God Thirsts for Righteousness on Earth

Jesus Christ sowed the seed of righteousness into the earth through His death and resurrection.  Now He hungers for a harvest.

Summary

When Jesus was dying on the cross said he said, “I thirst.” While this referred to actual physical thirst, there was another thirst that drove him to the cross, and it was to author righteousness in humanity. His death and resurrection is the seed of righteousness. Now he hungers for a harvest of righteousness. In response, we are called to hunger and thirst for righteousness. God will fill that thirst with the Holy Spirit, whom, once we receive Him, we will never thirst again. Instead, out of our innermost being will flow rivers of living water. God passionately wants us to experience that life in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Outline

1. We are opening our church to be a blessing to the community

   1. Home owners associations, Fortis Academy, possibly Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, FFA and other meetings are happening here.
   2. We were challenged by Greg Pesch because churches are usually the most under used buildings in the community – we need to be a blessing to people.

2. Alan Couchman – Testimony

   1. Had been an ineffective leader for a long time – God spoke to him at Acquire the Fire – “you’ve been doing it the hard way.”
   2. God is lighting a fire in him now.
   3. He was sitting in the van when Leslie and Kim came out of the Power of His Presence meeting – before they pulled out he heard “I love you Jesus” and it sparked something in Alan.
   4. He doesn’t want to be a wet blanket that extinguishes the flame because of being luke-warm or apathetic.
   5. WE NEED TO GET OUT OF OUR RUTS FOR THE KINGDOM TO GO FORWARD – IT IS ALL ABOUT THE LORD AND NOT ABOUT US – WE NEED TO GET BEYOND BEING SELF FOCUSED AND BECOME CHRIST FOCUSED.

3. Are you planting any seeds?

   1. The very name seed carries with it the expectation that something is going to happen.
   2. If we do not sow seeds, there will be no harvest – if we sow seeds we will have a harvest.
   3. We are God’s church, we need to believe and have expectation for our lives.
   4. God is trying to infuse in us faith – that we would believe in God and His Word.
   5. It is a privilege to believe, to serve God, to pray and to life in Christ’s kingdom.
   6. THE GREATEST SEED IS JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.
   7. If we abide in Christ and His word abides in us, we will bear much fruit – we need to believe in God’s word.
   8. If you do not bear fruit, Jesus says he will cut you off from the vine.
   9. God delivers us from being habitual sinners – His grace gives us power to walk according to God’s law, yet if we fail, God forgives us in Jesus Christ.
   10. The kingdom of God is in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
   11. Genesis 8:22 – While the earth remains – seedtime and harvest…shall not cease.
       1. Some folks strain at knats, eg. Alaska does not have day and night, and so they miss what the word is saying.
       2. Yes it is about actual seedtime and harvest, but also about spiritual principles.

4. The moral government of God.

   1. The law is good – all things that come from God are good.
   2. Many people act as though the law is bad.
   3. The Decalogue gives order to nations to be a blessing – this is natural law.
   4. All civil, federal and local law is supposed to be an extension of natural law (the Decalogue).
   5. The law says – thou shall not murder – we do it boldly and accept it through wicked law.
      1. There is forgiveness for those who have had abortions, but the institution is wicked.

5. Abraham was blessed because he obeyed God’s laws

   1. This shows that the Decalogue is an expression of natural law, the law that governs reality because it is an expression of the very character and nature of God himself.
   2. The Holy Spirit is stirring us up because He is looking for a people who will be alive in him.

6. Jesus said, “I thirst.”

   1. It was painful what Jesus went through.
   2. There are many types of thirst.
      1. He is thirsting for the church to come alive.
      2. He thirsts for the lost to be saved.
   3. He refused the hyssop – the medicine that relieves their pain.
      1. Had he taken the medication he would not have laid down his life freely.
      2. HE CONQUERED DEATH – DEATH DID NOT CONQUER HIM

7. Jesus said, “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”

   1. This he spoke concerning the Holy Spirit who would be poured out.

8. Jesus at the great judgment separated the righteous from the wicked.

   1. Those who met Jesus’ hunger (another term for his thirst) inherit his kingdom.
   2. It also highlights the social aspect of the gospel.
   3. The kingdom is about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit – by these you will have favor with God and men.
   4. WE NEED TO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
   5. Jesus promises such people will be filled with the Holy Spirit that works righteousness.
   6. Those who believe in Jesus will never thirst – if we thirst, maybe we have stepped out of how God defines such believing.

9. Those who abide in Christ will bear much fruit.

   1. There were two trees in the garden.
   2. The day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will surely die.
   3. You cannot have a kingdom without law – it would be anarchy and confusion.
   4. This is why Jesus has a law in his kingdom.
   5. Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God is at hand.
   6. A kingdom has a king, has subjects and has a law.
   7. The new covenant actually has higher standards and mandates than the Decalogue.
   8. The new covenant requires faith in Jesus and in His shed blood.

10. A surrendered life, in every area to Jesus, is a victorious life.

    1. It is time to thirst for God.
    2. It is time to satisfy God’s thirst.