Series: How to Have a Blessed Life! Today: Hungry and Thirsty For Righteousness Matt 5:1-10 Pastor Dan Hiatt 2-5-17 Sermons at www.christcenter.net
Blessed means: (Matt 5:1-10) Happy - But more than happy An inner peace and joy - Above the circumstances A hope and promise of God s reward - In the here and now - In the life to come
Being blessed by God is a result of being in right relationships with God and people. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. V3 those who mourn, for they will be comforted. V4...the meek for they will inherit the earth. V5 those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. V6 Matt 5:3-6
Hungry and Thirsty A strong desire - a deep felt need - that drives action Righteousness A right relationship with God by forgiveness of sins A disciple relationship with Jesus (a lifelong journey) A disciple is a person who is following Jesus, is being transformed by Jesus, and is joining Jesus on His mission. Filled God poured into us by the indwelling Holy Spirit The spiritual need, desire, and request fulfilled Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Release of the Holy Spirit
Jesus Satisfies the Spiritually Hungry and Thirsty Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 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. John 4:13-14 I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. John 7:37-39 Ask, knock, and seek and receive Matt 7:7-8
The Woman at the Well Filled by Jesus John 4:1-26 A desperate life of broken relationships Hungry and thirsty for a real relationship A meeting with Jesus Everything changes as she drinks in the living water 10 Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. 42 They said to the woman, We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.
Nicodemus the Pharisee Finds a Relationship With Jesus John 3:1-21 A good Pharisee with questions hungry for the truth There must be more than righteousness by good works A nighttime meeting with Jesus No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.you must be born again. A journey of seeking and then finding a relationship with Jesus. (when?) A relationship evidenced by helping to bury Jesus (John 19:39)
A Rich Young Man Hungry for Eternal Life Goes Away Empty Matt 19:18-22 Moral and good hungry for eternal life Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life? Jesus asks him to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor and follow Him He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Hungry and thirsty, but more for riches than eternal life, not willing to surrender all and follow Jesus
The Hungry and Thirsty Disciples are Filled with the Holy Spirit Acts 1-2 Jesus tells the disciple 4 Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; Disciples response 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, The result 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Righteousness A right relationship with God by forgiveness of sins A disciple relationship with Jesus (a lifelong journey) A disciple is a person who is following Jesus, is being transformed by Jesus, and is joining Jesus on His mission. How hungry and thirsty are you for righteousness today? What specific need are you asking, seeking, knocking for?
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Communion, Worship and Seeking/Receiving in Prayer