- Matthew 7:7-10 God is so good to us. I am living a life that I don’t deserve and I’m not living the life that I deserve. God has been so gracious. Can you say that God has been gracious?
- Key verse- 11 If you then, being 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!
- “how much more” is what the heart of God is- he’s not a somewhat God- he’s a I will do it God
- He can, he will, he wants to . how much more.
- 1. How much more should we Stay dependent on God
- “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
- Jesus is getting to the end of the sermon on the mount and using this time once again to encourage people to become people of prayer
- The point that Jesus is making, and has made is that the disciples of Jesus should be completely dependent on God for everything that they want spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally, and for any and all wants and needs they aspire to have
- Matthew 21:22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
- Individualism, self reliance, self aggrandizing is not the ethos of the kingdom- the ethos of the kingdom is dependence on God. We don’t save ourselves, forgive ourselves, praise ourselves, accomplish our own Goals outside the help of God’s sovereign hand.
- Psalm 10:4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.
- I get it- America is a ‘up by your boots straps get it done make it happen” kind of place
- But that’s a American thought not a Godly thought- Kingdom thoughts are without God I can accomplish nothing- I can do nothing- its all on him- not on me
- There’s a balance here- bible says if a man doesn’t work he wont eat- but it also says we can’t trust in our own flesh
- Jeremiah 17:5-9 READ
- Self accomplishment and glory gives God no glory which is the point of our life.
- 5 Thus says the Lord:“Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength,
- Whose heart departs from the Lord.
- This is very important distinction- Miss Ranger- food, walk, sleep, run- this what we’re doing?
- That’s how we should be- God- can I, should I, will I, can we, im not moving until you do
- Whens the last time you prayed and asked God about something that you could do?
- We must ABIDE- we must rest in HIM and HIS power and purpose and HE will do it if we ASK
- John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
- Now some have taken this to mean that whatever I ask for God has to give me and if he doesn’t its because I’m not having enough faith, praying right, remembering the right scriptures etc. like it some cosmic spell we must cast to get God to move- its not-
- The decision and the outcome are in GOD’s hands- not ours- we just keep asking-
- Forgiveness is always assured– Psalm 86:5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
- Don’t get it twisted- don’t think that you’re not forgiven if you’ve asked- forgiveness is instantaneous- you don’t have to work for it at all- its assured
- 1 John 1:9 if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- Connection to God is always assured- Jeremiah 29:12-13 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
- James 4:8 draw near to God and he will draw near to you-
- It’s the OTHER stuff that we’re like- is this going to happen? Healing, promotion, moves, stuff, cars, house, relationships, we ask- cause we want- but its in God’s hands if we get it
- We can’t get discouraged tho- that’s where God’s sovereignty comes into play- his decision
- John 16:23-24 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
- Keep asking God- Your Joy will be full if you get it or not
Here’s the second part-
2. how much more should we Expect the best from God
- 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being 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!
- Jesus here is reminding his disciples- God is good. He wants to give you good things
- This scripture is akin to Luke 11:13 but luke says ‘holy spirit’
- Seems like a contradiction- but the actual translation based on the earliest source documents shows congruency of the heart which is ‘good things’ as “good spirit’
- Which in context makes sense- to say- ask from God- but in that asking- understand and remember that God will give you a good spirit- a good thing in the midst of the asking
- God will give- he will award- he will fulfill- but as you wait- as you walk through it- you are assured to have a good spirit about it- assured that your disposition will be ‘good’
- We say ‘God is good all the time and all the time God is good’ and this is the heart behind it
- Psalm 10:17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear,
- Many times we pray, we ask and then we look back and realize that God was preparing our heart as we were waiting for God to answer our prayers- he was DOING something in our hearts as we were waiting or as we watched our prayer not be answered-
- Psalm 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble ;I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
- This distinction is so important- deliverance isn’t always the reception of that what we want or desire- but that God would DELIVER us through it- either through changing our heart to heart of contentment- or the fulfillment of the desire- but God ALWAYS delivers- with a good spirit
- There have been many prayers that God has not given me what I desired- but he DID give me a good spirit about it because I was depending on HIM and knew he had my best interests for me
- Expect that God is good- that he has no desire to give you serpents and stones- expect bread and fish- that’s the heart of God- he is a good God who gives good things
- Psalm 145:18-19 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,to all who call upon Him in truth.
- 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;He also will hear their cry and save them.
- Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
- John 14:13-14 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
- I am going to take God at his word- I know that there are people here that immediately as you hear this you say “well God didn’t answer my prayer” yeah dude- me too- but I love Jesus enough, and trust him enough that I’m not going to be so sour that I’m going to not believe what God’s word says just because I didn’t get something that I asked for
- “you don’t know what I didn’t get” yeah- you don’t know either about me.
- You don’t know my pain, my sadness, my unfulfilled desires and unanswered prayers
- But for me- I’ve NEVER changed what God’s word said based on my own experience
- There’s not a scripture that says “unless you saw something different in your life”
- Here’s a couple more asking and receiving scriptures of which there are DOZENS in the bible-
- 1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
- 1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
- I believe that! I have prayed and watched people die- and I still believe it
- I leave room for the mystery of God- I can’t even understand why my wife would love me- why would I try to understand why Yahweh God makes the decisions he makes I just trust him.
- Here’s my recommendation- just take God at his word and quit arguing with him about it
- Stop thinking your inability to understand or explain makes it less true- your experience is not what makes God’s word true- what God says is what makes it true
3. how much more should we Treat people how you want to be treated
- We come to the end of this passage and find, what is probably one of the most central verses
- 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
- This is where we get the Golden rule- do unto others-
- This is not a new concept- this was in Judaism as well- Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
- The mindset of the follower of YHWH is one who thinks about how his actions affect those around him- he is not an island to himself- he must consider how what he does affects others
- This applies in every interaction in your life- tre at people how you want to be treated
- This can transform every relationship and interaction that you have with people.
- This verse translates into the word Love-
- Colossians 3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
- Mark 12:31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
- Now I must say- because it’s a peeve of mine- that love is the definition of what the Bible says love is- and its not some sloppy agape approve of your sin and do nothing to hurt you love
- The idea of love is in our disposition, action and heart- but you can make loving decisions that others would say are hurtful because on the surface they appear to be unloving
- Let me give you an example- you have a brother you has an addiction problem
- Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
- Application- “bro- God loves you- I love you- I care about you- but drunkenness will keep you out of heaven based on Gal 5 and 1 cor 6. I don’t want you to go to Hell”
- 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be [a]courteous;
- Have compassion on that brother! Think about when you were addicted or if you were and give them grace and mercy and love- but don’t withhold a truth that could cost them eternity!
- Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
- That’s how I want to be treated- we touched on this last week-but these are truths that you cant tire of hearing- treat sinners, friends, family all with grace, love and mercy
- Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
- This is in how you TALK to people– what you SAY what your TONE is and your GOAL
- Anyone can take jabs at someone- we all have things we could say about someone
- I’ll tell you as a person- I hate being picked on- I hate it. Its why I don’t do it-
- Guys are the worst- they just think they are being funny- but its not funny. Its not.
- I used to be really mean to people who picked on me- but now I show more restraint- I would destroy people- I’ve grown a bit through it- if you want to pick on my pants- I’ll go for the throat
- 1 Peter 2:17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
- This is how you DEAL with people
- You have to watch how you deal with people? Do you always try to one up them? Do you try to make obscene money off people? Do you withhold information that benefits you?
- 1 Cor 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
- You got to love people enough to deal with them nicely- please- waitstaff, workers, anyone- be nice
- Don’t be the person that tries to get someone fired, gets someone in trouble, makes life bad for someone, holds grudges, acts on vendettas, turns people against others
- Do you want people to gossip about you? Do you want people to know your worst?
- Why do we do this?
- 1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.
- Because of God’s love, forgiveness and mercy- we treat others with that same measure.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
Pastor Matt Krachunis preaches about how much God loves us. Please share on social media for others to see.
For more sermons please visit our Sermons Page
Please subscribe to our YOUTUBE PAGE
