WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.740 Matthew chapter 5. 00:00:07.540 --> 00:00:14.099 As we turn to Matthew chapter 5, you come into what's titled, as you see in the ESV Bible, 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:18.920 ! It's the Sermon on the Mount, so where Jesus is here with his disciples and a large crowd 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:24.539 ! Gathered and he's teaching them many different things about life and our experience in this 00:00:24.539 --> 00:00:31.739 world, but above all, our experience with him. And the Sermon on the Mount covers from chapter 5 00:00:31.739 --> 00:00:39.899 through to chapter 7 in Matthew's Gospel. We're going to focus this evening on one of the Beatitudes, 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:46.420 as they're called here, in verse 2 to verse 12. We're going to focus on that one I mentioned 00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:54.519 earlier in verse 6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be 00:00:54.520 --> 00:01:03.920 satisfied. When you turn to this sermon, the first thing we want to notice about the sermon is it's 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:12.659 not all about just how we practically live. It's not telling us these are the do's and don'ts in life. 00:01:13.540 --> 00:01:21.540 But first and foremost, we see that the Lord here is teaching us about his gracious ways towards us. 00:01:21.540 --> 00:01:29.540 It's not about what we do for him, but what he does, has done and will do for us as his people. 00:01:30.620 --> 00:01:35.240 And we have to bear that in mind as we go into this. If we're just looking for something where we're 00:01:35.240 --> 00:01:42.500 asking, Lord, what do I have to do? It's not all about that. Because our focus is first and foremost 00:01:42.500 --> 00:01:50.120 on the Lord himself, what he has done for us. And as you go through the Beatitudes, you realise 00:01:50.120 --> 00:01:55.560 that there is so much in them that he has already done. But you see that there's also things that he 00:01:55.560 --> 00:02:03.480 is yet to do for us as well. They're great sayings, these Beatitudes. They remind us of just how the 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:11.240 Lord is with his people in every kind of circumstance. And you see it just in the kind of things that it 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:17.159 speaks about. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek. There's a whole host of different kinds of 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:27.259 people mentioned here. So as we look at a Beatitude here, it helps us to see what the Lord has done 00:02:27.259 --> 00:02:35.500 for us. And they're not just found here in Matthew chapter 5. Beatitudes are found all the way through 00:02:35.500 --> 00:02:43.379 the scriptures. You have the same ones mentioned in Luke chapter 6, verse 20 to 22. It's mentioned 00:02:43.379 --> 00:02:49.000 there as well. But you see them in other places as well, like Psalm 1, which we sang together. 00:02:49.539 --> 00:02:58.019 Blessed is the man. So it's there speaking about a Beatitude, a blessing upon the one whose focus 00:02:58.019 --> 00:03:05.180 is on the Lord. And then what you find is in Psalm 1, it then goes on to describe what that person is 00:03:05.180 --> 00:03:10.900 like. They're like a tree that is planted near a river, which yields its fruit and its leaves are 00:03:10.900 --> 00:03:17.800 always green. So there's a blessing that we are finding in the Lord, but then we see that there 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:24.540 is profit from that as well, what the Lord does for us. So a Beatitude, it's like a statement, 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:32.780 a pronouncement from the Lord to his people, followed by a promise. So as you go through them 00:03:32.780 --> 00:03:40.240 here in verse 2 down to verse 12, you see, blessed are, and then it says, for they shall. 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:44.840 And so when you're thinking of Beatitude, you're thinking, well, if we want that blessing, 00:03:45.620 --> 00:03:51.200 what's in it? How do we find it? There's something for us to do. And as we look at verse 6, 00:03:51.700 --> 00:03:59.360 we are blessed when we hunger and thirst for righteousness. And when we do that, then we see 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:09.460 they shall be satisfied. And so it asks questions of us. It asks us, well, is that the way our heart 00:04:09.460 --> 00:04:19.060 is towards the Lord? Are we with that hunger and thirst for righteousness? As a people, we don't 00:04:19.060 --> 00:04:26.300 maybe know what it is to physically hunger and thirst. We can be well satisfied every day of our lives 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:31.639 with the food that we eat, with all that we have to drink to satisfy our thirst. There are people 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:40.139 around us, though, who do know what it is to physically hunger and thirst. And when you find that hunger 00:04:40.139 --> 00:04:48.519 and thirst satisfied, quenched, you realise then how powerful a thing it is to have that hunger satisfied. 00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:55.399 But this is looking at not just that kind of practical way, not that practical way at all. It's looking at 00:04:55.399 --> 00:05:05.120 how are we with the Lord? How are we hungering and thirsting for him? Like Psalm 42, which we sang 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:12.299 together as well. That's speaking of the deer that pants for the water. Do we have that desire for the 00:05:12.299 --> 00:05:21.500 Lord, that hunger, that thirst for the Lord? And so do we have that hunger and thirst for righteousness? 00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:27.259 We're going to look at this verse and just look at what it's saying to us as we see the different 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:34.699 words that are used in it. And we begin with the word blessed. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst 00:05:34.699 --> 00:05:42.220 for righteousness. Blessed is a word that's commonly used. We see it everywhere in the scriptures, Old and 00:05:42.220 --> 00:05:50.139 New Testament alike. It's a word that's used often and we use it often as well. We use it at the end of 00:05:50.139 --> 00:05:59.860 a text message or an email. Blessings to you. In some form we say blessed to people in day-to-day 00:05:59.860 --> 00:06:06.839 language. It's a word that's commonly used. There was the phrase hashtag blessed. The word is used in so 00:06:06.839 --> 00:06:15.339 many different ways. But what does it actually mean? It's used both from our perspective towards God 00:06:15.339 --> 00:06:24.099 and God's perspective towards us as well. In a sense of from ourselves towards God. It's what we do is 00:06:24.099 --> 00:06:33.019 we praise him as we worship him. When you think of Psalm 103, although my soul bless God the Lord and all 00:06:33.019 --> 00:06:42.939 that in me is, there's that sense of us blessing God and giving praise, giving worship to him. And it's that 00:06:42.939 --> 00:06:52.480 desire in the psalm is that his soul will be stirred up, stirred up to bless the Lord. So we can give that 00:06:52.480 --> 00:07:01.920 full praise to him. And so in terms of from our perspective towards God, it's about having that 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:10.360 right relationship with him. We know blessing when we are right with God. As we trust him, as we look to him, 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:18.340 as we lean on him, as we depend on him for all things. But then again, you see it, it's not just 00:07:18.340 --> 00:07:29.100 us towards God. It's more importantly, God towards us. Because blessing is divine. It's in God, it's from 00:07:29.100 --> 00:07:38.199 God. It's not some kind of emotional state that we find ourselves. And we're not blessed just when we 00:07:38.199 --> 00:07:44.839 have peace around us. We're not blessed when we are in good circumstances or when we're surrounded 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:52.879 by joy. It's much more than joy. And when you look at it as it's used in the Beatitudes, you realise, 00:07:53.019 --> 00:07:58.939 well, it has to be more than that. Because when you look at the circumstances that the Lord is speaking 00:07:58.939 --> 00:08:05.000 about here, it's not the natural place you would find joy as he goes through these Beatitudes. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:12.959 Blessed are the poor in spirit. It's not those who are rejoicing and glad. It's those who are poor 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:21.759 in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. So you see, it's not just circumstances that dictate how we are 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:28.519 blessed. It's much more than that. It's knowing that the Lord is there for us no matter what. One 00:08:28.519 --> 00:08:36.980 person noted it like this. Those who are blessed in this sense. Outwardly, they may have much to be 00:08:36.980 --> 00:08:43.840 pitied. But from the higher and therefore truer standpoint, they are to be envied, congratulated and 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:53.819 imitated. So it's not just looking at circumstances and saying that person is to be pitied when they have 00:08:53.820 --> 00:09:00.000 the Lord. Because when you look at it from God's perspective, they can be blessed because they are 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:08.360 trusting in him. And the Christian should be seen in that perspective. So that no matter what circumstance 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:16.480 we are in, we are going to know that God is with us. There are some people that translate the word 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:26.360 happy. Blessed and happy are used intermittently. They're interchangeable in some ways. But the problem 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:32.720 is when you look at the word happy and understand it in the English sense of the word, how do we 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:41.120 understand it? What does the word happy mean to us? Happy is an emotional state in many ways. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:48.139 And it's the opposite of sadness. It's the opposite of sorrow. So when we talk about being happy, 00:09:48.620 --> 00:09:55.060 generally we think about things that make us feel good, give us a sense of joy that there are good 00:09:55.060 --> 00:10:03.620 things going on in our lives. Happiness, we can be talking about circumstances. So if you get a new job, 00:10:03.620 --> 00:10:13.539 you're happy, you might also say you're blessed. When you get a promotion, you might say you're happy, 00:10:13.960 --> 00:10:22.600 but you might describe it as blessed. When you have a child or a grandchild, you're happy. And you say 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:28.879 you're blessed. And there's so many of these ways that we could describe that the word can go together. 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:37.220 Happy and blessed can go side by side. But would you say you're happy when you're in poor spirit? 00:10:38.419 --> 00:10:44.779 Would you say happy is the one who is mourning? We don't say it naturally because it's almost like 00:10:44.779 --> 00:10:53.740 the opposite. And so blessed is not just happy. It's a very different kind of meaning. And the meaning 00:10:53.740 --> 00:11:00.639 is found when we see in the Beatitudes, the circumstances. It's got a much deeper reality. 00:11:01.659 --> 00:11:08.460 It's much deeper than just a happiness in a good circumstance. It's a happiness, a blessed, 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:15.840 no matter what. So it's not to do with our circumstances. It's to do with what the Lord 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:25.899 is doing for us in our relationship with him. To know that God loves us, that God cares for us, 00:11:26.139 --> 00:11:33.420 that God has done great things for us. And what's what we see when you go through the scriptures, 00:11:33.420 --> 00:11:39.780 when you find God's people in so many different circumstances, they know they are blessed when 00:11:39.779 --> 00:11:48.199 they're able to look to God and know that he is there with them. Blessed are those who are poor in 00:11:48.199 --> 00:11:54.740 spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are those who are meek. There's so many things that you 00:11:54.740 --> 00:12:01.439 would say. It's not just happy, but blessed in knowing God. And so it is with blessed are those who 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:10.020 hunger and thirst for righteousness. It's not just happy in it, but knowing God's blessing in it. Just 00:12:10.020 --> 00:12:18.120 as we go back to Psalm 1 again, blessed is the man who walks in the ways of the Lord. And that ways of 00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:25.800 the Lord, it's not always straightforward. As you go through the likes of Psalm 23 as well, where you see 00:12:25.799 --> 00:12:32.500 God's blessing, it's in the midst of all the different varieties of life, whether it's by the still calm 00:12:32.500 --> 00:12:40.219 waters, whether it's through the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord is with us. And so blessed 00:12:40.219 --> 00:12:47.379 has that relational side to it, where we are trusting God, where we are seeking to bless God 00:12:47.379 --> 00:12:55.099 ourselves with all that we are, but we are seeking God's blessing on us in our right relationship 00:12:55.100 --> 00:13:03.820 with him. So it's not a prayer just asking God to bless us. Jesus isn't teaching us, pray like this 00:13:03.820 --> 00:13:13.580 here. It's more a reminder to us, a reminder to us to keep trusting God, to keep looking to God. 00:13:14.700 --> 00:13:22.639 Blessed is God's gracious way of dealing with his people. So there's so much in the word blessed, 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:25.840 blessed are those who hunger to bless us. And yes, we could say so much more about it as you find it 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:32.460 through the scriptures, but it's just a reminder to us of a relationship with the Lord. Whatever 00:13:32.460 --> 00:13:40.039 experience we have, whatever we're going through, that we can know God's blessing on us. And so the word 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:46.039 blessed then is used in each of these beatitudes, these statements that are made for us. 00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:54.459 But as we look at verse 6, we focus in then on blessed are those who hunger and thirst. 00:13:56.360 --> 00:14:03.399 There's a desire here, or there should be a desire here. If we want to know the blessing, 00:14:03.579 --> 00:14:11.259 then this is how we are going to know it. When we hunger and thirst, and we're hungering and thirsting 00:14:11.259 --> 00:14:19.740 for righteousness. This should be our attitude, if you like, towards righteousness. This is how we 00:14:19.740 --> 00:14:27.700 should be living our life. And are we? Are we living like this? Is this the way that we live? With this 00:14:27.700 --> 00:14:38.080 hunger and thirst for righteousness? He is speaking to a people who would have known times of real hunger 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:44.420 and thirst in that experience. We may not know it ourselves, but many of the people Jesus is teaching 00:14:44.420 --> 00:14:50.340 here, they would have. They would have experienced times of hunger and thirst in a literal way. 00:14:52.100 --> 00:14:57.780 And so as he's speaking to them, he's speaking into their experience and saying, well, in that experience, 00:14:58.860 --> 00:15:05.480 you longed, you hungered, you thirsted for something to take away that hunger, for something 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:13.159 to take away that thirst. And as he's speaking to them, he's saying, this is how your relationship 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:19.920 should be with the Lord as well. When you've known times of not having God, when you've been 00:15:19.920 --> 00:15:26.399 spiritually thirsty, when you've been spiritually hungry, when you've had no satisfaction in anything 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:33.800 that this world has offered, and yet you come and know the grace of God. You should keep longing 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:43.359 for it, longing, hungering, and thirsting for that righteousness. Like Psalm 42, the psalmist 00:15:43.359 --> 00:15:51.359 there describing the deer panting for the water. So pants my longing soul for you. That's what 00:15:51.359 --> 00:15:57.079 the psalmist is saying. Can we sing these words and say, well, that's my soul. That's my soul 00:15:57.080 --> 00:16:03.740 towards you as my Lord. I'm just panting for you. I'm yearning for you. I'm thirsting for 00:16:03.740 --> 00:16:04.820 you to know more. 00:16:04.820 --> 00:16:15.120 There are times when we just have to look at ourselves and ask, is that me? As I look 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:22.260 at these beatitudes, is that the way I am? Am I hungering and thirsting for righteousness? 00:16:22.259 --> 00:16:30.600 We are all capable of giving good praise to God. We are all capable of doing good things 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:37.080 for the cause of God. We're capable of praying to God in the good times. But do we do it all 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:44.259 the time? Do we do it in the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows? Are we a people who 00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:54.879 have that hunger and thirst for righteousness? To have that right walk with God? There was 00:16:54.879 --> 00:17:03.919 a story from World War I when the Allied forces, they were in the Middle East at the time and 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:09.839 they were chasing the enemy, if you like, through the desert. And they were going through battle 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:16.119 after battle after battle, slowly making their way through the desert. But as they were journeying 00:17:16.119 --> 00:17:21.799 on, they were realising their supplies were running low and water was starting to become scarce. 00:17:22.819 --> 00:17:27.720 And they thought, well, we can't keep on fighting if we don't have any water. And so as they were 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:33.539 pressing on, they realised they had to get somewhere that they could get that water supply replenished. 00:17:34.159 --> 00:17:39.679 And they were marching through the hot desert. And so as they were journeying on, they realised 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:45.080 they were in trouble. But they knew where they could get water and they decided, we need to get 00:17:45.080 --> 00:17:52.080 there. We can't keep fighting without this supply. But it took them so long to get there, they lost 00:17:52.080 --> 00:18:00.080 many of the battalion on the way. But eventually, they reached the place where the water supply was. 00:18:00.940 --> 00:18:06.779 But they were exhausted. Many of them were almost collapsing. And there were so many of them and 00:18:06.779 --> 00:18:13.079 they couldn't all get to the water immediately. And they also had to set up defence in case an attack 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:19.599 came. So it was agreed that those who were the fittest would go on lookout to guard against the 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:26.680 enemy coming. And those who were the weakest would go to the water first. And one soldier who was a 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:33.319 Christian was in those who was feeling fitter at the time. And they had to wait until they got the 00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:41.279 chance to drink the water themselves. For four hours, they waited. And eventually, he got to the water 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:50.099 himself. But as he did, and as he reflected later on, he said, we realised and learned a real lesson 00:18:50.099 --> 00:18:57.740 in that time. And he said it like this, as we marched from Beersheba to the Sharia wells, 00:18:57.740 --> 00:19:07.339 He said, if we're such our thirst for God, our thirst for righteousness and for his will 00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:15.299 in our lives, a consuming, all-embracing, preoccupying desire. This was his reflection on the thirst 00:19:15.299 --> 00:19:23.220 that he experienced. If that was our thirst to God, how rich would all of us be in the fruit 00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:31.059 of the Spirit? That was the lesson that he took from that thirst. To realise that longing for his 00:19:31.059 --> 00:19:37.579 natural thirst to be quenched. If only he had that thirst, if we had that thirst for God, 00:19:38.019 --> 00:19:46.440 how rich would all of us be in the fruit of the Spirit? Jesus is speaking about that intense 00:19:46.440 --> 00:19:56.140 longing. Where we're hungering and thirsting for righteousness. And so that hunger and thirst 00:19:56.140 --> 00:20:03.320 is directed towards, thirdly, righteousness. Righteousness. 00:20:05.320 --> 00:20:13.480 And we note here that the people, it's not that the people are righteous. They have a righteousness 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:22.180 through faith. But that there's still a longing for more. And what is this righteousness that 00:20:22.180 --> 00:20:27.960 we are hungering and thirsting for? Well, again, the word righteousness, it can have different 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:33.579 meanings. There's at least three different meanings you could take. Ways that the word righteousness 00:20:33.579 --> 00:20:44.679 is used. One is a legal righteousness. Where we're looking at it more in the courtroom kind 00:20:44.679 --> 00:20:52.819 of setting. Where a righteousness is a legal standing. Guilty or not guilty. And as we think 00:20:52.819 --> 00:20:58.720 of that, well, if we're hungering and thirsting for righteousness, what are we wanting with God? 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:07.420 We are wanting to be found that the verdict is not guilty. That our sins are forgiven. That 00:21:07.420 --> 00:21:13.400 instead of our righteousness, which are like filthy rags, we are hungering and thirsting for 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:21.960 the righteousness of Christ. By which we know that we are forgiven our sins. So that as we 00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:27.860 appear at the judgment seat of Christ, as we appear on the day of judgment, that we will be 00:21:27.859 --> 00:21:36.439 declared right with God. So there's that aspect of it. There's another aspect of it as well, 00:21:36.639 --> 00:21:43.759 as we think of hungering and thirsting for righteousness. It's this ongoing nature of it 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:50.500 as well. It's not just coming to the well and taking a drink and your thirst is satisfied 00:21:50.500 --> 00:21:59.279 and you're done. It's that thirst is satisfied until the next time. And so it is with our hunger 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:05.779 and thirst for the righteousness of God. It's always ongoing. We never have a full store. We're 00:22:05.779 --> 00:22:14.680 never fully satisfied. We're always with that need of it on an ongoing basis. And so our righteousness 00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:22.019 is linked into our sanctification as it were. We're going on with the Lord. We're growing in the Lord. 00:22:22.100 --> 00:22:29.120 We're growing to be like the Lord. So that his righteousness is becoming our righteousness more 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:36.299 and more. And then there's a third meaning for righteousness here as well. This righteousness 00:22:36.299 --> 00:22:43.000 that we are hungering and thirsting for isn't just for ourselves, but it's for all around us. 00:22:44.099 --> 00:22:48.879 So that as we experience this righteousness, as we are blessed in this righteousness, 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:55.699 our longing is that this righteousness will go out to all others. And you see that throughout the 00:22:55.700 --> 00:23:01.299 scriptures, through the Old and the New Testament, righteousness exalts a nation. So it's not just 00:23:01.299 --> 00:23:07.640 about an individual righteousness. It's a collective righteousness where we're not just saying, well, 00:23:07.720 --> 00:23:13.100 I'm going to hunger and thirst for righteousness, but we will hunger and thirst for righteousness. 00:23:13.100 --> 00:23:18.120 As a church, as a nation, as a world, this should be our longing, our desire. 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:28.119 This is what the Lord wants for his people everywhere, to know his righteousness. So that when we have it for 00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:35.939 ourselves, we know that we are declared righteous in Christ. When we see it as a need for ongoing, 00:23:36.479 --> 00:23:43.859 but that we see it too, that it goes out broader. It grows beyond just us, goes beyond just our walls. 00:23:43.859 --> 00:23:52.019 It goes out into all around us. So the hunger and thirst for righteousness should be part of our 00:23:52.019 --> 00:23:58.359 mission as well. Where that mission is when you receive water, when you receive food, you don't 00:23:58.359 --> 00:24:04.419 just keep it all to yourself. If there's others who are hungry and thirsty around you, you share it out. 00:24:06.099 --> 00:24:12.639 And so there's a sense of that mission in these words as well. Where this righteousness is not just 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:21.940 contained to ourselves, but shared with others. As a righteousness that's described in the scriptures 00:24:21.940 --> 00:24:28.759 in different ways as well. In Romans chapter three, the righteousness from God comes through faith 00:24:28.759 --> 00:24:34.720 in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference for all have sinned and fall short 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:45.900 of the glory of God. We all fall short. Everyone around us falls short. But this righteousness comes through faith 00:24:45.900 --> 00:24:57.880 in Jesus Christ. And we don't depend on our own righteousness. Ezekiel chapter 33 verse 13 makes that clear for us. 00:24:57.880 --> 00:25:05.960 So if I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, 00:25:06.520 --> 00:25:11.920 none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. He will die for the evil he has done. 00:25:12.320 --> 00:25:19.240 So there's the warning. A righteous man, but he trusts in his own righteousness and does evil. 00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:29.859 So we need to keep going in this righteousness as well. Don't trust in our own, but hunger and thirst 00:25:29.859 --> 00:25:35.200 for the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. 00:25:38.380 --> 00:25:40.299 And then you see, finally, 00:25:41.660 --> 00:25:44.480 blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness, 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:47.900 for they shall be satisfied. 00:25:49.019 --> 00:25:53.039 And so here is the promise that God gives to his people. 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:56.319 They shall be satisfied. 00:25:57.900 --> 00:25:58.480 And this 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:01.279 final part reminds us 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:02.759 of two things. 00:26:04.220 --> 00:26:05.480 The first thing is, 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:07.360 not everyone 00:26:07.360 --> 00:26:08.660 will be blessed. 00:26:08.660 --> 00:26:13.779 because not everyone hungers and thirsts 00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:14.940 for righteousness. 00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:18.300 And so it's only through this righteousness, 00:26:18.540 --> 00:26:20.540 this righteousness that comes 00:26:20.540 --> 00:26:22.880 through faith in Jesus Christ 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:24.560 that anyone will ever 00:26:24.560 --> 00:26:25.980 be satisfied. 00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:30.640 And there's that warning there for us 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:31.060 too, 00:26:32.120 --> 00:26:33.220 that there are those 00:26:33.220 --> 00:26:34.380 who are perishing, 00:26:35.019 --> 00:26:37.019 that there are those who are perishing 00:26:37.019 --> 00:26:38.519 in their sin. 00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:40.180 And so, 00:26:40.940 --> 00:26:41.799 as a people, 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:44.139 that is why the righteousness of Christ 00:26:44.139 --> 00:26:45.660 needs to be made known 00:26:45.660 --> 00:26:46.779 to others. 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:49.299 That they would not perish, 00:26:49.960 --> 00:26:51.339 but come to believe 00:26:51.339 --> 00:26:53.379 in the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:26:53.460 --> 00:26:54.460 Because they're chasing after 00:26:54.460 --> 00:26:55.799 everything in this world 00:26:55.799 --> 00:26:57.259 that will satisfy, 00:26:57.480 --> 00:26:58.359 that will fill them, 00:26:58.720 --> 00:27:00.319 that will make them happy, 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:02.319 that they might call blessed, 00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:04.660 but that without Christ 00:27:04.660 --> 00:27:05.319 is nothing. 00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:08.740 And so there's a warning. 00:27:10.480 --> 00:27:11.639 But there's also 00:27:11.639 --> 00:27:13.139 a promise. 00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:15.480 There is a promise 00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:16.559 in there as well. 00:27:17.339 --> 00:27:18.420 That for those 00:27:18.420 --> 00:27:19.500 who keep going, 00:27:19.639 --> 00:27:20.639 for those who hunger 00:27:20.639 --> 00:27:21.720 and thirst 00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:22.859 for this righteousness, 00:27:23.500 --> 00:27:25.259 they shall be satisfied. 00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:27.079 And 00:27:27.079 --> 00:27:29.059 this is a sense of 00:27:29.059 --> 00:27:30.160 what we would call 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:31.379 the already, 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:33.400 but the not yet. 00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:35.519 that we have 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:37.480 much to be thankful for 00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:39.120 and we have many blessings 00:27:39.120 --> 00:27:39.820 here. 00:27:40.740 --> 00:27:42.000 But that we can remember 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:43.080 that there's so much 00:27:43.080 --> 00:27:43.920 more to come. 00:27:45.120 --> 00:27:45.860 And when you look at 00:27:45.860 --> 00:27:46.940 the other Beatitudes 00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:48.000 here as well, 00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:49.600 you realise 00:27:49.600 --> 00:27:50.800 that it's not just 00:27:50.800 --> 00:27:51.940 for the here and now, 00:27:52.040 --> 00:27:52.460 but for 00:27:52.460 --> 00:27:54.420 the future as well 00:27:54.420 --> 00:27:55.340 and for eternity 00:27:55.340 --> 00:27:56.680 in many ways. 00:27:56.680 --> 00:27:59.180 blessed are the poor 00:27:59.180 --> 00:27:59.779 in spirit, 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:00.680 for theirs 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:02.080 is the kingdom 00:28:02.080 --> 00:28:02.759 of heaven. 00:28:04.299 --> 00:28:04.880 Blessed 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:05.940 are those 00:28:05.940 --> 00:28:06.660 who mourn, 00:28:07.100 --> 00:28:08.259 for they shall 00:28:08.259 --> 00:28:09.720 be comforted. 00:28:10.140 --> 00:28:11.100 Blessed are the meek, 00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:12.539 for they shall 00:28:12.539 --> 00:28:14.200 inherit the earth. 00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:15.000 Blessed are the 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:15.420 merciful, 00:28:15.980 --> 00:28:16.600 for they shall 00:28:16.600 --> 00:28:17.420 receive mercy. 00:28:17.420 --> 00:28:18.600 Blessed are the pure 00:28:18.600 --> 00:28:19.080 in heart, 00:28:19.640 --> 00:28:20.240 for they shall 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:21.299 see God. 00:28:21.299 --> 00:28:22.819 there's so many 00:28:22.819 --> 00:28:24.099 of these blessings, 00:28:24.299 --> 00:28:24.740 Beatitudes, 00:28:24.940 --> 00:28:25.419 that yes, 00:28:25.500 --> 00:28:26.539 there's blessing now, 00:28:27.619 --> 00:28:28.659 but there's so much 00:28:28.659 --> 00:28:29.500 more to come. 00:28:30.619 --> 00:28:31.419 There's so much 00:28:31.419 --> 00:28:32.599 more to look 00:28:32.599 --> 00:28:33.759 forward to. 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:35.220 1 Corinthians 00:28:35.220 --> 00:28:36.480 chapter 2 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:37.119 verse 9 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:37.579 and 10 00:28:37.579 --> 00:28:38.019 it says, 00:28:38.019 --> 00:28:39.059 but as it is written, 00:28:39.619 --> 00:28:40.319 what no eye 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:40.899 has seen, 00:28:41.019 --> 00:28:41.919 nor ear heard, 00:28:42.019 --> 00:28:42.599 nor the heart 00:28:42.599 --> 00:28:43.619 of man imagined, 00:28:44.099 --> 00:28:44.819 what God 00:28:44.819 --> 00:28:45.619 has prepared 00:28:45.619 --> 00:28:46.519 for those 00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:47.180 who love him. 00:28:47.720 --> 00:28:48.419 These things 00:28:48.419 --> 00:28:49.440 God has revealed 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:50.039 to us 00:28:50.039 --> 00:28:51.460 through the Spirit, 00:28:51.559 --> 00:28:52.159 for the Spirit 00:28:52.159 --> 00:28:53.379 searches everything, 00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:54.879 even the depths 00:28:54.879 --> 00:28:55.960 of God. 00:28:57.039 --> 00:28:58.180 We cannot 00:28:58.180 --> 00:28:59.579 imagine it. 00:29:00.920 --> 00:29:01.740 What no eye 00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:02.319 has seen, 00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:03.319 nor ear heard, 00:29:03.399 --> 00:29:03.940 nor heart 00:29:03.940 --> 00:29:04.899 of man imagined, 00:29:04.899 --> 00:29:05.899 what God 00:29:05.899 --> 00:29:06.659 has prepared 00:29:06.659 --> 00:29:07.440 for those 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:08.079 who love him. 00:29:08.819 --> 00:29:09.559 And so as you 00:29:09.559 --> 00:29:10.639 look at the Beatitudes 00:29:10.639 --> 00:29:12.319 and the promises 00:29:12.319 --> 00:29:13.200 that there are 00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:13.759 in them, 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:14.980 and we see 00:29:14.980 --> 00:29:15.659 the grace 00:29:15.659 --> 00:29:16.240 and love 00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:16.799 of God 00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:17.819 towards us, 00:29:18.139 --> 00:29:19.299 it reminds us 00:29:19.299 --> 00:29:19.779 that he has 00:29:19.779 --> 00:29:20.399 prepared 00:29:20.399 --> 00:29:21.399 a place 00:29:21.399 --> 00:29:22.299 for his people. 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:23.539 He has prepared 00:29:23.539 --> 00:29:24.399 a renewing 00:29:24.399 --> 00:29:25.799 for his people. 00:29:26.440 --> 00:29:26.920 The poor 00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:27.740 in spirit, 00:29:28.399 --> 00:29:28.980 they will have 00:29:28.980 --> 00:29:29.559 the kingdom 00:29:29.559 --> 00:29:30.139 of heaven. 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:32.079 Those who mourn, 00:29:32.759 --> 00:29:33.720 they will be 00:29:33.720 --> 00:29:34.519 comforted 00:29:34.519 --> 00:29:36.180 and fully comforted 00:29:36.180 --> 00:29:37.180 in the coming 00:29:37.180 --> 00:29:37.819 of the Lord. 00:29:37.879 --> 00:29:38.359 When you think 00:29:38.359 --> 00:29:39.119 of the book 00:29:39.119 --> 00:29:39.940 of Revelation 00:29:39.940 --> 00:29:41.059 and what it says, 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:42.039 how the Lord 00:29:42.039 --> 00:29:43.220 himself will wipe 00:29:43.220 --> 00:29:44.480 away every tear. 00:29:45.799 --> 00:29:46.460 We don't have 00:29:46.460 --> 00:29:47.019 that yet, 00:29:47.059 --> 00:29:47.639 it's still 00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:48.600 to come, 00:29:49.160 --> 00:29:49.600 but we have 00:29:49.600 --> 00:29:50.160 so much 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:50.980 to look forward. 00:29:52.060 --> 00:29:52.540 We cannot 00:29:52.540 --> 00:29:53.460 imagine what 00:29:53.460 --> 00:29:54.420 God has prepared 00:29:54.420 --> 00:29:55.560 for those 00:29:55.560 --> 00:29:56.480 who love him. 00:29:57.259 --> 00:29:58.040 And so there's 00:29:58.040 --> 00:29:59.240 so much more 00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:00.300 to come. 00:30:01.259 --> 00:30:02.200 But the question 00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:03.259 is as we finish, 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:05.120 is it what 00:30:05.120 --> 00:30:06.700 we're hungering 00:30:06.700 --> 00:30:07.580 and thirsting 00:30:07.580 --> 00:30:08.220 for? 00:30:09.320 --> 00:30:10.400 Blessed are 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:11.840 those who hunger 00:30:11.840 --> 00:30:12.400 and thirst 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:13.200 for righteousness, 00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:14.519 for they shall 00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:15.980 be satisfied. 00:30:18.220 --> 00:30:19.059 This isn't just 00:30:19.059 --> 00:30:19.720 receiving 00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:21.160 a thimble 00:30:21.160 --> 00:30:21.900 of water 00:30:21.900 --> 00:30:23.080 to quench 00:30:23.080 --> 00:30:23.920 a bit of your 00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:24.400 thirst. 00:30:25.120 --> 00:30:25.900 This is 00:30:25.900 --> 00:30:26.860 the fountain 00:30:26.860 --> 00:30:27.480 of life 00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:28.059 that the Lord 00:30:28.059 --> 00:30:28.960 has to give 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:30.299 to his people. 00:30:30.460 --> 00:30:31.340 It makes 00:30:31.340 --> 00:30:32.059 our cup 00:30:32.059 --> 00:30:33.140 overflow. 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:35.740 When we hunger 00:30:35.740 --> 00:30:36.500 and thirst, 00:30:37.140 --> 00:30:37.980 we shall 00:30:37.980 --> 00:30:39.440 be satisfied. 00:30:40.059 --> 00:30:40.620 To go back 00:30:40.620 --> 00:30:41.120 to what that 00:30:41.120 --> 00:30:42.180 Christian soldier 00:30:42.180 --> 00:30:42.600 said, 00:30:42.680 --> 00:30:43.220 if such 00:30:43.220 --> 00:30:44.060 were our 00:30:44.060 --> 00:30:45.259 thirst for God, 00:30:45.340 --> 00:30:45.940 our thirst 00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:46.820 for righteousness 00:30:46.820 --> 00:30:48.039 and for his 00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:48.759 will in our 00:30:48.759 --> 00:30:49.120 lives, 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:49.980 a consuming, 00:30:50.460 --> 00:30:51.460 all-embracing, 00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:52.539 preoccupying 00:30:52.539 --> 00:30:53.180 desire, 00:30:53.960 --> 00:30:54.660 how rich 00:30:54.660 --> 00:30:55.340 would all 00:30:55.340 --> 00:30:55.960 of us be 00:30:55.960 --> 00:30:57.299 in the fruit 00:30:57.299 --> 00:30:58.620 of the Spirit? 00:31:00.039 --> 00:31:00.620 Is that 00:31:00.620 --> 00:31:01.920 our hunger 00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:03.120 and thirst 00:31:03.120 --> 00:31:03.779 this evening 00:31:03.779 --> 00:31:04.779 for the 00:31:04.779 --> 00:31:05.380 righteousness 00:31:05.380 --> 00:31:06.779 of God 00:31:06.779 --> 00:31:07.320 that comes 00:31:07.320 --> 00:31:08.700 through faith 00:31:08.700 --> 00:31:09.360 to know 00:31:09.360 --> 00:31:10.799 we will be 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:12.160 fully satisfied. 00:31:12.180 --> 00:31:13.039 may we have 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:14.299 that hunger 00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:15.299 and thirst. 00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:15.960 Let us pray. 00:31:18.620 --> 00:31:19.100 Lord, 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:19.840 our gracious 00:31:19.840 --> 00:31:20.320 God, 00:31:20.380 --> 00:31:21.080 as we come 00:31:21.080 --> 00:31:21.640 to your 00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:21.960 word, 00:31:22.060 --> 00:31:22.539 it so often 00:31:22.539 --> 00:31:23.380 reminds us 00:31:23.380 --> 00:31:24.539 of how far 00:31:24.539 --> 00:31:25.340 away we are 00:31:25.340 --> 00:31:25.920 from what we 00:31:25.920 --> 00:31:26.580 should be. 00:31:27.299 --> 00:31:28.019 But we thank 00:31:28.019 --> 00:31:28.480 you that you 00:31:28.480 --> 00:31:29.060 are a God 00:31:29.060 --> 00:31:29.820 who speaks, 00:31:29.960 --> 00:31:30.400 a God 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:31.620 who hears 00:31:31.620 --> 00:31:32.480 our cries, 00:31:32.600 --> 00:31:33.120 who knows 00:31:33.120 --> 00:31:33.880 our longings, 00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:35.000 who knows 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:36.120 our shortcomings, 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:37.080 and yet is so 00:31:37.080 --> 00:31:38.019 gracious and 00:31:38.019 --> 00:31:39.100 faithful towards 00:31:39.100 --> 00:31:39.400 us. 00:31:39.400 --> 00:31:40.440 and we 00:31:40.440 --> 00:31:40.960 thank you 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:41.380 for your 00:31:41.380 --> 00:31:41.960 word and 00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:42.340 how you 00:31:42.340 --> 00:31:42.820 have given 00:31:42.820 --> 00:31:44.120 it to us 00:31:44.120 --> 00:31:44.660 for every 00:31:44.660 --> 00:31:45.880 experience of 00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:46.320 life. 00:31:46.980 --> 00:31:47.440 To know 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:48.140 that to be 00:31:48.140 --> 00:31:48.840 blessed is 00:31:48.840 --> 00:31:49.400 not just to 00:31:49.400 --> 00:31:49.980 be happy 00:31:49.980 --> 00:31:51.060 when things 00:31:51.060 --> 00:31:51.500 are going 00:31:51.500 --> 00:31:51.900 well, 00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:52.920 but to be 00:31:52.920 --> 00:31:53.560 blessed is 00:31:53.560 --> 00:31:53.980 to know 00:31:53.980 --> 00:31:54.340 that you 00:31:54.340 --> 00:31:54.740 are with 00:31:54.740 --> 00:31:55.259 us through 00:31:55.259 --> 00:31:55.980 all things, 00:31:56.080 --> 00:31:56.300 that you 00:31:56.300 --> 00:31:57.100 never leave 00:31:57.100 --> 00:31:58.420 or forsake 00:31:58.420 --> 00:31:59.300 your people, 00:31:59.840 --> 00:32:00.220 that you 00:32:00.220 --> 00:32:00.940 remind us 00:32:00.940 --> 00:32:01.380 that you 00:32:01.380 --> 00:32:02.420 take us 00:32:02.420 --> 00:32:03.519 through this 00:32:03.519 --> 00:32:03.920 world, 00:32:04.080 --> 00:32:04.519 through all 00:32:04.519 --> 00:32:05.340 its challenges, 00:32:05.580 --> 00:32:05.980 through all 00:32:05.980 --> 00:32:06.680 its ups and 00:32:06.680 --> 00:32:06.980 downs, 00:32:06.980 --> 00:32:07.299 but that 00:32:07.299 --> 00:32:07.799 we have 00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:09.000 even more 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:09.460 to look 00:32:09.460 --> 00:32:10.380 forward to, 00:32:10.460 --> 00:32:10.960 the things 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:11.660 that no eye 00:32:11.660 --> 00:32:12.519 has imagined 00:32:12.519 --> 00:32:13.180 or seen, 00:32:13.660 --> 00:32:14.360 of what God 00:32:14.360 --> 00:32:15.039 has prepared 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.640 for those 00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:16.059 who love 00:32:16.059 --> 00:32:16.259 him. 00:32:16.759 --> 00:32:17.200 And so we 00:32:17.200 --> 00:32:17.500 pray, 00:32:17.660 --> 00:32:17.759 Lord, 00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:18.059 that you 00:32:18.059 --> 00:32:18.519 will make 00:32:18.519 --> 00:32:19.559 us hunger 00:32:19.559 --> 00:32:20.220 and thirst 00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:20.660 for your 00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:21.279 righteousness 00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:22.380 day by day 00:32:22.380 --> 00:32:23.360 and more 00:32:23.360 --> 00:32:23.920 by more. 00:32:24.019 --> 00:32:24.440 So hear 00:32:24.440 --> 00:32:25.140 our prayers, 00:32:25.259 --> 00:32:25.880 forgive our 00:32:25.880 --> 00:32:26.380 sins, 00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:27.279 we ask 00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:27.720 all in 00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:28.079 Jesus' 00:32:28.360 --> 00:32:28.539 name. 00:32:29.079 --> 00:32:29.400 Amen.