Blessed Are They Which Do Hunger & Thirst

Introduction

This is the climax of the Beatitudes--everything builds to it and flows from it. READ MATTHEW 5:6.

What is this righteousness for which we’re supposed to hunger and thirst?

Righteousness (three statements that you should write down):

Doing what is right. (How do we define what is “right”?)

Pleasing God. (What does that look like?)

Living like Jesus.

Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

John 8:28-29 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Jesus is the only Person Who could ever make such claims. He’s the only Person Who perfectly fulfilled all righteousness--perfectly obeying all the law and the prophets and doing only what was pleasing to His Father.

Now, the religious teachers of the day (the Pharisees, especially) had created a strict system of rules whereby they had convinced themselves that they were keeping the law.

But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained that their shallow kind of righteousness was not true righteousness--it did not please God. And He exposed their need for His righteousness.

Matthew 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Then He illustrates what He means (murder/anger; adultery/lust).

And it all culminates in this summation of true righteousness:

Matthew 5:48 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

When you understand what God is demanding, when you understand what is required to enjoy the “blessed” (happy) life, you realize that you can’t manufacture this type of righteousness on your own--you can’t surpass the Pharisees’ strict adherence to rules....so what do you do? You hunger and thirst after righteousness...but...

What does it mean to “hunger & thirst”? (That’s our second big question that we’re answering tonight.)

It means getting desperate.

You’re not going to hunger and thirst until you realize how desperate your situation is. T

The Sermon on the Mount shows us why we should be desperate.

We can’t meet God’s demands--before or after salvation--on our own.

We’re sinful beggars whose sin is so bad it causes us to mourn.

But if we don’t measure up to His standards, we’ll be (1) good-for-nothing Christians, (2) called the least in the kingdom of heaven, and (3) our lives will be ruined.We have reason to be desperate! When you face the demands of a holy God and recognize that you’re just a sinful beggar, it only makes sense to get desperate.

But guess what? Getting desperate for God’s righteousness is not natural. And Jesus knew that. So, let me share with you three different types of people that weren’t desperate for God’s righteousness, and ask God, Do I fall in one of these categories?

The Opposite of Hungering and Thirsting:

The Pharisees--trusting in their own righteosness, and were not hungering & thirsting for God’s righteousness.

They were self-deceived, self-righteous, not desperate for God.

Matthew 23:25-26 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.”

Whenever we get to the place where we have reduced our Christian life to a series of rules or activities, whenever we become comfortable with where we are spiritually, we’re in trouble!

Because Jesus said, “except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The Sadducees -- trusting in their own blessedness and couldn’t care less about God’s righteousness.

They were the Jewish elite that didn’t believe the OT Scriptures--they didn’t believe in resurrection (Matthew 22:23) and the power of God.

They were deceived too--they thought, we are wealthy and comfortable. Why bother with righteousness?

And just because your life is “good” right now. Just because you’re comfortable where you are, does not mean that you shouldn’t be just as desperate as anyone else!

But this is why Jesus said, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23-24).

The Common People -- hungering for blessedness but not God’s righteousness.

John 6:27-28 “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

THIS IS A VITAL POINT TO UNDERSTAND. WE ARE NOT TO HUNGER & THIRST FOR BLESSEDNESS, HAPPINESS. WE ARE TO HUNGER & THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, TRUSTING THAT BLESSEDNESS IS A BYPRODUCT.

So, this hungering & thirsting is to be conscious of your desperate need for God’s righteousness. But it doesn’t stop there. Already we’ve seen our sin and our great need, and we’ve been brought to mourn over it.

But it is not enough just to mourn over our sin. True repentance results in action.

2. It’s doing something about the problem.

“...they which do hunger & thirst after righteousness.”

There are certain activities that betray a sense of hunger.

If your life were examined (and it’s always being examined by God), what regular activities would prove that you’re hungering and thirsting after righteousness? (e.g. Bible-reading, prayer, Scripture memory, church attendance).

BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH JUST TO FULFILL A LIST OF RELIGIOUS DUTIES. HUNGERING AND THIRSTING AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS IS MORE THAN THAT.

3. It's an all-consuming desire.

When you’re hungry or thirsty, there’s nothing you can think about except being filled.

It involves your body -- stomach growling, mouth watering; feeling “shaky”/weak.

What do you devote your body to? If you’re a Christian, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.

The things you listen to, the things you watch, the things you devote your energy to--do they show that you’re hungering and thirsting after righteousness?

The things that come out of your mouth--do they show that your greatest desire is to please God and to become more like Jesus?

It involves your intellect -- you start thinking, Where can I get food? You make a plan of some kind.

What do you think about all the time? If you’re always thinking about yourself and what you need to do to make yourself happy...if you’re always worrying....if you’re always coveting...if you’re always stressing...you’re not hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

It involves your emotions--ever been around someone who is “hangry”?

What do you get excited about? What causes you the greatest dissapointment?

It involves your will -- you decide to do something about the problem, and no one has to convince you.

ILLUSTRATION: I would venture to say, judging by how healthy everyone looks in this room, that none of us have to be convinced to eat every day. Is your will surrendered to God? Whatever is the righteous thing to do, you’re going to do it! And most of us have never known what it is to be truly hungry like the people in Jesus’ day.

Concluding Illustration: The Prodigal Son--Luke 15:1 (here we see pictured all of the characters mentioned earlier).

The Prodigal was given his Father’s blessing, but he wasted it.

What are you doing with the grace and truth that God has given you? Are you wasting it?

Romans 6:1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”Are you like the “Common People” of Jesus’ day--wanting blessedness without righteousness?Are you trying to fill your life with pleasure instead of righteousness?

The Prodigal tried to solve his problem of hunger on his own, by making his own way.

Are you trying to make your own way in this world?

Are you trying to fix the problems in your life on your own

Are you trying to fill your belly with the “husks” of life?

ANYTHING LESS THAN GOD’S BEST IS LIKE THE “HUSKS” THAT SWINE EAT.

The Prodigal finally came to himself--he came to his senses.

He was a beggar and he knew it. So he got desperate.

He mourned over his situation and decided to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

He decided to go back to his father repentant and meek.

And guess what happened when he returned to his father--humble, repentant, and meek?

He had mourned, and his father had compassion on him, he comforted him.

He was given a robe and a ring--he was restored to his rightful place as heir of his father’s property!

AND HE WAS FILLED.

But his older brother was angry, fretting over the wrongdoings of others. He wasn’t humble, he wasn’t meek.

And he refused to join the party.

He wasn’t hungry.

He saw nothing in himself that needed to change. He pointed to his good works and said, “Look at how I’ve been a slave for you! Shouldn’t you be happy with me, Father? I’m righteous!”

His Father responded, “Thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.”

But he refused what his father was offering him, and he missed out on the party. HE MISSED OUT ON THE BLESSEDNESS BECAUSE HE WASN’T HUNGRY, HE WASN’T MEEK.

Who are you in this story tonight?

Are you looking to fill your heart with the pleasures of this life?

Are you wasting the grace and truth that God has given you?

Are you looking to fix your problems on your own?

Why don’t you just...

Come to the end of yourself; GET DESPERATE

DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM

HUMBLE YOURSELF

MOURN OVER YOUR SIN & REPENT

COME TO GOD IN MEEKNESS, SURRENDERING YOUR WILL TO HIM AND GIVING YOURSELF TO BE HIS SERVANT

LET THIS BECOME YOU’RE ALL-CONSUMING DESIRE

Live to please your Father Who has had such abundant mercy on you!

AND LET HIM FILL YOU!

Maybe you’re the older brother, missing out on blessedness because you’re just not hungry!

Isaiah 55:1-3 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,

and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?

and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me:

hear, and your soul shall live;”

Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

John 6:35

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Are you hungry tonight? LOOK TO JESUS!