ARE YOU HUNGRY? Matthew 5:6 I. Introduction- a. Last week in our study of the life of Christ we looked at the first of what we call the Beatitudes. b. These verses are called the Beatitudes because that is the Latin translation of the word blessed. c. The word translated blessed means to be satisfied to be secure to be content to be happy to be full of joy. d. The world without Christ says blessed are the rich blessed are the powerful blessed are the beautiful blessed are the influential blessed are the intelligent blessed are the wealthy blessed are those who are at ease blessed are those that have plenty. e. But that is not what Jesus says Jesus says blessed are those who know they are spiritual beggars before God blessed are those who come to God in brokeness over their sin and blessed are those who surrender and submit their life to God s control. f. Those are the Beatitudes that we looked at last week in those Beatitudes Jesus told us how the Christian life begins. g. In the next Beatitude Jesus teaches us how the Christian life is to continue. II. GROWING AS A CHRISTIAN- a. Being saved and made right with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not the end of salvation it is only the beginning. b. The goal of the Christian life is not just to get saved the goal of the Christian life is to grow, develop and advance into a mature, full grown and productive Christian.
c. The Bible refers to newly saved Christians as babes in Christ. d. 1 Corinthians 3:1 (KJV) And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. e. 1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV) As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. f. There is nothing more precious and more beautiful in this world than a newborn baby. g. But we become very alarmed if over time that baby does not grow and develop physically and in his or her ability to walk and talk and learn. h. As a newborn baby is expected to grow and develop so a newborn Christian is expected to grow and develop as a Christian. i. The sad truth is that despite the indwelling Holy Spirit who lives within them despite having access to the Bible which is the Christian s guidebook and textbook for Christian growth. j. Despite being a part of the church in which God has called and equipped preachers and teachers to help Christians grow in the Lord despite having all the amazing materials and resources that are available to Christians today to help us grow and develop in the Lord. k. Many Christians in America today have grown very little as Christians since the day they were saved. l. The writer of Hebrews expressed his frustration that those Christians he was writing to who had been saved for a long time were still immature Christians and babes in Christ. m. Hebrews 5:11-12 (NLT) There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need
someone to teach you again the basic things about God s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. III. CHARACTERISTICS OF IMMATURE CHRISTIANS- a. Let me share with you three characteristics of immature Christians. b. #1, Immature Christians want to be served instead of serving. c. Babies don t feed others babies don t serve others babies are feed babies are served. d. You don t tell a newborn baby to make their bed and clean up their crib or their room you know a newborn baby can t do that you don t expect them to do that. e. But you will tell an eight-year old to make their bed and clean up their room and you expect them to do it and if they don t you will get onto them. f. Unfortunately there are many immature Christians in the church today who have been saved for years but instead of being active and involved in serving the Lord and serving others. g. They sit back and expect others to serve them immature Christians are perfectly willing and content to let others do what they should be doing. h. #2, Immature Christians tend to major on what is minor and minor on what is major. i. A baby has no understanding and no comprehension of the big issues of life they don t know who the President of the United States is they have no idea that there is a healthcare crisis in our country and they don t care all they want is to be fed, changed and entertained. j. Immature Christians will get all excited and upset about issues and things that have little eternal consequence many times they are
perfectly willing to upset and divide a church over something that has little eternal consequence. k. But they give no thought to and they show little interest in being involved in evangelism and missions they have no desire to work with others in their church to reach the lost of their community and the world. l. Immature Christians will fight over things that in eternity will not matter but they will not fight for the souls of lost men, women, boys and girls. m. #3, Immature Christians are more interested in being entertained than they are in being serious students of the Word of God. n. Immature Christians are more interested in being entertained than they are in growing in their knowledge and understanding of the Bible and growing in the obedient Christian life. o. Babies are not interested in hearing about how something works they don t want you to read a textbook to them or an owner s manual they just want to be entertained. p. Immature Christians are not interested in digging deep into the Word of God they are not interested in feeding on the solid food of the Bible in growing in their knowledge and understanding of the Bible. q. When immature Christians come to church they are not interested in hearing a strong Bible based message that digs into the Word of God and speaks the Word and will of God to their life. r. Immature Christians want to be entertained and they do not consider a message from the Bible as entertainment in a church worship service if the preacher does have to preach they want a short, light and entertaining message. s. They want a light sermonette that doesn t even have to be based on the Bible a message that will confirm just how special they are a
message that doesn t confront their life and lifestyle and makes no demands on them. t. Today you will find this kind of so-called worship going on in churches all over America and the sanctuaries of many of these churches are full crowds are flocking to many of these churches and the leaders in these churches will talk about all the people they are winning. u. But winning them to what?... are these churches truly winning people to faith in Christ when they never preach the gospel?... when they will not even talk about sin? when they will not talk about repentance?... when they will not talk about the cross? or about the sacrifice of Christ about His resurrection and what it means? v. Are these churches winning people to true discipleship?...to crosscarrying?... to self-denial?... to separation from the world?... to holy living?... to nobility of character?... to true love for God?... to total committal to Christ?... winning them to what? w. Immature, non-growing, selfish, stagnant, satisfied Christianity is one of the biggest problems in the church today. IV. A LIFETIME HUNGER- a. If you want to grow as a Christian you must have a life-long hunger and thirst for righteousness. b. A person who is hungry and a person who is thirsty is a person who is passionate to find something to eat. c. If you want to grow as a Christian you must have a life-long hunger and a life-long thirst you must have a life-long passion for the Word of God for the worship of God for the service of God for the House of God for the people of God for the mission of God for the things of God.
d. Growing as a Christian does not happen automatically it requires commitment it requires devotion it requires dedication it requires discipleship. e. When you became a Christian you gave your life to Christ what do you think He wants to do with your life?... do you think He wants you to stay where you are like you are? f. No the Lord has a plan for your life He has a purpose for your life His plan is for you to grow and mature and become an effective and useful Christian in His service and in His kingdom. g. That is why He gives you the Holy Spirit that is why He gives you the Word of God that is why He gives you the church that is why He gives you the privilege of pray that is why He gives you your spiritual gift God s plan is for you to grow. h. Let me ask you a question did you come to this worship service this morning hungry to worship God?... did you come here this morning hungry to honor Him for saving you?... to worship God for who He is and for all He has done for you? i. Did you come to this worship service this morning hungry to hear a message from God s Word?... hungry longing to hear a word from God? j. Sunday after Sunday Christians come to a worship service like this and they are not hungry to worship God you can tell it by the way they worship and by the way they listen they have no passion to worship and they have no interest in hearing a word from God. k. During the worship service their mind is in a thousand different places thinking about a thousand different things they are not hungry to worship God or to hear from God. l. One Sunday morning after worship a lady said to her Pastor I didn t like the way you preached this morning he said what was wrong?
she said, it was your language in your sermon you said pants you should never say pants you should say trousers that is a much more elegant word the Pastor said, I'll try to remember that he then asked the woman what else do you remember about the sermon she said, I don't remember anything else about your sermon this morning to which he said if I hadn't said pants you wouldn't have gotten anything out of my message. m. When the preacher preaches you may not hear the best vocabulary but do you hear the Word of God and do you want to? V. CONCLUSION- a. The Lord did not save you so you could stay a spiritual baby He saved you to grow, to mature, to serve, to give, and to sacrifice if need be. b. Nothing should be more important in the life of a Christian than growing to be the Christian man or woman Christ saved us to be. c. For the true child of God the growing Christian life is the only life that is truly fulfilling. d. Have you ever seen someone eating out of a garbage can?... if you are not a Christian and if you are seeking the satisfaction this world can give you compared to what God gives to those who trust in Him you are eating out of a garbage can. e. Philippians 3:8 (NLT) Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.