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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to Matthew chapter 7. We continue to work our way through 
the gospel according to Matthew. We find ourselves specifically 
in the Sermon on the Mount. This morning we're going to take 
up verses 7 to 11, but I just want to begin reading in chapter 
7 at verse 1. Judge not that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, 
you will be judged. And with the measure you use, 
it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck 
in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your 
own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 
let me remove the speck from your eye? And look, a plank is 
in your own eye. Hypocrite, first remove the plank 
from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the 
speck from your brother's eye. Do not give what is holy to the 
dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them 
under their feet and turn and tear you in pieces. Ask, and 
it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, 
and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, 
and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you 
who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if 
he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 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? Therefore, whatever you want 
men to do to you, do also to them. For this is the law and 
the prophets. Amen. Well, let us pray. Gracious 
Father, we come before you now. We pray for the forgiveness of 
all of our sins and all of our unrighteousness. We pray that 
your spirit would minister freely in our minds and hearts. that 
you would seal these things upon us. God, help us to be a praying 
people. Help us to pray as individuals, 
to pray as a church, to ask, to seek, and to knock. And we 
pray for any and all here who do not know you through the Lord 
Jesus. We pray that you'd open their minds, open their hearts 
to receive your word. May your spirit attend, and may 
the gospel go forth. And may you be well pleased to 
save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto you through your 
Son. And we ask these things for your 
glory's sake, and we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Well, the 
instruction portion of the Sermon on the Mount is coming to a close. 
I believe this is the last section where Jesus is instructing. The 
latter verses from chapter 7, verses 13 to the end of the chapter 
are more a call for a decisive response to those who have heard. Jesus then ends the sermon by 
highlighting two ways, two trees, two claims, and two builders. 
with the intention to call the people to decisively respond 
to the word of the living God himself. So this last section 
in verses 7 to 12 take up what I call a gracious remedy. This 
blessed invitation for the believer to pray and then the section 
ends with verse 12 and what we would call the golden rule. God 
willing we'll look at that rule next week but as I said we're 
focusing on prayer this morning in verses 7 to 11. I want to 
take up this section under five considerations. I'm sorry, four 
considerations. First, the connection with the 
sermon. In other words, why are 7 to 
11 here in this particular section? Secondly, we'll note the exhortation 
to pray. Thirdly, the promise to those 
who pray. And fourthly, the encouragement 
to pray. So if you are struggling with 
your prayer life, if you are having difficulty in the secret 
place, if you are having difficulty in the church in terms of prayer, 
then I invite you to give ear to the word of the Lord Jesus 
in this passage. I hope that as we consider this 
section, you won't leave here feeling like garbage because 
you don't pray. I hope you will feel like you 
need to get to your closet because you have this privilege given 
to you by the High King of Heaven, where we get to ask, and we get 
to seek, and we get to knock, and we get to go before our Heavenly 
Father. Martin Lloyd-Jones said this 
in introducing his sermon on this section. He says, I cannot 
imagine a better, more cheerful, or more comforting statement 
with which to face all the uncertainties and hazards of our life in this 
world. You think that same way, I hope. Listen again. He says, I cannot 
imagine a better, more cheerful, or a more comforting statement 
with which to face all the uncertainties and hazards of our life in this 
world than that contained in verses 7 to 11. It is one of 
those great, comprehensive, and gracious promises which are to 
be found only in the Bible. We are invited here as God's 
children to come before Him and to let our petitions be made 
known unto Him. That ought to cheer us. It ought 
to encourage us. So as we gather together this 
morning, don't say, oh, he's going to yell at me because I 
don't pray. That's not my intention this morning. My intention is 
to display the great privilege that is ours to come before our 
Father, who is in heaven and present our requests unto him. Well, let's look first at the 
connection with the sermon. Notice verses 7 to 11, teach 
on prayer. Some would say that they only 
respond to or only answer verses 1 to 6. In other words, it is 
difficult to avoid the temptation to be judgmental to others. It 
is difficult at times to discern who really is a dog or who really 
is a pig. And so Jesus then presents this 
as a gracious remedy to those who have need of instruction 
or have need for wisdom so that they may deal righteously with 
people. But notice at the end of verse 
12, there is this reference to the law and the prophets. And I think that this serves 
as sort of the end of a piece of bread. You know that when 
you have the loaf, some people oftentimes reach down to about 
the second or third slice. They don't like that end piece. 
If you do that, it's probably wasteful and you shouldn't do 
that. It's really not fair. It's really not an application 
of this golden rule either. You want people to do that to 
you? You're left with that heel piece, that last piece? Well, 
this serves as the end of a loaf. The first part, or the first 
end, or the first inclusion is found in chapter 5 at verse 17, 
when Jesus says, do not think that I came to destroy, or to 
abolish, or to get rid of the law and the prophets. He says, 
I did not come to destroy them, but rather to fulfill them. If 
you want the technical term, it's an inclusio. We have the 
law and the prophets in 517. We have the law and the prophets 
in chapter 7, verse 12. So I think we are to see that 
as a unit. What precedes chapter 517 is 
not apart from the Sermon on the Mount, but it's more of an 
introduction. And what follows verse 12 is 
more of a conclusion. So the body of the sermon is 
taken up with those ethical imperatives. with how the believer is to live 
life in the kingdom, how the believer is to conduct himself 
in this lower world. In sum, verses 7 to 11 are the 
means by which we seek divine aid and enablement to do all 
that has proceeded in the sermon. So after Jesus teaches about 
not abolishing the Law and the Prophets in 5.17-20, He then 
bids us to let our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the 
scribes and Pharisees. And then from 21 to 48, he speaks 
to the believer's application of God's law in his life. That 
needs... we need help for that, don't 
we? Do you always go out and live without murdering? Now, 
maybe externally. You don't actually stop people's 
hearts. But has it ever welled up in 
you to say raka or to say fool or to speak ill against someone 
with rage and malice and murderous thoughts in your heart? You need 
help from on high to live in this world in light of the sixth 
commandment. Remember Jesus teaches about 
lust when he speaks of the seventh commandment. Is everyone here 
immune to the thought of sinning sexually against the Lord? Again, 
maybe you're restrained. You don't go out and visit prostitutes. 
Or if you're a woman, you don't go leave your husband and go 
to the embrace of another man. But are any of us immune to the 
unclean thoughts that might well up in the heart? Remember, Jesus 
says, If you look upon a woman to lust, and by implication, 
ladies, if you look upon a man to lust, you have broken the 
commandment. How are we supposed to negotiate 
in a sinful, sexual, indulgent world, where oftentimes you have 
to be on guard when you pass bus stops, or when you're in 
the grocery store, when there's all manner of flesh exalted around 
us? We need help from on high, don't 
we? Jesus cautions us in Matthew 
6 verses 1 to 18 with reference to our religious duties, with 
reference to our acts of piety. When you give alms, do not be 
like the hypocrites. All they want is to be seen by 
men. If you've not read David Murray's 
excellent article in the Table Talk about doing things and then 
Facebooking it or tweeting it so that everybody knows the good 
that you have done, I suggest you take that and read that article. 
It's excellent. You know, Jesus cautions us against 
such things and it probably wells up in us when we do a good thing. 
To go and tell somebody. To tweet it. To Facebook it. 
I gave Obama a donut today. Or I gave a hitchhiker a ride 
tonight. I gave him the gospel. Do it 
before God. We need help from on high to 
keep us humble in our almsgiving. What about prayer? Jesus says, 
don't be like the hypocrite who stands on the corner and says, 
Lord, thank you that I'm not like other men. No, go into your 
secret place. We need help from on high to 
be humble and seek God alone as our audience. With reference 
to fasting, how are we supposed to fast? We give up a meal and 
we tell everybody about it. Again, we Facebook it, status 
update, I'm fasting and praying. Well, that's going to tear the 
guts right out of that religious exercise. We need help from on 
high to engage in acts of piety. What about life in this world? 
We are to have a proper perspective. We are to seek first the kingdom 
of God and His righteousness. We are to resist carnal anxiety. Chapter 6, 19 to 34 takes up 
that situation. Do not worry. Jesus says four 
times, don't worry about what you'll eat, don't worry about 
what you'll drink, don't worry about what you'll wear, do not 
worry about tomorrow. Well, in order to navigate in 
a worry-free sort of a state, 7 to 11 are necessary. Ask, seek, knock. God, calm me 
down. Grant me grace so I'm not carnally 
anxious. And then as we've seen over the 
last two weeks, we're not to be judgmental to brethren. We 
are not to treat the brethren like dogs and pigs. We are not 
to treat the brethren like we have no regard for them whatsoever. 
We're not supposed to let planks hang out of our eyes while we 
seek to correct the speck in our neighbor's eye. We need help 
from on high for church life. We need help from on high for 
family life. And then when it comes to dealing 
with those outside, remember, not everybody who doesn't believe 
the gospel is a dog or a pig. We're to witness, we're to testify, 
we're to be salt, we're to be like, that there are a class 
of unbelievers that conduct themselves in an animalistic way, with a 
rage against God and a rage against his messengers. So in order to 
rightly discern, we need to ask, we need to seek, we need to knock. So I argue that 7 to 11 serves 
as a conclusion for the entire section dealing with instruction 
on how the believer is to live his or her life. You see, Jesus 
not only wants you to do it, but He gives you the enticement 
to pray to the Father who supplies the good things necessary so 
that you may, in fact, engage in a lifestyle that is well-pleasing 
to the Lord. That's the connection, as I understand 
it, with the sermon preceding. Now notice, secondly, the exhortation 
to pray. I don't think we're supposed 
to investigate each of the three terms used and describe different 
types of prayer. I think the emphasis falls on 
constancy. The emphasis falls on perseverance. The emphasis falls on what we 
would call the importunant nature of prayer. It is helpful in our 
English Bibles, though. It serves as a helpful way to 
remember, ask, seek, knock. A-S-K, for those who are not 
quite clicking yet, right? Ask, seek, knock. Again, I don't 
think we're supposed to parse each of these particular terms 
used. They all refer to prayer. You 
need help applying the law? You need help discerning dogs? 
You need help not judging brethren? You need help when it comes to 
prayer, when it comes to fasting, when it comes to almsgiving, 
so that you're not a proud, arrogant wretch? You need to ask, you 
need to seek, and you need to knock. You need to pray to your 
Father who is in heaven. Christ speaking His wisdom in 
Proverbs 8 says, I love those who love me, and those who seek 
me diligently will find me. That letter to the exiles in 
Babylon, in Jeremiah 29, it says, "...and you will seek me and 
find me when you search for me with all your heart." So the 
believer is being told here, there's empowerment from on high, 
there is enablement from on high, there is help for you to take 
this Sermon on the Mount and to put it into practice. There 
is help for you. So don't go saying, I can't keep 
the law, or I can't engage in almsgiving properly, or I can't 
this, or I can't that. It's not my fault that I judge 
my brethren. It's not my fault that I am dealing 
with this dog and pig as if it's a brother. No. You need to pray. You need to seek wisdom. You 
need to remember James' blessed words in James 1. If anyone among 
you lacks wisdom, what's the instruction? Let him ask of God. I mentioned this last week. It doesn't mean go join the wisdom 
class at UFV. Buy the latest Christian bestseller 
on how to develop wisdom. Again, those may not necessarily 
be bad ideas, but James' instruction is very clear. If anyone among 
you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. Are you a fool? Then 
pray to God for wisdom. Are you sinful? Then pray to 
God for help. Are you not living the way you 
ought to be? Then beseech God Most High with 
the terminology employed here, ask, seek, and knock, and He 
will bless you. Again, the emphasis seems to 
be on the fact that each, or that it stresses habitual prayer. Each of the verbs are present 
tenses. That means it's It is constant. 
It is habitual. This is a way of life. You don't 
just on Monday ask, seek, and knock. As the church, you don't 
just come together on Wednesday and ask, seek, and knock. Or 
from 9.30 to 10.30. It's an interesting thing in 
Acts 12. It illustrates this very point. 
We ask the question, does our church look like that church? 
It's an interesting situation or application, at least corporately. 
Now, I believe specifically what we're dealing with in Matthew 
7 is that individual. We ask, we seek, and not. But 
there is a church element involved as well. I love what Stott says 
concerning Acts 12. He says, the chapter opens with 
James dead, Peter in prison, and Herod triumphing. Did you 
pay attention when Pastor Cam was reading? I hope you do. We have the great privilege of 
hearing the Word of God. We have the great privilege of 
hearing the Word of God. Isn't that how Acts 12 opens? 
James is dead, Peter is in prison, and Herod is triumphing. He goes 
on to say, it closes with Herod dead, Peter free, And the Word 
of God triumphed. Yes, God is sovereign, omnipotent, 
and all-powerful. The church was constant in prayer. The Geneva Bible says, the prayers 
of the godly, overthrow the council of tyrants, obtain angels of 
God, break the prison, unloose chains, put Satan to flight, 
and preserve the church. The church asks They sought, 
they knocked, and God the Lord delivered specifically what it 
was that they presented before Him. John Gill says, with reference 
to verse 7, he says, our Lord's design is to express the nature, 
fervor, and constancy of prayer and to encourage to it. You'll 
see that in the parallel passage in Luke, between the model prayer 
or the Lord's Prayer, and between the section that deals with ask 
and seek and knock, Jesus puts in there, or Luke puts in there, 
a statement concerning importunate prayer. He gives the illustration 
of a man who's gone to bed, his children are with him, and somebody 
knocks on his door. Terrifying thing, isn't it? Two 
in the morning when somebody knocks on your door. understanding 
properly the doctrine of total depravity and the idea of home 
invasion robbery, there is a bit of reluctance to answer that 
particular door. You take your mag light, you 
might take your butcher knife, and you venture on down there 
to see who's there. Well, in Jesus' story, it's a 
friend. And he says, would you please give me some loaves? Would 
you please give me some bread? Somebody has dropped in on me 
unexpectedly. The man says, I'm in bed. He's 
probably rubbing his eyes like this. I'm in bed. My children 
are with me. What's the man do? He keeps knocking. So what does the homeowner finally 
do? Go down to the pantry, get some 
loaves and give it to this man. His earnestness, his constancy, 
his perseverance in this matter has 
made it such that I'm going to give him what he wants. Or what 
about in Luke 18 when Jesus told this parable that men ought to 
pray and not lose heart. There was a woman. She needed 
a verdict from a judge. A judge who, by the way, did 
not fear God nor regard men. This widow continues to come 
after him. That's why she's called the importunate 
widow. She continues to present the 
case. She continues to argue that he would render her verdict 
properly. And so finally the judge says, 
even though I don't fear God and I don't regard men. I love 
Jesus' story there. A man self-consciously says, 
I don't fear God and I don't regard men, yet this widow is 
wearying me. So what does he do? He renders 
her verdict the way that she has requested. What's the implication 
or what's the take-home message that our Lord Jesus Christ wants 
to convey? Shall not God avenge His elect 
who cried to Him day and night? I mean, if this man who doesn't 
fear God or regards men actually gives these things, and we'll 
see something of a lesser to the greater argument in this 
particular passage. It is persistence. It is constancy. It is an asking, a seeking, a 
knocking. And the illustration that Jesus 
goes on to use in verses 9 to 11 indicates that what we're 
supposed to witness here, the one asking, seeking, and knocking, 
is the dependent child coming to his father and presenting 
His needs. It's a beautiful image that Jesus 
uses. Notice. Thirdly, the promise 
to those who pray. Verses 7 and 8. Jesus already 
tells us in verse 7, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, 
and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened 
to you. He's already told us that prayer 
is relevant. You ever met those people who 
say, I prayed and it didn't work. I prayed and nothing happened. This isn't a lucky charm. This 
isn't hocus pocus. You don't say five prayers in 
rapid succession while you're holding a trinket and somehow 
God will bless. Too many times Christians treat 
prayer like it's a holy horseshoe or a sanctified four-leaf clover. or the rabbit foot that they 
rub for good luck. Jesus assures us, ask and it 
will be given to you. Seek and you will find, knock 
and the door will be open to you. We're gonna deal in just 
a moment with some qualification. Unfortunately, some people stumble 
on passages like these and they say, well this must mean I should 
have a Rolls Royce. This must mean I should have 
a summer home in Italy. This must mean I should have 
a bank account of a million dollars, a million large. Is that what 
Jesus means here? I do not think so. We'll check 
that out in just a moment. But notice, he's already stated, 
ask, it will be given. Seek, you will find. Knock, and 
it will be opened to you. He amplifies this in verse 8. 
He says, everyone asking receives. Everyone seeking finds, and him 
who knocks, it will be opened. You see the enticement to pray? 
You see, the encouragement to pray? I do not care if the guy 
at work prayed and nothing happened. Our Lord Jesus, cloaked in absolute, 
unrivaled sovereignty, promises of the truth. The ones knocking, 
receive. The ones seeking, find. The ones 
asking obtain from the living and true God. Calvin says, nothing 
is better adapted to excite us to prayer than a full conviction 
that we shall be heard. Here's what I think happens with 
Christians, or at least it happens with one of them. One that I'm 
intimately familiar with. Struggling with prayer. I need 
to read a good book on prayer. No, I need to read Jesus on prayer. I need to go to a seminar or 
a conference so I can be taught to pray. No, you just need to 
pray. I need to spend money on this 
latest CD set. Christian marketers love me. 
No, you just need to open to Matthew 7. What better enticement 
to pray? What better incitement to pray? 
What better encouragement to pray than that the Father in 
heaven himself hears you. When you ask, you receive. When 
you seek, you find. When you knock, it's opened unto 
you. Isn't this God's way? Isn't this distinctly unique 
about Christianity? Isn't the imagery and the language 
and the illustration and the metaphor used calculated to promote 
the glory of Christianity? What is it in the final analysis 
that we are? We are adopted sons of God Most 
High through the blood of Jesus Christ His Son. As one man said, 
I believe it was Guston, the Son of God became the Son of 
Man so that the sons of man could become the sons of God. And as 
a result of that, through His mediation, through His cross 
bearing, through His intercessory work, we have access to We have 
access to God. We have access to the Living 
Lord. And we can ask, we can seek, 
we can knock with the sure promise that when we do, it will be given. You will find, and the door will 
be opened unto you. That Acts 12 church understood, 
Matthew 7, 7 to 11. That Acts 12 church understood 
that though Herod was in a rage and triumphing, all they would 
do is pray. And God opens the prison door, 
out comes Peter. to the point that Rhoda was shocked. 
She doesn't even answer the door. She goes back and says, it actually 
works. Well, then go open the door. I mean, isn't that us sometimes? Prayer really works? God answers? God delivers? God judges enemies? God saves enemies? God brings 
people out of difficulties and hardships? Yes. That's the reality 
of prayer. So we've seen the connection, 
the exhortation, the promise. Notice, fourthly, the encouragement 
to pray, verses 9 to 11. He uses a metaphor, a common 
metaphor, or a metaphor rather that would serve to illustrate 
common realities in Galilee. What's the diet in Galilee? It's 
bread and fish. You go to chapter 14 and Jesus 
is going to feed 5,000 people. What does he do it with? He does 
it with bread and fish. You go to chapter 15 and Jesus 
is going to feed 4,000 people. What's he going to do it with? 
He's going to do it with bread and fish. Get this in your head for 
just a moment. This child isn't coming asking 
for Rolls Royces. This child isn't coming asking 
for summer homes on the plains of Moab or Italy. Why anybody would want to live 
on the plains of Moab is beyond me, but plains of goes with Moab. They're asking for bread and 
fish, daily necessities. Give us this day our daily bread. You see, oftentimes we interpret 
God's unwillingness to bless, or we misinterpret God's unwillingness 
to bless as if it's His problem. We never consider the fact that 
maybe we've got a problem in our approach to prayer. See our 
genie in the bottle? Is His only purpose on a given 
day to make us happy? Jesus uses a metaphor to set 
forth something glorious concerning His Father. He uses bread. If you look in Matthew 3, the 
devil says, turn these stones into bread. Certain stones shaped 
like bread could take on the characteristics or the look of 
it. Probably the snake that Jesus is referring to here is the water 
eel, something that would be in the Sea of Galilee. Note the 
logic of our Lord. He says in verse 9, or what man 
is there among you, if his son asks for bread, will give him 
a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will 
he give him a serpent? Now the idea is not that parents 
never do horrible things to their children. Unfortunately, we know 
differently. Unfortunately, men sometimes 
do horrible things to their children. It's a general principle. It's 
a general maxim. As a general rule, father, when 
your son says, may I have a loaf, you don't give him a rock and 
laugh. When your son says, may I have 
a fish, You don't give him a snake and endanger his life. You see, 
Jesus is connecting with us on a level that hopefully we can 
all track with. If you don't understand this 
metaphor, then you got big problems. But as a general rule, most parents 
don't do these sorts of things. Notice what Jesus then says. Verse 11, he's drawing a contrast. He is using a form of an argument 
from the lesser to the greater. 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? So we as evil men, notice Jesus 
assumes the doctrine of depravity. And notice this is not a preacher's 
we. Jesus doesn't include himself 
in this categorization. He says, if you then being evil. 
Jesus isn't evil. Jesus did not descend from Adam 
by ordinary generation. Jesus is the God-man. He is not 
evil. Now, I might stand up here and 
say, brethren, we're evil. Jesus doesn't, because he wasn't. But he says, if you then being 
evil, again, it's assumed. And these are the disciples. 
The doctrine of depravity is just assumed with our Lord. Remember, 
the doctrine of depravity doesn't teach that man is as bad as he 
can possibly be. Not every one of us is Charles 
Manson. Not every one of us is name the terrorist, or name the 
bad guy, or name the person you work with. Not every one of us 
is that bad. The doctrine of total depravity 
teaches us, however, that every faculty of man is affected by 
the fall. His mind, his affections, his will, his body, his desires 
are all affected by our fall into sin with Adam. But nevertheless, 
totally depraved men do good things like give their children 
loaves and give their children fish. And if we were to pull 
Luke's parallel in, the situation there, what son or what man, 
if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? You just don't 
do that, do you? Do you? Do you really try to 
hurt your children? The contrast is set up. 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? I think Carson nails it right 
on the head when he says this. What is fundamentally at stake? I'll argue in just a moment. 
The emphasis in 7 to 11. Yes, you need to pray. The emphasis 
in 7 to 11 is upon the God to whom we pray. He's calling you to apply His 
law in your life. He's calling you to give alms 
and to pray and to fast in a God-honoring way. He's calling you not to 
have carnal anxiety in this world. He's calling you not to be a 
judgmental wretch toward your brethren. He's calling you to 
rightly discern the enemies of the cross. But He's not leaving 
you to fend for yourself. He's not leaving you to develop 
the resources on your own. He's not leaving you to calculate 
the best way to accomplish the end. No, the stress falls on 
the character and the nature and the being of who God is. 
Yes, we should ask. Yes, we should seek. Yes, we 
should not. But that the Sovereign God who 
made all things seen and unseen, the Sovereign God who raises 
men up to rule in high places, the Sovereign God who tears men 
off the throats and puts them into low places, that Sovereign 
God is in our closet at home and He actually gives us. He 
actually is found by us, and He actually opens doors for us. You see, the emphasis falls upon 
the character and nature of who God is. So the next time you're 
bemoaning your lack of prayerfulness, you know what you need? You had 
to know this was coming. You need a good shot of theology. 
You need to understand who your God is. You need to know who 
your father is. In fact, Lloyd-Jones exposition, 
he says, I'm convinced one of the biggest problems at the Christian 
church, we don't understand father. J.I. Packer in his book, Knowing 
God, his section on sons of God, where he deals with the doctrine 
of adoption. He says, this is a doctrine that doesn't get much 
handling, doesn't get much attention. We are adopted sons of God Most 
High. And as adopted sons of God Most 
High, when we ask Him, when we seek from Him, when we knock 
that door, He blesses. He's good. He's gracious. You're struggling with the sixth 
commandment and anger in your heart? Ask your father. If your 
son wants a piece of bread, you don't hand him a stone. You're 
struggling with the seventh commandment? Girl's basically walking around 
naked in the summertime? Ask your father. He doesn't give 
scorpions instead of eggs. He doesn't give snakes instead 
of fish. You're struggling with any of 
the commandments, go to your father. Which one of you parents 
won't try and help your kids? You say, well of course I'll 
try and help my kids. Well listen to the words of the 
Savior. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to 
your children, how much more? How much more abundantly? How 
much greater? How much in a more excellent 
way will your father who is in heaven give good gifts to his 
children? So Carson says what is fundamentally 
at stake is a person's picture of God. God must not be thought 
of as a reluctant stranger who can be cajoled or bullied into 
bestowing his gifts. Do not be like the heathen. They 
think they shall be heard for their many words." We don't have 
to bully God into action. We don't have to cajole God into 
action. Carson goes on to say, He is 
not to be seen as a malicious tyrant who takes vicious glee 
in the tricks he plays, like handing scorpions or snakes or 
stones to his hungry children, or even as an indulgent grandfather 
who provides everything requested of him. He is the Heavenly Father, 
the God of the kingdom, who graciously and willingly bestows good gifts 
of the kingdom in answer to prayer. You see, there is an encouragement 
to pray in this section. Let's just look at these good 
things for a moment. I think, again, we have people 
that jump into this passage. They're usually people that wear 
$3,000 suits, not $100 suits. They don't shop at Walmart. They 
don't go to Payless when, you know, buy one, get one free. 
They're on TV channels, and they preach a gospel of health, wealth, 
and prosperity. They jump into a passage like 
this and say, well, ask and seek and knock, and you'll get whatever 
your heart desires. They jump into Matthew 17, where 
Jesus says, if you have faith, this mountain will move. They 
jump into Matthew 18 that says, when you bandy together as the 
people of God, whatever you pray for, you will get. You jump into 
Matthew 21, 22, and it says essentially the same thing. Whatever you 
ask, you will receive. You see, they have a fundamental 
problem with something called context. What are the good things that 
the Father gives to us? Think about it. Is it Rolls-Royces? And I'm not here to condemn a 
Rolls-Royce or a summer home in Italy. That's not my point. France, in his good commentary 
on the gospel according to Matthew, says this, the carte blanche 
approach to petitionary prayer, that means whatever I pray, I 
get. He says, the carte blanche approach 
to petitionary prayer does not find support from the New Testament 
as a whole. It is God the Father who knows 
what is good for his children. And as with a human parent, his 
generosity may not always coincide with the child's wishes. The good things are defined by 
the good God. When you ask, you seek, you knock, 
you receive, you find, and doors are open to you so that God may 
bestow upon you good things. Good things are defined by the 
living and true God. I think good things within the 
context means life in God's kingdom, lived as Christ commands. The parallel passage in Luke's 
account He defines for us good things there, and it's the Holy 
Spirit. How much more will your Heavenly 
Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask? This is not your 
e-ticket to whatever you want. As the Father, in the earthly 
setting, oftentimes withholds good things, or what His child 
perceives to be a good thing, in the same manner God does. If your 16-year-old son, I'm 
going to pick on the boys here, because they seem to have heavier 
feet, most of the times I'm passed by ends, those ends are possessed 
by young men. If you don't like that and you're 
upset, we can talk later. But if your 16-year-old son says, 
I want this sports car, or better yet, I want a crotch rocket, 
That's one of those motorcycles that's literally a rocket. Some 
of you are going, oh no, don't go here. I'll never get this 
motorcycle. I'll never get a nice car. If 
your son, who growing up used to jump off beds, swing from 
light fixtures, and demonstrate a willingness to push the envelope 
in any situation. And he was the kid on the big 
wheel that did jumps and, you know, rode on two wheels. At 
16, if he says, you know, I would really like this car. No, you're 
not getting that car. What are you likely to hear as 
a parent? You're mean. I don't like you. Everybody else 
has it. OK, fine. Yeah, whatever. Be 
thankful you're getting food tonight. Be thankful you're not 
getting rocks and snakes and scorpions. You see, there are 
times, my dear brothers and sisters, that we withhold certain things 
from our children. Why? Because it's good for them. 
Right? See, I think a lot of times our 
problem is that we want to define good things. We want to define 
what is best. People that have trouble getting 
out of bed on time. People that have trouble interacting 
with other people. People that can't drive across 
the city without screaming because of red lights. You want to tell 
God what is good? 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 gifts? The good is 
defined by God the Lord. Calvin put it this way, we must 
not think that He takes no notice of us when He does not answer 
our wishes. He says, for he has a right to 
distinguish what we actually need. You may wish for that sports 
car, but you need a means of transportation to get you to 
work on time, so that you can buy fish, and you can buy eggs, 
and you can buy whatever good thing that is lawful for you 
to possess. You see, God deals with us in 
this manner. But as well, not only does the 
father withhold those things we ask for, which could prove 
harmful, the father supplies those things that we don't even 
think about. Right? Well, you're there praying 
for that summer home in Italy, and you're there praying for 
that Rolls Royce, you're there praying for, you know, I'm tired 
of bread, God, we want lobster in our home, and I just don't 
want eggs anymore, Lord, I want, you know, God actually is providing 
what you need. You say, how do you know that? 
Because Paul tells us in Romans 8.26. Isn't it wonderful that 
our God overrules us? Children, it's a good thing that 
your parents at times overrule you. If we got everything we 
wished for, we'd be dead in a ditch, in a prison. Likewise, the Spirit also helps 
in our weaknesses, for we do not know what we should pray 
for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for 
us with groanings which cannot be uttered. So this wise, gracious, 
kind, and sovereign Father will oftentimes not give us those 
things we cry out for. But very often, brethren, and 
we ought to thank Him for this, He gives us those things that 
we never imagined we needed. It's like the kid that grows 
up and says, I have a good work ethic. Well, from age 0 to 18, 
he didn't know that that was what was being developed. He 
didn't say, Daddy, help me with my work ethic at age 3. You see, 
a wise parent is inculcating that into the child, so that 
at such a time, he goes out into this world, he punches the time 
clock on time. He doesn't whine and grumble 
and complain. If he's told to make coffee, he makes coffee, 
and he does it without grumbling. You see, the wise Father has 
built into that Son a work ethic. The wise God of heaven and earth 
has put things in us that we never even asked for. Our heavenly 
Father keeps back those things which are harmful, and our heavenly 
Father gives those things which are helpful. Jesus' point. Ask, and it will be given to 
you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened 
to you. And then the illustration. What 
man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will 
give him a stone? Or if he asks for fish, will 
he give him a serpent? If you then being evil. I hope 
you understand and you feel the import of the flow of the passage 
and what Christ is trying to convey to us. In summary, brethren, 
as we compare this passage with what we've already seen with 
reference to prayer in chapter 6, verses 5 to 15, if we were 
to distill just some thoughts with reference to prayer, we 
need to, first of all, understand who God is. The fact that Jesus, 
in verse 11, refers to your Father in Heaven, connects us with the 
Lord's Prayer. Who are we to address in Matthew 
6-9? Our Father in Heaven. The Lord 
Jesus is a master preacher. He's bringing all these concepts, 
all these things back together. He's dropping them into our laps, 
and then He's going to call upon us for a decisive response to 
His wisdom and to His words. We need to understand who God 
is. Yeah, I understand that if you pray laying down, you're 
probably going to fall asleep. That's something you ought to 
take into consideration. But more importantly, understand 
God is spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, and is being, 
wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. Understand 
that God made this world and everything in it. Understand 
that in God's holy wise power and preservation, he upholds 
all his creatures, he governs all his creatures and all their 
actions. In other words, brethren, bring theology into your prayer 
closet. Secondly, we need to believe that he hears and answers 
prayer. Isn't that what the Apostle says 
in Hebrews 11? We must believe that God is and 
that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. This 
affects the closet. This affects the corporate meeting 
place. We ought to pray fervently, believing 
that our Lord hears and that He answers. We need to ask God 
for faith to believe, verses 7 and 8 in Matthew 7. Thirdly, 
we are to seek His grace and His provision of good things. 
If you look back on that Sermon on the Mount, what good thing 
do you need to live that way? You need the Spirit. You need 
the Holy Spirit. You can't live in that way without 
the Holy Spirit. God, please provide for me bread 
and fish and eggs. Give me those good things that 
are necessary for daily sustenance, so that I may walk in righteousness, 
that I may walk in witness to the Lord Jesus. Fill me with 
your Spirit. We need to fourthly persevere 
in prayer for the long haul. It's that thing again, I tried 
prayer and it didn't work. What do you mean you tried prayer 
and it didn't work? What does that even mean? Usually it means I prayed for 
this and nothing happened, so forget it. What did that importunate widow 
do? I asked the judge, he said no, so I'm just going to go on 
with my life. No. She wearied him. That guy comes 
to get bread at his neighbor's house. Honey, I asked him for 
bread and he said no. Well, you get back over there 
and you knock on that door again. Behind every good man is a good 
woman telling him to go do things like that. You better get over 
there and you keep knocking, right? Persevere in prayer. Paul's language in 2 Corinthians, 
I received this messenger from Satan, a thorn in the flesh to 
buffet me. I entreated the Lord three times. 
That doesn't mean on Monday, Lord take this. On Tuesday, Lord 
take this. On Wednesday, Lord take this. 
No, it was importunate pleading. God eventually answers and says, 
no, I'm not gonna take it. My grace is sufficient for you. You see, there's a man who prayed. 
and he was persevering in it. And then employ the model prayer 
given in chapter 6, verses 9 to 13. Don't just recite it. Don't 
be like the heathen who think they'll be heard for their long 
prayers, but rather take those heads, take those main points. 
Pray the name of God would be glorified and honored. Pray the 
kingdom of God would come in power and glory. Pray the will 
of God would be done on earth as it is in heaven. Pray that 
God will provide food, that He'll provide forgiveness, and that 
He'll provide protection to you. Jesus sets forth that prayer 
so that you will pray. Jesus gives this promise so that 
you will pray. That's what everything is calculated 
in this section to promote. When a man looks at the Sermon 
on the Mount and he says, this is what Jesus wants from me, 
where ought we to go? To God the Lord for grace, for 
power. As I said, the emphasis in the 
passage, the believer is commanded to ask, seek, and knock. The 
interesting thing about this passage is that it's given, it's 
found, and the door is opened. Right? We've got this attitude that 
everybody owes us everything. God owes me everything. Oh, if 
you understand, if you then, being evil, understand this reality, 
that when you ask, when you seek, when you knock, that God of heaven 
and earth actually gives you something. That's amazing. What is praiseworthy in this 
passage is not the Christian who prays a lot. What is praiseworthy 
in this passage is the Father who gives. a lot. Knox Chamberlain 
in his commentary said it this way, the point is not that the 
father will supply only what his children request. Remember 
that statement in Paul in Ephesians 3.20. He is able to do what? Exactly what you say, specifically 
according to your instruction and according to your petition. 
No, he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or 
pray. There it is again. You ever come 
out on the other side of a trial and say, that not only wasn't 
difficult, but it was actually good? I've benefited. I've prospered. I've made out. And I don't mean now you've got 
the summer home in Italy. I mean you're more like Jesus. 
I remember many, many years ago praying in voice of the martyrs, 
praying for those petitions for the persecuted church. One of 
the groups of people, I don't remember where it is now, it's 
probably been repeated a hundredfold in other contexts, you probably 
heard something like this, do not pray that our persecutors 
or our persecutions will be removed, but pray for the grace that we'll 
be able to sustain, that we'll be able to persevere through 
those trials. That's an ask-seek-knock mentality 
that is biblical, that is right. All who desire to live godly 
in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Don't pray that that'll be removed, 
pray that we'll be filled with grace in the Spirit so that we 
can persevere through it. So Chamberlain says, the point 
is not that the Father will supply only what His children request, 
nor that He will surely give them everything they ask for, 
but that all too often we do not have because we do not ask 
God. Isn't that what James says in 
James 4 too? You don't ask because you don't 
ask. You need help to apply God's law? You need help to resist 
sexual sin? Ask! What father out there, if 
his son came to him and said, Dad, I'm struggling with this 
sin, the father had the ability and the capability and the power 
to assist him, he'd assist him! So we treat prayer as, God, make 
sure I have bread, make sure I have eggs, make sure I have 
fish. But it's also, God, make sure I don't go astray. Make 
sure I don't wander off the beaten path. Make sure it doesn't rise 
up in me to say, raka, or fool. Or to treat a brother like a 
dog or a pig. Or to treat a dog or a pig as if they're a brother. 
We need help with wisdom for daily life. God, supply your 
spirit. We have not because we ask not. The enticement to prayer, the 
promises given by Jesus Christ should promote prayerfulness 
on the part of the believer. One other man, John Broadus, 
said this, one may be truly an industrious man, one may be truly 
a hard worker and yet be temporally poor, but no man prays. No man goes to the throne of 
grace and is spiritually poor." That's a beautiful thought. Maybe 
the way he said it is better, so I'll just read it. One may 
be a truly industrious man and yet poor in temporal things, 
but one cannot be a truly praying man and yet poor in spiritual 
things. The section, the chapters have 
taught us God is in the secret place that He sees His children, 
that He treats them as children, and that He loves to give good 
gifts to them. Praise Him for His mercy and 
for His grace. Now, this text is addressed to 
Christians. This text is addressed to disciples. For you see, it is the disciple 
who has God as father. In other words, ask, seek, and 
knock isn't in the first place an invitation to the unconverted. But there is a passage in scripture 
where this kind of language is pressed upon the unbeliever. Where this kind of language is 
thrust upon those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. 
The prophet Isaiah says it this way. He says, ho, everyone who 
thirsts, come. Come to the waters. He says, 
come, buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without 
money and without price. If you're not a Christian here 
this morning, listen to what the prophet says next. He says, 
listen carefully to me. Pay attention. I know it's almost 
1230. I know you smell soup. I know 
you want food. I know that table is going to 
be decked with desserts. I understand that, but listen 
to the prophet. Give me two minutes. He says, 
listen carefully to me. After saying, ho, everyone who 
thirsts, come. You who have no money, come. 
Buy and eat. He says, listen carefully to 
me. Why do you spend money for what is not Why are you wasting your life? Why are you throwing it away? 
Why are you destroying it? Why are you living as a madman 
and as a fool? Why do you spend money for what 
is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? He says, 
listen carefully to me. Pay attention. He says, eat what 
is good. Let your soul delight itself 
in abundance. He says, incline your ear and 
come to me. Here and your soul shall live. I will make an everlasting covenant 
with you, the sure mercies of David. Indeed, I have given him 
as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people. 
He is preaching Jesus Christ to you. He's saying, come buy 
and eat. Don't waste your money on that 
which does not satisfy. Why will you throw it all away? 
Why will you live to please men? Why will you live to please 15-year-old 
people? Why do you care what this world 
thinks? Why do you live as a 30-year-old, 
as a 35, or 40, or 50, or 80-year-old, that you want the accolades of 
men? Why would you throw your life 
away on what men think? Kids, believe it or not, right 
now you think that what is most important is what everybody else 
thinks. That doesn't matter one bit. What matters is the day 
that you die and you pass into the presence of God, the Lord 
most high. That's what matters. That's what 
the prophet is conveying. That's why he says, oh everyone 
who thirsts, come to the waters. Come, buy and eat. He says, incline 
your ear. Come to me. Listen to the gospel. 
Believe on the Lord Jesus. Do not tarry. Do not resist. 
Do not stay away. You see, ask, seek, and knock 
for the Christian is a call to importunate prayer. But in the 
hand of the prophet Isaiah, it is a gospel sermon. He says, 
ask, seek, and knock. Go to the living God. Go through 
his David. Go through his Lord Jesus. Go 
to the covenant mediator. himself. And then he makes this 
statement in verses 6 and 7. He says, seek the Lord while 
he may be found. You know what you should infer 
from that? There's a time coming and he won't be found. Often thought, what's the worst 
time for a sinner to die? After they've heard the gospel 
preached and refused. I mean, really, what could be worse? that ringing in your ears and 
you pass into the presence of God Most High. Seek the Lord 
while he may be found. It says, call upon him while 
he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way 
and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord and 
he will have mercy on him and to our God. And I love this last 
clause, for he will abundantly pardon. You see, abundant sinners. need abundant pardon, and our 
God has abundant grace to do that very thing. So while ask, 
seek, and knock is directed to believers to go to the throne 
of grace, prophet Isaiah uses the same concept to press you 
to the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. Do not tarry, do not 
resist, do not refuse, do not continue to spend your wages 
on that which does not satisfy, but rather seek the Lord while 
he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. 
Forsake your wicked ways and go to the Lord God who will abundantly 
pardon. That truly is good news. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for this, your Holy Word. We thank you for these 
instructions to believers with reference to prayer. God, we 
ask that you would help us to reflect upon these things and 
help us to be in earnest at the throne of grace. As well, God, 
help us as a church to be prayerful. Help us to be like that Acts 
12 church that comes before, the living and the true God. 
and sets petitions before you. We ask as well for any and all 
who are dead in their trespasses and sins. We don't look to them 
to make good decisions in light of these words. We look to you 
and your sovereign grace and in your power to make men willing 
in the day that you exhibit yourself in grace and glory. We pray that 
today would be the day of salvation for souls here. that today would 
be the day that they call upon Jesus and find mercy and find 
forgiveness and then find themselves at the throne of grace asking 
and seeking and knocking. We just thank you for your word, 
we thank you for its sufficiency in our lives, we pray that you 
would indeed supply those good things as you define them, the 
Holy Spirit, so that we may live in a manner that is consistent 
with your word. Forgive us that we fall short, 
forgive us for our sin, and we pray in Jesus' name,