THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM #4
MATTHEW 5: 2-12
THE FIRST THREE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM IS.... POVERTY; MOURNING AND MEEKNESS.....
THE FOURTH KEY IS: V.6 - HUNGER AND THIRSTING AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.
Let us learn before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man! (John 6:44)
"NO MAN CAN COME UNTO ME, EXCEPT THE FATHER WHICH SENT ME DRAW HIM."
Jesus is teaching that a man will never be saved until the Spirit draws him and He himself wants to be saved or has a Hunger and Thirst for God.
Like the story of the young man who went to the Preacher searching for God..... The preacher took the young man down to the river and put him under the water, holding him under until the young man began to really panic, after lifting the young man’s head out of the water, The Preacher ask...
Son when you were under the water , what did you want more than anything? Air, the boy exclaimed! When you want God as bad as you wanted that air.... You will find Him!
Note What the Psalmist David said in Psalm 42:1-4 and Psalm 84: 1-4!
The Bible teaches a Hunger and Thirst for God before Salvation and after Salvation!
We are living in a modern day when Salvation has become Mechanical and Spiritless! Modern day religion.... teaches that you can receive Christ, without creating any special love for him in your
soul. You can be saved and still live any way you want to... it doesn’t effect your moral life or embarrass your sinful nature. They say they are saved but have no spiritual hunger or thirst for God and His Righteousness! (These are of the devil... they got a counterfeit salvation!)
TRUE SALVATION BRINGS A HUNGER AND THIRST FOR GOD! --- II Tim. 4: 3,4 - In the latter days people will have itching ears, turning away the truth. They want to hear: You can be saved, but you don’t have to be faithful in your attendance to Church; You don’t have to visit or be a witness and try to win souls.... Salvation is a personal thing; You don’t have to give money to the Church unless you just want to....etc..... BUT JESUS SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE A HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIM AND BE MORE LIKE HIM AND TO GROW IN GRACE.
IT BOTHERS ME WHEN I SEE SO CALLED CHRISTIANS COME TO CHURCH AND IT MEANS SO LITTLE TO THEM. --- WE SHOULD COME TO CHURCH, READY TO PRAISE AND WORSHIP THE LORD.... WITH A TRUE HUNGER AND THIRST IN OUR HEARTS THAT CAN BE SEEN!
Watch a congregation, when the hymn is announced, some sing not only with their voices but with their hearts, others just stand there and mumble meaningless words or don’t even pick up a song book to join in. --- During the sermon some are like Soaky the Sponge, soaking up all they can,
they say amen, they respond to message, others are so cold and unconcerned and utterly unresponsive! --- WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE? --- Some have a hunger and thirst for the things of God that the world cannot supply, so they come to Church to get their needs met.
Others have no such desire and they just go through the motions of going to Church!
GOD HELP THOSE WHO JUST GO TO CHURCH AND NEVER KNOW THE THRILL OF KNOWING JESUS AS THEIR PERSONAL SAVIOR, THE JOY OF SERVING JESUS AND PRAISING JESUS!
Friend you’ll never find God until, He becomes your deepest desire! --- WHEN YOU HUNGER AND THRIST AFTER HIM, YOU SHALL BE FILLED! --- Friend let nothing stop you from Hungering and Thirsting after God – For truly when you have no appetite and cannot drink water – You will surely die!
THINK OF THE CHRISTIANS IN GOD’S WORD THAT HUNGERED AND THRIST FOR GOD:
1.ENOCH - Walked so close to God, He was not, for God took him (Gen. 5:24)
2.MOSES - Asked God.... I beseech thee, show me thy Glory (Ex. 33:8)
3.JACOB - Wrestled all night with an angel until he was blessed (Gen. 32:24)
4.DAVID - A man after God’s own heart (I Sam. 13:14)
5.ELIJAH - Taken up in a firery Chariot into heaven (II Kings 2:11)
6.THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD (Mk. 5: 25-34)
7.THE MAN OF IMPORTUNITY (Luke 11: 5-8)
8.BLIND BARTIMAEUS - (Mk. 10: 46-52)
9.PAUL - He confessed that the mainspring for his life was His burning desire to Live for Christ
(Phil. 1:21) -- Also note Phil. 3:8 - I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
10.THE SAINTS OF II COR. 16:15 - They have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.
WE SHOULD BE ADDICTED TO JESUS LIKE A MAN IS ADDICTED TO BOOZE OR DRUGS. (I’ve Got to have it!) (I’ve got to have it!)
