1. Whenever you put happiness before righteousness, you will be Doomed To Misery.

2. It is Righteousness that Exalts A Nation.

Pro. 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."

3. The most Important thing for all of us is to discover What Righteousness Means.

(More about this later)

4. A Sinner cannot fellowship with a Holy and Righteous God.

G. There is a Fundamental Error in the world today.

1. Generally, a man suffering from a painful disease has One Desire --- to be relieved of his pain.

a. This is understandable --- no one likes to suffer pain.

b. He is willing to do anything to alleviate his pain.

2. However, if the Doctor is also Only Concerned about Relieving the pain --- he is a Very Bad Doctor.

a. His primary duty is to Discover The Cause of the pain --- and treat that.

b. Pain is a Wonderful Thing --- it calls attention to the disease.

c. The Ultimate Treatment for pain is to Treat The Disease, Not The Pain.

d. To merely treat the pain --- without discovering the cause --- is Extremely Dangerous to the life of the patient --- and also very Cruel.

e. The patient may be out of pain --- seem to be well --- but the Cause of The Trouble Is Still There.

3. This is the Folly that the World is guilty of --- they seek to Relieve their pain and Forget their troubles.

a. Entertainment --- movies --- T.V. --- etc.

b. Liquor --- drugs --- etc.

c. All of these are merely Escapes .....

H. But, the Big Question is: "What Is The Cause of the Pain, the Unhappiness, the Wretchedness, of this world?

1. The Trouble With Mankind is not one particular manifestation of sin --- but rather Sin Itself.

Rom. 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" --- V. 23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

2. They are Not Happy who hunger and thirst after Happiness --- they Are Happy who hunger and thirst after Righteousness.

I. This is equally true of many Within The Church.

1. They spend their whole life Seeking something they can Never Find.

a. They Go From Church To Church, hoping to get this wonderful experience that is going to fill them with Joy and flood them with Rhapsody.

b. They see that Other People Have It, but, they themselves can't seem to get it.

c. They seek it --- covet it --- hunger and thirst for it --- but Never Seem To Find It.

2. God Never meant for us to hunger and thirst after Experiences.

We are Not to seek Happiness --- we Are to seek Righteousness.

3. The kind of religious Experience that does Not produce Righteousness in the life is Not Worth having.

4. It is a great tragedy that we do not follow the simple teachings of God's Word.

A. It is Not a sort of General Righteousness, Morality, or Respectability.

1. Keeping of international treaties, etc.

2. Straight dealing --- fair play --- etc.

3. This kind of morality was taught by the Greek Pagan Philosophers.

a. The Christian Gospel does not stop at this.

b. This Beatitude speak of a Personal Righteousness.

4. Men can wax eloquent in speeches on how countries should not break their treaty, but who, themselves, have already Broken Their Own Marriage Vow and been Disloyal to their own wives.

a. The Gospel is Not Interested in this type of morality.

b. True Righteousness is Much Deeper than this.

B. Justification --- Righteousness Is Synonymous With Salvation.

1. In the original Greek text, the Definite Article precedes the word (dikaiosuneed) "Righteousness".

2. Literally translated, "Blessed those hungering and thirsting after The righteousness".

Jer. 23:6, "... this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

3. Not Just Any righteousness, but the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Cor. 1:30, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:"

2 Cor. 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

4. The righteousness of Christ Rather Than Self.

Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, ..."

5. Christ did Not come to teach us To Do righteous deeds Without Being righteous.

a. You cannot Do what you are Not.

b. The righteousness here includes not only Justification but also Sanctification.

C. Sanctification --- True righteousness has a Desire To Be Free from the Power of Sin.

1. The World in which we live is Controlled By Sin and Satan.

Eph. 2:2, "... the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"

Eph. 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

2. Many are under the control of a Satanic Influence.

2 Cor. 4:3-4, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

3. Even Christians have A War going on Within them.

Rom. 7:14-24, "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

D. Sanctification includes a Desire To Be Free from the very Desire For Sin.

1. Self - concern ...

2. Pride --- boasting ...

3. Sensitiveness --- imagining people are against you ...

He who hungers and thirst after the righteousness of God will Lose His Sensitivity --- which is due to Self-Centeredness.

4. A desire to Protect self --- Glorify self.

5. A man who hungers and thirsts after righteousness wants to be Free From "Self" in every shape and form.

a. Because sin separates us from Fellowship with God.

b. Sin keeps us from a Knowledge of God.

c. Sin keeps us from Happiness.

E. Sanctification also includes a desire to be Positively Holy.

1. Wants to exemplify the Beatitudes in his daily life.

2. Wants to show the Fruit of Spirit in his every action.

3. Lives a Disciplined Life that is in Conformity With God's Will.

4. Longs to be Like The Lord Jesus Christ.

a. His positive Obedience.

b. His Reaction to His enemies.

c. His kindness and Compassion.

5. His one supreme desire in life is To Know God and to be in Fellowship With Him.

a. To Walk With God.

b. 1 John 1:3, "... and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

A. It does Not meant that we feel that we can attain unto this righteousness By Our Own Efforts.

1. That is the Worldly View of righteousness and leads to the individual Pride of The Pharisee.

Matt. 5:20, "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

2. When you feel hunger and thirst --- do you call upon the resources Within Yourself to satisfy that hunger and thirst? --- of course not.

3. It Cannot Be Satisfied with Sex, Money, Houses, Cars, Power, Fame, Friends, Art Objects, etc.

B. It means a Deep Consciousness of our Great Need even to the Point of Intense Pain.

1. A hunger that keeps on Until It Is Satisfied.

a. Not just a passing feeling or a passing desire --- not just an Afternoon Snack.

b. Not just a Rededication during a Revival.

Hosea 6:4, "... your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away."

2. This hunger is something that goes on Increasing and makes one feel Desperate --- causes Suffering and Agony.

3. Peter --- hungered and thirsted for righteousness and when he sinned it Hurt Him Deeply.

a. When you sin, how much does it Bother You?

b. Does it cause you to Grieve?

c. Or, do you try to Excuse It?

C. This hunger and thirst is like a man Wanting A Position.

1. He is restless --- cannot keep still --- always working and plodding ...

2. He thinks about it --- dreams about it --- it is the Controlling Passion of His Life.

D. Great Men of God have always had an Unquenchable Hunger for God.

1. This is the Characteristic of those who Walk With God and experience the Joy of Knowing Him.

2. They sought the Lord and were Not Satisfied By Anything Other than a close walk with Him

3. The desire to know God was at the Center of David's Life.

Psa. 63:1-2, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary."

E. This type of hunger can Only Be Satisfied By Jesus Christ.

1. We Should Hunger And Thirst After God.

Psa. 73:25, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee."

Psa. 42:1, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."

Psa. 63:1, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;"

Isa. 26:9, "With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."

2. Paul --- Phil. 3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"

F. Hunger is a Sign of Life --- a hungry man is a Normal man.

1. The only person who does Not Get Hungry or thirsty is either Sick or Dead.

a. You can tell a Healthy Christian by the hunger and thirst he has for God.

b. The Reality of your Experience of Salvation is known by the Hunger that Naturally resulted and Continues to exist in your heart for the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. A Cow will never crave meat, nor will a Sinner ever crave after the things of God.

G. Tell me what you Enjoy Most In Life and I will tell you what place Christ has in your life.

1. Go to Church with great Passion.

2. Listen to the Preaching of the Word very Attentively.

3. Read the Word of God with great Appetite.

H. It is Not "Blessed Are They Which Have, But Blessed Are They Which Do Hunger And Thirst."

1. Hunger and thirst can Never be Permanently Satisfied in this life.

2. You no sooner finish one meal than you start planning another.

3. However, some church members seems to Think that they Have All of God They Need.

4. Paul --- Phil. 3:12, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

5. The Least Blessed Christian is the one who thinks that he has received all that there is to be had --- and he Desires No More.

6. The person who is Satisfied with what he is --- and what he does --- is Useless In The Hands of God.

I. God provides Manna for the hungry.

1. The manna had to be gathered Every Day.

2. No one can store up God's food --- He does Not give out Frozen Food But Fresh.

3. Each person had to gather the manna For Himself.

a. You Cannot Delegate to anyone else the work of feeding your soul ...

b. The Supply Is In Proportion To Our Desire.

A. Many "Super Bowl Champions" and "Stanley Cup Champions" and "World Series Champions" are Not Winners The Following Year.

The Lose Their Hunger ...

B. Honey is not sweet to those who are Sick with a Fever and have the taste of Bitterness in their mouth.

1. Those who are Soul-Sick and "in the Gall of Bitterness" find no sweetness in God --- the Bible --- or the Church.

2 Cor. 2:11, "... Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

Acts 8:23, "For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."

2. Sin (revenge) tastes Sweeter to them.

C. The Full Stomach loathes the honey-comb.

1. Some are so full of Pride and their Own Righteousness that they Never Feel An Emptiness --- they have No Spiritual Hunger.

2. When the stomach is Full of Wind (bloated) it spoils the appetite.

3. When one is puffed-up with windy opinions Of His Own righteousness, he will Not Hunger After Christ's Righteousness.

4. They who live upon airy notions are being fed by the "Prince of The Air".

D. Those with no spiritual hunger often Refuse Their Food.

1. If they miss a meal or two they think it Appalling --- but they can stay away from the Word of God for days and Never Be Concerned.

2. It is unusual to see a man Asleep At The Meal Table --- but in Church --- for spiritual food .....

3. They Hate A Soul-Stirring Sermon.

4. Do they Hunger after righteousness --- who are Satisfied without it? --- of course not.

E. Some with no spiritual hunger Delight More In Decorating The Dish than in eating the flood --- that like being more interested in the bowl that holds the food than in the food.

1. They are more concerned about Elegance In Preaching than Solid Matter.

2. They feed on Deserts and fancy dishes, Neglecting Wholesome Food.

3. If man were invited to a Feast and there was Music there --- if he were so Interested In The Music that he Ignored the Food --- you would say, "Surely He Is Not Hungry."

F. Some with no spiritual hunger --- prefer Music and Recreations and Entertainment before righteousness.

1. If a Boy Is Playing, when he should be at dinner, it is a sign that he is Not Hungry --- or with only a Slight hunger, he may be More Interested In Playing ...

2. Were he Really Hungry he would not prefer his play more than his food.

G. Some with no spiritual hunger are More Interested In Disputes In Religion Than In Practice.

1. They Pick The Bones but do Not Feed On The Meat.

2. They have Hot Brains but Cold Hearts.

H. Many church members Have As Much of God In Their Life As They Want.

1. They want a Convenient religion --- one that fits into their schedules without too much difficulty.

2. They do Not Seek after the things of God --- have No Desire for such.

3. They have an Entry-Level Relationship with the Almighty --- they Assume they are on the way to heaven and Need Nothing More.

4. If there is No:

a. Holy Dissatisfaction in your heart about your spiritual life,

b. No Hungering and Thirsting to go further with God,

There Is Something Missing In Your Faith.

5. If you Don't Want God More Than You Want Money, you are Not going to make it --- remember the Rich Young Ruler.

6. The thing that Separates People From God is this thing we call "Spiritual Hunger".

7. He who have the Greatest Need For Righteousness --- is he who "Least Desires It".

I. Spiritual Hunger Works The Exact Opposite of Physical Hunger.

1. With Physical hunger, you get hungry when you don't eat --- once you have eaten, you are no longer hungry.

2. With Spiritual hunger, the More You Eat, The Hungrier You Get.

3. When you Stop partaking of spiritual food though the Word of God --- you Lose Your Appetite.

4. If you don't spend time reading the Bible, you will never develop a hunger and thirst for God --- Force-Feed Yourself If You Must .....

J. The Hypocrite hungers and thirsts for the Wrong Things.

1. Not so much for the Way of Righteousness --- but for the Crown of Righteousness.

2. Not so much to be made Like Christ --- but to Reign With Christ.

3. Not so much for Grace --- but for Glory.

4. The Hypocrite not only Desires Heaven --- but His Sins Too.

5. To the Christian, not only is Heaven Precious --- but Christ is Precious also.

K. The World hungers and thirst after the Wrong Things.

1. Riches --- mammon rather than manna.

2. Other men's lands and possessions.

Ahab --- Naboth's vineyard .....

3. Revenge --- sting of the bee.

4. Impure lusts.

Amnon was sick till he had defiled Tamar's chastity.

5. They who Thirst For Sin --- shall also Thirst as Dives does in Hell.

A. To be filled with the fullness of Divine and Perfect Righteousness.

1. Psa. 23:5, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."

2. John 7:37-38, "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

3. Isa. 55:1-2, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."

4. Psa. 107:9, "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."

5. Luke 1:53, "He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away."

B. To be filled is the Fruit of The Spirit being manifested in your life.

1. Gal. 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

2. Are We Aware of the Holy Spirit Forming Christ In Us more and more.

Gal. 4:19, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,"

Phil. 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

3. The one who longed to be saved by Christ, now yearns to be made More Like Him.

Phil. 3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"

C. Are we Enjoying our Christian Life and Experience?

Psa. 107:9, "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."

D. To be filled means --- to be given what they desire to their Complete Satisfaction.

Eph. 3:19, "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

Col. 2:8-10, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:"

E. Hunger cannot be satisfied with anything but Food.

1. Bring a hungry man Flowers, Music, tell him Pleasant Stories, Entertain him --- nothing will satisfy him but food.

2. A man who hungers and thirst after righteousness says, --- "Give Me Christ or I Die."

3. All Is Nothing Without Christ --- show me the Lord and it will suffice me.

Luke 2:25-30, "... Simeon; ... when the parents brought in the child Jesus, ..... Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,"

John 12:21, "... Sir, we would see Jesus."

4. People come to church to Hear From Heaven.

F. You do Not Have To Persuade a hungry person to eat.

1. Just let him find the food and he will eat.

Jer. 15:16, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts."

1 Peter 2:2-3, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."

2. Every Reproof Is Sweet to those who Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness.

A. Do we See Through our own False Righteousness?

1. Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

2. Romans 7:18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."

3. We are Not hungering and thirsting after righteousness as long as we are --- in any sense "Self- Satisfied".

B. Do we have a Deep Awareness of our Need of Deliverance?

1. Paul --- Romans 7:24, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

2. Do we see How Desperate We Are --- our utter Helplessness?

3. Or, are we like Balaan?

a. Num. 23:10, "... Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!"

b. He wanted to Die like the righteous --- he did Not want to Live like the righteous.

C. Do we Avoid everything that is Opposed to this righteousness?

1. I Cannot Obtain it myself, but I Can Refrain from doing tings that are obviously opposed to it.

2. I Can Never make myself like Christ, But I Can stop walking in the gutters of life.

3. We should Avoid Sin like the very plague.

a. Sinful pleasures,

b. Self-sufficiency,

c. Secret sins:

1. Resentments,

2. Un-forgiveness --- malice,

3. Jealousies --- envies ...

D. Do we even Avoid things that tend to Dull or take the edge off our Spiritual Appetites?

1. Things that are quite Harmless In Themselves --- perfectly Legitimate ...

2. Do you find that you are spending Too Much of Your Time with them --- Desiring The Things of God Less and less.

3. Many of these things I cannot condemn in and of themselves, but, --- Spoil Our Appetite .....

4. Isaiah 55:2, "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."

E. Do we always Put Ourselves In The Way of getting this righteousness?

1. Blind Bartimaeus put himself in the way of receiving his sight.

a. He heard Jesus was coming.

b. He took up his stand on the high road.

c. He got as near as he could.

d. He could not give himself sight.

2. The man who Hungers and Thirst after righteousness should Never Miss An Opportunity of being in those certain places where people seem to find it.

a. The House of God --- the more often I am in the presence of godly and saintly people, the better it is for me.

b. Bible Study --- Prayer ...

c. Radio --- what do you listen to?

F. Do I Desire Above Everything Else in this world to truly Know God, and to be Like the Lord?

1. Is this the Greatest Desire of my life --- the Deepest Longing of my being.

2. To be Rid of Self .....

3. Seeking Righteousness is --- Christ Centered.

4. Seeking Happiness is --- Self Centered.

G. You may say, "I Was Hungry But God Failed To Fill Me. I Prayed, I Went, I Sought, But Nothing Happened.

1. But God says, "You were not hungry enough to forsake your sin and wait patiently for God".

2. Hosea 6:4, "... your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away."

3. God is exhorting us to:

a. Hunger and thirst with Passion, with Purpose and Perseverance.

b. Hunger enough to Forsake All Sin.

c. Hunger enough until you Experience Pain in your soul.

d. Hunger enough until Nothing But Christ Will Satisfy.

4. Before you to get to Psa. 107 --- V. 9,

"For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."

You Must get to go through V. 5,

"Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them."

5. Then you will find:

a. Life for the dying,

b. Hope for the hopeless,

c. Comfort for the comfortless,

d. Light for those in darkness.

H. The Prodigal Son.

1. Luke 15:17, "And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"

2. The moment that he began to Hunger For The Right Thing, God Began To Set The Table.

3. God, like the prodigal's father, says to all of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Luke 15:31, "And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine."

4. Rev. 7:16-17, "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

OR:

5. Luke 16:24, "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."

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