FROM THE SERIES, “SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

– Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)

It is fun to go for a walk with my wife Thuvia in HER hometown of Norwich, NY – which town for all intents and purposes for the past 45 years has been MY hometown as well. Did I mention that this is HER hometown? In our walks someone invariably begins a conversation with us by saying, “OH JEREMY!” this, or “OH JEREMY!” that. The chat could go on for almost 15 minutes before our friend leaves. At that point, my beloved bride looks at me and wisely asks, “who was THAT?” Of course, I must answer every time, “I have no idea.” Thanks to my almost 3 decade career with the local police department, I’ve had connections with many people. They KNOW me, even if I really don’t know them on a first-name basis.

As the Lord Jesus brings the Sermon on the Mount [remember, S.O.T.M.] to a close, He is trying to:

#1 Carry the sermon into its application phase;

#2 Rid the Pharisees and religious leaders of any measure of self-worth by which they might deem themselves worthy of heaven’s entrance; and

#3 Push the seeker to the Savior and not to the Pharisaical attitudes of His (and our!) day.

He does this through 3 amazing challenges.

First is THE CHALLENGE TO PROVE (v. 21)

Repeating verse 21, ““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

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The heart of the world’s philosophy is, “I must DO SOMETHING, I must meet MY OWN STANDARDS which will soothe my conscience.”

But Jesus says, “Not everyone that (even) says,

#1 “Lord, Lord”: literally, “Master, Master” – an appeal of devotion

#2 “The will”: the heart of righteousness

#3 “My Father”: The standard of Heaven

This is the first time in Scripture that Jesus identifies Himself with God. AND Jesus personalizes the unique relationship with His Father. He will do that often in His brief earthly ministry:

“I ascend unto My Father and your Father, to My God, and your God.” (John 20:17)

“Our Father…” (Matthew 6:9), which shows a new relation in position of every Christian!

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

What the Savior is saying is this: “PROVE whether you measure up to My standard!”

In the Pauline Epistles the believer in Jesus will be challenged often to enter regularly into this intimate relationship with his Heavenly Father, just as our Savior does:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, THAT YOU MAY PROVE what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2; my emphasis)

“EXAMINE yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. TEST yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” (2 Cor. 13:5)

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, WORK OUT your own salvation with fear and trembling…” (Phil. 2:12)

Second is THE CHALLENGE TO QUESTION (verse 22)

Repeating verse 22, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’”.

“In The Name” is a precious relationship! Here is just a small sampling from the Gospel of John alone:

John 10:3: Jesus calls His own sheep BY NAME!

John 14:13-14: “if you shall ask anything IN MY NAME, I will do it.” !!!

John 14:26: The Father will send the Comforter IN MY NAME (that is, IN MY STEAD)!

John 17:12: Jesus kept them (His own) IN YOUR (the Father’s) NAME!

John 20:31: “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life IN HIS NAME.”

The Apostle John would later write, “Try (TEST) the spirits” (1 John 4:1). When faith is used as some kind of religious “good luck charm”, it is not genuine. Rather, it is actually an abomination to God! There are MANY counterfeits today! So we are challenged to question! For example:

PROPHESIED: spoke God’s Word! How do you know that a man who does this belongs to God, simply because he is speaking the Word of God?

CAST OUT DEMONS: does the supernatural!

DOES MANY WONDERFUL WORKS! Let’s bring this down to my level. He does works that are of wonder and well beyond my power.

Do you remember when Moses first came on the scene before Pharaoh? What did he do? He did MANY WONDERFUL WORKS! And what did Pharaoh’s magicians do – those who were energized by Satan and not by God? They duplicated Moses’ MANY WONDERFUL WORKS! Yet they could NOT duplicate the creating of life. Only God can do that!

Perhaps you’ve seen the story of the devil harping at Jesus about doing MANY WONDERFUL WORKS. Satan says to Jesus, “why ANYBODY can create! Let’s have a contest. Whoever can create a person out of nothing FIRST wins.” Jesus said that He normally didn’t like contests with the enemy of the faith, but this seemed to Him like a fair contest. So an Angel marked the beginning of the contest: 3,2,1 GO! Jesus grabbed some dust of the earth and then Satan grabbed some dust of the earth. At this point the Lord said, “WHOA! GET YOUR OWN DUST!”

Finally, there is THE CHALLENGE TO FEAR (verse 23).

Once again, verse 23 says, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU;

depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”.

D. L. Moody was one of the greatest evangelists born in the United States (1837-1899). Although he preached salvation messages all around the world, ultimately Chicago, Illinois would become his home base. It was there that the Moody Bible Institute would be established, a Bible training college which major trait was that NO STUDENT would ever be charged for his or her tuition – a trait which continues to this day! As recalled in his biography, in October 1871 Moody was preaching a wonderful salvation message. Throughout the message he was challenging the huge crowd about their need to trust in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. At the conclusion of his message he said, “now you come back next week and I will share with you HOW to trust Jesus as your Savior.” That night, THAT VERY NIGHT, was the infamous Chicago fire. Hundreds of people lost their lives. Chicago would have to be rebuilt, including the hall in which Moody preached. Immediately Moody said to himself and before the Lord, “how many people died and are spending their eternity in the lake of fire because I didn’t give an invitation – I did not seal the message by sharing with my listeners HOW to trust Jesus as Savior?” That earthly FIRE changed his life, his ministry. It put an eternal FEAR in his very soul.

THE CHALLENGE TO FEAR is the CHALLENGE TO URGENCY because of THE CHALLENGE OF THE 4 SADDEST WORDS IN THE BIBLE:

I: Jesus

NEVER: Ever? NO! For all eternity!

KNEW: In an intimate experiential way

YOU: Personalized to the point!

When your life is measured up – by you and by God alone – can you say with the Apostle Paul:

“NOT by works of righteousness which I have done, BUT according to His mercy He saved me!” (Titus 3:5a applied)

“SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

(Matthew 7:13-20)

Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

—Matthew 7:13-20 (NKJV)

It is suggested by some scholars that this passage marks the beginning of the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Perhaps the Savior is taking His disciples down off the mountain to where they can see the outskirts of Jerusalem. Each city has a Main Gate! Throughout the Old Testament, the “gate” referred to the Main Gate near the city’s entrance. There are 385 uses of the word “gate” in Scripture!

A casual reading of the Book of Job will find several fascinating references to the “Gate”. Allow one passage to be mentioned here as an help to our study. From Job 29:1, 7ff:

““Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God watched over me;

““When I went out to the gate by the city, when I took my seat in the open square,

The young men saw me and hid, and the aged arose and stood; the princes refrained from talking, and put their hand on their mouth; the voice of nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.”

In the midst of his misery, suffering, and pain, Job looked back to those days when life was simpler – and when he was the object of respect in the land of Uz. He would go to the place known as The “Gate By the City”, the place where often business dealings were consummated. Did you notice what Job really hungered for? He looked again for the proper recognition given to him by both young and old alike. And that recognition took place at the Main Gate. And there was only ONE “Main Gate.”

Into that very familiar picture our Savior begins His final words to the disciples, and to those of the multitude who were eagerly listening as well. He said “enter by the narrow gate…”. There was only ONE narrow gate. There were not MANY narrow gates. There was only ONE. There were many WIDE gates which lead to destruction. But there is only ONE narrow gate.

There is a story told about a little boy visiting New York City for the very first time. Perhaps one day in YOUR life YOU were that little boy! I know I was that boy once! I grew up about 30 miles outside of the Big Apple. So when my parents took me to New York City, well, that was a special day! The wise parents thought their son would enjoy traveling on the train, so they took him to the majestic Grand Central Station. Dad went to the ticket counter and bought two adult tickets and one child’s ticket for the train. And then? And then they went to a GATE. Up to this point, the little boy could only hear the noise of the hustle and bustle of the traffic of the train station. He could only hear the occasional train whistle. He could only hear the distant “All Aboard” of some shouting conductor. Those noises were far away. Before him was The Gate. There was only ONE GATE into Grand Central Station [ok, ok, I’m embellishing the story a tad – can you imagine only ONE GATE for a zillion people who enter and leave Grand Central Station each day? But listen on!] Dad gave the little boy his ticket and gave him the instructions as to what to do with the ticket. With excitement, the little boy gave his ticket to the Nice Man by the ONE GATE. And then the Nice Man said, “Welcome, son, into the joy of Grand Central Station!”.

There is only ONE GATE to Heaven. It is a “strait” (KJV) or “narrow” (NKJV and others) gate. That ONE GATE leads to Heaven. All OTHER GATES (and there are MANY!) lead to destruction.

There is ONE GOOD TREE! “Every good tree bears fruit”. This second point is connected with the ONE GATE, and gives a further illustration for the ONE GATE. If you are going through the ONE GATE, you will be a GOOD TREE which bears GOOD FRUIT! The key to this TREE is that ALL OTHERS – did you catch that? – ALL OTHERS bear bad fruit! Our Savior is creating a brilliant visual of the difference between the GOOD SERVANTS of the Lord and those who are not, which He calls the “FALSE PROPHETS”. The “false prophets” are those “merchants and traders who really love a good religious revival! YOU know who they are, right? They are the religious scalpers. They are the spiritual exhibitionists! They are the hawkers who want your money. They may even tell a good “Christian” joke or story to get your spiritual juices flowing. But dear people…what is the KEY to these “FALSE PROPHETS”? Do you know? Have we learned together yet? The KEY to these “FALSE PROPHETS” is that they did NOT go through the NARROW GATE! They are the ones who think there are MANY GATES which lead to LIFE! Yet Jesus said there is ONE GATE which leads to life, which leads to a GOOD TREE which bears GOOD FRUIT. There are MANY paths which lead to DESTRUCTION. And on that path will be many often well-meaning folk, religious, spiritual good talkers. They are the FALSE PROPHETS of both Jesus’ and our days.

Finally, there is ONE TRUE LIFE! Do you have a “B.C.” and an “A.D.” in your life? Is there a “Before Christ” period of your life? For me it was 19 years. For my wife and our daughter, it was only 8 years each! I know of a precious man – who is now “with the Lord” – who came to know Jesus as Savior at age 70. At age 70 he began his “A.D.” – his “after dying to self, his dying to and trusting in Jesus and the cross. He lived to be 90 years old! But OH what he did in those last 20 years of his life. He had been a carpenter by trade, and for those 20 years he served the Lord through his carpentry. But you know what he told me when he turned 90? What do you think he said? He said, “WHY didn’t I trust Jesus when I was younger? I could have lived ALL MY LIFE for Him!”.

There is only ONE TRUE LIFE, and that is the life lived for Jesus’ glory. It is the life that began by “walking” through the NARROW GATE of faith at the cross. It is the life that bears GOOD FRUIT. It is the ONE TRUE LIFE. All other lives are, well, empty.

Have you read the Book of ECCLESIASTES lately? Solomon the Preacher begins by telling about his life. He had many pursuits, and in those pursuits he had plenty of this world’s goods! He had land! He had money! He had valuables, which in his day were horses and buildings. He had everything his eye hungered for. He wrote,

“Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.” (2:10)

And then he looked over ALL HIS STUFF. He looked over ALL THAT HE HAD SPENT A LIFETIME LABORING FOR. And do you know what his conclusion was? Do you have ANY IDEA?

Solomon wrote, “and indeed, all was VANITY and GRASPING for the wind. There was NO PROFIT under the sun.” (2:11).

We understand “vanity”. “Vanity” is the shallowness which is the fruit of seeking something which has no substance. But what about “grasping for the wind”? You may KNOW what it means without realizing it! Remember the toy we all played with as a kid? In one hand you had a stick with a circle at one end. You would take that stick with the circle and place it in a bottle. You would then pull the stick with the circle out of the bottle. And then? And then you would blow into the circle! And what would happen? Out would flow a floating bubble of various sizes. And THEN? You would chase that bubble, perhaps even successfully catching it in your hand. And THEN? The bubble would…BURST! THAT is “grasping for the wind.” A bubble that bursts. You have no substance to show.

AND WHY NOT? Because there is only ONE TRUE LIFE. All other lives which did not begin by going through the NARROW GATE, by not seeking the GOOD FRUIT of the GOOD TREE results in an empty life.

“Oh, yes,” you say. “I have it all! I have my horses: I have riches. I have homes. I have cars. I have it all.” Like Solomon you may have it all. And you are EMPTY.

There is a song I heard for the first time many years ago at a concert. The lady was the “opening act” for the main attraction. You know, I don’t remember who the main attraction was. But I’ve never forgotten the song the intro girl sang. The song is “He’s the Only Reason”. I have not been able to find the name of the author. It is a brief song. Two verses and the chorus. I close with this song.

I’ve been blessed with so many things, God’s been good to me

I have family and friends who share in all I do

But if I lose it all and I am left with nothing

If I have the Lord, then I know I’ll make it thru

You may have tried a lot of things to find real happiness

But if you’ve looked very long then you know it just can’t be found

Until you find the Lord in the power of His spirit

Jesus will be your reason to live and He’ll never let you down

Chorus: He’s the only reason I live but, Oh what a reason

He’s the only reason I live but, Oh what a reason

There is nothing in this world worth living for

It only leaves you empty and longing for more

He’s the only reason I live but, Oh what a reason

As you re-read Matthew 7:13-20, ask yourself: “is this the song of my life?”.

From the “SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

—Matthew 7:12 (KJV)

WITH YOUR BIBLES CLOSED, PLEASE:

There were two lawyers who were best friends forever! Amazingly, one of them became a Sunday school teacher. Surprised by his friend’s new Sunday occupation, the second lawyer said, “I BET you don’t even know the Lord’s prayer.”

“Of course I do! ‘Now I lay me down to sleep…’”

“You win!”, said the other admiringly. “I didn’t know you knew so much about the Bible!”

We laugh, don’t we? Well, stay with me. Is your Bibles still closed?

Ok. QUOTE for me “The Golden Rule” as recorded in the Scriptures. Let me start it for you: “Do unto others…”.

NOW look at the above verse and read what the verse REALLY states!

There are 3 reasons why this is the most misquoted, misrepresented, misapplied, misunderstood verse in the Bible!

Why, this is a verse that MANY ARE DEPENDENT UPON for their salvation! Even you?

FIRST, MANY DON’T KNOW WHY THE “THEREFORE” IS “THERE FOR”!

In fact, many people don’t even read that “therefore” as a part of their remembrance of what they call “The Golden Rule.”

So how should I determine WHY the “therefore” is there for? Follow the Savior’s amazing train of thought in Matthew 7:

* Since I recognize God is the True Judge (verse 1)…

* Since I recognize God’s holiness as the standard for true judgment (verse 2)…

* Since I surely see that I can’t criticize anybody’s speck until I take the log out of my own eye (verses 3-5)…

* Since I realize that only the gospel of Christ can change lives (verse 6)…

* And since I am truly convinced that only continuous prayer – true dependence upon God – will effect anything of eternal value (verses 7-11)…

THEREFORE as a result, my life NOW will be so governed (verse 12)!!!

Now in our study, THIS is a VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION WE MUST ASK: “Is the Lord Jesus addressing this to the world as a SALVATION verse?

OR is He addressing this to the Christian as a WAY OF LIFE?” Hmmmm.

SECOND, MANY DON’T KNOW WHO THE “OTHERS” ARE!

The Lord Jesus said, “Thou shalt love thy NEIGHBOR as thyself”. “Neighbor” is an important word to this study! It is used at least 144 TIMES in the King James Version.

He goes on to say about “loving your neighbor”: “THIS is the law and the prophets,” that is, “THIS is the general nature of the entirety of the Scriptures!”.

Let’s look at a few helpful examples:

* In the 10 commandments (Exodus 20, especially verse 16-17):

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

By the way, “covet” has the modern idea of “keeping up with the Jone’s”.

* In the Law of Release (Deut. 15:1-2):

“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord’s release.”

Thus the true follower of the Lord will not harbor anything against his neighbor!

* In the removing of a landmark (Deut. 19:14):

“You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.”

I learned recently of an huge boundary dispute at a local property. Apparently, the boundaries were initially figured from two different angles! Can you imagine the neighbors who were involved? They had no idea what was truly their own land! In the end, lawyers had to get involved to determine why there were discrepancies in the boundaries. In Old Testament days, the honoring of the boundary was a genuine way in which one “loved his neighbor”.

* In the speaking of truth to one’s neighbor (Zechariah 8:16-17):

“These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;

Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace. Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; and do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ says the Lord.”

This passage is quoted in the New Testament, as found in Ephesians 4:25, showing that it is not just an Old Testament principle:

“Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.”

Look at James 2:8-10, which will lead to our third point:

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”

THIRD, BEFORE I CAME TO THE CROSS:

* I COULDN’T “DO UNTO THEM”

* I HAVE NEVER “DONE UNTO THEM”

* APART FROM THE NEW BIRTH WILL I EVER “DO UNTO THEM”!

Why? Because for all eternity, I AM #1 !!! What is the chant at all basketball games? Is it yelled wonderfully to the opposing team, “YOU ARE #1! YOU ARE #1!” OR is it yelled at our own supporters as an encouragement and as a needle in the enthusiasm of the opposition, “WE’RE #1! WE’RE #1! WE’RE #1!”.

What does the Savior say? Look at the conversation wonderfully recorded for us in Matthew 22:35ff:

“…a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Note the order! We are to love God FIRST OF ALL. Only THEN are we to love our neighbor as ourselves. See? Salvation FIRST. Example and Evangelism SECOND – NOT the other way around!

As we bring this week’s study to a close, today’s text has a lot to say about our hearts:

WHO IS #1?

WHO IS YOUR NEIGHBOR?

DO YOU KNOW PEOPLE WHO BASE THIS VERSE AS THEIR SALVATION VERSE?

And the BIG question: Have you depended on this verse for YOUR salvation?

THE SERIES, “THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

“7 “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. 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!”

—Matthew 7:7-11 (NKJV)

Many of you might not be into watching television – and perhaps today that is quite understandable.

But on May 20, 1993, the final episode of the TV show “Cheers” aired. Set in a bar in Boston, the show included a psychiatrist named “Frazier Craine”, played by Kelsey Grammar. I remember the first time I saw him on the show. I said to my VERY skeptical wife, “I KNOW THAT GUY!”.

Of course, she muttered something to the effect, “Yeah, right!”. I said, “I think that’s Kelsey Grammar, Pine Crest School Class of 1973, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.”

You know part of the rest of the story. YES, the part WAS played by Kelsey Grammar, and he went on to continue the character in the popular show, “Frazier”. And YES, he did graduate from my high school 2 years after I did. And YES, he played on the football team. And YES, of course he was on the drama team.

So I can say that I know him, right? Well, he DID go to the high school I attended at the same time I did. So that gives me SOME degree of connection with him. But if I were to go up to him and say, “Hi Kelsey – Jeremy Stopford, Pine Crest Class of ’71” what do you think he would say? I know, he’d say “that’s nice.”

You see, I was acquainted with Kelsey Grammar when he went to high school over 50 years ago. But to be ACQUAINTED with someone and to KNOW someone are two different things, aren’t they?

Today’s passage says the same thing:

it’s Who you KNOW that counts!

This is one of the most often quoted passages in the New Testament. it is considered a passage of promise, and it is! It is considered a passage of presumption, but it isn’t. To understand the promise of verses 7-8 let’s first look at verses 9-11.

First, PRAYER FINDS ITS ROOTS AS A RELATIONSHIP OF LOVE (vs. 9-11)

The most precious, tender relationship in Scripture is, in general, that of a parent and child, and in particular, that of a father and son. Dads know what is best for their children! Note the comparative in verses 9-10.

Do you remember ever wanting something REALLY SPECIAL when you were a little kid? OH I so wanted the drum set on sale at Leplers in downtown Rye, NY! $50! FIFTY DOLLARS! Dad said, “IF you save it, you can have it!”. It took me months saving my allowances and doing odd chores around the neighborhood. One day I had that $50 and I said to Dad, “TODAY is the day to buy the drum set.” Dad somehow had this innate wisdom that I’m sure came with his own childhood experiences. He wisely replied, “I am willing to bet it will be destroyed the first day you have it home.” We went down to Mr. Lepler’s store where I proudly set my $50 on his counter and said, “Mr. Lepler, we are here to pick up my new drum set.” We got it home, unpacked it, set it up in the basement, and within 3 hours…I had put a hole through the top of the main drum.

The father/son relationship in these verses is a pattern God develops as an all-wise Heavenly Father. One of my favorite chapters is Proverbs 23 which the Lord in His wisdom had me reading the day my dad died at the age of 90 years. The chapter talks about the Father Who is the MIGHTY Redeemer of the fatherless (see verses 9-11). Look also at verses 13-15 and verses 24-26. I like verse 22a which says, “Listen to your father who begot you…”. But you ask, “my father has passed away” or “he lives miles from here in another state”. “How can I listen to him?”. The key is WHAT you are listening to! Listen to – REMEMBER – his words, those intimate conversations that are just yours and his. What wisdom did he give you? What encouragement, what challenge?

The hard part, of course, is for the Christian who had an earthly father who he either never knew or worse, who was not a good example to follow. In that case, the images of what to expect with an Heavenly Father are tough to visualize. But in due time, and with the diligent reading of the Good Book, the child of his Heavenly Father will find a relationship which is tender and loving. That’s what the Savior means in verse 11 of our main text: “how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”. As a result, the Christian recognizes his need to be dependent upon a sinless Father! THIS is a RELATIONSHIP OF LOVE!!!

Second, PRAYER BEGINS AS AN HEART ATTITUDE: “ASK” (verse 7).

ASKING is not DEMANDING! We all have seen the helpless mother in the aisles of Walmart! Can you hear her children? Can you? “MOM! I WANT THIS, and I want it NOW!” And when they get to the counter, the four darling urchins are taking advantage of the suggestive sales by the register and loading mom’s cart with those dollar items that suddenly put the grocery bill to an unreasonable total – all because of the little tykes’ WANTS!

True Biblical “ASKING” refers to the heart attitude of the petitioner! It recognizes that I am in a lesser position that the One I am petitioning!

What heart attitudes should we have?

* HE IS ABLE: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” (Ephesians 3:20)

* HE IS WISE: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6)

* WE MUST NOT BE SELFISH! HE ALONE IS TO BE GLORIFIED: “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:2-3)

* OUR LIVES BACK UP OUR PRAYERS: “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 3:22)

* OUR PRAYERS WILL CONFORM TO HIS WORD: “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.” (1 John 5:14-15)

Third, PRAYER MOVES FORWARD AS AN HEAD ATTITUDE: “SEEK” (verse 7).

“Seek” means “to strive after, desire, work toward a goal, to covet earnestly.” It means that I am to have the attitude that thinks that I will agree – come in compliance with – that which You Father require of me! Have you read these verses lately:

“But SEEK first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 – my emphasis)

“If then you were raised with Christ, SEEK those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1 – my emphasis)

Fourth, PRAYER FINDS ITS FULFILLMENT IN A PERSISTENT ATTITUDE: “KNOCK” (verse 7)

There once was an ad in the paper promoting the business of Mr. Opper Knockity. It read this way: “I take care of all your piano needs. Remember, Opper Knockity tunes only once.”

To “knock” means “to strike repeatedly.” Thus from the Greek it is pictured as “to KEEP ON asking, KEEP ON seeking, KEEP ON knocking.”

By practical application, it means that while you are knocking, the Spirit is taking care of the HEART (“ask”), of the HEAD (“seek”), and of the SPIRIT (“knock”).

Even so does the Lord Jesus! Revelation 3:20 says in part, “Behold I stand at the door and…KNOCK”. He is KNOCKING for our heart, for our fellowship.

As we close, I’m reminded of the words quoted by a VERY wise experienced missionary in one of his prayer letters, words that were written by an unknown author:

“nothing of eternal significance is ever accomplished apart from prayer.”

As you look at YOUR CHURCH, is it and all it does founded on PRAYER?

As you look at YOUR LIFE, are you and all you do founded on PRAYER – on a tender relationship with your HEAVENLY FATHER?

It’s WHO you know that counts!!!