Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness

This morning, we are starting a brand new message series. I have been looking forward to this series for a while now because I really think that many of us need it. The series is entitled, “Bless This Home.”

How many of you would love to have your homes and families be blessed? Raise your hands up. Weird. There are some of you that didn’t raise your hands. I am assuming you want your cursed? No, of course not. I think we all want our families and homes to be blessed.

When we think about families today, in general, the first word that comes to your mind is not the word “blessed”. So many families today are struggling. Marriages are not what they should be. Raising our children is becoming more difficult than we though it would be. Financially, we are struggling. Many people are just living paycheck to paycheck.

It seems as if there are more temptations today than there has been in the past. It seems as if there are more things which can cause addictions in our lives. There’s the challenges of more blended families. Things can get complicated very quickly.

We are seeing a record number of single parents today which can be so difficult when you’re trying to support a family on one income and there’s only one of you to carry all the load. Managing all the things gets overwhelming at time. Some of you have spouses which are gone a lot and it causes stress and challenges.

Open your Bible to . is a familiar passages of Scripture for most of us. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus was teaching what is known as the Beatitudes. What we are going to do is take these teaching and apply them to our homes.

Matthew 5:6 CSB

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

Notice the last part of the verse. “They will be filled.” When you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you will be filled, and yet so many homes today are not filled with what matters the most. Many are searching and striving for anything that would bring meaning to their lives. Many families are being filled with things that don’t matter. Many families are not blessed because they are not hungering and thirsting for righteousness. They are not all about living righteously. They are not doing the right things and living to please God.

In your home, what are your hungering for? In your life, in your homes, with your children, and with your parents what are your pursuing? What matters most to you? Don’t lie to yourself with the Sunday School answer of, “God matters the most. We are here to please God.” It is simply not true.

Just look at the last week. What characterized what you are pursuing? What were you hungering for? Be honest with yourself. I think many of us would have to say, “Well, you know, we’re really just trying to relax.” There is nothing wrong with that. Maybe you would say, “We were just trying to have a good time.” Maybe you would say, “We were focusing on our comfort.” Some might say, “We were living for the weekend. We work hard so we can play hard. We just want to have fun, to chill, to unwind, and do something fun.” There is nothing wrong with that, but be honest with yourself.

Some would say, “We want popularity. We want everyone to think that we have it all together.” Your family is about image management. When you look at your family from the outside, the way you dress, your home, your yard, and the car you drive; you want to give the impression of the Christian family, but on the inside, it is far from what it should be.

Some of you might have to be honest and say, “I really haven’t thought about it.” Your life is not focused on anything really. It is about what is the flavor of the day. It is about whatever is the hot button issue.

The reality is, it might even make you uncomfortable to hear, but the reality is most people, even Christians, are pursuing something or many things above God. We are not hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Something is in God’s place and is the main pursuit of our lives.

The question is, “What do we do when we realize that we are hungering for the wrong things?” “What do we do when we realize that we have an appetite for things that do not satisfy and are not best for us? Simply put, change your appetite.

How many of you have ever been on a serious diet? About 2 years ago now, I undertook a serious diet change. I was gaining weight and I don’t want the diabetes, so the decision was made to start some diet changes. One of the things which came under restriction was fried food. I used to live by the concept of, “When in doubt, deep fry it.” However, I recognized that having all of those saturated fats and oils was not healthy for me. After a while, I thought, “Well, I have been a good boy. Time to reward myself.” I ordered some McDonald’s fries and sat back to enjoy them. Then, something weird happened. I ate them, but my stomach didn’t like them. They didn’t taste as good as I remembered them tasting. Something had changed. I used to like them, but it was as if my appetite changed. I stopped wanting them things which weren’t good for me.

I think it works the same way in our spiritual lives. If you start pursuing righteousness, if you start pursuing and seeking God; you are going to be changed from the inside out. You are going to see the benefit of walking with God. You are going to be led by the Holy Spirit. You are going to start desiring him and want more of him. The things of the world which distracted you, which weren’t good for you, and which didn’t satisfy you are going to fade from your appetite. You are going to hunger and thirst for righteousness. You are going to be fulfilled and satisfied.

Why doesn’t this happen more in our homes? Why don’t we see more homes that are being blessed? Perhaps it is because we are doing one of two things. There are two things which I know do not work if we are going to be filled by hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

Things that don’t work

Legalistic Christianity.

Legalistic Christianity does not work. What am I talking about? I am talking about reducing Christianity to a bunch of do’s and don’ts. Don’t do this and don’t do that. If you are a good Christian than you do this. Bad Christians do that. It is all about the rules. Just keep this set of rules and you will be okay. There is a major problem with the Pharisaic philosophy. Some of you know this because you experienced it. Here is a major problem with legalistic Christianity: Rules without relationship leads to rebellion.

Rules without relationship leads to rebellion.

Some of you know this because you were the rebel. Some of you know this because you have seen the rebellion. Rules are not a substitute for a relationship with God. Legalistic Christianity never works.

Second, lukewarm Christianity doesn’t work.

Lukewarm Christianity

This is when you say you believe in God, but live as if he doesn’t exist. Christianity is a cultural thing for you. It’s Christian in name only. You say you are a Christian, but you have no passion for things that bring glory to God.

How do you know if you are a lukewarm Christian? Answer these questions. When is the last time you prayed with your spouse and children? I am not talking about “Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub.” When is the last time you prayed with your family?

When is the last time you read your Bible with your spouse and children? When is the last time your shared your faith with someone? When is the last time you volunteered your time with your family to serve others? When is the last time you talked with your family about spiritual matters?

Do you know what Jesus said about lukewarm Christianity?

Revelation 3:

Revelation 3:16 CSB

16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth.

Kind of telling, isn’t it. This is the way Jesus views lukewarm Christianity. Legalistic and lukewarm Christianity never work. What does work? Here is the main thought that will guide us during this series.

Be a Christ-centered home.

Pretty straight-forward, right? As a family, we are a Christ-centered home. The reality is in our culture, you can call yourself a Christian and it doesn’t mean much. 65% of Americans will tell you they are Christians. Most people in Laredo will tell you they are Christians, but it doesn’t mean much because they are not Christ-centered.

You can call yourself a Christian, but that doesn’t mean you are a Christian. You can call yourself a duck and you might even be able to quack, but unless you can fly and lay an egg, I am thinking you are not a duck. You are just a weird person quacking. There is a big difference between saying you are a Christian and living a Christ-centered life.

We must realize legalism and cultural Christianity are not enough. The Bible doesn’t say, “Blessed are those who believe in Christ on Sunday.” It says,

Matthew 5:

Matthew 5:6 CSB

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

David said it this way,

Psalm 63:1 CSB

1 God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.

David didn’t just want God when it was convenient for him. David didn’t just believe in God when he thought he needed him. This was every moment of every day. Every bit of me longs and desires a deeper and fuller relationship with God. We are going to be a Christ-centered home.

As I was thinking about this, I realized how much stuff we live for in the place of God. Plug in some of the things we tend to live for in the verse. “Popularity, you are my god. My body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.” What good is popularity going to do in those circumstances. “Sports, you are my god. I long for my child to be the champion of the 7-8 year old Pony league.” Just sounds dumb. “Car, you are my god. I long for your air conditioned seats and a sun roof.” It sounds so ridiculous and yet this is the way we live. We live these ways and wonder why we are so empty. “Blessed are those who huger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

So how do you do it? Where do you start? This morning, I want to give you two ways you can hunger and thirst for God.

Hunger and Thirst after God by:

Involving God in your daily conversations.

When you are talking about anything, involve God in your daily conversations. At first, this might feel weird to you, but it is really simple. You are driving in your car and you see one of these beautiful Texas sunsets, you say, “Look at that sunset that God made.” You are simply involving God in your conversation.

You can do this in your marriage. Sure you could sit down and make lists of pros and cons, but why not ask, “God, what do you want us to do?” You are going to be a Christ-centered home. You involve God in your daily conversations. You say, “Look how God has blessed us.” “Look at all the great friendships God has given me.” “God has blessed you with a church family that is working to make a difference in our community.” God has blessed us.

Hunger and Thirst after God by:

Making church a non-negotiable.

If you’re a Christ-centered home, you make the priority of worship of God something that is a non-negotiable. We are going to church, period. Every week, we are going to take one hour to worship God with other believers and one hour a week to study the Scriptures with other believers. Nothing is going to get in the way. We are not going to allow it. It is non-negotiable.

Let me tell you about how this worked in my life. Growing up, church was a non-negotiable in our family. Do you know what that meant? This is going to sound pretty hard-core to some of you. It meant I couldn’t go to baseball practice on Wednesdays. It meant I didn’t go to sports tournaments on Sundays. It meant every Sunday and every Wednesday, we were in church, period. You got homework? Do it when you get home. My boss had to learn he couldn’t schedule meetings or me to work on Wednesdays evenings. My dad was a professional bowler. He gave up professional bowling because it conflicted with Sunday worship and drew his heart away from God. Nothing was allowed to get in the way of worshipping on Sundays and Bible study on Wednesday, period. This is about valuing what really matters. This is hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

Matthew 5:6 CSB

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

Matthew 5:6 CSB

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

God

You might think this sounds radical and crazy. You might think you can’t do it because it is going to be too disruptive in your life. Do you want to be filled? Do you want a Christ-centered family? If so, you are going to have to create a different appetite. You are going to have to live differently. You are going to have to value different things. You are going to have to put God first in every way.

I realize, some of you might be thinking, “Well, pastor, you have a cute little home school family and you don’t live in the real world. We couldn’t possibly have these values.” You need to drop that way of thinking and realize you can have what God wants you to have if you will pursue him. You can have what God wants you to have if you will pursue him. You might think that your family and your marriage is the only one with problems. You might think you are the only one with struggles. You might feel like the only one who has teenagers who are rebelling hard against you. Don’t let these things become excuses for not pursuing what God wants your your family.

Men, much of this responsibility falls squarely on your shoulders. You need to get up off of the couch and led your family toward Christ-centeredness. Can you make God part of your normal conversation? Sure you can. Can you make worship and Bible Study attendance a priority for your family? Of course you can.

Joshua said this,

Joshua 24:15 CSB

15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

Choose for yourselves today who you will worship. As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD. You choose today. You choose this day. Are you going to be a Christ-centered home or are you just going to be a cultural Christian? Are you going to be a Christ-centered home or are you just going to blend into the culture? You make the choice, today, because the ones who are going to be blessed are going to be the ones who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled.

Let’s pray.

Father God, we pray that the Holy Spirit would convict our hearts. I believe there are many here today who do not just want to be cultural Christians. They believe you exist and want to live out their faith in you. We don’t want to be legalists who value rules above relationship. We don’t want to be lukewarm. We want our homes to be blessed. We want Christ-centered homes. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

With your heads bowed and eyes closed during this time of reflection, I would think that there are those of you who recognize the need for improvement. You want to seek God first in all ways. You want your home to be Christ-centered. If that is you, would you lift you hand? Let me pray for you and your family.

Father God, I thank you for those who are taking this seriously and who desire to have God-honoring Christ-centered homes. I ask that they would enact these two things we talked about this morning. Give them hope. They can choose today who they will serve. They can choose to involve you in their conversations. They can make worship and Bible study a priority for their families. God, bless them and make a blessing to those around us. We live for your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Before we close this morning, I want to talk to those of you who are here this morning and you hear the words, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” and you are thinking, “I know that’s not me. I know I’m not righteous. I am completely unrighteous.” I have good news for you if you feel that way. The reality is that we are all grossly unrighteous, sinful in the eyes of the Holy God, and incapable of living righteously on our own.

The good news is that we’re not made righteous in the eyes of God by what we do or don’t do. We’re made righteous by faith in Jesus, the perfect, sinless Son of God. By faith, our sins are forgiven so that positionally, we can be made right before God. Then, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can start to live a life that is pleasing to God.

There are those who are being drawn to God right now. You need God’s grace and you need his forgiveness. Today, you can call on him and be forgiven. When you call on Jesus, confessing your sin and your need for him to save you, he will hear your prayer and forgive your sin. Maybe you have been pretending to be a Christian for many years, but you know you really aren’t. You have just been pretending and you know it.

This morning, if you are here and you know that you need God’s forgiveness for your sins; realize that you are not here by accident. Will you surrender your life to God and experience his forgiveness? Please bow your heads and close your eyes. Will you pray this prayer with me expressing that you are trusting in God’s ability to forgive you and save you?

“Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sins, make me new. I ask Jesus to be my Savior and to be the Lord of my life, first in every way. My life is not my own, I give it to you. Thank you for new life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

With heads bowed and eyes closed, if you just prayed that prayer for the first time, would you raise your hand?

Pray.

If you prayed to receive Jesus, please come to the front of this worship center and let us pray with you and celebrate your new life in Christ. If you want to pray for someone you know who needs to receive God’s gift of salvation, you come and get on your knees asking God to reach into that person’s life. Maybe you need to come in rededication of your life to God as we are on the verge of a new year. This is a time for you to respond to the call of the Holy Spirit in your life.