1 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,960 I'm still excited to preach from Matthew to you. 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,280 I haven't gotten bored yet. My prediction is that I'm not 3 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,960 going to The Bible is awesome. If you think the Bible is 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,560 boring, you're boring. That needs to be one of our 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:20,880 values. God's not lame. 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:27,280 You're lame. So the Gospel of Matthew is 7 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,560 awesome because all the gospels are awesome. 8 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:31,680 The whole Bible is awesome, but the gospels are awesome because 9 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,240 we get to see Jesus, you know? Remember the bracelets back in 10 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,600 the 90s? What would Jesus do? 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,800 Well, I have found I believe the best way to know what Jesus 12 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,000 would do is to look at what Jesus has done. 13 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,520 I find it an accurate predictor. I'm a simple guy like that. 14 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,640 So we're going to, we're going to keep looking and seeing what 15 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:51,240 Jesus has done. We're going to look and see what 16 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,760 he taught. We're still in the Sermon on the 17 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,640 Mount, the sermon that, if you were to read it, would take you 18 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,200 less than 20 minutes for sure, if you were even to read it 19 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,600 slowly. But we've been taking weeks and 20 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,040 weeks and weeks to unpack the gold to mine out those rich 21 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,400 deposits that the Lord has left for us. 22 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,640 So Jesus's words are powerful, they're profound, and they're 23 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,960 worth meditating on, chewing on and considering. 24 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,920 Lord, what would you have us do in light of this? 25 00:01:17,320 --> 00:01:20,360 So Jesus showed us what the Kingdom looked like right away. 26 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,080 He preached right away. He said repent, for the Kingdom 27 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:26,160 of God is at hand. So the gospel is a gospel of 28 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:29,000 repentance. And then He also shows us what 29 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,920 the gospel looked like. He just went off healing. 30 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,560 Everybody, everybody. He healed him. 31 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,240 We looked at all the different kinds of things. 32 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,240 He healed all the different scenarios. 33 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:39,320 He healed. He healed. 34 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:40,680 He healed. He healed, He healed. 35 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,320 And then we still said, yeah, that that shows us something 36 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:46,600 that shows us God is good. It shows us He loves us. 37 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:48,160 It shows us He's merciful, shows us. 38 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,240 He calls us sinners. He calls us to repent. 39 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,360 We see a lot there. But could we get something more 40 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:54,880 precise? And then Jesus brings his 41 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,240 disciples up onto the mountain and says, we're going to get 42 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,040 more precise. I want to tell you exactly what 43 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,320 the Kingdom is like and exactly what my disciples should live 44 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:04,560 like and what it should look like. 45 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,760 The Sermon on the Mount is not intended to crush us as a 46 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,400 checklist to go. Once I do all of these things, I 47 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,600 will be a disciple of Christ. But instead Christ says this is 48 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,280 the target, This is the bullseye. 49 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,600 This is what my Kingdom is like. This is how my disciples are to 50 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:20,680 live. These are the standards. 51 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,040 If we miss these, the standards don't change. 52 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,360 We've missed it. And then we can repent, we can 53 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,840 be restored, and we can continue to pursue him. 54 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,080 So he's still in that sermon on the Mount. 55 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,840 We're in verse 7 this morning. We're going to go verses 7 56 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:40,160 through 11. Ask and it will be given to you. 57 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:45,840 Seek, and you will find knock, and it will be opened to you. 58 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:51,960 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and 59 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,040 to the one who knocks, it will be opened. 60 00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:00,160 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give 61 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:05,160 him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent. 62 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:10,640 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your 63 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:15,000 children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven, 64 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,880 give good things to those who ask him? 65 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:19,840 Good. Father in heaven, we ask you for 66 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,040 the good thing right now of Revelation. 67 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,280 Would you open the eyes of our hearts to see and know what you 68 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,680 intend to see and know what you want, and to see and know what 69 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,160 you've already accomplished continue to bring us revelation 70 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,880 and light to receive the fullness of your word. 71 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,760 Today in Jesus name we thank you. 72 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,840 Everybody said Amen, Ask, seek and knock. 73 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:44,360 That's the title of today's message. 74 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:49,240 Ask. This seems obvious, but it's 75 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,120 not, which is why Jesus commanded it. 76 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,400 It seems obvious, but it is necessary. 77 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:56,880 If. You are not asking God. 78 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,360 You should be asking God. That is an encouragement to you. 79 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,560 Not even a rebuke. That's an encouragement, a 80 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,720 reminder and an encouragement. Are you asking God for anything? 81 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,240 No, I haven't really been. You should be. 82 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:11,840 Your father wants you to. Ask. 83 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,200 It seems obvious and necessary, but Jesus tells us to do so. 84 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,640 God wants to walk with you. God wants to talk with you. 85 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,240 God wants to be your father who provides for you. 86 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,080 The child comes to the parent. We all did. 87 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,760 It as kids. We went and we made requests. 88 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:31,520 We went and we made provisions. We didn't have to beg for the 89 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,200 things that were good. We might have begged for things 90 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,080 that weren't good. We might have begged for 91 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:38,760 something of more treats, but for the things that were the 92 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,440 objectively good for us, Like the food. 93 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,520 May I have food, May I have bread, May I have fish. 94 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,920 Whatever it may be. These things the Lord tells us. 95 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,440 Ask, seek when we seek. This is looking for something 96 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:57,320 that you don't currently have. I'm seeking it because I don't 97 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:01,120 have it right now. It's either gone or it's lost, 98 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,600 but you don't wait for it to automatically come to you. 99 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,280 Jesus said ask. Jesus said seek. 100 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,240 Jesus said Knock Not if the Lord wills it. 101 00:05:10,840 --> 00:05:13,520 Then I would have it. That's different from what he's 102 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,840 teaching here. If the Lord wants it, I guess it 103 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:20,000 will just appear. No, Jesus said I want you to 104 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,160 ask. I want you to seek and I want 105 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:25,200 you to knock. What does knocking look like? 106 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:28,040 Well, when you get to somebody's front door, do you just stand 107 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,120 there and go? If it's their will to let me in, 108 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,880 they'll open the door and we will have hospitality and it'll 109 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:36,280 be wonderful. Of course not. 110 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:40,720 No, You knock. And do you just knock once? 111 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:43,960 Have you ever just knocked once? I doubt it. 112 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,880 Right. That's not if that doesn't get 113 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:49,280 it done. I guess they just hate me and 114 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:50,560 they really just don't want me to be here. 115 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:52,360 No. Hey, I'm here. 116 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,200 Maybe. Maybe they maybe they didn't 117 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:55,840 hear that. I'll go again now. 118 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,600 The Lord is not hard of hearing. And yet still Jesus commands us. 119 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:04,520 Ask, seek, and knock. No, we knock and we continue to 120 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:05,800 knock. What is Jesus teaching? 121 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:07,560 What's the heart of what he's after? 122 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,600 Jesus is teaching that you should persist in your pursuit 123 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:13,840 of God. Persist in your. 124 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:15,840 Pursuit of God. That's the heart of what we're 125 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:18,560 after here. Walk with God in the cool of the 126 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,080 day, the restoration of the garden. 127 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:24,040 Whenever you wonder what is life supposed to be like, you can 128 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,600 always open up to Genesis 1, or you can always just go and open 129 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:29,440 up to the life and ministry of Jesus. 130 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:30,800 What's it really supposed to be like? 131 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,720 Or you can look at revelation in the eternal Kingdom to come. 132 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,640 What's it supposed to be like? Those are good examples. 133 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,880 Our circumstances are not always telling us what it's supposed to 134 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,440 be like. The world is bad, the devil is 135 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,960 broken, and you are foolish. I usually say John Michael is 136 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:48,520 foolish, but I'm not pulling my punch today. 137 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:53,040 You're foolish, and that means you add those things up. 138 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:54,680 We're going to have problems in life. 139 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,320 Tires are going to go flat. Bodies are going to have 140 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,320 malfunctions. Relationships are going to have 141 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,040 strain and offense. This is what's going to happen. 142 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,880 But this isn't? God's This isn't God's best and 143 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:10,600 God's highest for every situation. 144 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,840 So Jesus says you know what you should do, you should ask, you 145 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,040 should seek, and you should knock. 146 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:22,000 Stubborn faith is the only faith that gets anything done, really. 147 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,680 That's what faith is. Faith is stubborn. 148 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,680 We kind of categorize faith, but faith is so powerful that Jesus 149 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,560 said look, don't emphasize so much faith. 150 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,720 There's so little A mustard seed can move a mountain. 151 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,360 OK, so there's a lot of potency. Why? 152 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:38,440 Because it's not about your faith. 153 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:43,960 It's about who your faith is in. So if your faith is sincere, the 154 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,640 most minuscule amount the Lord is moved. 155 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,800 To power his power. Begins to move, so it's not. 156 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:51,960 Wow, look what my. Faith accomplished. 157 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:56,160 No, you had faith, as you obviously and logically should, 158 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,800 in the King of Kings. The King of Kings. 159 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,080 Everything is easy for him. Nothing is difficult for him, 160 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,840 but stubborn faith is the only faith that gets anything done. 161 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:10,520 James 217 tells us that faith without works is dead, or faith 162 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,240 without deeds is dead. Sometimes the deed is the 163 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,480 persistence of the asking, of the seeking, and of the 164 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:20,200 knocking. We've said before, Pastor. 165 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,360 Daniel brought it up. Last week that hope deferred 166 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,920 makes the heart sick. But I believe that hope and I've 167 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,480 experienced that. Haven't you experienced heart 168 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,679 sickness from a hope that's been deferred and deferred and 169 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,000 deferred? But that's a distinction we want 170 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,039 to make. Is the distinction between hope 171 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,039 and the distinction between faith? 172 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,200 Because there is a difference. So whenever I'm in unbelief, 173 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,280 then yes, I've become heartsick, but when I'm renewed and 174 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,840 restored, things begin to change, Hebrews 11/6 says. 175 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,080 And without faith it is impossible to please God, 176 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,440 because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and 177 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:00,400 that he. Rewards those who earnestly seek 178 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,760 him. Another translation says he is a 179 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:07,200 rewarder of those who diligently seek him, A rewarder of those 180 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:10,920 who diligently seek him. Show up on the doorstep, Knock, 181 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,560 whatever. I guess it's not God's will. 182 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,400 I wouldn't be so sure, but I am sure that he's a rewarder of 183 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,440 those who diligently seek him. It's not a begging. 184 00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:24,600 You're not an orphan out in the rain. 185 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:26,320 You're a child coming to your father. 186 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:29,120 Don't get it twisted. And yet still your father says 187 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:34,600 ask, seek, not pursue, engage, fellowship. 188 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:39,320 Walk with me with diligence, walk with me with faithfulness. 189 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,720 What's interesting is even when you're in that kind of when 190 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:47,120 you're in that kind of living faith, a persistent faith, a 191 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,960 long term faith, Come on, don't you have some long term things? 192 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,520 I've got things over the years. I picked him up and I was in. 193 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:55,600 Faith. And then I sat him down. 194 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:58,720 I got back into a place of hope, which is. 195 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:04,280 I I hope you know, we'll see. I I certainly would desire that 196 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:06,560 to happen. But I'm not asking and seeking 197 00:10:06,560 --> 00:10:10,360 and knocking in this season. I've I've just let it go dormant 198 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:12,920 and then the Lord might renew it again and go. 199 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:14,640 You you stopped asking me for that. 200 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:17,280 You stopped asking me for that. What have you stopped asking the 201 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:19,760 Lord for? What have you stopped seeking? 202 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:21,520 What have you stopped knocking for? 203 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:23,720 Well, I started to get. Discouraged. 204 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,320 I bet you did. I've been there and still we're 205 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:29,160 commanded to come back. Come. 206 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,760 Back with diligence Why? He wants you to, and he earnest, 207 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,080 and he rewards those who earnestly and diligently seek 208 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,920 him. And when we do this, when we 209 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:41,560 really get into that living faith, we won't waver because. 210 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,200 When we get into that place, we're actually in God's 211 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:47,760 presence. And inside of God's presence, 212 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:51,080 your confidence will literally grow, even in spite of the 213 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,160 passage of time when you haven't yet seen the thing that you're 214 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,320 asking for, the thing that you're seeking, and the thing 215 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,520 that you're knocking over. Your confidence can even grow. 216 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:03,760 And should grow in that season. Far. 217 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:07,400 From giving up, you'll actually be renewed like we read earlier. 218 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,040 Even the youths shall be faint and be weary. 219 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:15,000 Even young men shall fall exhausted, They shall they shall 220 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,640 fall exhausted. But they who wait for the Lord 221 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,600 shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings 222 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,080 like Eagles. They shall run and not be weary. 223 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:27,400 They shall walk and not faint. This is what the presence of God 224 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:29,360 does. It makes the difference so that 225 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,640 you and I can withstand, so that you and I can persevere in 226 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:35,040 prayer, so that you and I can persevere in faith. 227 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,560 So we can say I don't see it yet, and it is hard even to 228 00:11:39,560 --> 00:11:42,600 imagine. I can't even imagine honestly, 229 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:44,240 that that loved one coming to Christ. 230 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,240 God build my faith. God help me to keep asking, to 231 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,080 keep seeking, and to keep knocking. 232 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:53,880 I already know that's your will. I'm praying for a an objectively 233 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,160 good thing. I'm asking for bread and I'm 234 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,920 asking for fish. I'm not asking for kool-aid and 235 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:02,000 candy. I'm asking for the for the 236 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:06,520 things that you promised. Ask the Lord for the nations. 237 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:08,960 He will give them to you as your inheritance. 238 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:12,640 So this is what we're asking. This is what we're seeking. 239 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,440 So who's holding? On to a self evidently and 240 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,760 objectively good thing that you haven't seen yet. 241 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,560 Or maybe who walked away from the door altogether. 242 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:26,760 Maybe you knocked and you knocked and you knocked and you 243 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:28,600 knocked and then you walked away. 244 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:32,240 But I'm telling you, church come back in Jesus name, come back to 245 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,520 the door and get all that your good. 246 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:36,560 Father wants to give you ask, Seek. 247 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,360 And knock, because you're not a beggar, you're a son. 248 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,760 And all of his promises. To to his sons are yes and Amen. 249 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:46,440 So what are the right? Ways to ask What is the right 250 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,240 way to ask? The right ways to ask is in 251 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:54,480 faith, with persistence, for what is objectively good and 252 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,760 with good motive. So we're going to, we're going 253 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:57,680 to answer. A few of these. 254 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:00,480 What do these look like? With faith and persistence? 255 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:02,840 We just touched on what is objectively good. 256 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:05,160 Well, these are things that again, we're going to define 257 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,960 good here in a moment, because Jesus defines good here. 258 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:11,560 And here's the big here's the big spoiler good means good, and 259 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:13,120 a six year old knows what good means. 260 00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:16,280 We don't have some complicated definition and some way to twist 261 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:18,800 it up and to get into the gymnastics that well, actually 262 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,680 it's good because, you know, good just means good. 263 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:23,040 We don't have to make it complicated. 264 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,160 If you look it up in the dictionary, good means something 265 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,520 to be desired, right? So a thing that we that someone 266 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,560 would naturally desire would be a good thing. 267 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:33,520 Well, I could desire bad things too. 268 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,480 Well, yeah, that's possible. So we'll rule those things out 269 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:40,320 as we go. And then with good motive, in 270 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,520 James 43, we're told that we don't have because we don't ask, 271 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,880 he says. Or you do ask, but you ask so 272 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,200 that you may squander it on yourselves and on your selfish 273 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:53,480 pleasures. So there would be something that 274 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:55,240 we would say, well, I have a desire. 275 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:56,520 Does that make it good? No. 276 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:58,520 Desire doesn't make it good alone. 277 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:01,920 And then another way to check our motive is to make sure is 278 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:05,280 this something I'm asking for? And my whole motive behind it is 279 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,640 to only squander it on my own selfish pleasures. 280 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:09,880 So now I can start. To see what maturity. 281 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,640 Looks like right, what sanctification looks like in my 282 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:16,160 prayers And then I can go. This is an objective good. 283 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,840 This is something that I can contend for and I can continue 284 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:26,080 to ask and seek and knock. So those are the right ways to 285 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,920 ask what will happen when we ask and when we seek and when we 286 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:35,080 knock, it will be given to you. You will find the door will be 287 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:41,440 opened, say that it will be given, I will find the door will 288 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:45,480 be opened. So Jesus connects these ideas 289 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,200 and then he makes the proof to you. 290 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,120 He wants to show you exactly what he has in mind. 291 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,760 So I'll start back in verse 7. Ask and it will be given to you. 292 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,960 Seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you. 293 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:03,280 For everyone who asks receives. The one who seeks finds the and 294 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,080 to the one who knocks it will be. 295 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:08,440 Opened and now he's making his comparison and his example. 296 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:12,120 For us it's almost like he's saying for example, he says or 297 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:16,080 which one of you if his son asks him for bread we'll give him a 298 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:20,760 stone, or if he asks for a fish, we'll give him a serpent. 299 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:26,200 If you then who are evil, Thanks Jesus, know how to give good. 300 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,680 Gifts to your. Children, you evil people know 301 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:30,160 how to give good gifts to your children. 302 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,280 How much more will your father in heaven give good things to 303 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:36,760 those who ask him? So the evil man knows how to 304 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:41,160 say, OK, my child's hungry, then I'm going to feed my child. 305 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,520 Generally speaking, right? The evil man even knows how to 306 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,400 do that. Evil humans, all of us. 307 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:48,000 That he threw us all into that category. 308 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,360 He's talking to his disciples and he lumped them all in. 309 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:52,040 Hey, you evil people know how to do it. 310 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:53,840 Yeah, yeah, we know. We know what's good. 311 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:55,920 You're not going to go. Oh well, here's a snake. 312 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,400 But it's good because, like, he might bite you, but later you 313 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:01,040 can eat him if you're still alive. 314 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:03,520 That's stupid. It's not good. 315 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,440 A child knows. What good is, and even evil 316 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,800 people know what good is, so he's continuing and he's making 317 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,120 the connection. What can I expect when I ask, 318 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:20,920 when I seek and when I knock? It's interesting, and it's 319 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:23,800 discouraging. A lot of times when I'm 320 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,120 preparing messages, I'll listen to other sermons on those same 321 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:30,080 passages. These are men who are better men 322 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:33,160 than me, better pastors than me, better preachers than me. 323 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:34,960 Just outrank me in a million ways. 324 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:39,440 No way, brother. Well, well, well, that. 325 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:43,880 But they're not on this issue. I listened to three sermons this 326 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:48,960 week and they all blew it. They absolutely blew it because 327 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:52,400 they came to ask and seek and knock, and then they began to go 328 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,880 into the disclaimers of why it doesn't seem to say what it 329 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,280 plainly says. The same thing that happens that 330 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,360 we talk about often with marriage, with gender, headship 331 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:02,160 and submission. Here's why those verses don't 332 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:03,520 seem to say what you think they say. 333 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:05,720 That's what most pastors do with those messages. 334 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,119 The same thing happened here. You know, so they're like, now 335 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:10,359 this doesn't mean I'm like, here. 336 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,960 He goes, here he goes. And sure enough, it wasn't a 337 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,760 message of why the church should have asked why the church should 338 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:17,720 have been seeking, why the church should have been knocking 339 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,440 and believing and expecting. It was more about like, now 340 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:23,200 don't take this to me. Don't take it to me. 341 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,560 What? What he said, bro. 342 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,840 I deal with enough doubt and unbelief all by myself, pastor 343 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:31,640 man. Like, I don't need your help. 344 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:35,640 Let Jesus talk to me. Let Jesus talk to me. 345 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,880 He has something to say. So Jesus is talking to you and 346 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:42,480 he wants to bring you this confidence. 347 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:43,640 What does it look like? What? 348 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:45,360 What can you expect? When you ask. 349 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,480 When you seek and when you knock, he goes, look, yes, for 350 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,480 fish, you're going to get fish. Yes, for bread, you're going to 351 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:54,080 get bread. Tada. 352 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,880 That doesn't mean you you stop. I don't want to take a 353 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,160 gymnastics class. We're just going to take Jesus 354 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:05,520 at his word. Jesus taught that even we have 355 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:10,000 an appropriate understanding of what good looks like and that 356 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:13,440 God is far better than us. But what many have come to 357 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,520 believe is just the opposite. If you ask for a fish, a 358 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,480 self-evident and objectively good thing, he might give you a 359 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,920 snake, but you have to pretend that it's good. 360 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:24,880 You'll say like. Oh, this is good because God did 361 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,240 it. Well, that's that's the problem 362 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:28,280 though. God didn't do it. 363 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,040 That's that's why that belief has to follow through. 364 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:36,000 And and for those who believe that, it's a theological 365 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,560 conundrum, because they will act appropriately when bad things 366 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:41,960 happen. They will mourn as they should 367 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,360 when bad things happen. And of course we love and we 368 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:47,080 comfort and we bless. And that's not a time for debate 369 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:48,400 of theology or anything like that. 370 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:50,360 But. If there's a broken logic in 371 00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:53,720 that theology, that would say God did this thing, so why would 372 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:55,720 you mourn a good thing? Is it good? 373 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:57,680 Well, it's a good, but it's like a weird good like. 374 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:00,040 I'm not following and I don't believe in a weird good. 375 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,000 I believe in good, good. I believe in bad, bad. 376 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,040 I believe in kind of good. You know, it's like somewhere in 377 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,560 the middle. It's not great, but it's it 378 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:11,440 can't be good with poison. So it's bread, but there's it's 379 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:13,400 it's going to destroy me at the same time. 380 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:15,720 But many have come to believe this. 381 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,720 And I think it's because we look at our circumstance as opposed 382 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:21,480 to looking at what the Lord has said. 383 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,520 So we come to believe if you ask for safety, a self-evident and 384 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:29,720 objectively good thing, he might give you a car wreck, but you 385 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:31,240 have to say that that was a good thing. 386 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,720 If you ask for health, a self-evident and objectively 387 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:37,360 good thing, he might give you cancer, but you have to say that 388 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:40,960 that's a good thing. Saints God is good, and a six 389 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:43,880 year old knows what good is and what good means. 390 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:46,960 And as we go through the Gospel of Matthew, you're going to 391 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:51,520 continually see Jesus's absolute lack of subtlety when it comes 392 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:52,880 to revealing the goodness of God. 393 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:54,800 Over and over and. Over. 394 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:56,200 It's a bit. On the nose. 395 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:59,480 As they say. It's hard to get around because 396 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:01,000 you just go. Well, what would? 397 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:01,960 Jesus do well. What did? 398 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:05,000 What did Jesus do? What would Jesus do? 399 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:05,920 Well, Joe. Michael. 400 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,760 This begs the perfect question, and it's a good question and a 401 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,080 fair question. Then why doesn't it always? 402 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,160 To which I would say, Did you notice we just read some 403 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:17,000 qualifiers? Ask, seek and knock. 404 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,440 Then it will be, Then it will be. 405 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,680 Then it will be. As opposed to I didn't knock, 406 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:24,120 but they should just know that I'm here. 407 00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:27,480 Is this the same thing as earning and deserving? 408 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,080 No, there's no such thing as earning. 409 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:31,360 There's no such thing as deserving. 410 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:33,480 Not for you and I. Jesus earned it all. 411 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,240 Jesus deserves it all. But for you and I, Yes, there 412 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,320 are things that I must do. There are things that I must 413 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,240 step into to qualify for the promise. 414 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:47,120 This is an if then statement. Ask and it will be given. 415 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:52,880 If you ask then you will then it will be given to you. 416 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:56,440 If you seek then you will find if you knock then it will be 417 00:20:56,440 --> 00:21:01,760 opened. So the goodness of God is 418 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:02,680 profound. The goodness. 419 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,440 Of God is consistent. You can trust in the goodness of 420 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:08,840 God, and when you ask and seek and not, don't worry about 421 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:11,000 what's going to happen next. Well. 422 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,360 Circumstances could happen, yeah, life can happen. 423 00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:17,800 Bad things have happened to you. Bad things will happen to you 424 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,480 again. But in in those moments, we 425 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,760 still go to our father and say father, look what happened, this 426 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:25,760 bad thing. But I'm coming to you. 427 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:26,880 I'm asking. I'm seeking. 428 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:28,840 I'm knocking. The magnification. 429 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,360 The Psalm we read this morning. God, the enemies are attacking 430 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:34,320 me. Would you come and defend? 431 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:37,200 Not God. You're attacking me. 432 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,120 And it's so good, this lesson that I'm learning through it. 433 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:43,960 Would you also stop? Why would you want him to stop? 434 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,920 He's blessing you. Is it a? 435 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:50,200 Blessing or isn't it? This cancer is such a gift from 436 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:51,120 the Lord. Really. 437 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:52,600 Why are you going to get it removed? 438 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,880 Have you told your doctors from God they might not be so eager 439 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:58,280 to help you remove your blessing? 440 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:01,800 Jamaica, are you being. I'm not trying to be. 441 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,080 I don't want to stab to harm, but I do want to perform surgery 442 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,280 to heal. This is why you'll hear me use 443 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,320 the phrase often. And I talk about broken logic. 444 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:13,160 Which is it? Is it a blessing or not? 445 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,200 It's not. And you can say it out loud. 446 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,320 Good is good, bad is. Bad. 447 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:20,880 Car wreck. Bad. 448 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:26,760 I posted that passage in my message online. 449 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,160 I was hoping to get a lot more responses so I'd have more to 450 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,160 answer this morning. Because I want to serve you 451 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:32,760 well. I can't serve the whole Internet 452 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:34,800 well, but I want to serve you well. 453 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:36,360 And. And one brother said, I don't 454 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:39,440 get your whole perspective here. He's like, you know, yesterday, 455 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:44,160 yesterday at work. Just to show you how folks think 456 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,440 about this. Yesterday my car wouldn't start, 457 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:49,600 OK. Bad. 458 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,040 And I worked on it for a while and got it running good. 459 00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:57,160 Got to work. Had to start it up again. 460 00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:59,200 It wouldn't start bad. He didn't. 461 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,160 He wasn't calling the goods and the bads, he was calling the 462 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:02,440 whole thing. Just an overall good. 463 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,320 Which I agree because every good and perfect gift comes from the 464 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,360 father above who there is no variableness or shadow of 465 00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:12,000 turning. But he was saying he's like, I 466 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,000 ended up getting a a a new starter for free because it was 467 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,360 still under warranty and my my company paid me to work on my 468 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:20,360 car in the middle of the day. He's like that was all. 469 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,160 Good. And he totally, like, missed the 470 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:24,720 point. I'm like, yeah, bad thing 471 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:26,560 happened. God was good to you. 472 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:28,880 Bad thing happened. God was good to you. 473 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:30,720 But he was lumping it all in. He's like, look, the Lord 474 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:34,600 wouldn't let my car start, and then the Lord made my car start 475 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:36,800 it. Bro, where are you going? 476 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:38,520 It's just AI. Don't know if that was just 477 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,000 maybe a misunderstanding, a lack of clarity. 478 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,720 But the the belief for that brother sincere, faithful 479 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,720 brother I'm sure was still that the Lord was doing every single 480 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:49,200 thing. Car won't start. 481 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,400 It will. The Lord's just, you know, good 482 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:53,680 bad. But we we can call. 483 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:55,960 It's no one goes to start their car and doesn't start and go 484 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,960 well that's awesome. No, you you might literally say, 485 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,160 well, that's not good. I could even see me saying that, 486 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,360 Like, that's not good. I'll probably say that a few 487 00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:09,280 weeks ago with the Buick. That was a bad sound. 488 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:10,920 Yeah. I didn't go. 489 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:12,840 That sounds like a blessing to me. 490 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,200 It wasn't. It wasn't. 491 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:18,920 But John Michael did some good come out of it. 492 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,360 I'm sure I could fish for it and see it. 493 00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:23,320 Yeah. And I'd call that resurrection. 494 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,440 I call that a good father who in spite of broken, were like, come 495 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,200 on guys. Look at the Look at the whole 496 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:29,840 arc of the Bible. In the garden. 497 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,200 Bad. Right. 498 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:35,400 The sin, that is, it was all good who made it good. 499 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:37,960 What did he call it? Good. 500 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,360 Was there any death? It's not a trick question. 501 00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:43,760 Was there any sin? Was there any sickness? 502 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:46,320 Was there any devastation at all? 503 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,360 And God called it. And then Adam sinned. 504 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,800 And then we get the glorious gospel of resurrection because 505 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,240 of Adam's sin. We wouldn't even have the cross 506 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:58,640 if it wasn't for Adam's sinned. So we I think we confuse the 507 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:00,840 beautiful resurrection that the Lord brings us. 508 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:03,480 This guy got to work on his car, got his new alternate, got his 509 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,560 new starter and his company paid him for his time during the day. 510 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,000 I'm like, praise the Lord. God is good to you man. 511 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,600 On the good things, the other things was just stuff breaks. 512 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:15,920 It's life in that in that particular case. 513 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,040 So God is good. You should ask. 514 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:20,120 You should seek. You should not. 515 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:22,920 You don't need to be afraid. Even an evil earthly father 516 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:24,080 knows how to give you what you need. 517 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:26,680 How much more does your Heavenly Father give you the bread? 518 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,160 And the fish that you asked. For Let's make this more plain. 519 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,600 Let's bring this more home. What good thing are you asking 520 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:35,720 for? What good thing? 521 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:37,920 What objectively good thing are you asking for? 522 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:40,560 Are you asking? Are you seeking, are you 523 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,360 knocking for something that you know? 524 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,280 That's a good thing. Duh, duh. 525 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:49,640 I'll name one for a few. Children are a blessing from the 526 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,680 Lord. Children are a gift from God. 527 00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:56,440 It is a. Good objectively good thing that 528 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:00,320 is beautiful bread and beautiful fish that you should continue to 529 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,440 contend and expect the Lord to make good on his word. 530 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:05,920 How about those loved ones that you're praying for? 531 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:10,120 You should expect the Lord to answer those prayers that he 532 00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:14,040 would be sending other workers into that harvest healing for 533 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:17,600 your body for that thing that's been there chronically forever. 534 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:21,760 And you're going, man. I still just ask and seek and 535 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:23,760 knock. Based upon what, Joe? 536 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:25,520 Michael? I didn't pull these out of 537 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:26,400 nowhere. Saints. 538 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:28,680 We're going to keep looking at the scriptures together. 539 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,640 You're going to keep seeing Jesus over and over and over. 540 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:35,360 What would Jesus do with your knee, Angelina, if he was here 541 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:37,280 right now, what would he do? I don't know. 542 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:39,840 Look at all the knees he wrecked in the Gospels. 543 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,840 Maybe yours is a blessing. Every other occasion throughout 544 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,600 the scriptures, you know, apparently was a curse. 545 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:49,200 But maybe yours is like a lesson. 546 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,000 You don't think so. Well, I don't either. 547 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:57,200 So I'm going to continue to ask and seek and knock for the 548 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,560 things, for the things that the enemy would say. 549 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,320 Hey, just live with that one. Just live with that one where 550 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:04,480 the enemy would want to push my line of faith back. 551 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,680 And my faith's all right. I can't trust him for that. 552 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,640 My faith is still pure. Where it's pure. 553 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:12,400 You're still loved, But Satan goes, hey, hey, you're. 554 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,000 You're you're a little greedy. You're you're getting a little 555 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,200 too prosperity there, Christian. OK, let me back up a little bit. 556 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,760 Let me be more holy. Let me back up a little bit 557 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:22,360 more. Back up a little bit more. 558 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,760 By the end of it, I'm like, hope I go to heaven. 559 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:26,920 Can I have faith for that? Is that a good thing? 560 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,960 I'm allowed to believe God for like I'm trusting him for that 561 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:32,840 right? Not allowed to expect fish or 562 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:34,680 bread. It's just getting greedy. 563 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,720 But you know, but his eternal Kingdom, he'll give to me, 564 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:40,320 right? It's silly. 565 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,200 He was spared not his own son. How will he also freely with him 566 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,640 not give us all things? Lower things, lesser things, no 567 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,560 doubt. So don't put them above the 568 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,560 blood in the body, but also know that. 569 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,040 Duh. Yeah, you're mine. 570 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,240 I love you. So, like, can I, like, use the 571 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:00,920 refrigerator too? Yeah. 572 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:04,160 Son, it's your house. Can I, like, borrow the car? 573 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,520 Son, I don't think you're hearing me. 574 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,600 Kill the fatted calf. Put a gold ring on his hand. 575 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:13,520 Give him new sandals and a new robe. 576 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,280 That's good, isn't it? That's called good. 577 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:20,720 God is good and God is good to you. 578 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,600 The world is still broken, the devil is still bad, and you and 579 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:28,320 I are still stupid, and God is still good. 580 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,640 So what good things are you asking, seeking and knocking for 581 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:35,720 in 2024? You can and should be asking and 582 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:39,640 seeking and knocking for wisdom, for provision, for more of His 583 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,680 presence, for loved ones to come into the Kingdom. 584 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:45,080 I challenge you, Saints. Put all of your eggs in one 585 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:47,080 basket. All of them. 586 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:49,320 All of them. What's the basket? 587 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,720 The basket is him. All my hope, all my expectation. 588 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:54,760 If he doesn't come through, then I'm doomed. 589 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,800 That's the way to live. And then he goes. 590 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:01,520 Who? Faith don't have to be big, but 591 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,280 it's real. It's living. 592 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:05,560 It's active. It's not. 593 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:13,160 We'll see what happens. I sure hope it gets good. 594 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,160 I hope. I hope for all kinds of stuff 595 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:17,440 you do too. It's automatic. 596 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,560 That's a good thing. Nothing wrong with that. 597 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:21,960 But hope deferred makes the heart sick. 598 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:24,200 But those who ask are going to get. 599 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:26,160 Those who seek are going to find. 600 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:28,120 Those who knock, get doors opened. 601 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,640 Those who hope, maybe I get lucky and they open the front 602 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:33,440 door and they go. What are you doing here? 603 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,080 I've been standing here six hours. 604 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:39,680 I wish you had knocked. Well, I shouldn't have to. 605 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,640 What are you praying for? What are you believing? 606 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:47,480 For man? I've. 607 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,280 I've gone dormant. We'll wake up. 608 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,480 Ask and seek and knock. What are we as a church? 609 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,280 Praying for and seeking and knocking for? 610 00:29:56,280 --> 00:30:00,120 This year, I want to share a few of these things with you that we 611 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:03,120 together are praying for, asking, seeking and knocking. 612 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:05,920 I'll do a quick sidebar here. This is not John Michael's 613 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,280 church. If this is your church, then 614 00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:11,120 this is your church and my church. 615 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:14,400 Just like I could be sitting there with you, OK, take 616 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,760 ownership of it and what we're praying for, it's not. 617 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,040 Oh, Joe Michaels asked us to. We're a body. 618 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:22,680 I am the pastor, and these are the things that we're praying 619 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:25,360 for together. I am praying that the Lord would 620 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:27,400 bring another elder into salt church this year. 621 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:29,600 When I say elder, I mean pastor interchangeably. 622 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:34,840 Another pastor into this church. I want you to pray for that 623 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,400 another. A worship leader so we can fire 624 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,280 YouTube. And have live worship for all of 625 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,160 our services. I want you to pray into that. 626 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:44,920 And then the other thing I want to emphasize. 627 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:49,040 Last year we baptized 3 people. How many does the Lord have for 628 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,600 Saul to baptize this year? How many people are supposed to 629 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:54,720 come into the Kingdom through you and I this year? 630 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:58,000 That's the other thing that we need to be praying into. 631 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,520 That's our whole purpose. That's our whole mission. 632 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:02,600 Go into all the world, Make disciples. 633 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:06,520 Teach them to obey everything I've commanded, and I'll be with 634 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:10,040 you to the end of the age. And baptize them in the name of 635 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,600 the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and I'll be with you to the end 636 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,040 of the age. So how many? 637 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:15,800 People, Are we supposed to baptize? 638 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,400 They're out there right now. Those people were supposed to 639 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:20,040 come into the Kingdom through you and through me. 640 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:21,680 This year. They're there. 641 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:23,520 Maybe they're already in your life. 642 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:25,720 Maybe it's already a person of peace and you just need to be 643 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:28,160 reminded like that is such a person of peace. 644 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:29,520 There's such a warmth between us. 645 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:33,040 There's such a receptivity. Remember we learned just last 646 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:35,880 week or a couple weeks ago about not casting your pearls before 647 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:38,000 swine. If somebody hates the pearls 648 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:40,320 that you have, the Kingdom pearls that you have, don't keep 649 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:42,800 throwing them over there. There's somebody who's ready to 650 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:44,680 to be adorned by those pearls and go. 651 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:46,440 I love them. They're beautiful. 652 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:48,360 What a gift. What a treasure that you've 653 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:50,760 given me. So honor the Pearl of great 654 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:53,760 price, who is Jesus and look for those persons of peace in your 655 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,080 life and go. This guy, he's open to me. 656 00:31:56,600 --> 00:32:00,960 This woman, she's open to me. All I need to do is continue 657 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:03,240 that conversation. All I need to do is invite them 658 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:05,760 over for the Bible study. All I need to do is begin to 659 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:07,960 shepherd and love and pray for more. 660 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,680 Ask and seek and knock. And I want to. 661 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:14,240 I want to finish up by refreshing you and reminding you 662 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,120 of some of who we are. Now's a good time here at the 663 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:19,960 beginning of the year to remember what Salt Church is and 664 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,520 what Salt Church is about. Our mission, why we exist at 665 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,000 all, is connected to what we just prayed to, what we just 666 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,280 mentioned. It is to make His Kingdom come 667 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:31,800 and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 668 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:36,240 That's what we're here to do. That's a that's a lot. 669 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,120 And we're only one church. We're not the entire body of 670 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:41,720 Christ. We're one tiny part of the body 671 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:43,880 of Christ, and we rejoice in our part. 672 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:48,800 And we take our part seriously. What makes us unique? 673 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:50,640 What is our vision? We. 674 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:54,360 Seek to live out what we call 1st century Christianity. 675 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:56,880 That means New Testament Christianity. 676 00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:59,040 That's our target. That's the kind of Christianity 677 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:01,560 we want. We want prayers answered. 678 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,560 We want people added. We want people going out. 679 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:08,440 We want to be ascending church. We want to see the gifts of the 680 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:09,520 Spirit. We want to see the. 681 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:13,760 Fruits of the spirit. And we want to see the Saints of 682 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,880 God embrace Christ's Commission to make disciples. 683 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:18,880 This is not a church where everybody goes. 684 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,800 Preacher man's got to get folks saved and I just got to invite 685 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:23,960 them on a Sunday. This is a church where we go. 686 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,280 I'm the church. I'm on the mission and in the 687 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:28,680 mission of God. So this is a church. 688 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:31,280 Where the elders, the pastors, I'm speaking by faith. 689 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,720 You hear that plural speaking there the elders the pastors 690 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:38,920 primary primary focus is equipping the Saints and 691 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,920 shepherding a Christ following community, not creating the most 692 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,720 attractive gatherings possible for all non believers. 693 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:49,160 We want to be welcomed and hospitable and warm and loving. 694 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:53,760 But our priority is Saints being armed, Saints being equipped 695 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:57,040 Saints, Saints being cared for, Saints being loved well. 696 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,360 Because Saints are the workers in the harvest. 697 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:01,840 Saints are the workers. Of the ministry. 698 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:02,800 We're a church. Who is? 699 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:04,880 Going to continue to share our lives together. 700 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:06,120 Why am I sharing all this with you? 701 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:07,840 So you can also be stirred to pray. 702 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:10,719 So you can also write this down so you can also punch these in 703 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,400 your phone. You're about to hear something 704 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:13,920 if you haven't already, that stirs you. 705 00:34:14,159 --> 00:34:18,440 That is the Holy Spirit saying pray, ask, seek and knock on 706 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,920 that. Ask me for this, seek this, and 707 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:23,679 knock on that. Don't just sit back and go. 708 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:26,400 If Jamichael was a great enough leader, he could usher us into 709 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,159 all those things. I have a surprise for you. 710 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,080 He's not. He's not a great enough leader 711 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:34,639 to get you there on his own. But your prayers will move 712 00:34:34,639 --> 00:34:37,520 mountains. The Lord will do mighty things 713 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,880 as His people ascend His throne and ascend His hill. 714 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:45,239 We want to share our lives together in real and profound 715 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,760 ways. To act, to actually be a New 716 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:51,000 Testament family. To not just be see you next 717 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:55,840 Sunday, but to actually have a unity that really feels like 718 00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:58,320 family life, where we care and feel responsible for one 719 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:00,440 another. We actually want to walk in the 720 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:03,680 power of the Holy Spirit. We want to see our region 721 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:08,080 transformed because we're here. We want to see new believers 722 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,720 constantly being added who expand Jesus's Kingdom and will. 723 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:15,480 New churches constantly being planted which spread Jesus's 724 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:18,320 Kingdom and will. Families being led by Christ 725 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:22,280 following men, godly, families who then enhance their community 726 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,840 in every possible aspect, social, economic, physical, 727 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:29,280 spiritual, political, from a position of health so that we 728 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:31,560 can seek the good of the land that we live in. 729 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:35,200 And then our values. We have 7 values that we 730 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:37,920 emphasize. We say we love God for real. 731 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,200 For real. That's our very theological, 732 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:44,800 theologically rich way of saying seriously, not just I'm going to 733 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:48,840 church, but Jesus is king and I love him. #2. 734 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,760 We are noticeable. Salt is meant to be bold, not 735 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:53,680 vanilla. Not is it in there. 736 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:55,840 Oh, it's in there. And it's. 737 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:57,400 Good. It is a preserving thing. 738 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,880 So we're going to be bold and we're going to be noticeable #3. 739 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:03,560 We multiply. As individuals, you're a 740 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,520 disciple maker, and as a church, we want to plant churches 741 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,680 aggressively. We want to plant a church. 742 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:10,640 We want to plant a church yesterday. 743 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:13,480 We want to cede out a bunch of people with another pastor, 744 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,040 another elder, and say go do it again, go do it again. 745 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:17,760 And the Kingdom just keeps expanding. 746 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:21,280 We are, by design, never going to exceed 200 people in this 747 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:25,000 congregation where I'm the shepherd by design, because when 748 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:27,400 we get around those numbers, we're going to seed out a group 749 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,400 of people with another pastor, another elder, and say go, go. 750 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,200 We don't need, we don't need the. 751 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:35,080 We don't need to just keep growing indefinitely. 752 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:36,400 We just need the Kingdom to grow. 753 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:38,200 And this is a particular calling. 754 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:39,280 Is there something wrong with that? 755 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:41,280 No. But this is a particular calling 756 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:43,480 for us. This is what makes us us. 757 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:45,840 Each household is unique. It's no problem with that. 758 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:50,320 Each church has a thumbprint. This is ours, our 4th value. 759 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,360 We fight where the fight is. This means we're going to 760 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:55,600 prioritize things that matter in our culture and our day. 761 00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:58,240 We're not going to talk around him and go, That's a political 762 00:36:58,240 --> 00:37:00,480 issue. Jesus is political. 763 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:02,560 He's the king. So we're going to make 764 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:05,320 everything that that that our society needs and we're going to 765 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:08,400 tell the truth about it. The reason societies get into 766 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:10,600 decay is because the church stopped telling the truth about 767 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,680 something anyway. So we're going to tell the truth 768 00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:17,440 because we love them so much and we love God's will in his way, 769 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:20,120 #5. We're deeply committed to each 770 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:22,160 other. If you have a need, I have a 771 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:23,960 need. If you're hurting, I'm hurting. 772 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:26,200 If you're rejoicing, I'm rejoicing. 773 00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:29,440 Number six, we believe God is good. 774 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,480 That is a nail that we're going to smash with that hammer every 775 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:34,400 time we see it. That is good news. 776 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:38,400 God is good, and a six year old knows what good means. #7 We 777 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:42,240 pursue the gifts of the Spirit. We actually want to see the 778 00:37:42,240 --> 00:37:45,920 gifts of the Spirit in operation, not with spookiness 779 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:48,560 added to it, but with sincere power. 780 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:52,120 Where the Holy Spirit is moving and speaking and revealing Jesus 781 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:54,800 to people, and people are being blessed by the Kingdom. 782 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:57,840 We want the fruits of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. 783 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:00,360 So I'm excited. That's why you know the ladies 784 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:02,240 are going through the book, that they are right now going to 785 00:38:02,240 --> 00:38:03,560 continually be stirred into that. 786 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:05,600 So what are those things? Did you just hear about that? 787 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:09,240 The Lord said who something lit onto your spirit and you went, 788 00:38:09,240 --> 00:38:11,200 man, I want to I want to ask the Lord for that. 789 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:12,440 Then do that. Do that. 790 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:14,800 We need you to. That is your assignment that the 791 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:17,920 Lord has just assigned to you. That asking what did you? 792 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,320 Say, man, I'd like to see some of that in this church. 793 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:23,760 Then seek it. Seek it, man. 794 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:25,600 I'd like to. I'd like to come across some of 795 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:26,640 that. Then knock for it. 796 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:31,400 Let's let's persist. Not beg, but let's persist. 797 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,520 Father, you said. Bring his word back to his ears. 798 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:37,120 Father, you said. You said, God, we're asking. 799 00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:39,480 These are fish. This is bread. 800 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:41,880 This is fish. This is bread. 801 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:43,360 Father. Give it, Father. 802 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:45,200 Pour it out. Father, we're asking. 803 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:46,040 We're seeking. We're knocking. 804 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:47,520 We're not trying to twist your will. 805 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:49,880 We're not trying to convince you of something that you don't 806 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:51,880 want. We're coming pursuing what you 807 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:53,960 have already promised, what you already want. 808 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:57,080 These objective, good things. Do it, Lord. 809 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:00,600 Glorify your name. Glorify your name. 810 00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:03,400 We give you all the glory for it right now. 811 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:07,240 Heavenly Father, we thank you. For what you have done in 812 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:12,280 Christ, through Christ, by Christ, you are the vine. 813 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,240 We're the branches. Keep us connected to you, make 814 00:39:15,240 --> 00:39:19,040 us people who ask and seek and knock things in our hearts and 815 00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:21,160 minds. Prayers, dreams, visions that 816 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:24,160 you've given us. Those objectively good things 817 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:28,400 that you've told us to pursue, that you've told us to enjoy, 818 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:32,440 that you've told us to seek. Now would you refresh it? 819 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:35,160 Now would you refresh vision? Would you refresh hope? 820 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:40,320 And would you refresh faith? Give us the courage to ask and 821 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:44,040 to seek and to knock again when we see you as you really are. 822 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:47,600 We'll be quick to ask. When we see you again, we'll be 823 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:50,800 quick to knock. We won't wait. 824 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:53,680 We won't allow the enemy to lie to us any longer. 825 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:58,400 I call down every imagination that would raise itself up 826 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:02,960 against the name of Jesus. Every thought, every weed that's 827 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:06,640 grown into a mighty tree. Lord, would you uproot those 828 00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:07,640 things? Would you pull them up? 829 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:11,160 Would you tear them down? Establish more of your Kingdom, 830 00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:13,160 more of your will, more of your ways? 831 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:16,800 We ask. We seek, we knock, and we know 832 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:18,480 exactly what will happen when we do. 833 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:20,800 So. When you open the door, we know 834 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:22,280 what we'll get. We know that there's going to be 835 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:26,080 bread and fish. From our father, we being evil. 836 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:29,200 Know how to give good things. How much more will you care for 837 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,400 us? God make us qualified, make us 838 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:35,280 qualified. Not entitled children, but 839 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:40,040 loving children who thankfully and joyfully receive what their 840 00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:43,320 Father provides. We thank you for it all. 841 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:47,240 We lift up all these needs, all these desires of our church, 842 00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:53,440 these visions that we have, these expectations, the calling 843 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:58,120 that you've given us God. Would you make 2024 a year of 844 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:02,360 asking, seeking and knocking? We know that if you would for us 845 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:05,040 that automatically it's going to be a year of receiving. 846 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:06,800 It's going to be a year of finding. 847 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:09,280 It's going to be a year of the doors being opened. 848 00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:15,040 Make your Kingdom come and your will be done in Jesus name. 849 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:18,480 And now the Lord bless you and keep you. 850 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:23,120 The Lord make His face shine down upon you and be gracious to 851 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,680 you. The Lord lift up His countenance 852 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:28,080 upon you and give you great peace. 853 00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:30,720 In Jesus name, Amen.