Matthew 7:7-12

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Why it is hard to eat in front of a dog…

• Dog owners’ experience of eating in front of their pets

• Dog – “Art of persuasion without saying anything”

• Look in the eyes, paws on knee, head on lap

• Soften one’s heart

• Power in a request, more than in a demand

• A humble request in a loving relationship is powerful

• Power of a request

• May inhibit one from greeting others in public – what if he ask me for something…hard to say “No”

• Salesmen know people don’t like to say “No” when asked directly

• Especially from people we love

Pasir Panjang Church of Christ

9 Feb 2014

What does it mean for me?

• Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-6)

• Our responsibility before God

• God’s expectation of a Christian character

• Relationship to God and fellow men

• Judging others (Matt. 7:1-6)

• Jesus teaches us not to judge

• Thought – how can we do what Jesus said?

• A S K (Matt. 7:7-11)

• Jesus gave us the hope and the help that we need

• Start point – you must ask!

What does it mean for me?

• What are your needs?

• Discipline to develop your Christian character

• Help in overcoming sin in your life

• Courage to deal with a situation

• Wisdom to admonish and help a brother or sister in Christ

• Parents wanting to bring about change in their children

• Husbands/Wives wanting to improve relationships with their spouses

• Tendency to filter our requests

• Too ‘minor’ for God’s attention

• Lack of faith in God

Relationship with God

• God is a relational God who created a relational world

• He knows what happens here and He cares

• Nothing that matters to us is unimportant to God

• He wants to be involved in our lives

• For genuine relationship with God, He created us with power of free will and choice

• God never forces us to do as He wishes

• He asks us – whosoever will…

• He inform us of the consequences of our choices – the wages of sin (Rom 6:23)

Relationship with God

• Jesus preached the good news but never forced anyone to accept

• Winds and waves obeyed His commands

• Sickness and demons fled when He told them to

• But humans could choose to follow Him or reject Him

(Lk 9:57-62)

• Jesus and Peter (Lk 22:31-32)

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Ways to bring about change in others ? • Not in the ways mentioned in Matt. 7:1-6

• Not by condemning, blaming or fixing others

• Not much power in commanding or pushing people

• Nag others into compliance?

• End result – no change but possibly causing others to want to retaliate

“As long as I am condemning my friends or relatives, or pushing my ‘pearls’ on them I am their problem. They have to respond to me, and that usually leads to their ‘judging’ me right back, or ‘biting’ me, as Jesus said. But once I back away, maintaining a sensitive and non-manipulative presence, I am no longer their problem. As I listen, they do not have to protect themselves from me, and they begin to open up. I may quickly begin to appear to them as a possible ally and resource. Now they begin to sense their problem to be the situation they have created or possibly themselves. Because I am no longer trying to drive them, genuine communication, real sharing of hearts, becomes an attractive possibility. The healing dynamic of the request comes naturally into play.”

Dallas Willard

Ways to bring about change in others ? • If blaming, condemning and pushing does not work in

relationships, what does?

• How about asking people to change?

• Natural extension is asking God to work in their lives

• Doing to others what we would have done to us

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 7:12)

• Key – respecting others as persons and respecting their freedom of choice

Ways to bring about change in others ? • Cannot be one way with God and another way with

people

• Cannot love God and hate fellow humans (1 John 4:20)

• Can’t bless God and curse people made in His image (Jas 3:9)

• We approach God with humble request – not power or coercion – the same should be our dealings with each other

Ask Seek Knock

• Virtue of Perseverance and Persistence

• Perseverance is implied in these verses (Greek tense)

• "keep on asking," and it will be given to you

• "keep on seeking," and you will find

• "keep on knocking," and it will be opened to you

• Illustrated in several parables

• Friend at midnight (Lk 11:5-8)

“…because of the man’s boldness

(persistence), he will get up and

give him as much as he needs.”

Ask Seek Knock

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a

righteous man availeth much. (Jas 5:16)

• “fervent” - having or displaying a passionate intensity

• “availeth” - take advantage of, to be of benefit

- to have value or worth

You can’t have prayers that have value or worth without it being something that you are passionately concerned

about

Motivation to Ask Seek Knock

• God wants to give good things to His children

• Physical necessities (Matt. 6:31-32)

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

• Things he regarded as good for us (Matt. 7:11)

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Motivation to Ask Seek Knock

• Jesus’ promise to his disciples (Jn 15:7)

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

• If we ask according to his will (1 Jn 5:14-15)

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.”

• If we ask not for personal and selfish gain (Jas 4:3)

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Poem from unknown author

I asked God for strength that I might achieve.

I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health that I might do greater things.

I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy.

I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men.

I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.

I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Conclusion…

• Jesus is teaching us that God is not inaccessible or unresponsive

• Answers to prayers not only for special people

• Some things are in our power and we need to act to make it happen

• Many things are beyond our power, we can bring it to our Almighty God through prayers

Asking Seeking Knocking in faith

with perseverance

with fervency

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

(Eph. 3:20-21)