Lord's Day: May 18, 2025 Preacher: Carlos Montijo Series: First John Topic: Law & Gospel Distinction Scripture: 1 John 3:22–23; Matthew 23:23; Psalm 37:1–9; Romans 8:32; Mark 1:14–15; Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:20; Hebrews 11:6

22and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. 23And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He gave a commandment to us. 1 John 3:22–23

I. If God gives us whatever we ask for according to 1 John 3:22, then why do we not always get what we ask for?

• It is not pious to obey one command (e.g., prayer) at the expense/neglect of another (e.g., study)—it is immature and sinful to neglect the whole counsel of God, or to have lopsided/imbalanced priorities and applications

II. What does Jesus say about balance?

• He rebuked the false, imbalanced piety of the scribes and Pharisees, Matthew 23:23: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.”
• Just as you cannot love aright without sound doctrine (the “weightier provision of the Law”—because we are commanded to first and foremost understand and believe the truth), so likewise, you cannot pray aright without the truth of sound doctrine
• Prayer is an outworking (orthopraxy) of our doctrine (orthodoxy)

III. We must not pray for sinful things, nor with selfish/perverse motives

• James 4:1-12
• Prayer is relational, how we relate with God

IV. To pray rightly, in a manner that pleases God, you need knowledge, faith, humility, persistence, patience.

• We worship and bow before God in prayer, to petition Him for help, grace, mercy, forgiveness, strength, support, provision, deliverance, blessings, good things
• Psalm 37:1–9
• God has given us everything already through our heavenly inheritance and union with Christ (Romans 8:32)

V. What does it mean to “keep His commandments”?

We meet on Sundays for worship at 10:00am:

• ThornCrown Covenant Baptist Church
  4712 Montana Ave
  El Paso, Texas 79903

Contact us at:

• web: ThornCrownCovenant.Church
  call/text: (915) 843-8088
  email: ThornCrownCovenantBChurch@gmail.com

Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com