Using the acronym CHAT, this message is on Week 3: Ask God

• C = Confession
• H = Honor God
• A = Ask
• T = Thank God

Scroll to bottom for Sermon Notes

Ask

“The darkness pushes people to see a side of the SON we’ve not seen before.”

Satan already tried to ruin Easter that very first Easter. And just as our church buildings are empty today…so was the tomb!

That CHURCH is why we celebrate today!

That CHURCH is why we can come to God and what makes the third phase of talking to God possible…ASK!

• Today, as we celebrate the empty tomb, we’re going to look at a man from the OT who ASKED God of a BIG ASK!
• And we’re going to look at Jesus’ words from John 15 of the result of our BIG ASK!
• Open to John 15 and as you do, let me share with you the life of ELIJAH from 1 Kings 18.

• ELIJAH was a man who ASKED for something big from God.
• 1 Kings 18; Elijah and Ahab getting into it.
• Elijah – Obadiah (don’t stick me in the middle and get me killed) – Ahab

• So how does this ASKING part of prayer work & what does this have to do with an EMPTY TOMB?
• How did it work for Elijah and how does it work for us today?
• Glad you asked!

• Jesus did not come to die for us to give us a “Get out of HELL free card.”

• And once we place our Faith in Christ and RECEIVE that forgiveness of our sin we need to make our focus in 1 area:

• We need to Prioritize The Relationship
• What does that mean? If you’ve got your bible open to John 15, read verses 1-8 with me. READ THE TEXT.

• One thing to understand is that when we call Jesus a MASTER TEACHER, what we mean is he was a MASTER at connecting the dots!
• Jesus is explaining that we are like a branch on a vine, whereas he is the vine.
• This is important b/c it CONNECTS the dots for his original audience. They were very familiar with how important it was for vines to produce fruit, b/c those vines that don’t produce fruit are USELESS to the gardener!

• Did you catch how many times we are instructed to REMAIN in Jesus.
• 6 different times in 8 verses. What does that mean you think?
• That’s right, it means that this idea of REMAINING in Jesus is a pretty big deal!
• Because if we “Respond to Jesus’ invitation” to a relationship with Him, but we don’t REMAIN in him, then the text tells us what…that he doesn’t REMAIN in us!
• In other words, there was never a vine that grew in the first place.

• If Jesus didn’t put this “condition” on the relationship, we might treat him like a cosmic VENDING MACHINE.
• Need something? Go to Jesus, put in prayer coins, make your selection…BINGO! There it is!

• JESUS makes it clear in verse 2 that won’t fly. Look at verse 2.
• We need to want more OF him than we want FROM him.
• But if we look down at verse 6, He elaborates as to the result of those who want to treat Jesus as a cosmic vending machine.

• Ok, so you’ve told me the consequences of treating Jesus like my Get out of Hell Free Card or a Cosmic Vending Machine. 
• But what does this have to do with How To Pray? What does this have to do with ASKing God our requests?
• Again, I’m glad you asked! Let me show you what this looks like PRACTICALLY speaking!
• I like practical in case you didn’t know!

• First, Jesus tells us why we can come to him and why we can count on him to be faithful to us.
• Look at verse 3.
• Did you catch that? As a follower of Jesus, what does he label you as? CLEAN!

• And then, as we get down to verse 7, Jesus makes the application. Look at verse 7!
• Did you catch that? We know the 3rd step in How To Pray is to ask, and right here, Jesus says, “when you REMAIN in me, that means I remain in you and you can ASK for whatever you want AND it will be done for you!
• Wow…THAT’S GREAT NEWS! Let me pull out my list of wants so it can be done for me!!! 
• NO! Not exactly. What, but that’s what the text says. 
• Yes it does, and that’s what it means…but here’s the application behind the gift:

• Every answer to our ASK (ask whatever you want) he gives us is to draw us closer TO Him, not draw us AWAY from him.
• What is it that you TRULY want from God?
• Will that draw you closer or distance you?
• Seriously, right there where you sit. When you heard that anything you ask for God will do for you…what was it that popped in your head? Now, is that “thing” something that will draw you closer to God, or will it become a wedge between you and begin to draw you AWAY from him?
• Do you see that?

• Listen, today is EASTER! Today is the day we celebrate the main staple that sets Christianity apart from any other religion…JESUS defeated death and came back to life!
• The RESURRECTION is event in history that gives us HOPE and lets us celebrate that HOPE that we have in Christ!

Maybe you’re watching this message and you’ve never taken that first step.

Maybe you’re new to the whole Christian thing, but b/c of the crisis our country is in right now you’ve decided to tune in and see what HOPE looks like.

HOPE is EASTER. 
HOPE is the RESURRECTION!
HOPE is knowing that Jesus REMAINS in those who REMAIN in Him!

Maybe for you, that first step is asking Jesus to become close…to move in…take up residence in your life. Would today be the day that EASTER became real for you?

PRAY