"Finding What You’re Looking For"
Matthew 7:7-28
7/6/97
Intro: Jerry Clower - firehouse on fire - truck into fire, put fire out - new brakes
Let’s suppose I had a magic lamp today. If I told you it had a magic genie inside that would grant you any three wishes, what would you wish for? How much would you give for a magic lamp like that?
This morning I can’t give you a magical lamp, but I can offer to you something far greater: a relationship with the God of the universe, the God who can grant any wish you might have. Let’s look at the final verses of the sermon on the mount this morning, starting at Matthew 7:7.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 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! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Do you really believe these verses? Can we take them at face value?
I. Asking and receiving
A. We receive in response to asking
We are told here that if we want to receive, we must ask. God is moved to action by our petitions.
James 4:2 - You do not have, because you do not ask God.
*many times we try to bring about things on our own strength
Luke 11:5 - Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ "Then the one inside answers, `Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
*God is moved by persistence in asking. Don’t just ask one time. Yet no vain repetitions.
B. We receive in response to asking in His name.
John 14:13 - And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
*many times we ask for ourselves, our selfish desires
James 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. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God?
C. We receive in response in asking in faith
Mark 11:22 - "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
D. We receive in response to pure lives.
Mark 11:25 - And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
E. We receive in response to praying according to his will.
Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Kingdom righteousness is theirs to be had by prayer.
Jesus is not telling them how they can have anything they want, rather how they can achieve the righteous life he has been teaching about. We see three concepts here.
1. Humility - We must admit our need for God to work
#Pharisee & publican - Luke 18:10
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: `God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, `God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
2. Diligence - We must put this faith into practice daily
#lost coin - Luke 15:8 -
"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
3. Action - We must approach the throne of God and present our petitions.
We have a good Father who wants to give us what we need.
bread and fish, not stones and snakes - gives good gifts
Summary: Kingdom righteousness is yours to be had for the asking. It is seen simply in doing to others what you would have done to you.
This is positive behavior. Not just being kind and not doing harm. Rather taking the "offensive" and doing good.
James 4:17 - Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
II. Christ’s Call to Decision and Commitment
After giving this lengthy sermon on the mount, Christ offers a choice to the people: to follow or reject.
That same choice is ours today.
A. 2 ways - verse 13 - "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
B. 2 Trees - verse 15 - "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
C. 2 claims - verse 21 - "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
D. 2 builders - verse 24 - "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Conclusion: The righteousness of the sermon on the mount is yours for the asking. Do you really want it? Do you want to practice it in your life?
Who really is the master of your life? Make the choice today!
