TITLE - ASK

This morning we are looking at the topic ask. As we go on I will be

producing my own film which I will show to you.

Importance

It is important as we look at this this morning because we need God during

this troubled times to move us to another level. A lot of people at this time
are looking at depression but a lot of people are making it too, so we are
looking at asking as a simple way of being among those who will share
testimonies at this time

Text – Luke 11:5-10

“And He said to them, ‘Suppose one of you should have a friend, and shall go to
him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of
mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to set before him;”  And
from inside he shall answer and say, “Do not bother me; the door has already
been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give
you anything.”  I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him
anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up
and give him as much as he needs.

And I say to you, ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds;
and to him who knocks, it shall be opened. 

This is a familiar story but I doubt whether we get the humor in this story.

A friend who kept disturbing another friend until he gets what he wants. IF he doesn’t
answer, friend will keep knocking.

TO understand asking we need to first understand God so that some people can
change their mindset

 God is eternal
 He is powerful
 He is holy
 He is unchangeable
  He is omniscient
 He is omnipresent
 He is purposeful
 He is sovereign
 He is in perfect control of everything He has created all the time. 

He has everything under control all the time and He’s in perfect knowledge and bringing
to pass the plan which He ordained from the very beginning.

As I said earlier. I am producing my own film this morning so come along with me
and let us watch together.

I am going into this movie with a man who I will reveal his name at the end of the
programme just like names are revealed when a movie finishes.

Scene 1-

I see a man sitting down with sours on his leg and dogs licking his
sours crying unto God

Job 42:2

I stood back a bit to reflect on what Job was saying - I know that
you’re in charge of everything and no purpose of yours can ever be
thwarted.  

So I continued and entered second scene

Scene 2-

I see a man with a crown on his head dancing and leaping in the
streets covered with linen, as he was dancing I looked up and see a
woman like a queen looking at him with disdain hating him and the
king responded to the woman

“it is the Lord that chose me above thy father that I am dancing
before.”

A while after he said,

Psalm 33:11
I stood back a bit to reflect on what David was saying - What God says
is fixed permanently, nothing God says ever changes because he has
all the information.

Scene 3-

I see another man with crown on his Head. Someone pointed to him
and said that is the wisest man in the earth

He raised up his voice to declare

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans of a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord, it will
stand.” 

I stood back a bit to reflect on what Solomon was saying - We change

our plans all the time because we get more information, because
circumstances change.  God never changes anything.  His counsel is
fixed. 

Scene 4-

I see a man like a prophet crying here am I send me

He raised up his voice to declare

Isaiah 14:24,- “The Lord of host has sworn saying, ‘Just as I have intended so it has
happened.  Just as I have planned so it will stand.’ ” 

I stood back a bit to reflect on what Isaiah and everyone I had seen
were saying - All these statements about standing have to do with
God fixing a purpose which never changes.  I intended it and that’s
how it happens.  I planned it and that’s how it is and will be.

Scene 5 –

I saw a group of people going into a place at 11:00pm in the night, I

saw a prophet of God on the altar prophesying and singing “E ba mi
loke o, e ba mi loke o, isale yi ko easy rara e ba mi loke”.
So I started rushing towards them to let them know, based on what I
have seen that:

Now God is sovereign and God is omnipotent.  He knows the plan and He has the
power to work the plan.  He has perfect knowledge so there’s nothing to change
the plan.  He doesn’t need us to give Him more information and He doesn’t react
to circumstances.

I wanted to tell them don’t bother to pray 

There is no need for vigils

No need for the first day of every month to pray

But before I could, I was interrupted by another scene:

Scene 6 – Jabez: 

I saw another man, a rich man telling me he had to interrupt me

because his name is interruption, even his story in the bible was an
interruption.

I asked him how, he said I should open my bible to 1 chron 4:9-10.

He said that the story that was being told was the story of the
descendants of Judah, his name was not even supposed to appear
there but there was an interruption just as he interrupted me.

At the end of it all, he said, Who changed my destiny – God.

Immediately he got on his knees and started to pray and said in
Yoruba, ohun to ku die koto n fe adura, ohun to tito naa n fe adura.

Scene 7 – Hannah

I saw a woman praying and a priest asking her whether she was
drunk. So I jumped to 1 Sam 1:10-20. Read 10 and 19.
Scene 8

I saw a young man holding a Phone and disturbing God with his
song. I moved closer to hear his lyrics. Baba God o Pick up Pick
up. Emina fe wa range o.

I told him, young man, stop disturbing God. He responded that I

don’t know the story of his life that is why I am speaking like that.

My own song is a prayer to God, I am not asking people not to

dance to it but it is my earnest prayer.

You see, I was rejected at MTN Project fame audition twice 7

years ago.

I was invited this year to sing on project fame as a star at the

grand finale. Project fame rejected me, God accepted me
because of my prayers, so I am still praying for better things.

I don’t have a wife and I have been attending weddings, I don’t

have big cars so let people be dancing while I am praying.

Scene 9

Remember the young man that we came into the movies

together, at this time have started shouting behind me, “there is
no hope for me”

While I was about to bring the film to an end, I heard Pastor

obaleye shouting and calling me, dare dare dare, See that is the
young man I have been talking about standing with you and
Adekunle gold dancing to his song.

That is Iselari.
So I turned to him. Iselari is the young man that I told you we
came into this film together. i asked, iselari, with all the things you
have heard, you still don’t believe God can do anything?

He answered, I have accepted my faith.

There are two types of Christians in the world.

Iselari and Isekolari

The iselari are sometimes called iselari

The isekolari are called ibukunlari

Which side are you on.

Are you on the side of my faith is sealed or you are on the side of

Are you on the side of ask and it shall be giving on to you, seek
and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you?
Three imperative verbs, present imperative.  Keep on asking, keep on pursuing, keep
on knocking.  Don’t hesitate at all to be bold.  Don’t be embarrassed.  Ask.  That’s kind
of the first level.  “Psst, God, it’s me.”  Seek.  That’s the second level.  Zēteō, it means
“to strive” after or “to demand.”  “God, I’m telling You, You’ve got to listen to me now. 
You’ve got to watch what’s going on here.  Don’t be distracted.”  Knock.  Now you’re
storming the gates of heaven.  Don’t be reluctant to ask, and to get aggressive, and to
bang on heaven’s door.

John 16:24
"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that
your joy may be made full.

Proverbs 23:7
As a man thinketh so is he
Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: andthey that love it shall
eat the fruit thereof.

What are you looking up unto God for

Begin to pray, begin to ask, this year is running to an end

Are you looking for a child of your own, tell God, marriage tell God. Don’t be
discouraged, tell your soul My soul, why art thou discouraged, don’t you
know God can do all things.

Enough of the I don’t want to bother God attitude, Enough of the laziness

At midnight

So here’s a man who has a neighbor and goes to him at midnight .  This is the
worst time for a visit.  Midnight is not a good visiting time for anybody. 

Remember there was no TV in those days hence nothing to keep you awake. When
darkness came, you basically stayed around a little bit with the light of a candle, then
you went to sleep because you had to start work at 6 A.M. in the morning. 

Probably, this friend starts yelling his friends name“Hey, hey, hey, it’s me.”  And he’s
waking him up, obviously.  “Friend, friend,” It’s a sensible greeting if you’ve just arrived
uninvited at midnight and becoming a nuisance in somebody’s life. 

Not an Emergency

Now this is not an emergency.  He isn’t saying, “My wife is having a baby.  My wife is
dying.  My kid broke his leg.  We’ve got a robber in the house.”  He’s in the middle of the
night and he says, “I want these three loaves.”  This is ridiculous.” 

FOR Another Friend

“Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I
cannot get up and give you anything.”  Now this is exactly what you would expect.  You
know, it would be hard for me to do what the man did.  I don’t know, I think I would
maybe end up a poor host. 

“The door has already been shut.” 

 “The door has already been shut.”  It wasn’t a door like we have that you shut it easily. 
Sometimes doors actually dropped through rings, a combination of metal and iron, and
removing it was not just a simple thing to do, and opening would make a lot of racket. 
And there was a whole family there and neighborhood there

Everybody will wake up

“My children and I are in bed.”  Usually the same bed.  They had a big mat, one-room
houses, right?  One-room houses.  The kitchen in one corner, living space over here,
and bedroom in the same place.  Just roll out the mat and everybody goes down on the
mat with some pillows, or whatever.  And the colder it got, the closer they all got
together.  That’s how they all kept themselves warm. 

So if he gets up, everybody’s up, all the kids are up, everybody’s upThis is too much
trouble.”

THE POINT verse 8.  “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give
him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence - ” his importunity,
his brashness, his boldness “ - he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” 
There’s really no sense in not getting up because he’s not going away.  And you’ve
already awakened me, and you’ve already awaken the kids.