1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,458 So I'm going to go ahead and pray and then we'll get 2 00:00:02,458 --> 00:00:03,417 right to work in Luke. 3 00:00:03,417 --> 00:00:05,833 Father God, I thank you first of all that we get 4 00:00:05,833 --> 00:00:08,000 to call you Father, just like Jesus said 5 00:00:08,042 --> 00:00:10,542 we should and we could. 6 00:00:10,625 --> 00:00:13,375 And so God, we thank you for being a loving dad who hears 7 00:00:13,458 --> 00:00:15,542 and answers our prayers. 8 00:00:15,625 --> 00:00:19,333 Any time, we can bring anything to you and you're happy to hear 9 00:00:19,417 --> 00:00:20,667 from your children. 10 00:00:20,750 --> 00:00:22,250 Father, we thank you for that. 11 00:00:22,333 --> 00:00:24,250 Jesus, we thank you for being the perfect big brother, 12 00:00:24,333 --> 00:00:26,333 who has taken away sin. 13 00:00:26,375 --> 00:00:29,792 And Father, we thank you as well for the gift of the Holy Spirit. 14 00:00:29,833 --> 00:00:32,833 Holy Spirit, we invite you to illuminate the Scriptures you 15 00:00:32,917 --> 00:00:35,958 have inspired to be written and to conform us to the image 16 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,750 of Jesus and to teach us to pray as he did. 17 00:00:38,833 --> 00:00:40,917 And we ask for this grace in his good name. 18 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,375 Amen. 19 00:00:42,458 --> 00:00:45,167 And as we get into it today, here is Luke 11. 20 00:00:45,250 --> 00:00:48,833 It starts with Jesus praying and the disciples coming to him, 21 00:00:48,875 --> 00:00:51,667 observing him praying, and asking Jesus this very 22 00:00:51,750 --> 00:00:54,417 curious question in Luke 11:1. 23 00:00:54,500 --> 00:00:57,500 They ask, "Lord, teach us to pray." 24 00:00:57,542 --> 00:01:00,667 Jesus then gives them a model of prayer called the Lord's Prayer, 25 00:01:00,750 --> 00:01:04,500 something that we investigated last week, and then this week 26 00:01:04,583 --> 00:01:06,917 we will look at some additional parables 27 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,500 and principles for prayer. 28 00:01:08,583 --> 00:01:11,125 He will give us a parable and a principle and a parable 29 00:01:11,167 --> 00:01:12,500 and a principle. 30 00:01:12,583 --> 00:01:15,250 And a parable is a story, an illustration, an analogy, 31 00:01:15,333 --> 00:01:20,167 a big idea through a word picture to communicate something 32 00:01:20,250 --> 00:01:22,417 about a theological concept. 33 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:26,042 And the first parable that we see is in Luke 11:5-8, 34 00:01:26,125 --> 00:01:29,125 wherein teaching about prayer, we read this, 35 00:01:29,167 --> 00:01:30,500 "And he said to them," Jesus does, 36 00:01:30,583 --> 00:01:33,833 "which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight 37 00:01:33,875 --> 00:01:36,167 and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, 38 00:01:36,250 --> 00:01:38,500 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey 39 00:01:38,542 --> 00:01:42,000 and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within, 40 00:01:42,083 --> 00:01:44,583 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, 41 00:01:44,667 --> 00:01:46,417 and my children are with me in bed. 42 00:01:46,500 --> 00:01:49,167 I cannot get up and give you anything.'? 43 00:01:49,208 --> 00:01:51,958 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything 44 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,875 because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence--" 45 00:01:54,958 --> 00:01:57,167 or his shamelessness. 46 00:01:57,250 --> 00:01:59,458 That's probably the best rendering of the Greek term-- 47 00:01:59,500 --> 00:02:02,542 "He will rise and give him whatever he needs." 48 00:02:02,625 --> 00:02:04,125 Here's the story. 49 00:02:04,167 --> 00:02:06,875 In that day, people would travel, oftentimes on foot, 50 00:02:06,958 --> 00:02:10,083 sometimes on the back of an animal, and it would be a long, 51 00:02:10,167 --> 00:02:14,333 arduous journey and they would pull into what was often a small town. 52 00:02:14,375 --> 00:02:16,500 Usually, the small town didn't have a Motel 6 53 00:02:16,542 --> 00:02:19,583 where somebody left the light on for you, so when you rolled in at night, 54 00:02:19,667 --> 00:02:21,542 you needed to find a place to stay. 55 00:02:21,625 --> 00:02:25,667 Maybe there would be a small inn, but oftentimes those places were-- 56 00:02:25,708 --> 00:02:28,333 quite frankly they were seedy and they were dangerous. 57 00:02:28,375 --> 00:02:32,167 So the best-case scenario was to find a residence of someone 58 00:02:32,250 --> 00:02:34,250 you knew, a friend, or a friend of a friend, 59 00:02:34,333 --> 00:02:36,000 or a friend of a friend's friend. 60 00:02:36,042 --> 00:02:38,542 And you would go up and you would knock on the door, 61 00:02:38,625 --> 00:02:41,542 and as it is in many eastern cultures in this day, 62 00:02:41,625 --> 00:02:44,167 there was this obligation of cultural hospitality 63 00:02:44,208 --> 00:02:46,042 that someone would let you in to stay 64 00:02:46,125 --> 00:02:48,333 at their house and to eat their food 65 00:02:48,417 --> 00:02:50,042 and to care for you. 66 00:02:50,125 --> 00:02:52,542 And, as it is in eastern culture, you wouldn't want to reject 67 00:02:52,625 --> 00:02:54,833 them because then you would lose face. 68 00:02:54,875 --> 00:02:58,208 You would be ashamed and it's all about keeping up appearances 69 00:02:58,292 --> 00:03:00,542 as a good citizen and friend. 70 00:03:00,625 --> 00:03:02,667 And the story here is that someone has been travelling, 71 00:03:02,750 --> 00:03:07,833 we can infer, a very long distance and they arrive at what time? 72 00:03:07,875 --> 00:03:13,000 Midnight, which for many of us is not late because we have electricity, all right? 73 00:03:13,042 --> 00:03:14,833 For the college kids, you're like, "Midnight's awesome. 74 00:03:14,875 --> 00:03:16,667 It's the best time for breakfast, because I'm up 75 00:03:16,708 --> 00:03:18,292 at the crack of dinner," right? 76 00:03:18,333 --> 00:03:22,125 Midnight in that culture, though, was very, very late, 77 00:03:22,167 --> 00:03:25,667 because when the sun went down, no electricity, you go home. 78 00:03:25,708 --> 00:03:27,125 You have dinner, you go to bed. 79 00:03:27,167 --> 00:03:29,667 And when the sun comes up in the morning, you get up 80 00:03:29,708 --> 00:03:31,500 and you go to work, because you're usually working 81 00:03:31,542 --> 00:03:34,625 in an agrarian society, hunting, fishing, farming, 82 00:03:34,667 --> 00:03:36,167 those kinds of things. 83 00:03:36,208 --> 00:03:38,333 So midnight is very late. 84 00:03:38,375 --> 00:03:39,917 And someone comes to your home at midnight 85 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,917 and they're banging on the door. 86 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,458 You open the door, you say, "What can I do for you? 87 00:03:45,500 --> 00:03:48,083 "Oh, you're a friend or a friend of a friend's friend, 88 00:03:48,167 --> 00:03:50,833 and you need a place to stay and you need food to eat." 89 00:03:50,875 --> 00:03:53,708 The problem is, in the parable, you don't have any food. 90 00:03:53,792 --> 00:03:55,167 You didn't know they were coming. 91 00:03:55,250 --> 00:03:58,375 They didn't text message you in advance 2,000 years ago on, 92 00:03:58,458 --> 00:04:00,542 you know, the iPhone 1.0. 93 00:04:00,625 --> 00:04:03,000 It--somehow the message didn't get there in time. 94 00:04:03,083 --> 00:04:06,042 So next thing you know, you're in a shameful position. 95 00:04:06,125 --> 00:04:07,500 You don't have any food to eat. 96 00:04:07,583 --> 00:04:10,417 You think, "Oh, I can't go to 7-Eleven, we haven't invented 7-Eleven yet. 97 00:04:10,542 --> 00:04:13,042 "I can't go to Jack in the Box and get a taquito, 98 00:04:13,125 --> 00:04:15,250 "we don't have taquitos, we're Hebrew. 99 00:04:15,333 --> 00:04:18,000 "How will I feed these people? What shall I do? 100 00:04:18,042 --> 00:04:19,375 "I cannot call Domino's. 101 00:04:19,458 --> 00:04:21,000 "A kid in a car cannot drive here. 102 00:04:21,083 --> 00:04:23,375 "He will come on a camel and he doesn't make pizza 103 00:04:23,458 --> 00:04:24,917 "and it's gonna take too long. 104 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:26,458 "Woe is me. What shall I do? 105 00:04:26,500 --> 00:04:27,958 "How shall I feed my friend? 106 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:29,292 "I know what I'll do! 107 00:04:29,333 --> 00:04:33,125 "I'll go to my neighbor's house and I'll bang on his door 108 00:04:33,167 --> 00:04:35,333 and I'll make my problems his problems." 109 00:04:35,375 --> 00:04:38,833 Do you have a friend like this? You do. 110 00:04:38,875 --> 00:04:41,125 You brought them to Mars Hill, trying to fix them. 111 00:04:41,167 --> 00:04:43,458 Welcome, friend! Welcome. 112 00:04:43,500 --> 00:04:45,167 [congregation laughing] 113 00:04:45,208 --> 00:04:48,333 So, you're neighbor makes their problem your problem. 114 00:04:48,417 --> 00:04:49,750 They come knock on your door. 115 00:04:49,833 --> 00:04:51,500 "Hey, somebody just showed up at my house. 116 00:04:51,583 --> 00:04:53,625 They need something to eat. I need some bread." 117 00:04:53,667 --> 00:04:56,792 Because you don't have much food, you're a poor family, 118 00:04:56,833 --> 00:04:59,375 and the guy who is your neighbor says, 119 00:04:59,458 --> 00:05:02,417 "Hey, we sleep in a small one-room home. 120 00:05:02,500 --> 00:05:03,875 "We're flat broke. 121 00:05:03,958 --> 00:05:06,000 "And we don't even each have our own bedroom. 122 00:05:06,042 --> 00:05:08,417 "We take a mat and we roll it out on the floor, 123 00:05:08,500 --> 00:05:10,333 "and me and the kids and the wife, 124 00:05:10,375 --> 00:05:14,125 we're all sleeping together, which, quite frankly is miserable." 125 00:05:14,167 --> 00:05:16,000 Can you imagine that? Sleeping with all your kids? 126 00:05:16,083 --> 00:05:17,500 I have five kids. 127 00:05:17,542 --> 00:05:19,958 Every time one kid gets sick, this is how it always works. 128 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,667 They climb into bed, I lie like this, 129 00:05:21,750 --> 00:05:24,333 Grace lays like this, and the kids always lay sideways. 130 00:05:24,417 --> 00:05:25,667 They don't get it. 131 00:05:25,750 --> 00:05:27,833 They don't understand the geometry of sleeping in the bed. 132 00:05:27,917 --> 00:05:30,000 And they always wanna sleep in the middle, which separates 133 00:05:30,083 --> 00:05:32,167 me from my wife, and she always gets the head 134 00:05:32,250 --> 00:05:34,333 and I always get the feet and I hate that. 135 00:05:34,417 --> 00:05:38,417 Little toes in my nose. I hate that. 136 00:05:38,500 --> 00:05:41,000 So this guy's sleeping in bed with his wife and his kids, 137 00:05:41,083 --> 00:05:44,042 they got the mat rolled out on the floor, you can see that 138 00:05:44,125 --> 00:05:46,500 the wife's probably got the head 'cause the kids love to snuggle 139 00:05:46,542 --> 00:05:47,833 with their mom, you know? 140 00:05:47,875 --> 00:05:49,625 And he's getting Brazilian jiu jitsu ground and pound 141 00:05:49,667 --> 00:05:53,125 on the other side of the mat by the kid heeling him in the nose. 142 00:05:53,167 --> 00:05:55,333 And the neighbor comes over and bangs on the door, says, 143 00:05:55,417 --> 00:05:58,500 "I need a loaf of bread or a couple loaves of bread." 144 00:05:58,583 --> 00:06:00,083 And the guy says, "Hey, it's midnight. 145 00:06:00,167 --> 00:06:01,750 "You're gonna wake up my whole family. 146 00:06:01,833 --> 00:06:04,250 We're trying to sleep. Don't you know what time it is?" 147 00:06:04,333 --> 00:06:07,125 And the rude, inconsiderate, shameless neighbor says, 148 00:06:07,167 --> 00:06:09,792 "I do know what time it is, but I'm going to stand here 149 00:06:09,833 --> 00:06:13,250 "and beat on the door until I get myself a few loaves of bread 150 00:06:13,333 --> 00:06:16,667 'cause that's the kind of neighbor I am." 151 00:06:16,708 --> 00:06:20,083 What do you do? Eventually, you open the door. 152 00:06:20,167 --> 00:06:22,875 Because you can't let--you can't let this guy wake your kids up. 153 00:06:22,958 --> 00:06:25,375 Kids have no idea what time it is. 154 00:06:25,458 --> 00:06:28,792 It's midnight, but if they wake up, they're like, "Awesome. 155 00:06:28,833 --> 00:06:31,375 Night's over. Time for Wiffle Ball," right? 156 00:06:31,458 --> 00:06:32,750 That's what's gonna happen. 157 00:06:32,833 --> 00:06:35,000 You're going to have a midnight Wiffle Ball game. 158 00:06:35,083 --> 00:06:38,500 And so the guy gets up and he opens the door, "What? What do you want?" 159 00:06:38,542 --> 00:06:39,417 Just, "I want bread. 160 00:06:39,500 --> 00:06:41,833 Give it to me or I'm gonna keep banging on the door." 161 00:06:41,917 --> 00:06:46,000 "Great, have your bread. Leave me alone." 162 00:06:46,083 --> 00:06:48,917 And Jesus' point is not, "Hey, when you pray, pray like that. 163 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,333 Pray like a rude neighbor." 164 00:06:50,375 --> 00:06:51,833 That's not the big idea. 165 00:06:51,875 --> 00:06:55,000 But the big idea is, even if someone is being rude 166 00:06:55,083 --> 00:06:59,667 and inconsiderate and shameless and really bossy and pushy 167 00:06:59,708 --> 00:07:02,375 and some of us are like that. 168 00:07:02,458 --> 00:07:07,083 Some of us are professionally like that, hypothetically. 169 00:07:07,167 --> 00:07:09,708 That's what I do for a living. 170 00:07:09,792 --> 00:07:12,167 Even if this person is kind of rude and kind of bossy, 171 00:07:12,250 --> 00:07:15,667 kind of pushy, eventually we still meet their request. 172 00:07:15,708 --> 00:07:17,000 Why? 173 00:07:17,083 --> 00:07:19,542 Because ultimately we do care and even though they're 174 00:07:19,625 --> 00:07:21,542 frustrating us we're going to meet their need. 175 00:07:21,625 --> 00:07:24,958 And so in comparison to prayer, here's what he's saying. 176 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:29,500 He's saying that even if we're not the greatest children of God, 177 00:07:29,583 --> 00:07:33,167 even if we're not having the best intentions or motives, 178 00:07:33,208 --> 00:07:35,000 our God is loving, gracious, and kind. 179 00:07:35,042 --> 00:07:38,667 And we don't need to make him be good, he just is. 180 00:07:38,708 --> 00:07:42,167 And so we should just come to him, day or night, 24/7, 181 00:07:42,250 --> 00:07:45,292 because God is a Father who loves us and he's never asleep 182 00:07:45,333 --> 00:07:48,000 and he's never tired and he's never weary. 183 00:07:48,042 --> 00:07:51,500 He's not unable or incapable or inconvenienced 184 00:07:51,542 --> 00:07:53,083 as a neighbor would be. 185 00:07:53,167 --> 00:07:55,750 So if we're going to go bug our neighbor for something, 186 00:07:55,833 --> 00:07:58,917 we should just go talk to God as well, anytime about anything 187 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,375 and God hears and answers all prayer. 188 00:08:03,458 --> 00:08:07,250 And so then he gives us this parable and then he follows it up 189 00:08:07,333 --> 00:08:10,333 with a principle regarding prayer. 190 00:08:10,375 --> 00:08:13,292 Luke 11:9-10, "And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; 191 00:08:13,333 --> 00:08:16,000 seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 192 00:08:16,083 --> 00:08:18,292 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, 193 00:08:18,333 --> 00:08:20,500 and to the one who knocks it will be opened." 194 00:08:20,583 --> 00:08:22,375 He says that prayer is about three things: 195 00:08:22,458 --> 00:08:24,708 asking, seeking, knocking. 196 00:08:24,792 --> 00:08:26,042 That's prayer. 197 00:08:26,125 --> 00:08:28,083 So we do community groups all over the region. 198 00:08:28,167 --> 00:08:29,833 If you're not in one, get in one. 199 00:08:29,917 --> 00:08:33,000 And you'll learn how to pray, pray with, and for others. 200 00:08:33,083 --> 00:08:35,833 And one thing I want to set the community groups up to do 201 00:08:35,875 --> 00:08:38,083 this week is a lot of praying for one another, 202 00:08:38,167 --> 00:08:40,208 asking, seeking, knocking. 203 00:08:40,292 --> 00:08:44,208 So asking is going to God, as Father who loves us, 204 00:08:44,292 --> 00:08:45,750 and saying, "Dad, here's what I want. 205 00:08:45,833 --> 00:08:47,833 "Dad, here's what I need. Dad, here's where I'm at. 206 00:08:47,917 --> 00:08:51,542 Dad, I really need you to show up." 207 00:08:51,625 --> 00:08:56,000 It's asking. And I would ask you, what have you not asked him? 208 00:08:56,083 --> 00:08:57,875 What have you not talked to God about? 209 00:08:57,958 --> 00:09:00,667 What have you not brought to God? Because some of you are planners. 210 00:09:00,708 --> 00:09:02,708 A bad thing happens or a need comes, you're like, 211 00:09:02,792 --> 00:09:04,458 "I don't need God. I need a plan." 212 00:09:04,500 --> 00:09:07,000 You need to talk to the Father before you make your plan. 213 00:09:07,042 --> 00:09:08,667 Some of you just freak out. 214 00:09:08,708 --> 00:09:11,708 You don't make a plan or talk to the Father, you just freak out. 215 00:09:11,792 --> 00:09:13,167 How's that going? All right? 216 00:09:13,208 --> 00:09:14,833 Freaking out never helped anything. 217 00:09:14,875 --> 00:09:17,167 Some of you are freaking out that I just told you 218 00:09:17,208 --> 00:09:18,625 that freaking out doesn't help. 219 00:09:18,667 --> 00:09:20,542 All right? It doesn't help. 220 00:09:20,625 --> 00:09:22,875 Don't just make a plan, don't just freak out. 221 00:09:22,958 --> 00:09:26,042 First things first, go to talk to the Father and asks. 222 00:09:26,125 --> 00:09:29,083 Just--"asks." Oh, boy. You can tell what kind of day that-- 223 00:09:29,167 --> 00:09:30,500 I'm hopped up on cold medicine. 224 00:09:30,583 --> 00:09:32,833 This could end good or bad. We'll see how it goes. 225 00:09:32,917 --> 00:09:34,333 Hang in there till the end. 226 00:09:34,417 --> 00:09:37,792 You go ask the Father, "Here's where I'm at, here's what I need." 227 00:09:37,833 --> 00:09:40,375 And then seek. You can't just say, "Well, I prayed about it, 228 00:09:40,458 --> 00:09:42,500 and now I'm going to sit here and do nothing." 229 00:09:42,542 --> 00:09:44,375 You got to get up and go do something. 230 00:09:44,458 --> 00:09:46,917 You got to seek, you got to work, you got to pursue 231 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:48,667 answers to your request. 232 00:09:48,750 --> 00:09:51,125 And if that doesn't work and it still hasn't been answered, 233 00:09:51,167 --> 00:09:52,708 you just keep banging on the door. 234 00:09:52,792 --> 00:09:56,042 You keep knocking. I'll give you a few examples. You need a job. 235 00:09:56,125 --> 00:09:58,042 First thing you do? You go to God the Father. 236 00:09:58,125 --> 00:10:01,750 "Dad, I need a job. I need this kind of job, be nice if I had benefits, 237 00:10:01,833 --> 00:10:03,167 here's what I'm looking for. 238 00:10:03,250 --> 00:10:04,667 Father, I need a job." 239 00:10:04,750 --> 00:10:06,292 You can't just say, "Well, I did it. 240 00:10:06,333 --> 00:10:08,875 "That's it, I'm sitting at home and as soon as someone comes 241 00:10:08,958 --> 00:10:11,417 "and knocks on the door at my house and says, 'Well, hey, 242 00:10:11,500 --> 00:10:13,167 "'we heard you were looking for a job 243 00:10:13,250 --> 00:10:15,500 and we're willing to give you one,' then God will provide." 244 00:10:15,542 --> 00:10:17,833 No, what do you do? You get up. You go out. 245 00:10:17,875 --> 00:10:20,000 You fill out applications. You go to job interviews. 246 00:10:20,042 --> 00:10:22,000 You go out and seek a job. 247 00:10:22,083 --> 00:10:24,458 And you literally go out knocking on doors. 248 00:10:24,500 --> 00:10:26,125 "Hey, are you hiring? Are you hiring? 249 00:10:26,167 --> 00:10:27,667 Are you hiring? I need a job." 250 00:10:27,708 --> 00:10:31,000 You pursue it actively, vigorously, passionately. 251 00:10:31,042 --> 00:10:34,125 All right? Same with a wife. Some of you guys here are single. 252 00:10:34,167 --> 00:10:36,833 You say--first thing you do, talk to the Father, "Father God, 253 00:10:36,875 --> 00:10:40,458 "I would like a wife, someone who loves you and finds me interesting. 254 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:43,500 I know it's a miracle, but you walked on water. You can do this." 255 00:10:43,583 --> 00:10:44,750 [congregation laughing] 256 00:10:44,833 --> 00:10:48,208 "It just takes one girl. That's all I need. 257 00:10:48,292 --> 00:10:49,625 So Father, give me a girl." 258 00:10:49,667 --> 00:10:52,500 But you can't--you can't just sit at home, you know, 259 00:10:52,583 --> 00:10:56,042 playing World of Warcraft, expecting her to come knock on your door. 260 00:10:56,125 --> 00:10:58,167 Any girl that does come and knock on your door, 261 00:10:58,250 --> 00:10:59,708 that's the wrong girl, right? 262 00:10:59,792 --> 00:11:02,458 So you got to go seek, you got to go look for her. 263 00:11:02,500 --> 00:11:04,958 You got to go to Mars Hill, where your odds are better. 264 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,042 You got to go look for a girl. 265 00:11:07,125 --> 00:11:09,792 And then you got to knock, you got to, "Hey, how you doing? 266 00:11:09,833 --> 00:11:11,167 "My name's so-and-so. 267 00:11:11,250 --> 00:11:13,167 Look, my shirt has buttons." 268 00:11:13,250 --> 00:11:15,167 Back to my previous point, "I have a job." 269 00:11:15,250 --> 00:11:19,167 You got to knock. You got to seek. You got to ask, right? 270 00:11:19,250 --> 00:11:22,083 You just do. You just do. 271 00:11:22,167 --> 00:11:24,750 So prayer is about asking, seeking, knocking. 272 00:11:24,833 --> 00:11:26,708 And what happens if your prayer isn't answered? 273 00:11:26,792 --> 00:11:30,917 Keep praying. Keep seeking. Keep asking. Keep knocking. 274 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:32,458 That's the big idea. 275 00:11:32,500 --> 00:11:35,250 And God's a Dad who loves you. 276 00:11:35,333 --> 00:11:37,417 So keep bringing your requests to him. 277 00:11:37,500 --> 00:11:40,500 And God always answers prayer, sometimes yes, sometimes no, 278 00:11:40,542 --> 00:11:43,125 sometimes later, but like every loving parent, 279 00:11:43,167 --> 00:11:52,333 he in fact does hear and answer all prayer. 280 00:11:52,917 --> 00:11:54,917 Now let me say this as well. 281 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,708 The reason we can ask, seek, and knock God is because 282 00:11:57,792 --> 00:12:02,667 through Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, our faith in him, 283 00:12:02,708 --> 00:12:06,708 our sins are forgiven, his grace is given, and we are adopted 284 00:12:06,792 --> 00:12:10,625 into the family of God and God is our Father, 285 00:12:10,667 --> 00:12:13,500 so we can approach him like kids approach a loving dad. 286 00:12:13,583 --> 00:12:17,042 So if you want to know prayer, don't look at religious people. 287 00:12:17,125 --> 00:12:23,375 Look at children who love and are loved by their father. 288 00:12:23,458 --> 00:12:25,667 I'll give you an example of what this looks like. 289 00:12:25,750 --> 00:12:27,667 It happened to me yesterday, all right? 290 00:12:27,750 --> 00:12:30,500 I woke up, I'm not feeling very well. 291 00:12:30,583 --> 00:12:32,500 I was home and it was my day off. 292 00:12:32,542 --> 00:12:34,667 I had to go preach to-- it was awesome, 293 00:12:34,708 --> 00:12:37,583 like a couple thousand high school kids, and hundreds received Christ, 294 00:12:37,667 --> 00:12:40,583 but I was going to have the morning and early afternoon off, 295 00:12:40,667 --> 00:12:44,000 at home with my family on college football game day, 296 00:12:44,083 --> 00:12:45,500 praise the Lord. 297 00:12:45,542 --> 00:12:47,000 And so I was like, "That's it. 298 00:12:47,042 --> 00:12:51,333 "I am going to sit down and I am going to watch college football. 299 00:12:51,375 --> 00:12:52,958 That's what I'm going to do." 300 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:58,583 So instead, I'm upstairs and I hear my daughter's 301 00:12:58,667 --> 00:13:00,583 asking for me. 302 00:13:00,667 --> 00:13:03,167 "Hey, Dad? Dad? Dad? 303 00:13:03,250 --> 00:13:05,542 Hey, where's dad? Where's dad? What's dad doing?" 304 00:13:05,625 --> 00:13:07,375 She's asking for me. She can't find me. 305 00:13:07,458 --> 00:13:09,542 So she starts seeking me. 306 00:13:09,625 --> 00:13:12,458 And I hear her voice get more distant, she's in the playroom. 307 00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:15,167 I hear her voice get louder, louder, she comes upstairs. 308 00:13:15,250 --> 00:13:16,792 She's looking in every room. 309 00:13:16,833 --> 00:13:19,833 She's very consistent, very committed to finding me. 310 00:13:19,875 --> 00:13:23,667 "Hey, dad? Where are you at? She's seeking me. 311 00:13:23,750 --> 00:13:26,000 She comes to the very last room in the house 312 00:13:26,042 --> 00:13:28,708 that she has not checked, my bathroom. 313 00:13:28,792 --> 00:13:30,625 [congregation laughing] 314 00:13:30,667 --> 00:13:33,333 And she comes, asking, seeking, knocking. 315 00:13:33,417 --> 00:13:34,833 "Dad, are you in there? 316 00:13:34,875 --> 00:13:36,458 "Dad, I know you're in there. 317 00:13:36,500 --> 00:13:37,917 "Dad, you have to be in there. 318 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:39,333 I've looked in all the other rooms." 319 00:13:39,417 --> 00:13:42,292 "Yes, I am in here." "What are you doing?" 320 00:13:42,333 --> 00:13:45,792 "I'm doing what you would guess I would be doing. 321 00:13:45,833 --> 00:13:49,458 "This is not a place to do a lot of other things. 322 00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:56,417 "This is sort of a one-purpose room that I find myself in. 323 00:13:56,500 --> 00:13:59,125 "Why are you asking for me, seeking me, 324 00:13:59,167 --> 00:14:01,042 and knocking after me?" 325 00:14:01,125 --> 00:14:03,125 "Dad, I want to watch Tinkerbell." 326 00:14:03,167 --> 00:14:05,875 "Hmm, well then feel free to do that." 327 00:14:05,958 --> 00:14:08,042 "No, I want to watch Tinkerbell with you." 328 00:14:08,125 --> 00:14:10,167 "Great, someday we will watch Tinkerbell." 329 00:14:10,208 --> 00:14:12,208 [congregation laughing] 330 00:14:12,292 --> 00:14:14,500 "Hypothetically." 331 00:14:14,583 --> 00:14:17,292 "No, dad, I want to watch Tinkerbell right now. 332 00:14:17,333 --> 00:14:21,250 "Right now. I have to watch Tinkerbell. 333 00:14:21,333 --> 00:14:22,625 So let's watch Tinkerbell." 334 00:14:22,667 --> 00:14:24,458 "I don't want to watch Tinkerbell. 335 00:14:24,500 --> 00:14:26,333 "I don't like Tinkerbell. 336 00:14:26,417 --> 00:14:29,417 "I like football, college football, to the glory of God 337 00:14:29,500 --> 00:14:31,000 and the joy of all people." 338 00:14:31,083 --> 00:14:32,958 [congregation laughing] 339 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,458 That was the plan. 340 00:14:34,500 --> 00:14:38,500 That was the sovereign plan of the God of the universe 341 00:14:38,542 --> 00:14:40,833 that I would sit in my pajamas and drink coffee 342 00:14:40,875 --> 00:14:43,000 and watch young men hurt each other. 343 00:14:43,083 --> 00:14:45,833 That was my plan. 344 00:14:45,917 --> 00:14:47,625 So she keeps knocking, "No, dad, 345 00:14:47,667 --> 00:14:50,458 let's watch Tinkerbell right now." 346 00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:53,000 "Honey, I'll tell you what. I'll think about it." 347 00:14:53,042 --> 00:14:57,583 Which is a way of saying no, but I said no and it didn't work. 348 00:14:57,667 --> 00:14:59,625 So I said, "Well let me think about it, 349 00:14:59,667 --> 00:15:01,583 and I'll talk to you a little later." 350 00:15:01,667 --> 00:15:03,708 "Okay, Dad, how long is a little later?" 351 00:15:03,792 --> 00:15:06,792 "Well, it'll be a while." "Okay, dad." 352 00:15:06,833 --> 00:15:11,542 Literally ten seconds later, "Have you thought about it?" 353 00:15:11,625 --> 00:15:13,708 "Thought about what?" "Thought about watching Tinkerbell, Dad?" 354 00:15:13,792 --> 00:15:15,708 "Well, honey, why don't you watch football with me?" 355 00:15:15,792 --> 00:15:18,333 "I don't like football." Well, I don't like Tinkerbell. 356 00:15:18,417 --> 00:15:22,625 We have a terrible impasse here at the Driscoll home. 357 00:15:22,667 --> 00:15:25,167 And my daughter used my theology against me. 358 00:15:25,208 --> 00:15:26,833 She said, "Well, you are a loving father 359 00:15:26,917 --> 00:15:29,292 "and I know that you will watch Tinkerbell 360 00:15:29,333 --> 00:15:32,208 because daddies are supposed to love their children." 361 00:15:32,292 --> 00:15:33,958 [congregation laughing] 362 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,042 Stinky Pete, I just got assassinated 363 00:15:36,125 --> 00:15:40,500 with my own theological convictions. 364 00:15:40,542 --> 00:15:44,750 "Yes, I will watch Tinkerbell," to the glory of God 365 00:15:44,833 --> 00:15:46,250 and the joy of my daughter. 366 00:15:46,333 --> 00:15:50,917 So I come out of the bathroom, she's laughing, smiling, 367 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,667 "Hey, Dad, let's go watch Tinkerbell!" 368 00:15:52,750 --> 00:15:56,000 So I sat down and watched Tinkerbell. 369 00:15:56,083 --> 00:15:58,250 And it wasn't that awesome, just so you know. 370 00:15:58,333 --> 00:15:59,875 [congregation laughing] 371 00:15:59,958 --> 00:16:04,542 The story line was predictable. 372 00:16:04,625 --> 00:16:05,875 But you know what? 373 00:16:05,958 --> 00:16:10,083 Here's my daughter, asking for me, seeking me, and you know what? 374 00:16:10,167 --> 00:16:12,333 Banging on the door. Knock, knock, knock. 375 00:16:12,417 --> 00:16:14,667 Now, let's just put this in a different context. 376 00:16:14,750 --> 00:16:17,917 And I was glad to meet her request 'cause I adore her 377 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,125 and I don't like Tinkerbell, but I like her, 378 00:16:20,167 --> 00:16:23,500 so I'll snuggle with her while she's watching Tinkerbell. 379 00:16:23,583 --> 00:16:25,750 But let's say, for example, I was not at home, 380 00:16:25,833 --> 00:16:27,833 but instead I was at the Wing Dome. 381 00:16:27,917 --> 00:16:30,625 And I was eating chicken wings because I'm filled 382 00:16:30,667 --> 00:16:34,167 with the Holy Spirit and I love chicken wings. 383 00:16:34,208 --> 00:16:36,375 See, you can tell you're filled with the Holy Spirit 384 00:16:36,458 --> 00:16:37,833 not just because you speak in tongues, 385 00:16:37,917 --> 00:16:39,500 but because you love chicken wings. 386 00:16:39,583 --> 00:16:42,875 It's another evidence of God's grace in your life. 387 00:16:42,958 --> 00:16:45,000 So let me just retell the story. 388 00:16:45,083 --> 00:16:47,042 Hypothetically I'm not at home. 389 00:16:47,125 --> 00:16:49,500 I'm at the Wing Dome eating chicken wings to 390 00:16:49,542 --> 00:16:51,500 the glory of God, okay? 391 00:16:51,583 --> 00:16:53,500 And I decide to go use the restroom 392 00:16:53,542 --> 00:16:56,250 and I'm in the restroom and someone is asking for me 393 00:16:56,333 --> 00:16:59,417 and seeking me and a grown man, large man, 394 00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:01,375 college football fan, because we're all there 395 00:17:01,458 --> 00:17:03,167 to eat chicken wings to the glory of God 396 00:17:03,250 --> 00:17:05,542 and to watch college football, comes into the bathroom 397 00:17:05,625 --> 00:17:07,292 and is knocking on the door. 398 00:17:07,333 --> 00:17:09,000 "Pastor Mark, are you in there? 399 00:17:09,083 --> 00:17:12,750 "Pastor Mark, can we watch Tinkerbell? 400 00:17:12,833 --> 00:17:14,792 "Pastor Mark, can we watch Tinkerbell instead 401 00:17:14,833 --> 00:17:17,208 of college football right now?" 402 00:17:17,292 --> 00:17:19,167 The answer would have been considerably different 403 00:17:19,250 --> 00:17:21,333 than the one that Alexie received. 404 00:17:21,375 --> 00:17:24,458 It wouldn't have been, "Yes, I will snuggle with you and watch Tinkerbell." 405 00:17:24,500 --> 00:17:26,042 [congregation laughing] 406 00:17:26,125 --> 00:17:27,625 It would be, "Give me one minute. 407 00:17:27,667 --> 00:17:29,500 "Almost all the chambers are loaded. 408 00:17:29,542 --> 00:17:31,000 I'll be right out." 409 00:17:31,083 --> 00:17:33,333 Right? 410 00:17:33,417 --> 00:17:35,667 And the difference between that kind of request 411 00:17:35,708 --> 00:17:39,167 and the request of Alexie and how it is answered is this, 412 00:17:39,250 --> 00:17:41,375 she's my daughter, I love her. 413 00:17:41,458 --> 00:17:44,708 And so I have a relationship with her where she can ask 414 00:17:44,792 --> 00:17:49,000 for me and seek me and keep banging on the proverbial door, 415 00:17:49,042 --> 00:17:52,792 and because I love her, I'm going to ask for God 416 00:17:52,833 --> 00:17:55,750 to give me the grace to meet her needs and to serve her well 417 00:17:55,833 --> 00:18:00,625 in a way that I wouldn't for a total stranger at the Wing Dome. 418 00:18:00,667 --> 00:18:04,000 Now, this is the big idea of what Jesus is saying. 419 00:18:04,083 --> 00:18:06,500 God's your dad! Ask for him. 420 00:18:06,583 --> 00:18:08,667 Seek him. Knock on the door. 421 00:18:08,708 --> 00:18:10,083 Keep knocking on the door. 422 00:18:10,167 --> 00:18:13,083 Tell him what it is that you want or need. 423 00:18:13,167 --> 00:18:15,333 We're talking about here bringing to Dad your needs, 424 00:18:15,417 --> 00:18:16,667 not your greeds. 425 00:18:16,750 --> 00:18:18,583 God's a Dad who does love and adore you 426 00:18:18,667 --> 00:18:21,708 and he's not gonna treat you like a stranger. 427 00:18:21,792 --> 00:18:24,583 So if you want to understand prayer, look at dads and kids. 428 00:18:24,667 --> 00:18:28,500 Don't look at religious people and their followers. 429 00:18:28,583 --> 00:18:31,958 He then moves to another interesting parable. 430 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,000 Luke 11:11-12, "What father among you, if his son asks 431 00:18:35,042 --> 00:18:38,292 for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 432 00:18:38,333 --> 00:18:40,917 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?" 433 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,542 This is a weird Tim Burton parable, right? 434 00:18:44,625 --> 00:18:47,208 That guy's got something wrong with him, man. 435 00:18:47,292 --> 00:18:49,542 "I made a kids' movie where they'll have a heart attack!" 436 00:18:49,625 --> 00:18:52,375 I mean, you just--he scares kids for a living, right? 437 00:18:52,458 --> 00:18:54,167 And this is that kind of thing. 438 00:18:54,250 --> 00:18:56,333 This is like-- this is Jesus asking 439 00:18:56,417 --> 00:18:58,625 these rhetorical questions. 440 00:18:58,667 --> 00:19:02,000 A son comes up to his dad, "Hey, Dad, can we have fish for dinner?" 441 00:19:02,083 --> 00:19:03,833 "No, but I will put scorpions all over you." 442 00:19:03,917 --> 00:19:06,125 Whoa! Wait a minute! 443 00:19:06,167 --> 00:19:09,500 That's different. 444 00:19:09,583 --> 00:19:11,208 "Okay, well how about eggs?" 445 00:19:11,292 --> 00:19:13,417 "No, how about this? Serpents." 446 00:19:13,500 --> 00:19:16,667 What? "Dad, no, you're freaking me out. 447 00:19:16,750 --> 00:19:19,167 You off your meds? 448 00:19:19,250 --> 00:19:22,792 Dad, we're not a Tim Burton film, we're a family." 449 00:19:22,833 --> 00:19:25,500 And the big idea here is that if you go to your dad, 450 00:19:25,583 --> 00:19:28,458 even if he's not a great dad, and you give a simple request, like, 451 00:19:28,500 --> 00:19:30,958 "I want a fish," he's not going to give you a serpent. 452 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,875 You ask for an egg and he's not going to give you a scorpion, 453 00:19:33,958 --> 00:19:36,750 that a decent dad, even a not-so-great-dad knows 454 00:19:36,833 --> 00:19:40,833 if your kid asks for a good thing, you don't give them a bad thing. 455 00:19:40,875 --> 00:19:43,333 But here's the big idea in prayer. God's a Father. 456 00:19:43,375 --> 00:19:45,708 Some of you are not 100% convinced he's good, 457 00:19:45,792 --> 00:19:47,750 and so you go to ask him for something 458 00:19:47,833 --> 00:19:50,125 but you'll be fearful of what he gives. 459 00:19:50,167 --> 00:19:53,167 Some of you will go to God and you'll say, "God, I want this." 460 00:19:53,208 --> 00:19:56,417 And you'll be, "What if I want to be with this person, but he says no?" 461 00:19:56,500 --> 00:19:59,667 Or, "What if I want this job, but he wants me to have another job?" 462 00:19:59,708 --> 00:20:02,458 And your conflict is, "You know, it sounds to me like I'm asking 463 00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:04,458 "for fish and eggs, good things, but he's giving me 464 00:20:04,500 --> 00:20:06,333 scorpions and serpents, bad things." 465 00:20:06,375 --> 00:20:08,083 And so you don't bring anything to God. 466 00:20:08,167 --> 00:20:10,875 But trust that God is a good Father and whatever he gives you 467 00:20:10,958 --> 00:20:13,875 is a good thing and you're not going to come to a good Father 468 00:20:13,958 --> 00:20:16,542 and ask for a good thing and get a bad thing. 469 00:20:16,625 --> 00:20:18,958 And some of you would even be reticent to bring your requests 470 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,708 to God because you're not sure he's going to give a good thing. 471 00:20:21,792 --> 00:20:24,167 Maybe you have sin in your life and you're ashamed of some 472 00:20:24,208 --> 00:20:26,833 of what you've said and done or failed to say and do 473 00:20:26,875 --> 00:20:28,958 and you're even afraid to go to God the Father 474 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,208 and pray and say, "Help me, forgive me, serve me, bless me, 475 00:20:32,292 --> 00:20:35,458 correct me, change me, grow me," because you're fearful 476 00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:37,167 that though you're asking for a good thing, 477 00:20:37,208 --> 00:20:39,542 he's just going to punish you and be mad at you 478 00:20:39,625 --> 00:20:43,292 and get violent with you and he's going to do a bad thing 479 00:20:43,333 --> 00:20:45,083 even though you're asking for a good thing. 480 00:20:45,167 --> 00:20:46,833 And the truth is, God's a good Dad. 481 00:20:46,875 --> 00:20:49,667 If you ask for a good thing, he's going to give a good thing. 482 00:20:49,750 --> 00:20:53,250 You don't ask for a good thing from God and get a bad thing. 483 00:20:53,333 --> 00:20:54,958 He's a good God! 484 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,417 And he's trying to give us very simple principles 485 00:20:57,500 --> 00:20:59,667 regarding prayer. 486 00:20:59,750 --> 00:21:01,917 And so it all culminates in his final statement, 487 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,167 "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts 488 00:21:05,250 --> 00:21:07,500 "to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father 489 00:21:07,542 --> 00:21:10,667 give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" 490 00:21:10,750 --> 00:21:14,792 Chapter 11 verse 1 started with the disciples asking Jesus, 491 00:21:14,833 --> 00:21:17,333 "Teach us to pray. Teach us to pray." 492 00:21:17,417 --> 00:21:21,833 And it culminates here in verse 13 that prayer is made possible 493 00:21:21,917 --> 00:21:23,417 by the Holy Spirit. 494 00:21:23,500 --> 00:21:26,708 So the answer to the request in chapter 11 verse 1 is 495 00:21:26,792 --> 00:21:30,667 the giving of the Holy Spirit in chapter 11 verse 13. 496 00:21:30,750 --> 00:21:34,167 So let me unpack this for you. 497 00:21:34,208 --> 00:21:38,500 And here he is talking about that a good Father gives good 498 00:21:38,542 --> 00:21:42,833 gifts and the greatest gift is the gift of the Holy Spirit. 499 00:21:42,917 --> 00:21:46,042 So I've got a lot to unpack and to explain here. 500 00:21:46,125 --> 00:21:50,042 The first thing he says is that even parents who are evil 501 00:21:50,125 --> 00:21:51,667 know how to give good gifts. 502 00:21:51,708 --> 00:21:53,458 So let's unpack this. 503 00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:55,375 I'll talk about fathers in general. 504 00:21:55,458 --> 00:21:57,375 This seems like a big word, does it not? 505 00:21:57,458 --> 00:21:58,875 Evil? 506 00:21:58,958 --> 00:22:00,958 That's a big word. 507 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,667 But see, fathers, we earthly fathers, unlike the perfect heavenly Father, 508 00:22:05,708 --> 00:22:09,667 we are evil, meaning we're sinful. 509 00:22:09,708 --> 00:22:12,417 There are times that we are selfish, that we are angry, 510 00:22:12,500 --> 00:22:15,750 that we are impetuous, that we are inconsiderate, 511 00:22:15,833 --> 00:22:19,167 that we are lazy toward our children. 512 00:22:19,250 --> 00:22:20,958 We are. 513 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,500 Gentlemen, one of the most powerful things you can do 514 00:22:23,583 --> 00:22:28,875 is acknowledge your own evil to your wife and children. 515 00:22:28,958 --> 00:22:31,833 This is telling your wife and your children when 516 00:22:31,917 --> 00:22:34,917 you've sinned and it's owning it and naming it. 517 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,875 All right, Jesus says that earthly fathers are evil. 518 00:22:38,958 --> 00:22:43,917 So when we do or say or fail to do good and we act in a way 519 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:50,875 that is evil, it is very helpful for our families to see us repent of sin. 520 00:22:50,958 --> 00:22:53,167 Some of you have never heard your dad say things like, 521 00:22:53,250 --> 00:22:54,708 "It's my fault. 522 00:22:54,792 --> 00:22:57,083 "I'm sorry. I was wrong. 523 00:22:57,167 --> 00:22:58,500 Please forgive me." 524 00:22:58,542 --> 00:23:00,083 You've never heard that. 525 00:23:00,167 --> 00:23:03,583 Because even when your dad was wrong, he didn't acknowledge it. 526 00:23:03,667 --> 00:23:05,167 He didn't confess it. 527 00:23:05,208 --> 00:23:09,667 He didn't agree with Jesus, "Yeah, that was evil." 528 00:23:09,708 --> 00:23:12,667 And so fathers, if you want to create a loving, nurturing, 529 00:23:12,750 --> 00:23:19,250 godly home, you model repentance by acknowledging your own evil. 530 00:23:19,333 --> 00:23:22,250 If you want to raise really stubborn, obstinate, rebellious, 531 00:23:22,333 --> 00:23:25,250 religious kids, tell them to repent of their sin 532 00:23:25,333 --> 00:23:27,042 but never repent of your sin. 533 00:23:27,125 --> 00:23:29,417 Tell them when they say or do evil, 534 00:23:29,500 --> 00:23:32,667 but do not acknowledge your own. 535 00:23:32,750 --> 00:23:35,667 You will then create a very religious culture with very 536 00:23:35,708 --> 00:23:39,833 discouraged children who will realize that they live under 537 00:23:39,875 --> 00:23:43,833 a father who is aware of their sin but ignorant of his own 538 00:23:43,917 --> 00:23:48,333 and that he is a cruel taskmaster and overbearing hypocrite. 539 00:23:48,375 --> 00:23:51,542 So it's important for us fathers to tell our children, 540 00:23:51,625 --> 00:23:53,958 "I want to be the best father I can be. 541 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:57,667 "God the Father is the perfect Father. You need him. 542 00:23:57,708 --> 00:23:59,958 "I need him, too, because we're both sinners that he's 543 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:04,333 working on and he's dealing with our evil." 544 00:24:04,417 --> 00:24:09,167 But he says even those fathers who are evil can and say, 545 00:24:09,250 --> 00:24:10,708 do evil things. 546 00:24:10,792 --> 00:24:16,417 They also can and do say some quote unquote good things. 547 00:24:16,500 --> 00:24:18,458 So how does this work? 548 00:24:18,500 --> 00:24:21,667 You ever met somebody who's perhaps not even a Christian, 549 00:24:21,750 --> 00:24:24,000 but they do some quote unquote good things? 550 00:24:24,042 --> 00:24:25,417 They're generous, they help the poor, 551 00:24:25,500 --> 00:24:28,000 they serve those in need, they're kind, compassionate. 552 00:24:28,042 --> 00:24:31,083 If they move next door to you, you'd be glad to have them. 553 00:24:31,167 --> 00:24:33,125 You'd say, "They're not a Christian, but they're nicer 554 00:24:33,167 --> 00:24:34,583 than some Christians I know." 555 00:24:34,667 --> 00:24:36,875 They're "good, decent, moral" people. 556 00:24:36,958 --> 00:24:38,833 Well, this doesn't mean that they're going to heaven, 557 00:24:38,875 --> 00:24:41,125 it doesn't mean that their sins are forgiven, it doesn't mean 558 00:24:41,167 --> 00:24:44,458 that they belong to Jesus, it doesn't mean that they're righteous in the sight of God. 559 00:24:44,500 --> 00:24:46,792 What it does mean is because they're made in the image 560 00:24:46,833 --> 00:24:50,167 and likeness of God, occasionally they do some good things. 561 00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:52,000 They do some good things. 562 00:24:52,083 --> 00:24:55,500 So you can be evil and still do some good things. 563 00:24:55,542 --> 00:24:59,000 And he talks about here that even an evil father knows 564 00:24:59,042 --> 00:25:02,875 how to give good gifts to his kids, all right? 565 00:25:02,958 --> 00:25:05,708 For those of you who are parents, you know. 566 00:25:05,792 --> 00:25:10,000 You know that the heart of a parent, even one who is evil, 567 00:25:10,042 --> 00:25:13,917 is to save up and be generous and to take care of the children. 568 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,583 Or at least that should be the heart of even an evil father. 569 00:25:18,667 --> 00:25:21,667 And he's showing here that if an evil father can do good things, 570 00:25:21,708 --> 00:25:26,500 imagine what a perfect, heavenly, loving, altogether 571 00:25:26,542 --> 00:25:30,125 good Father does for his children, especially those who 572 00:25:30,167 --> 00:25:32,792 come to him in prayer, asking, seeking, and knocking 573 00:25:32,833 --> 00:25:37,875 for his provision, protection, and presence in their life. 574 00:25:37,958 --> 00:25:39,708 So let me say this as well, dads. 575 00:25:39,792 --> 00:25:44,667 Acknowledge your evil and give good gifts. 576 00:25:44,708 --> 00:25:47,708 One of the great delights of a father is to give good gifts. 577 00:25:47,792 --> 00:25:50,500 And this is true of parents in general, but I want to hone 578 00:25:50,583 --> 00:25:54,750 this in, contextually, for fathers in particular. 579 00:25:54,833 --> 00:25:57,958 And what sometimes happens is parents will say, 580 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,917 "Well, I don't want to spoil the children." 581 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,708 Here's my--here's my corrective of that. 582 00:26:03,792 --> 00:26:06,542 I tell this to Gracie often. 583 00:26:06,625 --> 00:26:10,125 I don't want to spoil the-- I don't mind spoiling the children, 584 00:26:10,167 --> 00:26:12,833 but I don't want them to act spoiled. 585 00:26:12,917 --> 00:26:14,667 I don't mind spoiling the children, 586 00:26:14,708 --> 00:26:16,708 I just don't want them to act spoiled. 587 00:26:16,792 --> 00:26:19,000 You see the difference? 588 00:26:19,083 --> 00:26:22,667 See, sometimes people say, "Well, I don't want to give good 589 00:26:22,708 --> 00:26:24,667 gifts to the children or to the child 590 00:26:24,750 --> 00:26:26,000 because then they'll be spoiled." 591 00:26:26,083 --> 00:26:29,167 And my point is Jesus here commends the giving of good 592 00:26:29,208 --> 00:26:34,750 gifts from a parent to a child, but we just want to make sure 593 00:26:34,833 --> 00:26:37,708 that the children don't act like spoiled, ungrateful, 594 00:26:37,792 --> 00:26:40,083 unthankful brats. 595 00:26:40,167 --> 00:26:41,958 So I tell the Driscoll kids all the time, 596 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,333 "Your daddy's going to spoil you, but if you act spoiled, 597 00:26:44,375 --> 00:26:48,208 there's going to be correction, there's going to be consequence." 598 00:26:48,292 --> 00:26:51,667 All right? And I'll give you an example and it filled my heart with joy 599 00:26:51,750 --> 00:26:56,125 and it's a simple illustration, but I've got Gideon and Alexie, my youngest two. 600 00:26:56,167 --> 00:26:58,333 Because they're the youngest two, they get all the hand-me-down bikes. 601 00:26:58,375 --> 00:27:00,000 How many of you were those kids? 602 00:27:00,042 --> 00:27:02,042 Like, "Yeah, I always got the hand-me-down bike. 603 00:27:02,125 --> 00:27:04,292 "Never quite rode straight, the handlebars were crooked, 604 00:27:04,333 --> 00:27:07,000 and the pedal always fell off." All right? 605 00:27:07,042 --> 00:27:09,125 That's kind of the bike that Alexie and Gideon inherited. 606 00:27:09,167 --> 00:27:11,667 They inherited from the older siblings their bikes. 607 00:27:11,708 --> 00:27:13,958 And Alexie actually loves to skid. 608 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,458 And she eventually just wore down the tire to where it wouldn't even hold air. 609 00:27:17,500 --> 00:27:19,958 And Gideon rode his bike so much the pedal kept coming off 610 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,958 and we couldn't do anything to keep it on. 611 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:23,875 It had actually stripped out the threads 612 00:27:23,958 --> 00:27:25,250 and the bike was falling apart. 613 00:27:25,333 --> 00:27:27,000 And similarly, he took all the tread off. 614 00:27:27,042 --> 00:27:29,417 And he actually, one day, got out a wrench and was trying 615 00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:31,833 to figure out how to get the training wheels off his bike, 616 00:27:31,875 --> 00:27:33,875 because quote, "I'm not a baby." 617 00:27:33,958 --> 00:27:36,167 So he's trying to get the training wheels off his bike 618 00:27:36,250 --> 00:27:38,792 and they're both--the bikes are too small, they're not working. 619 00:27:38,833 --> 00:27:40,375 So it's just time. They need bikes, okay? 620 00:27:40,458 --> 00:27:42,167 And Gracie and I are talking, and Gracie's like, 621 00:27:42,250 --> 00:27:43,583 "Well, let's go to a second-hand store 622 00:27:43,667 --> 00:27:44,917 and let's find them bikes." 623 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,208 And I said, "You know, that's not a bad idea." 624 00:27:47,292 --> 00:27:49,375 It's not a sin to buy kids a used bike. 625 00:27:49,458 --> 00:27:52,000 If you buy your kid a used bike, you know, you're not going 626 00:27:52,083 --> 00:27:53,333 to be up for church discipline. 627 00:27:53,417 --> 00:27:54,667 That's not the big idea. 628 00:27:54,750 --> 00:27:56,083 But I just said, "You know what? 629 00:27:56,167 --> 00:27:57,500 "All they've ever had is used bikes. 630 00:27:57,542 --> 00:27:59,292 "I want to go get them a new bike. 631 00:27:59,333 --> 00:28:01,500 "I want them each to have a shiny, new, awesome-tastic bike. 632 00:28:01,542 --> 00:28:02,833 "That's what I want for them. 633 00:28:02,875 --> 00:28:05,208 So I'm going to go find a bike for each of them." 634 00:28:05,292 --> 00:28:09,333 And so we go looking for bikes and I found one for Alexie. 635 00:28:09,417 --> 00:28:12,792 It was pink, which that's all it needed to be. 636 00:28:12,833 --> 00:28:15,083 It didn't even need wheels. Just pink. 637 00:28:15,167 --> 00:28:16,750 [congregation laughing] 638 00:28:16,833 --> 00:28:20,333 And it had purple and it had streamers and it had a basket 639 00:28:20,375 --> 00:28:24,708 to put snacks in and flowers in because she's an absolute girl. 640 00:28:24,792 --> 00:28:27,167 And then I found one for Gideon that was the right height 641 00:28:27,208 --> 00:28:31,417 and had black rims and it was black with red and it had this handle 642 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:33,667 thing on it to where it would make a motorcycle noise. 643 00:28:33,750 --> 00:28:35,500 Vroom-vroom-vroom. 644 00:28:35,583 --> 00:28:37,833 And I thought, "Oh, he's rocking a big boy bike now." 645 00:28:37,917 --> 00:28:40,417 He just got--he's going to be able to ride this with 646 00:28:40,500 --> 00:28:42,583 no training wheels and make motorcycle noises to the glory 647 00:28:42,667 --> 00:28:44,333 of God and the joy of all people. 648 00:28:44,375 --> 00:28:45,667 And I thought, "This is fantastic." 649 00:28:45,708 --> 00:28:48,500 So I bought these two bikes and I put them in the back 650 00:28:48,542 --> 00:28:51,500 of my truck and I drove them home and I set them up outside. 651 00:28:51,583 --> 00:28:53,500 And I went in the house and I said, 652 00:28:53,542 --> 00:28:54,833 "Alexie and Giddie, I need you. 653 00:28:54,875 --> 00:28:57,833 I need you guys to come with me. I need to show you something." 654 00:28:57,917 --> 00:28:59,583 Well--and they get all excited because they're little. 655 00:28:59,667 --> 00:29:01,333 "Okay Dad, what is it? What is it?" 656 00:29:01,375 --> 00:29:02,833 "Come on out, let me show you. 657 00:29:02,917 --> 00:29:04,583 Look at that. What do you guys see?" 658 00:29:04,667 --> 00:29:05,917 "Oh, those are brand-new bikes." 659 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:07,250 "Yes, those are brand-new bikes." 660 00:29:07,333 --> 00:29:10,083 Alexie and Giddie, they look at me, and they look at each other, 661 00:29:10,167 --> 00:29:11,500 like, "Whose bikes are they?" 662 00:29:11,542 --> 00:29:12,833 [congregation laughing] 663 00:29:12,875 --> 00:29:14,500 "Whose bikes are they?" 664 00:29:14,542 --> 00:29:15,875 I said, "Well, those are your bikes. 665 00:29:15,958 --> 00:29:19,042 Alexie, the pink one's yours. And Giddie, the red and black one's yours." 666 00:29:19,125 --> 00:29:21,500 "Whoo-hoo!" I mean, they're kicking, screaming, yelling, "Whoo-hoo!" 667 00:29:21,583 --> 00:29:23,792 "Okay, get your helmet on, kids, it's time to bike ride!" 668 00:29:23,833 --> 00:29:26,000 And they jump on their bikes and my kids are riding 669 00:29:26,083 --> 00:29:27,875 down the street, and they're laughing and giggling. 670 00:29:27,958 --> 00:29:29,208 "Thank you, Dad! You're awesome! 671 00:29:29,292 --> 00:29:32,000 "We love you! This is a great bike! I love my bike!" 672 00:29:32,042 --> 00:29:34,292 If you came up and said, "Oh, you spoiled your kids." 673 00:29:34,333 --> 00:29:35,833 As long as they don't act spoiled. 674 00:29:35,917 --> 00:29:37,500 If they looked at the bike and said, 675 00:29:37,583 --> 00:29:40,000 "Well, that's not exactly what I wanted. 676 00:29:40,083 --> 00:29:42,542 "I was hoping for, you know, spinners on my bike 677 00:29:42,625 --> 00:29:45,500 and I didn't get spinners." You know? 678 00:29:45,542 --> 00:29:47,208 "Is there an iPod adapter on my bike?" 679 00:29:47,292 --> 00:29:50,208 "I didn't get all the accessories." 680 00:29:50,292 --> 00:29:54,000 I would say, "Not only is the father evil, so are the children! 681 00:29:54,042 --> 00:29:55,667 The children are evil too!" 682 00:29:55,750 --> 00:29:59,500 But if your children are grateful and thankful, yeah, 683 00:29:59,583 --> 00:30:01,167 then give them good gifts. 684 00:30:01,208 --> 00:30:03,917 And if your children like to give good gifts to others 685 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,375 because they have the Father's heart, 686 00:30:06,458 --> 00:30:08,167 well, then give them good gifts. 687 00:30:08,250 --> 00:30:10,208 And when they see someone else get a good gift 688 00:30:10,292 --> 00:30:11,833 and they rejoice and celebrate, 689 00:30:11,875 --> 00:30:15,125 "Oh, that's awesome that God provided that for you! 690 00:30:15,167 --> 00:30:19,000 Praise God, and I'm so thankful and happy for you!" 691 00:30:19,042 --> 00:30:23,625 Then even when they are spoiled, they're not acting spoiled. 692 00:30:23,667 --> 00:30:27,167 So fathers, we want to give good gifts to our kids. 693 00:30:27,208 --> 00:30:29,917 And I'm not talking that it's always even massive amounts 694 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,625 of money, but if it's from the heart, it's considerate, 695 00:30:32,667 --> 00:30:34,500 the gift fits the kid. 696 00:30:34,542 --> 00:30:36,083 Same is true for the wife. 697 00:30:36,167 --> 00:30:37,875 My son Calvin, he's the letter writer. 698 00:30:37,958 --> 00:30:39,667 He's the card writer. 699 00:30:39,750 --> 00:30:43,583 He's the pastor in the family with the really affectionate heart. 700 00:30:43,667 --> 00:30:49,333 For Calvin, a good gift for him is a--actually a letter from me. 701 00:30:49,375 --> 00:30:52,750 Every time I write a letter for Calvin, he keeps it. 702 00:30:52,833 --> 00:30:56,500 He usually posts it right above his bed. 703 00:30:56,583 --> 00:30:58,958 Just my love for him and how I'm proud of him 704 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,000 and encouraging him. 705 00:31:01,083 --> 00:31:04,958 Whatever the good gift looks like for your child, 706 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,458 parents in general but daddies in particular, give good gifts. 707 00:31:08,500 --> 00:31:11,167 And I don't care if your kids are spoiled as long as they 708 00:31:11,250 --> 00:31:14,833 don't act spoiled, as long as they're the thankful, grateful 709 00:31:14,917 --> 00:31:18,625 kids who rejoice in the gifts they get and they rejoice 710 00:31:18,667 --> 00:31:21,208 in the gifts that others get and they rejoice in giving 711 00:31:21,292 --> 00:31:22,667 good gifts to others. 712 00:31:22,750 --> 00:31:25,000 Then praise be to God, that's the Father's heart. 713 00:31:25,042 --> 00:31:28,333 And Jesus' parable here, his analogy, his illustration, 714 00:31:28,417 --> 00:31:32,875 is one where he's showing and here he is principally teaching that 715 00:31:32,958 --> 00:31:36,292 God's like a Father who loves to give good gifts to his kids 716 00:31:36,333 --> 00:31:40,042 even more than earthly fathers, who are evil, like to give 717 00:31:40,125 --> 00:31:41,792 good gifts to their kids. 718 00:31:41,833 --> 00:31:44,500 And he's saying, "Even if sinful dads can give good gifts, 719 00:31:44,583 --> 00:31:46,917 "imagine your heavenly Father and the kind of gifts 720 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,583 that he likes to give." 721 00:31:48,667 --> 00:31:52,917 And I'm not here teaching what is called prosperity theology, 722 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:57,333 where if you love God and you pray, prayer is a stick and God 723 00:31:57,375 --> 00:32:00,833 is a piñata and if you pray in faith Bentleys fall out of 724 00:32:00,875 --> 00:32:03,917 the sky and you get to drive the one of your favorite color. 725 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:05,667 I don't believe that at all. 726 00:32:05,708 --> 00:32:09,583 We're learning this from a homeless guy named Jesus, 727 00:32:09,667 --> 00:32:13,167 who is exceedingly poor but also acknowledges that God 728 00:32:13,208 --> 00:32:17,625 the Father's heart is to be generous and to give good gifts. 729 00:32:17,667 --> 00:32:20,458 And so we need to come to the Father, knowing that he can give 730 00:32:20,500 --> 00:32:23,000 good gifts, knowing that he loves to give good gifts, and 731 00:32:23,083 --> 00:32:26,500 just like a dad rejoices when he sees his kids being thankful 732 00:32:26,583 --> 00:32:30,958 and grateful, our God likes to hear and answer prayer and give us 733 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:38,000 good gifts so that we can be thankful and joyful and grateful. 734 00:32:38,167 --> 00:32:42,250 And he says the greatest gift of all is the Holy Spirit. 735 00:32:42,333 --> 00:32:44,958 That's a big statement. 736 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:46,833 "Lord, teach us to pray." 737 00:32:46,875 --> 00:32:49,917 "Okay, you'll need the gift of the Holy Spirit." 738 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:55,208 That's the big idea in Luke 11:1-13. 739 00:32:55,292 --> 00:32:57,458 That's exactly what he says, right? 740 00:32:57,500 --> 00:33:00,000 "How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit 741 00:33:00,042 --> 00:33:04,000 to those who ask him!" 742 00:33:04,083 --> 00:33:06,375 The Holy Spirit is the great gift. 743 00:33:06,458 --> 00:33:08,250 The greatest gift. 744 00:33:08,333 --> 00:33:12,000 See, everything that Jesus has done for us, his sinless life, 745 00:33:12,083 --> 00:33:15,417 his righteousness, his substitutionary death as our God 746 00:33:15,500 --> 00:33:20,000 and savior, his payment of our penalty for sin, 747 00:33:20,083 --> 00:33:23,667 his resurrection to conquer enemies of Satan, sin, and death, 748 00:33:23,708 --> 00:33:26,458 all of that is given to us, brought to us, 749 00:33:26,500 --> 00:33:28,833 applied to us by whom? 750 00:33:28,917 --> 00:33:30,583 The Holy Spirit. 751 00:33:30,667 --> 00:33:33,667 So apart from the Holy Spirit, all the gifts that the Father 752 00:33:33,708 --> 00:33:39,500 has to give are not received apart from the Holy Spirit. 753 00:33:39,542 --> 00:33:42,667 So I want to unpack for you, in my remaining time, 754 00:33:42,750 --> 00:33:45,667 who this Holy Spirit is and what he does. 755 00:33:45,708 --> 00:33:49,083 First of all, the Holy Spirit is God. 756 00:33:49,167 --> 00:33:51,000 He's God. 757 00:33:51,042 --> 00:33:55,000 Acts 5, Peter says to Ananias and Sapphira, who withheld 758 00:33:55,042 --> 00:33:58,042 tithes and offerings they'd promised to the church, 759 00:33:58,125 --> 00:34:00,625 "You have not just lied to men, you have lied to God 760 00:34:00,667 --> 00:34:02,708 the Holy Spirit." 761 00:34:02,792 --> 00:34:04,667 Number one, the Holy Spirit's God. 762 00:34:04,750 --> 00:34:07,167 Number two, the Holy Spirit is a person. 763 00:34:07,250 --> 00:34:10,167 So the Holy Spirit is he, not it. 764 00:34:10,208 --> 00:34:13,875 When you read things like John 14, John 16, Jesus promises 765 00:34:13,958 --> 00:34:15,542 the coming of the Holy Spirit, it says, 766 00:34:15,625 --> 00:34:18,292 "He will lead you and guide you. He will convict you of sin." 767 00:34:18,333 --> 00:34:21,958 It's personal. So the Holy Spirit is a person, not a force. 768 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,875 The Holy Spirit is he, not it. 769 00:34:24,958 --> 00:34:28,875 Number three, the Holy Spirit is present with us. 770 00:34:28,958 --> 00:34:32,708 He takes up residence in the child of God, that he indwells 771 00:34:32,792 --> 00:34:35,875 every Christian who belongs to Jesus. 772 00:34:35,958 --> 00:34:38,333 And number four, he helps us. 773 00:34:38,417 --> 00:34:40,667 One of the titles that Jesus gives to the Holy Spirit 774 00:34:40,708 --> 00:34:44,333 is that he is our helper because we need help. 775 00:34:44,375 --> 00:34:46,000 And the Holy Spirit is our helper. 776 00:34:46,042 --> 00:34:49,000 And some of you have a view of God that he's very far away 777 00:34:49,042 --> 00:34:52,292 and he has a long list of demands and expectations 778 00:34:52,333 --> 00:34:56,000 and he doesn't ever help us but he judges us. 779 00:34:56,083 --> 00:34:58,208 That's not true. 780 00:34:58,292 --> 00:35:01,000 The same God who rules and reigns over all creation 781 00:35:01,083 --> 00:35:05,167 indwells the child of God to help us, becoming more like 782 00:35:05,250 --> 00:35:08,917 Jesus and living a life of obedience by the same power 783 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:12,792 that he did, the power of the Holy Spirit. 784 00:35:12,833 --> 00:35:15,292 So the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity. 785 00:35:15,333 --> 00:35:17,125 Let me unpack this for you. 786 00:35:17,167 --> 00:35:20,333 In context, who has been teaching us? 787 00:35:20,417 --> 00:35:24,000 In Luke 11:1-13, who's teaching? 788 00:35:24,083 --> 00:35:26,292 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 789 00:35:26,333 --> 00:35:28,083 the second member of the Trinity. 790 00:35:28,167 --> 00:35:30,833 The Trinity is that there is one God, 791 00:35:30,917 --> 00:35:33,250 three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. 792 00:35:33,333 --> 00:35:37,500 All Christians for all of church history have all agreed that 793 00:35:37,583 --> 00:35:41,250 there is one God, three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. 794 00:35:41,333 --> 00:35:44,333 This distinguishes our understanding of God as taught 795 00:35:44,375 --> 00:35:47,625 in the Bible from every other religion in the world. 796 00:35:47,667 --> 00:35:51,667 This is one of our distinguishing convictions. 797 00:35:51,750 --> 00:35:56,333 So Jesus here is talking and he's talking about who? 798 00:35:56,375 --> 00:35:59,042 God the Father, the first member of the Trinity. 799 00:35:59,125 --> 00:36:02,250 And here he's teaching us as well about the Holy Spirit, 800 00:36:02,333 --> 00:36:04,167 the third member of the Trinity. 801 00:36:04,250 --> 00:36:07,542 So in context, this is all about the Trinity. 802 00:36:07,625 --> 00:36:12,375 And prayer didn't start with us. Prayer started with God. 803 00:36:12,458 --> 00:36:17,667 God the Son, God the Spirit, God the Father in eternity past 804 00:36:17,750 --> 00:36:21,333 through the present to eternity future, they live in communion, 805 00:36:21,375 --> 00:36:25,500 union, communication, affection, adoration. 806 00:36:25,542 --> 00:36:31,417 They love, serve, glorify, talk to, which is ultimately prayer, 807 00:36:31,500 --> 00:36:33,208 one another. 808 00:36:33,292 --> 00:36:36,417 Some religions would say that God made us because he was lonely. 809 00:36:36,500 --> 00:36:37,917 God wasn't lonely. 810 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:42,292 God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, they had perfect union and communion. 811 00:36:42,333 --> 00:36:44,000 They had no need of us. 812 00:36:44,042 --> 00:36:46,167 I've told you before, but I think it's important. 813 00:36:46,208 --> 00:36:48,333 God didn't make us because he needed us. 814 00:36:48,417 --> 00:36:51,958 God made us because he wanted us, which is better. 815 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:53,792 That's the Father's heart. 816 00:36:53,833 --> 00:36:55,500 It's like a father doesn't need a child. 817 00:36:55,583 --> 00:36:57,500 A father wants a child. 818 00:36:57,542 --> 00:37:00,000 God didn't need us. God wanted us. 819 00:37:00,042 --> 00:37:04,667 But God had perfect union and communion within himself. 820 00:37:04,708 --> 00:37:09,208 And prayer is where we enter into conversation with 821 00:37:09,292 --> 00:37:14,125 the living, loving, communicating Trinitarian God of the Bible. 822 00:37:14,167 --> 00:37:16,208 That's what prayer is. 823 00:37:16,292 --> 00:37:20,667 And so the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the Christian 824 00:37:20,750 --> 00:37:25,000 and Jesus dies for our sin to reconcile us back to the Father 825 00:37:25,083 --> 00:37:30,125 so we can pray by the Spirit through the Son to the Father. 826 00:37:30,167 --> 00:37:33,833 What that means is the Holy Spirit is the one who teaches us 827 00:37:33,917 --> 00:37:37,875 how to talk to God because he himself is God and he's been 828 00:37:37,958 --> 00:37:40,125 in communion and union with the other members 829 00:37:40,167 --> 00:37:42,583 of the Trinity forever. 830 00:37:42,667 --> 00:37:45,417 This is amazing. What a great gift. 831 00:37:45,500 --> 00:37:47,167 And I'll say this. 832 00:37:47,250 --> 00:37:51,458 Mars Hill's journey has, in some ways, reflected my journey. 833 00:37:51,500 --> 00:37:56,000 When I first became a Christian at age 19, the first person 834 00:37:56,083 --> 00:37:59,083 I got to know in the Bible the best was Jesus. 835 00:37:59,167 --> 00:38:02,625 He's God, born of a woman, lived without sin, died on a cross 836 00:38:02,667 --> 00:38:05,500 in my place for my sins, rose conquering Satan, 837 00:38:05,542 --> 00:38:06,875 sin, and death. 838 00:38:06,958 --> 00:38:08,208 He's ascended into heaven. 839 00:38:08,292 --> 00:38:10,167 He's ruling and reigning from a mighty throne. 840 00:38:10,208 --> 00:38:13,667 He's coming again to judge the living and the dead. 841 00:38:13,750 --> 00:38:15,208 Jesus. 842 00:38:15,292 --> 00:38:17,542 And then over time, I started to get to know more 843 00:38:17,625 --> 00:38:19,000 about God the Father. 844 00:38:19,083 --> 00:38:23,250 He predestines, he loves, he adopts us into his family. 845 00:38:23,333 --> 00:38:25,250 He hears and answers prayer. 846 00:38:25,333 --> 00:38:27,417 He devises the plan of salvation. 847 00:38:27,500 --> 00:38:31,167 He comes for us with great affection. 848 00:38:31,250 --> 00:38:33,542 And the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, 849 00:38:33,625 --> 00:38:37,333 he was the one that I was a little slower to come to understand. 850 00:38:37,417 --> 00:38:40,000 Now, I always believed he was God and I believe he wrote the 851 00:38:40,042 --> 00:38:43,083 Bible and I believe that he was true, but I didn't know how 852 00:38:43,167 --> 00:38:44,458 to have a relationship with him. 853 00:38:44,500 --> 00:38:47,250 So I would have been more inclined to say I love Jesus, 854 00:38:47,333 --> 00:38:49,500 but I would have had a harder time saying I loved 855 00:38:49,542 --> 00:38:51,000 the Holy Spirit. 856 00:38:51,042 --> 00:38:53,042 I would have had an easier time saying I have 857 00:38:53,125 --> 00:38:54,667 a relationship with Jesus. 858 00:38:54,750 --> 00:38:57,250 It would have been harder for me to articulate a relationship 859 00:38:57,333 --> 00:38:58,667 with the Holy Spirit. 860 00:38:58,708 --> 00:39:00,000 Make sense? 861 00:39:00,042 --> 00:39:02,333 Because when I became a Christian, most of the people 862 00:39:02,375 --> 00:39:04,167 who talked about the Holy Spirit, the Christians, 863 00:39:04,250 --> 00:39:05,833 they were just, quite frankly, pretty weird. 864 00:39:05,875 --> 00:39:07,167 They just were. 865 00:39:07,208 --> 00:39:09,958 They said and did some really weird things and they called it 866 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,750 the Holy Spirit, and I thought, "Well, is he the drunk third member of the Trinity? 867 00:39:13,833 --> 00:39:15,167 "Because every time they talk about him, 868 00:39:15,250 --> 00:39:17,333 "it just sort of busts loose into like happy hour. 869 00:39:17,375 --> 00:39:21,625 It's crazy." 870 00:39:21,667 --> 00:39:25,125 And I got given a book that I will not say the name of, 871 00:39:25,167 --> 00:39:28,417 but it actually made me more fearful and it was a bad book. 872 00:39:28,500 --> 00:39:31,417 It was supposed to be a Bible teacher, but it was a Bible 873 00:39:31,500 --> 00:39:33,833 teacher who is something called a cessationist, which is the 874 00:39:33,917 --> 00:39:35,833 Holy Spirit doesn't give certain gifts today. 875 00:39:35,875 --> 00:39:38,000 The Holy Spirit doesn't do certain things today. 876 00:39:38,042 --> 00:39:40,958 Even the Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today, 877 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:43,167 and forever, but this says, "Oh, no he's not! 878 00:39:43,208 --> 00:39:45,500 "He's essentially changed and he doesn't say and do 879 00:39:45,542 --> 00:39:47,292 what he used to." 880 00:39:47,333 --> 00:39:48,708 And it made me more fearful. 881 00:39:48,792 --> 00:39:50,458 "Okay, what's true?" 882 00:39:50,500 --> 00:39:53,667 And in more recent years, God's been very gracious to me. 883 00:39:53,750 --> 00:39:56,250 He's introduced me to friends from around the world who love 884 00:39:56,333 --> 00:39:58,833 the Holy Spirit, who are filled with the Holy Spirit, who 885 00:39:58,875 --> 00:40:03,708 rejoice in the Holy Spirit, who have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. 886 00:40:03,792 --> 00:40:06,000 And it's really helped me to mature and grow and that's 887 00:40:06,042 --> 00:40:08,500 where good Christian friends can be a tremendous gift. 888 00:40:08,542 --> 00:40:11,208 So Mars Hill, let me say this publicly. 889 00:40:11,292 --> 00:40:14,792 I want to publicly acknowledge that I have not led you as well 890 00:40:14,833 --> 00:40:18,167 as I could have and should have in an understanding of what it 891 00:40:18,250 --> 00:40:21,750 means to be Spirit filled and Spirit led and have a personal 892 00:40:21,833 --> 00:40:25,792 relationship with the Holy Spirit. 893 00:40:25,833 --> 00:40:28,833 This is something I'm maturing and growing in, but I want that 894 00:40:28,917 --> 00:40:30,875 for you and I want that for us. 895 00:40:30,958 --> 00:40:33,583 And so, in more recent years, this has been an area I've been 896 00:40:33,667 --> 00:40:36,750 growing and maturing, in part through my study of the Bible 897 00:40:36,833 --> 00:40:38,792 and in part in relationship with people who are filled 898 00:40:38,833 --> 00:40:40,750 with the Holy Spirit. 899 00:40:40,833 --> 00:40:43,417 And it comes down, for me, I think Luke is so incredibly 900 00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:46,167 helpful because thus far we've seen that the Holy Spirit 901 00:40:46,208 --> 00:40:48,000 descended on Jesus at his baptism. 902 00:40:48,083 --> 00:40:50,042 It says that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. 903 00:40:50,125 --> 00:40:51,750 Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit. 904 00:40:51,833 --> 00:40:53,792 Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit. 905 00:40:53,833 --> 00:40:56,917 Here we see that Jesus prays through the power of the Holy Spirit, 906 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:59,833 that Jesus' life, God becoming a man, was empowered, 907 00:40:59,875 --> 00:41:02,917 enabled by the presence of the Holy Spirit. 908 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,417 So what it means to be Spirit filled, friends, is to be 909 00:41:05,500 --> 00:41:09,333 like Jesus by the same powerful Holy Spirit. 910 00:41:09,417 --> 00:41:11,833 That's what it means to be Spirit filled. 911 00:41:11,917 --> 00:41:15,375 To live a life that is yielded to, is led by, is guided 912 00:41:15,458 --> 00:41:17,958 by God the Holy Spirit. 913 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:20,125 And when--even Ephesians uses that language of, 914 00:41:20,167 --> 00:41:22,958 "Don't be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit." 915 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:26,333 The word picture is that the Holy Spirit is--he's always 916 00:41:26,417 --> 00:41:31,167 at work, but sometimes our sail is not set. 917 00:41:31,250 --> 00:41:34,333 In John, he--Jesus says that the Holy Spirit is like the wind. 918 00:41:34,375 --> 00:41:38,625 He's strong and powerful and he transitions our lives from one 919 00:41:38,667 --> 00:41:42,458 direction to another and he guides us and empowers us 920 00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:45,833 and leads us and sustains us. 921 00:41:45,917 --> 00:41:49,750 But we don't enjoy that unless our sail is set. 922 00:41:49,833 --> 00:41:51,833 So he says, "Be filled with the Holy Spirit." 923 00:41:51,875 --> 00:41:54,125 And the language there is language of setting your sail, 924 00:41:54,167 --> 00:41:56,167 repenting of sin, trusting in God, saying, "Holy Spirit, 925 00:41:56,250 --> 00:41:58,000 "I'll be who you want me to be. 926 00:41:58,083 --> 00:42:01,667 "I'll go where you want me to go. I'll do what you want me to do. 927 00:42:01,750 --> 00:42:03,500 "I yield to you. I submit to you. 928 00:42:03,583 --> 00:42:04,917 "I trust you. I invite you. 929 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,167 I welcome you." 930 00:42:08,250 --> 00:42:11,833 And that's exactly what Jesus here is teaching. 931 00:42:11,917 --> 00:42:14,250 "How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit 932 00:42:14,333 --> 00:42:15,583 to those who ask him?" 933 00:42:15,667 --> 00:42:17,792 Some people think there is voodoo in getting the Holy Spirit. 934 00:42:17,833 --> 00:42:20,583 You need the holy anointed man of God to whack you on the head 935 00:42:20,667 --> 00:42:22,583 while wearing a white suit so you can fall down 936 00:42:22,667 --> 00:42:25,583 and flop around like a perch on a dock. 937 00:42:25,667 --> 00:42:29,250 That's not it. That's not it. 938 00:42:29,333 --> 00:42:32,500 It's just going to the Father and the Son and asking, 939 00:42:32,583 --> 00:42:37,750 "Could you please give me the fullness of the Holy Spirit? 940 00:42:37,833 --> 00:42:42,000 Can you please allow me to enjoy the presence and power 941 00:42:42,083 --> 00:42:43,958 of the Holy Spirit?" 942 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,750 So, in closing, let me go to the Scriptures. 943 00:42:46,833 --> 00:42:48,958 Let me take this all to the Bible. 944 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:50,833 Let me tell you what the Holy Spirit does. 945 00:42:50,917 --> 00:42:53,000 And I can't tell you everything the Holy Spirit does. 946 00:42:53,083 --> 00:42:56,458 That would be a 42-hour sermon, which would be awesome. 947 00:42:56,500 --> 00:42:58,292 But you probably didn't prepare for that. 948 00:42:58,333 --> 00:43:00,708 So I'll give you a short summary of some of the things 949 00:43:00,792 --> 00:43:04,500 the Holy Spirit does and how then we can pray to him, asking him 950 00:43:04,542 --> 00:43:07,583 to help us because, quite frankly, we need his help. 951 00:43:07,667 --> 00:43:10,250 Here's asking for the Holy Spirit. I'll give you a few examples. 952 00:43:10,333 --> 00:43:12,000 John 16:13, Jesus says, "The Spirit of truth... 953 00:43:12,083 --> 00:43:13,583 will guide you into the truth." 954 00:43:13,667 --> 00:43:15,500 How many of you want to know the truth? 955 00:43:15,583 --> 00:43:18,500 The Holy Spirit's the one that will lead and guide you in the truth. 956 00:43:18,542 --> 00:43:19,958 That's what Jesus says. 957 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:22,542 So the first thing you learn is-- well, actually, in the next chapter, 958 00:43:22,625 --> 00:43:25,708 John 17, Jesus says, "Father, sanctify them by the truth. 959 00:43:25,792 --> 00:43:27,583 Your Word is the truth." 960 00:43:27,667 --> 00:43:29,625 So the Bible is the truth. 961 00:43:29,667 --> 00:43:33,500 Who wrote the Bible? God the Holy Spirit. 962 00:43:33,583 --> 00:43:35,583 "All scripture is God-breathed." 963 00:43:35,667 --> 00:43:37,292 That's the Holy Spirit. 964 00:43:37,333 --> 00:43:40,167 It's what it says in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed." 965 00:43:40,250 --> 00:43:42,500 Peter says people didn't just make up the Bible. 966 00:43:42,583 --> 00:43:45,833 They were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 967 00:43:45,875 --> 00:43:50,208 They were Spirit filled, Spirit led, those who authored 968 00:43:50,292 --> 00:43:51,875 the pages of Scripture. 969 00:43:51,958 --> 00:43:55,083 So if you want to know the truth, it starts in prayer. 970 00:43:55,167 --> 00:43:58,208 "Holy Spirit, thank you for being the Spirit of truth. 971 00:43:58,292 --> 00:44:01,667 Holy Spirit, thank you for writing the Scriptures through human authors. 972 00:44:01,750 --> 00:44:03,417 Thank you that they're true. 973 00:44:03,500 --> 00:44:06,042 Holy Spirit, I want to know the truth, so please come 974 00:44:06,125 --> 00:44:10,250 and teach me the truth through the Scriptures, which are true." 975 00:44:10,333 --> 00:44:12,458 You think the Holy Spirit's going to answer that prayer, 976 00:44:12,500 --> 00:44:14,000 yes or no? 977 00:44:14,083 --> 00:44:16,000 Every time. 978 00:44:16,083 --> 00:44:20,000 Jesus says, "All you got to do is ask. Just ask." 979 00:44:20,083 --> 00:44:22,625 But see, asking is an act of faith. 980 00:44:22,667 --> 00:44:25,167 Asking is an act of faith and it shows that your heart 981 00:44:25,250 --> 00:44:28,833 and mind are open. 982 00:44:28,917 --> 00:44:31,667 How many of you are in various situations where maybe you're 983 00:44:31,750 --> 00:44:34,542 mediating a conflict or you're in the middle of a conflicted 984 00:44:34,625 --> 00:44:36,375 situation and there's different opinions and perspectives 985 00:44:36,458 --> 00:44:38,667 and you go, "I don't know what the truth is here." 986 00:44:38,750 --> 00:44:40,667 You know what you do? Pray. 987 00:44:40,708 --> 00:44:42,333 "Holy Spirit, Jesus said to ask for you. 988 00:44:42,417 --> 00:44:43,875 I'm asking for you. 989 00:44:43,958 --> 00:44:45,292 Tell me what the truth is. 990 00:44:45,333 --> 00:44:48,042 I hear one side, I hear the other, I get totally conflicted, confused. 991 00:44:48,125 --> 00:44:50,875 I don't know what the truth is. I just want to know the truth. 992 00:44:50,958 --> 00:44:52,833 Holy Spirit, you know the truth. 993 00:44:52,917 --> 00:44:54,333 Please reveal to me the truth." 994 00:44:54,417 --> 00:44:56,167 Do you think he'll answer that prayer? 995 00:44:56,208 --> 00:44:58,000 Of course he will. 996 00:44:58,042 --> 00:45:03,083 Again, you don't ask for a good thing and get a bad thing from a good God. 997 00:45:03,167 --> 00:45:04,500 How about this one? 998 00:45:04,583 --> 00:45:07,917 John 16:8, "He will convict the world concerning sin." 999 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:10,042 You ever have those days? You're just not feeling it. 1000 00:45:10,125 --> 00:45:12,333 You say, "I know the Bible says not to do this, 1001 00:45:12,417 --> 00:45:15,583 but that's what I'm going to do, twice." Right? 1002 00:45:15,667 --> 00:45:17,125 "Because I'm just feeling rebellious and stubborn 1003 00:45:17,167 --> 00:45:20,667 "and foolish and hardhearted and stiff-necked and indifferent. 1004 00:45:20,750 --> 00:45:23,750 "I should care, but I don't. And it's not that I don't know the truth, 1005 00:45:23,833 --> 00:45:26,000 it's that I don't like it." 1006 00:45:26,083 --> 00:45:28,833 You say, "What do you do?" Go to the Holy Spirit. 1007 00:45:28,875 --> 00:45:31,167 Say, "Holy Spirit, Jesus said you'd convict me. 1008 00:45:31,208 --> 00:45:34,792 "I'm not feeling it, but I'm inviting you to convict me. 1009 00:45:34,833 --> 00:45:37,958 "Let me feel what you feel, see what you see, 1010 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:40,875 think what you think about my sin." 1011 00:45:40,958 --> 00:45:44,167 Do you think he'll answer that prayer? He will. 1012 00:45:44,250 --> 00:45:46,500 You can even do this with your children. 1013 00:45:46,583 --> 00:45:48,917 I'll give you one--this happened many times with my kids over 1014 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:54,208 the years, where--I'll give you one example with one of my sons that comes to mind. 1015 00:45:54,292 --> 00:45:56,833 When he was little, my wife was correcting him and the more 1016 00:45:56,917 --> 00:45:59,583 she corrected him, the worse it got. 1017 00:45:59,667 --> 00:46:02,417 You got a kid like that? Were you a kid like that? 1018 00:46:02,500 --> 00:46:03,750 Right? 1019 00:46:03,833 --> 00:46:06,458 And she finally came to me, she's like, "I don't know 1020 00:46:06,500 --> 00:46:07,792 "what to do with him. 1021 00:46:07,833 --> 00:46:10,000 "I tell him, 'No,' and he does it twice. 1022 00:46:10,042 --> 00:46:13,708 "And I come to him and ask him if it bothers him, he says, 'No.' 1023 00:46:13,792 --> 00:46:16,333 "He gets a really scary-looking face and he just keeps escalating. 1024 00:46:16,417 --> 00:46:18,708 It gets worse. He's stubborn. He is really stubborn." 1025 00:46:18,792 --> 00:46:20,042 That's my boy. Yep. 1026 00:46:20,125 --> 00:46:21,375 That's how we roll. 1027 00:46:21,458 --> 00:46:23,917 So, okay, well, she's, "Well, what do we do with him?" 1028 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:25,500 I'm, "Well, here's what we can do. 1029 00:46:25,583 --> 00:46:26,875 We need to pray for him. 1030 00:46:26,958 --> 00:46:29,167 Because we can't guilt religion him, we can't threaten him, 1031 00:46:29,250 --> 00:46:30,500 we can't negotiate with him. 1032 00:46:30,583 --> 00:46:32,333 'Hey, if you obey you get a sucker.'" 1033 00:46:32,417 --> 00:46:34,167 Because all that is is a hostage negotiation. 1034 00:46:34,250 --> 00:46:36,500 All we're raising there is an eventual bank robber, right? 1035 00:46:36,542 --> 00:46:39,208 So I held him, kiss him on the head, "I'm your daddy, 1036 00:46:39,292 --> 00:46:40,833 I love you, I care about you." 1037 00:46:40,875 --> 00:46:43,125 Draw him near, let him know there's lots of affection, 1038 00:46:43,167 --> 00:46:46,625 put my hand on his head, "Holy Spirit, 1039 00:46:46,667 --> 00:46:49,667 "Jesus says that you can convict of sin. 1040 00:46:49,750 --> 00:46:52,792 "Mama and I, we're not making any progress here. 1041 00:46:52,833 --> 00:46:56,375 "His heart's getting hard, his neck's getting stiff. 1042 00:46:56,458 --> 00:47:00,792 "Holy Spirit, we invite you to reveal to our little boy 1043 00:47:00,833 --> 00:47:04,333 "his sin, convict him of it, break his heart over it, 1044 00:47:04,375 --> 00:47:05,708 "bring him to repentance. 1045 00:47:05,792 --> 00:47:09,583 "Help him to learn to be an obedient boy, not just to be 1046 00:47:09,667 --> 00:47:13,042 a good boy, but to be a holy boy. In Jesus' name, Amen." 1047 00:47:13,125 --> 00:47:16,500 Kiss him, hug him, love him. I can still remember, he gave me the look, 1048 00:47:16,542 --> 00:47:18,333 I thought, "Yeah, that didn't work at all." 1049 00:47:18,417 --> 00:47:20,750 He gave me the look like-- he gave me the stink eye. 1050 00:47:20,833 --> 00:47:22,083 [congregation laughing] 1051 00:47:22,167 --> 00:47:26,292 I'm like, "Oh, boy." And he goes away and he comes back a little later. 1052 00:47:26,333 --> 00:47:27,917 Transformed child. 1053 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:32,250 Just looks in the eye, says, "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. 1054 00:47:32,333 --> 00:47:34,125 "I was thinking about it, and you know, 1055 00:47:34,167 --> 00:47:36,458 "I've just been a real brat today. I've been very selfish. 1056 00:47:36,500 --> 00:47:38,875 "I've not thought of the other kids and I made Mom cry 1057 00:47:38,958 --> 00:47:40,292 and I made the day hard." 1058 00:47:40,333 --> 00:47:42,292 And he's crying and he's weeping and broken. 1059 00:47:42,333 --> 00:47:43,625 You know what? 1060 00:47:43,667 --> 00:47:45,125 The Holy Spirit answered that prayer. 1061 00:47:45,167 --> 00:47:47,833 So sometimes in our own life, we can pray for conviction. 1062 00:47:47,917 --> 00:47:50,333 In the lives of others, we can pray for conviction. 1063 00:47:50,417 --> 00:47:53,083 This can even be part of our parenting with our children. 1064 00:47:53,167 --> 00:47:55,833 We pray for the Holy Spirit to work on their heart. 1065 00:47:55,875 --> 00:47:57,583 And ladies, let me tell you this, 1066 00:47:57,667 --> 00:48:01,208 this is better than nagging, okay? 1067 00:48:01,292 --> 00:48:02,625 Some of you ladies like-- you say, 1068 00:48:02,667 --> 00:48:05,000 "I don't need the Holy Spirit. I got this covered. 1069 00:48:05,083 --> 00:48:06,458 I will nag him until he changes." 1070 00:48:06,500 --> 00:48:08,208 Just so you know, nagging never works. 1071 00:48:08,292 --> 00:48:09,542 Men don't like nagging. 1072 00:48:09,625 --> 00:48:11,167 Men don't respond well to nagging. 1073 00:48:11,250 --> 00:48:13,208 It has never worked and it will never work. 1074 00:48:13,292 --> 00:48:14,917 And men never get together and be like, 1075 00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:16,250 "How does your wife nag?" 1076 00:48:16,333 --> 00:48:19,750 "Oh, she's such a good nagger. I'm so proud to be with her. 1077 00:48:19,833 --> 00:48:22,042 "Every time she nags, just something flutters in my heart, 1078 00:48:22,125 --> 00:48:24,625 "like, 'Thank you, Lord, for this woman you gave 1079 00:48:24,667 --> 00:48:26,542 with her spiritual gift of nagging.'" 1080 00:48:26,625 --> 00:48:27,917 [congregation laughing] 1081 00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:29,625 Nagging never works. 1082 00:48:29,667 --> 00:48:32,167 But you know what does work? Siccing the Holy Spirit on him. 1083 00:48:32,250 --> 00:48:35,167 That works every time. Right? 1084 00:48:35,250 --> 00:48:36,833 Like a pit bull after a mailman. 1085 00:48:36,875 --> 00:48:39,875 You just say, "Holy Spirit, my hus--I talked to my husband, 1086 00:48:39,958 --> 00:48:42,667 and he's not listening. Get him." 1087 00:48:42,708 --> 00:48:45,875 Just pray like that. 1088 00:48:45,958 --> 00:48:48,458 Grace prays these sic-the-Holy-Spirit-on-me prayers. 1089 00:48:48,500 --> 00:48:50,833 Every once in a while, she'll talk to me about something 1090 00:48:50,875 --> 00:48:53,042 and I love her and I tend to listen to her, 1091 00:48:53,125 --> 00:48:55,417 but sometimes I don't because I'm a man. 1092 00:48:55,500 --> 00:48:57,500 And so she'll talk to God. 1093 00:48:57,542 --> 00:49:00,417 She'll be like, "Holy Spirit, please convict my husband." 1094 00:49:00,500 --> 00:49:02,083 And then I feel it. 1095 00:49:02,167 --> 00:49:04,208 Like, "Aw, she did it again." 1096 00:49:04,292 --> 00:49:05,792 [congregation laughing] 1097 00:49:05,833 --> 00:49:07,125 "She did it again." 1098 00:49:07,167 --> 00:49:08,958 And I'll walk up to her, "Honey, I'm sorry. 1099 00:49:09,000 --> 00:49:10,708 "You were right. I was wrong. 1100 00:49:10,792 --> 00:49:12,083 Did you pray?" 1101 00:49:12,167 --> 00:49:14,625 [congregation laughing] 1102 00:49:14,667 --> 00:49:15,958 "You did. 1103 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:20,083 You need to tell me when you do that so I can get my cup on." 1104 00:49:20,167 --> 00:49:23,167 [congregation laughing] 1105 00:49:24,167 --> 00:49:30,000 Galatians 5:22-23, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, 1106 00:49:30,083 --> 00:49:32,167 "peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 1107 00:49:32,250 --> 00:49:33,583 gentleness, self-control." 1108 00:49:33,667 --> 00:49:37,833 Do you ever wake up and say that's not happening today. 1109 00:49:37,917 --> 00:49:39,833 Love? Nope. 1110 00:49:39,875 --> 00:49:41,500 Joy? Mm-mmm. 1111 00:49:41,583 --> 00:49:43,500 Peace? Nah, somebody's going to get hurt. 1112 00:49:43,583 --> 00:49:45,333 That's the way it's going to go. 1113 00:49:45,375 --> 00:49:47,667 Patience? Nah, they're dumb. I'm going to shove them. 1114 00:49:47,708 --> 00:49:49,250 Kindness? Nah. 1115 00:49:49,333 --> 00:49:50,708 Goodness? Later. 1116 00:49:50,792 --> 00:49:52,083 Faithfulness? Perhaps. 1117 00:49:52,167 --> 00:49:54,167 Gentleness? Nope. 1118 00:49:54,208 --> 00:49:55,667 Self-control? Nah. 1119 00:49:55,750 --> 00:49:58,500 The wick is short. It's going to be bad for everybody. 1120 00:49:58,542 --> 00:50:00,125 You ever have that day? 1121 00:50:00,167 --> 00:50:03,292 You just wake up, you're like, "Yep, it's going to be a good day 1122 00:50:03,333 --> 00:50:08,333 for me and a bad day for everyone else on the earth." 1123 00:50:08,417 --> 00:50:10,917 Okay, what you don't need to do in those moments is get 1124 00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:13,917 all legalistic and religious, say, "Okay, I need to work on love 1125 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:16,208 "and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness 1126 00:50:16,292 --> 00:50:17,583 and gentleness and self-control." 1127 00:50:17,667 --> 00:50:19,667 You need to go to the Holy Spirit and say, 1128 00:50:19,708 --> 00:50:22,833 "Holy Spirit, save me from myself. 1129 00:50:22,875 --> 00:50:26,500 "I need you to give me the character of Jesus. 1130 00:50:26,542 --> 00:50:29,083 "I don't have it, especially today. 1131 00:50:29,167 --> 00:50:33,083 "I'm not starting with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, 1132 00:50:33,167 --> 00:50:34,625 "goodness, gentleness, self-control. 1133 00:50:34,667 --> 00:50:38,625 "Even in hearing the list, I kind of am frustrated and annoyed 1134 00:50:38,667 --> 00:50:40,833 "by it because it sounds like a greeting card 1135 00:50:40,875 --> 00:50:45,208 and I'm not in the mood." All right? 1136 00:50:45,292 --> 00:50:48,458 Some of you have had that day? I call it Monday. 1137 00:50:48,500 --> 00:50:50,500 [congregation laughing] 1138 00:50:50,583 --> 00:50:52,417 You got to go to the Holy Spirit, say, 1139 00:50:52,500 --> 00:50:54,667 "Holy Spirit, I don't have it. 1140 00:50:54,708 --> 00:50:56,708 "Holy Spirit, that's you. 1141 00:50:56,792 --> 00:50:58,833 "You're love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, 1142 00:50:58,917 --> 00:51:00,625 "faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 1143 00:51:00,667 --> 00:51:07,375 "I need you to show up in me, through me, in spite of me. 1144 00:51:07,458 --> 00:51:11,125 "Holy Spirit, please, please make me into someone that, 1145 00:51:11,167 --> 00:51:12,542 apart from you, I'm just not." 1146 00:51:12,625 --> 00:51:14,167 You think he'll answer that prayer? 1147 00:51:14,250 --> 00:51:18,708 Yeah. Jesus says to just ask. Just ask. 1148 00:51:18,792 --> 00:51:20,583 Here's the big idea I'm trying to communicate. 1149 00:51:20,667 --> 00:51:22,750 You don't just ask for the Holy Spirit once. 1150 00:51:22,833 --> 00:51:24,667 There's this ongoing relationship as you understand 1151 00:51:24,708 --> 00:51:26,667 who the Holy Spirit is and what he does. 1152 00:51:26,750 --> 00:51:28,958 You just keep making requests of him to help you because 1153 00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:30,292 you need his help. 1154 00:51:30,333 --> 00:51:31,625 I'll give you a few more. 1155 00:51:31,667 --> 00:51:33,875 Luke 12:12, "The Holy Spirit will teach you in that 1156 00:51:33,958 --> 00:51:35,208 very hour what you are to say." 1157 00:51:35,292 --> 00:51:36,667 You ever not know what to say? 1158 00:51:36,708 --> 00:51:38,292 You're in a meeting, you're counseling, you're working, 1159 00:51:38,333 --> 00:51:39,625 "I don't know what to say." 1160 00:51:39,667 --> 00:51:42,000 You know what you do? Pray. You can pray silently. 1161 00:51:42,083 --> 00:51:44,000 Unlike Satan, God knows your thoughts. 1162 00:51:44,042 --> 00:51:46,833 You could verbally, vocally. God hears your prayers. 1163 00:51:46,875 --> 00:51:49,333 "God, tell me what to say. I don't know what to say. 1164 00:51:49,417 --> 00:51:51,417 I don't want to say the wrong thing." 1165 00:51:51,500 --> 00:51:54,875 And then you open your mouth and you say whatever the Holy Spirit has given you. 1166 00:51:54,958 --> 00:51:57,083 And for me, quite frankly, I know not everything I say 1167 00:51:57,167 --> 00:51:59,708 is from the Holy Spirit. 1168 00:51:59,792 --> 00:52:02,708 But for me, I'm more concerned when I preach that I've repented 1169 00:52:02,792 --> 00:52:05,125 of sin, I've spent time with the Lord, and I've listened 1170 00:52:05,167 --> 00:52:07,958 to the Holy Spirit and I get up not with everything memorized 1171 00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:10,458 and rote, but just wanting to be led by the Spirit 1172 00:52:10,583 --> 00:52:12,667 and to do my best to serve you. 1173 00:52:12,750 --> 00:52:15,917 I apologize for the times that I haven't, but I want to speak by 1174 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:18,708 the power of the Holy Spirit and I want him to tell me what 1175 00:52:18,792 --> 00:52:21,208 it is that you need to hear. 1176 00:52:21,292 --> 00:52:23,167 And so, sometimes some of you are really stressed 1177 00:52:23,208 --> 00:52:24,500 over what you're going to say. 1178 00:52:24,583 --> 00:52:27,500 Be more concerned about your connection to the Holy Spirit. 1179 00:52:27,542 --> 00:52:29,375 He'll tell you exactly what to say. 1180 00:52:29,458 --> 00:52:31,583 Now, if you come to the Holy Spirit, say, "Holy Spirit, 1181 00:52:31,667 --> 00:52:34,167 please tell me what to say," do you think he'll answer that prayer? 1182 00:52:34,250 --> 00:52:36,667 Yeah, he will. Jesus says just ask. 1183 00:52:36,750 --> 00:52:39,542 Romans 8:26, "We do not know what to pray for as we ought, 1184 00:52:39,625 --> 00:52:41,375 but the Spirit himself intercedes for us." 1185 00:52:41,458 --> 00:52:43,458 Do you ever not even know what to pray for? 1186 00:52:43,500 --> 00:52:45,333 You ever had this prayer, you're just standing there, 1187 00:52:45,417 --> 00:52:47,375 you're like, "Okay, heavenly Father. 1188 00:52:47,458 --> 00:52:53,708 Argh! [raspberry] Amen." 1189 00:52:53,792 --> 00:52:56,500 [congregation laughing] You ever had that prayer? 1190 00:52:56,542 --> 00:52:58,750 And the Holy Spirit's like, "I know what that means. 1191 00:52:58,833 --> 00:53:02,000 "I'll interpret that. I'll take that to the Father." 1192 00:53:02,042 --> 00:53:04,750 "Thank you. 1193 00:53:04,833 --> 00:53:08,458 Thank you for delivering that mail." 1194 00:53:08,500 --> 00:53:11,958 See, you don't even need to pray this rock star, 1195 00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:14,167 world-class prayer. 1196 00:53:14,250 --> 00:53:17,458 You need the Holy Spirit to interpret the prayer and to take 1197 00:53:17,500 --> 00:53:20,500 your frustration and your groanings and your confusion 1198 00:53:20,542 --> 00:53:23,333 to the Father through the Son on your behalf. 1199 00:53:23,417 --> 00:53:25,000 Isn't that great? 1200 00:53:25,042 --> 00:53:26,583 And lastly, I'll give you one more. 1201 00:53:26,667 --> 00:53:28,500 He says in Philippians 3:3 that we, 1202 00:53:28,542 --> 00:53:30,000 "Worship by the Spirit of God." 1203 00:53:30,042 --> 00:53:32,667 You ever show up to--well, worship is a lifestyle, 1204 00:53:32,708 --> 00:53:34,750 but when we get together corporately, do you ever say, 1205 00:53:34,833 --> 00:53:36,667 "You know, I don't feel like going to church. 1206 00:53:36,708 --> 00:53:38,792 "I don't feel like listening to Mark for an hour. 1207 00:53:38,833 --> 00:53:41,083 "I don't feel like singing the songs. 1208 00:53:41,167 --> 00:53:42,750 "I don't feel like raising my hands. 1209 00:53:42,833 --> 00:53:44,583 "I don't feel like praying the prayers. 1210 00:53:44,667 --> 00:53:47,417 I'm not feeling it"? 1211 00:53:47,500 --> 00:53:49,500 What you don't do then is try and religiously 1212 00:53:49,542 --> 00:53:51,333 guilt yourself into it. 1213 00:53:51,417 --> 00:53:53,250 You ask the Holy Spirit, "Holy Spirit, 1214 00:53:53,333 --> 00:53:55,250 "you never get tired of adoring Jesus. 1215 00:53:55,333 --> 00:53:57,833 "You never get tired of glorifying the Father. 1216 00:53:57,917 --> 00:54:00,333 "You never get tired of being a worshiper. 1217 00:54:00,375 --> 00:54:03,125 "Please indwell me. Please fill me. 1218 00:54:03,167 --> 00:54:08,667 "Please empower me. Please enable me to worship. 1219 00:54:08,708 --> 00:54:13,125 "To worship. Because I don't have it. 1220 00:54:13,167 --> 00:54:16,625 "But you, Holy Spirit, are the perfect, 1221 00:54:16,667 --> 00:54:19,667 unceasing worshiper." 1222 00:54:19,708 --> 00:54:22,667 Do you think the Holy Spirit will answer that prayer? 1223 00:54:22,708 --> 00:54:25,167 Do you think the Holy Spirit will answer that prayer? 1224 00:54:25,250 --> 00:54:26,667 Well, let's see. 1225 00:54:26,708 --> 00:54:29,375 All right, here's what I'm going to ask you to do. 1226 00:54:29,458 --> 00:54:32,500 Raise your hands. Repeat after me. 1227 00:54:32,542 --> 00:54:36,833 Father God, you are a good Father. 1228 00:54:36,917 --> 00:54:41,625 Lord Jesus, you're a good savior. 1229 00:54:41,667 --> 00:54:46,583 Holy Spirit, you're the greatest gift. 1230 00:54:46,667 --> 00:54:51,000 Please come to me. Please fill me. 1231 00:54:51,042 --> 00:54:55,667 Please teach me to worship forever. 1232 00:54:55,750 --> 00:54:58,750 In Jesus' name, Amen.