Keep On...

Winston Churchill said those famous words to as a part of a larger speech to his alma mater in 1941. He had persistently been communicating to his nation and surrounding nations that Hitler was not to be trusted. Now that the world was at war, he urged the students in his school to never give in to the pressures of tyranny.

Those words have become a rallying point for so many motivational speakers and determined dream followers. There are tons of people who have become successful only after demonstrating resilient persistence in following their passion.

There are legions of successful individuals who failed not just once or twice, but repeatedly before eventually making it big.

Charles Schultz (Peanuts) had every cartoon he submitted rejected by his high school yearbook staff.

J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by 12 publishing houses.

Gone With the Wind was rejected by 38 publishers.

Legend has it that Walt Disney was turned down 302 times before finally getting financing for his dream of creating Walt Disney Land.

It’s also been said that KFC founder Colonel Sanders was rejected 1009 times before finding a taker for his chicken recipe.

Source: (https://bulletproofmusician.com/the-secret-of-highly-successful-people/)

I don’t know about you but I tend to be someone who gives up on a request unless I work hard at keeping it in front of me.

But persistence is a powerful discipline that demonstrates both the depth of our desire and the measure of our faith to see it through.

As we continue looking at the sermon on the mount, we find that Jesus seems to come back to the topic of prayer. We looked at prayer a few weeks ago as we considered the Lord’s prayer. We also looked at elements of prayer as we considered fasting and worry. Today, in this next part of the sermon, we discover that...

Persistence in asking, seeking, and knocking produces results because we ask, seek, and knock from the One who can ultimately fulfill our requests

We could say this another way:

God calls us to recognize our need by turning to the One who can meet those needs, promising that we will receive, discover, and have revealed good things from God.

I realize that we don’t knock “from” something, but we do ask and seek from someone. The point however is that our asking, seeking, and knocking is persistent.

Matthew 7:7–11 ESV

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:7-11

While we’ve displayed the ESV today - some of the other translations render the idea of asking, seeking and knocking as a continual action “Keep on asking…, keep on seeking, .... keep on knocking.” The Greek words that Jesus seems to use in this passage suggest that our actions should have some persistence.

Before we dive into our text for today - let’s consider one other passage. In - parable of persistent widow....

Luke 18:1–8 ESV

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

If you’d like to follow along in your notes, Jesus begins with this command and promise:

Keep on asking - you will receive

The Greek word for asking seems to refer to a confident asking - even to the point of a demand:

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.163 αἰτέω; παραιτέομαι

to ask for with urgency, even to the point of demanding—‘to ask for, to demand, to plead for.

When I hear this definition of asking - I get a little uncomfortable. In our polite and respectful society, a bold request is typically mired in pleasantries such as “please” or “if you don’t mind” or “I would really appreciate it if...” That’s not to say that we should not be respectful in our prayers and requests, but this form of asking a strength and confidence to it.

When you and I ask for things, do we do it expecting an answer? Do we ask in bold faith, believing that what we ask will come to pass?

James looks at another element of this asking as he digs down to our motives...

James 4:1-5

English Standard Version Chapter 4

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Tony Evans - Story of revival - large outdoor venue, prayer group - one person prayed boldly based on the instruction of God to hold this activity - storm went around

What I find so interesting in all of these commands from Jesus is that they are coupled with a promise - if we keep on asking - we will receive.

If that’s truly the case, then why don’t we always get what we ask for - even if we ask boldly and with pure and upright motives? I wish I had a clear and concise answer for that. There are times when we need to keep on asking - until God reveals that maybe we are asking for the wrong things - or for things that are outside of His plan/will.

Why doesn’t God heal everyone we ask him to heal? Why do some people suffer? When we pray that God would move in the lives of loved ones, drawing them to him, why does He seem to delay? I don’t fully know. I truly wish I did. I do think that the consistent and persistent asking does some things to promote and elevate our relationship with God., We have to remember, he is not our genie, but we are in a relationship with Him get to continually commune with him. Which brings us to our next point.

In addition to persistent asking, Jesus says...

Keep on seeking - you will find

This seems to go from bold asking to active looking. The Greek word here has an urgency with it - like you’ve lost something that is urgent. If you don’t find it, you will be in a bad place.

In , Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. The main thought that those passages are getting across is the rejoicing that happens in heaven when one person comes to salvation - the lost being found. But when you look at the effort that the shepherd and the woman took in looking for their lost things, they looked fervently for them. They left the other important things to find what was lost. They did not stop until they found what they had lost.

I believe this is a bit of what Jesus is getting at. He wants us to pray and even wait, but I believe He wants us to actively seek - research, pray, meditate, pray some more, talk, listen.

Phil Vischer story - Over 2 years ago, Phil and Lisa Vischer launched a ministry that continues to have a huge impact. They started Veggie Tales - a series of christian animated shorts that use talking vegetables as a means of conveying biblical truths. Phil and his team have done some fantastic work over the years. On his website, Phil summarizes the next part of his life in this way: “at the peak of Phil’s success, everything turned upside down. Over-aggressive expansion coupled with a lawsuit from a former distributor forced Phil’s company, Big Idea Productions, into bankruptcy in 2003. Phil lost his company, his characters, his dream. What he didn’t lose, though, was his relationship with God. On the contrary, losing everything showed Phil that God was all he had ever needed in the first place. Rather than losing hope, Phil found himself with a ministry he never expected – a ministry to anyone who has lost a dream. Phil detailed the dramatic rise and fall of his dream and the lessons learned in his book, Me, Myself & Bob.” I had a chance to hear him speak about this a few years ago. He talked about how he spent a lot of time praying - asking of God, but also a lot of time seeking what God was doing in him and through him - leading him to what was next.

Phil could have easily chalked up this defeat to God removing his hand from him, but he leaned into God and sought him out.

How do you and I deal with defeat or disappointment? Do we shut down and have our own pity party or do we seek God and what he is doing?

Last week, while we were at M-Fuge, the camp pastor raised a very interesting point. He asked - what would happen if God simply handed you a piece of paper that had his entire plan for your life on it? What would happen? Why then doesn’t he do that? The pastor’s response was so that we would seek Him. God wants us leaning in, searching, depending on Him.

So Jesus says that those who ask will receive, those who seek will find. He concludes this section by stating that to those who...

Keep on knocking - it will be revealed

This seems to move from actively looking to actually going to a specific person or place where the request could be fulfilled.

(cultural element? - one commentary stated that it’s uncommon for people in the middle east to knock - they simply enter - no fanfare or ceremony or permission - simply entering)

This seems

In (and in the other synoptic gospels) we get a bit of a story of a woman who was suffering with bleeding for years. The Gospel writers don’t talk about the lengths to which she went in order to seek help. I can imagine that she probably prayed a lot. She also actively sought solutions from physicians - but to no avail. And yet when she heard about Jesus and what He could do, she went directly to the one who could help - and reached out in faith.

Jesus points out that we are not irresponsible in how we give to the requests of our children. He even calls us evil. Not that we are filled with malice - but we are prone to sin and selfishness. Do we believe that God will be good in the things that He gives to us?

Summarizing Thoughts

Melody -

prayed for a job

Actively looked for work - but didn’t find any clear openings - 20+ applications

Felt like she needed to change what she was praying for and began to pray for God to provide - what she would need for college.

A friend asked if she would be available to nanny for several weeks this summer - Melody initially declined

Found an opening in a bank internship - applied, accepted, then denied because the previous people came back

Returned to the family about nannying and it has worked out for most of the summer

Still praying and trusting that God will provide.

Salvation Thoughts

As Jesus is walking through this sermon - He is talking a lot about what it is like to be Kingdom people - how we should live, how we should worship, how we should pray.

One of the elements that all of this asking, seeking, and knocking points to is the idea that we have a desperate need for something - we may think of some of this as needs and desires that help us through the day or lead us along God’s will for our lives. The greatest area in which we can be asking and seeking and knocking is in relation to our eternal state and living a life that is filled with eternal purpose. Friend, you and I were created for more than just the here and now. We were created for eternal purposes. Ask God to reveal himself to you. Seek Him and His will through His Word and His People, and then knock on the door of salvation - repenting of your sin, believing that Jesus died for you, and then enter in to a Kingdom life as a follower of God.

So much of this passage can be inward. The lead singer from Petra (a Christian rock group) once said on an album “O God give me, O God give me” referring to the way that we often come to go - with our hands out. Yes we do need him and what he can give, but why does he give? Is it so we can hoard? Is it so we can gain wealth or prestige or comfort?

There is an element to this passage that has eluded me. On one hand it’s a simple and straightforward passage. The main outline is quite plain. And yet this passage raises lots of questions.

Why does it seem like some prayers go on answered?

Are these really promises the follow each command?

Are there things that we should or should not ask for?

In many ways, I think

I think that Jesus not only wants us to ask in faith - believing that God is good enough to give good gifts, but, I believe Jesus is also urging us to...

Give as we would hope to receive

Why does it seem like some prayers go on answered?

Are these really promises the follow each command?

Are there things that we should or should not ask for?

If you’ll look at the text in your Bible you’ll likely notice a section break between verse 11 and verse 12. It’s that way in my Bible as well. I think this might be one place where the editorial markings might be slightly misleading. The biblical authors did not put any chapter or verse numbers or section headings. All of these things were added in order to make our reading and remembering easier. The sections heading are inserted by people who have carefully studied the text and sought to do the best they could to divide the text into logical sections. Some editors differ on where the division should be. If we add verse 12 to our scope of consideration the passage adds a new depth of meaning and application.

Matthew 7:12 ESV

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

It seems like Jesus is saying that since we are evil and fallen people and know how to give good gifts to our children then we should trust that God will be good in what he gives to us and allows in our lives (10-11), but in addition to that we should give to others in the ways that we might like to receive.

Trust that God will be Good in what he allows, but in addition to thatWe should give to others in the ways that we might like to receive.

For example, we might not always want to give from our best or nicest things when someone asks.

Half empty verses a full drink,

Giving others our left overs verses given them a full blessing (skipping a meal and giving it to someone in true need)

clean and unstained clothes vs. ripped or dirty clothes, or maybe more practically -

giving of our time without guile or complaining - I know we live in a fast paced and frantic culture. There are many times for me when I leave so little margin that if any small thing gets out of place that the whole schedule gets messed up and I get stressed out. If I get asked to do something or to help out, there is a good chance my attitude will not be as gracious or godly as it should.

Melody -

Pray

prayed for a job

Actively looked for work - but didn’t find any clear openings - 20+ applications

Felt like she needed to change what she was praying for and began to pray for God to provide.

A friend asked if she would be available to nanny for several weeks this summer - Melody initially declinedFound an opening in a bank internship - applied, accepted, then denied because the previous people came back

Returned to the family about nannying and it has worked out for most of the summer

Still praying and trusting that God will provide.

Points to Ponder:

What does persistence look like in your prayer life?

How might God be asking you to adjust your requests?

What role does your small group or church family play in your petitions?

Do you give as you would like to receive?

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