Beatitude #4 - The righteous

Intro

Welcome

Pray

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Background

Jesus popular

Large crowds following Him

Jesus goes up on the side of the mountain to teach

What follows is the Sermon on the Mount

Jesus starts with a lesson in the Beatitudes

Be-Attitude

Be-Attitude = Supreme Blessing

Characteristics, attitude, spiritual attribute of the Jesus Follower

Not a lesson in Salvation

Beatitudes describe how we should live (Daily Living)

8 x Blessings, with attributes and reversal rewards

Like a Ladder

Beatitudes are like a ladder

Start at 1st rung and then up

Ladder has to have all rungs, not only some

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The Process

It starts with wanting a relationship with God,

Then repentance, turning back from our sinful ways

Then Poor in spirit, we understand our need for God - spiritual poor (1st Rung)

Then, because of poor in spirit, we mourn or sinfulness (2nd rung)

At this point we repent our sinful nature and mourn and vise-versa

While in this state of spiritual poorness (our need for God), and sad (mourning) our poorness,

God wants us to submit to Him (His will & Leave it to God),

Like a wild stallion. I need God to tame me, guide me and use me

Put ourselves under God’s control (Gentle, Humble, Self-controlled) -

I my daily live will be content to be under God’s control to do His will.

The Stallion - Meek

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Today B#4

Continue with Beatitudes (Blessings)

Matthew 5:6 NIV

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

First 4 rungs on the ladder - in order, and related

Closely related to B#3 (Meekness)

Link between B#3 & 4

What is the reward in B#3

Matthew 5:5 NIV

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Jesus quotes Ps 37:11

Psalm 37:11 NIV

11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.

But => move back to v10

Psalm 37:10 NIV

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

The place in the Bible where we find such a place is

2 Peter 3:13 NLT

13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

What is it the Blessed Hunger and thirst for - righteousness

Linked with B#3

The meek inherits the earth - new earth - filled with righteousness

If you don’t have an appetite for righteousness, then this won’t be such a great reward for you.

The Hungry & Thirsty (Blank Screen)

The blessing applies not to those already righteous,

but to those who feel starved for righteousness they lack—

Jesus does not bless the self-satisfied.

This hunger and thirst means:

Why do we need food & water? - Vital

people recognize they cannot live without righteousness; - It is vital

they crave justice and right relations as an absolute necessity, not merely a luxury

Hunger and thirst are not only healthy appetites

that bring satisfaction when met, (like pregnant women, Chantel (hungry for ice cream)

but they become torments if unfulfilled.

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The reward

Matthew 5:6 NIV

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

The reversal - hunger & thirst => filled

2 Levels (same as B#2)

Immediate (the now)

Jesus lives in us

He is willing to fill us daily - sanctification

Food

Obedience to God (God’s will)

John 4:34 NIV

34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

God’s word: Deut 8:3

Matthew 4:4 NIV

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Jesus Himself

John 6:35 NIV

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Believe in Jesus - HS

Water

God Himself

Jeremiah 2:13 NIV

13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

God’s presence

Psalm 42:1–2 NIV

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

The Holy Spirit

John 7:37–39 NIV

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Also in Jn 4:14 HS

John 4:14 NIV

14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

So every day, with Jesus in us, we can eat from the bread of life and drink the water on offer: the righteousness that come from Jesus

Jn 4:14 also points us towards

Es-cha-to-lo-gi-cal (end times)

Revelation 7:16–17 NIV

16 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Complete satisfaction - filled forever

Where is this?

The new earth - the earth promised in v5

Psalm 23:5–6 NIV

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

overflows: blessings that overflow

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How to cultivate this hunger? [Blank Screen]

How do we cultivate a hunger or thirst?

1. Hunger/Thirst, means I did not get enough.

I need more, much more.

If I H&T for R =>

I did not get enough of God (3-in-1)

I need, urgently need, more. More of God

God the source of righteousness.

2. Hunger & thirst, is repetitive

I eat, but in 4 hours or less, I will be hunger again.

I regularly have to eat and drink.

We are in the process of Sanctification (Heiligmaking)

God says that he is willing, to daily, fill us. NOW, every day.

3. How do I increase my H&T for food or water?

Not in general like for anything - meaning you fast or starve yourself

I mean for something specific?

Become addicted to it

4. When you lack spiritual appetite,

discipline becomes essential—

you may need to force yourself toward what nourishes your soul

MAKE TIME

Building that relationship, learning and gaining more & more knowledge

Spend time in the Word

Spend time with God in prayer (not 1-way conversations)

TIME

Become addicted to Righteousness - to what is right - search for it

What will happen when I spend much time with God in prayer, in His Word, at Church, fellowship (TIME)

Psalm 1:2–3 NIV

2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

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SUMMARY

The 1st FOUR Beatitudes

In the 1st FOUR Beatitudes,

begins with the same Greek letter (pi)

Don’t know if you noticed:

In the 1st FOUR Beatitudes, each descriptor -

poverty, mourning, meekness, and hunger -

describing the persecuted condition of disciples,

while the second four beatitudes present the ethical qualities that lead to persecution

This B#4 is the BRIDGE for the theme of persecution. (condition to qualities)

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Did you notice

B#1 & 2 - Kingdom of God - #1 names it, #2 describes what you will find there

where will you find comfort - Kingdom of heaven - New heaven

B#3 & 4 - Earth - #3 names it, #4 describes what you will find there

Where will you be filled - The earth - New Earth

Reward: Linked to meekness (the earth)

1. Reward now: Jesus is the bread of life, the fountain of living water

2. The full reward: filled New Earth filled with God’s righteousness

How to Cultivate: List of 4 things

How to Cultivate Hunger & Thirst 1. Mean I don’t have enough   – God is the source 2. It’s repetitive   – Replenish regularly (sanctify) 3. A craving   - Become addicted 4. Spiritual Appetite   - TIME – with God (to do right)

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