February 16, 2025
SERMON SERIES: MOVE INTO BLESSED LIVING
(A STUDY OF THE BEATITUDES) Tommy C. Higle
Matthew 5:1-12
SERMON # 5: FINDING SATISFACTION THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS
Matthew 5:6
What are you seeking for satisfaction in life? Jesus says that he offers true satisfaction in life!
· Have you ever wanted something but you just could not quite put your finger on it?
· Many times, it happens when we go out to eat. There are so many places to eat In Grand Rapids that the choices can be overwhelming at times.
· I do not know how many times Regina and I would be looking for a place to eat and I would ask the dreaded question, “Where do you want to eat tonight?”
· What is the usual answer? I do not care. Then she would ask me and I would say, “I do not care.” Then we would drive around a bit and we would list off the places. Do you want to go here? No, what about here? No. What about here? No. Finally, we would settle on some place (usually Texas Corral).
· How many times have you dug through the cabinet, pantry, or refrigerator at home looking for something, but nothing looked good because you wanted something but you just did not know what you wanted? Finally, you settle for something that just does not satisfy.
· I believe the pursuit of satisfaction can be either one of the most frustrating pursuits of our lives or one of the most rewarding, depending on what we find.
· The pursuit of satisfaction can be frustrating if you spend your whole life looking for something and you do not know what you are looking for.
· When you know what you are looking for, the pursuit can be so rewarding when you find it.
· All of us have a hunger within us. What are we going to pursue in order to fill the hunger? I wonder how many people reach the end of their lives and feel a sense of emptiness because they tried to fill their hunger with the things of this world?
· People are not happy. They are discontent. I believe a lot of those feelings spring from looking in the wrong places for satisfaction.
We live in a culture that craves satisfaction but never finds it.
A “move into blessed living” requires we become poor in spirit and recognize our sinfulness. Next, we must mourn over our sin. Then, we must become meek and submit to the lordship of Christ. When we allow Jesus become our Lord or Master, we will naturally hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Today, we are going to look at the fourth Beatitude, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NKJV). To do that requires three movements.
I. CULTIVATE A GOOD SPIRITUAL APPETITE
A. Hunger and thirst remind us that eating and drinking are essential for healthy physical lives. Remember, righteousness is not optional for being spiritually healthy. To hunger and thirst after righteousness mean to have a starving spirit. It is real hunger and starvation of soul. It is a parched and dying thirst. It is a starving spirit and a parched soul that craves after al righteousness. It means a hunger and thirst for the whole thing---for all righteousness, not for little tidbits. This is significant: it means that the promise of a filled life is conditional. A person must starve and thirst for all righteousness if he or she wishes to be filled with the fulness of life.
B. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is, more than anything else, having a passionate desire for the things of God. We will want to worship Him, study His Word, talk to Him in prayer, and minister in His name. Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”
C. To cultivate a good spiritual appetite, we must avoid unhealthy “food,” such as pornography, casinos etc. We also must not water down the Word of God.
To find satisfaction through righteousness, you must
1. Cultivate A Good Spiritual Appetite
II. INVESTIGATE THE MEANING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
A. The word righteousness in Matthew 5:6 doesn’t refer to imputed righteousness, justification, or being saved. It refers to personal fidelity to God and a passionate desire for personal holiness. Righteousness is what pleases God. It does not mean keeping a lot of laws or living by a list of dos and don’ts.
B. A righteous person does good things and doesn’t even remember because he or she does them so naturally. When we hunger and thirst after righteousness, we desire more than anything else to be good people, which means being like Jesus Christ. We must allow the Holy Spirit to produce nine components of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22b-23a.
C. Righteousness is simply more and more like Jesus Christ!
To find satisfaction through righteousness, you must
1. Cultivate A Good Spiritual Appetite
2. Investigate The Meaning of Righteousness
III. EVALUATE YOUR LIFE
A. Jesus said we will be blessed if we hunger and thirst after righteousness because we will be filled (Matthew 5:6). The word filled means---you will be satisfied with divine contentment. This is because Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35)
B. God gives us a physical appetite to keep us alive. He gives us a spiritual appetite so we will come to Jesus and receive spiritual life. How do you know if you hunger and thirst after righteousness? You must evaluate your life in at least three areas.
1. Evaluate your schedule – How much time did you have for God during the last few months?
2. Evaluate your finances – If you hunger and thirst after righteousness, you will give back to God.
3. Evaluate your attitude toward people – Hungering and thirsting after righteousness will reveal your attitude toward others. To have a great attitude toward others, you must obey what command in Ephesians 4:32?
To find satisfaction through righteousness, you must
I. Cultivate A Good Spiritual Appetite
II. Investigate The Meaning of Righteousness
III. Evaluate Your Life
Responsive Reading: Psalm 42:1-8
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