The Joy of Asking

Perry Bibles with you tonight.

Turn with me if would to Luke chapter 11 will be looking at verses nine through 13 Luke chapter 11, starting at verse nine. This is Jesus speaking I tell you, asking it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you.

For everyone who asks receives one who seeks finds the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asked for official instead of a fish give him a serpent or for aspirin Egli give him a scorpion. If you then you are able know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him spray heavenly father we come into your presence tonight to praise you and thank you and Lord just to honor and glorify your precious and holy name, and father tonight as we look at this passage of the request that the disciples have is also the request that we have. Lord, teach us to pray heavenly father as we look at a run paralyze all of us know that we are horribly deficient that we are not the prayers that we need to be in or not the prayer warriors you called us to be heavenly father we would just ask. Tonight is weak. Look at at this particular passage where you are teaching the disciples on what it means to pray that you would just do such a work in our heart, Lord, that we might become more proficient in our prayer life that we might become more dependent upon you that Lord you would give to us what you promise to the disciples more of God the Holy Spirit guide and direct us Lord through this passage tonight.

May Jesus be uplifted and glorified by this congregation beatified and it's in your holy and precious name we pray.

Amen.

You may be seated for several weeks now we have been studying Jesus's instruction on prayer disciples came to him with the request. Lord, teach us to pray first thing that Jesus did was to give them a model prayer.

We call this the Lord's prayer and what was that it was a series of topics that Jesus gave to us to teach us the things that are important to pray about and what did he say to pray about a said to pray about praise to pray about kingdom authority to pray for provision to pray for forgiveness to pray for temptation and how to deal with that. And then Jesus ended up with a doxology that just kinda puts it all together. For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. And it is interesting that Jesus moves right from there into a parable on intercession and he tells a story about a man that was at home one night at at midnight as friends of his came into his house and he was not expecting them and they travel from a long distance away and things were just tough and he didn't didn't didn't have food related been a long time since they've eaten and so they are there at the house and and the neighbor doesn't know what to do. It's it's nighttime in the market is closed and he doesn't have any food for them and he knows that they're hungry so what is he doing he goes to his neighbor's house and he knocks on the door. The neighbor screams out. It's what you want he says look I got to have some bread. We got friends of ours that have come, they were not expected and they're hungry. They haven't eaten in days and and I need food I need you get up right now and give me three loaves of bread and and the man still in the bed springs back at a Mrs. no-no so don't worry with me right now you go I will deal with this tomorrow, but I'm not getting up out of bed, bang bang bang. He continues to knock and he continues to knock and he says I'm not going to leave until you get up out of your bed you get me the three loaves of bread that I need and that you take care of my friends that are hungry, following the man gets up and accusing the bread and the man goes on his way.

Jesus tells us that this this man got the bread that he needed because of his importunity, which means an unrelenting perseverance that he just would not quit. This is story that tugs at my heart. We can feel the determination that this man has. He's got friends that he cares about her hungry and there needing bread and he is not going to give up until he gets that bread for his friends. I think this is kind of what Isaiah was telling us when he told us to pray in Isaiah's is give God no rest. I don't care who you are and I don't care just how great a prayer warrior mate. You may think you are this particular passage will bring conviction into anybody's heart that this is a wake-up call to all of God's children.

It's time to get dead serious about our prayer lives.

JC rousted this.

I love what he said. The lesson is one in which we shall do well to remember it is far more easy to begin a habit of prayer than to keep it up. Myriads of professing Christians or regularly talk to pray when they're young and then gradually leave off the practices they grow up thousands take up a habit of praying for a little season. After some special mercy or special affliction, and then little by little become cold about it, and at last lay of the side, the secret thought come stealing over men's minds that it is of no use to pray they see no visible benefit from it. They persuade themselves that they can get all just as well without prayer, laziness and unbelief prevail over their hearts, and at last they altogether restrain prayer before God. Let us resist this feeling. Whenever we feel it rising within us. Let us resolve by God's grace that however poor and people are prayers may seem to be. We will pray on letter telling this parable Jesus followed it up with some glorious words that I want to share with you in this latest message. The first one is and in his instruction in these four that I'm to give you the first one is the command look with me at verse nine and I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you all these birds are written in the present imperative tents which means keep on keep on asking. Keep on seeking keep on knocking is what Jesus is saying, and that you could almost see Jesus stacking these words up and they it is there stacked up. They get more and more intense to ask means to humbly request to seek means to humbly request along with action and then to not means to ask and to seek with perseverance. Jesus intends for us to read this and then the think back on the parable that he had just told on intercession with the neighbor got the man comes to his neighbor's house and binds on his door and and almost forces them to get up and and get bread for him because he is in such great need, but most of you probably heard of George Mueller, George Mueller was Amanda started orphanages all over England, but he started in Bristol, England, and when he started his orphanage ministry. He made up of a kind of a contract, commitment, covenant to himself and he said I am going to make my needs known only to God and then if I don't tell anybody else, and when we pray for something in and got answers, then God will get the glory. And nobody will believe that it's man's manipulation. One particular night, he had his cook came to him and said I hate to tell you this but were out of flour and said we the next order is not coming in until about three weeks from now and we don't even have enough for breakfast of the kids tomorrow morning and George Millicent will how much do you need for for the next three weeks and he said I need 350 pound bags of flour and a George Mueller said okay and he went up into his bedroom and he began to knock on heavens door. They begin to beg God for 350 pound bags of flour next morning George Mueller got up and he walked downstairs and and the cook was there and his eyes were as is just is as big as saucers and he said you're not gonna believe this, he said. I went out on the porch this morning and there 350 pound bags of flour out there, and George Millicent, did you tell anybody about this and he said no I didn't tell a soul, Mueller said, will they will chalk this up to answered prayer. 10 years later Mueller was preaching in a and in revival service in a church that was across town in Bristol and is he was preaching that particular night on the subject of faith and use this illustration about the Lord providing those 350 pound bags of flour. As soon as he finished that illustration.

A man stood up in the back of the church and he walked right down the aisle.

He said I said I couldn't wait any longer. He said I have no recourse but to tell you how that flour got there. He said I'm the one that put it there and in Mueller's and will. How did that happen and he said it was about 3 o'clock in the mornings that I had a dream in my dream, he said I heard a voice as that boy said get up and take 350 pound bags of flour to this particular dress. He said I saw the house. I saw the address over the top of the house and he said had no idea exactly where the house was that I never been in that neighborhood have never been on that street is a but I got in my and in my wagon and said I drove up with the 350 pound bags of flour and drove a road over to the house and set up we need to the neighborhood. I found the street and he said there was a house exactly as I sought my dream and he said I went over and this it was real early in the morning. I took the 350 pound bags of flour to put them on the porch. He said nobody was upside in like anybody and so left is that I do know who live there. I had no idea that was an orphanage. He said I had no idea that it was it was you, God took care of that need. He said I just simply obeyed.

Now admit we don't see that, think very often and I don't think that that's how we we are taught to operate.

Always your pray and let that it in that kind of way. But yet I wonder how, I wonder how many more times we would see God answered prayer.

If we did pray that way is not a little strange that that some of us is, as Christians will come upon a problem in our life and will will plot will manipulate will will try always 5 million different things before we even take it to the Lord in prayer.

I remember several years ago in a Presbytery meeting. We had a problem to prop up and we talked about it for two hours in a Presbytery meeting. Finally, the moderator said guys lit list.

Pray about it and a preacher stood up and said we should've prayed about this two hours ago and you know I understand his is cynicism layer. There is some some some good stuff in that cynicism. The Scriptures is very plain about our individual accountability before God.

We are accountable for every idle word we speak for every deed for every thought for every un-prayed. Prayer second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 10 says for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due ENA and what is been done in his body, whether good or bad. I think it also includes what we have omitted and what we have left out. I wonder is the Lord will say to us that last day you had a need. I will admit that need when you pray EEE there was a lost person in your family. Maybe a lost spouse may be a lost child maybe allows parent wanted me pray when you persevere in prayer when you asked, seek and knock and hurts my heart even think about it, for I know how often I get slack in prayer .2 is the promise look at verse 10. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds in the one who knocks it will be open. The promises that God answers, persevering prayer is that a general a blanket statement that assures us that God will always answer our prayers. Affirmative affirmatively that he will always answer our prayer with yes no matter what.

I asked is that what this passage is saying. I know the health, wealth, prosperity, teachers would say oh yes is exactly what he saying you just have enough faith and you just asked enough and you get exactly what it is that that you're asking for nine matter what that is. That's the danger folks and taking night and isolating the text and not using the rest of Scripture to see what all the whole counsel of God says about it.

There are conditions to prayer in first John chapter 5 verse 14 John said no. This is the confidence that we have in him. If we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Prayer is not twisting God's arm to force God to give us whatever it is that we want prayer is lining my wheel up with what God's will is the same chapter were James said you have not because you asked not the next verse James chapter 4 verse three says you ask and do not receive because you ask of me SUS wrongly, to spend it on your passions. So that very well may happen that you can pray fervently for something, and God knows it is not good for you to have it and God knows that if you have this thing.

It's not going to bring about something positive in your life it's going to bring about something that's going to hurt you because we don't always know what's good for his newly God always knows what's good Porta I think of Paul in the 12 chapters of second Corinthians, Paul spoke about a thorn in the flesh that he had. This was a problem that he had the absolutely hated it were not told exactly what that problem wasn't and I think that's the wisdom of God and not telling us what it wasn't. And the reason I think EA doesn't tell us is so that we can all relate to this thing that Paul is dealing with some of conjecture that it might've been a partial blindness. The might've had I problem some of have conjectured that it could have been a speech impediment.

Maybe a stammering problem. Some of his set suggested they may have been migraine headaches while the beatings and the and the Stoney's that he went through some of suggested that it might've been a person who is attacking Paul's ministry and bringing great harm to him. Whatever it was. Paul said that he hated it.

He called it a messenger from Satan sent to buffet him and Paul prayed about Lord would get this thing out of my life. Remove this thing for me. I absolutely hated the prayed three times in God told Paul no listings of the Scripture to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me to keep me from becoming conceited three times Opera pleaded with the Lord about this. That should leave me but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ. The nine content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I'm weak, then I'm strong, here's a situation were God said no the thorn in the flesh was something that Paul believed was hurting him and was damaging him and was hurting his ministry God said no it's not a said, you just don't understand is that this thorn in the flesh is being used, to keep you from exalting yourself above measure to keep you humble to break your pride to make you dependent upon God. I am using this thing that you don't like and I'm using it away to help you and to bring glory to myself. God said to Paul, I think of Johnny Erickson, Todd.

I was paralyzed in the swimming accident when she was 17 years old. The Chesapeake Bay and she was paralyzed from the neck down and she prayed and begged God to heal her physically from this terrible ailment and she went to healing crusades and healing that the evangelist would pray for her and nothing happened. God said no is godly and surly with her. Was he not showing love to her on the for a judge on his is gone on to say how the Lord has become so close to her through this illness that she sat through this paralysis that is later totally dependent upon him, and given her a fellowship with God like she had never even imagined before.

She is been used to start ministries for the handicap all over the world.

She has written books that have helped millions and millions of people. She is Sheridan and Billy Graham Crusades and and and crusades all over the world and John Piper conferences and and shared her testimony and and just done such a tremendous tremendous work. God said to her, no I'm not going to physically heal you. Was God being mean to her was God angry with her and he would not give her a yes no, she would say that no is a very loving thing for it.

She is going to be used in her life. The rest of her like she's got cancer. Now it ask you to pray for her. She may not live much longer when he tell you this, her life as a paraplegic will bring glory to God through all of eternity.

First John chapter 5 verse 16 John says this, there is a sin that leads to death. I do not say that one should pray for that. The sin that John is referring to hears unforgivable sin. We call it. Jesus called it blasphemy.

The Holy Spirit, it happens when a person becomes so hard to the gospel that nothing penetrates his heart. The no fear of God.

No concern for eternity.

No stale conviction in the heart. When a person is that spiritually in that spiritual state. There's no need to pray for him. That person is crossed over the line that we can't see but only God can see he will not come to Christ. Some of you may remember that movie that came on several years ago. Tombstone and there's a scene in the in that movie where there's a traveling drama team that comes in a go to the big drama Houston and they're putting on a play call fast. It's about a man who supposedly sold his soul to the devil and is a group of outlaws there called cowboys and they are all there in their drinking and carousing and and not talking during the. The play that's going on in and currently Bill turns around to the Johnny Ringo and he says what about you, would you sell your soul to the devil and Johnny Ringo's just has a serious expression on his face and doesn't change and he said is too late for that already have and I can remember it was just a movie that I member feeling that she'll go up and down my spine for that is a picture of. Lastly, the Holy Spirit, that he was saying is too late for me. Hey said I have I have rejected Christ fully and completely. I will not come to Christ. I love my sin. I hate God I would rather be inhale for all of eternity than to live in the presence of God.

There are people who have committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. They committed the unforgivable sin they will never come to Christ. But we have to be careful because we don't have the ability to evaluate where people's heart really is and sometimes people can seem hard they can. It seemed just just causa drunk and and yet we can't wait. We don't know what's really going on down inside of and sometimes is just a façade. Sometimes God hasn't really done that work of conviction in their heart, yet I remember before I went in the ministry.

I was visiting in a man's home in and sharing the gospel with them sat down in his living room and and got about halfway through my presentation of the gospel and got mad.

He cussed me he told me to get up and get out of his house and I remember what getting up and walking out the door get in my car and head for home. And I remember thinking to myself wow, that must be what blasphemy the Holy Spirit looks like about that man. I don't think there's any hope for him.

I don't think that man will ever come to Christ. The very next Sunday I was sitting in church and this man walks in the back door. I was absolutely shocked as I watched him out of the corner my eye through the whole service as a preacher was preaching the gospel, that man's eyes begin to well up with tears, and it tears begin to roll down his cheeks. I thought what in the world is going on after the service was over. He sought me out and came over said I need to apologize to you. He said I would mad with you I would mad with God. He said I was mad with me and that man went on to become a faithful vibrant Christian, I learned something through that experience, be careful, and spiritual valuations because only God knows the heart the way I like to look at it it it is this as long as a person's got breath. We don't know what God's going to do.

So keep praying. Keep praying. But if you're praying to God's will.

You also have the right and obligation to pray in faith, and that is to stand on the promises of God. Hebrews chapter 11 verse six is booked without faith it is impossible to please him, for he comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. You want to please God and stand on God's promises. John Knox was a man of prayer.

His daughter Elizabeth married another man of prayer whose name was John Welch and John Welch got in trouble with King James I, because he told King James I that he had no authority over the church of Jesus Christ. Lisbeth went to talk to the King on behalf of her husband. What you listen to this. The king told her that if she would persuade her husband to submit his authority of the church he would let Welch go free. Elizabeth must've learned how to stand her ground from her father. She held her apron toward the king and said please your Majesty. I'd rather have his head here.

Her husband spent so much time kneeling in prayer and Cold Stone prison floors than the last years of his life, he lost all feeling in his knees, his praying grandson, the covenantor, John Welch, great-grandson of Knox was found after his death have calluses on his knees that were as hard as an ox home wanted John Knox and John Welch turned Scotland upside down because they prayed so much that calluses on their knees. It was hard as an ox, one they kept on asking they kept on seeking, they kept on knocking .3 is the example quickly and at verses 11 and 12. What father among you for son asked for visual instead of a fish give him a serpent horse. He asked for an ad will give him a scorpion Jesus asking absurd question here in order that he might get his point across a cynical little boy asked his dad broke visually giving the snake little boy asked his dad for an egg to giving the scorpion. You can imagine all the dance that were there listening that Jesus question here and I can just see the dance to shake their head. No no no I would never give my son something that would harm him or hurting. My son asked me for a fish giving the fish by son asked me for negative, giving him an egg would never want to hurt him or disappoint him by giving him a bad gift is just good common sense right there and it then Jesus forces them to logically think things out and he says this is verse 13 if you then are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much moral to heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. He says to all the men that are out the other daddies. If you are evil for evil. If you are in still have a sin nature which every Christian still does. We have to deal with that knowing then we are evil, and he says if you are evil, then then you know it still is a father even though you're a mess. Even though you don't do things right, even though your evil as a father you still know how to give good gifts to your children, don't you know if that's true about you whose evil and is a mess and what about that father who is not able who is perfect love, who always does. Right. What about him. Will he not perfectly give the right thing to his children. If bad daddies would do right by their children wooden the perfect dad do right by his children. That's divine logic. The last point is the reward verse 13 if you then are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much moral to heavenly father give what the Holy Spirit to those who ask him what is the reward for this type of praying God's is a give you myself. I will give you the Holy Spirit does that excite you. Is that something that should should just send us over the top. Absolutely asked the disciples member there hearing a Jesus teach them all prayer here. This is before they been in in and just in inspired by the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit that this is before they were field with the spirit of God at Pentecost and want you to think about the before and after the night before Jesus was crucified. Peter denied Jesus three times the Jesus said to the disciples I want you to pray and I went to sleep then. Then when the soldiers came to to get Jesus in the garden.

One of the disciples do they all ran like scared rabbits. Later, when Jesus was crucified and resurrected. He came in and spoke to the women in the and the women came running back in and they begin to this year Jesus is alive is resurrected from the dead wood of the disciples do. They scoffed at him and they doubted and what did Thomas do Thomas that I will not believe it is resurrected until I see the nail prints in his hands and in his feet.

They were all scared to death.

They huddled up together in the upper room and they were scared to go out they would not witness it would not preach the would not bring any glory to God. They were absolutely scared to death, and so they just shuddered in and shook and and did not know what to do. The day of Pentecost came in were field of the Holy Spirit of God.

Field of the Holy Spirit of God, everything changed.

They went out in the streets, preaching Christ sharing the gospel every opportunity they got and Peter was like a roaring lion anything he went over to the religious leaders and pointing them out and said you with wicked hands have have crucified the Messiah. You have murdered the King of Kings and Lord of lords, and he said your only hope is that one who is now seated at the right hand of God the father and there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved with the name of Jesus disciples would not and could not shut up all of them were martyred for their faith, except John and John responded to about a bullet hole and live through it. We tell you what the Holy Spirit was there everything it was Christ in them the hope of glory. And that was the promise for this kind of praying JC Riles commentary on Luke. He said the following about the father's gift of the Holy Spirit to those who prayed I'll close with this.

The Holy Spirit is beyond doubt the greatest gift which God can bestow upon man having this gift we have all things light, life, hope in heaven.

Having this gift we have God the father's boundless love, God the son's atoning blood and full communion with all three persons of the Blessed Trinity having this gift we have grace and peace in the world that now is glory and honor in the world to come. In short, to have the Holy Spirit is to have everything that God has to give us Jesus's promise of the Spirit is ours for the asking. While present not motivate you to pray the promise of prayer is the promise of more of God. It can get any better than that. Ask, seek and knock a spry heavenly father we thank you for this precious passage of Scripture, we thank you Lord for the principles or lay down for us.

We asked Lord for boldness and motivation that we might be come. Truly a people of prayer.

Heavenly father, we thank you that 2000 years ago. Jesus laid this out for the disciples, he gave them a model to to pray, he gave them parables, Lord, to learn about intercession and then he gives us commands. He tells us to keep on asking to keep on seeking to keep on praying.

May that be real and true for us. Heavenly father is.

We are here tonight worshiping you. We also have people look across the seas that are doing mission work right now.

We pray for Will and and Steve McCullough and Wendell as they are tomorrow starting a ministry Lord to to pastors that are there teaching the great book of Ephesians. Lord I pray that you would feel them all with your spirit that Lord you give them the freedom to teach like they've never had before, as they might share truths and articulate God's word in such a way that those pastors would be motivated to be everything that you call them to be.

If they would learn your word this weekend and take it out to the lost and dying culture, and in Myanmar and Lord, that they would see many souls come to Christ as result of Stephen and will and Wendell's ministry. Heavenly father we ask now that you help us that we might be a people of prayer that father you give us a heart to pray in the father as we pray you give us more of yourself. We love you Jesus, thank you for loving us. Thank you for saving our souls. Thank you Lord for the principles that you've given us in the word of God and may they resonate in our heart is in Jesus name we pray