HOW’S YOUR APPETITE?
MATTHEW 5:6
I once read a story written by a man named Franz Koffka. The story was entitled “The Hunger Artist.” And of all the works by Koffka, this one short story seemed to sum his personal thoughts about life. This story was such an expression of him and had such an impression on him that he desired all of his other works to be burned, but insisted that this one be spared. The story goes like this:
Once upon a time, there was a man known as the Hunger Artist. He made his living by professional fasting. He would go for extended periods of time without eating and drinking anything and people would pay to see him do it. At that time, professional fasting was a respected, appreciated, and very lucrative business. Picture this in your mind.... There would sit the hunger artist on straw in a small cage expressing his will power to go for long periods without eating or drinking anything. He would fast for forty days and when the forty days were up the band would play, and his manager would give a speech.
Then two attractive ladies would lead him in his weakened condition out of the cage. The crowd would roar with excitement and ultimately they would pay him a great sum of money in appreciation to his great work of art.
However, there came a time when professional fasting was no longer understood nor appreciated by the people. The man lost his manager and had to join the circus. When he hooked up with the circus, he became down and depressed; despondent and discouraged because of the raw meat that constantly passed him… Because of the roaring of the animals at night… Because of the horrible smell that filled the air…The people paid him no attention as they rushed by him to see the more popular exhibits in the circus.
He was ignored and forgotten about, even the leaders and the owners of the circus forgot him. His fast went way past forty days, because nobody bothered to count the days. And ultimately they found him one day half conscience slumped over in the cage.... They rushed over to assist him and in his last dying breath, he told his secret.... He simply said, “I have to fast; I have no choice.... You see, I couldn’t find any food that would satisfy me…” (repeat)
I thought this was a unique story, and as I studied and learned more about the author Franz Koffka, the story became a little more significant and a little more important, for I discovered that Koffka was an atheist. He didn’t have a religion; he didn’t believe in any God!
When I put together that fact that he was an atheist, and the fact that this parable seemed in his words, to sum up what he felt about life, I came to the understanding that the story of “The Hunger Artist” was not about Physical Hunger but it was about Spiritual Hunger.... Underneath the surface of this story, Franz Koffka was talking about his own spiritual condition! You see, he was The Hunger Artist.... He recognized his soul was starving, but he said, “I can’t find anything in life that will satisfy me!”
When I understood what Koffka was saying underneath the surface of the story, I found myself beginning to study this “Hunger Of Humanity,” which led me to the subject at hand.... In light of the this story, I came to ask you, “How’s Your Appetite....?” (Text) Since we, the saints of God have experienced His Love… Since we’ve experienced His Peace… Since we’ve experienced His Joy… Since we’ve experienced His Grace… Since we’ve experienced His Grace… Since we’ve “Tasted The Goodness Of The Lord,” I stopped by tonight to ask this one little question, How’s Your Appetite....?
I. All Are Born With An Appetite
A. Adam and Eve
1) Reigned and ruled as Prince and Princess of
Paradise had built-in satisfaction
2) They didn’t have to go looking for nothing
3) They had built-in fulfillment based on their
relationship and fellowship with God
B. They Began To Listen To Satan
1) They ate us out of house and home
2) Story of “The Garden”
3) Result: They got the fruit, but they lost the
fellowship
4) They alienated themselves from the God; who
made them
C. Subsequently, Everyone Born After Them With
Their Back To God
1)All are yearning and crying to be right with God
a)We are craving to be reassembled and
reconciled to “He that hath made us....”
2) We came into this world with a “Hunger for
Holiness”
a)We experience a deep desire for personal
righteousness, which in itself is proof of our
spiritual rebirth. When we are poor and
empty in our own poverty, we recognize the
depth of our need, and we hunger and thirst
for that which only God can give us. But Jesus
said... (text)
3) We recognize that we’ve got a hunger
a) We recognize the fact something is missing
b) We’re yearning and craving; we have a
need....
c) We recognize the fact that we’re hungry, but
not the fact that it’s a hunger for God!!!!
4) So Consequently, We Look For Satisfaction In
All The Wrong Places
a) First of all, we look for satisfaction in the
“Café Of Carnality”
---- Man-made menus; which does nothing for
our appetite for God
---- It may excite you, but it won’t last
---- No satisfaction in a liquor bottle
---- No satisfaction in drugs
---- No satisfaction in lustful activities of the
flesh
5) Ungodly Living Is Only Temporary
Satisfaction
a) Ultimately, it will leave you sick and
Nauseated
b) The pleasures of this world are like cotton
candy: It looks good, tasty, and inviting; but
when you bite into it, you discover it’s nothing
but air!
6) The Problem Is That The World Pleases Us
Too Easily!!!!
a) 1 Jn 2:15-17: “Love not the world, nor the
things in it. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh.... and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. ”
b) The world pleases us too easily: That’s why
We spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t even like because THE WORLD PLEASES US TOO EASILY!!!!!
7) Unfortunately, When We Finish Eating At
The “Cafe Of Carnality,” And Drinking At
“The Well Of The World,” We’ll Still Have An
Appetite!!!!
a) (Text) If you’re looking for satisfaction, you
can only find it in “The Restaurant Of God’s
Righteousness!”
Max Lucado tells the story about a woman and her daughter in Mexico City.... The woman went to her sister-in-law’s to try on a dress.
They went to her apartment house on the 6th floor, and they weren’t there 30 seconds before an earthquake hit.
The ground floor collapsed under them and they fell six stories down to the basement; nine stories of building fell on top of them. The sister-in-law died instantly, but crushed under the debris and the rubble was the women and her daughter. They were still alive, but trapped under all of the metal and debris of the fallen building.
And as they laid there, the mother heard the faint cry of her child saying, “Mommy, I’m thirsty.... Mommy I’m thirsty....” They were stuck and couldn’t move, so the mother reached around and found a jar of jam and gave it to the daughter.... But just a few days later, the cry comes again, “Mommy, I’m thirsty.... Mommy I’m thirsty....” Finally, the mother couldn’t take it....
Her limbs are numb and cold, and she believes death is near.... She says to herself, “If I must die, I want my daughter to live....” So she takes a piece of glass and pricks her index finger, and starts serving her daughter with blood from her own finger.
She said she didn’t remember how many fingers she pricked, or how much blood she cut open so that her daughter might live, even if she had to die! I like this story because of the Spiritual analogy that it presents us…
You see, when Adam and Eve sinned in The Garden, the weight of their disobedience fell on me.... And as I’m crushed up under all that debris, I call out to the Lord, “Lord, I’m thirsty.... I’m thirsty....”
And for a little while, I eat of the jams of the world, but that doesn’t do me any good, and Jesus ultimately says, “I’ll save him Myself...” But He didn’t just prick His finger, He said, “Nail My hands.... Nail My feet.... And they pierced Him in His side.... And blood and water came streaming down!!!! Blood for redemption.... And water for cleansing....!!!!
You see, I got in trouble in a garden; but I got out of trouble in The Garden.... I got in trouble with a tree; but I got out of trouble with The Cross.... I got in trouble with a women named Eve; but I got out of trouble with a women named Mary.... I got in trouble with a man named Adam; but I got out of trouble with a man named Jesus...!!!! THERE’S SATISFACTION TO BE FOUND IN THE RESTAURANT OF GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!!!
I believe it was Isaiah who was the advertiser of the restaurant when he said in the 55th chapter, verses 1&2: “Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? harken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.”
I want to let you know that if you’re hungry; there is One who is “The Bread Of Life....” If you’re thirsty; come drink from “The Fountain Of Everlasting Life.”
Once you get a taste of God’s goodness, it’s just like “Lay’s Potato Chips,” you can’t eat just one!! If you’re looking for satisfaction; here in the “Restaurant Of God’s Righteousness....” He, who is always the order of the day, says (text). The text is talking about people who have tasted from the “Well of the World…”and found it to be like salt water in the desert… It doesn’t quench, it kills…!
II. What Is Righteousness?
A. (Divine Law & Divine Order) Conformity to
the revealed will of God (“Rightness with God”)
Going to church, paying tithes, reading the
Bible, etc. doesn’t make you righteous. There’s
nothing wrong with these things; Not the ends,
but the means; The avenue, not the destination.
Lot’s of people in church who don’t know God!
B. The Aspects Of Righteousness
1) Righteousness not about us, but about God:
Righteousness is “Rightness with God”
2) 3 Kinds Of Righteousness
a) Positional Righteousness: (Justification)
---- Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is
death....” (For those of you, who think
you’re exempt)
---- Rom 3:23 “For all have sinned and come
short....” (It seems like were doomed)
---- (1 Jn 2:1-2) “These things I write unto you
that you sin not. And if any man sins we
have an advocate with the Father.... And He
is the propitiation for our sins, not only
ours, but the whole worlds.”
---- The sinner without a Savoir is like a
man on death row… DOOMED! It is our
Positional Righteousness (justification)
That frees us from the penalty of sin!
Well, now we’ve got to find out the meaning of the word justified. That word justified is a legal term which means “ to be declared righteous.” It means that we have been declared innocent, we have been declared righteous, we have been declared blameless.... It is a term that is used in a court of law.... Picture this: You did it; you got caught committing a crime. You’ve been hauled off to a court of law....
Remember, according to Rom 3:23; we all have committed the crime of sin and been found guilty. The devil is the prosecution at the trial… But God is the judge at out trial; and we have been given an attorney…
An advocate… Someone to plead our case… And if you check His credentials, you will discover that He is none other than Jesus Christ Himself, in fact He is the Son of the Judge!
And our attorney is there to plead our case. In fact He not only pleads our case, but He willingly takes our place and pays the penalty and covers us with His blood!!!! So every time the judge looks at us; He sees our attorney Jesus, who stands in front of us raising His hand in objection! When He raises His hand… you can see the nail prints... When He raises His hand… you can see where they pierced Him in His side... When He raises His hand… you can see where the blood came streaming down.... And it represents what He did on Calvary and He did that for you and for me....
And even though all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and even though the wages of sin is death; the gift of God is eternal life.... So when The Judge (The Daddy) sees The Attorney (The Son) standing before you (The Defendant) who is saved through The Son... He bangs His gavel and says, “I now declare you righteous....
I now declare you blameless.... Not because of who you are, but because or your attorney, My Son.... And not because you what you’ve done, but because of what He’s done for you....!!!! That’s Positional Righteousness… The freedom from the Penalty of Sin…!
b) Perpetual Righteousness: (Sanctification)
---- Our perfect position with God
---- We mess up everyday (describe: actions,
mouth) ---- Frees Us From the Power Of Sin
c) Potential Righteousness: (Glorification)
---- Bread and water: The necessity of the
body
---- Righteousness: The necessity of the soul
---- Frees Us From The Presence Of Sin
What you see right now is not the end result, for Paul said, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye… we shall be changed…! (1 Cor 15:51-52)”
I said all of that to say this:
1. Positional Righteousness: What God the Son
has done to handle my past
2. Perpetual Righteousness: What God the
Holy Spirit is doing to handle present
3. Potential Righteousness: What God the
Father will do to handle my future!
III. We Don’t Understand What It Really Means
To Hunger And Thirst
A. Physical Hunger
1) “I’m hungry;” It’s 9:00 and I usually eat @
6:30
2) “I usually eat 2 meals a day, but today I
only ate once”
B. Spiritual Hunger
1) Not a “sweet tooth” hunger
2) Cannot be satisfied by Iced- Tea, Kool-Aid,
or Pepsi…
3) What is unique is that Jesus takes the
fundamentals of human instincts and makes
them spiritual...
(Ps 42:1) “As the hart panteth after the
water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee,
O God”
a) He then attaches to it continual action....
(text)
1) In the Greek, it is in the presence tense....
“Blessed are they who are hungering;
blessed are they who are thirsting....”
2) 1 Peter 2:2-3 says; “Since we have tasted
the goodness of God, we ought to desire the
“pure milk of God’s word so we can be
developed!!!”
3) But Instead We Treat Religion Like
Cafeteria Food
a) We take what we want and leave the rest
b) We settle for “Half-baked Holiness
c) We need to be like Ezekiel and eat the
scroll
d) Be like Jeremiah; “I found Your Word
and I ate it....!”
e) Be like David; “Your word have I hid in
my heart that I might not sin against
You...”
4) We Settle For Being Ministerial Midgets
And Religious Runts
a) Our development is stunted by the bread of
mediocrity that is served up at sum of our
churches of “Theological Fast Food
Joints” that serve a “Burger King
Religion...”A “have it your way season”
with commotion and emotion.... but when
you leave, you leave with a hungry spirit and
a thirsty soul and you wonder in your heart,
“Where’s the beef? ”Where’s the substance...
Where’s the power.... And where’s the
meaning of our Faith....? Shouting is all
right.... but you need to know what you are
shouting about... Don’t entertain me; minister
to me....!
IV. The Characteristics Of The Hungry
A. To Find Out If You’re Spiritually Hungry, Look At Physical Hunger
1) You can’t hide it - It will show up (stomach
growl)
--- Doesn’t mean wearing T-shirts, crosses…
--- It ought to show in your walk, talk, and
lifestyle!
2) You will do what it takes to eat
---- I’m hungry.... Won’t read their Bible
---- I’m hungry.... Won’t come to prayer
meeting
---- I’m hungry.... Won’t pay their tithes
---- (Using weather as an excuse)
3) You have a way of eating other appetites
a) I love music; but if I’m hungry, don’t take
Me o the music store.... I love books, but if I’m hungry, don’t take me to the bookstore
b) If you’re really hungry for God, it ought to
make you get rid of a whole lot of folishness
---- (Ps 1:1-2) “Blessed is the man that
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor
sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the Lord, and in his law doth
he meditate day and night.....”
A person on his way to righteous; does not get involved in big sin or little sin... He does not sit on the couch of the scorners; he does not wade in the affairs of other people....(repeat)
There are some of us who don’t get involved in big sin or little sin; but we spend too much time talking about other people’s business!!!! But his delight is in the “divine teaching.” That’s pretty unique because most folks don’t like Bible Study, but the man who is on his way to righteousness has acquired a taste for singing, but for the Word, and meditates on it day and night....
c) Makes The Tasteless Seem Tasty When
You’re Real Hungry
1) God has a way of making the bitter
experiences taste good when you’re trying to
be right with Him.
V. The Contentment Of The Hungry
A. The text says....
1) In other words; Shall be fully satisfied!
Satisfaction in life comes as I seek to be right
with God.
2) As I seek to do God’s will; He will make sure
that we are fully satisfied.
B. The word filled, is used in Luke 1:53 (46-53)
1) In the story of Mary the Magnificat: she said,
“The Lord has filled the hungry with good
things.....” (Close)
2) If you do God’s will, He’ll fill you with
goodness!
--- If you walk like you ouhgt to walk, He’ll fill
you with goodness!
--- If you talk like you ought to talk, He’ll fill
you with goodness!
3) Paul said, “All things work together for the
good of them that love the Lord.... And to those
who are called according to His purpose....” For,
“They shall be filled!”
4) David said, “For he satisfieth the longing
soul, and filleth the hungry soul with
goodness!” (Ps 107:9)
5) The word filled is used to show how a
shepherd would feed and fatten his sheep.
a) “If you do My will, I’ll fill you just like a
shepherd fills his sheep”
b) Psalms 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I
shall not want.... He maketh me to lie down green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.... He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.... Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.... Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever....”
I’m reminded of a story about a man who had just gotten saved. He was sitting on his porch, on the middle of a holiday.... His wife came to the porch and said, “Honey, I’m going to visit my sister’s family, I would invite you to come but they don’t like you being around, because every since you got saved, you’ve started talking funny.... Since you got saved, you’ve been acting funny.” And she told him, “I don’t want you telling folks that I wouldn’t feed you on a holiday, but the problem is, ain’t nothing in there but a little piece of fatback!” The man told her, “Go ahead and put the fatback on....” She did what he said, but she wondered in her mind, “What is he going eat with this?”
But while he was sitting on the porch, the vegetable man came around the corner. And as he passed in front of the man’s house, he hit a bump in the road, and his wagon tilted and about 3 or 4 bunches of greens fell off.... He cried out, “Hey mister, you dropped your greens....!” But the man said, “I don’t want ‘em, you can have ‘em!!”
And I just stopped by to let you know that if you do His will, the Lord will drop some greens at your house.... If you trust God’s Word, He’ll sends some greens to your house!!! If you trust in God’s Word…
He’ll send some Love, to your house.....
He’ll send some Joy, to your house.....
He’ll send some Mercy, to your house.....
He’ll send some Grace, to your house.....
Won’t He do it…?
Ain’t He All right…? If you know He’s all right; turn to your neighbor and tell them, “Build your hope on things eternal, and hold to God’s unchanging Hand....!” I know He’ll make a way because I tried Him and I found out He’s all right!!!! For “I’ve seen the lightening flash.... And I’ve heard the thunder roll.... I’ve felt sin breakers dashing..... Trying to conquer my soul.... But I heard the voice of Jesus.... Telling me to fight on.... Run on.... Pray on.... Preach on.... He promised never to leave me.... Never Alone....!”
