EPIC-5/11/03-Matt. 5:6-Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness KI-Our lives will be blessed as we hunger/desire to know the Lord in deeper and more intimate ways.
Compassion Video
Read Vs. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Pray
Do we really understand what real hunger is? JR a child who has known real hunger, real thirst
If we’re honest most of us have never known real physical hunger. Not the kind where you are hungry because you physically need food and water or you will die. Honestly, I don’t know if I can even imagine what that would be like.
I’ve been “hungry” for something, had a desire, craving– but real hunger and real thirst.
Look for context and try to see passages through first century eyes.
This was not new imagery-Read Ps. 107:1-9-Israel in exile-wandering in the desert-hungry & thirsty-cried to God for help-rescued them & filled them
Passage referenced by Mary in her magnificat-her song of praise after learning she would be the mother of the Messiah
Familiar to all Jews, part of the their hymnbook memorized by all of them as children
Here Christ Takes the general principle “He satisfies the thirsty & fills the hungry with good things.” and applies it to the spiritual realm “hunger& thirst for righteousness”
That heart cry of the Jews to God asking Him to sustain them, give them what they need for life-That must be our heart cry spiritually-The way that they needed His provision materially for life-we need His provision spiritually for life-
2 questions we must answer:
What is righteousness & 2) how do we hunger & thirst for it?
Righteousness biblically has at least 3 aspects: Legal, moral and social
Legal righteousness is justification-having a right relationship w/ God.
Gen. 15:6, James 2:23-Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous.
Legally before God our righteousness is not based on what we do, it is based on our faith in Him.
Because of what Christ did, in taking our sins on the cross-when we accept that we are declared righteous and receive the righteousness of Christ.
Our right standing before God, not based on what we do-based on what Christ has done.
Legal righteousness
Second aspect-moral righteousness-this flows out of that first aspect of righteousness-because of who we are through Christ our lives are changed and we live lives of righteous character and conduct
This type of righteousness is not the stuff we do to try and earn God’s favor-we have that
This comes as the result of being in a right relationship w/ Him.
Third aspect-social righteousness, this is when we look at the world around us and see the injustice and oppression and long to see those things made right, work to fight hunger, slavery, seek justice in the courts.
Justice project/Compassion/World Vision/Samaritins Purse, etc.
So how do we hunger and thirst for this righteousness that God has called us to?
Fix your eyes on Jesus-Hebrews 12:2
Long for Him
Seek Him
Keep His company
Hungering after righteousness is at its core a continual hunger and thirst to know the Lord more and more each day.
Logical progression through the beatitudes
-poor in spirit-acknowledge our need for Him, our bankruptcy before God
“mourn” over the cause of that bankruptcy, our sin
Be “meek” humble and gentle towards others-allowing our spiritual poverty to be reflected in our actions towards God and others
Fourth “hunger and thirst for righteousness”, confession of sin must lead to a hunger for something better, righteousness.
Next month begin the second half of the beatitudes that begin to focus more on our attitude towards our fellow man.
