Good evening years ago. I was called into the ministry back When I was probably 21 I think and didn't act on it right away and my grandfather was a ministry was a Methodist minister My mom did a missionary evangelistic work when she was young and so a little bit about ministry And I didn't really pursue it I went to pastor mark and I was in a waste at the time He put me in some responsibility leadership roles and so happy you know to do that and had worked a couple jobs here Robert's brothers and then worked at color tile and and had gotten a new job working with Jerry Kameen Safeguard business systems and I remember the first day that I was sitting in his office and He was teaching me the job. I'm sitting in this chair right next to the desk and God kept speaking to me I want you to work for me and it seemed like about 20 minutes later I want you to work for me and it did not a 20 minutes I want you to work for me and I knew it was a voice of God and So my mom had kind of talked to me about the calling on my life and you know And I'm not gonna go into that part of the story, but you know as Morak is how God had done that And it was confirmed and all those things and so she they asked me she goes Do you think that you need to go to Bible college? And I said no because I didn't like school I didn't mind going when I was in 10th grade that the counselor called me into his office with my mom And he said listen he goes your tenants is perfect your grades are not so you know I got C's I was a C student and I said I don't mind coming here I just don't like the test and I have to study I don't mind coming for the friendship and the fellowship and all that kind of stuff But I don't have to study and so I didn't like school I'd already gone to business college and already been to university already And was out and then it came this day That as I'm kind of working through all of this and just trying to figure out what it's supposed to be And I thought maybe just help more at Calpary here and it came about a year and maybe a couple months after that and Jerry came in To the office one day and he said I'm sorry This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do but in a month You're gonna lose your job because I'm selling the business and I really had a piece about it and Jerry good Christian and He said I don't know what you're gonna do But I'm giving you a month's notice and I said okay, so I went home after work and And I lived on the third floor had an apartment and as I'm walking up the stairs I'm like, you know, I've had to find jobs before it's not a big deal and as I got up on the on my floor the gentleman across the hall from me Was out in the hallway and we said hi.
How are you doing fine? How you doing? And he asked me he goes, so how's work going? I thought this is not a question He and I didn't really talk a whole lot because he worked for the state He'd come Monday and he would work and you know Friday morning, you know He blowed up his suitcase after working Friday He had head back to where he was from and he was just a weak guy And I did know that he was you men and I and that's really about all I knew about him So as I got up there, he said how's work and I said well in a month I'm gonna lose my job and he goes oh he was already here that he was coming to my apartment never been in his apartment So I walked in and I wanted to see if it was any different from my apartment We were across the hall.
He was a little bit better than mine was but as they were furnished and he goes, you know what? He goes I've watched you he goes you need to go in the ministry He goes you need to go to Bible college and go in ministry because you're a great Christian I don't know how you figured that out. Just watching me come and go But that was God speaking through him and so I was like I don't want to go to college So I went home and then my parents were out in Ohio They're on a vacation and I called my parents Just let them know I'll be praying and I and my mom said I know what you're supposed to do and I said oh and I said What's that she goes? I'm not gonna tell you till you get home till we get home I said no, I'm not gonna wait till you get home if you know what I'm supposed to do She was no just wait until I get home and and I'll tell you what I think you're supposed to do and I said no you can tell me before we get off the phone And she goes I think you're to go to Bible college So I knew what I was supposed to do.
I had a piece about that I really did when when you're trying to seek God in something sometimes You know answers will come very blatantly like that and that was really God and God spoke to me about it and gave me direction And and I really knew that that's what I was supposed to do And I was just kind of fighting it and I had to get in line with God's will ended up after that I picked three colleges that I wanted to go to Bible colleges that I wanted to go to send applications But another thing that I did was I came to pastor mark pastor MC and some of the other pastors here on staff And I said this is what I want to do and this is where I'm headed and help me with the colleges And I told my colleges I was interested in as submitted resume or the applications It had great conversations with each and everyone of them trying to find the Council of God and trying to help me to work through this Process of getting to where I really wanted to be in God's will and Having God then speak to me about that with the Bible college and many things happen there But sometimes when we're when we're seeking God when we're really wanting to find out what God wants in our life We have to be open to what God really wants to do in our life And for me, I was very happy to go back to college and I did and got my degree I Bible college and and which brings me then you know to where I am today So if you will take out your Bible today In Matthew chapter 7 7 11 as we've been going through the Sermonon amount. This has been a great study I hope that you've enjoyed it. I hope that you've taken notes I hope that God has spoken to you through this series that we are doing through this teaching and I know it has me and I've learned a lot And so let's just stand up tonight I'll give you a time stretch of lakes here Matthew 7 7 through 11 ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you for Everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds to him who knocks it will be open or what man is there among you who? When his son asks for a loaf will give him a stone or if he asks for a fish He will not give him a snake really if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children How much more will your father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask him?
Let's break heavenly father. We just thank you for your love We thank you that you speak to each and every one of us Father help us to have ears to hear Father have a heart that's receptive but father it starts with us coming on to you You have the answers We just have to come to you and I pray tonight that you would just touch us to receive your word Whatever part of tonight that each and every one of us needs I pray that when we hear that it would just pierce our hearts Father would courage us convict us father. It would be what we need tonight. It'd be that word that helps us to go Father I pray that you would just continue to touch our youth ministries touch dr.
Hinckley as he's sharing tonight Father bless our children's ministries Father help us to be your hand extended in this community in Jesus name. We pray everyone said amen. You may be seated There's also a parallel scripture of these of this passage. It's in Luke chapter 11 verses 9 through 13 If you want to read that sometime So as he cannot Jesus now turns to prayer last week Ryan and Tim were sharing about judging and the scriptures right above this And then you can see the scriptures right after this that they alluded to was the golden rule and right in between this as I was thinking About this this is kind of a sandwich you got judging and you got the golden rule But right in between is the kind of the meat prayer because if you are praying then God will help you with the judging and God will help You with the golden rule that you treat others like you want to be treated yourself And so that's where we are tonight But this scripture is used a lot by different people for different purposes And this is not the first time that Jesus has talked about prayer if you read in the scriptures that we've already gone through in Matthew He talked about prayer with the hypocrites in chapter 6 verse 5 and when you pray do not be like the hypocrites for they love the Pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men if you tell the truth they have received their reward and fall But when you pray go into your room close the door and pray to your father who is who is unseen then your father who sees what is done in secret Will reward you and when you pray do not keep on babbling like pagans But they think that they have been heard because of their many words do not be like them for your father knows What you need of before you ask and then he goes on the second one that we talked about was the Lord's prayer at the very beginning This then how should you pray our father who is in heaven?
How would be your name your kingdom come? Your will be done We're gonna hit on that again tonight on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread forgive us our debts as we also forgive Our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil He's talked about prayer twice already in this chapter He gives us these examples and here we are given this promise that when we pray that we will receive when we pray we will receive But in this it's more than just asking seeking and knocking but understanding the personal relationship that you have with God And I want to get into that in just a few minutes. So what it is not What it is not? Asking the seeking and the knocking it's not for us just to go to God and just ask anything that we want we're gonna get it That's not the way that God works It's not just a little simple prayer to receive God give me a car boom It doesn't work that way now if it does where you please come up and pray for me after service It doesn't work that way.
It's not a game of hide and seek that God wants to hide anything from you He really doesn't he just wants to reveal it to you It's up to us to find it when we open up our eyes open up our ears and our hearts and we seek after God It's not for the benefit of God that we struggle to pray But for us to draw closer to him. It's not God that has to change it's us Do you get that it's not God that has to change it's us that has to change it's not my will that's gonna be done But it's gonna be God's will and when we seek after God's will and we find it then we can walk into it It's not always easy when we're walking in God's will God is in control and I need to understand that it's not about me It's about God As I was praying last year God really spoke that to me and one of my prayer times I go out in the morning and I pray and I walk and God just really said and I I've heard that over and over again But when God spoke that to me it really I just had to stop and I just I started weeping and I was like You know God helped me with the selfishness that I have inside of me help me with that. It's not about me It's about God. It's about God.
So it comes time. It is a pressing in some of you that are older you understand that So what is your prayer life like? What is your prayer life like is it five minutes a day? Is it just at meal times is it just when you get in trouble is it you know an hour a day?
Do you even pray at all? How do you pray? Are you praying? Oh greatest thou heaven open up the fathers above the thou that is the grace?
Do you pray King James or? How do you pray? Some people pray when they walk or sit and the other's in your position doesn't matter because you can find all of them in the Bible But how do you pray to God? I tell people so many times from me praying is just like I'm talking to you right now I don't want to you know put on airs with God because he knows One of them this is how God broke me of that when I was in the Columbia, Missouri assistant pastor over there And I don't know why it just came for a season We're going through a church split and everything and God started talking to me in the shower I don't know why but that's where God was speaking to me and the first time it happened.
I was like okay Now God created me. I was like okay. I gotta get past this don't I? God doesn't care how we come to him because he already knows but like I said then it was up I hear too later.
I'm gonna shower again and God speaks to me like okay. God you could have done one hand my clothes on I've learned it doesn't matter God God wants us to get past all that He wants us to come on to him Like you come on to a child like you come on to a best friend like you come on to a spouse He wants us to come and just find his love and to find out what he wants in our lives Do you set the time aside each day to pray do you have a list? Listen I say it to myself and I say it sometimes around the church prayer is the key Because it's talking to God and finding out the one who has the answers There's different types of praying thinking God is a sugar daddy and that I can ask him for anything And he's gonna give it to me used to be years ago to have name and claim at the prosperity and people would you know pray and Do all kinds of things and I had a friend in Bible college He used to he got it kind of into this and I knew his story and he kind of he swayed one of the other students to believe in this So one day I got him aside and I said okay And there was a few other people there at the dinner table And I said you believe in his prosperity that if you pray for something you're gonna receive it I said who paid for you to come to college. I already knew the all the answers to the questions.
I was asking him his parents did I said who paid for a car that you have his parents did the clothes that you have parents did I said how many days have you worked in your life? Three in three different jobs Okay, we got a problem here his prosperity was his parents and I said you need that you need to lay off this And I've got a blessing God will touch God bless me financially at different times and help me and all these different things Yes, I believe God will help with our finances But it's not for me just ask God. He's gonna give it to me right away. It's not a not a you know Name and claim it kind of thing the opposite of those who are too timid to go on to God Are you too timid to go to God and ask him to talk to him?
He already knows Praying for the wrong things or for maybe selfish motives Praying the bargain with God and I've shared that story with you How God wanted me to give you know money to my roommate not bargain with God over pizza We do all kinds of things or praying as Jesus has given us in the Lord's prayer How do we pray there's different kinds of praying that goes on prayer is the communication the connection between you and God Prayer is the communication the connection between you and God the Bible says that he knows the need before we even ask So why pray so why pray? He already knows it is it for his benefit that we pray? I don't think so it's for us to go on to him as little children that we run under him that he sees that we need him Each and every day that's one of the reasons why you go through problems and situations Sometimes why I tell people you know they go into the hospital. Why am I in the hospital?
I said maybe to draw you closer to God the drawing closer to God There's a reason and you have to find out what that reason is I Need to be in communication with the one who has the answers the one who's created the world the one who's created you who knows You better than you know yourself He knows what you need. He knows what you need. All I have to do is just align myself to the will of God So let me ask this how many of you have ever been on a really small airplane for six seats? It's fun, isn't it?
If you ever watch the pilot I've done this a couple of times every once in a while the last time I was in a little four-seater the pilot had his GPS You know up there and it was a little bit windy that day and so as he's flying You know the view was really nice and everything but he would watch that GPS and if he got off just a little bit He would move the stick a little bit and he would just realign himself The same thing is true with our life and what's the GPS is God the word of God prayer Worshipping coming to church that we align ourselves again that when we get a little bit off he straightens this up So we can continue to go straight the shortest distance between two points is Straight line and that's what a pilot is trying to do And so he will always if you ever watch him here in small plane He will always be readjusting so that he stays on that straight line the same thing with our lives Are you readjusting? To stay on the line the will of God aligning yourself to what God has for your life Also in James chapter 4 verse 2 it says that we have not because we ask not We have not because we ask not sometimes We we don't have things because we haven't talked to God about it We haven't asked I know it's true in my life and some things that I'm like, you know I'd really like to do that or have that or whatever But I don't go and talk to him about it. What is it? If you ever read the book which is a great book It's called prayer circle and talking about praying for different things and it's that's what the Bible or the book is about About asking God for those things making a list It doesn't mean that you're gonna get all those things but it helps you to rely and maybe some of those things will happen in your life And pray about him pray over him.
How can you know what God wants if we don't go and talk to him? And first that's only and it tells us pray without ceasing pray without ceasing so when should we stop? Never that's my quick answer You should be praying throughout the day God help me as I'm going to work that I can have the right attitude when I get there To work, you know God help me that I can work hard and throw today if you get off a phone conversation You know when somebody and this happens a lot of times You know I know with me and with other people is it you know say pray for me lots of times I'll pray for him before I get off the phone but pray for him so God I just pray that you just touch so and so and help them Help them. Mr.
To their needs this morning. I received a phone call and I'd ask you to pray about this We have a friend who's a pastor in Africa. He's from he was born raised in Africa in Tanzania and a great man of God One of the great men of God that I know he's built probably 25 churches 30 churches put pastors in him He started an orphanage of school and all these different things in my family has support him for years and and helped by the property He has these things on and there's another man. I won't go into all the details There's another man here not in Springfield But in the United States who's also African and who has tried to kill him a couple of times The gentleman's name is over in Africa Who's the friend of mine?
His name is Eugene and he was poisoned one time and had to go into hospital They don't know if he was gonna make it or not and it was because of this other man that he was poisoned and So this other man is trying to stop his ministry Try to stop his ministry and so as I was at the hospital early this morning and my mom called me on the way to into the church and she was telling me about this and It's been going on for a while for about a month now And so this morning they had taken away his passport a couple of weeks ago And so today he was supposed to go back and get his passport and they arrested him They arrested him and it's all because of this guy to tear he has stirred things up And so they arrested him and then I talked to my mom later tonight right before coming here And she said he was released and they and he finally asked it goes Why was I arrested? They said because you didn't have a passport you didn't have papers and you're walking around you're going places and you're not from here He said you had my passport you had my papers That's why I was coming he was coming today to get his passport back to get his papers back to do all those things And they threw him in jail. That's the work of the devil It really is to stop him from his ministry and so I just ask you if you would if you think about him to pray for him Not tonight before you go to bed and I've been praying for him all day is that if I was driving today I just touched Eugene father Just deliver him for this and father help him to make it through and just continuing to pray for him And so and I even talked to Pastor Mark about it this morning and Pastor Mark prayed for him and glad that he's out Still has to work through some things. He hasn't done anything wrong.
The only thing he's done is preach the gospel Mr. People It's it's a work that this man wants to try and get rid of So never stop one of these days. We're going to be with God forever 24 seven time that time to know who he is while we're here instead of waiting till you get to the other side Moses spent 40 days in the presence of God and look what happened Wouldn't that be awesome to spend time with God that when you come out of your prayer closet that your face just shines People say what's wrong with you? You've been tanning?
No, I've been with the Tanner the one who gave us the Sun Yes Just like any relationship that you have the more that you talk the more that you get to know the person Kim and I when we got engaged We were engaged for 13 months and probably saw each other about four or five times for a couple days And that was it I was in New Jersey She was in Missouri and then I moved back here to Illinois and she was still in Missouri and I was here in Illinois And but we talked on the phone a lot Before free long distance a lot We got to know each other because we didn't see each other we had to talk to each other and get to know each other And it wasn't just how's your day going on? We got to know each other and I think it was one of the greatest things to help us in our relationship that we got to know Each other really well because we were talking all the time She was busy and going to college and and I was working a couple jobs and so we just talked and talked and talked all the time God knows us, but do we know God The question is not if God is ready or to give the question is are we ready to receive? It's kind of like a baby whenever they're born. We just don't throw a mistake Do we know they have to learn how to crawl and then learn how to walk before they can learn how to run?
And it's up to us to submit to the Almighty God. It's up to us So we need to ask seek and knock Jesus said asking it will be given unto you seeking you will find and knocking will be open Under you let me give you an illustration Abraham reading out of Genesis chapter 15 verses 1 through 6 after these things The word of the Lord came to Abraham Abraham in a vision saying do not do not fear Abram I am a shield to you Your reward shall be very great Abram said oh Lord God What will you give me since I am childless and the air of my house is a leisure of Damascus and Abram said since you have given no Offspring to me there's the problem one born in my house is this air is my air talking about this other one from Damascus Then behold the word of Lord came to him this man will not be your heir This one from Damascus well, he's not he's not the one Abraham is trying to find the alignment here and he took him outside and he said now look toward the heavens and count the stars If you are able to count them and he said him so shall your descendants be then he believed in the Lord and he reckoned it unto him as righteousness Abraham he's gone and he said listen, you know God you bless me and God says I want to bless you even more And he says but I don't have a child for you to pass this down to the next generation He's just talking to God like I'm talking to you and God says but wait. I'm gonna help you align I'm going to give you a child in your old age He told him how it was gonna happen he says go outside and count the stars Could you imagine Abraham going out now now if it was me and I was a hundred years old and God said You're gonna have a child and go outside and count all the stars and that's gonna be all your descendants. I'd be like Okay, I think you got the wrong guy.
I don't want to have that many kids God was helping to see physically but also then the spiritual and the spiritual was yet to come God told him He goes you're going to have a child Now go outside and see the spiritual part of that whenever you're talking to God There's always a physical sign the spiritual side. You have to wrestle through that Abraham was trying to figure it out even in his old age God had it worked out and Abraham just had to align himself to what God's plan was Mary the mother of Jesus the same thing and you imagine when the angel spoke to her and said you are with child Now go and explain that one to your parents. Honestly. Yeah, Terry's looking at me.
Sure. You're lying to me. I'm pregnant Well, you've been with that Joseph boy. Haven't you?
Mom and dad really I haven't She had to align herself and she went through was it easy on Mary? No, it wasn't She got a lot of ridicule. I have to believe because of that That she wasn't married, but she was having a child Doesn't mean it's always gonna be easy. We we all at times want to know what is right?
What's the way how to handle the situation deal with her kids or spouse working and problems? God has all the answers and he knows what we need our scripture nights as asked seek and knock these are action words They're verbs if you look at them sometimes we can see in the Bible, you know, what kind of word they are These are verbs which means that it's ask and keep asking seek and keep seeking knock and keep knocking You keep going you keep going Gideon was one of those who probably used all three of these in this next scripture In Judges chapter 6 it says then Gideon said to God if you will deliver Israel through me as you have spoken that was What God was going to do through him behold? I will put a fleece of wool on the flesh and for the flesh the threshing floor and there if there is due on a fleece only In his dry all over the ground then I will know that you will deliver Israel through me as you have spoken and it was So when he rose early next morning, he squeezed the fleece and he drained the dew from the fleece a bowl full of water Got her answer. I'd said to do this, right?
Then Gideon said to God do not let your anger burn against me. What was he saying? He goes I got listen. I know what happened you perform the miracle, but Please have patience with me.
I'm a little slow. I want to make sure I want to understand your will in all this He says please do not let your anger burn against me that I may speak once more Please let me make a test once more with a fleece Let it now be dry only on the fleece and let the dew on the ground all over the ground God did so that night and it was dry only on the fleece and dew was all over the ground Sometimes when God speaks to us we have to go back. He's like really God Is that what you want me to do? It's kind of like going to Bible college really God is that what you want me to do?
And when we do God will help us he kept coming back and he tried to figure it out and it's okay God knows you I'm not saying do this every single time, you know and if God says you're sitting out at the mall and God says Okay, I want you to go over and talk to that person and share the gospel with him Wait a second God. Can I go get my fleece? Let me take it outside No, we don't have time just understand God knows that you have the words to go and speak to that person if God says going minister To somebody he knows that you have the talents the abilities whatever because he's given them unto you God understands our shortcomings. He's created us.
We are just like sheep and the Bible says that sheep are not very smart Jesus the same way in the garden. He was trying to figure it out in March after 14 They came to the place named Gethsemane and he said there was disciples sit here until I have prayed and he took with him Peter And James and John and he began to be very distressed and troubled This was the son of God and he was distressed and troubled and he said to them My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death remain here and keep watch and he went a little beyond them And he fell on the ground and he began to pray that if it were possible the hour might pass by him And he came and he was saying of a father all things are possible for you remove this cup from me not Yet not what I will but what you will Jesus was trying to figure it out and he came and he found them sleeping He said Peter Simon are you asleep? Could you not watch for one hour keep watching and praying that you may not come into the temptation the spirit is willing But the flesh is weak and again He went away and he prayed saying the same words and again He came back and he found them sleeping for their eyes were very heavy They did not know what to answer him and he came a third time and he said to them Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough the hour has become behold the son of man The son of man is going to be betrayed at the hands of sinners get up and let us be going Behold the one who betrays me is at hand.
Jesus had to work through it He's like God if there's any other way than to go to the cross if there's any other way that it be done I'll do anything He prayed three times He prayed three times so how much more should we be praying to try and find out the will of God to understand what God's trying to do in Our life the very son of God is asking seeking and knocking of the Father Though the others couldn't stay awake Jesus prayed through Jesus said not my will not my will but yours be done. He didn't want to suffer He didn't want to be at the hands of man He didn't want the beating he didn't want all those different things He knew that it was not going to be easy and part of their prayer was for him to have strength to go through him Do you think that God gets tired of us coming unto him? No? He loves it.
He loves it. It's kind of like my daughter. I know not to choose a college. I love every time she comes home This time next week, I'll be with my daughter.
She's gonna be home for Thanksgiving Can't wait can't wait till we FaceTime what happened what would we do before FaceTime when I can see that beautiful face and talk to her It's amazing Same thing with God. He cannot wait for us to get into his presence Our will must be submitted to God's will he's the God He's the God and he has all the knowledge and we when we walk in God's will we'll find peace we'll find joy we'll find contentment if not Lots of times we have heartache and headache Remember Joseph Even in all that God was doing in his life and he did suffer he went to prison He was accused and you know sold by his brothers had all the reasons to complain But he walked with God and he knew at the end that as a pastor shared this past week When Joseph said to his brothers what you meant for bad what God meant for good? We all go through problems We all go through times of stress or whatever it happens to be and it's to help us to draw closer to him not my will But yours be done Jesus told Peter of how he was going to die ten of the twelve disciples were gonna be martyred Paul suffered greatly many times in many ways The things we go through are for us to grow in God and God is forming us. He's making us He's shaping us into what we need to be just like the story of the potter Jeremiah 18 the word which came to Jeremiah From the Lord saying arise and go down to the potter's house and there I will announce it to you my words Then I went down to the potter's house and there he was making something on the wheel But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter So he remade it into another vessel as it pleased the potter to make then the word of Lord came to me saying can I Can I not oh house of Israel deal with you as the potter does the clairs the Lord behold like clay in the potter's hand So are you in my hand oh house of Israel?
Each and every one of us is just a piece of clay in God's hands if we allow him to mold us into what he wants us to be Is God dealing with you right now? Is he trying to form you so that you understand his will is there something that you want your way in? Or that you're blaming God for because he didn't answer you God's working with that The only way is to ask to seek in a knock and it will be opened God will give the answer and I think he gives kind of three answers yes no Or something else like we're working on it. Maybe later or whatever it happens to be I've only found those three things, but he will show the way in his time when we are ready when we are ready Not him, but when we are ready then he will show us if you haven't gotten your answer your piece your miracle Keep asking seeking and knocking and it will come it will come So how can we give how we give if you then being evil?
How do you like that? Jesus called us evil the meaning of the word of evil It's a it's a kind of a broader meaning not just you know sin it means to be worthless or broken go back to the potter Go back to the potter and on the wheel when we understand our state our condition how we are compared to God We don't match up we fall short all the time in the light of God our true wickedness will shine forth When we talk so many times about being the reflection of God It's kind of like the moon you go out tonight and you see the moon it's a reflection the light is a reflection from the Sun Is it as bright as the Sun no? No, and it's the same thing with us the closer that we get to the Sun To God what happens the brighter the reflection and that's what we need we need to draw closer to him You need to draw closer to him and yet Jesus says that we know how to give good gifts But you're not like God evil is a strong word. It really is as I was looking at like man really you are evil We've heard that word so many times use different ways Jesus gives us a parable on how we do give them or what man is there among you who when his son asks for a loaf We'll give him a stone or if he asks for a fish He will not give him a snake really of a man that has a son and he asks give me bread a good father will not give him a stone And if he asked for a fish, he's not gonna give him a snake No a real good father will understand that and he'll help him most good parents will never do anything like that We don't want to harm our children.
We care for him. We care for him just like your children when you raised them when they got close to the stove What'd you do you stop them? There's times when they would come on to you and ask and we know how to help them with those things We don't want to see harm come to our children what Jesus is saying is that even though we know how to give good gifts We are still not going to escape the designation of evil because I know how to give good gifts to my children I know how to raise them and I think that I've done a good job, but I'm still evil. I'm still evil Matthew chapter 5 verse 48 tells us to be perfect is God is perfect the sin nature in us though it separates us it separates us We'll never get us at a perfect level, but we still must try understand that he is not calling us into a spirit He's not talking about a spiritual evil, but he's talking about that We fall short of what God really is an almighty awesome unbelievable father and he loves you so much He loves you so much.
He has your hairs numbered on top of your head Can you say that no I might Omar God's got you pegged. He has no hairs. Oh, I might be the only one in here He knows somebody are up there. Yeah, God loves us so much And we're just asking that the Sun is just asking for something that we need to survive in that food The Father will give it unto him just like a good parent whenever a child comes right before dinner Can I have some cookies a good parent will say no now if you let your kids please forgive me if you let your kids have cookies before dinner Please forgive me.
We didn't let her say of that after dinner. Absolutely a couple of them God gives the good gifts God gives the good gifts and last point tonight God is waiting for us Are you aligned with his will have you asked with a right purpose in mind? Have you spent time talking? To God about it Don't think that you can pray one little five-minute prayer and God's gonna answer it.
Can it happen? Yes Can happen? Yes But lots of times God wants to spend time with him There used to be a song years ago and I used to play it over and over and over again I miss my time with you back in the mid eighties and it's talking about this person that Wasn't spending time with God and it's a song basically talking about God talking to this person and says I miss my time with you God wants to be with have us right there God knows how to give those give good gifts is what we are asking or even good for us to have right now We need to understand how he gives we need to understand how he gives God's greatest gift to us was a son John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only God son and who so I believe then him shall not perish But have everlasting life for God so loved he loves us that he gave his son and he doesn't just love us But he so loves us. He so loves us and that word so Find my notes The word means in this exact way God loves us and that he gave if he gave his son, which is more than what I would give I mean I wouldn't give my son and that's just not you'd probably say the same thing I'd give up my life before I'd give my son But God loves us so much that he gave us his only son to suffer so that we don't have to how much of a loving God is that to give us that gift God gave us God knows how to give he knows what we need and when we need it there are times when he gives us when we don't Know what we need ever have that God just bless you.
You're like oh I didn't I didn't know that that's what I needed, but yep God you blessed me He did that when he gave me Kim my wife and I really I pray I spent much time before I got engaged I prayed and I fasted about this and and then when God said yes Kim's the one that you're to marry I prayed and I fasted again because I'm like Gideon I put the fleece out there I fasted another three days and God spoke to me goes yes I want to make sure I was lying with him one of the best things ever did after salvation was marry her and it is for better for Worse I couldn't have done any better and she couldn't have done any worse You know I had to head like the mood where I'm just listening God gave us his son God gave us salvation God has given us eternity with him when we walk when we talk when we spend our lives showing people Who God is while we're here God is the best giver that you'll ever have in your life All you have to do is ask him what is it that you need? What are you struggling with what do you need to change in your life? How are you going to make it through this week? How should I take care of what has what has happened on the way to church?
God wanted me to ask that question. I how should I take care of what has happened on the way to church tonight? And how can I become a better Christian the questions can go on and on and on? Ask you know we'll be given under you seeking you will find knock and it will be open under you God loves us and he wants to bless us.
He really does I'm gonna pray in just a minute and I'm gonna ask if Ryan and Don would just stay around for a few minutes We've talked about prayer tonight and I've talked about needs in your life And if there's something that you want prayer for we're just gonna be down here and you want to go You can go and if you want us to pray about a situation or something We want to pray for you we want to help you find God's will so I'm gonna ask you to stand if you will tonight After I get done praying if you want if you need to leave God bless you have a great week You need prayer you can come on down heavenly Father. I thank you you are truly an awesome God Your word tells us to ask and to seek and knock and father We're to continue to ask and seek and knock and in that that helps us to find the will of God to align ourselves And I pray that you would just Minister to each and every one of us Father each and every one of us are going through different things right now and we're asking we're looking we got our own problems we're dealing with issues and Father Could be that we're dealing with things that nobody knows about but you do Because you see everything you know the need before we even ask so I pray that you would just bless these Go come out tonight to hear your word to grow in Christ To be equipped to go and make disciples Encourage and strengthen when I pray that you would speak to each and everyone Father as we seek your face that you would answer these prayers And we give you all praise in Jesus name. We pray and everyone said amen God bless you. Thanks for coming tonight.
Have a great night