INTRO.- ILL.- There was this preacher who was an avid golfer. Every chance he got, he could be found on the golf course swinging away. It was an obsession. One Sunday was a picture-perfect day for golfing. The sun was out, no clouds in the sky, and the temperature was just right. The preacher was in a quandary as to what to do. The urge to play golf overcame him. He called an assistant and told him that he was sick and could not attend church. Then he packed up the car, and drove three hours to a golf course where no one would recognize him. Happily, he began to play the course.
An angel up above was watching the preacher and was quite perturbed. He went to God and said, "Look at the preacher. He should be punished for what he’s doing." God nodded in agreement.
The preacher teed up on the first hole. He swung, and the ball sailed effortlessly through the air and landed right in the cup three hundred and fifty yards away. A perfect hole-in-one. The preacher was amazed and excited. The angel was a little shocked. He turned to God and said, "Begging Your pardon, but I thought you were going to punish him."
God smiled. "Think about it -- who can he tell?"
Brothers and sisters, we all need to have a proper attitude toward God and one step in the right direction is to honor Him on the Lord’s Day.
Acts 20:7 “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.”
Heb. 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Some Christians do give up meeting together on the Lord’s Day but not for the same reasons some of the early Christians did. They may have given up meeting because of persecution or physical circumstances that hindered them.
Many people give up meeting today because of other reasons, but certainly not because of persecution. Often, it’s simply because they have too many earthly irons in the fire and God is left out of the picture!
ILL.- The young man poured out his heart’s devotion on paper as he wrote to the girl of his dreams: “Darling: I would climb the highest mountain, swim the widest stream, cross the burning desert, and die at the stake for you. P.S. I will see you on Saturday—if it doesn’t rain.”
That sounds like some people when it comes to going to church. If it rains or if there is any kind of bad weather, let’s just stay home. Or if there is something else we’d rather do, let’s go do the other thing. “I love you, Lord, but not that much.”
ILL.- One day the telephone rang in the preacher’s office of the Washington church, which President Franklin Roosevelt attended. An eager voice inquired, “Tell me, do you expect the President to be in church this Sunday?”
“That,” the preacher explained patiently, “I cannot promise. But we expect God to be there, and we fancy that will be incentive enough for a reasonably large attendance.”
Brothers and sisters, knowing that the Lord wants to meet us on the Lord’s Day should be enough motivation to be in church every Sunday. God should always be our ultimate motivator in life and no matter what we’re talking about!
And wanting to meet Him in worship should be our constant desire. Such a desire will help to produce a blessed attitude toward God.
PROP.- In our beatitude text, we want to consider two verses that deal with our attitude toward God. And how to have a blessed attitude toward God.
I. WE MUST HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER HIM
Matt. 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
ILL.- When my older brother Larry was 16 years old I remembering him saying, “I want a car so bad I can taste it.” He had a big hunger for a car. He ended up getting an old 1951 Chevy! Some car!
ILL.- I like cars, pretty cars, fast, cars. I think I got my hunger for cars from my older brother. I’ve bought a few new cars in my lifetime but only one that I really liked. In fact, it was the only new car I ever ordered. It was a 1968 Pontiac Firebird, 400 CI, 4-speed on the floor. A pretty blue color. And I took care of that car like it was a brand new baby. I washed it every day and waxed once every week.
Did you ever hunger for anything in life?
ILL.- Our last men’s fellowship was at Barnhill’s buffet. Have you ever been there? Well, it ain’t bad! Even that morning I was ready and waiting. I had very little breakfast and very little lunch on purpose. Consequently, I was hungry for that buffet.
We all get the hungries in life: for food, material things…cars, clothes, toys, trinkets, or for activities….fishing, hunting, shopping, sports, trips, etc. We often get so hungry for these things that we just have to do something about them.
It’s too bad, however, that we humans don’t hunger and thirst that strongly for God! If we did we would be in church every time the door was open and God’s book would be open to us every day!
ILL.- One concerned young man wrote: “I’m 15, and I’ve been a Christian for years. I don’t struggle with porn addiction or swearing or some of the other problems guys have. I try to be a good person, yet I feel as if I’m falling away from God. Even though I pray every day, I rarely read my Bible. I haven’t even opened it in a long time. I really desire a strong relationship with Christ, but I feel too busy to do anything about it.”
What a bright 15 year-old! He recognized his need for Bible reading and that the lack of it was causing him a spiritual loss.
Busyness is a definite spiritual killer. And even though we may pray with some regularity we must also read. Communing with God is not a one-sided deal or should not be. We must not do ALL the talking as if we had all the answers to life. We need to be listening as well.
ILL.- Douglas MacArthur had the right idea. He wrote: “Believe me, sir, never a night goes by, be I ever so tired, but I read the Word of God before I go to bed.” He must have known something that we don’t. I think he must have had the hungries for God.
Ps. 42:1-2 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
I’m no deer hunter or deer educator, but I have read that when a deer is thirsty, he will run full speed until he finds some water. When he finally finds it, he will stick his face into the cool stream, forgetting everything else around him. This is unusual for deer because they are normally very alert and cautious. But, when they’re panting for water, they’ll do almost anything to quench their thirst.
During drought conditions deer will alter their daily routine to make sure they can find water.
Whenever a deer senses danger, it will run to a stream. Most hunters think the deer is trying to avoid leaving a scent. The deer, however, seeks water for a different reason. When a deer is retreating from an enemy, it develops a tremendous thirst. Fear and the physical strain of running create a strong desire for water. David is picturing himself like a deer that is on the run in desperate search of refreshment.
Ps. 42:2 “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” When life does a number on us we often find ourselves thirsting for God.
Is. 26:9 “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you…”
John 7:37 “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”
Jesus is the only true thirst-quencher in life!
II. WE MUST STRIVE FOR PURITY BEFORE HIM
Matt. 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Normally, when we think of purity we tend to think of perfection. And we all know that we all fall far short of perfection.
ILL.- A preacher said to his congregation one time, “Does anyone here know someone who is perfect?” A little man at the back of the church raised his hand. The preacher said, “Who do you know that is perfect?” He said, “My wife’s first husband.”
Well, the truth is no first husband or first wife is perfect. Or any person for that matter.
Perfection is unattainable and so is complete purity. These may be goals to aim for, but we all fall far short.
When we think of purity we may think of someone who is completely without sin. Well, that leaves out you and me!
The Greek word for “pure” was used for soiled clothes that had been washed clean. It was used to describe grain and flour that had been carefully sifted and cleansed of all impurities. And it was used when describing milk or wine that had not been mixed or adulterated with water or some other liquid.
ILL.- Since Elaine and I got married I am a changed man, a better man. She has taught me to wipe down the sink and the shower after I use them each day. That way I leave them looking clean and neat. She has taught me some things about how to dress properly ….color combinations, the right things to wear, etc. She has also shaped up my hair. Notice the different hairstyle. She has shaped me up, improved me, etc.
Guess what? When you’re in the right company it’s amazing what you can learn and what rubs off. Do you want to be pure, holy but not holier-than-thou, then you need to spend more time with the Lord in prayer and study. Since He is holy He can make us holy. He alone can shape us up.
Also, this Beatitude could be translated, “Blessed is the man who is genuine in heart, who is authentic, who is not a phony, because such a man will see God.”
What does this mean to us? Does that mean that I’m never going to think any bad thoughts the rest of my life? Does it mean that I’m always going to be a wonderful person who lives a perfect Christian life? Of course, not!
Bad thoughts will still come. And bad things will still happen in our lives. But we can come before the Lord and say, “God, here I am, with all my cracks, my scrapes, my scars, and my sins. I know I’m not perfect. But I want to be straight, to be genuine with you.”
ILL.- A vivid example is given in Luke 18:9-14 where the Pharisees and the tax collector when to the temple to pray. One was a phony and one was honest with God. The Pharisee put on an act and prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men…” The tax collector was his humble self and prayed, “God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
If we want to see God we must take the mask off. We must be straight with God. We must admit that we’re sinners and admit our failures.
ILL.- Kellie Pickler is a young blonde from North Carolina. She was one of the finalists on the American Idol show this season. She’s been at the center of attention since the start, when the show detailed her troubled childhood (her mom left her as a toddler, and her dad was behind bars for felony battery). Her simple, often ditzy, Southern charm provided some memorable one-liners and her voice shined on several occasions.
Simon Cowell picked Pickler as a favorite from the start, and she had never been to the bottom three. But after struggling through the songs, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" and "Unchained Melody" she got voted off the show.
She was asked this question: "Idol" coaches stress confidence, but for two weeks you admitted butchering songs. What about it?
Pickler said, “I mean, 30 or 40 million people are watching each week and they see your performance and they see you’ve messed up. The judges know that. I knew that I did. So what are you going to do? Lie and say I didn’t mess up and blame it on something else? I think when you’re honest about it, it’s better. I messed up the words in some songs, I’ve been off-key and pitchy, and you know, you just admit it and work on your problems next week. If this is as bad as I got it, I got it good.”
That’s honesty and humility. And something of what we must have in order to have a blessed attitude toward God. Apparently, Kellie Pickler is no phony before man and God. And this is the way we should be.
CONCLUSION---------------------------
ILL.- William H. Hinson tells us why animal trainers carry a stool when they go into a cage of lions. They have their whips, of course, and their pistols are at their sides. But invariably they also carry a stool. Hinson says it is the most important tool of the trainer. He holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. Those who know maintain that the animal tries to focus on all four legs at once. In the attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes somewhat weak and disabled because its attention is fragmented.
The same thing may be true with humans. When we are focused on four things or more (and we often are) we become disoriented, weak and certainly spiritually disabled.
But the way to have a blessed attitude toward God is to become focused solely on Him! Be humble. Be honest. And be focused on Him and you won’t go wrong.
