Praise the Lord everybody Glad to be in the Lord's house tonight Welcome to all of you that joined us online. Let's stand together and have a word of prayer. Shall we glad for you to be here this evening Blessing to be in the house of the Lord. I'd rather be here than the finest jail in town So as you're looking on your prayer list this evening. I want to just mention to you of course all the names and and all the folks there are Significant and in need of your prayers. I want you to be sure to hold up the families that have lost loved ones Steve lay's dad went home to be with the Lord Yesterday and I want you to believe God for this family that God would give them strength and others that are needing the touch of God in their life healing and In so many different ways. I don't I Don't have the information right here in front of me or I share it with you, but I will tell you we've had a number of different Testimonies that have come in And I'll share more about it this coming weekend But if you remember when we were praying during the service Couple of weeks ago the all-pouring of the Holy Spirit took place in this place And I started calling out the names of babies infants to be prayed for and one particular lady came to the front and brought that little nine-year-old To the to the altar her granddaughter lives in California number of different struggles going on And I'll share probably this again this coming weekend, but She just got the phone call From her daughter and granddaughter the nine-year-old that they went to church this past weekend and the daughter received the baptism of the Holy Ghost With the evidence of speaking with other tongues and has been happy ever since Friends that's what the Holy Spirit will do and And and you know, I've probably gotten a little bit of Rub backwards from some of my comments about people being demon possessed And and even one particular person that I read earlier today on that is in all of that particular Wave of things that's going on there Came and had to clarify today and admit Christians cannot be demon possessed. I Made that clear to you this past weekend. This little nine-year-old girl was not possessed. She was oppressed But when the spirit comes in He changes everything That's the reason why you can't fool around you got to stay filled every day Boy, is that a great segue to tonight's message? I could just leap from there So I want you to believe God with me for all of the needs because there's no telling what God will do When God's people pray and that's exactly what the testimony of These past several weekends. I I don't have to wait for someone Let me just submit this to you before we pray I Don't I'm not the one who's casting out devils are healing or anything like that. I hope you know you're not either Okay for anybody who says they do run Okay, they are not the Messiah The power is of the Lord not of me or not of you When we understand that then we're not hesitant to pray for anybody and let God do the work And the Lord will save the sick and raise them up if there be any sin So what am I saying that to you because there are more people that are delivered and set free Then what we ever testify about in this auditorium because it just happens You understand this past weekends and when laid their vape pipes up on the altar and and walked out delivered by the power of God I Don't have to Jesus didn't interview demons. He just cast them out kept right on going You understand what I'm saying So you don't need to you don't need to argue with it or get upset or anything like that You just have to be able to declare the Christ on the inside of you declare the property. Amen. Take over in the name of Jesus Okay, I've been around enough folks that have been genuinely demon possessed and I can assure you you You'll there's no mistaking somebody who might be or somebody who is Okay, so I'm saying that to you tonight because when you pray God moves in in the in the power of his spirit anywhere that he wants to With whom he wants to Okay, and when that takes place Miracle signs and wonders happen and these signs shall follow them I'm telling you before we pray these signs should and shall according to scripture follow them that Believe here's the only thing I need to ask you the question up Do you believe when you pray? Then let's believe together tonight and see what God's gonna do. Amen. Oh, I'm sorry before we do pray obviously, you know that the tragedy of The covenant school in Nashville, Tennessee that's the reason why our flags are at half staff and To honor their memory. I There's a lot of controversy about it all I won't get into it right now But I'm just gonna say to you that this School the very pastor of the church who lost his nine-year-old daughter in this tragedy That entire community needs our prayers and our support and you may never know anybody from there or anything But I'm gonna tell you if you stand in the gap for others and Include in that prayer the devastation of those in Mississippi where our whole town has been wiped off the map If you put yourself in that place, then you know how to pray imagine your entire world all of your Pictures all of your worldly belongings every the very place you dwell and live in and work Completely wiped off of the map Friends all it takes is just somebody who cares enough to lift up a prayer And I will say this to you as we speak one of the reasons why this church gives the convoy of hope It's because they are the first on the ground wherever it's happening. They're already on the ground with multiple trucks They're already distributing and because you gave you're helping to make that possible Can you say a man to that? So when you pray lift up all these needs and just when I say I'm lift them up I'm talking about verbalized it put it in the atmosphere because your words matter when you pray you understand What I'm saying come on everybody here all of you watching online Let's lift our voices before the throne father in the name of Jesus. We come before the very throne of God tonight Lord, we are a people that are helpless against all the forces and the things that are taking place in our world and God is so many times it feels like it's Overwhelming to our soul to our mind and to our spirit and we recognize Lord that you are the only Help and you're the only a hope that people have in this hour So we lift up every need that is listed on this Prayer sheet tonight of those that are hurting those that are needing healing in their body deliverance God a touch in their family Whatever the situation may be You're the God who is already Resident and present right there to help for those that are grieving in their heart You're the comfort that comes alongside them to help as long as they need that comfort you are there You promise you never leave us or forsake us for those Oh God that are grieving Lord in the community there in Nashville that is suffering because of it and God so many different variables that are taking place in our world and while people want to talk about the politics and all of it There are hurting families and wounded lives and people that have been killed and and did all the things They could to be able to stop things from happening, but it happened and tonight they need Lord Jesus your comfort May the name of Jesus Christ be glorified in everything that takes place in that situation and Lord I praise you now because you're the God who was able We thank you for it tonight for our friends that are in Mississippi this evening I pray you'd give strength to the volunteers of convoy of hope and all this happening there to be able to put their lives back Together piece by piece Lord we've seen the devastation and you have seen it more importantly You your eyes that will are upon your people and you have compassion tonight So we lift them up before the throne ask you to visit them Lord and for those that don't have a roof over their head tonight And and food to eat and all the things that are happening We pray God that you would provide for them and make a way help them to see that It's the Lord that is able to give them strength tonight and we give you glory for it in this service We give you praise for what you're already doing inside of this house We thank you God for the little girl who has been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit Lord, there's nothing better than to see children seeking after the face of God So we glorify you in it tonight, and we pray that this service would be one that stirs our hunger in our Hearts towards you in the mighty name of Jesus. Everybody believes it shout a great big amen Amen, I want you to get out shake hands be friends with somebody let them know how much you love and appreciate them If you don't know who they are introduce yourself to them and may God bless you for being a part of this service tonight Right there online from around the world. What a blessing to have you join us as well Hello to our friends in Texas so glad that you're feeling better faster With them we thank you God so much for the Lord doing a work inside of your life and body and for all of you That are joining us online. We welcome you from around the world Would you share this out to others so that they can enjoy this Bible class get your study? right there on your app or on the computer whatever that you may be sitting at tonight and Get ready to be a giver in a few moments You're gonna get a chance to be able to be a giver in the kingdom of God to keep the live stream and all the equipment That it takes to make it happen Up to date and ready to go for you so God bless you. Thank you for joining us We're so glad that you are right here in this Wednesday night Bible class Hey, man Praise the Lord. I'd say the bus is loaded All right, so we're glad for you to be here and we thank you so much for being here We want you to get ready to be a giver. You can do that by Scanning the QR code that's on the wall Or you can do that online on your app and your reoccurring giving or you can do cash That's available in the buckets There will be usher standing by in the back of the auditorium by the buckets as you're leaving to assist you And if you need an envelope or whatever that it may be and I want to thank you for your faithful faithful financial support to the work of the kingdom at Pace assembly there's a lot of things that are happening around the campus all the time and Things that we have going on events and all that are taking place I want to encourage you to avail yourself to the information About upcoming events and things that are happening here at Pace assembly. You'll want to be a part of we want you to be a part of it and We're just not able to take up all the time from the pulpit to be able to announce every one So we need you to engage the information Let me just say to you this though in light of that this coming weekend We want you to make sure that you're in attendance and bring someone with you as we open up the Season of the resurrection with Palm Sunday this coming weekend It's mission Sunday, and we will receive communion together in a way that you have never perhaps seen it before and We want you to make sure that you're here and bring somebody with you.  Yes this coming weekend so you won't want to miss it it's going to be a powerful time and I'll also want you to make plans to be with us Sunday night at 6 o'clock the doors were open at 5 and We want you to be a part of a Bible prophecy update prophecy files update this coming Sunday night at 6 o'clock with our very special guest Eric Stackelbeck. I believe that you'll be blessed and some of you say who is he and what's the Stackelbeck? Well, I will tell you that he is quite versed in what's taking place especially in the Middle East and if there ever has been a time that your interest should be Certainly pointed in that direction and seeing what's taking place globally Our friend Eric is going to have some insight to bring to you We are we are watching the streets of Tel Aviv fill up with protesters against the Prime Minister we're watching the protesting take place around the globe. We're watching even today Well this past Week as Russia and China got together and declared themselves to be the new ruling leader of the world And that they would govern that now that was only verified today as I give you just a little bit And I'm gonna give you a little Prophecy files update on Sunday night just for a few moments before Eric does come take platform and give us insight of what he has globally, but Today in testimony on Capitol Hill the leaders of the Department of Defense Declare that China has now gotten to such an advanced level that According to their words, and I'm paraphrasing it that it is now impossible for us to detour them from any Actions and things that they're doing for a nuclear action into the future I don't want you to miss this coming weekend because there was a declaration that was made by Elon Musk and a hundred other individuals more I think it was a thousand signatures that were calling for the stopping the suspension a moratorium on AI for the next six months There is some serious ramifications that are taking place and not only that but let me just share this with you and Just as a you know, I've been preaching to you over the past several weeks concerning I believe and it's important what you believe and It seems that every time that that I have prepared for a message out comes another article to confirm How and why it's so important that you understand Not only what you believe, but you actually believe it and act upon it So in this Washington or Wall Street Journal poll hear this the title of the article Biblical foundations rejected by most Americans in a new poll money has now replaced God a New study reveals some troubling trends about Americans now Believe faith in God is becoming less common in America Well, we can see that As I'm watching what's taking place with these I'll be kind Let me back up and say with folks on television and radio and commentators who think that they have answers until there's a tragedy Where they don't have an answer and the first one they want to blame is God and Then they want to try to explain something by all the different human Explanations that they can come up with but I can tell you beyond the shadow of any doubt as I stand here tonight That it is because of our turn away from God in our nation that we are seeing these things transpire across and they were where a senator's Assistant gets stabbed on the street in New York City where a woman who's just going home from work a Journalist who's going home from work riding on the subway in New York is actually punched in the face and nearly knocked For no reason Which there wouldn't be Any number of these violent attacks, you know just like Nashville and others that have transpired Friends, I'm telling you it's because men's hearts are turning away from God that you're seeing this take place And it's and people when's it gonna stop? Oh, we need to outlaw guns. Well, it wasn't guns it was a person Who had an evil in their heart and Franklin Graham made that very clear in his very great one liner for that I can assure you that you know if it would have been the the lawmakers of the day back in David and Goliath's day They wanted to outlaw rocks Am I right about it? We're gonna pass a law. Nobody can pick up a rock So a new poll from the Washington the Wall Street Journal Listen to this finds only 39% of Americans say Religious faith is a top priority only 39% it's no wonder. It's no wonder the average church size across America is 65 people That's down from that 39% is down 62% since 1988 Now you don't have to be a scientist or a pollster or a brilliant scholar or anything else to figure out that with that trajectory trajectory It won't be long before they start selling church buildings out and turning them into apartment complexes and coffee houses If they can even get anybody to work The survey reveals a discrepancy in age and people who value religious faith only 31% of those under 30 Say religion is very important compared To 55% of people 65 and over who feel that way Belief in a value listen to this belief in the value of patriotism community and having children are all down as well The study finds and this is it the study finds one value Listen to this one value that has grown in importance over the past 25 years the love of money The percentage of Americans who now put their trust in money has risen from 31% to 43% That says people's confidence and trust is in money more than God Now what do you do with that? Well, you certainly don't go and hide in a corner and You don't take your religion and go climb in some closet somewhere. What do you do? You engage the culture with the knowledge of God's word and you turn the hearts of little nine-year-olds in the direction of God Evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit and let it be on display To a generation who needs to see it and experience it God forbid that we sit or or try to put a lid on the moving of the Holy Spirit at Pace Assembly as long as I'm here as pastor it will never take place Because ladies and gentlemen what people are hungry for is the word and they're hungry for the Experience with God that is not coming through a man. I need to let everybody know and I don't I say this respectfully But the bottom line is they put the Pope in the hospital now what we're gonna do. I Mean that's where I hear physician heal thyself right because he's supposed to be the the the one that's the The papal he's supposed to be the one who's able right? Well, we are looking at one more fact of human frailty Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus didn't say have faith in the preacher Jesus said have faith in God and in this hour. That's exactly what we need to have can you say amen to that? Alright, you got your Bibles open Enough of me just messing around in the water. No Sunday. So don't miss Sunday. Don't miss Sunday night Tonight we're taking up the next Part of this series on the Beatitudes. I hope you've been enjoying it as much as I've been enjoying bringing it to you and In Matthew chapter 5 verse number 5 our next lesson here this evening is blessed Are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be? fill a Little testimony that nine-year-old girl couldn't have come at a better time for me In this lesson here tonight So let's ask God to open our minds and hearts for those of you that are watching as well And let's believe God for what he wants to say to us tonight. Amen father Thank you right now for the privilege. We have to study your word Lord We would have no way to step no way to Know the direction were it not for the Word of God give us that instruction tonight So Lord let it be a practical application into our hearts and lives And I pray you'd stir the hunger and the thirst and every believer's heart this evening Lord we can't create an appetite for something that people are not hungry for So I pray tonight that you'd stir that hunger for you and for righteousness in this congregation and those that are watching Jesus name. Amen So if you were creating a list we've been studying the beatitudes if you were Creating a list for living for God Question is would you include?  Well, I'm gonna answer that rhetorical question. No, you would not No, you would say blessed are those who are increasing and blessed on blessed and oh, thank God for the blessing But we understand that there is a pattern that Jesus is speaking about here in Matthew chapter 5 and this discourse on on the Mount of Olives that is letting us know there is a pattern on How that we are to approach God and the kingdom in fact, let me say it like this to you and you can write this down the the beatitudes are Jesus proclamations of divine truth on how to get into the kingdom and How to live successfully once you're in there? So this is not something that you do to get in the kingdom and then you drop it off and say, okay That's it. This is something that is an ongoing process You don't ever get over blessed are the poor in spirit because the moment you get arrogant and say I deserve something Or somehow I got this thing of salvation down as the moment you'll be tripped up We must stay at a place where we say to ourself. I'm bankrupt without Christ Which leads me to mourning over sin not only of my own but on of other people Which then leads me to have a meek life where I am where it's power That's under control and that according to the scripture I can inherit the earth That is to say I now am able by Christ help in my life because of his meekness to get my own life under control This is a powerful Lesson because this is not just some this is not just some wishes that Jesus has we wish that everybody will live This way no this is the way he's saying to build character into your life his character in your life Not someone's idea of character, but the character that Christ is saying here This is the divine pattern of life and living that according to the scripture on every one of them Causes us to be blessed Now the terminology is also defined in some ways as happy so if you prefer happy over blessed I have no problem except for the fact that happen Happiness has a root of happening or happen, which means something's got to happen in order for me to be happy Well, I don't have to have anything happy happen for me to be happy in Christ Jesus I'm I'm filled with joy the joy of the Lord is my strength because the Holy Spirit dwells on the inside of my life I'm blessed and highly favored and I don't have to have another blessing. I want to make sure you understand that Jesus owes us nothing else and Yet he daily loads us with blessings Daily he loves us with blessing in fact you woke up once again this morning to a fresh new mercy that you didn't have Yesterday so if you ran out your mercy and grace yesterday be thankful that you woke up and your eyes popped up Because the Lord said here's some more grace here's some more mercy for you And we understand that grace of mercy is grace is something that we don't deserve that we didn't earn it That's the reason why you're gonna see this in this particular one Be attitude of being hungry and thirsty for his righteousness So the beatitudes are Jesus proclamation of divine truth on how to get in the kingdom and how to live successfully In the kingdom I've got just a few questions that I'm gonna ask you here tonight About three of them to help describe to you what this passage of Scripture is all about and let me say this to you in the time We're living of course at every other time as well But I'm saying to you that in the time we're living you must not just read the Word of God You must study the Word of God to show yourself approved and Then make that a practical principle lifestyle and it's I'm gonna tell you right now if these Principles that I'm telling you here tonight these proclamations of Jesus are going to be Absolutely diametrically opposed to the world's thinking So don't expect them to even applaud you for it Don't expect everybody to get happy because you're poor in spirit Okay Don't expect all that Expect to walk in the principles of God and then expect the blessing to come from the father into your life So there's a few questions. First of all, what is righteousness? We need to answer that question here tonight and and we're gonna bounce back and forth in this blessed Are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness? For they shall be filled the Scripture says so we need to establish what is righteousness. Well, I don't know about you To define righteousness. It's always funny. I was horrible at this in school because whenever we had to do Definitions, I always chose ones and wrote it down like this Which really didn't give me the the full totality of what the definition was I was just trying to get something on the paper so I could get it in So whenever what what is righteousness? Well, it's a state of righteousness. Well, thank you very much Now this particular definition is going to have significance in a moment as you see it unfolded But the bottom line is it doesn't really tell us what righteousness is That's the number one definition. You'll find in the Scripture are in the in the dictionary is a state righteousness a state of righteousness Well, what's a better? What's a better?  No, not one That pretty well ends that argument doesn't it? There is none righteous no not one there is not enough that you can do and God does not expect you to do righteousness that that seems to be the thematic thing today You know because churches are always trying to find some new fad or trend or slogan or something like that We're gonna do this and we're gonna do that but but but the Lord doesn't Save you so you can do He saves you so you can beat don't get too excited out there. I Just I thought that was a great thing. But anyway, that's my own arrogance So I'll try to pull back a second Corinthians 521 for he has made him watch this This is it to be sin for us Who knew no sin that what that we might be made we are made The righteousness of God how come on how in him So there's no righteousness inside of us In fact the Bible is very clear to us for all of sin and come short of the glory of God 323 and he makes it very clear right here in Romans chapter number 3 verse number 10 that there's none of us that are righteous and that you can never achieve that by doing right things That is salvation and sanctification in fact He makes it clear here in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 That the Lord was made sin for us so that we could have what he purchased Which is our righteousness and the only way you get it is in him Powerful so there's two people two kinds of people in the earth One is and two kinds of people sitting in here and watching right now One is the people that are perfect in themselves And they don't mind telling you now they may not say oh, I'm mr.  Y'all are right out there You know One group says you better make sure you wear a tie And then the problem is you drive right on up here north up at the Walnut Hill and you'll find out that they say Don't wear no tie. That's whirly Come on somebody Now you don't know what to do. Do you I leave your faces are giving it away tonight? What do we do? What do we do? What do we do stop trying to do and Be who Christ has made you be Are you with me? So let's get a little deeper into this righteousness factor here because righteousness then is right Standing before God not right actions. I'm gonna explain this because whenever you say this people go Well good then I got saved and I can do whatever I want to wrong I Am not suggesting that there should not be Acts of righteousness and following in the ways of the Lord So don't think I can get saved and then go do whatever I want to do. That's that's hedonism the Bible says You know, there's whole groups of people that said well since my spirit saved my body can go do whatever it wants to So drink party smoke reefer and do whatever you want to do But that's not that's not godly not to mention the fact that your witness is completely destroyed By what people see Now I'm not doing it for my salvation so that you can see that I'm saved I'm doing it because I don't law the Lord. I love the Lord I don't give my tithes and offerings because somebody twisted my arm there. There is a An Article I was reading today where the pastor is all up in trouble and it made Christian news. What do you know and It's because that he Put pressure Undo pressure as the article would would state upon his staff that they had to pay ties Which our staff pays ties here. They don't work here. That's the way that is because we got to be an example I pay ties and pay ties all God's children pays ties But I don't stand around twisting their arm in this case one of the staff members Sold his house so he could pay his guys Well, that's foolishness Now you've created a law That you're not even going to be able to live up to yourself Because at some point pastor Where do you come into this play if I've got to force you for that Forget it Are you hearing what I'm saying? If I've got to twist your arm for you to do that, then you don't love the Lord you law the Lord Let me flip it around for husbands and wives if you don't love your spouse and Act accordingly Let's call it acts of righteousness towards your spouse And they've always got to be asking or forcing. Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you care about do you care? Sure? I told you 40 years ago. It should be good enough for now Okay, if you're in that condition You then then you're going by the law and they'll never be a cohesion I can go off on this for days, but they'll never be a cohesion there Because you're operating by law. Let me say it like this How many of you would agree that it's the right thing to do as a believer to come to church? Especially in the last days according to Hebrews 11 23, you know as we see so much more the day approaching, right?  What's wrong with you as Sunday? You know, I mean do we take role? Yeah, we take role. It's only an indicator But the bottom line is we're looking right now Just out of this poll that I just gave you a few moments ago Less than 31% of people have a confidence in God anymore And they trust more in their money to get them out of their trouble and if you trust in money Then then you'll law the Lord. You don't love the Lord See I give because I love the Lord. I Give doors my wife because I love my wife. Nobody has to twist my arm.   Yeah, but the game's on. All right. Well, you can come back and watch it, right? Oh man, sometimes I you know Wherever you are cameras I want you whenever I make those statements to put it on this crowd right here because we're gonna have a blooper day one day And I'm just gonna show you the faces of people and their response to that kind of things. Well, I Am not suggesting that you should not do Actions of righteousness because you love the Lord you should Does that make sense losing Jesus? I'm finding the 31% They're in this house Let me make you plain Jesus doesn't want us just to act better He didn't die so we could act better Or let me say it like this add Jesus to everything else that we have Okay, if that's true, then we're serving all these gods and and this is what happens with people Instead of going to God at that moment because out of him flows the the issues of life out of you find your whole life World view everything in God, but if you put God on a list a lot of people ask the question All right, tell me what's the priority like? Well God's number one and my family's number two and and they make this list and If any one of those has difficulty This is how it works if any one of those that you may just out of have some kind of difficulty or priority on that Then they'll move to the number one spot. I don't have my whiteboard out here to tell you But here's the way it works out of the heart out of God out of the very center of your being flows the issues of life so everything you do should flow through Christ as The answer and the direction for your life because out of him flows the issues of my for me as they believe her You follow what I'm saying How I operate with my finances how I operate with my relationships how I operate with my church with my with my business With my home with with you know being employed somewhere all of those kind of things. What what is the answer? The answer is what does God say? What does God say about this situation? And I promise you I promise you God has something to say about every situation Well, I didn't find it in the Word of God. You didn't search hard enough Because whether there's a thou shalt or thou shalt not in there is not the point You find the principles like we're studying here tonight and you govern yourself accordingly and then out of that you say Lord What is the answer to this situation? Okay, somebody somebody hit me up with this the other day About being unequally yoked when I mentioned it in the congregation the other day and that's a very true statement The Bible is very very clear. We're not just talking about marriage.  Now for me, that's a perfect opportunity for me to say well, let me tell you You see all of my blessings every part of my life my very breath that I breathe comes from God And so I honor him first in everything I do and it's not about how much or what the money is It's about my heart not the money. That's what people don't realize about tithing Because it's not about how much you give it's about where your heart is For there your treasure will be also the Bible so with that in mind the Lord is not He didn't go through all the beating and the torment and the mocking and all that and die on the cross For us just to act better Jesus died on the cross for us to be right in him Which is the definition of the very first one that I gave you the state of righteousness You know where I live, you know what state I live in state of righteousness Before I live in the state of Florida. I live in the state of righteousness Come on somebody What do you mean by that pastor you trying to be funny? Oh, no, no, I'm a citizen of two worlds And the more this world is going crazy down here the more I'm getting ready for a kingdom Who's builder and maker is God that I haven't seen who built it with their hands, but I know that it's there You understand what I'm saying When your vision in your and your heart is elevated to that place Suddenly you understand more about it's not about what I do. It's about who I am in Christ right standing This is so important for you to get a hold of Again, if you haven't heard the teaching on the cross the power of the cross standing in faith in the cross All the devil wants to do is move you from that position If I take my faith away from Christ being my righteousness, I have no righteousness.   Come on, let's all get on our face before God, you know good and well and here's then people go Well, I I think I could do all right with that. Well, you should check out what Jesus said Jesus said it like this in the New Testament as a as a refining of that of that He says listen if you're planning on keeping all the laws I'm paraphrasing if you're planning on keeping all the laws Let me just remind you and let you know this that if you just break one of them you broke them all Now you can either do it on your own Or you can fall on the righteousness of Jesus Christ and thank you for his grace and mercy every day They let you in Is that all right for somebody? I'm trying to help you get set up here because the person who professes salvation But practices sin the Bible says according to 1st John 4 verses 1 through 10 Is not born of God In other words, there's a conflict that goes on there So believe me you get you can know who identifies at first when when you look all righteous And you do all your righteous stuff here at the church and then you go home and act like a devil All I got to do is ask your kids house things at the house and they start confessing stuff about you and everybody around you Are you hearing me? So we're not talking about not following up with walking with the Lord We're talking about the status of salvation and then Sanctification that follows because I want to do so because I love the Lord and what he's done inside of my life Can you say amen to that? now Where do we go from there? Let's let's explain this just a little bit more stay with me There is a righteousness that will make you happy and blessed There is a righteousness that will make you happy and blessed and It would be identified in the Scripture as imputed righteousness. That is Christ Imputed or deposited as he did for Abraham as he did for us He gave us his righteousness. He purchased it on the cross. I Love this passage scripture in Hebrews where he starts talking about him being the Executor of the will and he is the testament and the testator in other words He died and he was there when it happened and he verified that he died late in the to in the grave for three days But he said because I don't want anybody to mistake it And I don't want anybody else trying to interpret the will of God He said I'll get up myself and I will be the Executor of the will and make sure that you get what's coming to you the devil is a liar God said I'm gonna make sure that after all that I've been through that you get what's coming to you Aren't you glad that the Lord is providing imputing to you his righteousness? Suddenly it makes you embrace the cross where others, you know the songwriter said what a wondrous cross others are repulsed by Don't talk about the blood Don't talk about the cross. Let me tell you something. I will cling to the old rugged cross and Lay down all my trophies the songwriter said because because what the Christ of Calvary has done for my life Is gave me something I could never earn I could never accomplish on my own But he deposited in my account as sure as I took it down here I forget that the banks are failing as sure as he put it inside of my heart right now that I am a child of God and you are by faith and what he did on the cross He gave to me not a little bit of righteousness.  It is self righteousness Self-righteousness.  But we all but we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness is are as filthy rags and We all do fade as a leap look at this we fade as a leaf in our iniquities like the wind have taken us away Think about it He said listen. I'm trying to tell you what your life is Life is a vapor James says It's here and then it's gone.   In a rat hole with a piece of styrofoam on top of it, and he looked like a woolly booger when they found it and Eventually on the world stage He was hung by his neck until he's dead now He's in the middle of eternity Awaiting the judgment that is rightfully do him ladies and gentlemen all of us are like Sheep that have gone astray and turned our own way, but thanks be to God Who lets us know in the scripture that to attempt it by our own righteousness it will never accomplish it will fade away It will disappear your life is just and it's gone But if you'll put your life in him you can know right now that you get his righteousness and his righteousness is gonna last for the eons of time I Think this is good even though I am teaching This is what this is this is important because the difference is imputed righteousness or self-righteousness Imputed righteousness or self-righteousness. Let me give you another example here real quick From the very beginning here's Cain and here's Abel Abel Abel the Bible says offers up This righteous sacrifice and that's obedience to what God said Something that you did not put your hands on to create. I created it. I created that sacrifice You didn't have anything to do with it. Give me the first and give me the best and Abel comes and brings an acceptable sacrifice to God Not only is his life Embraced by God to this day the Bible says his blood is speaking from the ground the testimony of the Lord Let me just tell you and not just the testimony the Lord but the Lord is testifying of Abel's blood I'm gonna tell you something you're in with Christ if he's telling your story by the blood that's in the ground because you're dead So that wasn't that was an act of obedience But more importantly than the act of righteousness was the obedience to lay down what God said lay down and That was an offering of an animal sacrifice. What did Cain do? His act of self-righteousness which was disobedience to God He brings the the the ground the the the sacrifice of the fruit of his own doing his own hands and Lays it on there and he says what's wrong with you? What's wrong with you Cain? Why is your count listen to this? Why is your countenance fallen? Why are you angry?  Didn't I tell you that if you did what your brother did I would accept your sacrifice You didn't do it. Now all of that is a type and shadow of Christ and the enemy the adversary Okay What's the point the point is is that Abel acted in obedience to God and it was given to him for righteousness sake and Cain acted in disobedience in self-righteousness and the Bible says of Cain he went out from the presence of God So consider consider the fact that that not only did he miss out on the blessing of this particular Beatitude we're studying here tonight, but all the rest of them because he thought He thought he was something but not thinking he was bankrupt He thought he was something and didn't mourn over his own loss. He got mad over his own Are you following what I'm saying? His worship was self-righteous Why are y'all angry why you why why why do you get all mad when somebody else gets blessed? Didn't I tell you that if you'd offer up a sacrifice unto God that righteous sacrifice, which is a worship under the Lord That I would accept yours See, that's the reason why I said it's foolish for us to compare ourselves with other people Because God's not holding my righteous blessing over because he's waiting on your approval. You hear what I said God's not mad at me because you're not doing right God has righteousness for me and if I'll do right if I will stand in the right position of righteousness I have the kingdom That's what the Bible says. Are you still with me right here? Any replacement? It's not on your paper, but hear me any replacement of self-will For salvation and sanctification in the place of the revealed will of God in other words disobedience is an act of unrighteousness on our part in other words to disobey what God said is an act of unrighteousness it becomes self-righteousness unrighteousness can never minister sacrifice or worship Before the presence of God How do you know that because the Bible says in 1st Corinthians 6 and 9? No, you're not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God Somebody said well, you're judging. I don't I'm not judging the word of God is saying it right here That we step outside of the boundaries of Christ and his righteousness All the rest that listen if you don't believe God and his word is true Everything else is a lie Everything else is a false. I'm I was studying some of that today preparing for prophecy files upcoming and And and the fact is ladies and gentlemen I've told you this before and you might get tired of me saying this to you But I told his congregation several years ago whenever the supreme court passed that same-sex marriage Law passed it as the law of the land in defiance of God's word that it would lose a lying spirit upon this nation Well, guess what? Try to find the truth coming out of anywhere in leadership right now Try to find it you can't find You don't know what to believe these days That's the reason why we're studying this scripture because My my instruction for you tonight from the word of God is hunger and thirst after righteousness And the promise is that you shall be filled Standing of a person is as important as the sacrifice they bring It's what you are not what you do Imputed righteousness here's that passage of scripture that's on your page in roman chapter 4 verses 20 through 24 I love this passage scripture. This is about Abraham He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief But was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what he had promised What God had promised that he was able to perform watch this and therefore it was imputed because Abraham believed Sometimes we think that faith only shows up in the new testament, but I submit to you face showed up in genesis Why because Abraham believed God and it was imputed it was counted to him for righteousness sake Now it's not written for his sake alone. Look at that That it was imputed to him but for us also To whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our lord from the dead Friends. It's all about our belief Unbelief is the killer of the soul. It's what kept the children of israel out of the promised land It's what keeps you from being able to see the healing that you need unbelief trusting in God and staying there I'm gonna preach this sometime. I was studying a little bit about this today too often our sacrifices crawl off the altar Or we take them off We lay it up there lord. This is yours lord This is i'm sacrificing under you and when we get nervous about the economy Come on somebody Oh, here it is lord and then when our loved ones go through something that's tragic. We want to take it back into our hands I'll preach that to you later. Yeah, that's not exciting here. I'm trying to find your excitement place Here's question number two. What does it mean then to hunger and thirst? after righteousness Well, let me just tell you that the two strongest impulses in our human nature is food and water food and water Now our children and we don't really know what it means to starve. I have A member of our family that whenever it gets lunchtime or dinnertime. They're famous words are i'm star You ever heard that from your kids? I you got a pantry full of food the refrigerator stock to no end everything's there and i'm star being They don't know nothing about starving I won't roll it too hard to the folks that are watching online right now. They know what starving is We don't know about starving the human impulse And human nature is i've got to have food and i've got to have water So what does that mean that means food and water are then the necessities of life not a luxury And all you got to do is go to matthew chapter 6 and you'll find out That jesus said i understand that you need food and you need water and you need shelter And anything above that is a blessing I'm gonna try that on again because we've got so much stuff today We got so much stuff you take some of your stuff away and you'll find out You'll find out where your heart is at. Come on. I'm gonna tell you what god I'll mess with my boat. I'll tell you what god. I I got this hunting shotgun right here. I got it for christmas I ain't even tried it out yet.   They're not they're not luxury. So what is jesus saying jesus is saying Righteousness is not a luxury. It is a necessity of life Both natural and spiritual Did you get that there's not an option There's not an option to say well, I can I can I can go a few days. You can go a few days without food But you let me call a fast in here for 40 days and you'll watch people right now We ain't even started to have fall out on the floor. Oh my god. I'm starting Soon as that stomach rumbles one time boy Get me to Popeyes I'm sorry chick-fil-a You know what i'm talking about Our physical life depends on food and water Our spiritual life depends on righteousness of the lord So the outer man has an appetite right It's not a trick question. The outer man has an appetite, right? I'm gonna try it one more time. I'm gonna get there in a minute. The outer man has an appetite, right?  And when I was growing up sunday night We went all the way to krispy kreme donut on eggland parkway got 12 hot ones and then we had an empty jug That we that we drank milk out of washed it out real good And we went across because if you brought your own jug it was cheaper And we went over across the street to a and w root beer and said fill that thing up by the time I got home We were blowed up like ticks Burping and eating krispy kreme donuts Does anybody relate to me right here? I think I don't want to be left all alone A and w root beer and krispy kreme donuts that is that is That's the stuff they ran the hindenburg on you understand what i'm saying just The outer man has appetites and the inner man has appetites Say amen somebody I bet you if I brought a bunch of chick-fil-a's in here right now you some of you not even a hunger you'd eat one Because there's an appetite And let me say this and i'm going to probably say it again in a few moments That appetite for food and for water Can never be satisfied Because you're always You know what that one word that describes that that level Thanksgiving am I right about it? You just set got up from the meal you go over there roll over there taking that you get up and say I think I'm going to fix me a turkey Shampoo, but watch this If if those things are not satisfied in our life What happens? Then we become in the outer man and the inner man weak and sickly One of the first signs of sickness is the loss of appetite One of the first signs of regaining health is the return of the appetite.   Let's call it in the inner man's sin You lose the appetite for spiritual things Some of you are wondering right now. Maybe you're not maybe you're you feel like you're doing pretty good I mean you compare yourself with somebody else And when we do we always compare with somebody who we feel like it's lesser than we are so we look better That's self-righteousness just for your information What's the point when we start losing an appetite? For the things of god, we're already sick and weakly Are you following me? That's the reason why he says stir up the gift of god that is within you Now why do you don't need why why do you why do you uh, don't just need crispy cream donut preaching all the time?  I gotta stop eating all that bread I'll do it tomorrow As soon as I finish this coke right here and there's crispy cream donut You know and I know that if we only eat that Then we will become sick.  But after a while you start developing an appetite for it Come on somebody Now I'm not a big green eater. I don't eat green I'm talking about Turnips and stuff some of y'all see some of y'all gonna curse my name right now because of it But but I'm not a big green eater, but one day somebody Brought some greens And for whatever reason they throw like black eyed peas in it and stuff And then they started throwing something else in there and they said here taste this And I taste it. I went wow, this is great Next thing I know when we when when the restaurant Down the road forget the name of it. They bring greens out to the table all the time next thing I know I'm sitting there eating greens and my mom was looking down from heaven said I told you You're not always going to like what's preached behind this pulpit, but when you trust the word of God He's going to feed you what you need for the time that you need it See, let me say it like this For all of our friends that are watching tonight in Kenya That school in Nashville and that class where those children were shot Was the last thing they learned in that class was from a Kenyan missionary Who had been visiting there and was teaching them and had just taught all the children they had just learned the song amazing grace And 20 minutes later they said The shooter comes in I can tell you are all in boys the those those children are the night I can tell you right where they are they're cradled in the arms of jesus christ And the devil can't touch them in that ever again But then that puts our faith right on the line doesn't it because then somebody throws a camber in your face and says well What what did your god do that you were this is a christian school? Well, that doesn't make it us exempt Well, what am I gonna do? I'm gonna keep standing in the right by god I'm gonna keep standing in the righteousness of christ here because there's a lot of things that I don't understand But the lord will give me the answers that I need when I need them And sometimes I don't like eating what I eat, but it's doing my inner man better than what I realize You hear me Psalm 106, here's what the bible says if you don't think god is proving this among us right now This is so important psalm 106 the bible says that israel lusted exceedingly in the wilderness And watch this see we don't want to leave we don't want to read this and god sent leanness to their soul Think about that When your appetites are not after god and he's invested so much in you Come on somebody. That's the reason why those of you have been serving the lord for so long. You can't backslide The lord has got too much invested in you to let you backslide He will send leanness to your soul Why is this happening to me?  What did jesus say to the woman at the well He said if you drink of this water out of this well, you're gonna thirst again It will never satisfy you But if you drink of the water that I am offering you and giving you you will never thirst again Now that doesn't even make any sense doesn't What do you mean? I drink of this water and I'll thirst again, but if I drink of your water, I'll never thirst again You mean one drink of water from you is enough for a lifetime? Let's see Let's see Let me get you into this right here quickly because righteousness is not a performance It's not what I do righteousness then is a person You see that that's found in those passages in scripture that are in front of you But see he first the kingdom of god, you know matthew 633 But see he first the kingdom of god and we like to skip over this part and say and then all these things will be added to you But look what the bible says, but see he first the kingdom of god and his righteousness So going after the lord's righteousness Is what causes these things to be added to your life I'll let you read psalm 42 and 7 and isai of 54 and 17 Here's what the bible is letting us know in these passages of scripture that righteousness then is the door who is jesus Into the kingdom and it's also the way to walk after you are in the kingdom That's what this passage of scripture is hungering and thirsting after righteousness for you shall be filled Look at this There should be a hunger In our lives after we've been born again That we seek or or or that is sought after which is his Righteousness not mine not the preacher not the person sitting next to me his righteousness In other words once i've been born again. I'm grateful that i'm in the kingdom. What do you want me to do lord? Here am i right Here's the third question That i'm finishing up here tonight with you. What does it mean then to be filled?  I love you. It's been a rough week hadn't it come on Anybody want to go to sleep right now? How about a cheeseburger? Chick-fil-a crispy cream I ain't got one anyway You're gonna love this it means to gorge look at your neighbor and tell him it means to gorge It means y'all wouldn't do it if I gave you a twenty dollar bill it means to gorge Now nobody wants to admit that but i got news for you uh We went uh last year We took a a day and went up into the homage country After the summit last year up there the kufi summit and so we went up there and everybody was talking about this one place That was a the buffet. Oh, it is fabulous Gigantic building two of these buildings We walked in there pastor sam and donna were with us and we walked in the door and there There was This action going on in there at every food line of everything that you could ever imagine that you would want I've never seen sparks fly off of plastic silverware before And they piled it up on their plate as if there was it was going to disappear at any moment been Like at any moment all the food was going to go So they came back If I go to the buffet and all you can eat I never get my money's worth Okay, I mean I try I can work that ice cream machine pretty good, but But the rest of it. I mean they were working it downtown It was the epitome of gorging It was like the last supper The personification of the last supper What does it mean to be filled this is this is the dichotomy This is the strange thing about this verse. You got to see it They that hunger Shall be filled Well, how can I be?  Will the believer face a greater inner Condemnation than when you begin to approach god and worship you get oh, I'm going after god. I'm hungry for god I'm coming to church. I'm ready to get in the word of god Try to get that hunger stirred up and you'll find the conflict of the flesh and the spirit going after it Have you ever read the word of god and you were hungry for the word of god and all of a sudden you fell asleep while you was reading it And then you fell condemn because you fell asleep and the devil jumped on your shoulder and said see you can't stay away Could you not tarry with me one hour? Because he don't want you given worship to god for the righteousness that you have received So get this our right to the throne room will continually be challenged Did you hear what I just said Wherefore also we pray always for you that our god would count you worthy of this Calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and work in faith and power What is he saying right here? He's saying that god is saying to you i'm going to reward you By filling you because of your hunger for me And because of your righteousness that is in christ not in yourself You have a right to enter in by the blood into the throne room and worship at any time you want to Did you hear what I said? I don't have to ask somebody do I or mother may I or or god? I've got a back end lord I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do and all that no no The bible says with boldness we approach the throne of grace He's saying to us because of christ's righteousness There will be a battle for you to get into the throne room because that flesh is warring with the spirit But come on in anyway. You're not coming in your name. You're coming in my name Wow, that's good So what does that mean? That means you don't work your way in You believe and worship your way in Yeah Have you been noticing what god has been doing in this services over the past several weeks even in months? What is god doing? The atmosphere of worship and people coming with an expectation is causing people to be saved Healed delivered and set free by the power of god and guess what nobody cares Who gets the credit for it all belongs to the lord and we worship him in the middle of it Come on now So who is this lord we worship? Well, I love what the bible says here in jeremiah The executes judgment it behold the day comes said the lord that I will raise up david a righteous branch and a king Shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice on the earth Look at this and in the days And in in his days juda shall be saved and israel Shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called the lord Our righteousness Isn't that powerful? He is the lord our righteousness. I dare you when you pray and worship to worship the lord our righteousness It will keep your own self in check You hear what i'm saying All right I conclude here tonight By telling you first grant in his chapter one verse 31 30 and 31, but of him Are you in christ jesus Who of god is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written he that gloria letting glory in the lord So then how is it possible? How is it possible then to be hungry and filled at the same time? When he says those that hunger and thirst after righteousness they shall be filled and yet i'm still hungry watch this Those that let me let me flip the coin those that those that do not hunger after righteousness Shall not be filled But i'm only talking to those who are hungry and thirsty The bible says you shall be filled So watch this God created inside of every one of us a hunger and a thirst both of the outer man and the inner man An appetite that is endless on the inside of us Isn't it funny how you can sit down on a meal and all of a sudden you get up and just a little while later you're going Where's that par?   Would you at least pick them up and wipe off the carpet from the barbecue sauce? God created inside of us a hunger both naturally and spiritually now watch this So the appetite On the inner man can only be satisfied By a god who is endless in other words You'll never plum the depths of god in his infinite wisdom power knowledge glory Run the list So in other words somebody said well, I know god you don't know him You know some of him, but you don't know all of him You turn the page and he'll show you something about himself that you've never seen before Why is that why is that?  What do we say feel me again? Holy spirit feel me all over again. Well, wait a minute Aren't you satisfied? Oh, i'm satisfied with the lord, but but there's something more Why is it i've had plenty of people that have been in different denominations catholic Baptist so forth and so on and all of a sudden they say you know what? Uh, i've heard about this holy spirit and there's something on the inside of me that's hungry for more I don't know what it is. I don't know. I don't know what's going on Somebody was telling me that just the other day They were Around a group of people and and in a bible study or whatever that it was and and and they were saying You know what this group of people they they don't even know what the holy spirit is But god is god is creating and stirring the hunger on the inside of them Yeah Now they're seeking for something that they didn't know what even they're seeking for Well, that's not unprecedented Jesus told his disciples go tarry in jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high And wait for the promise of the father And i get to the father i'll pray the father. He'll send you the comforter And what did they do they went in that upper room and they started out with about 400 and some of them lost Their appetite and they left out of the room and about 120 were left over still hungry and waiting for the promise They said we don't know what we're waiting for but jesus said for us to wait right here So we're going to stay right here. We're going to keep on praying and we're going to keep on asking We're going to keep on believing wait a minute. Why would you do that? Why would you stay in church for hours and hours and hours? I mean my lord that's so long Surely you can get it done in an hour. It's amazing to me and if you want to check yourself check yourself with this How long did you stay at the movies? How long did you stay at the game? How long did you stay at the uh putt putt golf? How long did you stay doing what you wanted to do that you were hungry for and yet you want to chince out on god? Are you kidding me? Come on, holy spirit flood this place until we forget about everything else And we want more of god. I wonder is that the church i'm pastoring here tonight If i am tonight's a night for you to stir that gift up in that hunger that thirst I conclude here The university of florida gator football team was passing out in the 50s in the sun Because the sweat coming out of them and everything was just making them weak and they couldn't play ball in that hot sunshine So a doctor on campus and a few others got together and put together this concoction High sodium and lemon and all this kind of stuff kind of drink And they said here guys drink this They call it gatorade Now here's what i'm telling you a lot of people don't realize this Gatorade was not meant and it's talking about the first one sure gatorade is not meant to quench your thirst It actually makes you thirsty and that's what they wanted to do was make those players keep on drinking and keep on drinking So they could stay hydrated If you get thirsty What's he gonna do he's just gonna create an appetite for more of him that can watch this and here's the thing I love this because he's the only one that can set it's like he's the only thing in town Go to the movies go to the game go to this go to that whatever it may be run the list And you'll find out that the only one that can fill that longing in your soul Is none other than the righteousness of god in christ jesus Can you say amen to that?  I'm gonna tell you what's true I'm gonna apply that into my life and I appreciate that and I know it's gonna be good and Pray god forever more that's that self-righteousness coming out just pardon me Can I pray for you before you dart for the door? Like you've been shot out of a cannon I'll roll that buffet in here from that homage community up here you people be here all night long You'd be like my uncle lineman Thanksgiving He didn't even fix a plate He always hated Thanksgiving standing up next to the chow line He just eat it right out of the whole deal right there. He just kept right on eat God helped me to have that kind of hunger To come to your table Father, I thank you for this wonderful group of people Thank you holy spirit for what you're teaching us and how we should be and what we should What we should be in you you you are our righteousness. Oh god, we followed your feet tonight and we say lord Help us to realize who we are in you and Who you are in us and and then walk in the ways of the lord so that we're pleasing and obedient to our father I thank you for this great congregation. I thank you god For what you're doing inside of this congregation and for those that are watching online And I pray holy spirit that you would just keep your arms Around this congregation around their families around lord their friends and and others lord that are yet to come into the kingdom of god These are the last days help us.   Yes an illustrated message