1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,080 You’re listening to a sermon from Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 2 00:00:07,080 –> 00:00:16,480 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN365 or visit our website, openthebible.org 3 00:00:16,480 –> 00:00:20,240 Let’s get to the message, here is Pastor Colin. 4 00:00:20,240 –> 00:00:25,840 If I would open your Bible at Matthew 5 and verse 6… 5 00:00:26,000 –> 00:00:32,360 Matthew 5 and verse 6, as we return for the second time to this fourth Beatitude. 6 00:00:32,360 –> 00:00:38,459 Matthew 5 and verse 6, here are the words of the Son of God. 7 00:00:38,459 –> 00:00:50,680 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 8 00:00:50,680 –> 00:00:55,080 Now we saw last time that the mark of a true Christian is not that he or she feels that 9 00:00:55,200 –> 00:01:00,580 they are righteous, but that the true Christian longs to be more righteous than he or she 10 00:01:00,580 –> 00:01:02,220 is. 11 00:01:02,220 –> 00:01:05,900 When it comes to righteousness we saw last time, the blessed people are not those who 12 00:01:05,900 –> 00:01:07,400 think they have it. 13 00:01:07,400 –> 00:01:11,699 They are those who are very aware of their need of it. 14 00:01:11,699 –> 00:01:15,860 And this fits with everything that we have been learning from the Beatitudes. 15 00:01:15,860 –> 00:01:20,459 We saw that the blessed person first has become poor in spirit. 16 00:01:20,459 –> 00:01:24,559 This person has come to see, I don’t have what it takes before God. 17 00:01:25,279 –> 00:01:27,279 He therefore mourns over his sins. 18 00:01:27,279 –> 00:01:29,599 He sees that his sins are many, not few. 19 00:01:29,599 –> 00:01:34,360 He becomes submissive to the will of God because he knows otherwise he will make a complete 20 00:01:34,360 –> 00:01:36,720 mess up of his life. 21 00:01:36,720 –> 00:01:44,800 And out of this what we saw comes a great hunger and thirst for God and for righteousness. 22 00:01:44,800 –> 00:01:51,680 By the way, are you not glad today that Christ did not say, blessed are the righteous? 23 00:01:51,680 –> 00:01:55,900 Because if he said blessed are the righteous, that would not include any of us, would it? 24 00:01:55,900 –> 00:02:02,879 So it’s not even the realization that is blessed, it is the desire itself that is blessed. 25 00:02:02,879 –> 00:02:10,919 And that desire is born in the heart of everyone who is inhabited by the Spirit of God. 26 00:02:10,919 –> 00:02:16,419 Now thinking about the importance of this, I’ve been thinking about the professions 27 00:02:16,419 –> 00:02:20,059 in which so many of you serve. 28 00:02:20,059 –> 00:02:26,419 I’ve been thinking about how many of you live in the world of banking and of business 29 00:02:26,419 –> 00:02:30,399 and of law and of teaching and of finance and of medicine and of the caring professions 30 00:02:30,399 –> 00:02:34,940 and of trading and of construction and of manufacturing and insurance and property development 31 00:02:34,940 –> 00:02:38,759 and on and on and on. 32 00:02:38,759 –> 00:02:45,880 And every one of these is a world of complexity in its own right. 33 00:02:46,479 –> 00:02:53,940 Endless ethical questions in every one of these areas in which you serve. 34 00:02:53,940 –> 00:02:59,880 Where are the boundaries between legitimate competition in your field and destructive 35 00:02:59,880 –> 00:03:01,539 aggression? 36 00:03:01,539 –> 00:03:07,479 Where is the line between using the systems that are in place in your business or line 37 00:03:07,479 –> 00:03:11,419 of work and manipulating these systems? 38 00:03:12,419 –> 00:03:17,179 Where is the line between appropriate reward for work that is well done and profit that 39 00:03:17,179 –> 00:03:22,279 is being gained and raw self-interest? 40 00:03:22,279 –> 00:03:26,660 And in any line of business, of course, there are people who need to be restrained lest 41 00:03:26,660 –> 00:03:28,720 they exploit others. 42 00:03:28,720 –> 00:03:32,199 So, what do we have? 43 00:03:32,199 –> 00:03:34,179 Regulation. 44 00:03:34,179 –> 00:03:41,100 Pages and pages and pages and pages of it, documents, procedures, processes that become 45 00:03:41,100 –> 00:03:50,139 endlessly oppressive within the range of professions in which so many of you are living 46 00:03:50,139 –> 00:03:52,940 your lives. 47 00:03:52,940 –> 00:03:55,940 And here’s the deal. 48 00:03:55,940 –> 00:04:03,279 Every regulation that has ever been passed has multiple loopholes. 49 00:04:03,279 –> 00:04:06,539 And human ingenuity will always find them. 50 00:04:06,580 –> 00:04:11,539 Every law, every regulation, every process, every procedure. 51 00:04:11,539 –> 00:04:16,260 So what hope is there for righteousness? 52 00:04:16,260 –> 00:04:19,600 Only one. 53 00:04:19,600 –> 00:04:29,339 That there might be some people who actually want it, and hunger and thirst after it. 54 00:04:29,339 –> 00:04:34,660 And I want you to think about the world in which you live for a moment here today, and 55 00:04:34,679 –> 00:04:40,339 to try and imagine the difference it would make if at every level of your business, every 56 00:04:40,339 –> 00:04:49,959 level of your profession, there were people who hungered and thirsted for righteousness. 57 00:04:49,959 –> 00:04:53,059 Who instead of saying, what’s in it for me? 58 00:04:53,059 –> 00:05:00,200 Would really decide and act and behave out of the question, what honors God and what 59 00:05:00,200 –> 00:05:03,600 will be good for others as well as for us. 60 00:05:04,600 –> 00:05:10,859 And as you think of the transforming power that such a scenario would be, ask God from 61 00:05:10,859 –> 00:05:17,200 your heart today, oh God make me one of these people. 62 00:05:17,200 –> 00:05:22,679 Make me one of these people. 63 00:05:22,679 –> 00:05:28,079 Because to those people who hunger and thirst for righteousness, Jesus says just a few verses 64 00:05:28,160 –> 00:05:33,600 further on, you are the salt of the earth. 65 00:05:33,600 –> 00:05:35,959 You are the light of the world. 66 00:05:35,959 –> 00:05:38,640 You, in other words, can do. 67 00:05:38,640 –> 00:05:43,420 You, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, can do what government regulation can never 68 00:05:43,420 –> 00:05:44,420 do. 69 00:05:44,420 –> 00:05:50,160 It can only restrain in some degree, and it only works within certain boundaries. 70 00:05:50,160 –> 00:05:54,559 But you are the light of the world. 71 00:05:54,559 –> 00:05:56,200 You are the salt of the earth. 72 00:05:56,200 –> 00:06:03,519 If you really want righteousness, and you truly hunger for it, it’s the only way there’ll 73 00:06:03,519 –> 00:06:05,839 ever be righteousness on the face of the earth. 74 00:06:05,839 –> 00:06:12,160 That there would be some people who actually want it. 75 00:06:12,160 –> 00:06:14,839 And we’ve been learning that that comes out of what? 76 00:06:14,839 –> 00:06:19,179 It comes out of these holy roots of saying that I don’t have what it takes before God, 77 00:06:19,179 –> 00:06:24,540 my own sins are many, I need to submit myself to the will and the purpose of God, and out 78 00:06:24,839 –> 00:06:29,779 that comes in the people of God a genuine hunger and thirst for righteousness. 79 00:06:29,779 –> 00:06:36,480 Oh God, in my profession, make me one of these people. 80 00:06:36,480 –> 00:06:39,279 Now, that’s really where we got last time. 81 00:06:39,279 –> 00:06:42,220 You know our pattern by now is to spend two weeks on HB Attitude. 82 00:06:42,220 –> 00:06:46,559 The first to learn what it is that Christ is calling us to, and the second for us to 83 00:06:46,559 –> 00:06:49,320 ponder together how we can actually do it. 84 00:06:49,320 –> 00:06:54,459 So today is application, and today we’re asking the question, how then can I cultivate 85 00:06:55,040 –> 00:06:56,920 this holy hunger and thirst? 86 00:06:56,920 –> 00:07:02,040 How can I cultivate a healthy spiritual appetite? 87 00:07:02,040 –> 00:07:06,980 Now, I’ve been enjoying again this week some of the great insights that as folks have been 88 00:07:06,980 –> 00:07:13,640 sharing their insights, one lady shared this wisdom that I think is very helpfully expressed. 89 00:07:13,640 –> 00:07:19,559 She said, hunger is natural, appetite can be cultivated. 90 00:07:19,559 –> 00:07:21,940 Now, that’s very helpful. 91 00:07:21,940 –> 00:07:28,779 You can learn to like and enjoy things that at one time you had no taste for and all of 92 00:07:28,779 –> 00:07:31,000 us have experienced this. 93 00:07:31,000 –> 00:07:35,720 Paul says to Timothy, train yourself in godliness. 94 00:07:35,720 –> 00:07:37,160 Train yourself in godliness. 95 00:07:37,160 –> 00:07:39,239 That’s 1 Timothy 4.7. 96 00:07:39,239 –> 00:07:43,059 In other words, Paul is saying to this young pastor, there are certain things that you 97 00:07:43,059 –> 00:07:47,279 can do that will cultivate your own growth and godliness. 98 00:07:47,279 –> 00:07:51,119 Train yourself in godliness. 99 00:07:51,119 –> 00:07:52,700 Godfight can be cultivated. 100 00:07:52,700 –> 00:07:59,859 I was taking this week with someone who has survived a major heart attack, nearly took 101 00:07:59,859 –> 00:08:02,739 his life and he described the experience. 102 00:08:02,739 –> 00:08:06,799 Some of you have gone through something like this and in the mercy of God you have been 103 00:08:06,799 –> 00:08:09,179 given life again. 104 00:08:09,179 –> 00:08:13,679 He said it was like an elephant sitting on my chest. 105 00:08:13,679 –> 00:08:17,640 It’s quite a description. 106 00:08:17,640 –> 00:08:22,119 In the kindness of God, he’s made a good recovery and part of that recovery has involved 107 00:08:22,119 –> 00:08:23,980 a complete change of diet. 108 00:08:23,980 –> 00:08:28,079 So I said, tell me about that. 109 00:08:28,079 –> 00:08:29,540 What did you used to eat? 110 00:08:29,540 –> 00:08:32,159 What did you used to enjoy? 111 00:08:32,159 –> 00:08:38,900 And I’m sure he ate other things, but he said to me, well, burgers, fries, pizza, and ice 112 00:08:38,900 –> 00:08:39,900 cream. 113 00:08:39,900 –> 00:08:44,700 And he said, and the doctor said to me, you’re gonna have a complete change of diet. 114 00:08:44,700 –> 00:08:46,080 And here’s what it’s gonna look like. 115 00:08:46,080 –> 00:08:47,820 It’s gonna be low fat, it’s gonna be low sodium. 116 00:08:47,820 –> 00:08:48,820 It’s gonna be vegetables. 117 00:08:48,820 –> 00:08:49,820 It’s gonna be fish. 118 00:08:49,820 –> 00:08:53,840 It’s gonna be chicken, grilled and not fried, and some rice. 119 00:08:53,840 –> 00:08:59,260 And my friend said, I said to myself, this is gonna be torture, gonna be torture. 120 00:08:59,260 –> 00:09:02,159 I asked him how the change had gone. 121 00:09:02,159 –> 00:09:06,880 And he said, well, at first it seemed, you know, like all the food was bland, it was 122 00:09:06,880 –> 00:09:08,000 tasteless. 123 00:09:08,000 –> 00:09:13,299 But after a while I began to think, this is not so bad. 124 00:09:13,299 –> 00:09:15,080 I felt better. 125 00:09:15,080 –> 00:09:19,219 I felt more energy. 126 00:09:19,219 –> 00:09:22,400 So I said to him, what about the burgers? 127 00:09:22,400 –> 00:09:26,280 And he said, well, you know, the smell of burgers is still good but, you know, I try 128 00:09:26,280 –> 00:09:28,919 to remember the elephant sitting on my chest. 129 00:09:28,919 –> 00:09:35,799 He said, you know, actually, recently I’ve had a few fries off the side of someone else’s 130 00:09:35,799 –> 00:09:38,239 plate, you know, just for fun. 131 00:09:38,239 –> 00:09:41,640 And I felt a bad stomach afterwards. 132 00:09:41,679 –> 00:09:48,659 And I realized my whole appetite has actually changed. 133 00:09:48,659 –> 00:09:51,760 And I said to him, well, how long did that take? 134 00:09:51,760 –> 00:09:55,460 And he said, well, really it began to change after about two months. 135 00:09:55,460 –> 00:10:00,099 Now, I’m trying to give you that as a snapshot, not because we’re here for a lesson on nutrition. 136 00:10:00,099 –> 00:10:05,140 We’re here to talk about the cultivation of the soul but we’re using this analogy that 137 00:10:05,140 –> 00:10:06,140 Jesus uses. 138 00:10:06,140 –> 00:10:07,380 He says, hungering and thirsting. 139 00:10:07,380 –> 00:10:10,820 He’s connecting into the world that we all understand. 140 00:10:10,820 –> 00:10:17,179 The world of food and of diet and he’s using that analogy to help us think about the cultivation 141 00:10:17,179 –> 00:10:20,080 of the soul and of the spiritual life. 142 00:10:20,080 –> 00:10:22,659 And here is this man’s testimony. 143 00:10:22,659 –> 00:10:29,820 That a change of diet led to a change of appetite. 144 00:10:29,820 –> 00:10:35,159 That’s a very very important insight to grasp and it took about two months and then longer 145 00:10:35,159 –> 00:10:37,859 to really settle it. 146 00:10:37,859 –> 00:10:41,039 Change of diet will change your appetite. 147 00:10:41,039 –> 00:10:44,440 So here’s something very interesting just thinking about that at a church level. 148 00:10:44,440 –> 00:10:52,520 I’m struck by how many visitors who come new to our church will make a comment about how 149 00:10:52,520 –> 00:10:57,400 strong the love of the word of God is in this congregation. 150 00:10:57,400 –> 00:10:59,400 People will make comments about this quite regularly. 151 00:10:59,400 –> 00:11:02,780 You will hear that I expect and all of the other pastors do too. 152 00:11:02,780 –> 00:11:07,919 My, this congregation really has a great appetite for the word of God. 153 00:11:07,919 –> 00:11:10,739 And so you ask the question, well where did that appetite come from? 154 00:11:10,739 –> 00:11:15,619 The answer is the appetite came from the diet. 155 00:11:15,619 –> 00:11:21,059 This is a congregation that has been feeding on the word of God in substance for nearly 156 00:11:21,059 –> 00:11:25,059 60 years. 157 00:11:25,059 –> 00:11:32,099 And 60 years of diet has cultivated appetite. 158 00:11:32,340 –> 00:11:34,039 This is true of any diet. 159 00:11:34,039 –> 00:11:42,020 If you feed a congregation a diet of entertainment, guess what? 160 00:11:42,020 –> 00:11:45,900 What emerges is a congregation with an endless hunger for entertainment. 161 00:11:45,900 –> 00:11:48,799 What are you going to do to tickle me now? 162 00:11:48,799 –> 00:11:53,340 You feed a congregation a diet of pop-psychology, what do you do? 163 00:11:53,340 –> 00:11:59,760 You create an appetite for pop-psychology and so the demand is for pastors who will 164 00:12:00,039 –> 00:12:03,400 produce that and so the cycle goes on. 165 00:12:03,400 –> 00:12:09,859 Diet is of huge importance in relation to the cultivation of appetite. 166 00:12:09,859 –> 00:12:10,859 Here’s the principle. 167 00:12:10,859 –> 00:12:18,020 You will want more of whatever you feed yourself on, so choose your diet carefully. 168 00:12:18,020 –> 00:12:23,099 This is of huge importance for every parent as you are thinking about raising your children 169 00:12:23,099 –> 00:12:29,500 – the words that you speak, the choices you make, what you give, what you withhold. 170 00:12:29,520 –> 00:12:31,039 Think about this question all the time. 171 00:12:31,039 –> 00:12:34,960 What is the diet on which my children are growing up? 172 00:12:34,960 –> 00:12:41,039 What will a diet of constant affirmation, only affirmation, produce? 173 00:12:41,039 –> 00:12:47,179 An endless, endless, never-satisfied-I-need-to-be-told-all-the-time, is it? 174 00:12:47,179 –> 00:12:49,580 What will a diet of endless criticism produce? 175 00:12:49,580 –> 00:12:53,700 A sense of constant condemnation running through all of life. 176 00:12:53,979 –> 00:12:57,640 What will a diet of getting everything that I ever want produce? 177 00:12:57,640 –> 00:13:03,119 An insatiable desire that comes from a soul that thinks of myself as if I were God. 178 00:13:03,119 –> 00:13:06,780 So, the diet produces the appetite. 179 00:13:06,780 –> 00:13:11,000 And once you see that principle, you can begin to think it through, and we can talk it through 180 00:13:11,000 –> 00:13:16,380 further in the Life Groups this week, because it has so many applications across every area 181 00:13:16,380 –> 00:13:17,380 of life. 182 00:13:17,380 –> 00:13:21,239 Diet shapes appetite over time. 183 00:13:21,239 –> 00:13:22,780 That’s the principle. 184 00:13:22,820 –> 00:13:28,400 Diet shapes appetite over time. 185 00:13:28,500 –> 00:13:37,140 Now, today we really want to focus in on this great question, then, how can I cultivate 186 00:13:37,140 –> 00:13:38,739 a godly appetite? 187 00:13:38,739 –> 00:13:45,619 How can I strengthen this desire within me for righteousness, this hunger and thirst 188 00:13:45,619 –> 00:13:46,619 for God? 189 00:13:46,659 –> 00:13:49,520 Something I did last week with a great prayer from A.W. 190 00:13:49,520 –> 00:13:54,039 Tozer where he says, I want to want you, oh God. 191 00:13:54,039 –> 00:13:55,340 I want to want you. 192 00:13:55,340 –> 00:13:58,219 I thirst to be more thirsty still. 193 00:13:58,219 –> 00:14:05,380 How can I cultivate this hunger and this thirst, this spiritual appetite after the 194 00:14:05,380 –> 00:14:06,380 things of God? 195 00:14:06,380 –> 00:14:10,820 Well, I want to offer you five strategies here today. 196 00:14:11,380 –> 00:14:15,960 I had a delightful letter handwritten in pencil this week from a middle school student, 11 197 00:14:15,960 –> 00:14:19,000 years old, his name was Peter. 198 00:14:19,000 –> 00:14:21,739 Dear Pastor Colin, my name is Peter. 199 00:14:21,739 –> 00:14:22,859 I am a Boy Scout. 200 00:14:22,859 –> 00:14:25,559 I liked your sermon on meekness. 201 00:14:25,559 –> 00:14:29,039 Especially the ten ways to be meek. 202 00:14:29,039 –> 00:14:33,400 Could you please send me ten ways to do all the other beatitudes as well? 203 00:14:33,400 –> 00:14:35,700 I phoned him up. 204 00:14:35,700 –> 00:14:38,820 We had a lovely chat about it, and my apologies to Peter. 205 00:14:38,820 –> 00:14:40,380 I’m way short this week. 206 00:14:40,840 –> 00:14:42,400 There’s only five. 207 00:14:42,400 –> 00:14:47,260 Five strategies for cultivating a godly appetite. 208 00:14:47,260 –> 00:14:50,039 Here’s number one and you won’t be surprised by it. 209 00:14:50,039 –> 00:14:53,419 Gain momentum from the first three beatitudes. 210 00:14:53,419 –> 00:14:57,020 That’s the first, gain momentum from the first three beatitudes. 211 00:14:57,020 –> 00:15:01,380 Now by this stage in the series, those of you who’ve been following along will say, 212 00:15:01,380 –> 00:15:05,679 I thought it might be that because we keep coming back to this point that the beatitudes 213 00:15:05,679 –> 00:15:07,020 cannot be treated in isolation. 214 00:15:07,020 –> 00:15:09,380 They are progressive. 215 00:15:09,380 –> 00:15:13,580 Each of the beatitudes assumes all of the ones that went before. 216 00:15:13,580 –> 00:15:19,320 And that is why we have pictured them as being like rings and the way in which you move from 217 00:15:19,320 –> 00:15:24,500 one ring to the other like the monkey swing, is the momentum you gain from swinging on 218 00:15:24,500 –> 00:15:28,299 the first is what enables you to reach the second, the momentum from swinging on the 219 00:15:28,299 –> 00:15:33,099 second is what enables you to reach the third and so forth and so on. 220 00:15:33,099 –> 00:15:37,280 By the way, that does not mean that you need to spend six weeks on being poor in spirit 221 00:15:37,539 –> 00:15:40,479 and a month on mourning over your sins and so forth. 222 00:15:40,479 –> 00:15:44,960 It may very well be that the Spirit of God may birth all of these things in your 223 00:15:44,960 –> 00:15:48,679 heart at this same time even today. 224 00:15:48,679 –> 00:15:54,020 That you may come to the place of saying, Oh, I really don’t have what it takes. 225 00:15:54,020 –> 00:15:57,799 And I’m suddenly seeing my sins in a way I didn’t see them before and I need to submit 226 00:15:57,799 –> 00:15:59,659 myself to the will of Christ. 227 00:15:59,659 –> 00:16:04,700 And a hunger and thirst after righteousness has been born within me right now. 228 00:16:05,020 –> 00:16:09,460 And they happen to you today with great power by the Holy Spirit. 229 00:16:09,460 –> 00:16:14,820 All I’m saying is that to make progress through these Beatitudes that are given to 230 00:16:14,940 –> 00:16:19,900 us in a very particular order, none of them can be missing. 231 00:16:19,900 –> 00:16:22,599 There is a flow that runs through them. 232 00:16:22,599 –> 00:16:28,679 This is the way in which the Spirit of God generates momentum and progress in the Christian 233 00:16:28,679 –> 00:16:30,020 life. 234 00:16:30,020 –> 00:16:35,619 Each of the Beatitudes assumes the Ones that went before. 235 00:16:35,619 –> 00:16:37,460 And so here’s the great encouragement. 236 00:16:37,460 –> 00:16:45,479 If, indeed, you come to the place of knowing your own poverty before God, and if, indeed, 237 00:16:45,479 –> 00:16:51,260 you come to see your sins and to mourn over them, and if, indeed, out of that there is 238 00:16:51,260 –> 00:16:56,460 a sense within your soul that you need to submit yourself more fully to Jesus Christ 239 00:16:56,599 –> 00:17:04,939 as your Savior and as your Lord, then out of that will come a hunger and a thirst for 240 00:17:04,939 –> 00:17:05,939 righteousness. 241 00:17:05,939 –> 00:17:11,979 This is just the life that comes out of these roots, and these roots produce this life wonderfully, 242 00:17:11,979 –> 00:17:13,079 beautifully. 243 00:17:13,079 –> 00:17:16,660 But understand this, you can’t simply start on the fourth Beatitude, you can’t simply 244 00:17:16,660 –> 00:17:20,020 say, now how am I going to become more righteous and how am I going to have a great spiritual 245 00:17:20,020 –> 00:17:21,020 passion. 246 00:17:21,020 –> 00:17:26,160 You have to start from the beginning, gain momentum from the first three Beatitudes, 247 00:17:26,160 –> 00:17:27,219 that’s number one. 248 00:17:27,219 –> 00:17:30,160 Here’s number two. 249 00:17:30,160 –> 00:17:36,719 Practice fasting from legitimate pleasures. 250 00:17:36,719 –> 00:17:42,020 Practice fasting from legitimate pleasures. 251 00:17:42,020 –> 00:17:46,619 Remember Jesus spoke about, whoever would come after me, he said, must deny himself. 252 00:17:46,619 –> 00:17:49,219 There are multiple applications of that. 253 00:17:49,260 –> 00:17:51,459 And this is one of them. 254 00:17:51,459 –> 00:17:56,599 Now again, we’re just thinking by way of analogy from the world of food. 255 00:17:56,599 –> 00:18:03,199 One way to spoil your appetite, is to snack between meals. 256 00:18:03,199 –> 00:18:07,180 If you snack on chips throughout the afternoon, guess what? 257 00:18:07,180 –> 00:18:12,900 Your appetite will not be sharp when it comes to your dinner in the evening. 258 00:18:12,900 –> 00:18:17,579 So the principle here is a very simple one, every mother has taught this to their children. 259 00:18:17,819 –> 00:18:20,219 Even if it’s not always been obeyed. 260 00:18:20,219 –> 00:18:24,979 Restrict what spoils your appetite, don’t snack between meals. 261 00:18:24,979 –> 00:18:28,619 We understand that principle very, very clearly. 262 00:18:28,619 –> 00:18:35,199 Now, the point here is not that there is something wicked or sinful about eating chips in the 263 00:18:35,199 –> 00:18:36,199 afternoon. 264 00:18:36,199 –> 00:18:37,199 There is not. 265 00:18:37,199 –> 00:18:41,420 Doritos after all, are a good gift from God, are they not? 266 00:18:41,420 –> 00:18:44,400 Now this is surely an amen moment. 267 00:18:44,439 –> 00:18:51,459 But here’s the point, we all know this, that eating at the wrong time and in the wrong 268 00:18:51,459 –> 00:18:55,880 amount will spoil your appetite. 269 00:18:55,880 –> 00:18:58,479 That’s the key, in the wrong time and the wrong amount. 270 00:18:58,479 –> 00:19:05,839 Now, let’s apply this obvious principle about appetite and how it gets spoiled from the 271 00:19:05,839 –> 00:19:09,000 world of the body into the world of the soul. 272 00:19:09,000 –> 00:19:19,020 And let’s put it this way, legitimate pleasures at the wrong time and in the wrong amount 273 00:19:19,020 –> 00:19:24,760 will spoil your appetite for holiness. 274 00:19:24,760 –> 00:19:33,260 Legitimate pleasures like sports and travel and entertainment that are all good gifts 275 00:19:33,280 –> 00:19:42,540 from God, legitimate pleasures in the wrong amount in the wrong place will dull you and 276 00:19:42,540 –> 00:19:47,579 make you sluggish in your following after Jesus Christ. 277 00:19:47,579 –> 00:19:54,219 A person who crams their lives full of legitimate pleasures will not have a deep hunger and 278 00:19:54,219 –> 00:20:00,339 thrist for righteousness because that appetite will have been spoiled by the consumption 279 00:20:00,339 –> 00:20:05,880 of other legitimate things but in the wrong proportion and in the wrong time and place 280 00:20:05,880 –> 00:20:08,280 and so forth. 281 00:20:08,280 –> 00:20:14,599 And perhaps all of us who are Christians can identify times in our lives where we have 282 00:20:14,599 –> 00:20:20,599 looked at ourselves and we’ve said, am I really living the best life that I could? 283 00:20:20,599 –> 00:20:26,800 Am I really pursuing in every way all that I could be for Jesus Christ? 284 00:20:26,859 –> 00:20:31,300 We have these sort of moments of insight, and then sometimes we kind of just settle 285 00:20:31,300 –> 00:20:38,599 back into the kind of routine that’s occupying us and shaping us. 286 00:20:38,599 –> 00:20:43,459 And what has happened to that passion that was there? 287 00:20:43,459 –> 00:20:46,439 Somehow, an appetite has been spoiled. 288 00:20:46,439 –> 00:20:49,900 Somehow, an appetite has been diminished. 289 00:20:49,900 –> 00:20:52,079 And how has it been diminished? 290 00:20:52,079 –> 00:21:01,839 Diminished by legitimate comforts, pleasures, pursuits, and enjoyment. 291 00:21:01,839 –> 00:21:04,719 So, what can I do about that? 292 00:21:04,719 –> 00:21:10,800 The question that’s before us is, how can I keep the legitimate pleasures of my life, 293 00:21:10,800 –> 00:21:16,699 which have a place, like sports and travel and hobbies and so forth and so on. 294 00:21:16,699 –> 00:21:19,660 How do I keep these things in their proper place? 295 00:21:19,699 –> 00:21:27,859 And one answer that I’m suggesting to you today from this analogy is by a periodic fasting 296 00:21:27,859 –> 00:21:31,859 from legitimate pleasures. 297 00:21:31,859 –> 00:21:34,859 Now think about what fasting is, in the realm of the body. 298 00:21:34,859 –> 00:21:36,459 What is fasting all about? 299 00:21:36,459 –> 00:21:44,000 It is a way of cleansing the body and of heightening self-control. 300 00:21:44,020 –> 00:21:50,920 It is therefore a very special and often underutilized gift from God that can be used in the spiritual 301 00:21:50,920 –> 00:21:59,859 realm to help you master some things that otherwise may gain mastery over you. 302 00:21:59,859 –> 00:22:04,939 So, very simply, suppose you come to the conclusion as you think about your life and you say, 303 00:22:04,939 –> 00:22:06,880 I want to live a better life. 304 00:22:06,880 –> 00:22:10,599 I think I can be more for Jesus Christ than this. 305 00:22:10,599 –> 00:22:13,880 And suppose you look at your life and say, where is all the time going? 306 00:22:13,880 –> 00:22:16,599 What is actually my life? 307 00:22:16,599 –> 00:22:21,880 And suppose you come to the conclusion that you’re spending too much time watching TV 308 00:22:21,880 –> 00:22:27,939 or playing computer games, your diet has been creating an appetite and you have a kind of 309 00:22:27,939 –> 00:22:31,959 a default as to what you do as soon as time is open and so forth. 310 00:22:31,959 –> 00:22:36,359 And now you see that this pattern that has become established within your life is actually 311 00:22:36,359 –> 00:22:40,359 holding you back from being everything that you could be for Jesus Christ. 312 00:22:40,359 –> 00:22:41,359 What could you do? 313 00:22:41,359 –> 00:22:44,319 Take a month without television. 314 00:22:44,319 –> 00:22:50,319 Have a fast from it for a month. 315 00:22:50,319 –> 00:22:54,160 Not because it’s a wicked and a sinful thing, it’s a legitimate pleasure but you don’t want 316 00:22:54,160 –> 00:22:56,739 it controlling you. 317 00:22:56,739 –> 00:23:00,119 A fast from computer games. 318 00:23:00,119 –> 00:23:04,380 A fast from golf for a month. 319 00:23:04,380 –> 00:23:07,359 Or six months without buying new clothes. 320 00:23:08,119 –> 00:23:12,579 Or without leisure travel in order that that time that would have gone in this direction 321 00:23:12,579 –> 00:23:15,640 might go in another. 322 00:23:15,640 –> 00:23:19,459 Drop a sport for a semester. 323 00:23:19,459 –> 00:23:27,079 You will be surprised at the freedom that you begin to experience. 324 00:23:27,079 –> 00:23:32,859 You’ll say as my friend said, this is not so bad. 325 00:23:32,859 –> 00:23:38,359 Crafting is a great way to subdue appetites that otherwise may master you. 326 00:23:38,359 –> 00:23:42,160 Now of course, some Christians have this organized. 327 00:23:42,160 –> 00:23:44,160 And I think that’s a good thing. 328 00:23:44,160 –> 00:23:45,859 They do it once a year. 329 00:23:45,859 –> 00:23:52,099 They give something up for good. 330 00:23:52,099 –> 00:23:53,640 But why wait for Lent? 331 00:23:53,640 –> 00:23:55,459 That’s my question. 332 00:23:55,459 –> 00:23:58,619 Why wait for Lent? 333 00:23:58,619 –> 00:24:01,859 I want to be cultivating my spiritual appetite throughout the year. 334 00:24:01,859 –> 00:24:06,520 And if I see that something is gaining control over me, I want to be able to address it proactively. 335 00:24:06,520 –> 00:24:11,380 Train yourself for godliness, Paul says to Timothy. 336 00:24:11,380 –> 00:24:17,219 So, to live a better life, we have to take control over the things that otherwise would 337 00:24:17,219 –> 00:24:18,219 hold us back. 338 00:24:18,219 –> 00:24:25,420 So identify the legitimate pleasures of your life and deny to yourself something for some 339 00:24:25,420 –> 00:24:26,939 time. 340 00:24:26,939 –> 00:24:30,060 Do that in order to gain control. 341 00:24:30,060 –> 00:24:35,719 Do that so that appetites will not, in themselves, be controlling over you. 342 00:24:35,719 –> 00:24:40,680 Learn to wean yourself off things that otherwise will shape and determine the course of your 343 00:24:40,680 –> 00:24:41,680 life. 344 00:24:41,680 –> 00:24:45,339 And you will find great freedom, you will find great joy. 345 00:24:45,339 –> 00:24:50,060 And by the way, just as a kind of post-script to this before we move on to the next one. 346 00:24:50,060 –> 00:24:54,319 Giving is very, very closely related to fasting. 347 00:24:54,319 –> 00:24:56,339 And it has very similar effects. 348 00:24:56,339 –> 00:25:01,520 Remember Jesus said, no one can serve two masters, masters. 349 00:25:01,520 –> 00:25:03,920 And he was talking about God and money. 350 00:25:03,920 –> 00:25:08,719 And so he identifies money as a potential master. 351 00:25:08,719 –> 00:25:14,939 In other words, money is a power, and it wants to master you and control you. 352 00:25:14,939 –> 00:25:18,160 And we know what this is, it’s always making demands of us, it’s always making us want 353 00:25:18,160 –> 00:25:20,260 to worry about it and so forth and so on. 354 00:25:20,260 –> 00:25:23,400 Money is a terrible master. 355 00:25:24,079 –> 00:25:27,040 Don’t let it be your master. 356 00:25:27,040 –> 00:25:28,260 What does giving do? 357 00:25:28,260 –> 00:25:32,439 Giving weakens the power of money in your life. 358 00:25:32,439 –> 00:25:38,479 Every time you give the attempt of money to gain mastery in your life is weakened. 359 00:25:38,479 –> 00:25:39,479 It’s undercut. 360 00:25:39,479 –> 00:25:43,479 It’s wonderful, it’s very, very liberating. 361 00:25:43,479 –> 00:25:53,040 So practice fasting from legitimate pleasures in order to cultivate this great appetite 362 00:25:53,040 –> 00:25:57,640 for righteousness for God, the hunger and thirst after Him. 363 00:25:57,640 –> 00:26:02,599 Now here’s the third one and it goes immediately along with the second and it’s simply this. 364 00:26:02,599 –> 00:26:07,359 Make yourself vulnerable to the needs of others. 365 00:26:07,359 –> 00:26:10,920 Make yourself vulnerable to the needs of others. 366 00:26:10,920 –> 00:26:17,140 And again, we’re thinking here from the analogy of the body that we all understand very well. 367 00:26:17,140 –> 00:26:22,439 How do you work up a good appetite? 368 00:26:22,439 –> 00:26:27,260 Get some good exercise, go for a brisk walk, go for a run. 369 00:26:27,260 –> 00:26:32,640 And guess what, by the time you have extended yourself in that exercise you find that your 370 00:26:32,640 –> 00:26:35,859 readiness for a good meal has increased. 371 00:26:35,859 –> 00:26:38,819 You have worked up an appetite. 372 00:26:38,819 –> 00:26:47,140 Now, again today, this is true in regards to the nourishing of the soul. 373 00:26:47,180 –> 00:26:55,359 Extend yourself in serving others, especially people whose needs are very great, and you 374 00:26:55,359 –> 00:27:02,979 will find that your own hunger and thirst for righteousness is wonderfully increased. 375 00:27:02,979 –> 00:27:09,380 The exercise of serving will increase your spiritual appetite. 376 00:27:09,380 –> 00:27:13,479 Now, think about this in relation to our Lord Jesus. 377 00:27:13,479 –> 00:27:16,920 How did Christ fulfill the fourth beatitude? 378 00:27:16,959 –> 00:27:20,160 After all, He is the Righteous One. 379 00:27:20,160 –> 00:27:24,479 All righteousness resides within Him. 380 00:27:24,479 –> 00:27:30,500 So how in the world could Jesus then hunger and thirst after what He already had? 381 00:27:30,500 –> 00:27:34,300 And the answer to that lies in the incarnation. 382 00:27:34,300 –> 00:27:37,880 He leaves the comforts of heaven. 383 00:27:37,880 –> 00:27:45,000 He comes into this world where righteousness has been lost, where what He has is desperately 384 00:27:45,000 –> 00:27:46,000 needed. 385 00:27:46,939 –> 00:27:51,180 And He humbles Himself, and He becomes a servant, and He sees that people are like sheep without 386 00:27:51,180 –> 00:27:54,040 a shepherd, His heart is moved with compassion. 387 00:27:54,040 –> 00:27:57,900 Now, you see the principle. 388 00:27:57,900 –> 00:28:04,219 You make yourself vulnerable to the needs of others, and your own hunger and thirst 389 00:28:04,219 –> 00:28:06,540 for righteousness will increase. 390 00:28:06,540 –> 00:28:12,500 You will begin to say more and more, oh God, thy kingdom come. 391 00:28:12,699 –> 00:28:17,560 And serving will stimulate your spiritual appetite. 392 00:28:17,560 –> 00:28:22,339 So, let me just give you very quickly some practical examples of this that are happening 393 00:28:22,339 –> 00:28:28,020 right now within our congregation because some of you will say, hey, I could do that. 394 00:28:28,020 –> 00:28:33,880 Just this week, one of our life groups chose to staff a homeless shelter. 395 00:28:33,880 –> 00:28:36,500 They did it for the first time this last week. 396 00:28:36,500 –> 00:28:40,280 They were so moved by the experience and what they found there that they’ve committed, 397 00:28:40,400 –> 00:28:48,400 as a life group to staff that homeless shelter on a roster basis, continuing regularly into the future. 398 00:28:49,040 –> 00:28:54,780 A number within our congregation here are involved every week in prison ministry. 399 00:28:54,780 –> 00:28:56,859 Others are visiting the sick. 400 00:28:56,859 –> 00:29:00,560 Others are involved in advocating on behalf of the persecuted. 401 00:29:00,560 –> 00:29:08,239 I had the joy, just a few weeks ago, of visiting with a Bible study that has come out of the 402 00:29:08,239 –> 00:29:12,380 community care ministry that takes place out in this foyer every Wednesday. 403 00:29:12,380 –> 00:29:17,540 Folks in great need from the community come and receive very practical help, and out of 404 00:29:17,540 –> 00:29:22,579 that we now have about 20 folks who have a hunger and thirst to know more about Jesus 405 00:29:22,579 –> 00:29:28,619 and studying John’s gospel in the Arlington Room downstairs ever week, and a team of folks 406 00:29:28,619 –> 00:29:33,040 from this congregation who are leading them into the truth. 407 00:29:33,040 –> 00:29:35,420 Wonderful, wonderful things that are happening. 408 00:29:35,420 –> 00:29:37,880 Now put these two things that we’ve thought about together. 409 00:29:38,680 –> 00:29:44,439 Practise fasting from the legitimate pleasures of your life and then use that time and use 410 00:29:44,439 –> 00:29:53,760 that energy to give yourself to serving and meeting the needs of others, and you will 411 00:29:53,760 –> 00:29:59,859 find from both sides of this that a hunger and a thirst for righteousness, a spiritual 412 00:29:59,859 –> 00:30:05,439 appetite is being birthed within you in a new way, and it’s growing and it’s flourishing 413 00:30:05,660 –> 00:30:11,420 and you begin to discover you’re changing, and my appetite’s changing, because I changed 414 00:30:11,420 –> 00:30:24,739 my diet. Here’s number four. Use your blessings and your troubles as incentives to feed on 415 00:30:24,739 –> 00:30:35,780 Jesus Christ. Use your blessings and your troubles as incentives to feed on Jesus Christ. 416 00:30:35,780 –> 00:30:41,260 Of course, I’m thinking in using that phrase, feed on Jesus Christ, how Jesus said that 417 00:30:41,260 –> 00:30:48,719 I am the bread of life. Do you remember how he said this in John, chapter six? This is 418 00:30:48,719 –> 00:30:53,359 the bread that came down from heaven. He’s referring to himself, of course, and he says 419 00:30:53,359 –> 00:31:00,300 whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. Christ is the one who nourishes our soul to 420 00:31:00,300 –> 00:31:06,219 everlasting life and faith not only believes in him. Another way in which the Bible put 421 00:31:06,219 –> 00:31:13,180 this wonderful reality is that faith feeds on him. He nourishes, strengthens your soul 422 00:31:13,180 –> 00:31:19,619 because he is in your life and in your life, he nourishes you. 423 00:31:20,260 –> 00:31:27,459 Now again, here on this point, I’m indebted to our friend Thomas Watson, the pithy Puritan 424 00:31:27,459 –> 00:31:32,979 from whom I have learned so much and enjoyed quoting at a number of points in this series. 425 00:31:32,979 –> 00:31:42,239 Watson asked the question, how can we stimulate a spiritual appetite, and he gives two answers. 426 00:31:42,239 –> 00:31:48,680 The first I had already thought of and the second took me by surprise. Two answers. Number 427 00:31:48,680 –> 00:31:54,219 one, exercise. Well, anyone would think of that, I think, to stimulate an appetite. But 428 00:31:54,219 –> 00:32:00,560 the second answer was the one that caught me by surprise. Quote, there are two things 429 00:32:00,560 –> 00:32:15,979 that stimulate appetite. Number one, exercise. Number two, sauce. Sauce. You heard me right. 430 00:32:15,979 –> 00:32:23,339 I’m looking at this in his book. Sauce. And then I began to think, well, you know, I suppose 431 00:32:23,339 –> 00:32:29,099 in seventeenth century England the food was probably pretty bland. I know some of you 432 00:32:29,099 –> 00:32:35,640 are saying in twentieth century England the food is pretty bland. But here’s Thomas Watson 433 00:32:35,640 –> 00:32:41,819 and he says, now I sit down at a meal and what makes it more appetizing to me? Sauce. 434 00:32:42,300 –> 00:32:52,020 He’s right. This is a sweet Baby Ray moment, folks! The sauce is the Boss! And you know 435 00:32:52,020 –> 00:32:56,060 what that is. You know, the meal comes out and immediately you’re looking to put something 436 00:32:56,060 –> 00:33:01,939 on it and that increases the attractiveness of the meal to you. Now you can have some 437 00:33:01,939 –> 00:33:07,500 fun with this in the life groups as you talk about it this week, but let me just put it 438 00:33:07,540 –> 00:33:14,459 this way. God increases our hunger and thirst for righteousness by giving to us the sweet 439 00:33:14,459 –> 00:33:26,339 sauce of His blessings, the sharp sauce of troubles, and sometimes the hot sauce of persecution. 440 00:33:26,339 –> 00:33:31,099 You can come up with a lot of other varieties as well. But what I’m saying to you is simply 441 00:33:31,099 –> 00:33:37,380 this, it is good for us to cultivate the habit that whatever is going on in your life, whatever 442 00:33:37,420 –> 00:33:46,300 God has put on your plate, use it as a means of increasing, cultivating your own hunger 443 00:33:46,300 –> 00:33:54,140 and thirst for righteousness, for God Himself. So when you are blessed make it the habit 444 00:33:54,140 –> 00:34:00,619 of your mind to say, oh God you are so good. And as I contemplate your goodness I just 445 00:34:00,619 –> 00:34:06,300 want more of you. That’s the right response to the blessing of God which is sweet sauce. 446 00:34:06,300 –> 00:34:11,879 When there are troubles, how are you to respond to troubles? Oh, Lord here I find myself in 447 00:34:11,879 –> 00:34:17,699 this great trial. And perhaps you’ll call to mind what Peter says, sometimes you’ll 448 00:34:17,699 –> 00:34:22,840 go through fiery trials and these come and they test your faith which is more valuable 449 00:34:22,840 –> 00:34:29,979 than gold. And prove that it is genuine. Oh God in this trial I need you more than ever. 450 00:34:30,020 –> 00:34:36,139 Oh God, help me to walk with you and please walk with me in this trial. Let this trouble 451 00:34:36,139 –> 00:34:43,520 bring you to Christ, whether it be sweet sauce, whether it be sharp sauce, whether it be hot 452 00:34:43,520 –> 00:34:53,780 sauce. Let whatever God puts on your plate be the thing that you use to cultivate a greater 453 00:34:53,780 –> 00:35:00,620 nearness to Him and a more active pursuit after Him.” And that takes me to the last 454 00:35:00,620 –> 00:35:10,120 thing and it’s simply this. Trust Christ especially for your sanctification. Trust 455 00:35:10,120 –> 00:35:17,939 Christ especially for your sanctification. And for folks who don’t know that word, think 456 00:35:17,939 –> 00:35:23,379 of it this way, for you to live a better Christian life, for you to become more like the Lord 457 00:35:23,939 –> 00:35:30,560 Jesus Christ. Now here’s the point, and it’s an important one. I’ve spoken to many folks 458 00:35:30,560 –> 00:35:37,620 over the years who believe that they can trust Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. 459 00:35:37,620 –> 00:35:45,040 And they also believe that they can trust Christ for their eventual entrance into heaven. 460 00:35:45,040 –> 00:35:50,379 But when it comes to the whole question of overcoming habits that ruin their lives, when 461 00:35:50,379 –> 00:35:55,580 it comes to the whole business of changing what we like to call well that’s my fragility 462 00:35:55,580 –> 00:36:01,080 or my Achilles heel or that’s just how I am, they find it very, very difficult to believe 463 00:36:01,080 –> 00:36:05,820 that Jesus Christ can do anything in relation to changing them now. In other words, here’s 464 00:36:05,820 –> 00:36:09,820 how they think. They trust Christ for their justification, and they trust Christ for their 465 00:36:09,820 –> 00:36:15,300 glorification, but they do not trust Christ for their sanctification, and they live in 466 00:36:15,300 –> 00:36:19,320 this kind of world of hopelessness. Well at least I’m forgiven, and at least one day 467 00:36:19,320 –> 00:36:22,719 I’ll be different, but I’m never going to be very different now. 468 00:36:22,719 –> 00:36:30,939 Now, here’s my challenge to you. Jesus Christ came into the world to save His people from 469 00:36:30,939 –> 00:36:37,620 their sins, not simply the guilt of their sins, not simply the consequence of their 470 00:36:37,620 –> 00:36:45,280 sins, but from their sins. He came to deliver you from all that holds you back from living 471 00:36:45,280 –> 00:36:54,000 a better and more Christ-like life. And this Savior that you say you can trust to completely 472 00:36:54,000 –> 00:36:59,219 change you into His image one day, this is the Savior who has triumphed over sin and 473 00:36:59,219 –> 00:37:03,580 over death and over hell, He’s at the right hand of the Father. He sends His spirit. He 474 00:37:03,580 –> 00:37:11,760 is righteousness and redemption and sanctification for you, 1 Corinthians 1.30. Now, if you can 475 00:37:11,760 –> 00:37:18,639 trust Him for forgiveness in heaven, why can’t you trust Him to help you change and to cultivate 476 00:37:18,639 –> 00:37:27,239 a greater hunger and thirst for righteousness? And this is so important, folks, because hope 477 00:37:27,239 –> 00:37:34,600 is the key to all change. As long as the enemy of your soul has you believing that change 478 00:37:34,600 –> 00:37:40,820 is somehow beyond you, this side of heaven, you will not attempt it. You will not train 479 00:37:40,840 –> 00:37:44,419 yourself in Godliness, because somewhere deep within your soul, you say, anything I try 480 00:37:44,419 –> 00:37:49,020 is going to end in failure. And at that point, you are not trusting Christ in relation to 481 00:37:49,020 –> 00:37:54,260 your sanctification. You’re not looking to Him. As long as you’re telling myself, well, 482 00:37:54,260 –> 00:37:59,699 this is just who I am and I will never be different. Listen, change never happens without 483 00:37:59,699 –> 00:38:05,939 hope. But where hope comes, change is possible. Well, let’s end today by shining this light 484 00:38:06,000 –> 00:38:13,000 of hope into the hearts of discouraged believers. When you see Christ, you will be like Him, 485 00:38:14,760 –> 00:38:20,560 and every true Christian believes this. You’ve trusted Christ for this. You will be completely 486 00:38:20,560 –> 00:38:25,560 like Jesus Christ. Think of what your patience, your wisdom, your compassion, your kindness, 487 00:38:25,560 –> 00:38:30,360 your righteousness, your strength will be then. 488 00:38:30,520 –> 00:38:32,699 So, here’s my question and my invitation. 489 00:38:32,699 –> 00:38:41,159 If you can trust Christ to complete His redeeming work in you, then why can you not trust Christ 490 00:38:41,159 –> 00:38:47,939 to move it forward in your life now? If you can trust Him to make you completely like 491 00:38:47,939 –> 00:38:54,500 Jesus Christ on the last day, why can’t you trust Him to make you more like Jesus Christ 492 00:38:54,500 –> 00:39:02,919 now? So, I invite you to trust Christ for your sanctification, as you trust Him for 493 00:39:02,919 –> 00:39:07,520 your justification and for your glorification. It’s one Redeemer, and to be a Christian 494 00:39:07,520 –> 00:39:15,639 is to trust Him, trust Him. So, five strategies to cultivate a spiritual 495 00:39:15,639 –> 00:39:21,620 appetite, gain momentum from the first three Beatitudes. Can’t just start here in isolation. 496 00:39:21,620 –> 00:39:29,520 It comes in the flow of the Christian life. Practice fasting from legitimate pleasures, 497 00:39:29,520 –> 00:39:35,040 make yourself vulnerable to the needs of others. Use your blessings and your troubles, the 498 00:39:35,040 –> 00:39:43,719 sauce, as incentives to feed on Jesus Christ and trust Christ especially for your sanctification 499 00:39:43,879 –> 00:39:51,300 because hope in Jesus Christ is the beginning of all change. When we see Him, we will be 500 00:39:51,300 –> 00:39:59,800 like Him. And what comes out of that knowledge? Those who know this purify themselves even 501 00:39:59,800 –> 00:40:09,399 as Christ is pure. Father, we thank You for this great and mighty calling. And there isn’t 502 00:40:09,560 –> 00:40:15,360 of us who knows You and loves You who doesn’t feel in our heart often and especially now 503 00:40:15,360 –> 00:40:22,120 that we want to be more for You than we have been or that we are. And so, we bow before 504 00:40:22,120 –> 00:40:29,219 You and ask that as You are the one creating this desire within us, so we might pursue 505 00:40:29,219 –> 00:40:35,360 it with all that is within us. Thank You for this great blessing that You pronounce upon 506 00:40:35,479 –> 00:40:42,479 us even as we feel the desire in our hearts today. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst 507 00:40:43,139 –> 00:40:50,139 for righteousness because they will be satisfied. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 508 00:40:56,959 –> 00:41:01,199 You’ve been listening to a sermon with Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. To contact 509 00:41:01,199 –> 00:41:08,679 us call us at 1-877-Open365 or visit our website OpenTheBible.org