Blessed Are Those Who Hunger

I realized that I haven't been to SFBC for about three months now and OH, what a JOY it was for me to learn and grow with such an amazing community of believers. Although some may agree that this church is on the extreme conservative side, I love how each and every sermon revolves around the GOSPEL. And even though I've only attended about 5 services, I feel such a strong sense of community and love that fills up the room.

The pastor has been doing a study: the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5. And today we went over the verse: Matthew 5:6 -"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

If you want to listen in, here's the podcast! Click on the link: 03/21, 28.2mb -Blessed Hunger, Matt 5:6, Pastor Alton

Here are the notes I took in sermon, enjoy! :)

What is our response to recession? It's not about the recession per se, rather it is about how we respond to recession.
Recessions left us with no better response than with- distrusting God. (distrust, an overwhelming amount of negative attitudes towards God, such as anger)
Recession is when God changes our standards of living and we grow upset.

Recession is not the problem, however idolatry is the great problem of the day.
Bibically an idol is anything you seek or place above God. (such as: family, friends, career, relationships, children)
We pursue that, because we feel that it can make us happy.
So many of us are hungering and thirsting for idols. Rather we should hunger and thirst for God.

1. The call to spiritual hunger
Speaks for longing, desire that resides in our soul, a strong sense of yearning.
The Bible uses a really good analogy. Eating and drink - is ideal for the strongest craving.
It goes beyond a mild desire, rather an intense longing in order to live.
We don't really understand hunger/thirst (literally). Rather those who are literally dealing with hunger eat so they can live. Those who undergo starvation die of famine and drought.
Many have died, Africa have undergone starvation.
Hunger is known to be a close neighbor to 3rd world countries today.
This type of hunger- hunger and thirst for righteousness not physically, but spiritually
The person will travel anywhere/pay any amount of $$$- for water/food & only pursue that one thing (Persevere and do whatever it takes for it)
One who is hungry for spiritual food would do anything for it/do whatever it takes
Jesus says if you're hungry, come. I will draw near.
Those who are hungry are humble
They are willing to lay down their pride and rights when eating foods.
Sometimes we become food critics and have preferences regarding the food, whether it's too salty, too little, too sweet, to hard. (Professional food critic)
Seek to be fed, without expectations, do whatever it takes to be fed.
How often we are church critics who come up with preferences (different theology, music is too loud, too contemporary, too traditional)
The Persecuted (good example)- the hungry/thirsty (China, India) They worship in closed rooms, in restaurants, no instruments, secretly read the Bible
We at times complain about the facility. We need to repent about being a critic.
Does this hunger/thirst, a representation of your life?
Kinds of Christians- sometimes we label Christians as strong, chill, but rather there is one type of Christian. THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

2. Object of Spiritual Hunger
Legal Righteousness= Justification
Moral Righteousness= Sanctification
Christ refers to both as necessary
Catholics/Jehovah's witness= work based salvation
1 sin is enough to condemn. God asks us to be wholly pure.
How can we obtain this? imputation of righteousness?
Legal righteousness- judge that pronounces us as righteous.
We need a foreign righteousness (Jesus Christ's Righteousness), for we cannot obtain righteousness.
God inputs Christ's righteousness to us
Christ who knew no sin, substituted himself
He dies a death for us, but righteous we are now in God's eyes.
God treated Christ like us, and us like Christ
He did this because he is merciful and kind
Moral righteousness-> sanctification <- character and conduct (Christ obtained this)

Psalm 63 (English Standard Version)

Psalm 63

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David,^A)">(A) when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

¹O God, you are my God;^B)">(B) earnestly I seek you;
^C)">(C) my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in^D)">(D) a dry and weary land where there is no water.
²So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding^E)">(E) your power and glory.
³Because your^F)">(F) steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
⁴So I will bless you^G)">(G) as long as I live;
in your^H)">(H) name I will^I)">(I) lift up my hands.

⁵My soul will be^J)">(J) satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
⁶when I remember you^K)">(K) upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
⁷for you have been my help,
and in^L)">(L) the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
⁸My soul^M)">(M) clings to you;
your right hand^N)">(N) upholds me.

3. Promises of God
Blessed- you will be blessed. Happy and satisfied within God's kingdom
Happy does NOT come from those who seek for happiness
Paradox is- can't use happiness to make ourselves happy, rather to live out in Godliness. Happiness is internal, not external
They shall BE satisfied. John 4, 6:35

John 6:35 (English Standard Version)

³⁵Jesus said to them, ^A)">(A) "I am the bread of life;^B)">(B) whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

What is keeping us from wholeheartedly thirsting for God? Don't pursue these things, but purse the ultimate thing, GOD

There is a God filled vacuum in us, no one can fill it up but God.