SHAMELESS AUDACITY

THIS IS TABLE ROCK FELLOWSHIP – PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Audacity

If we stop and think about what we do when we pray to the Lord, we might become a bit overwhelmed by the audacity of our actions. We, the created, have the boldness to come before the Holy and Righteous One, the God of Creation, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and ask anything of such a being.

If we were not invited into the presence of the Lord God Almighty, we would surely not survive such an experience. One does not gatecrash the Lord. And yet, as audacious as it is, we are invited to come to the Lord.

In the passage that follows, there is a teaching from Jesus Christ that was given in the context of helping his disciples learn how to pray in a way that fits with the Lord’s own desires for his people.

“Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 11:5-13 NIV11

Shameless

In verse eight, the sleeping neighbor gets out of bed and provides bread for his noisy friend because the one who asked showed “shameless audacity.” This is a unique term in the Greek. The word used here is that of ἀναίδεια / anaidēa, and this word is only used in this setting within the New Testament. Outside of the Bible however, this word is used to describe those who do not seem to understand proper decorum given their setting.

The parable is being told by Jesus to help us see that any request that we, the created, make of the Creator is in fact shameless audacity. There is no prayer, no request we can make of the Lord, that we deserve to make. There is no blessing from God that we can point to and say, “I earned that.” It is all too much.

Invited

And yet, we are openly, routinely invited to bring all of our worries, anxieties, fears, needs, wants, and desires to the Lord. We are welcomed into the presence of the Lord, and we have his full attention. Imagine that!

God, our creator, desires our communication. He is not the neighbor who is annoyed by our knocking, he is instead the loving father who gives good gifts and loving kindness to his children.

Reflection

As you go throughout your day today, reflect on the following statements of audacity and give God thanks for his open invitation.

“Rejoice always,
pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV11

In Christ,

Ryan Laden

OUR MISSION AS A CHURCH

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