WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.379
 We have a scripture reading tonight from Luke chapter 11, verses 1 to 13.

00:00:06.379 --> 00:00:09.900
 I'll read the text for us, and then David will come and preach from it.

00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:14.919
 So this is God's holy word in Luke 11, verses 1 to 13.

00:00:16.140 --> 00:00:19.600
 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished,

00:00:21.059 --> 00:00:26.820
 one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.

00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:33.000
 And he said to them, when you pray, say, Father, hallowed be your name.

00:00:33.740 --> 00:00:34.659
 Your kingdom come.

00:00:35.740 --> 00:00:38.719
 Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins.

00:00:39.299 --> 00:00:44.659
 For we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us, and lead us not into temptation.

00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:50.460
 And he said to them, which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him,

00:00:50.740 --> 00:00:53.079
 friend, lend me three loaves.

00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:57.439
 For a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.

00:00:57.879 --> 00:00:59.479
 And he will answer from within.

00:01:00.060 --> 00:01:01.039
 Do not bother me.

00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:03.599
 The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed.

00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:05.739
 I cannot get up and give you anything.

00:01:07.079 --> 00:01:11.200
 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything, because he is his friend,

00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:15.299
 yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.

00:01:15.900 --> 00:01:18.780
 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you.

00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:20.799
 You seek, and you will find.

00:01:20.980 --> 00:01:22.820
 Knock, and it will be opened to you.

00:01:23.159 --> 00:01:29.840
 For everyone who asks, receives, and the one who seeks, finds, and to the one who knocks,

00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:30.879
 it will be opened.

00:01:31.719 --> 00:01:37.020
 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?

00:01:37.740 --> 00:01:40.140
 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:47.260
 Instead of a fish, excuse me, if you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children,

00:01:47.340 --> 00:01:51.540
 how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:53.200
 This is God's holy word.

00:01:53.939 --> 00:01:54.099
 David.

00:01:56.099 --> 00:01:59.359
 Well, we're going to turn with me to Luke chapter 11,

00:01:59.500 --> 00:02:03.099
 to those verses that Corey read for us just a moment ago.

00:02:03.099 --> 00:02:11.159
 So, this is our sixth, I think, sermon on discipleship from these middle chapters of Luke's gospel.

00:02:11.900 --> 00:02:16.859
 And as you'll have gathered, we're touching the subject of prayer this evening.

00:02:17.699 --> 00:02:21.620
 Now, many years ago, during one of his visits to Scotland,

00:02:21.819 --> 00:02:26.740
 the American evangelist, the latter half of the 19th century,

00:02:26.959 --> 00:02:29.139
 is a man called Dwight L. Moody.

00:02:29.139 --> 00:02:35.319
 He had a number of visits to Scotland, came to Edinburgh, I think, in the 1870s.

00:02:35.779 --> 00:02:39.139
 Quite an impact, his ministry and mission.

00:02:39.279 --> 00:02:44.619
 And anyway, at one of his visits, he was asked to speak at a primary school here.

00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:51.199
 And so, he turned up, and the kids were all there,

00:02:51.379 --> 00:02:54.500
 and he asked the youngsters a rhetorical question.

00:02:54.579 --> 00:02:56.560
 He asked them the question, what is prayer?

00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:59.840
 And much to Moody's astonishment,

00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:04.780
 almost all the children's hands went up in the air.

00:03:05.659 --> 00:03:06.400
 Hundreds of them.

00:03:07.379 --> 00:03:10.719
 And he called on a boy near the front,

00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:12.259
 and the boy said,

00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:15.520
 prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God,

00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:17.960
 in the name of Christ, by the help of His Spirit,

00:03:18.300 --> 00:03:19.699
 with the confession of sins,

00:03:20.020 --> 00:03:22.580
 and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.

00:03:22.580 --> 00:03:28.460
 That's the answer to question 98 in the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

00:03:29.420 --> 00:03:32.300
 And Moody, who was taken aback, responded,

00:03:33.140 --> 00:03:36.040
 be thankful, son, that you were born in Scotland.

00:03:37.640 --> 00:03:39.860
 Well, I don't think I'm overstating things

00:03:39.860 --> 00:03:41.460
 when I say that we now live in a Scotland

00:03:41.460 --> 00:03:45.700
 where prayer is perhaps less well understood.

00:03:45.900 --> 00:03:48.160
 And yet, nonetheless, the concept of prayer

00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:52.039
 prayer has still quite a measure of cultural currency.

00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:57.419
 You may have seen slogan emblazoned on buses and billboards

00:03:57.419 --> 00:04:01.599
 across the city that say, you know, try praying.

00:04:02.579 --> 00:04:07.539
 An evangelistic initiative designed to try and get people thinking about God,

00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:10.560
 exploring what it means to be a Christian.

00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:16.240
 Well, that slogan, try praying, simply begs a number of questions, doesn't it?

00:04:16.780 --> 00:04:18.000
 Try praying, but to whom?

00:04:18.740 --> 00:04:20.060
 Try praying, but what?

00:04:20.780 --> 00:04:22.360
 Try praying, but how?

00:04:23.740 --> 00:04:28.439
 And I think our text this evening provides us with an answer to those kinds of questions.

00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:31.100
 Because here we discover the disciples

00:04:31.100 --> 00:04:35.060
 learning about prayer from Jesus Himself.

00:04:35.060 --> 00:04:38.379
 We read in verse 1 of our passage,

00:04:38.500 --> 00:04:41.459
 Jesus was praying in a certain place.

00:04:41.819 --> 00:04:44.800
 And when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him,

00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:49.720
 Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.

00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:54.139
 Perhaps these men had been trying to pray,

00:04:54.939 --> 00:04:58.840
 but had left them unsure, uncertain about what they were doing.

00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:04.079
 It may be that as they were confronted with the prayer life of Jesus,

00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:07.339
 it prompted curiosity and desire.

00:05:09.399 --> 00:05:14.199
 Then Jesus, they saw someone who spent time with God.

00:05:14.919 --> 00:05:16.299
 He was a man of prayer.

00:05:17.659 --> 00:05:20.019
 And it was common among the rabbis of that time

00:05:20.019 --> 00:05:23.679
 to have a special prayer for their own followers and disciples.

00:05:25.019 --> 00:05:28.239
 Probably, I think, that John the Baptist followed this custom.

00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:32.599
 And so here, Jesus, the disciples rather turn to Jesus

00:05:32.599 --> 00:05:35.479
 and ask Him how they should pray.

00:05:35.659 --> 00:05:37.599
 Lord, teach us to pray.

00:05:39.500 --> 00:05:42.819
 Now, there's a lot in these verses.

00:05:44.039 --> 00:05:48.319
 And I've already edited down this sermon drastically.

00:05:48.479 --> 00:05:49.459
 You'll be glad to hear.

00:05:49.979 --> 00:05:52.599
 So, we have to move through things fairly quickly.

00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:56.320
 But in these verses before us tonight,

00:05:56.420 --> 00:06:00.460
 we have Jesus giving His disciples the Lord's Prayer.

00:06:01.400 --> 00:06:04.340
 And following that, giving them further teaching

00:06:04.340 --> 00:06:09.020
 on this important subject for His disciples.

00:06:09.760 --> 00:06:12.860
 And I want to mention, I usually have three things.

00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:18.980
 I've got five things tonight about prayer and Christian discipleship.

00:06:18.980 --> 00:06:21.000
 So, the first is this.

00:06:21.740 --> 00:06:26.460
 The disciple is to pray intimately.

00:06:27.420 --> 00:06:28.360
 And He said to them,

00:06:28.460 --> 00:06:31.220
 When you pray, say, Father.

00:06:32.220 --> 00:06:32.819
 Father.

00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:34.740
 That is the starting point.

00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:37.520
 Not Almighty God, not eternal sovereign,

00:06:37.900 --> 00:06:38.900
 though He is both,

00:06:39.460 --> 00:06:40.220
 but Father.

00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:44.480
 That's the word that fell from the praying lips of Jesus

00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:46.340
 during His earthly life.

00:06:46.700 --> 00:06:50.240
 And it's the word He now places on His disciples.

00:06:51.080 --> 00:06:52.660
 All through the Gospels,

00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:56.080
 Jesus calls God His Father.

00:06:57.140 --> 00:07:00.560
 The word used, an Aramaic term, Abba.

00:07:01.520 --> 00:07:03.980
 An everyday word, a homely word, a family word,

00:07:04.379 --> 00:07:05.200
 secular word.

00:07:05.900 --> 00:07:08.920
 Word of tenderness, intimacy, dear Father.

00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:14.300
 No Jew would have dared to address God in this manner.

00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:20.680
 For to say Father was to claim sonship.

00:07:21.420 --> 00:07:24.680
 It's a breathtaking presumption.

00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:32.120
 Except that here, it is Christ's own gift to His disciples.

00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:35.879
 And what the Gospels make clear to us

00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:39.420
 is that Jesus enjoyed a special relationship

00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:43.420
 of divine intimacy and fellowship with God.

00:07:44.180 --> 00:07:45.680
 And the reason for that, of course,

00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:49.579
 is that Jesus was God's Son in a unique sense.

00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:53.280
 God was uniquely and specially His Father.

00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:56.780
 Jesus' manner of addressing God, His Father,

00:07:57.079 --> 00:07:59.800
 just part, really, of a larger picture

00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:02.439
 in which He claimed in many different ways

00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:05.160
 to be uniquely one with God.

00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:09.280
 His relationship belonged to the life of God

00:08:09.280 --> 00:08:10.439
 from all eternity.

00:08:10.740 --> 00:08:13.639
 I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me,

00:08:13.720 --> 00:08:16.580
 He tells His disciples in John 14.

00:08:17.580 --> 00:08:20.939
 And yet here, the astonishing thing in the Lord's Prayer

00:08:20.939 --> 00:08:24.580
 is that Jesus authorizes His own disciples

00:08:24.580 --> 00:08:27.780
 to repeat the word Abba after Him.

00:08:27.779 --> 00:08:31.819
 He teaches His followers to address God

00:08:31.819 --> 00:08:33.379
 in the same way.

00:08:34.500 --> 00:08:37.299
 Through Jesus and only through Jesus,

00:08:37.659 --> 00:08:39.839
 His followers now enjoy something

00:08:39.839 --> 00:08:42.980
 of that close and special relationship

00:08:42.980 --> 00:08:45.779
 with God as their Father.

00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:51.079
 Now, of course, it may well be that

00:08:51.079 --> 00:08:53.759
 for some of you here,

00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:55.559
 or people you know,

00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:58.299
 and their experience of fatherhood

00:08:58.299 --> 00:09:00.839
 has been less than positive.

00:09:02.199 --> 00:09:04.679
 Some of you may have had absent fathers,

00:09:05.599 --> 00:09:08.919
 fathers who were brutish or abusive.

00:09:10.819 --> 00:09:11.979
 For many people,

00:09:12.119 --> 00:09:13.279
 the idea of fatherhood

00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:16.179
 is laden with negative connotations.

00:09:17.439 --> 00:09:19.099
 And of course, to varying degrees,

00:09:19.379 --> 00:09:22.279
 human fatherhood is always flawed

00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:24.220
 and far from perfect.

00:09:24.899 --> 00:09:26.579
 I can say that as a father.

00:09:27.879 --> 00:09:30.299
 But that is not the case with God.

00:09:31.100 --> 00:09:32.720
 He is the perfect Father

00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:35.699
 who loves and cares and protects

00:09:35.699 --> 00:09:37.959
 and delights in His children

00:09:37.959 --> 00:09:39.439
 at all times.

00:09:40.620 --> 00:09:41.740
 It's one of the key ways

00:09:41.740 --> 00:09:43.839
 in which the New Testament writers

00:09:43.839 --> 00:09:45.740
 describe what it means to be a Christian.

00:09:45.740 --> 00:09:48.340
 It is to receive His love

00:09:48.340 --> 00:09:51.700
 and become a child of God.

00:09:52.840 --> 00:09:54.360
 Those who repent,

00:09:55.659 --> 00:09:56.980
 place their faith in Jesus.

00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:00.120
 Those who vow allegiance

00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:01.860
 to Jesus Christ as Lord

00:10:01.860 --> 00:10:04.860
 are said to be born of God

00:10:04.860 --> 00:10:07.039
 and to have been adopted

00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:08.019
 into His family.

00:10:08.460 --> 00:10:10.220
 They enter into a new relationship

00:10:10.220 --> 00:10:12.560
 with God as their Heavenly Father.

00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:14.460
 A new access, as it were,

00:10:14.460 --> 00:10:16.300
 a new type of relationship

00:10:16.300 --> 00:10:17.879
 to God is opened up

00:10:17.879 --> 00:10:19.500
 through Jesus Christ,

00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:20.700
 the Eternal Son.

00:10:22.660 --> 00:10:23.920
 Ben Packer in his book,

00:10:24.379 --> 00:10:26.280
 Knowing God, writes this,

00:10:26.860 --> 00:10:28.019
 If you want to know

00:10:28.019 --> 00:10:28.960
 how well a person

00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:30.460
 understands Christianity,

00:10:31.280 --> 00:10:32.920
 find out how much he makes

00:10:32.920 --> 00:10:35.080
 of the thought of being God's child,

00:10:35.680 --> 00:10:37.200
 having God as his Father.

00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:39.440
 If it is not the thought

00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:40.900
 that controls his worship

00:10:40.900 --> 00:10:41.900
 and prayers

00:10:41.900 --> 00:10:43.920
 and whole outlook on life,

00:10:44.460 --> 00:10:45.900
 it means that he has not

00:10:45.900 --> 00:10:47.320
 understood Christianity

00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:49.379
 very well at all.

00:10:49.920 --> 00:10:52.660
 Father is the Christian name

00:10:52.660 --> 00:10:53.759
 for God.

00:10:55.879 --> 00:10:57.800
 I wonder to what extent

00:10:57.800 --> 00:10:58.639
 you think of God

00:10:58.639 --> 00:10:59.300
 as your Father.

00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:01.580
 Outside of Jesus,

00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:02.480
 we have no right

00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:03.600
 to call God our Father,

00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:05.620
 but in Jesus Christ,

00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:06.800
 united to Him,

00:11:07.259 --> 00:11:08.480
 we have every right.

00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:10.580
 It's one of the great privileges

00:11:10.580 --> 00:11:11.720
 of discipleship.

00:11:12.379 --> 00:11:13.259
 Remember John writing

00:11:13.259 --> 00:11:14.139
 in his first letter,

00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:14.800
 he says,

00:11:14.899 --> 00:11:15.899
 How great is the love

00:11:15.899 --> 00:11:18.680
 the Father has lavished upon us

00:11:18.680 --> 00:11:20.779
 that we should be called

00:11:20.779 --> 00:11:22.379
 children of God.

00:11:24.259 --> 00:11:25.960
 We think of that famous story

00:11:25.960 --> 00:11:27.460
 of Jesus

00:11:27.460 --> 00:11:29.259
 and how the Father welcomes

00:11:29.259 --> 00:11:31.259
 His wasteful,

00:11:31.500 --> 00:11:32.399
 prodigal son

00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:34.279
 instead of meeting

00:11:34.279 --> 00:11:35.539
 His Son with anger

00:11:35.539 --> 00:11:36.620
 and hostility.

00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:37.980
 Remember,

00:11:38.199 --> 00:11:40.019
 we read these great words

00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:41.360
 later on in Luke's Gospel.

00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:42.899
 Luke 15, 20,

00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:43.899
 While he was still

00:11:43.899 --> 00:11:44.879
 a long way off,

00:11:45.419 --> 00:11:46.659
 his father saw him

00:11:46.659 --> 00:11:47.720
 and felt compassion

00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:49.179
 and ran and embraced

00:11:49.179 --> 00:11:50.039
 and kissed him.

00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:52.340
 Instead of the prodigal

00:11:52.340 --> 00:11:53.379
 being disgraced

00:11:53.379 --> 00:11:55.179
 and shamed by his father,

00:11:56.899 --> 00:11:57.620
 it's the father

00:11:57.620 --> 00:11:59.059
 who shamelessly runs out

00:11:59.059 --> 00:11:59.779
 to meet him

00:11:59.779 --> 00:12:02.039
 and lavishes love upon him.

00:12:02.100 --> 00:12:02.959
 And this is what God

00:12:02.959 --> 00:12:03.720
 has done for us

00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:04.600
 in the Gospel

00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:05.899
 through Jesus Christ.

00:12:06.139 --> 00:12:07.759
 He has run out to meet us

00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:09.360
 and He's thrown His arms

00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:10.059
 around us

00:12:10.059 --> 00:12:11.519
 and He has welcomed us

00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:12.600
 into His family.

00:12:14.220 --> 00:12:14.879
 In Christ,

00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:15.799
 He has endured

00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:17.019
 the shame and disgrace,

00:12:17.379 --> 00:12:18.419
 our shame and disgrace,

00:12:19.539 --> 00:12:21.059
 that we might be welcomed

00:12:21.059 --> 00:12:22.159
 as sons and daughters

00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:23.199
 of the living God.

00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:25.259
 Those of us

00:12:25.259 --> 00:12:26.579
 in the far country

00:12:26.579 --> 00:12:29.199
 might be welcomed home

00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:31.480
 and enjoy intimacy

00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:32.240
 with God,

00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:34.700
 that we might call Him

00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:36.280
 our Abba Father.

00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:39.340
 And if that does not

00:12:39.340 --> 00:12:40.379
 move us to worship

00:12:40.379 --> 00:12:41.960
 and to pray,

00:12:42.259 --> 00:12:42.920
 my friends,

00:12:43.400 --> 00:12:45.400
 then what will?

00:12:47.280 --> 00:12:48.379
 We sometimes sing,

00:12:48.460 --> 00:12:48.700
 don't we,

00:12:48.740 --> 00:12:50.220
 how deep the Father's

00:12:50.220 --> 00:12:51.060
 love for us,

00:12:51.740 --> 00:12:53.480
 how vast beyond all measure,

00:12:54.140 --> 00:12:55.520
 that He should give

00:12:55.520 --> 00:12:56.440
 His only Son

00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:58.300
 to make a wretch

00:12:58.300 --> 00:12:59.280
 His treasure.

00:13:00.780 --> 00:13:02.160
 So to take this word

00:13:02.160 --> 00:13:02.560
 Father

00:13:02.560 --> 00:13:03.660
 on our lips

00:13:03.660 --> 00:13:05.560
 is a great

00:13:05.560 --> 00:13:07.040
 and wonderful privilege.

00:13:08.340 --> 00:13:09.200
 A small wonder

00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:10.540
 that in the

00:13:10.540 --> 00:13:11.860
 ancient church

00:13:11.860 --> 00:13:12.720
 the Lord's Prayer

00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:14.120
 was prefaced

00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:15.080
 by these words

00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:15.780
 of introduction,

00:13:16.940 --> 00:13:18.120
 grant that we

00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:19.160
 may dare

00:13:19.160 --> 00:13:20.520
 to call Thee

00:13:20.520 --> 00:13:21.440
 as Father

00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:22.920
 and to say

00:13:22.920 --> 00:13:23.720
 Our Father.

00:13:24.980 --> 00:13:26.660
 It's in Jesus Christ

00:13:26.660 --> 00:13:27.200
 alone

00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:28.780
 that we can dare

00:13:28.780 --> 00:13:29.660
 to call Him

00:13:29.660 --> 00:13:30.080
 Father

00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:32.180
 and to pray

00:13:32.180 --> 00:13:33.140
 with the intimacy

00:13:33.140 --> 00:13:34.800
 and closeness

00:13:34.800 --> 00:13:36.620
 that that relationship

00:13:36.620 --> 00:13:37.780
 allows.

00:13:39.780 --> 00:13:40.220
 Pray

00:13:40.220 --> 00:13:41.720
 intimately.

00:13:42.040 --> 00:13:42.620
 The disciple

00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:43.600
 is to pray intimately.

00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:44.040
 Secondly,

00:13:44.160 --> 00:13:44.760
 the disciple

00:13:44.760 --> 00:13:45.840
 is to pray

00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:47.020
 reverently.

00:13:47.860 --> 00:13:48.780
 There's two petitions

00:13:48.779 --> 00:13:49.819
 that follow.

00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:53.100
 Hallowed be your name,

00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:56.120
 your kingdom come.

00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:57.740
 Intimacy

00:13:57.740 --> 00:13:58.659
 does not exclude

00:13:58.659 --> 00:13:59.539
 reverence.

00:14:00.379 --> 00:14:00.959
 And these

00:14:00.959 --> 00:14:01.879
 two petitions

00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:02.799
 focus attention,

00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:03.259
 you'll notice,

00:14:03.379 --> 00:14:04.539
 on God's name

00:14:04.539 --> 00:14:06.439
 and His kingdom.

00:14:07.500 --> 00:14:08.539
 The first of these

00:14:08.539 --> 00:14:10.419
 expresses a desire

00:14:10.419 --> 00:14:11.159
 that God's name

00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:11.939
 be hallowed.

00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:13.240
 And to hallow

00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:14.059
 means to treat

00:14:14.059 --> 00:14:15.019
 or consider something

00:14:15.019 --> 00:14:16.059
 as sacred or holy.

00:14:16.740 --> 00:14:17.539
 Calvin writes,

00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:18.439
 we would wish God

00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:19.160
 to have the honor

00:14:19.160 --> 00:14:19.820
 He deserves.

00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:20.860
 Men should never

00:14:20.860 --> 00:14:21.380
 think of Him

00:14:21.380 --> 00:14:22.220
 without the highest

00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:23.380
 reverence.

00:14:23.800 --> 00:14:24.560
 His name is to be

00:14:24.560 --> 00:14:25.260
 considered holy

00:14:25.260 --> 00:14:25.820
 and sacred.

00:14:26.300 --> 00:14:26.820
 It's not to be

00:14:26.820 --> 00:14:27.380
 disdained.

00:14:28.280 --> 00:14:29.160
 To treat God's name

00:14:29.160 --> 00:14:29.800
 in a careless,

00:14:30.060 --> 00:14:30.840
 thoughtless manner

00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:33.120
 is to despise Him

00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:34.560
 and to despise

00:14:34.560 --> 00:14:35.740
 all that He stands for.

00:14:37.260 --> 00:14:37.700
 The psalmist

00:14:37.700 --> 00:14:38.400
 tells us that

00:14:38.400 --> 00:14:39.260
 God is exalted

00:14:39.260 --> 00:14:40.580
 above all things,

00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:41.320
 His name

00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:42.140
 and His word.

00:14:43.160 --> 00:14:44.180
 And the name of God

00:14:44.180 --> 00:14:45.080
 is shorthand

00:14:45.080 --> 00:14:46.260
 for all His attributes

00:14:46.260 --> 00:14:47.080
 and works.

00:14:47.080 --> 00:14:49.800
 The Heidelberg Catechism

00:14:49.800 --> 00:14:52.000
 says of this petition,

00:14:52.139 --> 00:14:54.000
 hallowed be Your name,

00:14:54.060 --> 00:14:54.420
 it says,

00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:55.700
 grant that we might

00:14:55.700 --> 00:14:56.759
 rightly know You

00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:57.800
 and sanctify,

00:14:57.980 --> 00:14:58.580
 glorify,

00:14:58.740 --> 00:14:59.639
 and praise You

00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:00.520
 in all Your works,

00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:03.300
 in which shine forth

00:15:03.300 --> 00:15:04.500
 Your almighty power,

00:15:04.680 --> 00:15:04.980
 wisdom,

00:15:05.220 --> 00:15:05.480
 goodness,

00:15:05.700 --> 00:15:06.120
 righteousness,

00:15:06.660 --> 00:15:06.940
 mercy,

00:15:07.040 --> 00:15:07.400
 and truth.

00:15:07.660 --> 00:15:08.639
 Grant us also

00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:09.340
 that we may

00:15:09.340 --> 00:15:10.259
 so direct

00:15:10.259 --> 00:15:11.240
 our whole life,

00:15:11.640 --> 00:15:12.100
 our thoughts,

00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:12.379
 words,

00:15:12.460 --> 00:15:13.040
 and actions,

00:15:13.620 --> 00:15:14.340
 that Your name

00:15:14.340 --> 00:15:15.480
 is not blasphemed

00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:16.420
 because of us,

00:15:16.740 --> 00:15:17.860
 but honored

00:15:17.860 --> 00:15:19.039
 and praised.

00:15:20.060 --> 00:15:20.899
 The petition

00:15:20.899 --> 00:15:21.740
 is asking that

00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:22.860
 God would be seen

00:15:22.860 --> 00:15:23.539
 and acknowledged

00:15:23.539 --> 00:15:25.180
 for who He truly is,

00:15:25.899 --> 00:15:27.879
 that we would see Him

00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:28.480
 in His greatness

00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:29.039
 and glory,

00:15:29.159 --> 00:15:30.080
 and others would see Him

00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:30.500
 also,

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:32.700
 to be one of the great

00:15:32.700 --> 00:15:34.080
 concerns of our hearts

00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:34.560
 and lives.

00:15:34.920 --> 00:15:36.180
 Hallowed be Your name.

00:15:36.700 --> 00:15:37.039
 Father,

00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:38.580
 hallow Your name

00:15:38.580 --> 00:15:39.440
 in my life.

00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:40.800
 Hallow Your name

00:15:40.800 --> 00:15:41.700
 in our church.

00:15:42.680 --> 00:15:43.420
 Hallow Your name

00:15:43.419 --> 00:15:44.279
 in my family,

00:15:44.599 --> 00:15:45.500
 in my heart,

00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:46.839
 in our land,

00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:48.199
 in the dark places

00:15:48.199 --> 00:15:48.959
 of this world.

00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:50.879
 This is the great focus,

00:15:50.939 --> 00:15:51.179
 isn't it?

00:15:51.259 --> 00:15:52.099
 One of the great focus

00:15:52.099 --> 00:15:54.299
 of Christian discipleship,

00:15:54.419 --> 00:15:55.439
 this hallowing,

00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:56.299
 this honoring

00:15:56.299 --> 00:15:57.399
 of God's name.

00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:00.500
 There's a story

00:16:00.500 --> 00:16:03.120
 told some years ago now,

00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:06.679
 a group of American tourists

00:16:06.679 --> 00:16:08.819
 that were in London

00:16:08.819 --> 00:16:09.679
 that were being shown

00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:11.439
 around the Houses

00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:12.220
 of Parliament,

00:16:13.220 --> 00:16:14.100
 and as they were being

00:16:14.100 --> 00:16:14.780
 taken along

00:16:14.780 --> 00:16:16.880
 one of the corridors there,

00:16:17.580 --> 00:16:18.700
 Lord Hailsham,

00:16:19.280 --> 00:16:20.120
 at that time

00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:22.120
 he was the Lord Chancellor,

00:16:22.500 --> 00:16:23.680
 and he appeared

00:16:23.680 --> 00:16:25.520
 on his way

00:16:25.520 --> 00:16:27.660
 to some official reception.

00:16:27.980 --> 00:16:28.800
 He was attired

00:16:28.800 --> 00:16:30.000
 in all his regalia,

00:16:30.620 --> 00:16:31.140
 finery.

00:16:32.060 --> 00:16:32.840
 He cut a pretty

00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:34.000
 impressive figure

00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:35.340
 as he strode

00:16:35.340 --> 00:16:36.240
 along the corridor.

00:16:37.880 --> 00:16:38.400
 However,

00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:39.060
 as he strode

00:16:39.060 --> 00:16:39.940
 along the corridor,

00:16:39.940 --> 00:16:41.500
 and as he drew near

00:16:41.500 --> 00:16:42.380
 to these tourists,

00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:43.740
 he saw standing

00:16:43.740 --> 00:16:44.720
 behind them

00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:46.400
 the man who was

00:16:46.400 --> 00:16:46.720
 the leader

00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:47.500
 of the opposition

00:16:47.500 --> 00:16:48.340
 at that time.

00:16:48.860 --> 00:16:49.340
 It was a guy

00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:50.860
 called Neil Kinnock.

00:16:51.980 --> 00:16:52.180
 And so,

00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:52.880
 wanting to speak

00:16:52.880 --> 00:16:53.240
 to him,

00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:55.640
 he raised his hand

00:16:55.640 --> 00:16:56.540
 and he called out,

00:16:56.840 --> 00:16:57.160
 Neil!

00:16:58.180 --> 00:16:58.620
 Whereupon,

00:16:58.680 --> 00:16:59.840
 all the American tourists

00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:01.820
 dropped to one knee.

00:17:03.160 --> 00:17:03.360
 Now,

00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:09.480
 you know that's a true story,

00:17:09.579 --> 00:17:09.819
 don't you?

00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:10.819
 You know that's true.

00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:15.120
 That kind of behavior

00:17:15.120 --> 00:17:16.740
 seems anachronistic,

00:17:17.120 --> 00:17:18.059
 unusual to us,

00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:18.799
 even humorous.

00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:20.660
 That kind of deference

00:17:20.660 --> 00:17:22.420
 and display of submission

00:17:22.420 --> 00:17:23.660
 before another

00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:24.980
 seems out of place

00:17:24.980 --> 00:17:26.039
 in our day and age.

00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:27.500
 And yet,

00:17:27.620 --> 00:17:27.819
 you know,

00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:28.860
 while that may be true

00:17:28.860 --> 00:17:30.200
 in relation to other people,

00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:32.640
 it is certainly not

00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:33.940
 inappropriate

00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:35.160
 in relation

00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:36.100
 to the living God.

00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:37.660
 Showing him

00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:39.039
 honor quite literally

00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:40.480
 involves us

00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:41.420
 bowing the knee

00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:42.840
 before him

00:17:42.840 --> 00:17:43.480
 as king

00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:45.000
 and publicly

00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:45.819
 acknowledging

00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:47.039
 his greatness

00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:48.240
 and glory.

00:17:50.660 --> 00:17:52.000
 To reverence

00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:52.620
 the Lord

00:17:52.620 --> 00:17:53.539
 as king

00:17:53.539 --> 00:17:55.400
 means having

00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:56.100
 an eye

00:17:56.100 --> 00:17:57.420
 on the king

00:17:57.420 --> 00:17:59.200
 and an eye

00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:00.460
 on his coming

00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:01.200
 kingdom.

00:18:02.660 --> 00:18:03.560
 That's something

00:18:03.560 --> 00:18:04.519
 we must not lose

00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:05.519
 sight of.

00:18:06.019 --> 00:18:07.060
 Your kingdom

00:18:07.060 --> 00:18:08.039
 come.

00:18:09.060 --> 00:18:09.840
 God's kingdom

00:18:09.840 --> 00:18:10.880
 is coming

00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:11.539
 one day

00:18:11.539 --> 00:18:12.620
 in all its

00:18:12.620 --> 00:18:14.019
 fullness.

00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:16.000
 And that's what

00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:16.680
 we look for

00:18:16.680 --> 00:18:17.360
 and pray for

00:18:17.360 --> 00:18:17.940
 when we take

00:18:17.940 --> 00:18:18.800
 the second petition

00:18:18.800 --> 00:18:20.460
 here upon our lips.

00:18:20.539 --> 00:18:21.279
 Our eyes are being

00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:21.920
 fixed

00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:23.759
 ahead

00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:25.039
 onto the far horizon.

00:18:26.360 --> 00:18:27.140
 Our great hope

00:18:27.140 --> 00:18:28.080
 as God's people

00:18:28.080 --> 00:18:29.640
 does not lie

00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:30.740
 in this world

00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:31.440
 ultimately

00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:32.820
 or with the rulers

00:18:32.820 --> 00:18:33.540
 and powers

00:18:33.540 --> 00:18:34.320
 of this world.

00:18:34.860 --> 00:18:35.340
 Our aim

00:18:35.340 --> 00:18:36.320
 is not to build

00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:37.920
 this world's kingdom

00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:39.180
 but rather

00:18:39.180 --> 00:18:39.960
 to share

00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:40.980
 in the glorious

00:18:40.980 --> 00:18:41.480
 reign

00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:42.240
 and triumph

00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:43.540
 of Jesus Christ.

00:18:44.340 --> 00:18:45.240
 The one

00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:46.000
 who has already

00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:46.900
 established

00:18:46.900 --> 00:18:48.240
 an everlasting

00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:48.940
 kingdom

00:18:48.940 --> 00:18:49.860
 through his life

00:18:49.860 --> 00:18:50.420
 and death

00:18:50.420 --> 00:18:51.440
 and resurrection

00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:52.560
 and ascension.

00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:53.860
 He reigns today.

00:18:54.900 --> 00:18:55.560
 He rules

00:18:55.559 --> 00:18:56.599
 over all things

00:18:56.599 --> 00:18:57.319
 now.

00:18:58.419 --> 00:18:59.460
 And all of human

00:18:59.460 --> 00:19:00.639
 history is moving

00:19:00.639 --> 00:19:01.720
 towards

00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:03.200
 an end

00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:03.779
 when that will

00:19:03.779 --> 00:19:04.740
 be fully revealed.

00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:07.359
 The kingdom

00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:08.039
 of our Lord

00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:08.940
 Jesus Christ

00:19:08.940 --> 00:19:10.779
 and that new

00:19:10.779 --> 00:19:11.539
 heavens and earth

00:19:11.539 --> 00:19:12.500
 in which righteousness

00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:13.419
 dwells.

00:19:14.379 --> 00:19:14.919
 Our hope

00:19:14.919 --> 00:19:16.379
 lies in the ruling

00:19:16.379 --> 00:19:17.099
 and reigning

00:19:17.099 --> 00:19:17.679
 Christ

00:19:17.679 --> 00:19:18.779
 who is coming

00:19:18.779 --> 00:19:19.659
 again.

00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:20.179
 Yes,

00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:20.879
 our eyes are on

00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:21.420
 the king

00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:22.300
 who is great

00:19:22.300 --> 00:19:23.780
 and whose name

00:19:23.780 --> 00:19:24.920
 is to be hallowed

00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:26.340
 but our eyes

00:19:26.340 --> 00:19:26.900
 are also

00:19:26.900 --> 00:19:28.520
 on his kingdom

00:19:28.520 --> 00:19:29.660
 that is

00:19:29.660 --> 00:19:30.720
 surely coming.

00:19:31.160 --> 00:19:31.660
 It's part of

00:19:31.660 --> 00:19:32.140
 what it means

00:19:32.140 --> 00:19:32.900
 to be a Christian.

00:19:33.780 --> 00:19:34.480
 We've bowed

00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:34.960
 the knee

00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:37.340
 and we have

00:19:37.340 --> 00:19:37.920
 given up

00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:38.440
 the reins

00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:39.240
 of our lives

00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:40.860
 to our great

00:19:40.860 --> 00:19:42.000
 king Jesus Christ.

00:19:42.980 --> 00:19:43.300
 And so

00:19:43.300 --> 00:19:44.060
 when we take

00:19:44.060 --> 00:19:45.400
 his name

00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:46.320
 upon our lips

00:19:46.320 --> 00:19:47.760
 we dare

00:19:47.760 --> 00:19:48.420
 not forget

00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:48.900
 that.

00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:49.940
 And so

00:19:49.940 --> 00:19:50.660
 as disciples

00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:51.740
 we must pray

00:19:51.740 --> 00:19:52.700
 intimately

00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:54.259
 and reverently.

00:19:55.400 --> 00:19:56.039
 Third thing

00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:57.140
 the disciple

00:19:57.140 --> 00:19:57.800
 is to pray

00:19:57.800 --> 00:19:59.380
 dependently.

00:20:01.700 --> 00:20:02.380
 A number

00:20:02.380 --> 00:20:02.920
 of petitions

00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:03.320
 follow.

00:20:03.460 --> 00:20:04.019
 The next one

00:20:04.019 --> 00:20:05.360
 give us

00:20:05.360 --> 00:20:07.039
 each day

00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:07.840
 our daily bread.

00:20:07.980 --> 00:20:08.600
 It expresses

00:20:08.600 --> 00:20:09.200
 doesn't it

00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:10.200
 dependence

00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:10.960
 on God.

00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:12.759
 When we pray

00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:13.440
 these words

00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:14.500
 we are saying

00:20:14.500 --> 00:20:15.519
 that we are relying

00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:16.220
 and leaning

00:20:16.220 --> 00:20:17.060
 upon God.

00:20:17.300 --> 00:20:18.019
 We are looking

00:20:18.019 --> 00:20:18.639
 to God

00:20:18.639 --> 00:20:19.200
 to meet

00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:19.799
 our needs.

00:20:20.299 --> 00:20:20.859
 We are not

00:20:20.859 --> 00:20:22.259
 living our lives

00:20:22.259 --> 00:20:22.920
 our way

00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:23.859
 we are living

00:20:23.859 --> 00:20:24.480
 our lives

00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:25.379
 God's way

00:20:25.379 --> 00:20:26.139
 and under

00:20:26.139 --> 00:20:26.900
 his authority.

00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:29.039
 In the words

00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:29.639
 of this prayer

00:20:29.639 --> 00:20:30.319
 we are acknowledging

00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:31.039
 that we are not

00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:32.579
 masters of our

00:20:32.579 --> 00:20:33.240
 own destiny

00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:35.000
 and that our lives

00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:35.859
 are in God's

00:20:35.859 --> 00:20:36.359
 hands.

00:20:38.019 --> 00:20:38.799
 Perhaps it's

00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:39.079
 true

00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:40.720
 in our

00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:42.160
 affluent

00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:43.079
 western culture

00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:43.940
 and affluent

00:20:43.940 --> 00:20:44.839
 western churches

00:20:44.839 --> 00:20:45.519
 that we have

00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:46.039
 lost sight

00:20:46.039 --> 00:20:46.539
 of something

00:20:46.539 --> 00:20:47.480
 of that reality.

00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:49.079
 Our culture

00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:49.460
 is often

00:20:49.460 --> 00:20:49.799
 one of

00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:50.740
 self-sufficiency

00:20:50.740 --> 00:20:51.740
 and independence.

00:20:52.460 --> 00:20:52.920
 Maybe that's

00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:53.480
 why prayer

00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:54.940
 is low

00:20:54.940 --> 00:20:56.599
 on the

00:20:56.599 --> 00:20:58.019
 list of

00:20:58.019 --> 00:20:58.579
 priorities

00:20:58.579 --> 00:20:59.920
 in many churches

00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:01.779
 because in prayer

00:21:01.779 --> 00:21:02.599
 we turn away

00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:03.579
 from ourselves

00:21:03.579 --> 00:21:04.680
 to God.

00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:06.220
 In prayer

00:21:06.220 --> 00:21:06.960
 we express

00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:07.779
 our weakness

00:21:07.779 --> 00:21:09.279
 and inadequacy.

00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:10.659
 In prayer

00:21:10.659 --> 00:21:11.240
 we acknowledge

00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:12.019
 that we don't

00:21:12.019 --> 00:21:12.920
 have all the

00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:13.279
 answers

00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:14.019
 and that

00:21:14.019 --> 00:21:14.299
 we are

00:21:14.299 --> 00:21:14.740
 not

00:21:14.740 --> 00:21:15.639
 in control.

00:21:18.700 --> 00:21:19.259
 Dr.

00:21:19.399 --> 00:21:19.639
 Ol

00:21:19.639 --> 00:21:20.259
 Hallisby

00:21:20.259 --> 00:21:20.680
 who is a

00:21:20.680 --> 00:21:21.139
 Norwegian

00:21:21.139 --> 00:21:22.619
 theologian

00:21:22.619 --> 00:21:23.099
 he once

00:21:23.099 --> 00:21:23.500
 wrote a

00:21:23.500 --> 00:21:24.059
 famous little

00:21:24.059 --> 00:21:24.660
 book on

00:21:24.660 --> 00:21:25.139
 prayer.

00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:25.799
 It was

00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:26.579
 very popular

00:21:26.579 --> 00:21:27.660
 when I

00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:27.960
 was a

00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:28.139
 young

00:21:28.139 --> 00:21:28.639
 Christian

00:21:28.639 --> 00:21:30.019
 and it

00:21:30.019 --> 00:21:30.500
 was published

00:21:30.500 --> 00:21:31.579
 by IVP.

00:21:32.619 --> 00:21:33.259
 And in that

00:21:33.259 --> 00:21:33.700
 little book

00:21:33.700 --> 00:21:34.200
 on prayer

00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:34.799
 he says

00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:35.160
 this.

00:21:35.319 --> 00:21:35.619
 He says

00:21:35.619 --> 00:21:35.899
 there are

00:21:35.899 --> 00:21:36.639
 two aspects

00:21:36.639 --> 00:21:37.240
 to prayer.

00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:38.639
 One is

00:21:38.639 --> 00:21:39.139
 faith

00:21:39.139 --> 00:21:39.639
 the other

00:21:39.639 --> 00:21:40.660
 is helplessness.

00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:42.420
 prayer is

00:21:42.420 --> 00:21:43.040
 for the

00:21:43.040 --> 00:21:43.440
 helpless.

00:21:44.220 --> 00:21:44.640
 This is what

00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:45.120
 he writes

00:21:45.120 --> 00:21:46.500
 I never

00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:47.140
 grow weary

00:21:47.140 --> 00:21:48.180
 of emphasizing

00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:49.540
 our helplessness

00:21:49.540 --> 00:21:50.800
 for it's

00:21:50.800 --> 00:21:51.400
 the decisive

00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:52.040
 factor

00:21:52.040 --> 00:21:53.560
 not only

00:21:53.560 --> 00:21:54.000
 in our

00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:54.779
 prayer life

00:21:54.779 --> 00:21:55.900
 but also

00:21:55.900 --> 00:21:56.380
 in our

00:21:56.380 --> 00:21:57.160
 whole relation

00:21:57.160 --> 00:21:58.300
 to God.

00:21:59.160 --> 00:22:00.380
 Our helplessness

00:22:00.380 --> 00:22:01.740
 should make

00:22:01.740 --> 00:22:02.480
 us attached

00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:03.160
 to God

00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:04.279
 and make

00:22:04.279 --> 00:22:04.779
 us more

00:22:04.779 --> 00:22:05.300
 strongly

00:22:05.300 --> 00:22:06.040
 dependent

00:22:06.040 --> 00:22:07.100
 upon Him

00:22:07.100 --> 00:22:08.500
 than words

00:22:08.500 --> 00:22:09.620
 can describe.

00:22:11.660 --> 00:22:12.400
 The Bible

00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:13.080
 teaches us

00:22:13.080 --> 00:22:13.480
 that God

00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:13.920
 Himself

00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:14.320
 is the

00:22:14.320 --> 00:22:14.620
 ultimate

00:22:14.620 --> 00:22:15.060
 source

00:22:15.060 --> 00:22:15.460
 of every

00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:15.820
 good

00:22:15.820 --> 00:22:16.420
 whether it's

00:22:16.420 --> 00:22:16.720
 food

00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:17.360
 or clothing

00:22:17.360 --> 00:22:18.000
 or work

00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:18.519
 or leisure

00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:19.540
 or strength

00:22:19.540 --> 00:22:20.259
 or friendship

00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:20.940
 or family

00:22:20.940 --> 00:22:21.420
 or whatever.

00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:23.140
 And God

00:22:23.140 --> 00:22:23.700
 doesn't owe

00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:24.120
 us these

00:22:24.120 --> 00:22:24.580
 things.

00:22:24.779 --> 00:22:24.940
 They're

00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:25.540
 gifts of

00:22:25.540 --> 00:22:26.100
 His grace.

00:22:27.500 --> 00:22:27.880
 He wouldn't

00:22:27.880 --> 00:22:28.460
 be unjust

00:22:28.460 --> 00:22:29.259
 in withholding

00:22:29.259 --> 00:22:29.700
 them from

00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:30.120
 us.

00:22:31.140 --> 00:22:31.759
 For we

00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:32.600
 are ungrateful

00:22:32.600 --> 00:22:33.200
 creatures

00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:34.340
 often taking

00:22:34.340 --> 00:22:35.200
 His gifts

00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:35.759
 for granted.

00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:37.640
 And so

00:22:37.640 --> 00:22:38.080
 give us

00:22:38.080 --> 00:22:38.460
 each day

00:22:38.460 --> 00:22:38.900
 our daily

00:22:38.900 --> 00:22:39.380
 bread

00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:39.920
 are words

00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:40.260
 that are

00:22:40.260 --> 00:22:41.040
 kind of

00:22:41.040 --> 00:22:42.520
 antidote

00:22:42.520 --> 00:22:43.120
 to that

00:22:43.120 --> 00:22:43.620
 kind of

00:22:43.620 --> 00:22:44.100
 attitude

00:22:44.100 --> 00:22:45.880
 because they

00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:46.400
 acknowledge

00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:47.360
 our absolute

00:22:47.360 --> 00:22:48.360
 dependence on

00:22:48.360 --> 00:22:48.720
 God

00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:49.680
 for each

00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:50.180
 day

00:22:50.180 --> 00:22:51.500
 and for

00:22:51.500 --> 00:22:52.120
 each meal

00:22:52.120 --> 00:22:52.500
 that we

00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:52.960
 enjoy.

00:22:54.560 --> 00:22:54.820
 Now

00:22:54.820 --> 00:22:55.980
 these words

00:22:55.980 --> 00:22:56.720
 are not

00:22:56.720 --> 00:22:57.220
 to be read

00:22:57.220 --> 00:22:57.780
 as a promise

00:22:57.780 --> 00:22:58.300
 that God

00:22:58.300 --> 00:22:59.340
 will always

00:22:59.340 --> 00:22:59.940
 supply His

00:22:59.940 --> 00:23:00.500
 people with

00:23:00.500 --> 00:23:00.800
 bread

00:23:00.800 --> 00:23:01.480
 and that no

00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:02.020
 Christian will

00:23:02.020 --> 00:23:02.780
 ever starve.

00:23:03.860 --> 00:23:04.260
 They're a

00:23:04.260 --> 00:23:05.080
 reminder to us

00:23:05.080 --> 00:23:05.680
 rather that

00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:06.460
 our lives

00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:07.320
 are ultimately

00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:07.779
 in His

00:23:07.779 --> 00:23:08.240
 hands.

00:23:08.939 --> 00:23:09.259
 We're

00:23:09.259 --> 00:23:10.079
 dependent on

00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:11.099
 Him and

00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:11.700
 His Word.

00:23:12.599 --> 00:23:13.059
 The issue

00:23:13.059 --> 00:23:13.559
 here is

00:23:13.559 --> 00:23:14.259
 trust and

00:23:14.259 --> 00:23:14.779
 dependence

00:23:14.779 --> 00:23:16.419
 because

00:23:16.419 --> 00:23:17.359
 disciples of

00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:17.859
 Jesus

00:23:17.859 --> 00:23:19.500
 constantly

00:23:19.500 --> 00:23:20.279
 acknowledge

00:23:20.279 --> 00:23:20.879
 their own

00:23:20.879 --> 00:23:21.319
 need of

00:23:21.319 --> 00:23:22.259
 God and

00:23:22.259 --> 00:23:22.980
 His grace

00:23:22.980 --> 00:23:23.399
 and they

00:23:23.399 --> 00:23:24.039
 do that

00:23:24.039 --> 00:23:24.980
 day in

00:23:24.980 --> 00:23:25.539
 and day

00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:26.000
 out.

00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:28.179
 His care

00:23:28.179 --> 00:23:29.079
 extends of

00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:29.839
 course beyond

00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:30.619
 our daily

00:23:30.619 --> 00:23:32.200
 bread to

00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:32.700
 our need of

00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:33.379
 pardon and

00:23:33.379 --> 00:23:33.879
 forgiveness.

00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:35.159
 Verse 4,

00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:35.720
 forgive us

00:23:35.720 --> 00:23:36.460
 our sins.

00:23:36.800 --> 00:23:36.920
 We

00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:37.360
 ourselves

00:23:37.360 --> 00:23:37.740
 forgive

00:23:37.740 --> 00:23:38.200
 everyone

00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:38.660
 who is

00:23:38.660 --> 00:23:39.120
 indebted

00:23:39.120 --> 00:23:39.620
 to us

00:23:39.620 --> 00:23:40.360
 and lead

00:23:40.360 --> 00:23:40.720
 us not

00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:40.960
 into

00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:41.600
 temptation.

00:23:41.800 --> 00:23:41.940
 Our

00:23:41.940 --> 00:23:42.380
 great need

00:23:42.380 --> 00:23:42.820
 before a

00:23:42.820 --> 00:23:43.420
 holy God

00:23:43.420 --> 00:23:44.019
 is that

00:23:44.019 --> 00:23:45.120
 divine

00:23:45.120 --> 00:23:45.740
 forgiveness

00:23:45.740 --> 00:23:46.259
 would so

00:23:46.259 --> 00:23:46.680
 embrace

00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:47.380
 our lives

00:23:47.380 --> 00:23:48.380
 that a

00:23:48.380 --> 00:23:48.960
 spirit of

00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:49.380
 forgiveness

00:23:49.380 --> 00:23:50.180
 would rule

00:23:50.180 --> 00:23:50.480
 in our

00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:50.960
 hearts.

00:23:51.960 --> 00:23:52.240
 For

00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:52.779
 without it

00:23:52.779 --> 00:23:53.180
 we run

00:23:53.180 --> 00:23:53.680
 the risk

00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:54.300
 of becoming

00:23:54.300 --> 00:23:55.140
 bitter and

00:23:55.140 --> 00:23:55.740
 hard-hearted.

00:23:57.380 --> 00:23:58.160
 Not just

00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:58.480
 God's

00:23:58.480 --> 00:23:58.960
 provision,

00:23:59.160 --> 00:23:59.279
 His

00:23:59.279 --> 00:23:59.779
 pardon,

00:24:00.320 --> 00:24:01.019
 but also

00:24:01.019 --> 00:24:01.279
 His

00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:01.940
 protection.

00:24:02.100 --> 00:24:02.380
 Lead us

00:24:02.380 --> 00:24:02.779
 not into

00:24:02.779 --> 00:24:03.380
 temptation.

00:24:03.620 --> 00:24:04.060
 Guard us,

00:24:04.300 --> 00:24:04.720
 guide us,

00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:05.160
 O God,

00:24:05.360 --> 00:24:05.839
 keep us

00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:06.339
 from the

00:24:06.339 --> 00:24:06.640
 one who

00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:06.940
 is the

00:24:06.940 --> 00:24:07.380
 enemy of

00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:07.600
 our

00:24:07.600 --> 00:24:08.120
 souls.

00:24:08.460 --> 00:24:08.720
 You see,

00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:09.779
 these petitions

00:24:09.779 --> 00:24:10.240
 cover the

00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:10.900
 very fabric

00:24:10.900 --> 00:24:11.440
 of Christian

00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:11.940
 life.

00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:13.160
 Our

00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:13.500
 God is

00:24:13.500 --> 00:24:14.500
 Jehovah-Jireh,

00:24:14.539 --> 00:24:14.799
 the one

00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:15.740
 who provides.

00:24:17.059 --> 00:24:17.860
 And very

00:24:17.860 --> 00:24:18.480
 often it's

00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:19.240
 our ordinary

00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:19.860
 mundane

00:24:19.860 --> 00:24:20.740
 needs that

00:24:20.740 --> 00:24:21.519
 become the

00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:22.220
 arena for

00:24:22.220 --> 00:24:22.680
 God to

00:24:22.680 --> 00:24:23.299
 display us

00:24:23.299 --> 00:24:24.240
 great wisdom

00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:24.860
 and power

00:24:24.860 --> 00:24:25.480
 and provision.

00:24:26.120 --> 00:24:26.279
 Our

00:24:26.279 --> 00:24:26.940
 emergencies,

00:24:27.160 --> 00:24:27.279
 our

00:24:27.279 --> 00:24:28.039
 difficulties,

00:24:28.220 --> 00:24:28.860
 our needs

00:24:28.860 --> 00:24:30.759
 should drive

00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:31.420
 us towards

00:24:31.420 --> 00:24:31.960
 God in

00:24:31.960 --> 00:24:32.339
 prayer,

00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:33.380
 that we

00:24:33.380 --> 00:24:34.460
 might acknowledge

00:24:34.460 --> 00:24:35.400
 His provision

00:24:35.400 --> 00:24:36.400
 and pardon

00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:37.520
 and protection.

00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:39.320
 Because it's

00:24:39.320 --> 00:24:40.260
 knowing God,

00:24:40.380 --> 00:24:41.280
 who He is,

00:24:41.760 --> 00:24:42.120
 and what He's

00:24:42.120 --> 00:24:42.980
 like that will

00:24:42.980 --> 00:24:44.120
 drive us and

00:24:44.120 --> 00:24:44.940
 move us to

00:24:44.940 --> 00:24:45.420
 pray these

00:24:45.420 --> 00:24:45.880
 words.

00:24:46.580 --> 00:24:47.100
 It's His

00:24:47.100 --> 00:24:47.780
 sheer,

00:24:47.940 --> 00:24:48.600
 abundant

00:24:48.600 --> 00:24:50.180
 goodness that

00:24:50.180 --> 00:24:51.220
 should draw us

00:24:51.220 --> 00:24:52.080
 to call on

00:24:52.080 --> 00:24:52.600
 His name,

00:24:53.540 --> 00:24:54.080
 knowing that He

00:24:54.080 --> 00:24:54.460
 is our

00:24:54.460 --> 00:24:55.240
 Heavenly Father,

00:24:55.520 --> 00:24:55.980
 knowing that He

00:24:55.980 --> 00:24:56.720
 loves us with

00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:57.320
 an everlasting

00:24:57.320 --> 00:24:57.960
 love,

00:24:58.620 --> 00:24:59.100
 knowing that He

00:24:59.100 --> 00:25:00.160
 has promised to

00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:01.300
 provide for us.

00:25:01.299 --> 00:25:03.559
 these things

00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:04.220
 should make us

00:25:04.220 --> 00:25:05.480
 come before

00:25:05.480 --> 00:25:06.819
 Him and

00:25:06.819 --> 00:25:07.339
 pray

00:25:07.339 --> 00:25:10.419
 dependently,

00:25:11.539 --> 00:25:13.619
 intimately,

00:25:13.919 --> 00:25:14.419
 reverently,

00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:15.899
 dependently,

00:25:16.059 --> 00:25:16.539
 fourth thing,

00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:17.559
 shamelessly.

00:25:18.639 --> 00:25:19.019
 There follows,

00:25:19.180 --> 00:25:19.599
 you'll notice,

00:25:19.720 --> 00:25:20.299
 a story,

00:25:20.399 --> 00:25:20.919
 a parable,

00:25:21.779 --> 00:25:22.059
 sort of the

00:25:22.059 --> 00:25:22.759
 whole subject

00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:23.759
 of kind of

00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:24.259
 asking for

00:25:24.259 --> 00:25:24.599
 help.

00:25:25.339 --> 00:25:25.940
 A friend

00:25:25.940 --> 00:25:27.519
 who disturbs

00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:27.940
 his neighbor

00:25:27.940 --> 00:25:28.559
 at midnight

00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:29.879
 in order to

00:25:29.879 --> 00:25:30.339
 borrow some

00:25:30.339 --> 00:25:31.439
 bread for

00:25:31.439 --> 00:25:32.139
 an unexpected

00:25:32.139 --> 00:25:32.839
 guest.

00:25:34.259 --> 00:25:34.779
 In that

00:25:34.779 --> 00:25:36.559
 culture,

00:25:36.779 --> 00:25:37.259
 day,

00:25:37.459 --> 00:25:37.799
 time,

00:25:37.959 --> 00:25:38.319
 age,

00:25:38.859 --> 00:25:39.199
 people didn't

00:25:39.199 --> 00:25:40.980
 use knives

00:25:40.980 --> 00:25:41.500
 and forks

00:25:41.500 --> 00:25:42.000
 and spoons

00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:43.099
 to eat the

00:25:43.099 --> 00:25:43.579
 used bread,

00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:45.439
 essential part

00:25:45.439 --> 00:25:46.339
 of any meal.

00:25:47.819 --> 00:25:48.439
 In Middle

00:25:48.439 --> 00:25:49.119
 Eastern culture,

00:25:49.299 --> 00:25:49.759
 the providing

00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:50.539
 of hospitality

00:25:50.539 --> 00:25:51.220
 to visitors,

00:25:51.379 --> 00:25:52.019
 very important,

00:25:52.539 --> 00:25:53.059
 matter of

00:25:53.059 --> 00:25:53.459
 honor,

00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:55.699
 an inability

00:25:55.699 --> 00:25:56.579
 to provide

00:25:56.579 --> 00:25:57.139
 for a guest

00:25:57.139 --> 00:25:58.879
 reflected badly

00:25:58.879 --> 00:25:59.519
 on a family,

00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:00.099
 perhaps even

00:26:00.099 --> 00:26:00.720
 on a village,

00:26:01.299 --> 00:26:01.619
 the kind of

00:26:01.619 --> 00:26:02.240
 obligation,

00:26:02.420 --> 00:26:03.180
 a duty to

00:26:03.180 --> 00:26:04.119
 provide food

00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:04.839
 and hospitality

00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:06.160
 to a guest.

00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:07.720
 And this is

00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:08.519
 what lies behind

00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:09.000
 the story

00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:09.440
 that Jesus

00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:10.039
 tells.

00:26:10.980 --> 00:26:11.639
 This man

00:26:11.639 --> 00:26:12.200
 doesn't want

00:26:12.200 --> 00:26:12.599
 to bring

00:26:12.599 --> 00:26:13.259
 disgrace on

00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:13.799
 his family,

00:26:13.980 --> 00:26:14.599
 so even at

00:26:14.599 --> 00:26:14.960
 midnight,

00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:15.599
 he goes to

00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:16.059
 his friend,

00:26:16.139 --> 00:26:16.720
 he asks for

00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:17.139
 bread.

00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:18.660
 He's prepared

00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:19.160
 in his

00:26:19.160 --> 00:26:19.839
 desperation

00:26:19.839 --> 00:26:20.779
 to be rude,

00:26:21.160 --> 00:26:21.639
 demanding

00:26:21.639 --> 00:26:22.400
 of his friend,

00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:23.099
 and Jesus

00:26:23.099 --> 00:26:23.879
 explains the

00:26:23.879 --> 00:26:24.339
 point of the

00:26:24.339 --> 00:26:24.740
 story in

00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:25.220
 verse 8,

00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:26.160
 I tell you,

00:26:26.259 --> 00:26:26.680
 though he will

00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:27.379
 not get up

00:26:27.380 --> 00:26:27.800
 and give him

00:26:27.800 --> 00:26:28.720
 anything because

00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:29.140
 he's his

00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:29.620
 friend,

00:26:30.180 --> 00:26:30.660
 yet because

00:26:30.660 --> 00:26:31.040
 of his

00:26:31.040 --> 00:26:32.240
 impudence,

00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:33.280
 he will rise

00:26:33.280 --> 00:26:33.640
 and give him

00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:34.260
 what he needs.

00:26:35.020 --> 00:26:35.520
 The ESV

00:26:35.520 --> 00:26:36.640
 translates that

00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:37.000
 word as

00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:37.640
 impudence,

00:26:37.800 --> 00:26:38.640
 other translations

00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:39.600
 sometimes use

00:26:39.600 --> 00:26:39.920
 the word

00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:40.820
 persistence.

00:26:41.840 --> 00:26:42.760
 I think the

00:26:42.760 --> 00:26:43.280
 word is better

00:26:43.280 --> 00:26:44.000
 understood as

00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:44.900
 shameless,

00:26:46.380 --> 00:26:47.240
 a sense of

00:26:47.240 --> 00:26:48.280
 audacity and

00:26:48.280 --> 00:26:49.200
 boldness to

00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:49.900
 go beyond

00:26:49.900 --> 00:26:50.620
 what is

00:26:50.620 --> 00:26:50.960
 socially

00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:51.620
 acceptable.

00:26:52.580 --> 00:26:53.200
 This man's

00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:53.920
 actions in the

00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:54.280
 story are

00:26:54.280 --> 00:26:54.920
 embarrassing,

00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:56.620
 getting his

00:26:56.620 --> 00:26:57.060
 friend and

00:26:57.060 --> 00:26:57.640
 family out of

00:26:57.640 --> 00:26:58.220
 their beds at

00:26:58.220 --> 00:26:58.840
 midnight to

00:26:58.840 --> 00:26:59.259
 ask for

00:26:59.259 --> 00:26:59.840
 bread.

00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:01.400
 And it's

00:27:01.400 --> 00:27:02.600
 this shameless

00:27:02.600 --> 00:27:03.440
 attitude that

00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:04.200
 wins the day.

00:27:04.340 --> 00:27:04.820
 In the west of

00:27:04.820 --> 00:27:06.759
 Scotland, where I

00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:07.279
 come from, we

00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:07.820
 have a saying that

00:27:07.820 --> 00:27:08.279
 someone has a

00:27:08.279 --> 00:27:09.019
 brass neck.

00:27:09.740 --> 00:27:10.140
 It means they're

00:27:10.140 --> 00:27:11.120
 not worried about

00:27:11.120 --> 00:27:11.900
 what anyone else

00:27:11.900 --> 00:27:12.380
 thinks.

00:27:13.340 --> 00:27:14.240
 Shameless people are

00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:14.700
 willing to do

00:27:14.700 --> 00:27:15.100
 anything.

00:27:15.700 --> 00:27:16.360
 They don't care

00:27:16.360 --> 00:27:17.080
 what other people

00:27:17.080 --> 00:27:17.840
 say.

00:27:19.840 --> 00:27:20.400
 Some of you

00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:20.980
 might remember

00:27:20.980 --> 00:27:22.080
 there was a

00:27:22.080 --> 00:27:23.320
 film many years

00:27:23.320 --> 00:27:23.920
 ago called

00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:24.680
 Out of Africa.

00:27:24.920 --> 00:27:28.400
 Robert Redford,

00:27:29.060 --> 00:27:29.740
 Meryl Streep.

00:27:30.600 --> 00:27:31.580
 And Meryl Streep

00:27:31.580 --> 00:27:32.900
 played Baroness

00:27:32.900 --> 00:27:34.320
 Karen Blixen.

00:27:35.560 --> 00:27:37.019
 And I won't

00:27:37.019 --> 00:27:37.539
 go through the

00:27:37.539 --> 00:27:38.840
 whole thing, but

00:27:38.840 --> 00:27:39.820
 she's been trying

00:27:39.820 --> 00:27:41.680
 to save the

00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:43.360
 Kikuyu tribe

00:27:43.360 --> 00:27:44.980
 from being put

00:27:44.980 --> 00:27:45.940
 off their land

00:27:45.940 --> 00:27:46.840
 by the

00:27:46.840 --> 00:27:47.340
 authorities.

00:27:48.180 --> 00:27:48.600
 And everything

00:27:48.600 --> 00:27:49.019
 she does

00:27:49.019 --> 00:27:49.560
 fails.

00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:50.680
 She doesn't

00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:52.519
 get a response

00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:53.200
 to any of her

00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:54.400
 letters and

00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:54.960
 petitions.

00:27:55.140 --> 00:27:56.060
 And then she

00:27:56.060 --> 00:27:56.780
 attends a

00:27:56.780 --> 00:27:58.240
 reception for

00:27:58.240 --> 00:27:58.620
 the new

00:27:58.620 --> 00:27:59.680
 governor of

00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:00.400
 Kenya.

00:28:01.120 --> 00:28:01.820
 And she goes

00:28:01.820 --> 00:28:02.360
 in this long

00:28:02.360 --> 00:28:02.960
 line of people

00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:04.000
 waiting to be

00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:04.740
 introduced to

00:28:04.740 --> 00:28:05.040
 the new

00:28:05.040 --> 00:28:05.380
 governor.

00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:07.400
 And out of

00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:08.280
 desperation,

00:28:09.280 --> 00:28:10.820
 she disregards

00:28:10.820 --> 00:28:11.420
 the proper

00:28:11.420 --> 00:28:12.140
 protocol.

00:28:12.280 --> 00:28:12.780
 In front of

00:28:12.780 --> 00:28:13.160
 all the

00:28:13.160 --> 00:28:14.019
 assembled

00:28:14.019 --> 00:28:14.900
 dignitaries

00:28:14.900 --> 00:28:16.000
 guests, she

00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:17.460
 throws herself

00:28:17.460 --> 00:28:18.700
 on her knees

00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:19.660
 in front of

00:28:19.660 --> 00:28:20.220
 the governor

00:28:20.220 --> 00:28:21.900
 and begs

00:28:21.900 --> 00:28:23.660
 for the

00:28:23.660 --> 00:28:24.640
 Kikuyu tribe.

00:28:25.960 --> 00:28:27.120
 She begs

00:28:27.120 --> 00:28:27.660
 the governor

00:28:27.660 --> 00:28:29.120
 to give his

00:28:29.120 --> 00:28:29.780
 word that he

00:28:29.780 --> 00:28:30.420
 will look into

00:28:30.420 --> 00:28:30.940
 the matter.

00:28:33.300 --> 00:28:33.820
 It's an

00:28:33.820 --> 00:28:34.320
 embarrassing

00:28:34.320 --> 00:28:35.040
 situation.

00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:36.840
 And then

00:28:36.840 --> 00:28:37.480
 suddenly the

00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:38.519
 governor's wife

00:28:38.519 --> 00:28:39.440
 stands up

00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:41.160
 and says,

00:28:41.539 --> 00:28:42.799
 you have

00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:43.900
 my word.

00:28:44.980 --> 00:28:45.200
 Her

00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:46.580
 shamelessness

00:28:46.580 --> 00:28:47.519
 won the

00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:47.920
 day.

00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:49.680
 And the

00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:50.120
 point of the

00:28:50.120 --> 00:28:50.680
 story is not

00:28:50.680 --> 00:28:51.240
 to tell us

00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:51.799
 here that God

00:28:51.799 --> 00:28:52.860
 is like the

00:28:52.860 --> 00:28:53.720
 reluctant friend

00:28:53.720 --> 00:28:54.360
 at midnight.

00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:55.920
 He's quite the

00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:56.500
 reverse.

00:28:57.480 --> 00:28:58.860
 When we come

00:28:58.860 --> 00:28:59.640
 with our prayer

00:28:59.640 --> 00:29:00.500
 requests, he

00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:00.900
 doesn't say,

00:29:01.180 --> 00:29:01.420
 I've had

00:29:01.420 --> 00:29:01.820
 enough.

00:29:02.420 --> 00:29:02.940
 Stop

00:29:02.940 --> 00:29:03.660
 bothering me.

00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:04.620
 He doesn't put

00:29:04.620 --> 00:29:05.420
 us on hold.

00:29:06.220 --> 00:29:06.440
 You don't

00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:07.259
 listen to all

00:29:07.259 --> 00:29:07.740
 that terrible

00:29:07.740 --> 00:29:08.400
 music.

00:29:09.299 --> 00:29:09.599
 It doesn't

00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:10.099
 screen our

00:29:10.099 --> 00:29:10.759
 calls.

00:29:11.500 --> 00:29:11.859
 It doesn't

00:29:11.859 --> 00:29:12.400
 close the

00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:12.779
 door.

00:29:15.019 --> 00:29:15.319
 So don't

00:29:15.319 --> 00:29:15.839
 let any

00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:16.400
 sense of

00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:17.119
 modesty

00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:18.400
 or hesitation

00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:19.339
 keep you

00:29:19.339 --> 00:29:20.539
 back coming

00:29:20.539 --> 00:29:21.039
 to your

00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:21.379
 heavenly

00:29:21.379 --> 00:29:21.879
 father.

00:29:22.579 --> 00:29:23.160
 At every

00:29:23.160 --> 00:29:24.180
 midnight in

00:29:24.180 --> 00:29:25.140
 life, we

00:29:25.140 --> 00:29:25.980
 always have a

00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:27.359
 friend, a

00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:28.119
 father to

00:29:28.119 --> 00:29:28.660
 turn to.

00:29:29.579 --> 00:29:30.400
 This story is

00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:30.779
 really about

00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:31.559
 laying hold

00:29:31.559 --> 00:29:32.339
 of God's

00:29:32.339 --> 00:29:32.900
 willingness,

00:29:33.859 --> 00:29:34.759
 not overcoming

00:29:34.759 --> 00:29:36.579
 his reluctance.

00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:38.440
 Pray

00:29:38.440 --> 00:29:39.059
 intimately,

00:29:39.799 --> 00:29:40.359
 reverently,

00:29:40.599 --> 00:29:41.319
 dependently,

00:29:41.799 --> 00:29:42.740
 shamelessly,

00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:43.759
 be bold.

00:29:45.579 --> 00:29:46.180
 And then

00:29:46.180 --> 00:29:46.740
 finally here,

00:29:46.859 --> 00:29:47.879
 pray expectantly.

00:29:49.259 --> 00:29:49.799
 And I

00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:50.200
 tell you,

00:29:50.299 --> 00:29:50.839
 ask and it

00:29:50.839 --> 00:29:51.339
 will be given

00:29:51.339 --> 00:29:51.900
 to you.

00:29:52.059 --> 00:29:52.480
 Seek and you

00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:53.000
 will find.

00:29:53.180 --> 00:29:53.559
 Knock and it

00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:54.119
 will be opened

00:29:54.119 --> 00:29:54.579
 to you.

00:29:54.940 --> 00:29:55.460
 Everyone who

00:29:55.460 --> 00:29:56.379
 asks receives.

00:29:56.480 --> 00:29:56.859
 The one who

00:29:56.859 --> 00:29:57.640
 seeks finds.

00:29:58.879 --> 00:29:59.519
 And to the

00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:00.180
 one who knocks,

00:30:00.259 --> 00:30:00.640
 it will be

00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:01.000
 opened.

00:30:02.940 --> 00:30:03.500
 There's some

00:30:03.500 --> 00:30:04.059
 staggering

00:30:04.059 --> 00:30:05.339
 promises,

00:30:05.539 --> 00:30:05.859
 aren't they?

00:30:05.859 --> 00:30:07.279
 Ask and it

00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:07.799
 will be given.

00:30:08.299 --> 00:30:08.719
 Seek and you

00:30:08.719 --> 00:30:09.299
 will find.

00:30:09.719 --> 00:30:10.079
 Knock, it

00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:10.659
 will be opened.

00:30:11.819 --> 00:30:12.519
 Not vague

00:30:12.519 --> 00:30:12.939
 hopes.

00:30:14.479 --> 00:30:15.079
 Declarations

00:30:15.079 --> 00:30:16.319
 from the

00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:16.979
 words of

00:30:16.979 --> 00:30:17.979
 one who

00:30:17.979 --> 00:30:18.699
 could not

00:30:18.699 --> 00:30:20.139
 ever lie.

00:30:23.639 --> 00:30:24.539
 What then

00:30:24.539 --> 00:30:26.259
 does the

00:30:26.259 --> 00:30:26.879
 father give

00:30:26.879 --> 00:30:27.279
 to his

00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:27.699
 children?

00:30:28.919 --> 00:30:29.919
 Not always

00:30:29.919 --> 00:30:30.759
 what we ask

00:30:30.759 --> 00:30:31.519
 for in our

00:30:31.519 --> 00:30:32.579
 short-sightedness,

00:30:32.579 --> 00:30:34.240
 but always

00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:34.559
 what is

00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:34.919
 for our

00:30:34.919 --> 00:30:35.220
 good.

00:30:36.539 --> 00:30:37.460
 He calls

00:30:37.460 --> 00:30:37.879
 us to

00:30:37.879 --> 00:30:38.419
 come to

00:30:38.419 --> 00:30:39.699
 him and

00:30:39.699 --> 00:30:40.299
 to ask

00:30:40.299 --> 00:30:40.679
 him.

00:30:42.379 --> 00:30:42.859
 Here's

00:30:42.859 --> 00:30:43.179
 Charles

00:30:43.179 --> 00:30:43.619
 Spurgeon.

00:30:44.759 --> 00:30:45.259
 He says,

00:30:45.379 --> 00:30:45.859
 it is well

00:30:45.859 --> 00:30:46.460
 said that

00:30:46.460 --> 00:30:47.379
 asking is

00:30:47.379 --> 00:30:47.699
 the rule

00:30:47.699 --> 00:30:47.960
 of the

00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:48.220
 kingdom.

00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:49.679
 It's a

00:30:49.679 --> 00:30:50.039
 rule that

00:30:50.039 --> 00:30:50.419
 will never

00:30:50.419 --> 00:30:50.939
 be altered

00:30:50.939 --> 00:30:51.679
 in anybody's

00:30:51.679 --> 00:30:52.059
 case.

00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:52.639
 If the

00:30:52.639 --> 00:30:53.099
 royal and

00:30:53.099 --> 00:30:53.480
 divine

00:30:53.480 --> 00:30:53.980
 son of

00:30:53.980 --> 00:30:54.279
 God

00:30:54.279 --> 00:30:54.819
 himself

00:30:54.819 --> 00:30:55.359
 cannot

00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:55.659
 be

00:30:55.659 --> 00:30:56.359
 exempted

00:30:56.359 --> 00:30:56.879
 from it,

00:30:57.199 --> 00:30:57.559
 you and

00:30:57.559 --> 00:30:58.059
 I cannot

00:30:58.059 --> 00:30:58.799
 expect to

00:30:58.799 --> 00:30:59.399
 have the

00:30:59.399 --> 00:31:00.179
 rule relaxed

00:31:00.179 --> 00:31:00.539
 in our

00:31:00.539 --> 00:31:00.839
 favor.

00:31:00.839 --> 00:31:02.179
 God will

00:31:02.179 --> 00:31:02.519
 bless

00:31:02.519 --> 00:31:03.240
 Elijah and

00:31:03.240 --> 00:31:03.740
 send rain

00:31:03.740 --> 00:31:04.240
 in Israel,

00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:05.079
 but Elijah

00:31:05.079 --> 00:31:05.599
 must pray

00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:06.039
 for it.

00:31:06.439 --> 00:31:06.879
 If the

00:31:06.879 --> 00:31:07.139
 chosen

00:31:07.139 --> 00:31:07.759
 nation is

00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:08.339
 to prosper,

00:31:08.639 --> 00:31:09.220
 Samuel must

00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:09.679
 plead for

00:31:09.679 --> 00:31:09.819
 it.

00:31:09.939 --> 00:31:10.299
 If the

00:31:10.299 --> 00:31:10.639
 Jews are

00:31:10.639 --> 00:31:10.939
 to be

00:31:10.939 --> 00:31:11.399
 delivered,

00:31:11.759 --> 00:31:12.359
 Daniel must

00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:13.059
 intercede.

00:31:13.679 --> 00:31:14.099
 God will

00:31:14.099 --> 00:31:14.799
 bless Paul

00:31:14.799 --> 00:31:15.039
 and the

00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:15.779
 nations shall

00:31:15.779 --> 00:31:16.359
 be converted

00:31:16.359 --> 00:31:16.919
 through him,

00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:17.559
 but Paul

00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:18.220
 must pray,

00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:19.059
 and pray he

00:31:19.059 --> 00:31:19.579
 did without

00:31:19.579 --> 00:31:20.139
 ceasing.

00:31:21.019 --> 00:31:21.559
 His epistles

00:31:21.559 --> 00:31:22.199
 show that he

00:31:22.199 --> 00:31:23.399
 expected nothing

00:31:23.399 --> 00:31:24.980
 except by

00:31:24.980 --> 00:31:26.059
 asking for

00:31:26.059 --> 00:31:26.359
 it.

00:31:26.359 --> 00:31:30.779
 are you

00:31:30.779 --> 00:31:31.139
 asking?

00:31:33.679 --> 00:31:34.179
 Our

00:31:34.179 --> 00:31:34.679
 denomination,

00:31:34.819 --> 00:31:35.019
 the Free

00:31:35.019 --> 00:31:35.359
 Church of

00:31:35.359 --> 00:31:35.719
 Scotland,

00:31:36.519 --> 00:31:36.979
 has recently

00:31:36.979 --> 00:31:37.659
 launched a

00:31:37.659 --> 00:31:38.479
 call to

00:31:38.479 --> 00:31:40.319
 prayer entitled

00:31:40.319 --> 00:31:40.839
 Engage

00:31:40.839 --> 00:31:42.119
 2026.

00:31:43.079 --> 00:31:44.079
 It invites

00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:45.699
 all of us

00:31:45.699 --> 00:31:46.259
 really to

00:31:46.259 --> 00:31:47.619
 identify ten

00:31:47.619 --> 00:31:49.179
 people and

00:31:49.179 --> 00:31:49.859
 to pray for

00:31:49.859 --> 00:31:50.500
 them urgently,

00:31:50.819 --> 00:31:51.259
 faithfully,

00:31:51.479 --> 00:31:52.199
 persistently,

00:31:53.319 --> 00:31:54.079
 trusting God's

00:31:54.079 --> 00:31:54.479
 power and

00:31:54.479 --> 00:31:54.799
 timing,

00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:56.119
 watching for

00:31:56.119 --> 00:31:56.980
 the opportunities

00:31:56.980 --> 00:31:58.059
 that we might

00:31:58.059 --> 00:31:58.940
 have to share

00:31:58.940 --> 00:31:59.980
 the good news

00:31:59.980 --> 00:32:00.399
 of Jesus.

00:32:00.519 --> 00:32:01.139
 Very simple

00:32:01.139 --> 00:32:04.159
 vision.

00:32:05.159 --> 00:32:05.680
 Ten thousand

00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:06.659
 Christians across

00:32:06.659 --> 00:32:07.799
 our congregations,

00:32:08.460 --> 00:32:09.099
 each committing

00:32:09.099 --> 00:32:10.299
 to pray regularly

00:32:10.299 --> 00:32:10.839
 for ten

00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:11.399
 individuals,

00:32:12.139 --> 00:32:12.579
 family,

00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:13.139
 friends,

00:32:13.319 --> 00:32:13.740
 colleagues,

00:32:14.259 --> 00:32:14.539
 neighbors,

00:32:15.419 --> 00:32:15.919
 perhaps even

00:32:15.919 --> 00:32:16.399
 people we

00:32:16.399 --> 00:32:17.119
 struggle with.

00:32:18.180 --> 00:32:18.599
 And that will

00:32:18.599 --> 00:32:19.180
 see a hundred

00:32:19.180 --> 00:32:20.159
 thousand people

00:32:20.159 --> 00:32:21.639
 brought before

00:32:21.639 --> 00:32:22.559
 God in

00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:22.919
 prayer.

00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:24.759
 what an

00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:25.880
 impact that

00:32:25.880 --> 00:32:27.720
 may have

00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:28.820
 for the

00:32:28.820 --> 00:32:29.519
 cause of the

00:32:29.519 --> 00:32:30.160
 gospel in

00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:31.440
 Scotland and

00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:32.240
 further afield.

00:32:33.320 --> 00:32:33.640
 And we'll

00:32:33.640 --> 00:32:34.320
 hear more about

00:32:34.320 --> 00:32:35.340
 it in the

00:32:35.340 --> 00:32:36.160
 following weeks.

00:32:38.380 --> 00:32:39.100
 Will you

00:32:39.100 --> 00:32:39.680
 take up that

00:32:39.680 --> 00:32:40.160
 challenge?

00:32:42.420 --> 00:32:42.980
 What

00:32:42.980 --> 00:32:43.600
 father among

00:32:43.600 --> 00:32:43.860
 you,

00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:44.420
 says Jesus,

00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:45.160
 if his son

00:32:45.160 --> 00:32:45.580
 asks for

00:32:45.580 --> 00:32:45.900
 fish,

00:32:46.180 --> 00:32:46.820
 instead of a

00:32:46.820 --> 00:32:46.980
 fish,

00:32:47.060 --> 00:32:47.420
 give him a

00:32:47.420 --> 00:32:47.740
 serpent.

00:32:48.160 --> 00:32:48.720
 If he asks

00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:49.100
 for egg,

00:32:49.180 --> 00:32:49.560
 give him a

00:32:49.560 --> 00:32:50.039
 scorpion.

00:32:50.039 --> 00:32:51.180
 If you

00:32:51.180 --> 00:32:51.579
 then who

00:32:51.579 --> 00:32:52.159
 are evil

00:32:52.159 --> 00:32:52.960
 know how

00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:53.279
 to give

00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:54.059
 good gifts

00:32:54.059 --> 00:32:54.420
 to your

00:32:54.420 --> 00:32:54.819
 children,

00:32:55.180 --> 00:32:56.159
 how much

00:32:56.159 --> 00:32:56.599
 more will

00:32:56.599 --> 00:32:56.920
 the heavenly

00:32:56.920 --> 00:32:57.519
 father give

00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:57.819
 the Holy

00:32:57.819 --> 00:32:59.059
 Spirit to

00:32:59.059 --> 00:32:59.420
 those who

00:32:59.420 --> 00:32:59.920
 ask him?

00:33:01.399 --> 00:33:01.759
 Our

00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:02.480
 father knows

00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:02.940
 what we

00:33:02.940 --> 00:33:03.319
 need.

00:33:04.059 --> 00:33:04.460
 He knows

00:33:04.460 --> 00:33:04.819
 what our

00:33:04.819 --> 00:33:05.359
 loved ones

00:33:05.359 --> 00:33:05.720
 need.

00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:06.899
 He knows

00:33:06.899 --> 00:33:07.259
 what our

00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:07.659
 nation

00:33:07.659 --> 00:33:08.200
 needs.

00:33:09.779 --> 00:33:10.119
 And what

00:33:10.119 --> 00:33:10.720
 better gift

00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:11.099
 could there

00:33:11.099 --> 00:33:11.599
 be than

00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:12.319
 the Holy

00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:12.639
 Spirit

00:33:12.639 --> 00:33:13.139
 himself?

00:33:14.259 --> 00:33:14.819
 The down

00:33:14.819 --> 00:33:15.539
 payment of

00:33:15.539 --> 00:33:16.079
 our gospel

00:33:16.079 --> 00:33:16.639
 inheritance.

00:33:17.159 --> 00:33:17.839
 The guarantee

00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:18.420
 of final

00:33:18.420 --> 00:33:18.839
 glory.

00:33:18.839 --> 00:33:20.220
 Yes,

00:33:20.519 --> 00:33:21.500
 we often

00:33:21.500 --> 00:33:22.019
 ask for

00:33:22.019 --> 00:33:22.619
 health and

00:33:22.619 --> 00:33:23.519
 provision and

00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:23.859
 relief,

00:33:23.919 --> 00:33:24.139
 and these

00:33:24.139 --> 00:33:24.439
 things are

00:33:24.439 --> 00:33:24.859
 not wrong,

00:33:24.899 --> 00:33:25.339
 of course.

00:33:26.579 --> 00:33:26.899
 But the

00:33:26.899 --> 00:33:27.500
 father's heart

00:33:27.500 --> 00:33:28.019
 is set on

00:33:28.019 --> 00:33:28.959
 giving himself

00:33:28.959 --> 00:33:29.879
 in the

00:33:29.879 --> 00:33:30.339
 person of

00:33:30.339 --> 00:33:30.799
 his Spirit.

00:33:32.980 --> 00:33:33.500
 And to

00:33:33.500 --> 00:33:33.899
 pray as

00:33:33.899 --> 00:33:34.679
 Jesus taught

00:33:34.679 --> 00:33:35.059
 is to

00:33:35.059 --> 00:33:35.819
 enter into

00:33:35.819 --> 00:33:36.179
 the very

00:33:36.179 --> 00:33:36.740
 life of

00:33:36.740 --> 00:33:37.139
 God,

00:33:37.740 --> 00:33:38.319
 dressing the

00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:38.899
 Father through

00:33:38.899 --> 00:33:39.859
 the Son by

00:33:39.859 --> 00:33:40.500
 the Spirit.

00:33:42.419 --> 00:33:43.139
 Many of us

00:33:43.139 --> 00:33:43.439
 struggle.

00:33:43.579 --> 00:33:43.959
 Yes, I

00:33:43.959 --> 00:33:44.619
 understand that.

00:33:44.679 --> 00:33:45.019
 We pray

00:33:45.019 --> 00:33:45.619
 little because

00:33:45.619 --> 00:33:46.240
 we believe

00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:46.539
 little.

00:33:46.659 --> 00:33:47.859
 We ask

00:33:47.859 --> 00:33:48.519
 little because

00:33:48.519 --> 00:33:49.200
 we expect

00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:49.599
 little.

00:33:52.879 --> 00:33:53.639
 Tim Keller

00:33:53.639 --> 00:33:55.500
 relates a

00:33:55.500 --> 00:33:55.819
 story.

00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:56.400
 I don't

00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:56.639
 know if

00:33:56.639 --> 00:33:56.879
 it's a

00:33:56.879 --> 00:33:57.420
 true story,

00:33:57.700 --> 00:33:58.519
 but I

00:33:58.519 --> 00:33:58.900
 have no

00:33:58.900 --> 00:33:59.319
 idea where

00:33:59.319 --> 00:33:59.639
 it came

00:33:59.639 --> 00:33:59.960
 from.

00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:00.279
 I could

00:34:00.279 --> 00:34:00.740
 never find

00:34:00.740 --> 00:34:01.139
 the source

00:34:01.139 --> 00:34:01.400
 of it,

00:34:01.500 --> 00:34:02.099
 but it's

00:34:02.099 --> 00:34:02.359
 a great

00:34:02.359 --> 00:34:02.700
 story,

00:34:02.900 --> 00:34:03.680
 so I'll

00:34:03.680 --> 00:34:04.039
 tell it.

00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:05.539
 And it's

00:34:05.539 --> 00:34:05.859
 a story

00:34:05.859 --> 00:34:06.359
 about

00:34:06.359 --> 00:34:06.859
 Alexander

00:34:06.859 --> 00:34:07.480
 the Great,

00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:09.059
 who was

00:34:09.059 --> 00:34:09.880
 once approached

00:34:09.880 --> 00:34:10.460
 by one of

00:34:10.460 --> 00:34:11.019
 his generals,

00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:12.460
 and the

00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:12.940
 general needed

00:34:12.940 --> 00:34:13.639
 money for

00:34:13.639 --> 00:34:14.320
 his daughter's

00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:14.599
 wedding,

00:34:14.699 --> 00:34:15.059
 I think.

00:34:15.059 --> 00:34:16.239
 And so

00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:16.539
 in front

00:34:16.539 --> 00:34:16.799
 of all

00:34:16.799 --> 00:34:17.279
 the other

00:34:17.279 --> 00:34:18.119
 commanders and

00:34:18.119 --> 00:34:18.739
 generals and

00:34:18.739 --> 00:34:19.320
 advisors,

00:34:19.739 --> 00:34:20.400
 he asked

00:34:20.400 --> 00:34:21.559
 Alexander for

00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:23.199
 what was

00:34:23.199 --> 00:34:24.360
 an astronomical

00:34:24.360 --> 00:34:25.279
 amount of

00:34:25.279 --> 00:34:25.539
 money.

00:34:26.380 --> 00:34:27.019
 And one of

00:34:27.019 --> 00:34:27.579
 those occasions

00:34:27.579 --> 00:34:28.360
 when, you

00:34:28.360 --> 00:34:28.400
 know,

00:34:28.440 --> 00:34:28.980
 everybody's

00:34:28.980 --> 00:34:29.679
 watching just

00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:30.539
 gasped,

00:34:30.739 --> 00:34:31.159
 their jaws

00:34:31.159 --> 00:34:31.619
 dropped,

00:34:32.380 --> 00:34:32.619
 you know,

00:34:33.219 --> 00:34:33.719
 held their

00:34:33.719 --> 00:34:34.139
 breath.

00:34:35.539 --> 00:34:36.539
 That amount.

00:34:36.539 --> 00:34:41.659
 they awaited

00:34:41.659 --> 00:34:43.039
 Alexander's

00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:44.039
 response.

00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:45.579
 But contrary

00:34:45.579 --> 00:34:46.320
 to all

00:34:46.320 --> 00:34:47.219
 expectations,

00:34:48.259 --> 00:34:48.719
 Alexander

00:34:48.719 --> 00:34:49.559
 didn't go

00:34:49.559 --> 00:34:49.960
 ballistic.

00:34:51.420 --> 00:34:51.800
 Instead,

00:34:52.059 --> 00:34:52.759
 he told the

00:34:52.759 --> 00:34:53.259
 general that

00:34:53.259 --> 00:34:54.179
 he was very

00:34:54.179 --> 00:34:55.179
 happy to

00:34:55.179 --> 00:34:55.420
 give him

00:34:55.420 --> 00:34:55.759
 the money,

00:34:56.699 --> 00:34:57.019
 sent him

00:34:57.019 --> 00:34:57.679
 off to his

00:34:57.679 --> 00:34:58.579
 treasurer or

00:34:58.579 --> 00:35:00.420
 paymaster to

00:35:00.420 --> 00:35:00.920
 collect what

00:35:00.920 --> 00:35:01.300
 he needed.

00:35:02.619 --> 00:35:03.340
 And this

00:35:03.340 --> 00:35:04.380
 really confused

00:35:04.380 --> 00:35:05.579
 all of

00:35:05.579 --> 00:35:06.380
 Alexander's

00:35:06.380 --> 00:35:06.900
 advisors,

00:35:07.059 --> 00:35:07.320
 the other

00:35:07.320 --> 00:35:07.700
 generals,

00:35:07.820 --> 00:35:08.480
 they just

00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:09.039
 don't get

00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:09.360
 what's

00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:09.660
 happening

00:35:09.660 --> 00:35:10.019
 here.

00:35:10.840 --> 00:35:11.340
 They say

00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:11.559
 to him,

00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:11.960
 why did

00:35:11.960 --> 00:35:12.380
 you give

00:35:12.380 --> 00:35:13.340
 him the

00:35:13.340 --> 00:35:13.760
 money?

00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:15.300
 It was

00:35:15.300 --> 00:35:15.619
 such a

00:35:15.619 --> 00:35:16.440
 huge sum.

00:35:18.720 --> 00:35:18.920
 And

00:35:18.920 --> 00:35:19.380
 Alexander

00:35:19.380 --> 00:35:20.840
 tells him,

00:35:20.900 --> 00:35:21.420
 he says,

00:35:22.360 --> 00:35:23.440
 this man

00:35:23.440 --> 00:35:23.820
 has done

00:35:23.820 --> 00:35:24.380
 me a great

00:35:24.380 --> 00:35:24.700
 honor.

00:35:26.059 --> 00:35:26.559
 And asking

00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:27.140
 for such

00:35:27.140 --> 00:35:27.920
 a big sum,

00:35:29.160 --> 00:35:29.840
 he shows

00:35:29.840 --> 00:35:30.200
 that he

00:35:30.200 --> 00:35:30.820
 thinks I

00:35:30.820 --> 00:35:31.280
 am both

00:35:31.280 --> 00:35:32.039
 fabulously

00:35:32.039 --> 00:35:32.680
 wealthy

00:35:32.680 --> 00:35:34.760
 and incredibly

00:35:34.760 --> 00:35:35.920
 generous.

00:35:36.380 --> 00:35:38.760
 John

00:35:38.760 --> 00:35:39.099
 Newton

00:35:39.099 --> 00:35:41.380
 wrote these

00:35:41.380 --> 00:35:41.800
 words,

00:35:42.599 --> 00:35:43.180
 thou art

00:35:43.180 --> 00:35:44.000
 coming to

00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:44.660
 a king,

00:35:45.880 --> 00:35:46.680
 large

00:35:46.680 --> 00:35:47.440
 petitions

00:35:47.440 --> 00:35:48.280
 with thee

00:35:48.280 --> 00:35:48.660
 bring,

00:35:49.320 --> 00:35:50.360
 for his

00:35:50.360 --> 00:35:51.260
 grace and

00:35:51.260 --> 00:35:52.180
 power are

00:35:52.180 --> 00:35:52.780
 such,

00:35:53.780 --> 00:35:54.280
 none

00:35:54.280 --> 00:35:55.420
 can ever

00:35:55.420 --> 00:35:56.400
 ask

00:35:56.400 --> 00:35:57.780
 too much.

00:35:57.780 --> 00:36:00.519
 great God

00:36:00.519 --> 00:36:01.240
 we worship.

00:36:02.120 --> 00:36:02.460
 He is

00:36:02.460 --> 00:36:03.320
 fabulously

00:36:03.320 --> 00:36:04.019
 wealthy

00:36:04.019 --> 00:36:05.080
 and he

00:36:05.080 --> 00:36:05.260
 is

00:36:05.260 --> 00:36:06.120
 incredibly

00:36:06.120 --> 00:36:06.820
 generous.

00:36:07.660 --> 00:36:08.280
 And the

00:36:08.280 --> 00:36:09.200
 extent of

00:36:09.200 --> 00:36:09.860
 his abundant

00:36:09.860 --> 00:36:10.720
 wealth and

00:36:10.720 --> 00:36:11.360
 generosity

00:36:11.360 --> 00:36:12.460
 are laid

00:36:12.460 --> 00:36:13.000
 out before

00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:13.519
 us in the

00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:13.900
 gospel.

00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:15.120
 They are

00:36:15.120 --> 00:36:15.820
 spread before

00:36:15.820 --> 00:36:16.940
 us on a

00:36:16.940 --> 00:36:17.940
 table of

00:36:17.940 --> 00:36:18.380
 bread and

00:36:18.380 --> 00:36:18.760
 wine.

00:36:19.760 --> 00:36:20.000
 Our

00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:20.540
 Father in

00:36:20.540 --> 00:36:21.000
 heaven who

00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:21.480
 spared not

00:36:21.480 --> 00:36:21.860
 his own

00:36:21.860 --> 00:36:22.380
 son but

00:36:22.380 --> 00:36:22.920
 gave him

00:36:22.920 --> 00:36:23.240
 up for

00:36:23.240 --> 00:36:23.680
 us all.

00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:26.480
 what stops

00:36:26.480 --> 00:36:26.940
 you coming

00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:27.419
 to him

00:36:27.419 --> 00:36:29.359
 and calling

00:36:29.359 --> 00:36:29.699
 on his

00:36:29.699 --> 00:36:30.039
 name?

00:36:31.639 --> 00:36:32.500
 What keeps

00:36:32.500 --> 00:36:33.019
 you from

00:36:33.019 --> 00:36:33.539
 him and

00:36:33.539 --> 00:36:33.879
 from the

00:36:33.879 --> 00:36:34.299
 place of

00:36:34.299 --> 00:36:34.639
 prayer?

00:36:36.079 --> 00:36:36.719
 Peter says,

00:36:36.839 --> 00:36:37.359
 cast all

00:36:37.359 --> 00:36:38.299
 your anxieties

00:36:38.299 --> 00:36:39.079
 upon him

00:36:39.079 --> 00:36:41.119
 because he

00:36:41.119 --> 00:36:42.819
 cares for

00:36:42.819 --> 00:36:43.299
 you.

00:36:44.440 --> 00:36:45.399
 He cares

00:36:45.399 --> 00:36:45.919
 for you.

00:36:46.019 --> 00:36:46.440
 This is what

00:36:46.440 --> 00:36:46.940
 the Lord's

00:36:46.940 --> 00:36:47.139
 supper,

00:36:47.259 --> 00:36:47.519
 isn't it?

00:36:47.679 --> 00:36:48.059
 This is what

00:36:48.059 --> 00:36:48.559
 it reminds

00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:49.219
 us of.

00:36:49.219 --> 00:36:51.059
 God who

00:36:51.059 --> 00:36:51.899
 cares.

00:36:53.339 --> 00:36:54.039
 Come to

00:36:54.039 --> 00:36:54.699
 him this

00:36:54.699 --> 00:36:56.019
 evening and

00:36:56.019 --> 00:36:57.059
 be renewed,

00:36:58.219 --> 00:37:00.059
 refreshed by

00:37:00.059 --> 00:37:00.659
 the Father's

00:37:00.659 --> 00:37:02.459
 grace, the

00:37:02.459 --> 00:37:03.199
 Father's love,

00:37:03.359 --> 00:37:03.819
 the Father's

00:37:03.819 --> 00:37:04.500
 care, the

00:37:04.500 --> 00:37:04.839
 Father's

00:37:04.839 --> 00:37:05.279
 forgiveness.

00:37:06.939 --> 00:37:07.379
 Plead his

00:37:07.379 --> 00:37:08.980
 gracious name.

00:37:10.799 --> 00:37:11.459
 Try praying

00:37:11.459 --> 00:37:13.319
 intimately,

00:37:14.939 --> 00:37:15.480
 reverently,

00:37:16.679 --> 00:37:17.480
 dependently,

00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:19.780
 shamelessly,

00:37:19.980 --> 00:37:21.780
 and expectantly.

00:37:22.360 --> 00:37:23.219
 Let's pray.

00:37:32.219 --> 00:37:33.159
 Lord, grant

00:37:33.159 --> 00:37:33.840
 us your

00:37:33.840 --> 00:37:34.639
 grace and

00:37:34.639 --> 00:37:35.099
 mercy

00:37:35.099 --> 00:37:38.900
 that in

00:37:38.900 --> 00:37:39.199
 all our

00:37:39.199 --> 00:37:40.119
 weakness and

00:37:40.119 --> 00:37:41.780
 frailty and

00:37:41.780 --> 00:37:42.679
 failure we

00:37:42.679 --> 00:37:43.699
 may look not

00:37:43.699 --> 00:37:44.500
 inward but

00:37:44.500 --> 00:37:45.139
 outward to

00:37:45.139 --> 00:37:46.440
 you, the

00:37:46.440 --> 00:37:46.820
 living and

00:37:46.820 --> 00:37:47.580
 eternal God.

00:37:48.860 --> 00:37:50.860
 Lord, expand

00:37:50.860 --> 00:37:52.539
 our hearts,

00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:54.420
 fill them

00:37:54.420 --> 00:37:55.539
 with faith

00:37:55.539 --> 00:37:56.280
 and trust

00:37:56.280 --> 00:37:57.160
 and confidence

00:37:57.160 --> 00:37:58.620
 in you.

00:38:00.140 --> 00:38:00.500
 Renew

00:38:00.500 --> 00:38:00.800
 us,

00:38:01.500 --> 00:38:02.320
 refresh us,

00:38:02.980 --> 00:38:03.460
 and grant

00:38:03.460 --> 00:38:04.160
 us the help

00:38:04.160 --> 00:38:04.519
 of your

00:38:04.519 --> 00:38:05.200
 Holy Spirit,

00:38:05.980 --> 00:38:06.640
 for we ask

00:38:06.640 --> 00:38:07.400
 it in Jesus'

00:38:07.600 --> 00:38:07.800
 name.

00:38:08.400 --> 00:38:08.740
 Amen.

00:38:08.740 --> 00:38:08.920
 Amen.