John Lloyd - The Sermon On The Mount - Hunger
/Seeking God First: A Study on the Sermon
of the Mount
Blessed are Those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness Matt 5:6
May 6, 2018
Pastor John Lloyd
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expresses His desire for us to live for Him in an upside down world. This greatest sermon ever given, is uplifting, yet challenges us to live a life with Jesus that is far better than any other! It is our prayer that you will be encouraged and challenged by studying and applying this great sermon to your life. Small groups are also available throughout the week to further discuss and put into practice the lessons taught from the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied. (Psalm 42)
Big Idea: The most blessed, content people are those who hunger for God and His righteousness resulting in expressing it to others.
I. Beware of being satisfied with _______________ blessings.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.
Isaiah 55: 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Beware of the “when and then” thinking syndrome.
Ecclesiastes 6:2 A man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.
I Peter 2:11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. (Romans 7:23, 2 Corinthians 4:4)
Prayer: Lord, show me the lesser hungers seeking to control my soul. Deliver me from the trap of settling for lesser hungers!
I. Spiritual health comes from hungering after _________ and His ___________________________.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.
Hunger and thirst are very commonly used to express strong spiritual desires and needs. Both participles are durative present tenses, for this hungering and thirsting continues and, in fact, increases in the very act of satisfied. Lenski
A. This ______________ for God replaces lesser hungers.
Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Luke 1:53
This desire for righteousness becomes a hunger that eats up the lesser hungers of one’s life, until the man is eaten up with this all-inclusive hunger. E. Stanley Jones
Psalm 63:2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 2 Timothy 2:22.
I Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— (I Peter 2:1, Matthew 4:4)
May my deepest craving be to be right with God. Spending time with God increases my hunger for God. Lord, may each decade of my life find me even more thirsty for a life pleasing to You.
B. This hunger for God changes my goal for ______________.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.
Philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— Philippians 3:8,10
No greater blessing than seeing others find a right relationship with God.
Isaiah 58:10 If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. No greater blessing than satisfying the hunger of others who are where you once were.
Passion for righteousness and compassion for men--- this is purity of heart.
E. Stanley Jones
Blessings come to those who are poured out for others.
I. True _____________________ comes from hungering after God.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.
Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Ps.107:9
John 7:37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”
Are you filled? Are you blessed in this sense? Are you hungering and thirsting? Those are the questions. This is the gracious and glorious promise of God to all such: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.”
Growth Group Questions for May 6th
Icebreaker: Who is the happiest person you know? Why do you think they are so happy?
1. Read Matthew 5:3-6. Discuss how the four beatitudes build on each other. From the world’s point of view, why is it surprising that the hungry and thirsty will be satisfied?
2. Read Matthew 5:6. How is this hunger different from the things most people hunger for? How can spiritual hunger for a right relationship with God lead to a blessed and happy life?
3. Reflect on this quote by E. Stanley Jones: “This desire for righteousness becomes a hunger that eats up the lesser hungers of one’s life, until the man himself is eaten up with this all-inclusive hunger.” Discuss how this hunger for God eats up lesser hungers. How could this help with someone facing an addiction?
4. Read Psalm 42:1-3, Psalm 63:1-2, I Peter 2:2. What are people seeking in these verses? Discuss how happiness is always the result of seeking something else in the beatitudes (Mt.5:3-6). Discuss this quote: “when people place happiness before righteousness, it’s always doomed to misery.” Why or Why not?
5. Read Psalm 63:3-8. List what you see the Psalmist doing to keep himself spiritual hungry and satisfied with God. What do you do to help you stay hungry for God?
6. Read Matthew 5:6. Focus on the word righteousness. Read Romans 3:21-22, Phil. 3:9, 2Cor.5:21. How are we made right with God? How does Paul teach and treasure this righteousness? In your own words, what does it mean to be right with God? Who could you share this with this week?
7. Matthew 6:33 teaches us to seek the kingdom first and his righteousness. How does this correlate with Matthew 5:6? What area do you need help seeking His kingdom/righteousness first?