The Assurance of God’s Generosity
SERMON ON THE MOUNT- 19
TITLE: The Assurance of God’s Generosity
TEXT: Matthew 7:7-12
TONE: Encouragement
TARGET: Believers
TASK: To encourage believers to rest with complete assurance in the generosity of God.
TEACH: While specific statistics can vary, it is widely reported by various Christian organizations and surveys that a significant number of Christians struggle with assurance in their faith and trust in God’s provision. Studies, such as those conducted by Barna Group, indicate that a substantial percentage of believer’s experience doubts about their faith at times. This lack of assurance can have several negative effects on a believer:
Spiritual Anxiety and Fear: Believers who lack assurance often experience anxiety and fear regarding their spiritual standing and God’s involvement in their lives, this can lead to a cycle of worry that distracts from faith. Fear of Punishment: There’s a lingering fear that they are not living up to God’s standards, which could lead to punishment or disfavor. Weakening Faith: Doubt in God’s goodness and generosity can erode faith, making it difficult to rely on God during challenging time. Emotional and Psychological Impact: Prolonged lack of assurance can lead to emotional distress, manifesting in stress, depression, or a sense of hopelessness. Isolation from the Community: Believers struggling with assurance may withdraw from church and faith communities, fearing judgment or feeling disconnected.
TRUTH: Here is the conclusion of the main theme of the Sermon on the Mount, which is to give the standards for kingdom living. Jesus has given the standards related to self, to morality, to religion, and to money and possessions. Here He concludes giving standards related to human relationships begun in verses 1-6. Verses 7-11 make a perfect bridge between the negative teaching about a critical spirit and the positive teaching of the golden rule (v.12). Even when we have been cleansed of our own sin -had the ‘log’ removed from our eye -we need divine wisdom to know how to help a brother remove the ‘speck’ from his eye (v.5). And without God’s help we cannot be sure of who are ‘dogs’ or ‘swine’ -who are false prophets and apostates to whom we should not offer the holy and precious things of God’s Word (v.6). These considerations drive us to call on the Lord.
The unit has two parts: vv.7-8, containing three imperatives based on three unconditional promises, and vv.9-11, which give further reason for confident prayer based on analogy and contrast.
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I. Seek God Through Persistent Prayer (7:7)
Explanation: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Jesus teaches that God encourages His followers to actively seek Him through asking, seeking, and knocking. The repetition of action verbs -ask, seek, knock -illustrate that persistent prayer is integral to a relationship with God.
Jesus invites His followers to engage in active dialogue with God through the succinct commands: “Ask, seek, knock,” Each verb represents a progressive intensity in engaging with God -movement from the simple act of asking, to intentional effort of seeking, followed the persistence of knocking.
This is not just a formula for petition but an expression of our relationship with God. By asking, seeking, and knocking, believers demonstrate trust and reliance on God’s goodness. As R.T. France notes in his commentary on Matthew, these actions embody an ongoing, dynamic faith where believers confidently approach God with their needs (France, R.T. “The Gospel of Matthew” -NICNT series).
Jesus’ language is unusually compelling because the three verbs “ask … seek … knock” command an ascending intensity. “Ask” implies asking for a conscious need. The word also suggests humility in asking, for it is commonly used of one asking a superior. The next step, “seek,” involves asking but adds action. The idea is not merely to express one’s need, but to get up and look around for help. It involves effort. “Knock” includes asking plus acting plus persevering—like someone who keeps pounding on a closed door![1]
Throughout scripture, persistence in prayer is a recurring theme. Consider the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8, where Jesus emphasizes that persistent prayer leads to divine intervention. Like the widow, believers are encouraged to maintain their petitions and trust in God’s justice.
Believer are assured that these actions lead to receiving, finding, and opening, emphasizing God’s readiness to respond.
Illustration: The nickname “Camel Knees” is often associated with James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the early church in Jerusalem. According to early Christian tradition and historical accounts, such as those mentioned by Hegesippus, James spent so much time in prayer on his kneed that they became calloused and worn, resembling the knees of a camel. The nickname highlights James’ deep devotion and commitment to prayer. His prayerful life was a testament of his faith and dedication to God, which plated a vital role guiding the early Christin community. James is also traditionally credited with writing the Epistle of James.
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II. Be Assured of God’s Faithful Response (7:8)
Explanation: “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds and to the one who knock it will be opened.” Jesus assures us that everyone who asks receives; this applies to all who engage sincerely in prayer. God promises that seekers will find guidance and truth through earnest seeking. The trust in a loving God is affirmed as those who knock will find God’s door open to them.
Jesus asserts that ‘everyone who asks receives.” This phrase connotes a universal promise applicable to all believers. God’s openness to hearing and responding is not selective but grounded in His unconditional love and grace.
As highlighted in 1John 5:14-15, when we approach God with confidence, knowing our prayers align with His will, we have assurance that He hears us. This teaches believers that divine faithfulness is a given when we sincerely and earnestly engage in prayer.
In seeking, believers are not merely looking for material or immediate needs to be fulfilled but are engaged in a spiritual quest that brings greater understanding of God’s will. Proverbs 8:17 illustrates the intimacy and wisdom gained by those who diligently seek the Lord: “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”
In Jeremiah 29:13-14 promises that those who seek God with all their heart will indeed find Him. The act of seeking becomes transformative, leading to deeper spiritual insight and alignment with God’s purposes.
Illustration: A remarkable figure from church history who acted in faith upon a prayer request is George Muller. He was a 19th century Christian evangelist and the founder of the Ashley Down orphanages in Bristol, England., Muller life demonstrates a profound trust in God’s provision, exemplified through his steadfastness in prayer. Muller famously ran his orphanage entirely by faith, never-fundraising or soliciting donations directly. Instead, he relied solely on prayer, entrusting needs of the orphanages to God’s care. He believed that the Lord would provide what was necessary for the children and the work he was called to do. Throughout his ministry, Muller recorded numerous instances where specific prayers were answered, often with supplies arriving just in time. This reliance on prayer and faith in God’s provision allowed him to care for over 10,000 orphans during his lifetime.
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III. Understand God’s Goodness (7:9-10)
Explanation: “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?” Jesus uses a relatable analogy comparing human parental instincts to illustrate God’s goodness. Father’s naturally give good gifts, not harmful ones, to their children, showing that God, as the perfect Father, will do even more. The generosity of God surpasses our understanding and expectations.
The illustration is deliberately absurd. In the Galilean setting for the giving of the Sermon on the Mount, the people were familiar with the flat stones by the shore that looked exactly like their round, flat cakes of bread, and with fish (more likely eels) that looked very much like snakes. Can you imagine your son coming to tell you he is hungry and you give him a stone instead of bread?[2]
Jesus uses an earthly paradigm of parental care to illustrate how even flawed human parents ensure the well-being of their children. How much more fully and perfectly will God respond in His divine perfection? The analogy appeals to the universal understanding of parental love, aiming to make divine love relatable and reassuring to His audience.
In contrasting human parents with God, Jesus emphasizes that even flawed, sinful humans strive to give good things to their children. Now much more will our perfect Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him? God’s generosity far surpasses human understanding. As depicted in James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Illustration: Another notable figure who demonstrated remarkable faith and trust in God’s goodness was Hudson Taylor. Taylor was a pioneering Christian missionary to China and the founder of the China Inland Mission (now known as OMF International). Taylor’s approach to missionary work was characterized by a radical dependence on God. Like Muller, he eschewed traditional methods of fundraising and relied on prayer as the basis for all his needs. Taylor went to China with minimal resources, trusting that God would provide both for his personal needs and for the work of the mission.
Throughout his time in China, Taylor raced numerous challenged and adversities, including financial difficulties, cultural barriers, and health issues. Yet, he remained committed to prayer and witnessing God’s faithfulness in meeting needs often at the last moment. His trust in God’s goodness and provision helped establish a significant and enduring Christian presence in China, deeply influencing the future of missions.
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IV. Rest Confidently in God’s Perfect Provision (7:11)
Explanation: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Jesus concludes with reassurance that, despite human sinfulness, earthly parents can still provide for their children. God, being perfect and loving, gives even greater gifts to those who ask of Him. God’s provision is both wise and beneficial encourages believers to trust and depend on Him fully.
Jesus encourages believers to confidently approach God with their needs, trusting in His readiness to provide. The promise is rooted in the character of God who delights in giving good things, which encourages believers to pray without hesitation.
Sometimes believers may not receive exactly what they ask for, but God’s provision aligns with what is truly beneficial to His children from His all-knowing perspective. And more than material blessings, God grants spiritual gifts that enhance the believers relationship with Him and assist in fulfilling His purpose.
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whim there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of your according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Romans. 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?”
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TAKE-WAY: To walk in assurance…
1. Seek God through Persistent Prayer.
2. Be Assured of God’s Faithful Response.
3. Understand God’s Goodness.
4. Rest Confidently in God’s Perfect Provision.
TIE-UP: It does not mean that one may get what they want simply by praying for it. Jesus prayed three times for the cup to be removed from Him. He did not demand its removal and it was not removed. He did receive strength to drink it. One may not receive what they ask for, he may not find what he seeks, and door may not be the one opened; but the assurance is that where there is asking there will be receiving, where there is seeking there will be finding, and where there is knocking God will open a door.
Remember this: “Lord, give us not the object of our desire but the substance of what we require.”
[1] R. Kent Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount: The Message of the Kingdom, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 234.
[2] R. Kent Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount: The Message of the Kingdom, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 237.
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