A S K

MUB

8-29-04

MATT 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. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

A S K

INTRO; 7 WEEKS UNTIL WE START 40 DOP. MAN, AM I EXCITED. SMALL GROUP

TRAINING CONTINUES TONIGHT. EVERY TIME I DRIVE BY A FIELD OF CORN, MY THOUGHTS TURN TO OUR THEME, SOUL HARVEST 2004. INSTEAD OF SEEING EARS OF CORN, I AM VISUALIZING FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS COMING TO JESUS.

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY BEEN CONTACTED, ONE OF OUR SMALL GROUP LEADERS WILL BE CONTACTING YOU IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO INVITE YOU TO BE A PART OF A SMALL GROUP. WE WENT TO THE CAMDEN READING GAME ON FRIDAY, AND C-F SCORED A TOUCHDOWN ON A LONG PASS PLAY, OUR SIDE WENT CRAZY. THAT IS THE SAME KIND OF EXCITEMENT THAT WE SHOULD BE STARTING TO FEEL ABOUT OUR 40 DOP. ONLY FOR A GREATER REASON, NOT TD’S, BUT SOULS COMING TO JESUS, CHRISTIANS RENEWING THEIR WALK, OUR CHURCH COMING TO LIFE, ON PURPOSE.

AS WE CONTINUE IN THIS CAMPAIGN, LET ME SHARE WITH YOU THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT, ITS NOT GREAT PREACHING, ITS NOT THE SMALL GROUPS, ITS NOT THE WORSHIP, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT IS PRAYER. WE ARE CONTINUALLY, COMING BEFORE GOD IN PRAYER, WE ARE IMMERSING THIS 40 DAYS IN PRAYER.

AS WE OPEN OUR TEXT TODAY, AGAIN IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, JESUS SPEAKS TO THIS VERY SUBJECT. HE HAS BEEN LAYING OUT CONCRETE EXAMPLES ON HOW TO LIVE THE GODLY LIFE.

THIS PASSAGE ONCE AGAIN SPELLS OUT FOR US, PRACTICAL REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS. WE WILL USE AN ACRONYM A S K, THIS IS WHAT JESUS TELLS US IN THIS PASSAGE. THERE ARE 3 THINGS THE GODLY MAN MUST DO, AND IF YOU DO THESE 3, CERTAIN THINGS HAPPEN AS A DIRECT RESULT. THEY ARE

A- ASK, S - SEEK, K- KNOCK.

A. ASK. THIS ASKING IS ALWAYS FROM SOMEONE LOWER IN POSITION TO SOMEONE HIGHER IN POSITION. I E, CHILD TO PARENT, EMPLOYEE TO EMPLOYER, PLAYER TO COACH, AND IN THIS INSTANCE; MAN ASKING GOD.

INHERENT IN THE ASKING IS THE REALIZATION THAT THE PERSON YOU ARE ASKING HAS THE ABILITY AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THE REQUEST. YOU CAN ASK ME FOR A RAISE IN PAY, AND AS MUCH AS I LIKE YOU, AND AS GOOD A JOB AS I THINK YOU DO, I CANNOT ANSWER YOUR REQUEST.

IT IS NOT MINE TO GIVE. YOU CAN COME TO ME AND ASK FOR AN A GRADE IN A CLASS, YOU CAN SAY, THIS IS REALLY GOOD WORK, I WORKED HARD, I DESERVE AN A, AND AGAIN, I MAY TOTALLY AGREE, AND I MAY DESIRE TO GIVE YOU THAT GRADE, BUT GUESS WHAT, I CANNOT GRANT IT. I DO NOT HAVE THAT POWER. SO, FIRST, YOU MUST ASK THE ONE WHO CAN AND DOES ANSWER. THE ONE WHO DOES HAVE THE POWER.

JESUS SAYS, IF YOU ASK, IT WILL BE GIVEN YOU. WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE THAT HE USED. WHAT JESUS IS SAYING IS, CONTINUE ASKING.

ASK, ASK, ASK AGAIN. KEEP ON ASKING. IN THE GREEK, THE LANGUAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, THIS WORD IS A CONTINUOUS ACTION VERB.

WE WERE IN WAL-MART THE OTHER DAY, A FATHER AND HIS SON WERE IN THE TOY DEPT., AND THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN FATHER AND 8 YEAR OLD SON WENT LIKE THIS, "DAD, I WANT THAT LEGO" NO. "DAD, WHY CANT I HAVE IT?"

NO. "I REALLY NEED THAT LEGO." YOU HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH LEGOS. "DAD, I WANT THAT LEGO" NO. THAT IS MY FINAL ANSWER. STOP ASKING. A COUPLE MINUTES LATER, "DAD, THAT LEGO IS REALLY COOL, CAN I GET IT?"

I DIDN’T STICK AROUND TO HEAR HOW THIS FINALLY ENDED UP. BUT THIS KID WAS PRACTICING WHAT JESUS SAID. PERSISTENT, CONTINUOS ASKING.

THE BOOK OF JAMES, WRITTEN BY THE BROTHER OF JESUS, HAS SOME INTERESTING THOUGHTS ON THIS MATTER. JAMES 4;3 SAYS, WHEN YOU ASK, YOU DO NOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE YOU ASK WITH WRONG MOTIVES, THAT YOU MAY SPEND WHAT YOU GET ON YOUR PLEASURES. JAMES 4;2 SAYS, YOU DO NOT HAVE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ASK GOD. WHEN YOU ASK, YOU ASK FOR THE WRONG THINGS FOR THE WRONG REASONS."

HOW DOES GOD ANSWER OUR PRAYERS? YES. NO. WAIT.

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SOMEONE SAY, GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES. THAT IS NOT IN THE BIBLE. HOWEVER, DON’T EXPECT GOD TO DO FOR YOU, WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF. (ILLUS. MAN FALLS IN WATER, GOD WILL SAVE ME. LIFE JACKET- DOESN’T GRAB IT, BOAT COMES BY, DOESN’T GET IN, HELICOPTER FLIES DOWN, DOESN’T TAKE THE ROPE. HE DROWNS. "GOD, YOU PROMISED TO SAVE ME, WHY DIDN’T YOU?" I TRIED 3 TIMES.