things is to teach us perseverance. 00:18:00.509 --> 00:18:02.710 You are not to quit praying just because you 00:18:02.710 --> 00:18:04.430 don't receive the answer the very first time 00:18:04.430 --> 00:18:10.069 you ask. Persevere. If you know you're praying 00:18:10.069 --> 00:18:11.569 and your motives are pure and it's according 00:18:11.569 --> 00:18:15.089 to God's will and it's for his glory, keep on 00:18:15.089 --> 00:18:21.250 asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. God 00:18:21.250 --> 00:18:23.190 might delay in order to teach us to persevere. 00:18:23.349 --> 00:18:25.269 It's also the way we learn to walk in faith. 00:18:26.990 --> 00:18:30.410 Friends, not everything goes our way. And God 00:18:30.410 --> 00:18:33.210 in his providence ensures us at times, ensures 00:18:33.210 --> 00:18:37.250 that things don't go our way. Why? How else are 00:18:37.250 --> 00:18:38.690 you going to learn to walk by faith and not by 00:18:38.690 --> 00:18:43.130 sight? Keep on. Asking the Lord for something, 00:18:43.230 --> 00:18:48.309 that implies that I lack something. So in that, 00:18:48.490 --> 00:18:52.789 I am humbled and he's exalted. By seeking the 00:18:52.789 --> 00:18:55.250 Lord for something, that implies he has what 00:18:55.250 --> 00:18:58.220 I need. Again, there's lack on my part and provision 00:18:58.220 --> 00:19:01.440 on his part. I am humbled and he is exalted. 00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:03.759 By knocking on the door of heaven for something, 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:06.380 there is the implication that he alone holds 00:19:06.380 --> 00:19:10.799 the door and he can open it as he wills. In this, 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:14.579 I am humbled and he is exalted. Martin Lloyd 00:19:14.579 --> 00:19:17.740 -Jones says, the first two essentials to salvation, 00:19:18.019 --> 00:19:20.400 and we ought to listen to that, and to rejoicing 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:24.299 in Christ, two essentials, the consciousness 00:19:24.299 --> 00:19:27.839 of our need. You've got to know that you're needy. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:31.859 And the consciousness of the riches of grace 00:19:31.859 --> 00:19:36.700 that are in Christ. You know that you have lack 00:19:36.700 --> 00:19:40.279 and he has provision. The command, this command 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:43.480 to ask, to seek, to knock, it causes us immediately, 00:19:43.700 --> 00:19:46.099 because we're having to go to him, it causes 00:19:46.099 --> 00:19:49.440 us to see ourselves as weak. But it also, at 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.700 the same time, causes us to see our king as sufficient. 00:19:53.130 --> 00:19:55.650 You and I know that we are needy, but we see 00:19:55.650 --> 00:19:57.869 that he is powerful and this God is glorified 00:19:57.869 --> 00:20:00.470 in. And in verse 8 he said, here's a confidence. 00:20:00.730 --> 00:20:03.569 Here's a confidence you have for everyone. Everyone 00:20:03.569 --> 00:20:07.109 who asks will receive and who seeks will find. 00:20:07.450 --> 00:20:09.349 And the one who knocks is going to be opened. 00:20:10.769 --> 00:20:13.529 Again, when we're praying in faith according 00:20:13.529 --> 00:20:18.309 to the will of God, God promises that you will 00:20:18.309 --> 00:20:21.819 receive the petition you desire of him. And in 00:20:21.819 --> 00:20:26.880 this persistence, in this perseverance, our character 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:31.779 begins to be refined. It becomes honed. And our 00:20:31.779 --> 00:20:35.200 sense of dependency on him is strengthened. Our 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:39.059 fellowship with him is strengthened. Because 00:20:39.059 --> 00:20:42.140 we are going to him daily for his rescuing grace. 00:20:43.460 --> 00:20:45.980 Again, I want to quote Lloyd -Jones here. If 00:20:45.980 --> 00:20:49.349 we really want to be men of God, he says, If 00:20:49.349 --> 00:20:52.630 we really want to know him and to walk with him 00:20:52.630 --> 00:20:54.730 and experience those boundless blessings which 00:20:54.730 --> 00:20:58.289 he has to offer, we must persist in asking him 00:20:58.289 --> 00:21:03.529 day by day. Now, it's interesting. Our Lord loves 00:21:03.529 --> 00:21:05.170 to do this. He loves to illustrate. He's a master 00:21:05.170 --> 00:21:07.970 teacher. So he's going to illustrate his willingness 00:21:07.970 --> 00:21:11.170 to answer our prayers by comparison. So there's 00:21:11.170 --> 00:21:12.990 a comparison here. Look at verses 9 through 11 00:21:12.990 --> 00:21:17.609 here. What man is there among you? If his son 00:21:17.609 --> 00:21:19.029 asks for bread, is he going to give him a stone? 00:21:19.950 --> 00:21:21.529 If he's asking for some fish, is he going to 00:21:21.529 --> 00:21:24.150 give him a snake? He said, if you then are evil 00:21:24.150 --> 00:21:25.490 and know how to give good gifts to your children, 00:21:25.549 --> 00:21:27.490 how much more your father in heaven, how much 00:21:27.490 --> 00:21:29.329 more will he give good gifts to his children? 00:21:30.470 --> 00:21:32.809 So now notice what he's doing. As Jesus commonly 00:21:32.809 --> 00:21:35.549 did, he was arguing from the lesser to the greater. 00:21:35.730 --> 00:21:38.309 You see that all the time, that how much more, 00:21:38.470 --> 00:21:42.069 he says. If earthly fathers who are sinful by 00:21:42.069 --> 00:21:45.049 nature, that is, we know that we are depraved. 00:21:45.829 --> 00:21:48.089 and you and I know how to give good gifts for 00:21:48.089 --> 00:21:50.029 our children, and we delight to do them as good 00:21:50.029 --> 00:21:53.490 dads, then what about the one who is truly good? 00:21:54.450 --> 00:21:57.630 The Father in heaven, don't you think he will 00:21:57.630 --> 00:21:59.730 know how to give good gifts, but even better? 00:22:02.150 --> 00:22:05.589 I mean, if you know how to do it, how much better 00:22:05.589 --> 00:22:08.430 will he do it? The scripture tells us that every 00:22:08.430 --> 00:22:12.529 good thing, every good gift you have ever received 00:22:12.529 --> 00:22:15.759 in your life, every good thing, Finds its source 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:20.380 in a good God. James 1 .17 Every good gift and 00:22:20.380 --> 00:22:23.859 every perfect gift is from above. Now listen 00:22:23.859 --> 00:22:26.079 friends, that means anything, anything right 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:29.160 today that is good in your life has come from 00:22:29.160 --> 00:22:32.980 him. Any blessing you've received, any kindness 00:22:32.980 --> 00:22:35.240 you've received, anything for which you give 00:22:35.240 --> 00:22:39.220 thanks has come from God. Every good and every 00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:42.599 perfect gift. And the problem that many of us 00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:45.089 have, including myself, Is that many times we 00:22:45.089 --> 00:22:49.509 don't know the heart of our father. This is something 00:22:49.509 --> 00:22:53.250 I'm continually learning. For years I lived. 00:22:53.390 --> 00:22:55.990 And I think this by natural default. We all become 00:22:55.990 --> 00:23:00.289 Pharisees. We know of grace. We talk of grace. 00:23:00.390 --> 00:23:03.029 We've even experienced grace. But we live lives 00:23:03.029 --> 00:23:06.670 on this metric of performance. I mean I know 00:23:06.670 --> 00:23:09.690 this. But I believe that if I obey God. God's 00:23:09.690 --> 00:23:11.710 going to be pleased. And that's true. We do please 00:23:11.710 --> 00:23:14.930 God by our behavior. To love him is to obey his 00:23:14.930 --> 00:23:19.509 commandments, he said. But I also believed that 00:23:19.509 --> 00:23:23.230 the moment that I stepped out of line, God was 00:23:23.230 --> 00:23:27.309 there in his judgment to strike me down. I mean, 00:23:27.329 --> 00:23:30.130 I didn't read it. It was just my natural default. 00:23:31.829 --> 00:23:36.710 And the good news is that God has already struck 00:23:36.710 --> 00:23:42.869 down his own son on the cross. So that I won't 00:23:42.869 --> 00:23:47.049 ever be struck down. He punished. He did. He 00:23:47.049 --> 00:23:48.589 didn't overlook my sin. He's never overlooked 00:23:48.589 --> 00:23:51.950 the times I've gone out of bounds or transgressed. 00:23:52.769 --> 00:23:56.049 We've just read about that in Isaiah 3. But he 00:23:56.049 --> 00:24:01.269 punished his innocent son, the Lord Jesus, so 00:24:01.269 --> 00:24:03.549 that he could become a father to his guilty son. 00:24:04.150 --> 00:24:08.220 That is me. Christian, I want you to know this. 00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:10.660 I would love for you to get this in your spiritual 00:24:10.660 --> 00:24:15.220 DNA. God has loved his people. That means he 00:24:15.220 --> 00:24:21.880 has loved you from all eternity. He never started 00:24:21.880 --> 00:24:25.079 loving you. He has loved you from eternity. He 00:24:25.079 --> 00:24:27.599 did not begin to love you when you were saved. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:32.839 That's false. You were saved because he did love 00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:40.029 you. It was because God so loved you, God so 00:24:40.029 --> 00:24:44.089 loved the world, that he gave his only begotten 00:24:44.089 --> 00:24:49.289 son. It's because he did love his people that 00:24:49.289 --> 00:24:52.269 he sent his son into the world to save his people. 00:24:53.829 --> 00:24:56.509 See, our father is rich. He's rich in what? In 00:24:56.509 --> 00:25:00.630 mercy. It's a well that never runs dry. You will 00:25:00.630 --> 00:25:04.569 never out need God. Meaning whatever need you 00:25:04.569 --> 00:25:08.630 have, he has more than enough mercy for it. He's 00:25:08.630 --> 00:25:13.210 rich in grace. He's not there to strike you down. 00:25:13.890 --> 00:25:17.190 He's rich in grace. And he delights because he 00:25:17.190 --> 00:25:19.109 is a father who knows how to give good gifts 00:25:19.109 --> 00:25:21.930 to his children to shower you with both his mercy 00:25:21.930 --> 00:25:25.869 and his grace. As Psalm 23, as David ended that. 00:25:26.789 --> 00:25:29.210 Do you remember how the Psalm 23 ends? Surely 00:25:29.210 --> 00:25:34.140 goodness and mercy. shall follow me all the days 00:25:34.140 --> 00:25:38.599 of my life. Why? Because God is a good God and 00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:42.099 his son has paid for my sin debt. Surely goodness 00:25:42.099 --> 00:25:44.299 and mercy. They're following me down and by that 00:25:44.299 --> 00:25:47.119 word in Psalm 23, the idea is like they're running 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:49.480 a race and they're going to overtake you. God's 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:51.619 goodness and mercy will hunt you down and overtake 00:25:51.619 --> 00:25:53.859 you. It's going to follow me all the days of 00:25:53.859 --> 00:25:57.049 my life. But look at verse 9. So what man, he 00:25:57.049 --> 00:25:58.430 says, if his son asks for bread, is he going 00:25:58.430 --> 00:26:00.109 to give him a stone? Now that seems like a weird 00:26:00.109 --> 00:26:02.130 thing to say, but there was a common bread in 00:26:02.130 --> 00:26:04.250 that day that was a round bread, a round loaf, 00:26:04.369 --> 00:26:07.049 and it very much resembled a stone. He said, 00:26:07.089 --> 00:26:10.150 would any good father give to his son, who comes 00:26:10.150 --> 00:26:12.009 to him hungry and is asking for bread, give him 00:26:12.009 --> 00:26:13.990 that stone that looked like bread in order to 00:26:13.990 --> 00:26:18.470 possibly hurt him or to trick him? No. No, no 00:26:18.470 --> 00:26:20.509 one would do that. Look at verse 10. What about 00:26:20.509 --> 00:26:21.809 if he asks for a fish? Is he going to give him 00:26:21.809 --> 00:26:25.259 a serpent? Now here he's arguing from the absurd. 00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:28.359 The idea is absurd. He's hungry and he's asking 00:26:28.359 --> 00:26:29.940 for food. You're going to give him a poisonous 00:26:29.940 --> 00:26:33.640 snake? No. The idea is ludicrous and that's the 00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:38.839 whole point. J .C. Ryle, he says, evil and selfish 00:26:38.839 --> 00:26:41.839 as they are by nature, that is you and I, they 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:45.279 do not neglect the needs of their children. Much 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:49.079 more will God of love and mercy attend to the 00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:51.480 cries of those who are his children by grace. 00:26:52.589 --> 00:26:56.410 The best father on his best day is still beset 00:26:56.410 --> 00:27:01.750 by sin. But even though he's beset by sin, he 00:27:01.750 --> 00:27:03.569 still knows how to give good gifts to his children. 00:27:04.630 --> 00:27:08.529 How much more will God, who is absolutely righteous 00:27:08.529 --> 00:27:12.329 and good and knows no sin? Verse 11. If you then, 00:27:12.369 --> 00:27:16.250 being evil, know how to give good gifts, surely 00:27:16.250 --> 00:27:18.750 how much more will your father give good things? 00:27:19.459 --> 00:27:21.660 Now notice, this is, I love this. Now notice 00:27:21.660 --> 00:27:23.259 verse 11, if you would. Everyone look at your 00:27:23.259 --> 00:27:25.680 Bible. Notice how Jesus makes a distinction between 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:28.700 himself and others. He said, if you then being 00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:31.839 evil, notice what he did not say. If we being 00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:33.700 evil know how to give gifts, how much more our 00:27:33.700 --> 00:27:37.619 father? No, he made a distinction. He's not included 00:27:37.619 --> 00:27:41.599 in the evil part. He's the sinless one. But he 00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:43.480 does say you, and he's talking to everyone there 00:27:43.480 --> 00:27:46.220 that day, followers of his, if you being evil, 00:27:46.339 --> 00:27:49.420 that is what? Sinful. That is depraved by nature. 00:27:49.700 --> 00:27:55.440 Sons of Adam. And you know how to do it. How 00:27:55.440 --> 00:28:01.240 much more? How much more will the Father who 00:28:01.240 --> 00:28:03.619 is in heaven give good things to those who what? 00:28:04.740 --> 00:28:07.299 Asking. I wonder, what are the good things the 00:28:07.299 --> 00:28:10.119 Father is willing to give? What's the context? 00:28:10.859 --> 00:28:14.339 Matthew 5, 6, and 7. The grace and the power 00:28:14.339 --> 00:28:17.440 in order to be obedient to the commands of Christ. 00:28:18.660 --> 00:28:21.579 Here's the thing. Whatever you need to live a 00:28:21.579 --> 00:28:23.980 godly life before God is what he's willing to 00:28:23.980 --> 00:28:27.740 give to you. Whatever you need. Luke 12, 32. 00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:33.779 Jesus saying, do not fear, little flock, for 00:28:33.779 --> 00:28:36.640 it is your father's good pleasure to give you 00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:39.299 the kingdom. Now, let me just argue here for 00:28:39.299 --> 00:28:43.049 a moment. Just listen to logic. If God is more 00:28:43.049 --> 00:28:46.029 than willing to give the kingdom, is he not willing 00:28:46.029 --> 00:28:48.170 to give us all that we need to live in that kingdom? 00:28:49.990 --> 00:28:53.650 That's what he's saying. Romans 8 .32. He that 00:28:53.650 --> 00:28:56.529 spared not. He did not spare his own son. He 00:28:56.529 --> 00:28:59.609 gave the best, the unspeakable gift. Then he 00:28:59.609 --> 00:29:01.990 delivered him up for us all. He had him crucified. 00:29:03.509 --> 00:29:08.819 Now notice here. How shall he not then? With 00:29:08.819 --> 00:29:11.759 him, the one that was not spared, freely give 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:17.160 us all things. Wonderful truth here. What Paul 00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:19.180 is saying, what Jesus is saying in Luke, what 00:29:19.180 --> 00:29:21.779 Jesus is saying in Matthew, if we ask, if we 00:29:21.779 --> 00:29:24.700 seek, and if we knock for anything that is going 00:29:24.700 --> 00:29:27.039 to be pleasing to our Father in heaven, it's 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:29.220 going to bring us nearer to him, or it's needed 00:29:29.220 --> 00:29:32.099 for our ultimate perfection, then he will give 00:29:32.099 --> 00:29:38.119 it to you. He withholds no good thing. If you 00:29:38.119 --> 00:29:39.960 really want those things, if you're really going 00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:41.599 to seek those things, then you've got to ask 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:47.099 for them. Seek for them. Knock for them. And 00:29:47.099 --> 00:29:49.940 you will find them in your possession. Because 00:29:49.940 --> 00:29:54.700 he's good. And he's merciful. Now then, we receive 00:29:54.700 --> 00:29:57.519 so much from our gracious Father. We receive 00:29:57.519 --> 00:30:01.640 so much from them that it changes us. You spend 00:30:01.640 --> 00:30:03.319 time with God. You know what spending time with 00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:05.680 God does? It makes you more like God. Having 00:30:05.680 --> 00:30:08.339 received all this daily grace and this mercy 00:30:08.339 --> 00:30:11.099 from God, we now then are going to be changed. 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:14.240 How should we relate to other people? Verse 12. 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:18.319 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:22.440 do also to them. For this is the law and the 00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:25.240 prophets. Now you and I know this is what the 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:28.160 golden rule. So our Lord is simplifying life 00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:30.500 in his kingdom. The way you would like to be 00:30:30.500 --> 00:30:33.299 treated, that's the way you need to treat other 00:30:33.299 --> 00:30:37.220 people. Verse 12 is a summary of everything he 00:30:37.220 --> 00:30:42.480 said in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. Do unto others as 00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:44.539 you would have them do unto you. Now, he's not 00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:46.000 going to give a bunch of rules. He doesn't give 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:48.299 a bunch of regulations because all that can lead 00:30:48.299 --> 00:30:51.099 to disputes. You find people fighting all the 00:30:51.099 --> 00:30:54.799 times over religious interpretation. Instead, 00:30:54.900 --> 00:30:58.299 Jesus gives his people, there's one maxim to 00:30:58.299 --> 00:31:02.079 live by. Just one. What is it? One maxim. This 00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:05.779 is life in the kingdom. You treat everyone else 00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:08.460 the way that you would want them to treat you. 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:12.000 That's it. And again, I like J .C. Ryle. I think 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:14.059 he has a great commentary. You and I are not 00:31:14.059 --> 00:31:16.680 to deal with others as others deal with us. It 00:31:16.680 --> 00:31:19.480 doesn't matter what they do. That's selfishness. 00:31:19.500 --> 00:31:21.839 That's heathenism. That's for people who don't 00:31:21.839 --> 00:31:25.000 know God. You and I are to deal with others as 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:28.579 we would like them to deal with us. This, friends, 00:31:28.859 --> 00:31:32.619 is real Christianity. Think about it. If you 00:31:32.619 --> 00:31:35.059 put this rule into practice, it would solve all 00:31:35.059 --> 00:31:38.119 relationship problems. And I wrote that down 00:31:38.119 --> 00:31:39.400 and I thought about it. I'm like, all relationship 00:31:39.400 --> 00:31:41.740 problems? All of them. Think of one relationship 00:31:41.740 --> 00:31:44.160 problem where this doesn't solve it. Treat others 00:31:44.160 --> 00:31:46.319 the way you'd want them to treat you. It's the 00:31:46.319 --> 00:31:47.640 law of love. That's what it's called, the law 00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:50.579 of love. We also know it as the royal law. Jesus 00:31:50.579 --> 00:31:55.460 said it is the law and the prophets. So how is 00:31:55.460 --> 00:31:56.960 it the law and the prophets? Think of the law. 00:31:57.059 --> 00:31:58.799 Think of the Decalogue. Think of the Ten Commandments. 00:31:59.059 --> 00:32:01.559 Let's just pick one. You don't want people to 00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:03.259 lie to you. He said, well, then don't lie to 00:32:03.259 --> 00:32:06.640 other people. Stealing. You don't want people 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:08.680 stealing from you. Well, then don't steal from 00:32:08.680 --> 00:32:11.460 anyone else. You don't want someone committing 00:32:11.460 --> 00:32:13.140 adultery with your spouse. Then you don't commit 00:32:13.140 --> 00:32:16.099 adultery with their spouse. Hey, I want people 00:32:16.099 --> 00:32:18.099 to be kind and show respect to me. Well, then 00:32:18.099 --> 00:32:20.900 you be kind and show respect to them. Hey, when 00:32:20.900 --> 00:32:25.940 I wrong someone, I want them to forgive me. Well, 00:32:25.980 --> 00:32:28.000 then you also offer forgiveness when someone 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:30.720 wrongs you. He said, that's the law and the prophets. 00:32:30.859 --> 00:32:34.299 It sums it up. Everything the law forbid is found 00:32:34.299 --> 00:32:37.380 in that one verse. Now, why is he saying this 00:32:37.380 --> 00:32:40.000 is the law and the prophets? Because I believe 00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:41.799 he had his eyes that day fixed on the scribes 00:32:41.799 --> 00:32:44.160 and Pharisees who were experts where? In the 00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:46.519 law and the prophets. See, they knew the law. 00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:50.220 They made their boast in the law. And yet they 00:32:50.220 --> 00:32:52.200 were what Jesus said, judgmental hypocrites, 00:32:52.220 --> 00:32:55.500 far from God. They failed to discern the most 00:32:55.500 --> 00:32:58.420 important thing. extraordinarily religious and 00:32:58.420 --> 00:33:02.279 extraordinarily far from God. But there's a problem 00:33:02.279 --> 00:33:06.039 here. You and I cannot consistently sustain this 00:33:06.039 --> 00:33:08.960 type of living in our own strength. I can't do 00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:13.980 it. Which is why we must ask and seek and knock 00:33:13.980 --> 00:33:17.519 to be able to fill this royal wall. There's a 00:33:17.519 --> 00:33:19.339 parallel passage in Luke, and I think it's so 00:33:19.339 --> 00:33:21.880 helpful here. I love this parallel passage. Luke 00:33:21.880 --> 00:33:25.339 11, 13, notice the difference here. Jesus speaking, 00:33:25.519 --> 00:33:28.519 still Sermon on the Mount, that's Luke. If you 00:33:28.519 --> 00:33:31.180 then, being evil, know how to give good gifts 00:33:31.180 --> 00:33:33.339 to your children, how much more would your Heavenly 00:33:33.339 --> 00:33:37.140 Father give? Now notice, Matthew says good gifts. 00:33:37.740 --> 00:33:41.740 Luke 11 says give the Holy Spirit to those who 00:33:41.740 --> 00:33:47.049 ask him. I love this. God is going to give the 00:33:47.049 --> 00:33:49.650 empowerment of the Spirit to those who come to 00:33:49.650 --> 00:33:53.950 him asking, seeking, knocking. You and I, we 00:33:53.950 --> 00:33:56.470 need so much, right? We need the wisdom of God. 00:33:57.509 --> 00:34:01.069 We need the power of God. We need the love of 00:34:01.069 --> 00:34:04.809 God to fill us. In other words, it's not what 00:34:04.809 --> 00:34:07.680 we need, it's who we need. And who we need is 00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:11.679 the Holy Spirit of God. What the child of God 00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:17.659 needs to live in the kingdom of God is God. What 00:34:17.659 --> 00:34:21.460 the child of God needs to live life in this kingdom 00:34:21.460 --> 00:34:25.619 of God is God. We need the Holy Spirit. And Jesus 00:34:25.619 --> 00:34:27.340 said, how much more your father's one to give 00:34:27.340 --> 00:34:29.139 him? You're saying, well, I thought we got him 00:34:29.139 --> 00:34:32.500 at salvation. His feeling more of him. You want 00:34:32.500 --> 00:34:35.500 more of God? Then ask for more of God. Seek more 00:34:35.500 --> 00:34:38.199 of God. Knock for more of God. And you will have 00:34:38.199 --> 00:34:44.800 more of God. But where does this all begin? It 00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:48.340 begins with a relationship with God. See, let 00:34:48.340 --> 00:34:50.260 me just say this. You cannot ever be loving enough. 00:34:50.440 --> 00:34:52.780 You cannot be forgiving enough. You cannot be 00:34:52.780 --> 00:34:55.190 merciful enough. to earn your way into the kingdom 00:34:55.190 --> 00:34:57.690 of God. That is a fool's errand. It will never 00:34:57.690 --> 00:35:00.469 happen. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 11. 00:35:00.590 --> 00:35:03.230 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your father's 00:35:03.230 --> 00:35:06.550 good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Notice 00:35:06.550 --> 00:35:09.909 that. The father gives the kingdom. Entrance 00:35:09.909 --> 00:35:12.449 into the kingdom is a gift. It is not earned. 00:35:13.710 --> 00:35:17.070 It is to be received by faith. He graciously 00:35:17.070 --> 00:35:20.789 gives the kingdom to those who will bow the knee, 00:35:20.949 --> 00:35:25.619 trusting in his son. Who? If you're willing to 00:35:25.619 --> 00:35:28.179 bow the knee and trust in Christ, it's a work 00:35:28.179 --> 00:35:31.780 of God. Salvation is a gift of grace, and it 00:35:31.780 --> 00:35:34.760 is a grace, and it's received by faith, by believing 00:35:34.760 --> 00:35:37.500 and trusting in the promise of God, and it saves 00:35:37.500 --> 00:35:39.980 the one who believes in Jesus. That's Paul in 00:35:39.980 --> 00:35:45.820 Romans 3. So what? So what's this mean? Today, 00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:48.239 this is the word of God. It says salvation is 00:35:48.239 --> 00:35:51.099 here. The day of salvation is here. That means 00:35:51.099 --> 00:35:54.639 the door of salvation is wide open. God has withheld 00:35:54.639 --> 00:35:57.480 his judgment. Judgment has not fallen yet. The 00:35:57.480 --> 00:36:00.000 day of salvation is here. And God does offer 00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:03.039 the kingdom. He does. It's a legitimate offer 00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:06.280 to anyone who will understand his need and come 00:36:06.280 --> 00:36:09.739 to his son in faith. If he comes to his son asking, 00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:14.769 seeking, and knocking. He receives and he finds 00:36:14.769 --> 00:36:19.670 and the doors opened. If you have received the 00:36:19.670 --> 00:36:23.849 gift of eternal life, if God has awakened you 00:36:23.849 --> 00:36:27.789 by his grace and shown you Christ, he calls you, 00:36:27.889 --> 00:36:30.710 his people, to a higher plane. That's what this 00:36:30.710 --> 00:36:33.610 whole sermon's about. Everything's about it. 00:36:34.610 --> 00:36:37.510 Loving others and doing unto them what we would 00:36:37.510 --> 00:36:40.949 have them doing to us is what the kingdom of 00:36:40.949 --> 00:36:45.380 God is. Looks like. It's not the way into the 00:36:45.380 --> 00:36:48.940 kingdom. That's all of grace. And it's all of 00:36:48.940 --> 00:36:51.400 grace by the way. Even afterwards. But it is 00:36:51.400 --> 00:36:56.900 the ethic. The way. Of the kingdom. And this 00:36:56.900 --> 00:36:59.460 is what Jesus is going to say. And next week 00:36:59.460 --> 00:37:01.559 we're going to see. That not everyone who hears 00:37:01.559 --> 00:37:04.079 this understands it. In fact he says if you don't 00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:06.119 press your way into it. Because there's a wide 00:37:06.119 --> 00:37:10.300 door. That will lead to judgment. Friends this 00:37:10.300 --> 00:37:14.730 is. The gracious words of our God. We're hearing 00:37:14.730 --> 00:37:17.829 from our king today that this is his kingdom. 00:37:18.289 --> 00:37:22.150 But to you, to the people of God assembled, don't 00:37:22.150 --> 00:37:25.070 you want to commune with him? Don't you desire 00:37:25.070 --> 00:37:28.710 to fellowship with him? Well, he's also made 00:37:28.710 --> 00:37:31.530 provision for that. It's the table of the Lord 00:37:31.530 --> 00:37:33.710 where he offers himself. We eat his body. We 00:37:33.710 --> 00:37:36.210 drink his blood, the Bible says. Not corporally. 00:37:36.210 --> 00:37:38.250 We know where that's not turning into flesh and 00:37:38.250 --> 00:37:41.239 blood. But there is a mystical union there. There's 00:37:41.239 --> 00:37:44.719 a spiritual union that takes place. And we are 00:37:44.719 --> 00:37:47.059 invited into the fellowship of the Lord to commune 00:37:47.059 --> 00:37:50.659 with him by God's grace. He gives us himself 00:37:50.659 --> 00:37:52.760 today. And this is what is so glorious about 00:37:52.760 --> 00:37:55.639 the worship of our God and King. Our God does 00:37:55.639 --> 00:37:59.440 it all. And we here who have received it, come, 00:37:59.480 --> 00:38:03.500 come weak, come beggarly, come needy, ask, seek, 00:38:03.500 --> 00:38:06.280 knock. And he's there. And today, if you don't 00:38:06.280 --> 00:38:08.519 know Christ, I do stand and say this by the authority 00:38:08.519 --> 00:38:10.739 of the word of God. Jesus said, all who are weary 00:38:10.739 --> 00:38:14.079 and are heavy laden, come to me. Come to me. 00:38:14.179 --> 00:38:17.079 He said, you'll find rest into your soul. So 00:38:17.079 --> 00:38:19.059 I say today, if the Lord has opened your eyes 00:38:19.059 --> 00:38:21.940 to your sin and show you your need, confess Christ. 00:38:23.579 --> 00:38:26.119 Confess him as Lord and King. And then I'd love 00:38:26.119 --> 00:38:27.659 to talk to you afterwards about what that means. 00:38:28.320 --> 00:38:31.780 Let's pray. Father, we trust you this morning, 00:38:31.820 --> 00:38:36.239 Lord. God, you have been so gracious. Lord, your 00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:40.099 word is rich. Lord, we do eat it. Lord, it's 00:38:40.099 --> 00:38:44.559 nourishment. It nourishes our soul. God, it brings 00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:49.260 peace. It brings conviction. Lord, as we have 00:38:49.260 --> 00:38:52.780 heard the word, Lord, we want to expose our lives 00:38:52.780 --> 00:38:54.860 to its judgment upon us, Lord, for we will be 00:38:54.860 --> 00:38:55.559 judged by the Lord.