JESUS TEACHES ON ASKING
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Jesus Teaches On Asking
a) Jesus, in his sermon on the mount, teaches us about asking God. Asking of God was the emphasis in the Lord’s example prayer in Matthew 6. Now, in Matthew chapter 7, Jesus reasons with us as to why we should ask of God.
Matthew 7:7-11
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, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 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 what is good to those who ask Him!
b) Jesus shows us that we are dealing with a God different to the gods of human imagination. They are usually fickle and often cruel. The true Father in heaven is anxious to give good things generously, to all his children who ask of him in the proper spirit (2 Corinthians 9:8; James 4:3).
c) The gifts that God gives in answer to our requests are never disappointing gifts. Jesus pictures a son who asks for bread, and his father picks up a stone. A stone might have a similar shape and appearance to a small loaf, but it would be no use to a hungry boy. Or maybe the son asks for a fish, and his father catches an eel or a sea snake. A Jewish boy could not eat such a "fish", because it would be unclean food to him. God is not a father like that. When we ask of God, we receive good gifts.
d) Paul put this principle in very strong words: God is "able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think" and we can be "filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:14-21).
e) John says, "We know that he hears us in whatever we ask, so we know that we have the requests which we have asked from him" (1 John 5:14-15; 3:22). No wonder Jesus says, "Ask and it shall be given you."
The End ...
1. Jesus Teaches On Askinga) Jesus, in his sermon on the mount, teaches us about asking God. Asking of God was the emphasis in the Lord’s example prayer in Matthew 6. Now, in Matthew chapter 7, Jesus reasons with us as to why we should ask of God.
Matthew 7:7-11
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, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 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 what is good to those who ask Him!
b) Jesus shows us that we are dealing with a God different to the gods of human imagination. They are usually fickle and often cruel. The true Father in heaven is anxious to give good things generously, to all his children who ask of him in the proper spirit (2 Corinthians 9:8; James 4:3).
c) The gifts that God gives in answer to our requests are never disappointing gifts. Jesus pictures a son who asks for bread, and his father picks up a stone. A stone might have a similar shape and appearance to a small loaf, but it would be no use to a hungry boy. Or maybe the son asks for a fish, and his father catches an eel or a sea snake. A Jewish boy could not eat such a "fish", because it would be unclean food to him. God is not a father like that. When we ask of God, we receive good gifts.
d) Paul put this principle in very strong words: God is "able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think" and we can be "filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:14-21).
e) John says, "We know that he hears us in whatever we ask, so we know that we have the requests which we have asked from him" (1 John 5:14-15; 3:22). No wonder Jesus says, "Ask and it shall be given you."
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