Sermon on the Mount

We're gonna now take up our reading. So if you'd like to get your bible and turn to Matthew chapter 7, and we're gonna be starting at verse 7 to verse 12. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open to you.

For everyone who asks receives the 1 who seeks fines and to the 1 who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him.

So in everything, due to others Good evening, everyone. Evening. It's quite warm, isn't it? Hopefully, you're all still with us after those songs. But let's just pray.

Because I do feel as if Satan's birds circle a bit more intentionally on a hot day to try and pick the seeds that are sown. So let's pray for God's help. Lord, we do need your help in all things, and then that's definitely what we're gonna see today in this passage. And so I ask now that you would help us. With the word that is spoken and sown now that you speak to us, not fall on hard, dusty ground that's been dried up by the sun today, but would it fall on hearts that are well plowed and ready to receive Would you grow faith in us?

We pray in Jesus' name, amen. K. Let's talk about taking things out of context. This afternoon, I absolutely filled my stomach with regret to the pit of my stomach. Is regret.

Craig Green was crying as I filled my stomach with regret. My mouth was searing, in pain, and burning, as I filled my stomach with regret. And I'm not looking forward to tomorrow morning when I wake up and go to the toilet. Regrett was the name of the hot wing spicy sauce that Rory was talking about at the beginning of the service. That Craig Green gave us.

Absolutely delicious. I was the only 1 who finished my whole chicken wing, so I'm really proud of that. That brother over there took 1 little bite and was stuffed in his face with bread and with milk and anything that had lactose in it, I think. Absolutely. The Bible lends itself amazingly well to being taken out of context, unfortunately, doesn't it?

1 of my favorite passages when I was growing up was Proverbs 10 30, which says in the contemporary English version, which is the bible I had. Or the Kev, as I used to call it. It it said in that version, if you are wise, it will show when you speak. But if you are stupid, you will be beaten with a stick. And so me and my mates made this video of us just whacking each other with sticks and just Proverbs 10 13 like it came up on the screen.

Out of context. Here's a short video about a Christian Alexa. If you have an Alexa at home, you might wanna turn it off or do something because otherwise it's gonna go nuts now. This is an enjoyable video for many reasons, but just watch out for how they use the verse. I can do all things through him who gives me strength.

Alright. Okay. Obviously, that was very tongue in cheek, but maybe you noticed how they used the word. I can do the verse. I can do all things through him who gives me strength.

I think he was trying to undo a bottle and he heard that, and then he found that he had the strength to do it. Now unfortunately, a lot of people actually use that as a kind of mantra, that verse, to accomplish whatever they want in life, or as motivation, to get through something and do it. 1 online writer said that it becomes a slogan of personal empowerment, a declaration of self achievement, ambition, and accomplish It doesn't really matter what Paul meant when he wrote it. I'm gonna use it and put it in a poster like that on my bedroom wall. It kind of works as a standalone promise to give you whatever you want.

I can do all things. I can achieve what I want. Look out world through Christ, I'm gonna do it. But actually, like most of these things, you literally have to look at the verse right before it or the context around it and suddenly it throws that out the window. This is the the line just before it in verse 12.

I know what it is to be in need, Paul says, and I know what it is to have plenty. I've learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do all this through him and gives me strength. So actually, in this context, Paul is saying he can't conquer the world. He's actually saying the complete opposite of what most people mean when they use that verse out of context. He's saying, I know what it is to be in need.

I know what it is to be weak. I know it's to be hungry and to fail, actually. But because of Christ, I have the strength to be content in every situation. Because of what he's done for me and who he is. So it's not actually being about being strong enough to open the jar.

It's about being content, even though you can't open the jar sometimes. That's the context of that verse. Here's another cracker from the bible, which is in the passage that we looked at tonight, asking it will be given to you, seek and you will find knock and the door will be open to you, which as a standalone promise is absolutely amazing, isn't it? Isn't that amazing? Who here is not desiring something that they haven't got?

Who here is not looking for something that they haven't found yet. There was When I worked in Starbucks, there was a long queue and there was a man waiting at the drinks collection area for quite a long time. I went up to him I said, sorry, sir. Are you waiting for something? Are you looking for something?

And he just slowly looked up to me and went inspiration. I don't know what he was going on about, but he was looking for inspiration. We're all looking for something, aren't we? We're all trying to knock on that door to get to the next level in our jobs or knock on that door to be let more into that person's life. Well, the the bible clearly says, asking it will be given to you.

Yeah? SEC and you will find. Knock and the door's gonna be open to you. So what are you waiting for? Come on.

Ask. Knock. Knock. Unfortunately, a lot of people interpret that verse, ain't they? In that very way?

I found another blog post online called the biggest lies in the bible, asking it shall be given to you, seek and you will find. And the author of that blog wrote this. According to the Bible God, the heavenly father gives good things to those who ask him to do so. Asking it will be given to you. Have a need in your life?

See God and your need will be answered. Find yourself standing at a proverbially closed door. Knock on the door, and God will open it for you. No qualifiers here. Ask and God will give, seek and you will find.

God is a divine vending machine standing ready to dispense, answer prayers and blessings. Yet, when Christians pull on the handle or push the appropriate button, nothing happens. The vending machine eats their money and dispenses nothing in return. Sure. There are a couple of circumstances that seem supernatural in origin, but is that all I get from God after 35 years of devotion and self denial?

Sorry, but luck is a better explanation than God. 1 of the surest proofs of God's nonexistence is the lack of answered prayer. God made promises, and didn't keep them. God couldn't keep them, of course, because he was a human construct. There is no deity sitting in heaven, waiting to answer your prayers, pray, don't pray, it matters not.

Silence is sure to follow. We're on our own folks. The most amazing thing in that sentence in that statement is is this here where he says no qualifiers, no qualifiers, asking it will be given to you, seeking you will find. I just think, honestly, no qualifiers. None at all, so you ask God for whatever you want and he's gonna give it to you.

No questions asked. I mean, just literally, if you've got a bible, flick back with me to Matthew chapter 5. To the beginning of the sermon on the mount. And this, what we're looking at today is part of the same body of teaching. This is part of the same sermon as as this we're going back to in Matthew chapter 5.

It's from the same lips, the same teacher. How about these for some qualifiers? Look at verse 22. Asking it will be given to you, but I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Verse 28, asking it will be given to you, but I you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Verse 32, asking it will be given to you, but I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife for sexual immorality makes her the victim of adultery. Verse 44, asking it will be given to you, but love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Chapter 6 verse 16, asking it will be given to you. But when you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do. Verse 19, asking it will be given to you.

But Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. Verse 24, asking it will be given to you, but you cannot serve both God and Money. Verse 25, asking it will be given to you. But I tell you, do not worry about your life. What you will eat or drink or about your body or what you'll wear.

And then finally, chapter 7 verse 1. Asking it will be given to you, but do not judge or you too will be judged. No qualifiers here. Are you mad Are you mental? So after everything Jesus has just said, you think you can come to him and ask for treasures on earth, do you?

You think you can come to him and ask to look lustfully at someone else's wife. You think you can come to him and ask to divorce your wife for any reason. This guy literally thinks Jesus is parking everything he's just said. Everything that's important to him and how he wants you to live and say, ignore all that. Asking you'll receive, I'll give you whatever you want.

He is completely severed, hasn't he? This verse from both the sermon it was preached in and the person who was preaching it. And as a result, as we saw, he's given up hasn't he, after 35 years of of this false god. That he had in his mind, who's supposed to just listen to whatever you say and dish it out without even caring what you're asking for or why you're asking it. So that's clearly what this verse isn't talking about, isn't it?

Clearly. God is not a vending machine. So what does Jesus mean here? Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find knock and the door will be open to you. What is Jesus saying here?

Well, as we've just recapped looking back from Matthew chapter 5, this verse what Jesus is saying here is part of and comes right after a big heavy bulk of teaching all about how to live in his kingdom, doesn't it? There's even a summary here in verse 12, which draws a line under everything he's just said, sort of encapsulating it. Summarizing it. He says, so in everything due to others, what you would have them do to you for this sums up the law and the prophets. And so, we should see that what Jesus is saying here is deeply connected to everything he's just said before.

He's not actually just introducing a random new idea here or going, oh, I've got a new bumper sticker idea. Asking you will receive. He's summarizing. He's He's finishing. He's making a concluding statement in light of everything that he's just said.

And so in that light, I'm gonna ask you guys, what else could this verse mean except that the poor in spirit should ask for help to live in light of this teaching. The hungry and thirsty should seek to be filled with the righteousness that this life leads. That Jesus has described, and the pure in heart should be knocking on the door to see God. In other words, To those who have just heard this sermon on the mount and feel so far short of living up to it, and who are desperate for the blessings that it brings, ask for help, and it will be given to you. Seek the face of Jesus and you'll find him.

Knock on the door of salvation and the door will be open to you. That is really where Jesus is trying to get with all of this. That's basically the mountain top view he want he's tried to get you to through the whole sermon on the mount. As he's taken you up the slopes of the sermon, you've heard it said this, but I tell you this. You've heard it said this, but I tell you this.

He's winding his way up this sermon to show you this Ask you will receive, seek and you will find knock and the door will be open to you because Jesus knows everything he's just preached. Is humanly impossible. Humanly impossible, the sermon on the mount. Part of the sermon on the mount is be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. Can anyone here do that?

But this is how Jesus deals with people, isn't it? If you know Jesus, you know this is his tactic. This is always the mountaintop view he's trying to get to as he deals with you. He takes people to the point where they can't help but ask, seek and knock. They cry out for help.

You might know the story of the rich young man, which is an example of this. There's a rich young man who's got lots of wealth. He's we find out. He does a good job of following the law. But he comes up to Jesus, and he says, good teacher.

What must I do to inherit eternal life? That's the wrong question to start off with, isn't it? That tells you almost everything you need to know about this guy. He says, what must I do to inherit eternal life What there must be something I can do. I've got lots of money.

I'm a good businessman. I'm good at following the law. What do I have to do in my power to affect God to let me into his kingdom. But Jesus knows this guy, and he loves him. So he goes for the 1 thing he knows this guy can't do.

He's good this guy. He's obeyed a lot of laws, but he goes for the 1 thing he knows he can't do, which is sell everything you have, everything you have. Just your savings, not just your house, everything, the clothes off your back, the things in your drawers at home. Your favorite teapot, whatever it is. Sell it.

Give it to the poor and then come follow me. And we we know that this guy goes away sad because he knows he can't do that because he's very wealthy. And the point of that's that that that interaction is not to say the key to to eternal life is selling everything you have. Otherwise, that would be the gospel we would preach here, we week out, we would say, what are you doing wearing clothes still? Go and tell them.

Come back in here in a bin bag. That's not the gospel, is it? But do you see what Jesus is doing with this specific guy? With his specific issue? This man has come to him saying, what must I do to be saved?

So Jesus takes man at the mountain and says, you cannot do it yourself. You were asking the wrong question. And that's why he goes away sad. He knows that this is a hurdle he he cannot cross. But actually, This man is not far from the kingdom of heaven, is he as he walks away sat?

He's closer than he was before this interaction. A lot of people wonder. Jesus, this is the question that an evangelist wants someone to ask them. What must I do to be saved? Isn't that the question you wish your best friends who aren't Christians would ask you?

I wanna be saved. What must I do to be saved? Wouldn't Jesus say where you've got a repentant belief? Why doesn't he do that? Why does this man go away sad?

Well, actually Jesus has done exactly what he intended to with this man. As he goes away sad, he's halfway to the kingdom of God. Because actually, there's 2 steps to the kingdom of God, and this blokes taken the first step. And that little story on a micro scale is what is happening with us as we listen to the sermon on the mount. Jesus is He's telling us about the authentic, good, righteous life that he wants us to have.

But he's taken us up the mountain to take us to that viewpoint, the same viewpoint as the rich young man, where we go. I can't do that. We have to come to the same conclusion. And this is the first step. This is the conclusion Jesus wants you to come to.

You're a beggar, you're lost, and you're outside. So first of all, you're a beggar. You are a beggar. You can't come to God inherit eternal life. In fact, inheritance, we know only comes if you're in the family line.

I'm not gonna inherit Pete Woodcock's massive fortunes. Am I? That red van, that will never be handed over to me. Maybe Rory Kenned will inherit it 1 day. Lucky man.

Actually, it's it's not just we're in a different family to God, but the bible describes us as God's enemies before we're saved by Jesus Christ. Enemy never inherit family fortunes, do they? And so actually, rather than having any right to eternal life, we're absolute beggars before God. I mean, we've walked we've all walked past beggars haven't we? In Kingston, or in other places.

I mean, what on Earth do they have? They have nothing. Do they? They have nothing of value that they could offer you in exchange for anything. And actually, most of the time, you don't really want them to approach you.

Do you? Sometimes they smell bad, sometimes they're dressed awfully. Sometimes they're not particularly nice to look at. It's exactly what we are like before God. At our best, we're filthy and stinking before him.

We're repulsive to him. I mean, just listening to the sermon on the mount surely brings us to that conclusion. You've heard it said this, but I tell you this. Oh my gosh. I fall short there.

I you've heard it said this, but I tell you this. Oh my gosh. Will I fall short there? At every turn, Jesus is trying to show us. We're a beggar.

There's nothing we have to offer God. And so what do beggars do? They ask. They have nothing they can offer God. They ask with beggars.

Secondly, we're lost We think we know where we're going in life, but we actually don't. There have been many people who have gone down the path that we're desperately trying to go to, who have gone before us, I've turned around and said, don't go down that path. It doesn't lead where you think it leads. Yeah? Celebrities, millionaire, successful people, a lot a lot of times.

People to these places that we think are amazing and say, nah, it's rubbish. Russell brand is a is a famous sort of example of this. He's got a famous interview, brilliant interview, where he's talking to I think it's Jeremy Paxman. And he says fame was just ashes in my mouth. I desperately chased fame just ashes in my mouth.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, 2 actors, and I think directors and stuff as well. They won an Oscar for their film Goodwill Hunting, 19 98. Brilliant movie. You've never seen it, recommend it. But they won an Oscar for that, and they both of them said, they were glad they won that Oscar in their early twenties.

Because it meant that they weren't chasing an empty gold statue for the rest of their lives. That lots of actors do. And you too, 1 of the best most successful bands in the world, Sang, still haven't found what I'm looking for. And I think what about us in our lives? The decisions that we've made.

I think we know the decisions we've made don't always lead us to good things, do we? We're all absolutely lost. We have no idea where we're going. We've got broken compasses, Google Maps isn't working on our phones. And what do humble lost people do when they realize they're lost?

They ask for directions. They seek help. They try and find the right way to go. And we're outside. Another parable Jesus tells is of the prodigal son.

Probably know that 1. There's a younger son. He asks for his father's inheritance early before his father dies. That says a lot about what he thinks about his dad. And he leaves the family home, takes all this money with him, and spends it all on wild living.

And in the end, he ends up in a pigsty, wasn't he? With no friends, no money, no family, No job, no hope, no happiness, and he realizes he's on the outside. He comes to his senses, and he realizes it was better even for his servants to be inside his family home. And now he realizes he's on the outside. And that's what Jesus says, has happened to all of us.

We've left the father's home. We've spent all the good things he's given us, however we've liked. Our lives are money and our words. And don't you sometimes feel like you're in a bit of a pigsty? Don't you sometimes feel like you were made for more than what we've got?

We were made for the father's estate and feasting. And quite often, we're eating pig food. When you realize you're on the outside, you come knocking to come back in. And so throughout the sermon on the mount, Jesus is leading us to this mountain top view where we become people who ask, who seek, and who knock, because we're beggars, because we're lost, because we're outside. And that leads us to the second step to eternal life, which is receive, find, and come inside.

Verse 8 of of Matthew chapter 7 says, for everyone who asks receives, the 1 who seeks finds, and to the 1 who knocks the door will be opened. That is an amazing promise, isn't it? That is way more amazing. Than a kind of just vending machine god who doesn't care about what you are, who just spits out answers. This is more amazing.

Because rather than simply being given whatever we want just because we're putting money in and getting stuff out, we come to God as beggars. And he gives us things. We come to people as lost, we come to Jesus as lost people, and he lets us sin. We knock on the door as outsiders, and the door is open to us. That's way more amazing than just a God who simply spits out answered prayer.

And gives you whatever you want. And notice in verse in verse 8, it's it's for everyone. This promise is for everyone who does these things. It doesn't matter how much of a beggar you are. We are all beggars of varying amounts here.

Some of us have done worse things, who need more grace than others. But this is not a promise for those who've only done a little bit wrong. This is a promise for everyone who asks receives. The 1 who seeks fines. The 1 who knocks the door will be opened.

It doesn't matter how lost you are. It doesn't matter how stinky or festering you are or how hard you need to knock on the door of heaven. If you knock, the door is gonna be open to you. The prodigal son came back home, didn't he? That's the ending of that story.

He comes home from the pig sty when he realizes he's on the outside, and he asks his father whether he could come back in as a servant. He's like, I've blown my chances as a son. But please let me back in even as a servant. He humbly seeks him out. He knows he's done wrong against him.

And he knocks on the door, hopefully, to be let back in. But amazing thing about that story is when the father sees him, even a long way away. He runs out to welcome him back in with open arms. He puts the family ring back on his finger. You're in the family mate.

You're not going to just be a servant. Yeah. I know you've messed up. I know you've done Bad things, but you're back in the family. You're reinstated as as a child.

And the father says your brother who was lost is now found and he throws open the doors of the family home. That's the step that this rich young man has to take as he's going away sad from Jesus. He's taken the first step. He knows he's a beggar. He knows he's lost.

He knows he's on the outside. What must I do to inherit eternal life? No. I can't do it. I've got to ask Jesus to do it for me.

Actually, we don't know if he took that second step. It's interesting. That story isn't concluded. We don't see the ending of that young man. And maybe that's deliberately left open ended for us.

To think, well, what would I do? Will I go away sad from Jesus knowing that I can't do it myself and leave it there? I'm actually gonna cry out for help. I'm actually gonna do something about it. So that's asking for salvation, but I think that this asking seeking and knocking isn't just limited to salvation.

Maybe you're a Christian here. Maybe you're a Christian a long time. And you think, well, I've already asked. I've already sought, and I've already knocked. But actually, it's not just salvation.

I think this is also sanctification too. Because if you're a believer, how often do we say, I do believe lord help me in my unbelief. I do believe, but I really struggle with this. So help me. In fact, James chapter 1 verse 5 says, if any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it'll be given to you.

So this is a promise. Askseek, not. This is a promise for you if you're a Christian here as well. Not just to come into the kingdom, but to grow in the kingdom, to grow in your faith, to learn more. So if you're struggling with a particular sin, if you find yourself constantly falling short and coming back to God as a beggar, If you feel like you really need to grow in a particular place in your life, then keep asking God for help.

Keep actively seeking the scriptures. That's another thing here. Asking is fairly passive, seeking and knocking are active. You have to leave the pigsty. You have to leave the empty bottles of alcohol and the brothels.

And the friends that are good for nothing, and come back to the father. There's an active part to asking seeking and knocking. We got to turn our ear to wisdom is what we've been hearing in Proverbs. Pay attention to God's word. Yes, seeds are being sown.

God in his graces, given us his word. Is it pinging off for you right now? Finally, what is the reason we can do all of this? The 1 we ask is our heavenly father. That's what we heard this morning.

It's amazing. Bible is the word of God, isn't it? Verse 9, which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone or if he asks for a fish, we'll give them a snake. If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your father in heaven give good gifts?

To those who ask him. I met a lady once who had been on a mission somewhere in the world. I can't remember exactly where. And she was having dinner with a family 1 day around a campfire. And a child was asking his father for some fish.

So she saw this parable play out. It was amazing. And the little kids there, he's like fishy fishy fishy. And the dad gets up to give him some fish, but as he gets up to give him some fish, a snake curls into view behind the child. And so the kids are like fishy fishy fishy fishy fishy.

Thinkingy. Thinkingy. Thinkingy. Thinking the dad doesn't care. Thinking the dad doesn't hear.

Actually, the dad first gets up, picks up a stick and flings the snake as far as he can fling it away from the child. Before giving his son some fish. And she thought, wow, I've just seen that parable play out. And that's us who are evil Jesus we're evil Jesus says. And that's how we treat our children.

We're first going to fling the snake away before we feed them because we love them and care about them. How much more will God do for us, if that's what we do for our children. And look, I wanna say Ferrari is an okay gift to ask for, if you wanna ask God for that. A new job can be a good gift. And a child is a good gift as well if you if you want that.

And we can ask for those things. It's an amazing thing we can come to our heavenly father with with all kinds of requests we're free to do that, but look, salvation is a better gift. And God promises that those who are seeking knock will be given, we'll find, and the door will be opened. Sanctification is a better gift than a Ferrari. So ask seek and knock for sanctification.

So what are you asking for? If you are on the outside, if you're a beggar, if you're lost, come inside. Jesus is inviting you inside. Maybe you're on the out looking in, the door has been opened. You've heard some preaching.

You sort of know what it looks like inside, but you're still outside. Well, you're not the only 1 who's knocking. There's someone knocking at your door, and that's Jesus. He wants to come inside and eat with you. So let him in.

Come on in. Don't hang about outside. You're not a stranger. Part of the family. Come in.

If you're a Christian, then then let yourself be exposed by these sermons. Don't try and think you tick all the boxes as we listen to the sermon on the mount. Jesus isn't preaching, try harder to us. He's taken us up the mountain showing us the view and we go, I cannot do it. I need your help, Jesus.

I need your blood to cover me. I need your righteousness, not mine. So keep asking for God to help you live in his kingdom. Keep searching the scriptures, for wisdom, for understanding. Keep knocking on the door for that blessing.

I love that picture of Jacob wrestling. I will not let you go until you bless me. We'll be like that with God. And finally, God doesn't give us these things automatically. It's it's part of the way he's designed life that we have to go and ask him for them.

Wouldn't it be nice if God just sanctified you like that, and you woke up tomorrow without having to struggle with those things anymore. He hasn't designed life like that. He wants us to come to him and ask him for help. So let's ask, let's seek, let's knock, let's pray. Father, we thank you that you sent Jesus to come and preach this sermon to us.

That as we hear his words, we measure ourselves against them and fall completely flat on the floor every time. Lord, we're beggars, we're lost, we're enemies, we're outside, and we need to ask, we need to seek, we need to not We thank you for the Lord Jesus. We died on the cross for our sins so that we can come inside the family estate and be your children. I pray that you'd help us please to to be people who ask, seek and knock. In Jesus' name, amen.