Sermon Tone Analysis

Today, we start a brand new message series entitled “Closer: Pressing into Christ”.

I don’t know about you, but there are times in my life where I feel close to God.

I feel his presence.

I know what he wants me to do.

I have a confidence that I am following in the footsteps of Jesus.

Then, there are other times.

There are times when I don’t have the same feeling of closeness.

For some reason, I don’t sense his presence as acutely.

I may even be unsure about what he wants me to do.

These are the times we are going to be talking about.

These are the times when we need to press into Christ.

These are the times we need to draw closer to God, wait on the Lord, and listen carefully for his voice.

Here is our new theme verse for the series:

Open your Bibles to Luke 11.

<cell phone rings>

Say: “I am sorry.

I know this is awkward, but I need to take this.”

<answer the phone>

Say: “Dude, I can’t believe you are calling me right now.

I am giving the sermon, right now.

Look, you have texted me like 50 times this morning, my voicemail is full from your messages, and now you are calling me again.

Come on, man.

I can’t do this right now.”

<hang up phone>

Say: “I am really sorry about that.

This guy has been bothering me incessantly.

I can’t seem to get him to understand that I can’t help him right now.”

<cell phone rings, again>

Say: “I can’t believe this.

He is calling me again.

It is like he don’t have any shame.

Sorry, hang on a minute.”

<answer phone>

Say: “Man, you have either be the biggest moron or the boldness person I know.

Maybe both, who knows.

Look, fine, I’ll help you out.

Just stop pestering me, okay?! Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

Now, before you think I am the world’s biggest jerk, what you have just seen is basically a modern rendition of Jesus’ illustration in .

Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray.

He gave them what many people term “The Lord’s prayer”, but mainly it is a model or a template for prayer.

Jesus continued his teachings on prayer by giving them an illustration.

Look at verse five.

Luke

<start by painting the mental picture in a modern setting using a cellphone conversation>

Before, we go farther in this message, I realize for some of you, the principles I am going to talk about are going to be different that what you have heard before.

This message may be a paradigm shift for many of you concerning the nature of prayer.

The first thing you need to realize about the illustration Jesus is giving, is that the story is not a comparison; it is a contrast.

The idea is not to compare the reluctant friend and God; it is a contrast.

The idea is “can you imagine going to a neighbor, asking for help to entertain a friend, and getting this response?”

Jesus isn’t teaching that you have to wear God out to get him to move on your behalf.

It is not that God is unaware of your needs.

Prayer is not about demonstrating your dedication to get what you need.

You don’t have to persuade God to answer your prayers.

This illustration is a contrast.

What Jesus is saying is that if shameless boldness is able to turn someone to meet your need when they are disposed not to help, then how much more will God move on your behalf when he cares about his children and delights in meeting their needs.

Did you notice the “how much more?”

Before, we go further in this message, I realize for some of you, the principles I am going to talk about are going to be different that what you have heard before.

This message may be a paradigm shift for many of you concerning the nature of prayer.

The first thing you need to realize about the illustration Jesus is giving, is that the story is not a comparison; it is a contrast.

The idea is not to compare the reluctant friend and God; it is a contrast.

The idea is “can you imagine going to a neighbor, asking for help to entertain a friend, and getting this response?”

Jesus isn’t teaching that you have to wear God out to get him to move on your behalf.

It is not that God is unaware of your needs.

Prayer is not about demonstrating your dedication to get what you need.

You don’t have to persuade God to answer your prayers.

This illustration is a contrast.

What Jesus is saying is that if shameless boldness is able to turn someone to meet your need when they are disposed not to help, then how much more will God move on your behalf when he cares about his children and delights in meeting their needs.

1. Pray because God generously answers the prayers of his children.

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We pray because God generously answers the prayers of his children.

With all due respect to the great theologian Garth Brooks, do you realize that there is no such thing as unanswered prayer?

The answer may not be the answer we desired or expected.

Sometimes, God answers prayer with a “yes”.

Sometimes, he says “no”.

Sometimes, he says “wait”.

God always answers the prayers of his children.

Verse 9 is the key verse for this passage.

It is tempting to think of verse 9 as a progression of activity.

If you are asking, but don’t get an answer, start seeking.

If you are seeking, but don’t get an answer, start knocking.

God might have fallen asleep or maybe he is on vacation.

Maybe he doesn’t want to act on your behalf today and tomorrow is not looking good either.

This is not it at all.

This type of thinking treats God like a false idol, like the prophets of Baal’s activities in . is not referring to a rise in intensity, so much as different activities for different seasons of life.

Sometimes, we ask God for things.

- We ask when we think we know what we need.

God will give us what we need.

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Ask - when we think we know what we need.

God will give us what we need.

- We seek when we don’t know what to do.

God will show us the way to go.

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- We knock when we aren’t sure if it is the right move to make.

God will open the right door for us to walk through.

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Pay careful attention to the words of Jesus in .

He did not say the persistent receive answers to their prayers.

He said everyone.

Everyone who is a child of God receives answers to their prayers.

We pray because God generously answers the prayers of his children.

Now for the game changer.

I am telling you if we really understood this and claimed the power available to us, everything changes.

I think that so many Christians fail to understand what God has given to them.