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| Rev 'd Foh Arkhurst, Asst Minister, TUC |
BIBLE READINGS:
GEN. 18:20-32/COL 2: 6-15/LUKE 11: 1-13
FIRST SERVICE
TEXT: LUKE 11: 9,10
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
New Living Translation
As humans one thing is clear that at any point in time we need one thing or the other. All of us here need something we want the Lord to do for us and our hearts’ desire is to receive whatever we ask of God. But in asking, we should have our motives right. Jesus is entreating us today that whatever we need, we should ask him in prayer and he is prepared to do for us.
In the first reading, God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sins but Abraham pleaded till God gave him what he wanted - saved Lot and his Family.
Our God is a faithful God when we hold Him to his word, for He watches over his word to perform. If we ask him for our needs he would grant our desires.
In the third reading, which is the basis for our Theme today, we read that after Jesus had finished praying one of his disciples asked, “Teacher, teach us how to pray…” We realized here 2 things:
a) That prayer must not be interrupted and so the disciples waited for the Lord to finish praying before putting in their request.
b) Jesus was a Role Model to his disciples as far as prayer was concerned; and so they wanted to pray just as he was doing.
Jesus responded in 2 ways- in the Lord’s Prayer - (verses 2-4) and in what is usually referred to as The Friend at Midnight (verses 5-13).
Jesus prayed a model prayer from which we can learn a lot of lessons:
1) It respects the God we worship - Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come... Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...
2) It shows our dependence on God. The Lord’s Prayer takes care of our daily wants - bread (all that we need) and forgiveness of sins (repentance before God)…. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
3) It takes care of our daily dangers - temptation and evil… And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil...
The Lord’s Prayer is our daily prayer, for it covers all that we need, our present needs, our past sins and our trials and temptation.
The 2nd response of Jesus as captured in Luke 11:5-13 is about a man who had a visitor in the night and had nothing to place before his guest and so he decided to go and ask a friend.
6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.* 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
The man was not answering due to how congested his room was but his friend kept on knocking for his request to be answered. This is the way Jesus wants us to persist in prayer, to keep on knocking and asking on our knees and not be weary.
God always answers our prayers and He does so in three ways:
1) Yes - and you would have whatever you asked for
2) Wait - for a while (God’s time is the best) and
3) No - for you do not need this now.
If our earthly fathers know how to give us gifts how much more our Father in Heaven.
The 3rd Reading has some lessons to teach us.
We must learn from Jesus’ prayer life and from His Model prayer by
• Praying unceasingly
• Hallowing God’s name, praising Him and thanking Him
• Praying directly and simply, for God knows our hearts and understands our problems
• Praying persistently for the Lord will respond with what is best for us
• Praying expectantly, for we receive more than we ask for Ref : Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
I pray that we will continue to ask; and that we go first to God with our requests. Amen.
For Second Service Sermon, please click 'Read More' and scroll down.
PREACHER: Bro Alex Oppong-Poku
25TH JULY, 2010
BIBLE READINGS:
GEN. 18:20-32 / COL 2: 6-15 / LUKE 11: 1-13
THEME: “ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU”
TEXT: LUKE 11: 9, 10 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. New Living Translation
In Genesis 18:20-32 we learn that after the 3 men who visited Abraham revealed their mission to him, Abraham asked and interceded for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and he did that persistently.
22 The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” 26 And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.” 29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?” And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.” 30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?” And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.” 31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?” And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” 32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?” And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
The word ‘ask’ has been used not less than 170 times in the Hebrew Bible.
The Second Reading in Col 2: 6-15 demonstrates the all-sufficiency of Christ Jesus and that strengthens our faith in the Lord. If that is the case, then He is the one we must address our needs to. Ephesians 5:6 says: Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
In the Gospel Reading in Luke 11:1-13, the Lord’s Prayer was born, and in that ‘the three-fold Promise Luke 9:11
John 15:7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
If we only ask according to His will, ‘nothing is too difficult for God to do’.
Matthew 21:22 states … whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. John 14:13,14 - And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Our prayers will be answered when we take it to God in prayer and through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a pre-requisite for answers to our questions.
God has demonstrated many times in Scripture that He is able to save us from all our sins
If our earthly fathers know how to give us gifts, how much more our Father in Heaven will not give us His Holy Spirit when we ask Him.
We are not only to ask for material needs such as for our country, economy etc but we must ask for the Holy Spirit; and God will give Him to us.
The motive of our asking is so crucial; it can prevent us from receiving what we ask for. But has God a need that we can also provide for Him? Is there anything God too can ask us to do for Him?
Our thoughts must be in consonant with the guidelines of Scripture and the yardstick set by Lord Jesus Christ. We must ask with pure hearts.
In conclusion, we must realize that:
• No problem is too much for God
• God is greater than any problem we may have
• With God all things are possible
• There is no temptation that will overcome us that is not common to man
• God will give us more than we ask for as stated in Eph 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Let us take it to the Lord in prayer.
May He grant us the wisdom to ask in His will so we can receive the answers that will enable us to grow both physically and spiritually. Amen.
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