Pearls, Pigs, Prayers, and People, Part 2

In his famous sermon on the Mount, Jesus delivered a number of strong reprimand. For instance, he called out the hypocrites for their duplicity and he chastised those who sat in judgment over people in pain today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll's teaching from Matthew chapter 7 shocking section of Jesus sermon that exposes the damage caused by phony and judgmental behavior. Through this study, we hope to choose compassion over arrogance and discernment over judgment. Chuck titled today's message pearls, eggs, prayers, and people again teach our hearts to listen with expectancy, we often miss what you're saying to us because we are so busy so often in a hurry, catch a quick meal here to care for an appointment there to rush back to hurry through the rest of our day. You have a way of infusing strength when we stop the turning and sit quietly before you. I pray right now that you will lift the burden from hearts represented in this gathering, and maybe some concern regarding another person some unfulfilled dream a request some long-standing sickness or issue or conflict.

That's not yet worked out not yet resulted in healing not yet been resolved, speak, Lord, in the stillness. As we wait on you. We live in a country that's marked by constant change and clearly a movement in the wrong direction. Our hearts ache for godliness among our leadership for strength of character. Among those who hold high offices Herero those people.

Oh God, come to our rescue, remind us that you Lord are able to guide us that you Lord know the right direction were to go wise and bold counselors bring words good advice to those who make decisions in high places. Lift the hearts of those in the military who feel discouraged, unappreciated, give them strength, Lord, hold strong those who do the work of protection over our freedom give them discernment, keen minds. Remind all of us, Lord, that the greater forces are invisible. The Prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him. We know that our adversary hates everything we love and loves everything we hate, and in the midst of that conflict. He would woo us and hopefully win us in our attention.

Lord may not be.

Give us the strength of character to sense this is evil.

This is wrong, teach us again how to say no tomorrow will compromise and ethical decisions that would hurt your name bring reproach to Christ. These five men and women who gathering this place.

We, together, Lord, are weak in ourselves. But with you. You make it all a majority so we lean on you for the strength we need, which we haven't in ourselves.

Finally, Lord I pray that we will realize it yet again the power of the written word of God made the truth from this sermon preached centuries ago, have a ring of relevance about maybe see ourselves in the pages we see our faces in the words we understand he preached to us, not just those of his day we worship your son, Lord. As we worship none other. These things we commit to you that we do not deserve the answer we commit to you for your glory and our good in the name of Jesus who does all things well, we pray.

Everyone said you're listening to Insight for living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures study by going to Insight world.org/studies another message from Chuck titled pearls, pigs, prayers, and people today I'm going to give you a warning to warn you, at least to begin with about dogs and pigs and pearls and tracers there found right here in this sixth verse of Matthew seven were told not to do something what he said do not give what is holy to do all do not throw your pearls before swine, but is not referring to dogs as literal dogs, but people with doglike nature. Their hostile against the truth of the gospel and then he goes to the next illustration and throw the pearls before swine that understands the people have potbelly pig pits these are not little cute little potbelly pig that you wash up and put a ribbon on these.

These are filthy swine that live belly deep in slop as a principal in all of this. I don't want you to miss this has to do with discernment. Don't give what is precious and treasured to someone who stiff arms you and says I'm not interested in the next several verses.

This is about prayer asking us will be given to you seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be open by the way is the right place for me to mention correlation River what I taught you earlier about the value of observation. What the Scripture says interpretation what it means correlation has to do with comparing one Scripture with another.

So you read this about prayer in verse seven, but you need to go to another passage of Scripture that tells you something else about prayer or to ask in the will of God. So you if this is your will. I would want this.

In fact, one of the Psalm says 6618 if I regard iniquity in my heart. The Lord will not hear me to have a clean heart.

If I expect my prayer to be affected at the same time James says in James 516, the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much love and there's fervency in it and it avails not to get a lot accomplished will be afraid to go toward with energy Lord, Lord, I plead with you about this. There's a sense of urgency in the repetition of ask and seek in the DA Carson put it in these words. I love the way he writes this, the Western world is not characterized by prayer by lords. To our unspeakable shame, even genuine Christians in the West were not characterized by prayer. Our environment loves hustle and bustle smooth organization powerful institutions human self-confidence and human achievement.

New opinions and novel schemes in the church of Jesus Christ has conformed so thoroughly to this environment that is often difficult to see how it differs in these matters. From contemporary paganism.

While that cuts to the quick pray, don't carry that burden any longer.

Praying leave it with him. And if you find yourself picking up pray again about that.

Let him take the burden castor burden on the Lord and he will sustain you. He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.

The Hebrew word picture and that is like tossing heavy pack off your back and leaving it with him so that you can walk with a lighter load, pray, pray, so the principle is clear. Persistence must characterize our prayer.

Pray often pray repetitively come before him without reluctant look at the promise of verse eight everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks will find the one who knocks it will be open. I've had that happen happen in a time of prayer and bring you to the Lord. The situation I can't see my way through it. I've wrestled with it a try to work it out so I decide Lord this is going to be your guy how that happens but in my mind comes the answer as some of you that happens will and you go. Thank you Lord what's happened. It's been open.

The conflict of been resolved or at least the confusion has been removed and he says it will be you will receive.

You will find that you may not get exactly what you are requesting.

We said this earlier, but you will get what he wants you to have which is always better never seem to fail is no often leads to the finest answer I could ever receive. But it wasn't what I was asking that he is a rather humorous illustration. Look at the next couple of verses a love these. What man is there among you who when his son ask for a loaf will give him a stone you boys really really hungry so you gift wrap a rock here, sign this on a satisfied knowing you you're not the kind of day about a son that ask for official give him a snake course you don't happen to have a great by the way going to make it meaningful change at the grandfather and grandson, a grandson need something what you Nissan a new portion. What is it you have on what you have in mind here little physicians. There were quite go that far, but I have a grandson who love seafood every time I got a chance to go out to dinner with Austin want taken to Pompano's are famous seafood restaurant down the street here and always know when I go in order know for two people.

After all these 20, 21, you know you Cassandra for the refrigerator and the food just gets sucked out of the refrigerator intimate. I get frostbitten while he's drawing everything out okay so we go to Pompano city orders the platter see the platter. They fry everything but legs. I mean the thing is filled with pride.

Everything in the put in front of me sorting out a solid big salmon so he looks at this big something is going to share some with me.

Are you kidding he starts out in magazine I give you the tale of the strip, provided that you don't eat the tails you leave the tape so he devours the city orders a dessert. Of course, what kills me is about that thin like a ruler. It isn't fair I get I get that looking at his meal, fish, certain employees, snakes accrue, I make sure he gets plenty to we because 11 and I am an evil nature like you left myself in my own meanderings move into treacherous territory and that's the beauty of this 11th verse. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children to your grandchildren to your family. Just think about it how much or not you love much more how much grace and much how much more will he. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask, is a beautiful thing when you let God be God you take a bit. His word you believe this book more than you believe any other piece of literature you read what it says and then you lift that black print off the white page you let it come into your life.

What kind of a spiritual osmosis and you begin to live it out and you find yourself living on tiptoe cut get to do next. But we do not, I often say to my dear wife is as we talk about people we love.

Sometimes there are own a Seder you know what, this is a page there's a whole chapter to be written in the chapter would be a part of a whole book that's not yet finished. Let's not think that this page represents the final statement or act or response because I know my heavenly father who is good to have a bit of evil in them when he decides to give and pour forth his answers whole amazes all of us. She reminds me of the same thing we read to you how Eugene Peterson in the message renders what we have just gone over what you hear it through fresh words don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is of the cat and mouse hide and seek game were in. If your child asks for bread you trick him with sawdust if he asked for fish do you scare him with a live snake on his plate as bad as you are.

You wouldn't think of such a thing, you're at least decent to your own children so you think God conceive you in love will be even better. Here's a simple rule from guide for behavior rights. Peterson, ask yourself what you want people to do for you then grab the initiative and do it for them at up God's law and prophets, and this is what you get. Which brings us to this 12 verse I love the way the verse begins in everything. I pause to let you imagine in everything and everything therefore treat people the same way you want them to treat you for this is the law and the prophets meaning. This is the summation says it all.

This is known as the Golden rule is in it. One of my resources referred to it as the Everest of ethics alike. This is the Everest of ethics. It would be among the most famous sayings in the Jesus ever spoke universally loved and quoted doing to others as you would have them do unto you. We have learned, forms the capstone of the sermon is a beautiful way to live. These are words fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver next time you're in a situation and you see another struggling another going through a tough time or another who is a little difficult to deal with another who wasn't responding as you think he or she should remember the rule. What could you do that would be best for that person to do for them what you would want him to do for you or her to do for you if you were in that street. This is everything to do with living the life of Christ.

The beauty of this verse is that he leaves it up to you and me. He doesn't write out all the rules and guidelines she may need this today that would be the best thing day after tomorrow he may need that that would be the best you will find if you live your life based on that rule, you will have very little difficulty sharing the Savior with the person you help, because frankly they would never have seen anything like they may mistake you for some angel heard the moving story that happened at the end of World War II. The starving little boy was standing in front of a doughnut shop. One of the few that had endured through the war.

War-torn bombed out London.

The window was covered over with mist was cold outside and warm in with the donuts are being made. A soldier stands there looks the little boy who has his nose pressed up against the glass and he says to the little boy would you like one of those yes or so he goes into gets 1/2 a dozen and he brings about the little box hands into the boy boy looks at differences. Are you God are you God that interesting when you respond as Christ would respond. They might take your words more seriously than ever before your relationship. It's been said that the world reads the only Bible that it has and that's the life of the Christian and what the world needs is a revised version does your family need a revised version. Your neighbor your golfing partner your buddy at work.

Your friend going through a tough time. One quaint poet wrote you are writing a gospel chapter each day, but the deeds that you do the words that you say. Others read what you write, whether faithless or true say what is the gospel according to you. Words fitly spoken like apples of gold settings of silver words faithfully modeled or like undeniable proof to the hardest part in with this principle is modeling must accompany our message.

That's the principle modeling must accompany our message.

It gives it such significance. The greatest message we can communicate is the life of Christ lived out through our flesh and blood, living a Christlike life before world it so rarely sees anything near what a great way to live by with me. Would you, I often leave the personal application to a message like this to you individually but today allow me are you wasting your time trying to force-feed someone who doesn't want to hear. Don't waste your time. Time is right discern that this isn't the right moment. Have you become weak in prayer because the answer hasn't been forthcoming or as soon as you expected, or the way you thought it would be answer persist stay around those who really hurt you under the best response model. The message Christ quick to forgive never to hold a grudge among his final words.

Father forgive them. They don't know what they're doing in the Lord give us that kind of character will help us in this journey from earth to heaven to interpret life through your eyes.

Remind us again and again Lord that you know the end from the beginning. You got the whole book finished and were trusting you in the middle of the book give us patience to wait and let you work. Thank you for the way you meet with us and speak to us and reprove us in areas where we need attention.

Thank you for holding us accountable to representing you and others in this rightful father for your special presence to this message and we give you thanks for speaking to us in such a direct way as if the Savior delivering that sermon to us.

This is named Paris with gratitude listening to Insight for living in the Bible teaching of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll to learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org. We never know when we are preparing these programs, what challenges you might be facing is quite possible, however, that you're praying intently, that God would provide for your needs. What we thought you'd be encouraged to hear this firsthand story from one of your fellow listeners.

It reinforces the people across our country are using the teaching day here on this program to point them to Jesus. This note came from a listener in New Jersey who suffered a tragic loss of his career he said I owned a home in a wealthy suburb apartment downtown in a fancy car but I was in such a deep hole that I couldn't even afford the maintenance payments for anything like my wife three young children and I began to run low on food. We were broke and I had hit rock bottom. He continues one day I drove to a public park to be alone with God. I needed to hear a word from him a whisper anything. I turned on my car radio and stumbled onto a radio program by a guy named Chuck Swindoll your preaching on King David who was at his wits end hiding in a cave because like me.

He was desperate. God showed up in the middle of that public park my private hiding place.

Yes, God came through though I was at a point of losing everything.

God didn't allow me to lose one single thing.

Well if you're among those who financially support Chuck's teaching ministry. Rest assured, God is using your generosity to touch lives like this man in New Jersey. We couldn't reach men and women around the world without your partnership, as God leads you to give a donation. We invite you to call us listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or give a donation online, go to insight.or listen again today. Swindoll describes non-politically correct warning from Jesus on Insight for living. The preceding message hurls pigs prayers and Pete was copyrighted in 2015 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

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