The Blessing of Being Unsatisfied
Great breakfast – Thanks to Church life
Same day as Blessed hunger and thirst … for shall be filled
Everybody yawn on 3 -- see you sleeping – men in back will wake you
Satisfied? Lunch?
What satisfies you? How do you know when you are? Culture – never
Needs preeminent -- should meet our needs if do we will be satisfied
Solomon did
that – wasn’t satisfied – Eccles
Like Solomon I have pursued things thought satisfy me
Scholarship – wanted to die
What are you pursuing to gain some sense of satisfaction, or fulfillment? Power, prestige, pop?
Degree? Job? Marriage? Kids? House? 2nd House? Retire early? Car? Boat? Plane?
Some turn to fighting, quarrels (James) sex, drugs, alcohol, food, work. WW - gluttony
Yet none of these things will ultimately satisfy us.
Au
Jesus – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled”
J Lasting satisfaction comes when we pursue personal holiness, when we pursue C
But why would you want to pursue personal holiness? How boring is that?
How lead to satisfaction?
Review Beatitudes – Ladder – poor, mourn, meek – obedient, -
Beatitudes a Picture of Christ
poor – humbled self
mourned – Heb 5:7, Jerusalem Lk 11
gentle – obedient – went to cross – never sinned – no insults
hungered and thirsted for righteousness –Devil stones – bread
If poor, mourn, gentle obedient, want to become like Christ – pursue Him and personal holiness
Lasting satisfaction only comes when we pursue personal holiness.
Why do I say pursue personal holiness? Jesus blessing for those who hunger and thirst …
We must ask the question what does righteousness mean here?
Said last week, “Once saved, always saved.” When trust Christ God declares us righteous.
Debt of sin paid for and applied to us. Given the righteousness of Christ as a gift.
Romans
2 Cor
Made right – blood of Christ. Forgiven 4 ever. Allows be with God 4ever.
Positional righteousness – right with God 4 all eternity.
Jesus here talking to disciples not unsaved -- so talking personal, practical righteousness.
If declared right with God, should live in light of that – holy – set apart – difference.
If meek, obedient == difference from unsaved people. Different character.
Danger – 6 things holy
Legalists can give you lists.
Holiness churches – legalistic – fruit inspectors – measure spirituality – behavior.
Keep in line – lose salvation – Grace – nothing separate eternally – righteous.
Jesus says “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for practical, personal holiness, for they will be satisfied.” Jesus is saying if you are pursuing personal holiness, you will be satisfied.
Interesting Greek here – verbs of wanting or desire – take genitive case – referring to part of object that occurs in sentence.
If normal construction – Jesus would have said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for part of my righteousness but he didn’t.
Construction – different case – means hunger and thirst for all of God’s righteousness.
This means we are to pursue personal holiness with all our heart.
I Peter
If we are pursuing righteousness we won’t be like the man the pastor brought up to give a testimony about their 50 yr. marriage. “How did you manage to stay together all those years?”
Ralph turned to the congregation and said, "Well, I treated her with respect and spent money on her—but mostly I took her traveling on special occasions."
The pastor asked, "Trips to where?"
"For our
25th anniversary," Ralph answered, "I took her to
The crowd nodded and murmured in appreciation. When things quieted down, the pastor winked and said: "What a terrific example you are to husbands, Ralph. So, tell us where you're going now for your 50th anniversary?"
Ralph replied, "I'm going to go back and get her."
Lasting satisfaction only comes when we pursue personal holiness, when we pursue Christ.
No, we will pursue holiness with all our heart. But what does holiness mean?
Or how do we pursue holiness without being weird? Holy people are weird people, I think. Weirdest group – pastors – pray Gracious GAWD Dad – Tony Jenetta
Not wanting to be weird, I asked my FAT brothers to help me with the definition
Here’s how some of them defined holiness –
One said, “my underwear” Guess who that was? G also sacred, reverent
pure - free from all that is bad Rob Bruce
holiness means having a quality of God-like-ness
holiness is "God-like living". Danny
Holiness "conduct becoming of a Christian." Dave Ellis
But how do we pursue holiness?
Pat Summerall – saved at 60 - About prayer meetings and Bible studies Summerall comments: "It's like an alcoholic looking for a drink. If he wants it bad enough, he can find it—no matter what. I'm like that when it comes to finding prayer services and Bible studies. No matter where I am working, I know that they're out there and I can find them."
Pat who is an alcoholic is now sober and looking for living water.
Bible Studies and prayer can certainly help but they are no guarantee.
Can go to bible studies and prayer and think superior.
No have to pursue the one who is righteous, who knew no sin, who was perfect.
The one
whom Paul calls our righteousness, holiness and redemption in I C
As we behold Christ in Bible studies, prayer, worship, in each other, service projects, meditation, we become like him. That’s the new covenant. We don’t become like him by trying to be like him. We become like him as we look at him, study him, spend time with him, talk with him, read about him, talk about him. Pursuing Christ takes time so don’t think you are if you are not giving him any of your time.
Satisfaction comes when we pursue holiness, when we pursue Christ.
If we don’t understand this, then we attempt to find satisfaction every where else, particularly in relationships.
Oswald
Chambers has said: 
The
man or woman who does not know God demands an infinite satisfaction from other
human beings which they cannot give, and in the case of the man, he becomes
tyrannical and cruel. It springs from this one thing, the human heart must have
satisfaction, but there is only one Being Who can satisfy the last abyss of the
human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ultimately, your marriage can’t satisfy you, only Jesus can.
your kids can’t satisfy you, only Jesus can.
your family can’t satisfy you, only Jesus can.
your friends can’t satisfy you, only Jesus can.
your job can’t satisfy you, only Jesus can.
your money can’t satisfy you, only Jesus can.
your stuff can’t satisfy you, only Jesus can.
Ultimately, your church can’t satisfy you, only Jesus can.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied.
Ty song
And all God’s people said, Amen
Rev. Bruce R. Grentz, Senior Pastor