Living With Open Hands and an Open Heart

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City for the day were now leaving into a day of hostility towards the things of God and we are going to need this incredible grace of God, pouring through our lives and it will bring testimony of Christ will come to a call to the nation with Connor, we are entering a time in our world today where people don't want to hear the truth. They aren't interested in the word of God. They don't want any restrictions on their behavior and they want to call evil good and good evil. The question you should ask is how do I share Christ with them. Here's Carter with his message for today living with open hands and an open heart. Matthew chapter 7 turned there with me. Naturally start today. Matthew chapter 7 beginning at verse seven. Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you, or everyone who asks receives how many receive last everyone in hue six finds, and to him who knocks it will be open or what man is there among you will of his son asks for bread, will to give them a stone or if he asks for official to give him a serpent. If you then, being evil that's in contrast to God. Know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him. Therefore, verse 12 admits insemination or leading to this conclusion. Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them for this is the law and the prophets. Now you and I must recognize that we need his strength beyond our own natural strength to become the people that God is asking us to be especially in this present and the soon to come.

Time the apostle Paul said to Timothy and second Timothy chapter 4 verses two and three.

Part of verse two, he said preach the word be ready in season and out of season. We ready to preach the word of God when it's a favorable time in society. When people are interested in the word of God when it's fashionable maybe to be called a Christian.

I remember that when I first came here 25 years ago to New York City. Everybody was a born-again Christian. Did anybody remember the athletes were born-again politicians were born again. Everybody was a fashionable thing to be born again believer in Christ, so the word of God was in season, and now were living at the time. In verse three says for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. In other words, a time will come, has come in previous societies and we are entering into that time in our world today where people are no longer interested in truth not interested in the word of God, they're not interested in the truth of God. They do not want any restrictions on their behavior. They want no borders no boundaries.

They want to call everything evil.

Good and everything good, evil, and it becomes very difficult for somebody like you and I in that I'm not in the place that many of you are and you're in a work environment where it's very difficult to have even a biblical worldview. Now the people around you will not endure.

I'm in the one of the most loaded questions in the lunch room right now or in the in the school system. Whatever… What's your viewpoint on traditional marriage and you find yourself in place work if you just even share your opinion. People are no longer willing to endure a biblical opinion on any topic, especially when it concerns morality or behaviors. Now if the time comes where people around will no longer listen is probably very close to here are already here. In some cases, the question you ask is, and how do I share Christ with them.

How do I preach in apostle Paul said preach the word be ready in season and out of season.

In other words, there's there's a way to preach truth when one that when it's a favorable moment in time and there's a way to preach when it's not favorable. So you would ask me. Also how I do that how do I do that when it's going to cost me just even have a biblical worldview and my answer to you is by living with open hands and an open heart. Therefore, therefore, verse 12, whatever you want men to do do you do also to them for this is the law and the prophets how you would like them to treat you if they were in your position and you were in their eyes do that to them. If you are the one presenting contrary arguments to truth. If you were the one pushing the boundaries of behavior to the point where your behaviors are putting you in jeopardy of your own eternity with God. If you are in that position. How would you want a genuine believer to respond to you or to treat you to see this is the context of asking. That's why says ask and it will be given you seek you'll find not good shall be open to you.

We look at those verses of Scripture and were all thinking about ourselves with all thinking about what about me ask for more resources ask for a better job ask for peace in my mind it enters a measure of that.

Of course I agree that's necessary in every life, but the actual context of this is summed up in verse 12. Ask for what you need. The gifting's of God. The heart of God the hands of God and to put it that way to be able to do to others in the treat others in the way you'd want them to treat you if you were in their position and course you and I both know this requires a strength beyond our own.

I can't do it.

Neither can you, let's be honest about. We can't do it. We tend to think that neighbor across the hall in your apartment building and put it in the context of the Scripture you're there praying God get them out here. My life would be so much better if you just get them out of here with their music and all the stuff that goes on is how wonderful my life would be if these people did not live across the hall or in the workplace of that person was not at the desk beside get car get him out of here. My life would be so much simpler that person wasn't here to save requires a strength to be given for people when the gospel is out of season and requires a strength that we don't have it has to be Christ in us the hope of glory about you, but when I first came to Christ loving my enemies was not high on my priority list. I thought if I if I just let them continue walking down the street without bleeding over down the street and some hours winning a victory. Yet God was wanting to take it a whole lot farther than that. Take me into the pages of Scripture and it all. It all begins with a new way of praying a different kind of prayer you know when were in our useful stages of living as a Christian like children and you know those you have raised children. You understand this. It's all in the mind.

Give me, it's mine is mine's mine is mine is mine's not yours is mine and an and there's a measure of that when we are young in the Lord were it's just about my health and my future.

My mind and my freedom and I get that but there is a point where Christ is calling us into something a little deeper than being focused on ourselves now. The apostle James, he says in chapter 4 verses three and four, he says. You ask and do not receive because you ask a mess that you may spend it on your pleasures. In other words, is a point where God's going to start saying no when we go to prayer but it's just all about ourselves. It's it's all about my life my future my provisioned my happiness. In other words, I want the resorts of God and not I wanted to spend it on myself and I want I want to feel good, even coming to church on Sunday morning. Don't ask anything of me just tell me how wonderful I am. Don't ask me to give anything tell me today what I can get. And that's what James is talking about. It's a kind of a like that seeking God, but is not it's not in the truest sense for the ultimate objective of what our life is supposed to be were asking even today were asking God, give me this do this for me. I'm asking for this but it's really just for my pleasure. And so that I can feel better and know and feel secure about my own future.

James goes on and says something phenomenally powerful, even offensive.

If we didn't understand the heart of goddesses, adulterers and adulteresses do not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God. In other words, this is the way the world lives the world lives.

It's all about me.

I don't care about you it's about me. If I can use you for my benefit. I will use you for my benefit, but don't ask me to be given for you. And he calls it adultery. In a sense because we ought we are betrothed as the bride of Christ to the bridegroom and it betrays his heart. His heart was not to commentate from us but to give God's love the world what that he gave his only begotten son.

The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. And he told his own disciples. He said as the father has sent me now.

I'm sending you as the representatives of that heart is the bride in a sense of the bridegroom as ambassadors of another kingdom called heaven. That's why he says that if your home prayer life.

I'm talking about prayer again today your home prayer life is just about my future, my safety, my security, my provision, my freedom all of these things. That's where your prayer life ends then you end up with a heart that's not in line with the one who called you and saved you and betrothed you now Luke chapter 11. Let me show you where this kind of prayer begins Luke chapter 11 beginning at verse five he said to them that Jesus which of you shall have a friend and go to him at midnight and say friend, lend me three loaves for a friend of mine is going to be on his journey and have nothing to set before him and he will answer from within and say do not trouble me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot rise to give to you, I say to you, though, we will not rise to give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, it will rise and give them as many as he needs so I say to you, ask, it will be given you seek and you will find knock and it will be open members. The same thing same Scripture will open with everyone who asks receives you six finds it to him who knocks it will be open if his son ask for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone or if he asks for official to give him a serpent instead of a fish or if he asked for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion. If you then being able know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the holy spirit to those who ask him. So here's the context of asking the context of asking.

It begins when we choose to do something for someone else.

When it is no longer personally convenient for us.

That's where it all starts.

It's midnight. That's not convenient where a friend comes to your house at midnight. I don't know about you but I've been trying to say call me in the morning will go for breakfast were good on the Cracker Barrel and I'll buy you breakfast. But you see, the context is it's midnight, it's a dark time. It's a difficult time. It's a hard time in this particular man has a friend that comes to him and he himself has nothing to eat himself is probably hungry. He has no bread in his house and it's midnight and a friend is come to him and he recognizes it's not about his own needs he knocks at the door of the men with the supply not for his sake, but for the sake of the man that came to him at midnight. We have so many people living in the midnight hour Nahor hungry they are starving for direction. There starving for life hope in the future and the fact that the it's not being satisfied is driving them to anger.

It's driving them to division. It's driving them to look to blame somebody but you and I have in our Christ, the resorts, the gods willing to give us to feed the need of this hour. Praise be to God what it means that we have to go to the throne of grace, and it's not about sending more. It's about them. This is my prayer and I pray if you would God help me God help me, for their sakes, I'm not. I'm not looking to sound good in the radio and I'm looking to have something from heaven that causes people in their cars to begin to pray it causes people in their offices and begin to pray it causes people at home to begin to pray. I'm asking you Lord for bread.

I'm asking you God for those three loaves the compassion of the father who sends his son the power of the Holy Spirit to give life and the courage of the son to go to the cross, if necessary, as it was, of course, that those who believe might have eternal life. God help me God help me not for my sake but for their sakes. This is the kind of prayer.

This is where it all begins.

This is how we start to be people who are living with open hands and an open heart and goes even deeper than that in Luke chapter 6 if you go there with me. I wanted to show you know this is the place. None of us can go. None of us we can start to pray, we can say God give me some bread. Give me some truth for others. Give me provision Lord, so that I may pass it on to others but there's there's certain places that without the Holy Spirit, without what God promises to give us will never going to go there.

Remember, he said.

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you due to them for this is the law and the prophets.

In other words, everything that I've taught you to this point is saying to his disciples is summed up in this one statement. Now I say to you. Verse 27 Luke chapter 6, I say do you love your enemies is not easy as it but you I can do it I can do it apart from the Holy Spirit. I can't do it. Apart from the resorts that God, God has to love them through me. I can't do it. The Holy Spirit is the love them through me. I know it's not possible. Go out and get a coffee for the person that's talking about you behind your back all the time lying about you, do good to those across the hall, but take them a cake or do something just to good speak good words when they curse you, bless those who curse you blessed in New York City. Bless those who curse you and is not hard to get cars on the streets here if you can't walk from here to Penn station about somebody cursing on the street.

Jesus said Moses red letter. Bless them, bless them, can I pray for you, pray for those who despitefully use you, pray for them. When you go home at night and those that are are are are back stabbing you in the workplace. Those that are doing things to the not write the script is pray for them. So here's two verses of Scripture and I know I can't go there without the Holy Spirit.

I can't, and to him was strikes you on the one cheek offer the other also think about Christ. Think about the son of God, letting people slap his face nice. Not asking us to do something he didn't do you understand the King of glory God of all power it could've killed a whole bunch of them right on the spot. He didn't have to speak just that the think it is asking us to do what he did but you and I know that without the power of the Holy Spirit.

We can't do that I can do that you can do that anyone takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic. Either another was don't run after him down the street yelling. Please, please help give to everyone who asks of you and to whom it takes away your goods do not ask them back and just as you want men to do. Do you remember that Scripture number at the end of asked sake not and just as you want men to do to you.

You also do to them. Likewise, if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you for even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you for even sinners do the same if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you for even sinners lend to sinners, and receive as much back, but love your enemies, do good land, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most high, for his kind to the unthankful and the evil is kind to the unthankful and the evil. Therefore, be merciful, just as your father also is merciful. Verse 37 judge not, and you will not be judged, condemned not and you will not be condemned for give and you will be forgiven. Give, and it would be given to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom. For the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

Let me just encapsulate what we just read is is love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those occurs to pray for those who despitefully use you somebody strikes you on the cheek offer and the other one give to him of asked to view due to others as you have them do unto you, love your enemies, do good land, hoping for nothing in return.

Another ticket you can lend kindness. You can learn good words, you can just just lend me a giver and not a taker, be merciful, as your father also is merciful. Don't judge don't condemn but forgive, and you will be forgiven. Then he says give it will be given you give these things give this kindness of God. Let the kindness of God be expressed through your life and will be given to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom. In other words, God says if you're willing to give these things out to others. I will give them to you in such a measure. You can even contain it. I will pour back into you if you're willing if you squeak out mercy all squeak mercy back into you if you generously give it you will generously receive.

That's what he say give it will be given to you. Praise be to God, pressed down, shaken together and running over, put into your bones in your heart, that's your buzz will be put into your heart. The more you choose to give a God says I will pour into you. I will pour through you. I will take you into places. You can even hope to go in your own strength. I will make you a vessel through pain.

I God says I can preach the gospel in this last hour of time. You don't even need to use words. It will be me reaching through you. It will be me reaching out to you would be me forgiving through you.

The beauty of this whole thing is that God is not asking us to do anything on our own. He says if you ask me. Pour into you and I will pour out through you the same grace and sent me to across for you. I will do it through your life. And so now we go back to where we open as it will be given you seek and you will find no unit shall be open to you everyone who asks everyone you and me, receives that he was seeks fines and they will not will be open. We have ties now we've got to prepare for the day were no in and moving into a day of hostility towards the things of God, a day when God's people are going to be called providers and bigots and haters and dividers a day when you will be vilified a day when it's going to be very difficult and we are going to need this incredible grace of God, pouring through our lives and it will be testimony of Christ. Remember, it can't get any worse than when Jesus walked here 2000 years ago, when it seemed the whole of society is crying out to crucify him take you away will not have this man to reign over us. That's the thanks he got for healing the sick, delivering pressed even raising the dead for doing nothing but kindness to people everywhere he went. That's the thanks this society gave him but yet when he went to across some of the most powerful words recorded in Scripture is what he said father forgive them. They don't know what they do.

We have an availability through the Holy Spirit to operate in the same spirit in our day and I remind you, the going to the cross changed the course of history. We don't remember a lot of names back then.

But we do remember the name of Jesus Christ, the son of God.

A lot of people in this generation may not remember your name but they will remember your kindness they will remember your forgiveness. They will remember your good deeds.

They will remember that you were the one who blessed them when they were cursing you and who knows, but the goblin turn in some of these people's lives and leave a blessing behind and lead them to the saving knowledge of who he is and what he is done for them. So I said, you ask, it will be given you seek and you will find knock and will be open. Everyone who asks receives you seeks fines and the hippo knocks it will be open. What man is there among you, if his son asked for bread, will he give him a stone or if he asked for official to give him a serpent.

If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him. Of course the other passages dealing with the same discourse says how much more we are heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him like cry is the same as yours Lord Jesus Christ through us. Extend your hands and extend your heart to your enemies into ours.

As you once did for me when I was your enemy. Praise be to God. The message today has been brought to you by Carter, pastor of Times Square church. For more information log onto TSC NYC.org events TSC NYC.org plan to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Carter,