Matthew Chapter 7 Verses 7 - 8

• I love this so much because this is the Father’s heart. What do you need? Ask. What are you looking for? Seek. What doors do you want open? Knock. It seems so simple and maybe even adolescent but look to ask for something you have to face the fact that you need something. And to seek something you have to face the fact that you lack something today. And to knock you have to acknowledge that on your own, that door stays shut…not so simple anymore is it…?
• A very dynamic man named Manny Mill said this past week, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a MASSIVE amount of promises! And yet life is so often lived not for the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) but for the human trinity (me, myself and I).” The promises of God are for you…did you know that? But those promises are to be sought, found and unlocked, (this is how it works), in the Gospel alone…
• What’s the Gospel? Where is that found in the Word? John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave His only One Son, that whosoever would believe in Him would not be lost but would have eternal life.” We’ve heard it a thousand times but we ought to hear it again because Romans 1:17 says that it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith…it is the reminder to even the saints that God is good and He is SO FOR you, man…He is King…His ways are higher and it is the beacon of light to the lost…and yet the next verse is often forgotten or overlooked…
• John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him…” (If you want to have a condemnation party for this world or for someone, don’t invite Jesus…He’ll ruin it!) All of the promises of God are wrapped tightly in the coming to the cross of Christ. Seeing that God loves you. He does not condemn you. Hearing from Him and understanding maybe for the first time that each one of us, (no one any more or less than the other), we are more wicked that we ever dare believe but we are more loved than we ever dare hoped! His extended hand of grace is outstretched to you no matter where you are or what you’ve done…and yet you’re the one who has to take it.
• It begins with a question. Just an “ask,” as I like to say. “God is this true? Are you the Truth? Do you love me? Have you forgiveness for me?” The answer through His promises, through His Son, through my life and what I have seen and touched…, “Yes.” Question answered. Now you seek. “God, show me Truth. Teach me the Way. Introduce me to Life.” And then as you walk with Him, resistance from your flesh and from the world and from evil himself arises…closed doors, hey…knock.
• I love this progression. You see it right? To knock takes a little more than to seek and to seek takes a little more than to ask…and the implication is that you’re no longer knocking on walls. Ever feel like that? Well, walk with God…walls turn into doors and those doors are hope and life, Heaven’s doors…knock knock knock on them! HA!
• You find God and you find life…“LIFE, Living In Freedom Everyday…,”(Manny Mills), only thing is, the human trinity ain’t got the keys to those doors…you’re going to have to knock…but hey, let’s be truthful here, no one goes right to knocking…you need to begin by asking…Why? Because God is not who you think He is, He is what He says He is…

Matthew Chapter 7 Verses 9 – 10

• The truth is that there are earthly fathers out there that would do this…in the name of making their kids tougher or just plain cruelty and self-centered madness…blindness and evil…there are fathers out there that give their kids stones and serpents all day every day…but not your Heavenly Father…His heart for you is perfect! Ever consider that? (He won’t let go…so I will rest…)

• And even you now and me now considering our own hearts for our kids are saying, “Well that’s not me…I would never, I’ll always do what is best for my child…” Oh yea, how do you know (human trinity)? That’s the thing…next verse, “If you being evil…”

Matthew Chapter 7 Verse 11

• Trusting in the human trinity we are nothing but trusting in fallen false lost lacking nature…when God says simply ask, seek and knock and now know how to actually carry out that desire saturated heart proclamation that you provide for your family…

Matthew Chapter 7 Verses 12

• Jesus says “therefore,” and so He is still speaking within the subject of judgment. From verse 1 through verse 12, it’s all a common theme and one thought. Put judgment into the hands of the Father and trust Him. Deal with your heart…invite Jesus Christ to lead you…give Him your life and your heart and your mind, soul and strength and then throw the condemnation party for others…and WATCH Jesus ruin it! HA! He’ll bring all kinds of grace! Ask Jonah! HA!

• And then man walk with Him. Ask, seek, knock…that progression, just like the temple…to ask is to chill in the outer courts, the court of the gentiles…where anyone, the whole world asks…then to seek is the inner sanctuary of the temple as you observe the table of show bread and the oiled lampstands and progress even to knock as you reach the Holy of Holies where Jesus awaits…the torn veil…the door to the Father…where you find yourself now waiting on God and if that door doesn’t open, back to seek...no problem…you’re cool with His ways…

• And then, therefore…now you know rightfully how to lead, serve and live as witness to truth among men, because before you ever become His witness, you have got to have His withness (Britt Merrick)…The truth is that Jesus lived the life that we should live…not just a life of perfection and constant righteousness, but a life of grace, love, truth, power, and peace, continual and unbroken peace with the Father. You got that? Have you asked? Have you been seeking? Are you waiting at the front door of the Father…His name is Jesus…
• What do you do when God’s will butts up with yours? Truth is, Christians, when we exercise our own rights against those around us to the detriment of the Gospel we refuse to hallow God to the people and to the world…at that point, in what way would they desire to know a God that we who proclaim Him don’t even hallow? (Al Pittman) Jesus directs us further on this…

Matthew Chapter 7 Verses 13 – 14

• Al Pittman gave a powerful exhortation at the CCPC16 this past week. He said, “If you refuse to apply faith to (fill in the blank) then you ruin everything. We have the faith to build churches and raises families and achieve great professional feats, yet we have not the faith to deal with the offenses of our brothers and sisters even in the church.” Jesus says, take the difficult way…it leads to life…
• Oh man this was so powerful…Al turned us over to Luke 17:10 where Jesus says, “Do you think a servant is to be heralded for doing what is expected, what is commanded? No. When you have done what you were commanded, what your duty was to do…unprofitable servant…” Wow. Mind blowing.
• Jesus says spot the difficult path, take that one. It’s the only one you need Me on…It leads to life…It leads to Jesus. The wide, broad path…the one that many find (because it’s easy and requires no Jesus) leads to destruction but the word there in the Greek literally means, “utter loss of all value…” Wow. Want to value your husband? Your kids? Your church? Your pastor? (Please? HA) Faith.
• Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life…thlibo, compressing is the way…and yet faith…serving God rather than self…the Holy Trinity rather than the human trinity…leads to life…zoe lifetime life is what Jesus says there…few find it… Psalm 58:11