Ask, Seek, Knock (Mat 7.7-11)

 

Matthew Sermon 27 – Ask, Seek, Knock (Mat 7.7-11)

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Podcast intro

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Mat 7.7.) These are some of the greatest promises in Scripture. And Jesus gives them to us solely to encourage us to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. You might wonder why we would need such encouragement, but it is clear that we do, or Jesus would not make such a point of giving it. When you think about it, we become discouraged and give up on asking, seeking, and knocking very easily. One of the main reasons is that we feel unworthy. Well, we are unworthy, but what does that have to do with it? We are unworthy of everything in the Christian life from start to finish. Jesus talks about the Father giving us “good gifts,” not good wages or good deserts (Mat 7.11). Another main reason we become discouraged and give up is that we fail to understand the importance of perseverance. Paul and James both identify perseverance as a key quality necessary to us becoming sons and daughters of God in the full sense of the word (Rom 5.3; James 1.2-4). As a result, the Father often delays in answering us precisely so that we will persevere and become more like Christ in the process. What this means is that it is not only of the Father’s love when he answers us with good gifts; it is equally of the Father’s love when he makes us wait. And when he makes us wait, he wants us to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. I hope you enjoy the sermon. Thanks for listening. –Alan Burrow

Discussion questions

1. In the sermon, Pastor Burrow talked about the biblical “art of asking”:

God loves to have his children tell him why he should grant their requests. And he loves it when the “why” is based on his ways and will, his purposes and promises, as revealed in his word.

Pastor Burrow pointed to Moses (Exo 32.11-14) and Abraham (Gen 18.25) as examples. Let’s look deeper at the art of asking.

a. Read Psalm 44.1-26. What is the psalmist asking God to do? What reasons are the psalmist offering to God as to why he should do what is requested? Are those reasons connected to God’s ways and will, purposes and promises? Does the psalmist expressly or implicitly confess any sins? Does the psalmist expressly or implicitly resolve to do God’s will? How would you apply these insights today when praying for your church or your country?

b. Read Psalm 143.1-12.  This psalm shows the art of asking in a more personal context. What is the psalmist asking God to do? What reasons are the psalmist offering to God as to why he should do what is requested? Are those reasons connected to God’s ways and will, purposes and promises? Does the psalmist expressly or implicitly confess any sins? Does the psalmist expressly or implicitly resolve to do God’s will? How would you apply these insights today when praying for personal trials and distresses?

2. Based on what you have learned about the biblical art of asking, how would you apply it to praying for –

– your children?
– your marriage?
– your job or finances?
– a Christian friend who is struggling?
– an unbelieving friend or acquaintance?