Last week in church, we started to look at the Beatitudes. However, we didn’t finish them, meaning that we get to take a look at the second four. In where we left off, we were just beginning to talk about what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)
Many of us are hungry for approval. We want our parents to tell us they are proud of us. We want our employer’s stamp of approval on our work. We want our friends to think we are good enough for them. Deep down, we long for (and are hungry for) acceptance and approval.
Sadly, we often try to satisfy our hunger by gorging on junk food. What does that look like? We want approval from others so badly that we’re willing to compromise our convictions. We want to prove ourselves through our job so badly that we burn out on our career, sacrificing our family and our health. We want so badly to be morally acceptable that we build our lives on a system of rules, looking down on others and sinking into despair when even we don’t measure up. These foods cannot satisfy our hunger for true righteousness.
This is why we need to hunger and thirst for the righteousness that only Jesus Christ can bring. That’s why we need to ask Christ to change our hearts and desires, and to have a desire to obey God and to see God’s will be done here on earth. As we continue in our sermon series this week called The Master’s Guide to Greatness, we will learn about what it means to hunger and thirst for the things of God, and to be a people who participate in the mission of God in this world.
I look forward to seeing you in person or online. And keep up the good work of inviting friends & neighbors. As we welcome 17 new members this week, they consistently have commented on how welcoming and friendly we are as a church. Praise God!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Aaron
Many of us are hungry for approval. We want our parents to tell us they are proud of us. We want our employer’s stamp of approval on our work. We want our friends to think we are good enough for them. Deep down, we long for (and are hungry for) acceptance and approval.
Sadly, we often try to satisfy our hunger by gorging on junk food. What does that look like? We want approval from others so badly that we’re willing to compromise our convictions. We want to prove ourselves through our job so badly that we burn out on our career, sacrificing our family and our health. We want so badly to be morally acceptable that we build our lives on a system of rules, looking down on others and sinking into despair when even we don’t measure up. These foods cannot satisfy our hunger for true righteousness.
This is why we need to hunger and thirst for the righteousness that only Jesus Christ can bring. That’s why we need to ask Christ to change our hearts and desires, and to have a desire to obey God and to see God’s will be done here on earth. As we continue in our sermon series this week called The Master’s Guide to Greatness, we will learn about what it means to hunger and thirst for the things of God, and to be a people who participate in the mission of God in this world.
I look forward to seeing you in person or online. And keep up the good work of inviting friends & neighbors. As we welcome 17 new members this week, they consistently have commented on how welcoming and friendly we are as a church. Praise God!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Aaron
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