April 25, 2021 Sunday Morning Service

Yeah, we are continuing or series of lessons on The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly dealing with Parable that come specifically, out of the Book of Luke and are only found in the Book of Luke. And we have talked about several of them. So far last week we began part 1. Of knock on wood. Which is the title I named it simply because I thought it was a little different, but in any event or talking about how would we pray? And Jesus comes along and gives us an example of his prayer. And he says, this is how you would pray, if you were listening to me. Eleni provides us that prayer and, you know, the prayer will, Our Father, who art in heaven? Hallowed be thy name. Jesus, there is telling us about his prayer life. And he's telling his disciples, his apostles. Here's how you need to pry. What me and it gives us the perfect example and a perfect example of prayer is we go to God. When's the intention of honoring God. Notice, Jesus, does not bow his head and then say, father, help me get this father, give me this, give me that, give me this. What does he do? He says, Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed. Great. Let me know by your name. Let me give you honor and Glory father. That's always beginning to show us what our prayer life needs to be. Like, when we're praying to God, we work. Our prayers are to be centered and focused upon God the father. And when we approached him in prayer, we need to begin by giving him praise and honour, that's the first thing we do. Not the second third or don't even included, but the first thing we do is to honor him. He's a guy named by name. The name that's above every name, right? I find it interesting. Running Psalm 138 verse 2. He says, he died. Magnifies his word above his name. And here we're being told that Christ is magnifying, his name. His name. Well, that just tells us the importance of number one, his name that is his authority. And second how important the word of God is to God. We can't neglect either giving God glory or giving God glory by honoring his word. It goes hand-in-hand. Prayer. Our prayer life needs to be obsessed with God. And that's what Jesus is pointing out to us. So he says, Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom.

Vacuum car at the time, the kingdom has yet to come. But the kingdom has come. And the Bible tells us that we have been translated or conveyed into the kingdom of his dear son. And then, when Jesus comes again and 1st Corinthians, chapter 15 verse 24, he will come again and deliver the kingdom back to the Father. The kingdom is the church. Right. He says, I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not Prevail against it and I'll give them to you the Keys of the Kingdom right there. We find a synonymous rendition are between Church and Kingdom there, one in the sign. The kingdom is comprised of God's people. The church is comprised of people. And so, it is that we are to think about his kingdom is church, right? Seek first, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto. You, Matthew chapter 6, verse 33. So the point is is our focus of our prayer is God. Honoring him and we are him but what we asked of him.

Raske him about his kingdom. What's your kingdom? To your glory, father. What's my name to your glory father? Use me, father to bless your name to grow that Kingdom to your glory father. See how that works and how it unfolds. and so, he says, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Talking about his will that's recorded for us in his word. What he desires from us, spiritually speaking. And then he says, give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but Deliver Us from Evil. My pad. My body doesn't have the rest of that but the King James does for that is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever a men. Now, I want us to consider something to consider something this morning from this prayer. Everything in this prayer is spiritual. Except for one. And maybe that's spiritual. I want us to consider that point this morning. He says, Hallowed be thy name. That spiritual Your Kingdom Come spiritual. Your will be done. Spiritual forgive us, our sins spiritual lope us to forgive others spiritual. Lead us not into temptation, spiritual Deliver Us from the evil one. Spiritual Now, let me ask you the question when he says, give us this day, our daily bread.

You suppose that spiritual or material physical?

Seems to me from the whole context. He's talkin about give us this dick. Give us our daily bread, daily bread, the bread, the Manna From Heaven, God's word. Seems to me, that's how it fits. Could be wrong about that but when I look at the context I believe that's what he's talking about. Where do we learn about what bread is for? Remember, when we come across, that particular word and whatever context me find it, sometimes words have various meaning shades of meeting until he has to understand the word I would use within the context. We can't just simply say what it means. This thing all the time, it doesn't mean that insert another context. So it seems to me that he's talking about the spiritual aspect and someone we approach. God, we're asking him to Let us consider his spiritual needs. We want to satisfy his spiritual needs. Right, by doing his will and perhaps satisfying, the spiritual needs of others. And then ourselves. Now, we know that we can ask for other things in our prayers. We can ask God for Better Health, that's not selfishness. We can ask God for help with our finances. We can ask God to help us in whatever situation we might find ourselves because when we read the rest of them, we find these prayers being offered to God. So this is the model prayer and then we add things to it as we pray. And as we learn how to pray, we add those things concerning. Well, I want to offer a prayer for our sister Carol. I want to offer a prayer for my mom and my dad. I want to offer a prayer for my son and my daughter I want to offer a prayer for their friends or there's another person I work with him suffering. I want to add them into the mix as well and then we have our bulletin and I always say this when we talked about all these names in this list, that's what they're there for sale at. We can look at it safe, by the way. God Pray, we pray for so, and so, and so, and so that you help them with this particular. Situational particular, health problem. That they might have and so we add those things in butt. The apostles knew that already. Thrashing, Jesus not specifically how to pray, but why is it? He is so connected to the father. Just prayers are far different because of that. Any sane, because his whole focus is upon pleasing, his father upon honoring his father and his father by doing his will. Of course, we can find a prayer that Jesus gives and John chapter 17. Is there we also find him praying to the father. Honoring the father talking about the glory that they had shared together, but then Jesus prays for himself, I don't want you to be praised for his apostles. And then what does he do? He prays for everyone else in this world in this lifetime that would ever follow income. To an understanding of his of his word and to be saved by that word, he says, I pray for them also. That they all might be one together. A beautiful thing about that prayer and so it is that when we pray sheet to honor God, then think about the petitions that follow4follow second. So We have to seek his will not our will. We have to first seek to pray about his concerns more so than my concerns and we need to be about a greater wood. Not would I do? But would you do? Would you do are praying needs to First honor? God and then honor his concerns. Again, talking about the kingdom of God, talking about his church and notice he says, give us this day. We're praying for others, not ourselves again, right? He's including a multiplicity of people here, up her ality. Give us our prayers and I'm guilty of this, as you know it, I know it. And that is when we pray, father, help me, give me help me. Let me give me, let me have this me. Me me, me me me all about me. We need to get away from that. We need to do what Jesus has asked us to do. We need to follow his example and his prayer life and then follow all the examples of the prayers that we read about in God's word. and like I said, last week, We ought to pray in our prayers, things of this nature, like Psalm 42. As the deer pants for the water Brooks. So my soul pants after you. Oh God. Goodnight. Beautiful. Isn't that something that would come from your heart? Lord, I love you and I want to follow you and you are so holy and I am on righteous and I need you and every facet of my life. That's a beautiful beautiful thing. But Ashley consider The next part, he's after he prays that model prayer for them to follow, he says, which of you shall have a friend and do to him at midnight and say to him, friend, let me three loaves for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him and he will answer from within and say do not trouble me. Imagine that. Imagine if we have a father who did that. Oh, wait a minute. I thought he is talking about the father in this prayer while he is to a certain degree. UC. Friend comes to my door and I don't have any food for this individual. Stop right there. Let's talk about Hospitality for just a moment. In the first century, and prior Hospitality was a major major thing among the cultures of the people. Bet you was your application that if someone were to come to your door friend or enemy, who is in need. You were to obligate yourself to help that individual. Or a stranger as you see in the Western Days in those western movies someone's passing through and then just happen to stop at someone's house and they expect a meal and sure enough, the woman of the house would make the meal and provide that meal for the, you're going stranger on his way to another location. It's always in the first century. They took care of people that way. It was a major crime against God if you were to refuse to do so. You were to help others because others are coming to you for help or assistance for sustenance for survival. It's always in this particular case. But the man pictured here says go away we're all sleeping. Imagine God doing that, right? What are you talkin about, God? So how do we reconcile this passage? Because when the Jews told stories that always told, we're not always, but most of the time, they told stories about this is one thing, but something else has better. Something is greater than He says, listen you folks are human and I are human makeup, is this and we're all guilty of it. Not just today but he's talking about people of that day because this was the mine set all know someone's at the door. I got to get up and go help them. That was drudgery that was cursed and that we've all been there because we have we have our own agendas during the course of a day and we've got hot it out in her mind and so weak. We stick to that agenda because we made it out for the rest of the week to. And then what we want to do is since we don't have to think about it anymore. We're going to just make it a habit. It's so that becomes our have. It is what we do. It's what we identify with. So we become But now something something or someone enters the picture the kind of throw us off kilter from our agenda. And it's a real need. until someone knocks on the door and says, hey, Can you help me? I'm hungry, I'm traveling. Okay, get out of bed, go down there and see the person.

It's a Lucas saying, that's how we do it, but think about your heavenly father who does not sleep. Who's always on patrol? Who's always willing and hoping that you asked him for your help. Because at the drop of a dime, he's there. He wants the hell, that's the point. He said our father is greater than that. so he continues that thought by saying, And he won't answer from within and say do not trouble me. The door is now shut. Your my children are with me in bed and I cannot rise and give to you. I say to you though, he will not rise and give to him because he is a friend yet because of his persistence, he will rise and give him as many as he needs. He's not saying You have to be a pest to God. The Bible tells us already knows what we need before we ask, and he doesn't play games with us by saying. Well, you said, you pray that prayer for me. Five times already. I want, give me another 5, no, it's not like that. He's giving us an illustration of human beings. The human phylum has

He's not talking about the great Glory and Honor that is gods and gods alone. Know this as he continues. He says so I say to you Ask and it will be given.

Seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds at him and knocks, it'll be open. Now he's telling us the idea of the greater, he says if a son ask for bread,

For this a fish or an egg. Was father, give him other things instead other than what he's asked. Now he says this a verse 13, if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give you when you ask? Something, that's what he say. Here's what we do, but here's what the father does. You come to him and you keep asking to present tense. We keep asking you keep on seeking and you keep on knocking knock on. That would, we would do that and not another And so it is as we consider God in light of our prayer life that we come to him and we keep petitioning him. He's not talking about the repetitive petitions that we read about from pagans where they say a word and they just keep repeating the word blah blah, blah blah, blah blah, by repeating the word more and more

No, that's not the repetition under concern here. Our concern is that we need to reveal our heart to God and those concerns our daily Those concerns our daily. So they're not repetitious in that sense. The repetition of sense that we need these things on a daily basis. And so it is that he says of course if you know how to give good gifts to God or give each other, the heavenly father knows how to give good gifts to his children when they ask it when they seek. And when they knock notice When they continue asking. when they continue seeking, and when they continue knocking, it's not the sporadic. Well, when they asked once in 1997, And then it comes to you again in 2021. No, he's talking about a consistent, personal lifestyle of asking of seeking and knocking. Another words, a consistent prayer life and he's getting back, he's referring back to that model prayer. Because in that prayer, what are they looking for? What is God asking? What is seeking? What is God telling us to do? Well, he's telling us to seek and to ask and to not buy doing those things that Jesus talked about in that prayer. Nothing more. Nothing less. But of course, again we have needs on a daily basis, sometimes those needs change. I might be sick one day. Can I ask God for help? You might be sick one day and I'm feeling pretty good but I need to pray for you and your sickness. See how that works. And the other thing too, is this, just think about all the good in this world that could be accomplished. if we simply went to God and prayed, Laid bare. Laid your heart out there so you know, you can't help but beer your heart to God, he knows your heart, he knows your mind, he knows you through and through, he knows you better than you. So don't hide things from God, you can't just lay it there. You know me. Here it is. Here's what I'm struggling with, here's what I'm dealing with. Here's what someone shows dealing with help them. Help me help us. Right. Make our prayer, his will And then I want to Simply bring us to this particular part of verse 13. Because a lot of people say about it, matter fact, I was in a religious discussion group on Facebook this past week and there was a, it's a big old group in out of 30000 for my folks and Aaron and one guy was saying, yes, we have to, we have to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit. And I try and didn't said, could you point me to that passage? This was the passage you pointed to and I said, okay, what are you talking about in the passage though? So let's look at the past and he says beer in verse 13. If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? How can I look at the context of detail here in just a second? But I want us to notice something. There's a parallel passage in Matthew Chapter 7. And there it says, or if he ask for a fish, will he give him a serpent if you then being being evil? Know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your heavenly father? Who is in heaven? Give good things to those who ask No, notice made the Holy Spirit. I put that in hot pink. It's hot pink, right? It's not pink but it's hot pink. I think I learned that over the years and Matthews account, good things.

But what you're asking for? It says will the father give the Holy Spirit to those Alaskan? Or will the father who's in heaven, to give good things to those who ask him, which is it? Yes. Both. Because you're one in the same. The good things is equivalent to the Holy Spirit. The holy spirit is equivalent to the good things and those good things are both. The good gifts are mentioned in the passage. Gifts from the Holy Spirit. No, look at the context.

Go here. Here's the next part of the passage and I'll leave it up here for you to read but it's too small for me to read. So I'm going to go ahead and read for my Bible. He says, and he was casting out a demon and it was mute. So it was when the demon had gone out that the mute spoke in the multitudes Marvel. But some of them said he cast out demons by Beelzebub. The ruler of the Demons, talking about the devil. Others testing in slot from him a sign from heaven, but he knowing their thoughts, said him every Kingdom divided against itself is brought to Desolation and A house divided against itself. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say, I cast out demons by Beelzebub, And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub by whom do your son's cast them out? therefore, they will be your judges, but if I cast out demons with the Finger of God,

In Exodus chapter 8, verse 19, The Magician's of pharaoh had come to Pharaoh because Moses was working miracles by God. And The Magician's turn the Pharaoh and they said, there's nothing that we can do to overtake this guy because he has the Finger of God.

So, it's an expression related to the miraculous. and hear Jesus says, but if I cast them out by the Finger of God, Well, he's talking about that power Supernatural, miraculous power of casting out demons. And then he says, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Now, in Matthew chapter 12, which is a parallel, If Satan cast out, Satan is divided against himself how the end of his kingdom stand. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub by whom do your son's casting out there for, they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons, by the spirit of God, Luke says, by the Finger of God. Matthew says, by the spirit of God, parallel passage similar language exact account. It's the same thing. Two expressions, meaning the same thing. God, Jesus Christ as God working miracles by God, the spirit

Remember Jesus became a man. And becoming a man. He had to be just like you and me. Otherwise he was not fully man. Do you have to live like you and me?

If he did anything from his God side, he was there for not be like, you and me. What do you live this life? Like you and me. Totally in the physical. And soul. When the apostles who were human beings, they could not work miracles. So what do they need? The Jesus said, I'll send you another comforter and he shall guide you into all truth. And so they were to work miracles by the spirit of God. When he became a man, he too was just like the apostles. It's how we learn and John chapter 3, that the spirit descended Upon Jesus. And now, he's able to work those Miracles. Setting, his setting a seal upon him. And so there we find the idea that this was talking about the miraculous because Jesus is just working Miracle by casting out demons. Announce the Pharisees come to him. And they say, I Already did something marvelous. He did a wonderful thing but he doesn't do it by the power of God. He doesn't by Beelzebub, the devil. It's so Jesus comes along or wait a minute. I'm doing it by the power of the spirit. And so that's when Jesus says there's about the sin against the Holy Spirit, blaspheming the Holy Spirit. He says, therefore I say to you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men but But the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven men. That is you saw Jesus work a miracle, he worked at Miracle, he cast out the demon and you turn around and say he did it by the power of the devil. You deserve hell for that. And so, it is that the Jews already knew that. No man can do these things, except God be with him, but he understood that. So these Pharisees were, blaspheming God by blaspheming Jesus. So it is that whole thing here about the miraculous, when he's talking to the apostles, and he is talking to the apostles first here, directly to them. He says, when you pray, you ask for the spirit, Now, there's one passage and all the Bible. I believe fulfills that promise. And that's an Acts chapter 8, I don't believe I put it in. It says, now when the apostles who wrote Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them when they had come down, pray for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

For as yet, he has fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they had laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now we know that from those Loops account and not his account. Good gifts equal. Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit. Equals good gifts. It's a simply saying that does good gifts come from a spear Supernatural gifts, Come From the Source. God, the Holy Spirit. And here it is. He saying, listen They came down and prayed that the Samaritans would receive power. What for because the apostles are going to be going on their way now, Remember there? Their they're not stuck in Jerusalem, but they are to go where and do all the work on her, right. So if they can't be at the congregation all the time and Sumerian,

Right? They got work to do. So what do they do? They lay their hands upon the folks and then they receive the Holy Spirit, which is receiving power from the Holy Spirit. in other words this morning, During the Lord's Supper, we had a piece of bread and we drink the cup.

What did we drink? The grape juice didn't literally drink the cup to drink the contents of the cup. That's under consideration here when he says receive the Holy Spirit, they're not receiving the person of deity. They're receiving that which comes from the spirit, he's the source of it. All was his role in the first century Church. And so it was that laying hands upon these people. They would have inspired preachers, inspired elders and it wouldn't be able to instruct the congregation. They were unable to perform Miracles that would confirm the message that they preached. And again, that was the purpose of Miracles with a company signs with the word of God, they've always accompany the preaching. Why to show that the preaching was from God because the miracle they worked was from God. That's so if you and I were really on it, so we would say. Well if that miracles from God that word that was preached from God, we believe it That's was the purpose. And so it is that we don't pray for the Holy Spirit. Now we're going to get to this at a later time but if we get the Holy Spirit,

And I'm talking about the person of the spirit is talking about that which comes from the spirit will get more into that as we get into our study of the Holy Spirit Sunday. Evenings beginning May 2nd at 5 p.m. So what we find here is a prayer of model prayer, that says focus upon God. Focus upon doing his will focus upon a spiritual spiritual things. First. Give God the honor, give God the glory in your prayers, and then before you turn to your own concerns, turn to the concerns of others first. Buy principal. That's what Paul says. Let us think of others before ourselves so we pray for others first. Pray for their needs their desires price for their spiritual health. Not just the physical, but pray for the spiritual because we're all in this together and what we need most is a spiritual victory. So we need to pray for one another in that regard. And then, Pray for the things in your life. Pray for the people that are remaining in your life. and God will grant you, but then he says this It's condition upon this, keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking, knock on that would knock on the wood that Jesus would give us your subject, the imitation of Christ this morning and need to be saved by him through his blood. I am rushing in water for their forgiveness, forgiveness of your sins. You can do that this morning. Perhaps you've done that, perhaps, you've wandered away and he want to be right with God. All he says, repent of your sins and everything will be restored in his side, your subject, Jesus morning. Once you come forward as Together, We Stand and sing.

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