✎ Americans love to eat! Annually we spend over 4 trillion dollars on food (yes that was T trillion). About five percent of our food money goes for snacks; that’s a mere 20 billion dollars each year (amazing how our pocket change adds up). The proof of Americas love affair with food is in our expanding waist lines. According to the Federal Government, over 35% of Americans are overweight. Each year Americans jog some 17 million miles to burn off 1.7 billion calories. Seems to me that we are either going to have to run further or eat less.
The old saying goes, “You are what you eat.” I wonder what that would make some of us? This maxim applies not only to our physical body, but to our spiritual being as well. Throughout scripture we find the simple truth, “it’s what is on the inside that really counts.”
+ Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (NIV)
+ Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (NIV)
Put simply we become what we eat. Whatever we feed our minds, whatever we seek to have fill our lives, whatever consumes our time and energy–these things determine who we really are.
For a moment look at Psalm 135:15-18. The Psalmist understood how this spiritual dynamic really worked. Why are your family or friends the way they are? Why do people say the things they say or do the things they do? The answer is found in what they feed their heart–what nourishes their spirit man.
+ Psalm 135:15-18 15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 16They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; 17they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. 18Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. (NIV)
What is the idol or would be “god” the people around us have set up for themselves? What do people fill their lives with; what captures their attention and their energy? Do they run after power and money? Is it status, fame, entertainment or pleasure they seek? These are the “idols” which they have made for themselves.
The would be “gods” people run after are lifeless; “they have no breath in their mouths;” likewise, the people who serve them remain spiritually dead. These idols have “ears, but cannot hear,” and their subjects are deaf to the truth. An idol has eyes but “cannot see” just as so many people are blind and unable to see.
This morning we want to take a close look at what satisfies our spiritual appetite. Do you feel spiritually hungry this morning? Is your soul thirsty? Has your spiritual hunger and thirst been satisfied, or are you still looking for something or someone to fill you?
Look with me this morning at Jesus’ fourth paradoxical statement of joy found in Matthew 5:6. In this “BE-ATTITUDE” Jesus shows us a necessary step to be like Him.
+ Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (NIV)
1. HUNGER AND THIRST IS A NATURAL REOCCURRING CYCLE OF LIFE.
One sign of being sick is to lose your appetite; you just don’t feel like eating. However, as a healthy individual you will regularly go to the cupboard or refrigerator to find something to eat, and with your meal or snack (and even between meals) you will pour yourself something to drink.
In the same way we all experience physical hunger and thirst, we also have a spiritual appetite. Throughout our lives we will experience this spiritual hunger, a longing and desire for something more.
The Bible says God has “set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). God has placed within the heart of man a hunger and thirst for more than what this world can offer. We sense the eternal value of man, something only God can truly satisfy. Still people look to all kinds of things to fill their spiritual hunger only to go away still feeling empty. Before long their hunger and thirst returns and they look for more trying to satisfy their desire many different ways.
Many Americans today are living in a SPIRITUAL FAMINE. We have seen the images of children with bloated stomachs and dry cracked lips; individuals and communities who are starving to death because food and water are in such short supply. A spiritual famine affects people in much the same way.
The spiritually famished have numbed their appetites by filling themselves with whatever crumbs the world may offer. People look for meaning in money and things; they try to find satisfaction through popularity or power. We scrape the bottom of the barrel in hopes to find something to satisfy our spiritual hunger, but we are left empty.
✎ What happens when you find something to satisfy your hunger or thirst? You want more! When we go out to eat how often do we order meals we have enjoyed before; few of us try something different each time we go out. And how likely are we to return to a restaurant if we are disappointed with the food we are served?
When we come to Jesus and stop look to the things the world offers to satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst, we find satisfaction. You won’t find satisfaction in other religions. Buddha’s bones are lying in a grave; Mohamad and Joseph Smith discovered their “special revelations” were only lies when their lives were over. Those who promise completeness apart from Jesus Christ offer empty promises.
Only Jesus cans satisfy the hunger of the soul; He won’t leave you spiritually empty. Jesus won’t break His promises!
+ John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (NIV)
+ John 7:37-38 37. . . [Jesus said,] “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (NIV)
Jesus is the “bread of life;” He satisfies our hunger. Only Jesus can give us “living water” to satisfy our thirst
2. HUNGER AND THIRST CAN BE INTENSIFIED.
✎ What happens when you exercise or work hard? You get hungry and thirsty. You don’t want to wait until the scheduled time for your next meal; you want to satisfy your hunger and thirst NOW! An individual who is really hungry or thirsty will not just stand in the kitchen and say, “I’m about to die if I don’t get something.” Hunger and thirst will motivate a person to take action! The desire must be satisfied!
Your hunger and thirst for Jesus should be growing. You should daily desire more of God and His righteousness. Why? Let me show you how our hunger and thirst should grow.
+ Matthew 5:6 You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. (MsgB)
The beatitudes are the building blocks to be like Jesus; they are the “BE-ATTITUDES”–the qualities and characteristics of the Christlike life. We should be “working up an appetite for God.” Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is at the heart and center of being like Jesus; it sustains you and motivates you to want more of Him.
Remember we can’t just pick and choose which of the beatitudes we would like to have put into our lives; its all or nothing. The beatitudes show us a process of spiritual growth; follow the process as the building blocks are placed in our lives to make us like Jesus.
First, the foundation of being poor in spirit is laid in our lives. The poor in spirit come to the end of themselves and daily die to self. With brokenness and humility we acknowledge our dependance upon God.
Next upon the foundation of being poor in spirit is placed mourning–to be brokenhearted over sin. This is not just a worldly sorrow, but it is to grieve with the heart of God for personal sin, the sin of other believers, and the sinful condition of the world.
As we die to self and are brokenhearted over sin we must then allow Jesus to place the building bock of meekness into our lives. The meek are not weak, but have submitted their strength to God. We come to a full surrender and pray like Jesus, “Not my will but yours be done.”
What is the blessing Jesus promises for the poor in spirit, those who mourn and the meek? The poor in spirit receive the kingdom of God; those who mourn are comforted; the meek inherit the earth.
This brings us to the fourth building block hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Jesus promises to fill or satisfy our hunger and thirst, but notice the placement of this fourth building block. IT COMES AFTER THE WORK HAS ALREADY STARTED. Hungering and thirsting after righteousness does not come after a period of inactivity, but it follows a work which has begun!
Your desire for God and “His righteousness” is should be growing. Jesus says, “you will be filled,” but He does not mean you will be stuffed full and never want to eat again. You are satisfied and only want more of God, not the things of the world. He is the best food and drink you have ever had!
Far too often our desire to be Christlike is a PREFERENCE and not a PASSION. Our hunger for the things of God is but a choice at the buffet of life. When given a choice we choose Christ, but from time to time we still look to the things of the world to satisfy our hunger and thirst.
+ Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
Paul knew he could not look to the things of this world to satisfy the deep desires of his heart. He knew his strength to finish the race and win the prize depended upon eating the right food–hungering and thirsting for righteousness.
The satisfaction Jesus gives us when we have an appetite for God strengthens us in order to see the work brought to a completion. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is only #4 in a progression of 8 building blocks. You will need your strength to finish the building process.
3. WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?
What do you think righteousness means? Many of us think only of RIGHT CONDUCT–living according to a set of rules for right and wrong. Right conduct is not true righteousness!
Jesus took a strong stand against the religious and the Pharisees for their perceived righteousness. Just living by a strict set of rules isn’t good enough.
+ Matthew 5:20 Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom. (MsgB)
+ Matthew 6:1 Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. (MsgB)
+ Matthew 23:27 "You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. (MsgB)
Jesus saw through the hypocrisy of these would be followers of God. The religious people and teachers of the law like the Pharisees should have known better.
+ Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. (NIV)
Anyone can put on a show pretending to be something they’re not. We may fool one another, but we won’t fool God. The Lord does not look at the outward appearance of what we say and do; GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.
What is righteousness? It is a DECLARATION and a DYNAMIC of God. Put simply, righteousness is not so much about what YOU DO as what GOD DOES IN YOU.
1. Righteousness is a DECLARATION OF GOD.
We can do nothing of ourselves to be righteous. We are stand guilty of sin; nothing we can do could ever balance the scales of justice because the penalty for sin is death. Our good deeds are empty–just filthy rags.
What we cannot do for ourselves God has done for us through Jesus Christ.
+ 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (NIV)
+ Romans 4:24 It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead. (NLT)
+ Romans 3:20-22 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. (NIV)
2. Righteousness is the DYNAMIC OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOU TO PRODUCE RIGHT CONDUCT.
+ 2 Peter 1:3 As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! (NLT)
+ Philippians 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God. (NIV)
+ 2 Corinthians. 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (NIV)
You and I can try to be righteous–to fulfil a standard of right and wrong. However right conduct is not true righteousness. Genuine righteousness is not what I do, but what God’s Spirit produces in my life.
Righteousness is not man made; it is produced by God. I’m not interested in laying down a legalistic set of rules for new Christians to follow. We are called to make disciples and teach them to obey Christ, but giving new believers a “code of conduct” is not real discipleship, and it will not produce righteousness within them.
✎ I have enjoyed sharing with Lois, Misty, Michael and Melissa over the last couple of months. They are full of questions and want to grow in their relationship with the Lord. At no time have I given them “The 10 Commandments for new Christians.” Instead as we have talked and shared together about the scriptures and different areas of their life THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS OPENED THEIR EYES. Misty has said, “I never used to think about some things, but now I know what God wants me to do.”
What am I saying? THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL DO A BETTER JOB THAN ME TO PRODUCE RIGHTEOUSNESS IN MY LIFE OR THE LIFE OF ANYONE ELSE.
God declares us righteous through our faith in Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit brings the dynamic power of God into our lives to produce righteousness. Righteousness is the work of God and not man.
4. CONTINUALLY HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!
+ Luke 6:21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. (NIV) “ravenously hungry” (MsgB)
The emphasis is both in Luke and in Matthew 5:6 is not being hungry once. Rather it is to keep on hungering for righteousness and the things of God. God will satisfy this kind of hunger!
Remember, hunger recurs naturally. Some of you started the day off with breakfast or a doughnut, but right about now your are beginning to get hungry again. One meal won’t sustain you for long until you want more.
Satan knows how our hunger continues to create a desire. The devil also knows we all want to have our hunger satisfied, so he will offer us a “tasty substitute.”
+ James 1:13-14 13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. (NIV)
Satan works to use our natural desires and hunger against us. He offers us an alternative to what God would give us.
Don’t give into temptation. Continue to hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness.
5. BEING SATISFIED!
The blessing for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness–those who have an appetite for God is being satisfied! Jesus said “they will be filled.”
Is there anyone here today who would like to be satisfied, to be filled? Well pull a chair up to the table with me, and let’s see what we can do to have not only our plates filled, but our hunger and thirst satisfied as well.
+ 1 Chronicles 22:13 Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. (NIV) That’s what will make you successful, following directions and doing the things that God commanded. . . (MsgB)
1. Express your faith in Jesus Christ. This is the starting place; apart from Christ you will go hungry.
2. Enlarge you appetite for God. Hunger occurs naturally, but it can also be intensified! Exercise your faith; put your faith to work, so you get hungry and thirsty for God. How can you develop an appetite for God?
> Spend time daily reading the Bible and talking with God in prayer.
> Regularly attend worship services and Bible studies; every week we have a spiritual “thanksgiving dinner,” so don’t miss it!
> Fellowship with other Christians. Talk “GOD TALK.” Pray with one another.
> Read books and magazines to inspire and stimulate your faith to action.
3. Eat spiritual food and drink EVERY DAY; come to the table daily. Don’t skip meals! Satan is looking for the opportunity to satisfy your natural appetites. Resist the devil and submit to God.
4. Evaluate everything you do by asking, “What would Jesus do?” This isn’t just a WWJD fad; it is a lifestyle of Christlikeness. Remember the beatitudes are the building blocks to be like Jesus, so its time we started to look like Him.
5. Enlarge your giving in proportion to your income.
6. Extend forgiveness and let go of bitterness.
7. Examine your heart. Don’t fool yourself by “right conduct.” Righteousness is the declaration of God and the dynamic of the Holy Spirit. Righteousness must be in you before it is seen daily in your life; examine your heart.
