Sermon for Rogation Sunday, May 17, 2009
“ At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. ”
HAVE YOU ever wanted something, or wished to learn something, but were afraid to ask? Possibly you would hear the word “no,” but that's the place you already were, and it wouldn't do any harm to find out that it might be “yes.” And yet you hung back, made small talk, changed the subject, looked at your shoes, and then said, “good-bye.” You didn't ask.
Maybe it was your favorite girl in the world and you would have asked her for a first date. Perhaps this was the opportune time to ask your boss for a raise. This may have been a chance to find out why the sky is blue, or what happened to your dad in the war, or where storks get those babies, or who God is. You didn't ask. Why were you afraid to ask?
I was thirty-one years old, a vice president and chief estimator of a new contracting company, a husband and a father when people in our new church began suggesting that I become a priest. The Bishop said things to my wife. My wife said things to me too, and it drove me crazy. It's what Father Smith said in 1966. I'd escaped neatly then, but these folks weren't so easily deflected. My defense? God hadn't said anything to me—according to me, anyway. I needed to hear this from God and not from everybody around me. If I'd become a priest to please them, or even to suit myself, it would probably be a great mistake. Only God calls a priest —and I knew that. Well, my wonderful wife said the thing I dreaded to hear. “Have you asked God?” “Asked Him?” “Of course! Just ask Him, and if He says No, then you have your answer. If He says Yes, you know what He wants also.” To tell you the truth, folks, I was afraid to ask. You see me here now, and you know I asked, and you know I got my answer.
What are we afraid to ask? We have unresolved conflicts in our lives, unsolved crimes, undetermined outcomes to life's big issues, unrequited loves, and unmet needs. Isn't there a yearning in your heart over some big issue? Maybe a handful of issues. Where are you going to find an answer? Starting with God, you have resources available for your toughest questions, but do you set out on the hunt? Or are you stuck right where you are because you've never gotten up the gumption to ask somebody what to do, how to fix a broken heart, if you can be forgiven, or how would she like it if you said, “I love you.” Scared to death of the truth, whatever it might be, we seal our fate irresolutely by never asking and never knowing. Why were we afraid to ask?
Solomon was the new king of Israel and God whispered to him in a dream. “Ask what I shall give thee.” Solomon asked God for an understanding heart, great discernment and wisdom. God was so pleased, He gave Solomon wisdom and long life, riches and peace. Elisha was the understudy for the greatest of prophets, Elijah, but his master was trying to give him the slip. He stuck by him, refusing to stay back, and finally put his most desperate request to him. He knew the Lord was about to take Elijah away, but first might he receive a double portion of the old prophet's spirit and power? The old man smiled, said it might not happen, but if Elisha saw him when he was taken up, then it would be granted. That double portion was the power of the Holy Spirit, and when the younger man watched Elijah taken up in a whirlwind, with chariots and horses of fire parting them, Elijah's mantle fluttered down from above. The answer was Yes.
Spiritual gifts are there for us to receive. God encourages us to ask for them. These gifts are more about doing for others than they are for fixing ourselves. Yet trafficking in God's grace and glory cannot help but make good things available for us when we don't stop the Spirit from acting through us for those we love. In a Psalm of David, God speaks to His Son, saying: “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Psalm 2:8 Ask of me. Isaiah encouraged the king he served to ask for a sign from God. Ahaz refused, and the prophet grew angry, “And said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:10-14 The sign was the coming of a new King, and the King was Jesus. Why are we afraid to ask?
People are stubborn about the strangest things. A person's life is in ruins because of his addiction. He admits it. He can't live where he wants to, loses his friends, all his money, goes homeless, feels rotten. I ask, “Do you have any family? Somebody who might take you in, get you some help?” “Oh, my mom lives in Sacramento, but I can't go back there. No, I can't, I can't…” Won't get help, won't call home, won't give up the thing that's wrecking his life, afraid to ask. God told Jeremiah to see what people are like, and told him, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein . Also I set watchmen over you, saying , Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.” Jer 6:16-17 God came to a people who were not asking for Him, showed Himself to people who were not seeking Him, and opened doors for those who were not knocking.
Jesus comes to us and commands us to ask, seek, knock. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Matt 7:7-8 He also says, “if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matt 18:19-20 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Matt 21:22 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it .” John 14:14
It's Rogation Sunday, last Sunday in Eastertide, and we're about to see the Son of God rise from earth back to heaven, the Ascension. Jesus repeatedly told His apostles to ask, pray, seek , especially after He was taken up. Like Elijah, He wished to give a double portion of His Holy Spirit to His disciples, and they simply had to be in a mode of receptivity. He had encouraged them to ask directly of the Father, because the Father loved them. “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.” John 16
Now, these promises that whatever we ask we will receive ring a bit untrue to us who have asked a good many things and not seen them arrive. Unanswered prayers can blunt our eagerness to seek God for the things we want. But Jesus didn't promise that anything we want would be granted. Are we wise enough yet to know that the things we want are not always the best thing for us? Does God want the best for us? That's exactly what He wants, so He says “ Yes ” when we ask for that. That best thing may not be enjoyable, may not be pleasant, may take a long time or cost plenty. It may involve pain and even sacrifice. But weren't we asking for the best thing for ourselves? The best things often come with such a price. And why? It was the best thing that we learn the value along with obtaining the prize. It was the best thing to grow us up, strengthen us, give us deeper faith, learn things we wouldn't otherwise have learned, rather than just give us the gift. God is not a vending machine. He's so much more than that.
We've heard it said be careful what you ask for , that you might get it and then realize how bad it was to have. Surely, we need to ask for things that are worthy, but maybe we don't need to ask for things at all. Things —what are they? And to ask to have someone , like a love affair: that can be fraught with trouble. Our requests need to be salted with wisdom, so like Solomon and Elisha we might start by asking for wisdom, understanding, discernment and a great portion of His Holy Spirit. By His indwelling wisdom, our prayers and requests get a lot more inspired, a great deal better informed, and go right to the heart of God. The best prayers are inspired by the Holy Spirit, empowered by His might, and informed by Him to seek the best things from God. The best thing may be a healing of illness, or it may be a holy death. The best thing may be the healing of a relationship, or God's protection from toxic people. The best thing may be to pursue or to retreat, to begin or to stop, to gain or to be satisfied, to give or to save.
Some best things are always right. Forgiveness is commanded of us always to be granted by us. We may need to ask for the grace to forgive. This doesn't lay us open to further abuse, but gives us peace and grants grace to sinners to repent and live. We should always ask for faith, hope, and love. We always know that God wishes to spread His kingdom—we may just not know how it is to happen. But pray for it. We need to eat, and Jesus promises that if we seek the Kingdom and Righteousness of God, we'll eat: don't worry. Nevertheless, He urges us to pray for our daily bread. What we ask God for, and then receive, creates a new relationship with Him, that of a faithful and loving supplier, and believing humble saints. We ask, He gives: it's who we are and Who He is. We're not giving orders, but supplicating. He is all wise and all powerful, all loving and merciful and good. Every good thing comes from Him. Why would we go anywhere else?
What are you afraid to ask for? Let that question simmer and be encouraged to ask at this Rogation time. Rogation means “to ask.” Inter-rogation is to ask questions. Farmers in this season have planted, and then ask God to bring increase. We all have something cooking that we wish God to prosper, don't we? Ask . We all need something that has not come for us yet, something that would do our hearts good. Ask . We all know of a pain, a sickness, a heartache, a broken bone or broken relationship. Ask . Don't fear Him. He gives only good. Ask wisely , seeking the best things of Him. He knows how to discern what is best, even if it's going to hurt a little. He's a doctor. He's the Savior. He's God. Ask .
PFH+