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The Gospel Truth
Prayer Most modern sermons on prayer make a beeline to Matthew 7:7ff, even though the words "pray," "prayer," or "praying" are not to be found. I know if you "ask" God for something, essentially you are praying. If you "seek" something from the Lord, it is best to begin with a prayer. And a "knock" on the door of heaven can only be opened by God. Considering such, I wouldn't knock for a moment the necessity of asking, seeking and knocking in prayer. But this text tells us, quite emphatically, that everything we ask, seek and knock about will be received, found and opened. If this text is exclusively about prayer, then everyone can expect every prayer will be answered affirmatively. But does it really work that way? I have prayed for material things. I have prayed for healing. God has answered both yes and no, according to his will. Any huckster that tells you that you can name it and claim it with God is, well, a huckster. The kingdom has not come to make people healthy and wealthy at their own prayerful bidding. Prayer does not work that way. This text is about what we should pray for and never stop. This text is about good gifts, but it is chiefly about the greatest gift of all. This text is about the gospel. The Gospel The commands Christ uses call us to a cry that never ends. We are permitted to ask, but we are commanded to keep on asking. We are granted the opportunity to seek, but we are commanded to keep on seeking. We may knock, but we may not stop until the great door is finally opened. What is he talking about? The gospel! What are the first things a person should ask God for? Forgiveness, eternal life, the power to turn away from sin and trust Jesus as the crucified and resurrected savior and lord! How does God respond when we ask? With the good gifts of repentance and faith! God promises you, if you ask you will receive. Those who truly ask Jesus to be their lord and savior will never stop asking. I'm not denying the reality of the "new birth" or the grace of "once saved, always saved." I am saying the asking for Jesus is not a one time thing. Those who make a one time "decision" by "asking Jesus into their hearts" but do not continue in a lifestyle of repentance and faith never received Jesus in the first place. What does a genuinely saved person seek for? We seek the kingdom and the king, his words and his ways. When we do, what do we find? The good gift of God's will! God promises you, if you sincerely seek to be in his will, you will find yourself there. This does not mean it is an easy thing. Only those who never stop actually arrive. Those who live, sincerely and consistently, as if heaven is their real home will discover that it is. Those who don't, won't. Those whose treasure is here will lose it all. Those who treasure Jesus, his kingdom, and the place he is preparing for his followers, will gain it all. So ask, seek, knock and don't stop. Be the persistent child. Cry to your father, "help me," "show me," "hold, me." For you have a promise that if you never stop, he never will. That's praying. That's the good news. That's the gospel. And the gospel comes with a golden rule. The Golden Rule Every religion has its golden rule. In virtually every case, it is a means of merit. With Christianity, however, it is a measure of grace. If God has heard your prayers, if God has given you the gospel, then God is at work in you to keep this golden rule. If you ask God for help and receive it, you cannot help but help others. If you seek God's will and find answers in God's word, you cannot keep from sharing it and showing it to others. If you knock and discover that heaven has been opened to you as your real and future home, you cannot help but want others to go there with you, too. "In everything" - the asking, the seeking, the knocking - involve others, for this is God's way according to God's word. Think about it this way. If you were lost, wouldn't you want someone to show you the way? If you were confused about religious matters, wouldn't you want someone to show you the truth? If you were dead in sin and in danger of hell, wouldn't you want someone to show you the life?
The Christian golden rule is that Jesus people take Jesus to people. We ask them to come to Bible study and public worship with us, we seek the salvation of their souls, and we knock on their door until they open up or knock us away.
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