The Joy of Asking | Pastor Carter Conlon

father I thank you God with all my heart I thank you for the anointing of your Holy Spirit oh god I've never been more aware in all my life of the need that I personally have of you Lord your indwelling power your ability Lord to go beyond the natural limitations of this physical body and physical mind and God you are wanting I feel in my heart that you are wanting to take your church your people into a place that you've always loaned us and for us to live in and to be so God give us the grace to hear these words today give us the grace to respond oh Jesus help us Lord to be able to respond when you are wooing us when you are brooding over us and longing to draw us close to your heart give us the grace we ask it not just for our sakes but for the sake of the people of this generation who without a an empowered Church they will never know who you are God will be relegated to an argument and we're not supposed to be that we're supposed to be a demonstration of who you are to our generation so god help us now help all of us Lord in Jesus name John chapter sixteen one verse verse 24 Jesus said to his disciples these words until now you've asked nothing in my name ask and you will receive that your joy might be full now the disciples have they've walked with him for quite some time at this point I have no doubt they have asked a lot of questions along the way just like you do just like I do but suddenly he makes this statement to his disciples and he will make a similar statement to you to me we will we will walk with Him we will grow in grace will grow in knowledge will grow in experience we will observe the workings of God we will study the things that he's able to do and then suddenly out of nowhere he's up to this point you've not asked for anything in my name now there's no doubt they've asked a lot of things but he says you've not asked for anything in my name ask and you will receive that your joy might be full in other words there is a joy that you've not entered into yet you have a lot of knowledge you have a lot of experience you you've accumulated doctrine you can you can you can you bore witness you could say to his disciples of things that other people have never seen but you've not been really a partaker of something I want to give you now and if you will open your heart to it it will bring you into a place of joy isn't that amazing the asking brings a joy and according to what he said to his disciples it brings a full joy not just a partial joy but a full joy now let's take a look at some of the things that his disciples to this point had probably asked him and things that that you and I did too as well I'm just going to give you I had to go through the whole book of John to prepare this so I'm just I'm just going to go through it quickly I don't expect you to turn there if you get this message later on you can look it up in your Bible I'll be quoting the verses but in chapter 1 verse 38 Andrew and some others Peters brother Andrew and some others started following Jesus and he turned around said what are you looking for what do you seek and they said to him where are you staying in other words now in that culture and at that time if if you saw a teacher worth following and if you felt that teacher had something to say to you that you wanted to learn you you in a sense made yourself you brought yourself spiritually in a sense prostrate before that teacher in other words I'm willing to come to your house and I'm willing to hear what you have to say to me in other words they were saying we're open to what you would teach us well that's why many of us are here that's where it all began isn't it I remember in my life I said in the church when I was before I was a believer in Christ I remember sitting in the back of the church one day and I I said out loud if if you're real I wouldn't mind knowing who you are in other words if you will show yours to me I would love to sit under your teaching if your word is truth if your way is truth if you promise me life then my heart is open so that's where their first question began we want to sit under your teaching that's why some of you are here this morning some of you're online you're not fully yielded to God yet but you are at least at the place where you're saying Lord I'm opened if you want to teach me I'm open to your words I'm open to your leading and you're telling me what life is about what my life should be chapter 2 verse 11 the scripture says when he changed water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana his disciples believed in him and you remember not after you took that first step and the Lord Jesus Christ brought that initial joy into your heart you remember that that that first time that it dawned on you that God loved you or that you could be forgiven or that you could have a new life that first time you realize things were starting to change in your life and you believed in him in other words it's not just teaching now it's it's gone beyond just teaching to the point where I'm embracing what I've heard and I'm starting to believe and and this belief is bringing an initial joy into my life that's what wedding wine is all about it's about just taking the ordinary and bringing the joy into an ordinary situation John chapter 3 verse 22 the disciples were there baptizing with Jesus well it says Jesus was baptizing they were there with him and many of us you remember those early years when you first believed and then joy came into your heart and you said I want to go with God and many in this church have been water baptized on this platform and you went into that water baptism and and you were told that you're going to die to yourself and when you come out of the water you're going to be raised up with Christ it was wonderful teaching but not very many people really grasped it at that point a few do but not many do it's it's it's just a wonderful idea like a message I preached one time I said forgiving your enemies is a wonderful idea that isn't you have enemies so it's a wonderful idea of being raised up in newness of life we're not quite sure what that means but we're willing to take the journey because what we've been taught we've experienced some joy and now we going into the waters of baptism and saying I want to go with you God and I want to do it publicly I don't want to be a secret believer I'm willing to do this publicly before the church and before all people then as they went farther in their journey with Jesus they began to realize that he had a source of nourishment that they didn't understand yet it says his disciples in John chapter 4 verses 31 and on they said rabbi eat but he said to them I have food to eat which you did not know therefore the disciples said to one another has anyone brought him anything to eat and jesus said to them my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest behold I say to you lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are already white to harvest so in other words he is displaying he's teaching again his disciples there's nourishment available for you but it implies that you have to go into the harvest to get it you don't get it just by sitting in church which is wonderful you get knowledge sitting in church but you get this nourishment this this ability that's God given the strength that only comes from the Holy Spirit doesn't come until we start to walk into the harvest into the work of God as it is my food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work John chapter four verse 50 they discovered that his words had limitless power to heal remember the nobleman came and said my sons at home and he's at the point of death when you come and heal him and Jesus didn't even go to the man's house or the man's town wherever it was he just said go your way your son lives can you imagine being there and you're walking with the teacher who has the power his in other words there are no boundaries to his word there's no limitations by distance he speaks and it's done go your way go back to your house go back to your village go your way your son can you imagine being there you mentioned the questions that they had in their heart what kind of a man is this you remember when they were in the boat and he walked and the storm came and he stood up and rebuked the wind in the sea and they said to one another what kind of a man is this that even the wind's and the sea obey Him John chapter five they saw that Jesus could heal no matter how long someone had been powerless to change their situation walked up to a man beside a pool we'd been there for 38 years lame and told him to rise up and take up his bed and walk and can you imagine just being there and seeing that power of God at that time John chapter 6 he walked on water towards them when they were in the midst of the sea and they saw that he he could journey over impossible places I mean there seemed to be nothing could stop this man wind or water or waves or difficulty his whole life was miraculous they also saw in John chapter 6 verse 68 that there was a time which comes into every Christians life it came into mine and will come into yours and it's after all of this now they've seen all of this they they they've seen his word has limitless power they they've seen that he can heal no matter how long somebody's been sick they they've watched him walk on water and then later on in John chapter 6 verse 68 he talks about unless you eat of my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you in other words there's something of me that you need to have life and without it you're not going to have life and so almost the majority of his disciples at that time it's estimated 58 out of 70 turned and walked away they said this is too hard you ever gotten to the point where just saying wow this I thought this Christian life was this but it turned out to be this I got saved through a message somewhere and I was told my life is gonna be happy and I was gonna be healthy and I was gonna be wealthy and I was going to be all this stuff and I and and and now I'm just struggling I just don't get this I've tried to I've tried to follow you Jesus but you're laying things before me that I can't do and so the majority walk away and and it's the same way in the Christian Church people will go to a point then they will just say this is too hard I remember I was when I went through this when I was a young believer I remember being out in a gravel road screaming at God saying if this is the way you treat your friends what would it like be like to be an enemy I was just really furious at this point and he turned to the twelve and said are you gonna go as well and Peter says well who we gonna go to you know we're staying because we know you have the words of eternal life not because we understand it not because we feel we can do it but we don't know where else to go and there's a point in every Christians life where that's where you are so it's not an aberration you're not abnormal because you're there you're actually on the pathway to something incredibly joyful and wonderful thank God for that they saw later on in John chapter 7 verse 26 that that he spoke boldly in the temple even though they were all aware that there were plots underfoot to take his life he still spoke boldly hid a boldness that came from another source a source that they didn't yet have in chapter 8 verse 59 chapter 7 verse 30 in chapter 10 verse 39 they saw he was divinely protected even when people took up stones to stone him they couldn't seem to bring themselves to throw them they would gather around him to try to harm him and he would just walk through the midst to them I could imagine being there and seeing this you have this he's enraged people in the temple and they just say we've just had enough what do you mean before Abraham was you were only God could say that how dare you say that that's black so they would rise up in there they're full of fury and they go to get him and he just kind of walks through the middle of them and they're just part and they saw this they they saw that he could walk through every threatening situation the Bible says because his hour had not yet come that's why I believe as a believer in Jesus Christ we are not we are till God says we're not you have a plan for your life and nobody can take it from you nobody nobody no trial no situation no mountaintop no wall no enemy no giant nothing nothing can separate you from the love of God and nothing can stop you from fulfilling the plan that God has for your life in John chapter 8 they looked as he stood in defense of a condemned woman it was the social order of the day it was the understanding of the day that if you did this this was the consequence and yet he stood there and defended a woman who was condemned in John chapter 9 he gives sight to a man who was blind from his birth amazing nobody had ever done that before John chapter 11 he raised the man from the dead who was dead for four days in John chapter 12 verse 28 the disciples heard a voice from heaven that confirmed his ministry how'd you like to have that this is my son or whatever it was said at that particular time they confirmed him and then in John chapter 13 they saw something amazing with all of this power the power to speak into other towns and heal people the power to raise the dead the power to walk on water the power to walk through the midst of all of his enemies all of his power and all of this knowledge brought him to the point where he bowed down took a towel and washed the feet of his disciples he was given power to serve others amazing with all this power in the world when you think but from a worldly perspective you would think this power would take you to a throne instead of taking him to a throne it took him to his knees with the towel where he even washed the feet of the man who would cause him the deepest pain he would ever know in his physical lifetime and now it gets interesting because the questions start in John chapter 13 verse 36 Peter says Lord why can I not follow you now in other words he's trying to tell him I I want to follow you Jesus says you're not going to be able to you you're going to try but you're going to fail Thomas said in chapter 14 verse 5 you you tell us to follow you but we don't even know where you're going so how can we know the way and you not been there from time to time God I don't even know what you want from my life how am I supposed to know the way I don't even know what your will is for my life I don't even know what it is you want to do I don't fully get this and I've walked with you and I've studied and I've seen your power and I've watched you serve and and you're calling me to follow you but I don't even know where you're going how am I supposed to do that then Philip in chapter 14 verse 8 says show us the father and it suffice as us in other words just just give us another sign that God is with you and that you are the son of God just show us your father help us to understand help us take us take us through that that final door that we can't seem to get through in chapter 14 verse 22 Judas not Judas Iscariot who betrayed him but another Judas said why are you showing yourself to us and not to the world that is the most pivotal question of all why are you showing all of this just to us we could say that today too in this sanctuary God why are you speaking all of these things why are you showing us all these things why are you visiting us in our worship so powerfully why are you sending us your word and when you have the power really to send it to the whole world God you could just speak to the world couldn't you couldn't he he could just speak trust me his voice is loud enough to reach the whole world now if he decided to do that and so Judas is saying why are you showing yourself just to us and not to the world and this is where it gets really interesting because the answer is I'm going to show myself to the world through you that's why that's the plan of God there is no plan B I'm going to show myself to the world through you and we say well how in the world is that going to happen God Almighty I spend my day just trying to survive I spend my day trying not to curse those who curse me and respond in a like spirit or worked my two jobs to feed my kids then keep the bills paid and you're going to show yourself to the world through me how in the world is that going to happen jesus said in John 16 beginning at verse 13 12 rather I have many things to say to you but you can't bear them now in others I've got lots of things I want to tell you that are for you but you can't hear them yet however when he the Spirit of Truth has come verse 13 he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority but whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come he will glorify me for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you all things that the father has are mine therefore I said he will take of mine and he will declare it to you now here's the point that Jesus is making you can't hear it because I'm going to the cross and when I go to the cross I'm going to take all captivity captive I'm going to pay the price for your sins so that you no longer have to be separated from not just redemption in God but from the life of God within you and I'm going to purchase for you a new life I'm going to purchase for you giftings of the Holy Spirit I'm going to purchase for you something that will make you a wonder to the people of this world I'm going to come in the form of the Holy Spirit indwelling and the Holy Spirit is going to show you the things that I have bought for you on the cross he's going to show you these things praise be to God he's going to take what is mine and he's going to declare it to you to you he's going to show you the source of your strength the source of your power because everything the father has belongs to me jesus said so he's going to take it and show it to you because it also belongs to you everything I win becomes yours as well because I'm the head and you are my body on the earth in that day verse 23 verse 22 he says you will have sorrow but I'll see you again and your heart will rejoice and your joy no one will take from you and in that day now he's talking to his disciples about the day when he is raised from the dead when the debt has been paid when the power of the Holy Spirit has come when this new life has promised us in Christ becomes ours you will ask me nothing in other words there be no more you won't need to ask all these former questions anymore they'll all be answered most assuredly that means truly I say to you whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give it to you until now you have asked nothing in my name ask and you will receive that your joy might be full now this is available to people like you and I or say God I want the power to live my life for the sake of other people I don't want people are in this world to die because they in their sin because they have failed to see you in me god I recognized my limitations to reach them I recognized the limitations of my physical body of my natural mind of my natural heart I recognized God that I don't have the strength to go there but it's going to be in this of your victory that you're going to make me into another person and you're going to bring glory to your own name through me and so I'm asking you now to show me God what you purchased for my life what the trip is that you have for my feet ahead of me and I'm asking you Lord to send me into this mountain of confused and hurting humanity and make a difference for your glory and for your kingdoms sake o God give me the grace my God to stop and speak with people as you did to the Samaritan woman and the people of Samaria give me the grace oh god to speak to people that I have nothing in common with to speak to people that nobody else wants to talk to give me the heart to stop in my journey give me power in my speech Oh God as you gave as you have Lord Jesus Christ and you spoke to the nobleman and you told him you go home and don't worry your son is going to live give me power in my speech I don't want to be an argument in this world power has to be in our speech now and I believe that if we will ask God he will put power in the softest spoken word the power is of God it's not of us it's not by how our voice intonation sounds it's something that God does when we speak God begins to move as I'm speaking now you're feeling something in your heart these words are deeper than just your ears they're going through you you know it's true because there's power when God is anointing there's power in speech it has the power to drive away all the darkness and dissipate all the evil that surround is the power to reach into the inner presence of people's minds in their hearts God give us the power to make a difference as your church in people's lives no matter how long they have been in that situation there are people trying to tell us today that our society is too far gone it's been too long the scale is tipped too much into godlessness for there to ever be a spiritual awakening one word for that Bologna that's all that is is total Bologna God can raise the dead God can cause the sea to stop its fury he can stop the wind no matter how long this society has been in its condition the Lord can turn it in a day it can change any situation it can bring that which is dead back to life God Almighty give me the power to walk in impossible places give me the power Lord to walk where I can't naturally go where I would tremble where I would sink under the threats of the waves God give me the power to walk in impossible places give me the power to keep following when it gets hard and when I don't understand give me the power to speak boldly even at the threat of my own life at my own freedom God give me the power not to back away give me the faith in my heart to believe that I've divinely protected and can walk through every threatening situation and that no one can touch my life until you have finished I finished the course that you've set for my feet give me a heart to stand it intercede for those that are condemned in their sin give me the power to help people who can't see to have sight to see a way forward put something in my speech put something in my life that will raise people out of the grave when they feel there's no hope and when everybody else in the world has given up hope on them and everyone is weeping over their condition my God give me the power to call them out of the grave and back into life in Christ's name and god I'm asking as once happened for you Lord Jesus Christ that a voice from heaven would confirm the ministry that you've given to me that can be your crime you see the voice is something that speaks to a person's heart when you are in unison with God you are only telling a person what God's already speaking to them and there will be a voice that confirms your words you don't have to argue with anybody you speak the softest word and it can just destroy years and years of entanglement that the enemy has put in people's minds and lastly and mostly give me the power to serve because that's where it all led to that was the final act in a sense before the cross before his disciples he showed them where all the power they had seen led to this place of a towel and a basin and washing the feet of other people only God can do these things you see because in the world when we seek power we automatically think it's going to elevate us in God's kingdom when we received the true power of God it brings us to a place of humility a place of serving one another the greatest in the kingdom of God will be the servant of all it's so contrary to our thinking he said to his disciples up to this point you've not asked me for anything in my name truly I say to you whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give it to you now the question is do we believe that do we honestly believe that whatever we ask in my name it will be given to you now if you really believe that you'd be at every permitting every time the doors of this church are open if you really believe that you pray first thing in the morning you pray at noon you'd pray at night if you're really and I really believed and I'm asking God to put that faith in my heart whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you now he's speaking it in the context of being yielded for the sake of other people it's not talking about asking for a Porsche and you know what I'm talking about it's in the context of being yielded for other people of yielding our lives for the sake of the Lost today during the worship I just started crying out on this platform and I was thinking of some people I've met recently I I said God don't don't let them die in their sin because they've not seen you and me God helped me to reach them help me there's a there's a new cry that God's planting in my heart and I don't care who hears it I don't care how often I got I have to cry it now I God helped me to reach them and only you can give the skill because I don't have it only you can give the words only you can be the voice that speaks to every heart only you can open the prison doors I'm willing to stand but God it has to be you and I find myself saying father give me what I need to do what you called me to do what's the point of being on the radio calling a nation back to God if if there's no power behind it it's pointless it's just more noise on the radio but I'm asking now God you've got to put a compelling in our voices you've got to lift us as your church out of mediocrity and bring us back into the power of the Holy Spirit you've got to deliver us from the pride of always learning and never being brought to the knowledge of where that truth is supposed to take us you have to deliver us from the desire for robes and titles and all these things that hinder the work of God you have to give us a basin and a towel once again in the house of God and teach us what it means to serve even to serve our enemies Jesus washed the feet of Judas even to serve those that are going to harm us to serve those that hate us to serve those that may even take our freedom in the future do we have the courage to say God God give me the power to serve give me the power doctor exact vengeance give me the power to speak kindly when others don't speak confident until now you've asked nothing in my name asking you will receive that your joy might be full you see there has to be a shifting of focus the joy has to be not about our selves anymore it has to be about others see that's where the joy is full doubt the joy is that I see people coming to Christ the joy is that even enemies find forgiveness from God that that's where the joy comes from that he's talking about it's not just getting happy and copying our hands in the house of God is it's the joy that's in heaven over every sinner that comes to Christ it's that joy that the Angels know around the throne of God it's it's a whole other worldly joy but it doesn't come until we're surrendered it doesn't come until we're saying lord lead me to where I can't go and make me what I could never be and give me what I don't possess and we believe that it's the delight of God to give it to us ask and you will receive that your joy might be full I believe with all my heart that it's time to ask it's time to ask it's time for the church to ask it's time for us to rise out of we see our society perishing around us nobody can debate that anymore it's time that we we rise up out of infancy and as mature sons and daughters we say Lord I get it now I understand it but I can't go through like Peter Lord I can't follow you now but Oh God if you will give me your Holy Spirit if you will make your promises real in my heart I trust and I believe that my life will make a difference so we are in the same place that they were back then they all knew they had no power to go forward without the Holy Spirit but when God's Holy Spirit came oh my goodness when God's Holy Spirit came they they come out of that place of prayer and they started speaking the things that God was about was doing and was going to do and in the first day alone 3,000 people bent their knee because they saw they saw the Church of Jesus Christ this is my prayer for this generation it's my prayer for my own heart it's my prayer for for you it's my prayer for every church in this country that God would give us the grace to be raised up again and we would have the courage to ask have the courage to ask for that pathway for your life and the giftings you need have the courage have the courage for the sake of somebody that needs to see Christ and you have the courage to ask we're gonna stand in just a moment and elder Vicki I'm gonna ask you to sing that same song again about the mountains can still be moved and if if God's speaking to your heart today and you are with me and others like me to say Lord I just I want this with all my heart I want this journey I want my life to count I don't want to be among those that are just always learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth I want to make a difference Lord Jesus Christ for your sake and for the sake of people that you died to save god I want to leave this world of self-focused and be yielded for the sake of others and I'm trusting you to give me what I need see it starts with the awareness that you don't have what you need and that's okay that's why that's why you ask and when it starts to happen in your life when your heart starts to change and when giftings started to abound in your life you find yourself speaking things that you never thought you would and speaking to people you never thought you could go to and doing things you know it's not in your capability of doing then suddenly there's a joy that words can't even begin to describe it the joy of being given for the sake of others so father I thank you God today Lord for you are speaking to us you are challenging all of us my heart first Lord to go maybe a little further than we've gone before to ask the right questions now and to pray for the right things Lord this country is going to perish if we don't rise up and we can't rise if you don't give us the power it's the Lord we ask you to do in us what only you can do everyone who's hearing everyone who's listening today God do in us and for us what only you can do we're coming to ask you said that we would receive in our joy would be full so we take you at your word this day in Jesus name I'm gonna ask if you would stand and if the Lord speaking to your heart and you say pastor I want to be part of this journey I'm gonna ask you just to come and we're gonna pray together at this altar wherever you are just slip out of your seat balcony go to either exit make your way down in the annex you make your way here we'll wait for you thank you for coming thank you I see young and old thank God thank God thank God don't be afraid to ask cause it's his delight to give it to you jesus said until now you have asked nothing in my name ask and you will receive that your joy may be full what an amazing word today until now we've really some ways not been asking in Jesus name in a way that represents him as he moved on this earth and I thank God today God is inviting us into a new place of faith where we're going to have what we received this week where we've got our week set out in front of us and if we will ask for something that is not self focused that's all just ask for one thing that is not self focused Lord give me courage to speak to her Lord let me reach out to him Lord let me release all that bitterness and then make let me do something loving Lord take me out of where I always seek my own comfort and just this one time let me give you five minutes of prayer that I may be led he said if you ask in my name you will receive it if you ask for something that is not self focused this week for the benefit of others if you and I will ask and it will involve taking a towel he said you will receive it and I think that beloved we've been asked to step into the miraculous this week to step into something that where our faith will shoot up because we will have it we will receive what we're asking for if it will not be self focused and who knows where that will lead one thing we do know it will lead to joy and it says a full joy and joy is what people notice so Lord we just thank you today we we asked for the grace now to hear you and we ask you for the grace to keep our ears open we ask the Lord we see our weak before you and we're asking for something where we are not the focus where we are not self focused in our prayer lord I pray for me this week as I travel Lord so many times when I travel I just get shut down and all about what I'm supposed to do lord I ask you to keep my eyes open and keep me sensitive to the people around me even when I'm tired even when I feel depleted even when I have a big don't want to Oh God even when I'm in a different culture and it's harder oh god I just pray Lord that I am I will be available and I will speak and I think you got that I have the answer to this prayer I thank you there's a divine appointment and I think you as shot of joy will come through me and it will be faith building for your glory I thank you every one at this altar Oh God is seeing their week before them and we know we can ask for something that is not self focused and we will receive it we will receive it we thank you we have the answers to this prayer that is not self focused so I thank you O God this way is going to be different this week we're going to hold our head up high and walk in faith because we're asking for things you asked for Jesus for our benefit where you ask for boldness to keep walking in the midst of your enemies that's because some people were going to hear you Lorna thank you we're gonna ask it in Jesus name and it's going to happen we are going to receive it and our joy will be full thank you we're coming back next week different because we're hearing you today and I just thank you that thank you for that so Lord Jesus receive all the glory now receive all the glory it's not about us this week it's not about our self focus and we're about to step in to a place of faith we're having the answer and our joy will be full I can hardly wait to see the worship Sunday next week so many are coming back with a joy because we have the answer to our prayer when it's about someone else I thank you for this shot of faith into your church this day Lord we just know who we are apart from you but we thank you you're giving us a new heart you're giving us a new mind to see things we thank you for this Living Word we are grateful for it and we are changed in all God's people said amen

Channel: Times Square Church

Views: 31,995

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Keywords: Pastor Carter Conlon, Sermon, Times Square Church

Id: NaLUzEouoa4

Length: 41min 39sec (2499 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 14 2020