The Pursuit of Righteousness

Proverbs 21:21

Proverbs 21:20–22 ESV

20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. 21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. 22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

What are you Pursuing?

Everyone if we are honest are on a pursuit of some kind. We have set goals and have put plans in place in order to accomplish a task. Regardless of how great or small; many of us are pursuing something.

Mountain climbers are great examples of being on Pursuit. Specifically, those who set out to climb the K-2! The K-2 is the mountain that is stationed in between Pakistan and China and peaks at around 28,251 feet. It has the nickname “savage mountain” because it is the hardest mountain in the world to climb. Although it is not the tallest mountain (Mt. Everest) the climbing community maintain it’s the toughest to climb; especially in the winter. Many people have died trying to climb this mountain; however, year after year people gather teams attempting to be added to the short list of individuals to make it to the top.

What is the motivation factor for these climbers to endure hardships to make it to the top of this mountain? Braving cold temperatures of -65 degrees, frostbite of the hands within minutes of dropping a glove, ripped off skin if an axe is touched with bare hands; and even death what’s the point?

For these professional climbers: it’s all about Life and Honor. The Honor of being one of the few to do it. The documentaries written about this accomplishment. Make it to the top and back down provides a different life for them and the great sense of accomplishment.

Life and Honor!

K-2 climbers are not the first to ponder the realities of life and honor. We all have this fiery desire to find honor and life in this world. The Wright Brothers in flying planes, the United states’ mission to the moon, Muddy Waters and the Blues, Apple and Smart devices everyone is trying to find life and meaning in this life.

Looking at the scriptures; the disciples struggled with this as well. After walking with Jesus for some time, seeing miracles, listening to messages about the kingdom and witnessing lives being changed; they quarrelled about who will be greatest in the kingdom. Everyone at some point in time deals with the ultimate purpose for life and fulfillment.

Providentially, Solomon wrote from his experiences of trying to find meaning and honor in life in everything under the sun; and narrows it down to Two important virtues: Righteousness and Kindness. Solomon says “out of all the wealth i’ve accumulated, pursuing righteousness and kindness was more Valuable.” Solomon says: “look i have more pleasures than i could have ever imagined, yet pursuing righteousness and kindness is more Satisfying!”

Solomon tells us why these are more valuable and satisfying? Whoever pursues these will find- Life, Righteousness, and Honor.

By this point in his life, Solomon is an old man. He has lived life, experienced great accomplishments-(wisdom, wealth, land, building families) and he has been a part of great failures. By God’s grace, Solomon pins Proverbs not as a heavy theological document, but as practical theological life nuggets for the children of Israel to have, in order to navigate situations.

For those who are new with us tonight; Proverbs doesn’t read like the other books of the Bible where there is one stream of thought, one theological principle and practical application. Rather, Solomon seemingly is sitting with certain people on any given day and talking for extended periods of time. The conversation starts off with “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding,” then it ventures off to “don’t marry a quarrelsome spouse.” Very random, very true, but very random.

similar to my Barbershop experience growing up. The sage in the room would start off talking about the importance of family, then shift sports, then politics, then how to change the motor of your car.

This is the journey of Proverbs: Solomon is transferring wisdom to the next generation in order for them to succeed in every aspect of life.

Our passage specifically deals with two things to Pursue. These two virtues seem minor, however, the reward for this pursuit is very important.

Solomon gives us 2 things to pursue: Righteousness and Kindness; and 3 Things we will Find: Life- Righteousness-Honor.

What to pursue? - Righteousness and Kindness.

Righteousness is living in alignment with moral principles God has established... and Kindness is the action of love, compassion and selflessness.

Righteous- Doing what is right. Seeking Justice and honesty and integrity in every area of your life.

Kindness- Being what is right, selflessness, compassionate, thoughtful. It’s having a spirit of helpfulness

Solomon says: pursue this. . . Chase after this. . . run after this and life will be good.

Think about it.

If we as disciples of Jesus Christ attempted to pursue these virtues... life in memphis would look different. If all of us individuals ran after righteousness and kindness the city and our world would be radically transformed for the glory of God.

If we chased after Justice- doing what is right for people every time and not justice for our own personal gain. Being compassionate all the time and not being hard hearted to people who are screaming about the abuse or mistreatment they have recieved.

Solomon says chase after run after righteousness and kindness the way Olympic runners approach the finish line; or Chase after integrity and compassion the way Liam Nelson chases after his daughter and her kidnappers in Taken. Run hard after them to find life and meaning and purpose.

Righteousness

Righteousness is living after God’s moral standards and doing what is right. Righteousness is a hard concept to adequately discuss, simply because it is difficult to do. The Bible scholars in the room no exactly what I’m talking about because on the one hand, it sounds great to pursue Righteousness. . on the other hand we realize that on our best day our righteousness is but a filthy rag in the sight of God. We can live righteously but we also know as Paul illustrates countless time in his writings that we can’t achieve righteousness on our own. However, Solomon gives us an Old Testament absolute in the Hebrew language. . which is the same a a command in the New Testament. To chase after it.

No where do we see achieve righteousness on your own in the scriptures, but we see the words Pursue. Strive for righteousness. We never see Master it.

Jesus had this in mind when He preached His first recorded sermon. The Sermon on the Mount; it opens with the Beatitudes one of which sound similar to what Solomon is talking about. In Matthew 5, Jesus says:

Mat 5:6 “6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Jesus calls us to chase after or in His words: Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness. As His followers we are to seek after what’s right, what’s just! Because if we seek after it, we will become more like Him.

Phil Mickleson, the great PGA champion has a unique story of golf greatness. I know he is caught up in the Saudi golf LIV association, so much to say on that. But his golf story is an interesting one. The way the story goes; as a kid phil would go to the golf course with his dad. Phil would stand in front of his father and mirror his image as he practiced his golf swing. He would do this for years and because of this, although Phil is naturally right handed.. he golfs left handed. Because he mirrored the father’s golf swing, he became more like his father

If i am going to be more like my father, i got to pursue righteousness.

***Skip this:Choosing the path of righteousness is hard in the world we live. It seems like all round us, there are opportunities to show righteousness and be righteousness; however, Society can make righteousness hard to seek after. As children of God, we seek to live out the righteousness of God, we are seeking the kingdom of God. This is opposed to the Kingdom of this world. ***

I love being at Second. One of the reasons is how members take action in causes around us. Our church collectively supports organizations who exist to make Christ known in unique ways that blesses our city and people’s lives. We all issues that burden our heart about our city and community. These burdens gives us individual opportunities to pursue righteousness to bring about positive change around us.

what are some righteous efforts you can pursue? How can these help your community?

Kindness

Not only Righteousness but Kindness. Kindness or Love is a great virtue we all can show daily. Kindness is powerful! Kindness is transformative because it actively affect other people. Kindness is altruistic- the selfless regard for the wellbeing of others.

Coffee lovers are familiar with the term paying it forward. Before i started drinking local coffee, i would sit in the drive through of a coffee shop and experience the joy of someone paying for my order. I was excited! someone paid for my: quad long shot grande in a venti doubled cup no sleeve carmel mocha latte with 2 pumps of vanilla, 2 pumps white mocha extra hot foam . . blah blah

it was not cheap. But in my newness i failed to keep the party going. The next time i had an opportunity, i paid it forward.

It brings joy to the recipient and also brings joy to the one who does it. Someone does a kind act on your behalf for no apparent reason. No strings attached!

maybe discuss my season of kindness for lent: I gave up anger for kindness. Road rage- no matter how bad drivers were.. i did not respond in my normal way (clinched fists). Changing flat tires for people on the side of the road. I cover the meal of some individuals who were first timers at a local restaurant.

I felt great. . it changed me just as much as it changed the recipients of my kindness.

Health experts gives research on how being kind affects the one being kind: 1)Reduces stress - stimulates certain hormones for happiness. 2) Increased Life satisfaction 3)Physical benefits- lower blood pressure and more.

Being kind and showing love is a great virtue to pursue to bring about Positive transformation in our lives. As the Beatles said: all you need is love.

It’s easy showing kindness in safe environments fostering love and kindness. What happens when our surrounding is not so favorable?

The display of love and kindness, most of the time, has the backdrop of chaos and controversy. Its easy to be kind when the atmosphere is kind, but what about when trouble is looming. This is the kindness Solomon is hinting to and what Jesus expresses in the Sermon on the Mount.

What do i do when there is turbulence around me and its hard to show kindness? Kindness is not the best looking thing at the moment.

Dr. Martin Luther King said: “The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges.”

Moments of controversy are the times we need Kindness and love on display.

I realize most people understand how to display kindness when major catastrophic events happens. 9/11, as a college student, i had never seen the level of national love we had for each other. Love displayed when natural disaster hit and people move into the chaos to serve and rebuild.

But, let me argue tonight that there some people who face major disasters daily and there are daily opportunities to respond with the Kindness of God.

My middle son Dylan is kindness overload. He’s a really good kid. Does well in academics and athletics and he is really popular at school. Most of these qualities at 10 years old would normally keep you from having social problems at school. Dylan is also a very caring person and he is uncomfortable when his classmates are being mistreated. As he noticed some kids being picked on while playing basketball ..because they weren’t as skillful or maybe because they were smaller he felt the need to stand up for them, befriended these kids and started teaming up with those who wasn’t so good. This brought affliction on his life. His former teammates and friends are now enemies and treated him harshly. He’s frustrated at times. Why do they do this? Over the course of time, he elevates those around him and his fight fueled by kindness brought about equitable treatment of the once bullied kids.

My wife and I are watching this happen and we rejoiced because this 10 year old was teaching an important principle of how kindness and love can change communities and families for good!

With all the challenges we have in our city, what if we modeled biblical kindness for something or people we were passionate about?

What if we sacrificed our time in some way to serve others? I think it would help our educational systems, crime issues, family problems.

This love and kindness is what Christ did on our behalf.

Remember Philippians 2:3-9 “3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”

God in his kindness sent Christ to die in our place and for our sin. He left comfort and stepped into discomfort.

we can do this as well. Pursue righteousness and kindness!

Life- Righteousness-Honor

Solomon says, If you get righteousness and kindness right. . you will find Life..Righteousness…Honor.

a fulfilling life, not a perfect one.

God will give us his imputed righteousness, one we can’t earn.

and we will get honored now and in heaven

The Story of Elvis Presley. He had all the stuff, fame fortune, anything money could buy. But in his pursuit of Life and Righteous apart from Christ, he realizes that everything is worthless.

the scene when Priscilla and Elvis are on the runway . . . Elvis says i’m about to turn 40, no one will remember me.

His pursuits left him empty. . .but those who pursue Righteousness and Kindness will Receive Life-Righteousness and Honor.

John 14:6 “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of heaven and all its righteousness and all else will be added to you. Seeking the kingdom is surrendering to Christ who died in our place and for our sin to give us eternal life. The table we are about to approach is a reminder of this Life- and Honor we receive when we seek the kingdom by Pursuing Righteousness and Kindness.

lets pray!