- 00:00
- And he said unto them which of you shall have a friend and shall go unto him at midnight Now it seems rather strange to go at midnight well
- 00:12
- Without air conditioning and in that country it was not uncommon and say unto him friend
- 00:21
- Lend me three loaves This man must have been in the bread business
- 00:29
- For a friend of mine is coming his journey to He's come to me and I have nothing to set before him
- 00:38
- And he from within shall answer and say trouble me not The door is now shut and my children are with me in bed.
- 00:48
- I cannot rise and Give thee I say unto you
- 01:00
- Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend Yet because of his importunity
- 01:09
- He will rise and give him as many as he need us Brandon what does him?
- 01:17
- Opportunity mean well, that's pretty good
- 01:25
- Georgette not a clue.
- 01:32
- I wish everybody was that honest. Well, let's see
- 01:42
- Charlotte what's in fraternity mean? All right.
- 01:50
- We've got another word now I Who's that sitting beside you?
- 02:00
- Okay, what's it mean Paul? You move over by Georgette is
- 02:13
- See who's on the the back row who's sitting by you
- 02:20
- David Katie what's what's
- 02:26
- Importunity mean Listen real close.
- 02:35
- You may hear you dead Well, this entire story depends upon that word
- 02:45
- Now suppose a man and his wife live in Arkansas She receives a letter from her mother
- 02:57
- Saying that she's coming for a visit She says that she will arrive on a certain day in the middle of the afternoon
- 03:10
- The family decides that they will take her out for dinner when she comes
- 03:16
- Well, the big day arrives and she's not there What do we do now?
- 03:24
- The afternoon passes. They're looking for her any moment And finally they receive a telephone call from the mother -in -law explains
- 03:34
- That she's been delayed by car trouble They're sure she will have eaten by the time she comes
- 03:46
- And she shows up at midnight The son -in -law casually inquires.
- 03:54
- Have you had dinner? She replies that she has not and she is very very hungry
- 04:03
- Since there's nothing in the house to eat the son -in -law decides to go next door to his good neighbor and Borrow some food his neighbor says wait until morning.
- 04:16
- Leave me alone. I'm in bed. My children are in bed the doors shut Just go on home you're not gonna starve the man replies neighbor
- 04:32
- You don't know my mother -in -law Please get up So he continues to pound on the door
- 04:44
- Finally the neighbor gets up and gives him what he is asking for if therefore
- 04:57
- We want the grace of God and the assistance of His Holy Spirit.
- 05:05
- It is our own fault if we don't have it It's not
- 05:12
- God's. This man kept after him
- 05:21
- Importunity means Always pounding always
- 05:28
- Pounding on the door wanting in and you notice he did not get up the man inside did not
- 05:41
- Get up because of his friendship. This was his friend But it's too late at night
- 05:50
- But he is rather insistent he gets up and gives him what he wants
- 05:57
- Well for whatever reason
- 06:04
- It was not for friendship. Now.
- 06:17
- This is a parable by contrast not One by comparison
- 06:32
- In nine and I say unto you ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and It shall be opened unto you
- 06:46
- If therefore we want the grace of God We'll have to be his friend
- 06:57
- We'll have to depend upon him If your prayers seem to be answered and I know many of them have
- 07:09
- It only means that we were let in on God's will beforehand His will
- 07:20
- Will be done Turn to 2nd Peter 1 and 3 if you will, please
- 07:28
- And David you read that through the knowledge of God It's a wonderful thing
- 08:00
- We all have it We're all at a different level For everyone that asketh receiveth and He that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened
- 08:18
- Why is this? Why did it not say for everyone that asketh might receive?
- 08:27
- Bill That's right.
- 08:35
- It's not no, maybe about it And he that seeketh findeth
- 08:41
- He doesn't look around in the dark and give up and him that knocketh it shall be opened now
- 08:52
- Do you think God's asleep? Does he ever sleep? Virg? Well, he's not human then is he?
- 09:06
- you feel that he goes to bed and When you pray You can't get him up.
- 09:13
- Do you believe that he does not want to answer your prayers? Well, that's what this parable is about It's a parable by contrast and not by comparison
- 09:27
- You do not have to storm the gates of heaven Or knock down the door of heaven
- 09:35
- In order to attract his attention If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father will
- 09:48
- He give him a stone or if he ask of fish Will he for a fish give him a serpent?
- 09:59
- Well one thing we have to know that before we go to God in prayer make sure that he is really your gatherer
- 10:09
- Or it won't be a prayer John 1 12 says
- 10:16
- But as many as received him To them gave he power to become the sons of God Even to them that believe on his name
- 10:31
- Jesus continues or if he shall ask an egg Will he offer him a scorpion?
- 10:39
- If ye then being evil How many think of themselves as evil
- 10:48
- Know how to give good gifts unto your children How much more shall your heavenly father?
- 10:56
- Give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him How important is the
- 11:04
- Holy Spirit? David how important is he in your life? That's right without the
- 11:20
- Holy Spirit We can ask nothing We judge only by what we've seen and heard
- 11:33
- It is the Holy Spirit that gives meaning to our prayers you see
- 11:39
- The prayer originates with God not you all we can do
- 11:51
- If we are in the will of God Is return them to him in our language, that's all we've done
- 12:02
- We find that only his chosen will ask and only his chosen
- 12:08
- Will be ready and do it It's not a prayer For someone that is not his
- 12:17
- At that time he told his disciples to ask for the Holy Spirit now as far
- 12:23
- As I've been able to determine and I know it's not complete they never did ask later on Christ said receive ye the
- 12:38
- Holy Ghost They needed the Holy Spirit during those intervening days before Pentecost And we'll start with verse 14 next week
- 12:52
- Is there anything from anybody? Russell will you dismiss us, please?
