Practical Christianity Hunger thirst for righteousness April 2018

Practical Christianity Hunger & thirst for righteousness! April 2018

Readings Matthew 5 : 6 Psalm 14 2 Corinthians 3: 16 -18 Reference: Martyn Lloyd-Jones “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount”

Righteousness the road to blessedness and fulfilment Meekness is real strength “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted “Without sorrow there is no joy” Humility before Christ Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the KOG Building Something Tangible Practical Christianity Building the Foundation

The progression thus far Poor in Spirit (Helplessness and humility) Mourn for sin of self and others Blessed are the meek (in relation to others) All about self

Our focus Matthew 5 vs 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled is s u es ch J t a u h t m o but in s s t u o c lf n o e f s s u f in ing o t f i m A sh teach proble lution o e her ut the r the s abo rathe

Psalm 14 • Do you experience fear and concern about where the world is going? • Do you have “everything” but you feel there is something missing? • Psalm 14 describes this situation from God’s perspective – “The fool says there is no God” – “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt” – “They are overwhelmed with dread. ” • Here scripture gives us the reason for the fear and concern we as Christians sometimes experience but we are also given the solution – “But God is present in the company of the righteous”

The solution • This morning’s beatitude lays out the answer! • If every man and woman in the world was to hunger and thirst after righteousness there would be no threat of war or selfishness that leads to conflict • A desperate hunger for righteousness is the only way to real peace and contentment in the world and in our own hearts • It is righteousness that exalts the world and brings inner peace to man

But what about us? • Understanding and applying this beatitude of righteousness is one of the best affirmations of whether we are Christians or not. – Do you and I truly hunger and thirst after righteousness? – If you and I still fall prey to self and all the evil that brings, then we are missing the essence of salvation – Righteousness is a free Gift from God if we search for it

The truth of the matter is. . Many people go through the motions of Christianity without hungering and thirsting for Righteousness

The promise is fulfilment • Do you want to be filled? • What does this require: – Hunger and thirst after righteousness and not blessedness. Blessedness is a consequence! – Happy the Clown – Surgery and not pain killers • What are you and I chasing? – Good works? – Service without righteousness is wasted! Still serving Self!

So what is Righteousness • More than morality and goodness! “Do unto others. . . ” • A desire to be free from sin in all its forms • A desire to be free from the POWER of sin • A desire to be right with God • Does this characterise your and my life?

So Righteousness is: To be positively Holy To be like Jesus! To be RIGHT with Jesus! To know God, to be in fellowship with Him, to walk with God , the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the light • To be free from self • TO BE BORN AGAIN! • •

Is this the missing ingredient? In the world? In your life?

So what does it mean to hunger and thirst? • Not a passing feeling • An active verb – it continues and is never quite satisfied • A deep and profound desperation that hurts – Hachiko – The prodigal son when he was hungry turned to eating pods but when he was desperately hungry he returned to his father – Psalm 42 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God”

So what is the promise of “they shall be filled? ” • Immediate and continuous blessing – Through God’s grace: • Barrier of sin immediately removed • Enslavement to self immediately removed • Jesus’ righteousness is immediately imputed to us • The Christian is perfect yet he is still to become perfect with our final fulfilment in eternity • All that is needed is for us to see the need for Him and the holy Spirit will work in our lives to give us the hunger for this deliverance

Being Filled Being filled means being granted the right to be called, and to be, a Child of God The hunger and thirst describes the process of Sanctification (Becoming Holy!)

What does it mean to be filled? Filled The world of the saved The spiral of holiness “till in heaven we take our place” Hunger & thirst Hunger and thirst for righteousness The world of the unsaved The downward spiral of sin to eternal death Grace

Are you hungry and thirsty for righteousness today? 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord from his sins, then the veil is taken away. 17 The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where He is there is freedom from trying to be saved by keeping the laws of God. [a] 18 But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him. 2 Cor 3: 16 -18

Is this the missing ingredient? In the world? In your life? he T ss ting e n us erlas t o n e e t v h Rig er to e ntentm w d co s n a e c a e p

Let us pray!