Untitled Sermon (21)

In every generation, God raises up a people who refuse to be satisfied with casual religion. A people who long for more of God than what is comfortable, familiar, or predictable. A people who hunger for His presence, His Word, and His righteousness. And at the same time, God calls that same people to carry a deep burden for those around them who are spiritually starving — the lost, the wounded, the confused, and the broken. In this teaching, we will explore both dimensions of hunger: the hunger for God, and the hunger for the hungry.

The Lord desires a church that is not spiritually asleep, not spiritually full of the world, but spiritually hungry. A church that feels what He feels. A church that longs for the things He longs for. A church that sees the spiritually starving souls around them and responds with compassion. This lesson will take us deep into Scripture to understand why hunger matters and how God uses it to shape His people.

I. THE BIBLICAL FOUNDATION OF SPIRITUAL HUNGER

To understand hunger in a biblical sense, we must begin with the words of Jesus:

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” —Matthew 5:6

Jesus makes hunger a prerequisite for spiritual filling. Not talent. Not background. Not personal strength. Hunger. Hunger becomes the doorway through which God pours Himself into a life. When a person hungers after righteousness, they are reaching beyond themselves. They are acknowledging that what they have is not enough and that they must be filled by God.

This is why David, a man after God’s own heart, often spoke of spiritual longing. He said:

“My soul followeth hard after thee.” —Psalm 63:8

This is the language of pursuit, not passiveness. David chased God, desired God, and reached for Him continually. Spiritual hunger is not a momentary emotion — it is a sustained posture of pursuit.

In teaching this, it is important to understand that hunger is not a weakness. Hunger is strength. Hunger is evidence that the soul is alive and aware. A dead spirit does not hunger. A complacent heart does not long. But a revived, awakened heart reaches continually for God.

II. GOD CREATES HUNGER TO DRAW US DEEPER

Jesus said:

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” —John 6:44

The drawing of God is experienced as hunger in the spirit. When a believer suddenly feels stirred to pray more, read more, seek more, or surrender more — that is the Father drawing. When a believer feels restless in their current level of spiritual depth — that is God awakening hunger.

Hunger is holy discontentment. It is God telling us, “There is more if you will come closer.”

Throughout Scripture, God often stirred hunger before He released blessing:

• Jacob wrestled with the angel because he hungered for a blessing. • Hannah cried out year after year because she hungered for a miracle. • Moses ascended the mountain because he hungered for God’s voice. • Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up because his heart hungered for a vision.

Every significant spiritual encounter in the Bible began with hunger. Hunger is not emotional excitement. Hunger is a spiritual appetite. It is the refusal to live on yesterday’s manna.

III. A LACK OF HUNGER IS A SPIRITUAL WARNING SIGN

One of the strongest teachings in Scripture is that the absence of hunger is dangerous. Esau traded his birthright because he had no hunger for spiritual things. The Pharisees rejected Jesus because they were full of tradition but empty of spiritual desire. Laodicea became lukewarm because they were “rich and increased with goods” and felt no hunger.

Jesus said to them:

“And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” —Revelation 3:17

They were spiritually starving but did not recognize their own condition. This is why hunger is essential: hunger keeps us aware. Hunger keeps us sensitive. Hunger keeps us humble. Hunger keeps us dependent upon God.

A believer who no longer hungers for prayer is drifting. A believer who no longer hungers for the Word is weakening. A believer who no longer hungers for holiness is in danger.

Hunger protects us. Hunger keeps us alive.

IV. GOD NEVER IGNORES A HUNGRY HEART

The Bible gives consistent proof that God responds to hunger quickly and powerfully. Psalm 107:9 declares:

“For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”

The Lord may test motives. He may stretch patience. He may refine character.

But He never ignores hunger.

Consider the Syrophoenician woman. Though she was outside the covenant of Israel, her hunger pushed her past boundaries and silence alike. When she cried:

“Lord, help me.” —Matthew 15:25

Her hunger became greater than her circumstances. She would not be dismissed, discouraged, or denied. Her hunger became the key that opened a miraculous door.

Teaching this principle is essential: hunger will take a person where talent cannot. Hunger will open spiritual doors that education cannot. Hunger will unlock supernatural breakthroughs that discipline alone cannot access.

Those who hunger for God will always find Him. When the heart reaches, heaven responds.

V. HUNGER PRODUCES TRANSFORMATION, NOT MERELY FEELING

Spiritual hunger is not an emotion; it is a catalyst for transformation. When a believer hungers after God, that hunger leads to change. Hunger stretches them. Hunger matures them. Hunger pushes them out of old habits and into deeper devotion.

This is why Paul wrote:

“That I may know him…” —Philippians 3:10

Paul had already known God for decades. He had preached, planted churches, performed miracles, and suffered for the gospel. Yet his hunger remained active. His desire was not satisfied with past experiences.

Hunger leads to a continual process of spiritual growth. A hungry believer prays more deeply, studies more carefully, and obeys more quickly. Hunger refines priorities. Hunger shapes identity. Hunger produces humility because a hungry person knows they depend on God.

VI. THE SECOND DIMENSION: HUNGER FOR THE HUNGRY

Up to this point, we have discussed hunger for God. Now we shift into the second dimension — hunger for the spiritually hungry.

Jesus’ ministry was marked by compassion. When He saw the crowds, the Scripture says:

“He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” —Matthew 9:36

Jesus did not merely notice their sin — He noticed their starvation. He saw hunger. He saw emptiness. He saw confusion. And He responded not with criticism, but with compassion.

This dimension of hunger is essential for a true Apostolic church. It is impossible to love God deeply without developing compassion deeply. The closer a believer gets to the heart of God, the more they begin to feel His burden for people.

A church that hungers for God becomes a church that hungers for souls. A church that desires His presence begins desiring His mission. A church that longs for His voice begins longing for the lost to hear it too.

This is why Jesus immediately followed His observation with this statement:

“The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.” —Matthew 9:37

In other words: There are many hungry souls. There are few who desire them.

God is looking for believers who not only love Him, but who love those He loves.

But let us shift deeper into the heart of the matter: hunger is not simply a spiritual condition; it is a spiritual revelation. Hunger reveals where a soul has placed its trust. Hunger exposes what a heart depends on. Hunger uncovers what a life is building itself upon. Physical hunger reveals a lack of food, but spiritual hunger reveals a lack of the presence of God.

And if the church is to desire the hungry, then the church must also discern the cry of the hungry. For the spiritually starving do not always speak with words. Many times their hunger shows up in behavior, in brokenness, in addiction, in anger, in confusion, in shame, and in despair.**

** The woman at the well did not walk around Samaria shouting, “I am spiritually hungry!” Instead, her hunger revealed itself through a lifetime of failed relationships and cycles of disappointment.

Her soul was starving, and her emptiness pushed her into patterns she could not break. But Jesus saw deeper than her history. He perceived the hunger beneath her habits. He recognized the thirst behind her choices.

And that is the burden we must carry: the ability to look past the behavior of broken people and see the hunger that is driving them.**

** John 4:13–14 declares, “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” That statement teaches us that every soul is thirsty, but not every soul knows where to drink. The spiritually hungry often run to wells that cannot hold water. They chase fulfillment from sources that cannot satisfy.

They pursue meaning in places that cannot give it. And the Lord teaches that disciples must bring these empty souls to the water that truly satisfies — the life-giving flow of the Spirit of God.**

** We must understand that spiritual hunger does not discriminate. It affects the wealthy, the poor, the educated, the uneducated, the religious, the irreligious, the old, the young, the successful, the broken, the churched, and the unchurched. Every soul that has ever existed was created with a need for God.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 states that God “set the world in their heart,” meaning He placed eternity inside the human soul. There is a God-shaped emptiness in every person, and nothing can fill it but Him. This means every person is spiritually hungry, even if they do not recognize their condition. Our desire as believers must be to discern the hunger in those who lack the spiritual vocabulary to express it.**

** One of the greatest challenges of the modern church is that society has learned to disguise its hunger. People no longer admit emptiness; they medicate it. They hide it behind entertainment, relationships, substances, success, busyness, or distraction. But no matter how carefully someone disguises their starvation, the soul never stops hungering.

And believers who walk in the Spirit must develop the sensitivity to recognize that beneath laughter, beneath confidence, beneath sarcasm, beneath anger, and beneath apathy — there may be a starving soul needing someone to bring them the Bread of Life.**

** Isaiah 55:1–2 gives a powerful prophetic call: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters… Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not?” The Lord is revealing the tragedy of misdirected hunger. People work, invest, chase, and pursue things that will never satisfy the longing of their heart.

And He invites them to come, freely, without price, to the only source that truly satisfies. This passage teaches that every soul is already spending its hunger somewhere.

The question is whether they spend it on truth or on emptiness. And God’s people are called to redirect their hunger toward the true source of life and invite the lost to do the same.**

** But if the church is to desire the hungry, it must model hunger itself. A spiritually stagnant church cannot draw spiritually starving souls. People are drawn to the presence of God, not to religious activity.

The early church in Acts did not grow because they had perfected methods; they grew because they were consumed with hunger for the presence and power of God. Acts 2:42 describes their devotion to doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer — all of which are expressions of spiritual hunger. Their hunger stirred revival, and revival stirred the lost.**

** People starving spiritually will not be drawn to a church that is full of religious routine but empty of spiritual appetite. They will not be moved by programs but by presence. They will not be changed by form but by fire. And fire is birthed through hunger.

Hunger brings the church to prayer. Hunger drives the church to worship. Hunger pushes the church into the Word. Hunger stirs the church to reach the lost. Hunger awakens compassion.

Hunger creates boldness. Hunger produces spiritual sensitivity. If we want to reach the hungry, we must become hungry with a holy desperation.**

** In Matthew 5:6 Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” This is not simply a promise; it is a spiritual principle. God fills the hungry. He responds to longing. He answers desire. He meets those who seek Him. This teaches that the path to revival begins with appetite. When God’s people cultivate a deep hunger for Him, He pours out His presence in ways that draw the starving souls around them. The spiritually hungry are drawn to the spiritually burning. And the spiritually starving are drawn to the spiritually satisfied.**

** But the church must also learn that spiritual hunger expresses itself through compassion. Compassion is not an emotional response; it is a spiritual perception. It is the ability to feel the weight of someone else’s condition.

Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes, “because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). His compassion did not arise from sentiment; it arose from spiritual recognition.

He saw their hunger. He understood their spiritual exhaustion. He discerned the emptiness within them. And His compassion fueled His mission.**

** If we desire the hungry, we must be moved with compassion in the same way. We must not judge the broken before we understand their battle. We must not condemn the addicted before we recognize their spiritual starvation.

We must not dismiss the angry, the rebellious, the immoral, or the confused — for many times these outward behaviors are simply the manifestations of an inward emptiness.

A starving soul reaches in every direction for anything that resembles relief. Our calling is to offer the true Bread of Life, not criticize the counterfeit comforts they have used to survive.**

** Compassion does not excuse sin, but compassion understands the hunger that drives sinful patterns. Jesus never excused the woman caught in adultery; He told her, “Go, and sin no more.” Yet He also demonstrated compassion by refusing to condemn her.

He recognized that judgment could not cure her hunger; only mercy could. And mercy draws the starving toward God. The church must reflect that same balance of truth and compassion if we desire to reach the spiritually hungry effectively.**

** We must also recognize that hunger creates opportunity for transformation. Hunger makes the heart teachable. Hunger opens the soul to conviction. Hunger softens the spirit. A person who is full resists change, but a person who is starving becomes open to instruction, correction, and direction.

That is why Jesus ministered so powerfully to people society rejected. Their starvation made them receptive to His voice. The proud resisted Him, but the hungry embraced Him. The spiritually starving are not hopeless; they are ready. And the church must be prepared to meet them in their moment of openness.**

** Acts 10 gives us a profound example through Cornelius. He was a Gentile, unfamiliar with Jewish law, yet described as “a devout man” who prayed always and gave alms. His hunger attracted divine attention. An angel appeared to him, not because he was perfect, but because he was spiritually starving.

His appetite prepared the way for Peter to preach the message of salvation. This reveals a vital truth: spiritual hunger prepares the soul to receive the Word of God. Cornelius’ house would not have experienced the outpouring of the Holy Ghost had there been no hunger. Hunger creates atmosphere. Hunger opens doors. Hunger invites revelation. Hunger makes room for the miraculous.**

** We must also understand that the church’s role is not simply to recognize hunger but to feed it responsibly. There is an art to spiritual feeding. Jesus did not give the woman at the well everything at once; He led her step by step, drawing her deeper into revelation. Paul taught the Corinthian church that he fed them with milk and not meat because they were not yet able to bear it.

The spiritually starving cannot be force-fed heavy doctrine before they have begun to heal from spiritual malnourishment. The church must walk with them patiently, teach them gradually, and build them steadily.**

** This requires discernment, wisdom, and love. It requires listening to the Spirit and to the soul in front of us. It requires sensitivity to their background, their wounds, and their level of understanding. It requires humility, patience, and consistency.

The church that desires the hungry must also be willing to disciple the hungry, embrace the hungry, and walk with the hungry through their process of growth. Feeding the starving is not a moment; it is a ministry.**

** We also must acknowledge that ministering to the spiritually hungry may require the church to leave its comfort zone. Jesus ministered in places that religious leaders avoided. He spoke with people they despised. He touched people they considered unclean. He reached into environments they judged. Why?

Because the hungry were there. And hunger drew Him. Hunger directed Him. Hunger guided His steps. If we desire the hungry, we must be willing to go where the hungry are.**

** This may mean reaching out to people who do not dress like us, talk like us, believe like us, or look like us. It may mean stepping into uncomfortable conversations or unfamiliar settings.

It may mean breaking cultural expectations, social traditions, or personal preferences. But when a soul is starving, the church must be willing to bring them the Bread of Life wherever they are. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost, not to wait for them to come to Him.**

And when we bring the spiritually starving into the presence of God, we must create an atmosphere where they feel safe to receive. Revival flourishes where compassion reigns. The hungry cannot heal in an environment of judgment, pride, or coldness. They need warmth.

They need patience. They need understanding. They need room to grow, room to ask questions, room to struggle, and room to be transformed by the Spirit. The church must be a place where the starving can eat without fear, without shame, and without pressure.**

We must also teach them how to cultivate their own hunger for God. Feeding them is not enough; they must learn to feed themselves. This means teaching them how to pray, how to seek God, how to study the Word, how to worship, how to fast, how to surrender, and how to walk with God daily.

A person who remains dependent on others to feed them spiritually will never grow to maturity. But a person who learns to pursue God for themselves will thrive. Hunger must move from dependence to discipline.**

** Finally, spiritual hunger must be protected. The world will try to distract the newly hungry soul. Old habits, old relationships, old environments, and old voices will attempt to pull them back into spiritual starvation. The church must surround them with fellowship, accountability, teaching, and encouragement. Hunger grows in community

Hunger is strengthened by example. Hunger is sustained by spiritual environments. And as their hunger grows, their appetite for the world will fade.*