Emmanuel Baptist Church logo

Hearing His Voice Today
Genuine Satisfaction

Hear in Real Audio format
Or right click mount5.rm and select "save link as" to direct download the file.
You will then need to open it in Real Player.

Download free Real Player G2


Matthew 5:6 (English-KJV)
  1. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
There is a television commercial for a candy bar that claims when you're hungry, eating this particular candy bar will give you "genuine satisfaction.". It might give "satisfaction" to some, but not "genuine satisfaction.". Try eating candy bars all your life --- you will see what I mean!
Have you ever seen a truly satisfied person? One who is genuinely content in his lot in life?
Jesus describes that kind of person --- he is one who "hungers and thirsts after righteousness, for he shall be filled (literally: "continually satisfied"). Can you really be genuinely satisfied?
  1. There is a promise that is stated . . . "he shall be filled." The verb "filled" is in the passive voice which means it is not something achieved, but rather, it is something that is received. God fills. Christ alone gives genuine satisfaction!
    1. Satan will try to deceive you into believing you make your own satisfaction.
    2. The world will try to persuade you that they have found true satisfaction.
    3. Religion will try to show you how to achieve a divine satisfaction.
    4. The flesh (your brain) will try to convince you it can be done! Listen, God alone can fill you, He alone has the power to bring genuine satisfaction!
  2. There is a process that is seen . . . this beatitude follows three already given. The beatitudes are not given in any haphazard order. You can't be satisfied until you are hungry, you can't be hungry until you are empty. God's grace first empties you of self.
    • I am poor in spirit . . . bankrupt spiritually, nothing to offer my God and Creator.
    • I mourn. . . I weep inwardly over my sin and inability to change my damaging ways.
    • I am meek . . . in my relationship with others; fully acknowledging my sins and failures. Saul sinned and said, "Don't tell elders, blame it on the people" (I Samuel) David sinned and said, "I have sinned against God and man" (II Samuel) David had the grace of God in his life, Saul did not. When you begin to feel your emptiness, only then will you be hungry for righteousness. Seeing how miserable you are, you will long for something that can change you!
      There is a problem that is solved. . . "how can a holy God even care about me?"
      Turn to Isaiah 57:15.
      The prophet tells us that God only dwells in two places:
      1. The "high and holy place" which is the eternal home of God.
      2. The heart of the "contrite and humble (lowly)" person. When God's grace is given He cuts, then He cures; He hurts, then He heals! The reason there are so many "lost" but "religious" people is because they are converts of man, not Christ. A person who "hungers and thirsts after righteousness" is one who is so fed up with himself, so tired of his sin, and so tired of failing to change that He calls out to Christ. Let someone plead emptiness with God as a starving sinner and God will fill him with "good things" (2 Peter 1:3). As Thomas Watson said, "God keeps open house for hungry sinners."

    Questions? Comments?
    Pastor Wade