A Formula for a Blessed New Year

Victor Wayne Fordham, Jr.

Stand Alone • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Matthew 5:6

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Transcript

I. Introduction

Please take your copy of God’s Word and go ahead and open to Matthew Chapter 5....I want to speak to you on the topic of “A Formula for a Blessed New Year.” Now…listen to me closely…I did NOT say a formula for “a HAPPY New Year”....though I do, indeed hope that 2021 turns out to be VERY happy for you....But I can tell you this, friend” whether you have a “happy” new year or not this year, you CAN have a BLESSED NEW YEAR…and there IS a difference. You see your happiness depends on what happens to you…your blessedness depends on God…and what happens to you is both unpredictable and changes from moment to moment....while God never changes. So this year as we get well into January, I want to get us in the habbit of saying “a blessed new year” to you rather than “have a happy new year.”

a. Scripture: Matthew 5:1-6

And as always, I’m going to ask you to stand with me, if you are able, as we read from God’s Holy, Perfect, Sufficient and inerrant Word.

<Pray>

Thank you, and you may be seated.

II. Contextualization

a. Now this is part of Jesus’s famous sermon on the Mount. Perhaps the greatest preaching the Lord Jesus ever did was right here in these words. And this particular part highlights what we call the “Beattudes.” Literally, they are attitudes a Christian ought to have, and the Bible promises that blessings will follow as a result.

Now all of these are the Beatitudes, but I want to single out one of these, and it is found in verse 6: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Now in the Old Testament, we have the Ten Commandments. In the New Testament, we have the Beatitudes. And the basic difference is the Ten Commandments deal with outward action, but the Beatitudes deal with inward attitude. And that’s what makes these things so wonderful. Now the world thinks that happiness and blessedness depends on what we have. The world says, “Well, if you have ability, and you have money, and you have popularity, or you have handsomeness, or you have beauty, or you have talent, or you have power, then you’ll be happy.” Well, folks, you can find people who have all of these things who are perfectly miserable. That doesn’t bring happiness; that doesn’t bring blessedness. You see, in the Beatitudes the emphasis is not on the word have; it is on the word are: “Blessed are the peacemakers”; “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” And you see what Jesus is saying: “It is not what you have that makes you blessed; it is what you are that is the secret of blessedness and satisfaction.”

Now, look again in verse 6: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filed.” And here’s my formula for you for a blessed New Year. And I’d like, if I could, to lay this burden on your heart, that you would say, “Pastor, I’m going to do what the Holy Spirit has said through you tonight. I’m going to make that my goal, my aim, this coming year.”

III. Major Points

1. Desire Jesus Preeminently

2. Desire Jesus Purposefully

3. Desire Jesus Perpetually

IV. Point #1: Desire Jesus Preeminently

Explanation Number one: Desire Jesus—desire Jesus. Preeminently means “above all else”....it means “first and foremost....” Now, when the Bible says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness,” it is really saying, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Jesus,” for the Bible says Christ “is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness.” (1 Corinthians 1:30) To seek righteousness, you must seek Jesus. To seek Jesus, you do seek righteousness. And so I want to say, this coming year, I want you to take all of your desires, and let your desires, as many as you may have, let them all be subjugated to one basic desire—and that is that you desire Jesus Christ preeminently.

Now man has natural hungers. He hungers for food, and friends, and fame, and fortune, and fashion, and fitness; and all of these things, in some degree, are legitimate. But, my dear friend, we are to hunger preeminently for Jesus Christ. He is heaven’s bread for earth’s hunger. Now the word blessed here literally means—it’s a Greek word, makarios—it literally means “to be in a state to be congratulated.” It’s very hard to translate. “Joyful,” I believe, is perhaps the closest thing we could come to translating the word blessedness. But notice what the Bible says. It does not say that we are to hunger for happiness. It doesn’t say that we are to hunger for joy. It doesn’t even say we’re to hunger for blessedness. Now, pay attention. It says we are to hunger for righteousness.

Illustration

Now, so many people are hungering for happiness; but, you see, unhappiness is merely a symptom—it is not the sickness. The sickness is sin. And if you hunger for happiness, all you’re trying to do is deaden the pain of a sickness.

Suppose you go to the doctor, and you’ve got a raging fever in your body, and the doctor examines you and gives you a sedative to kill the pain and a medicine to lower the fever, but he never deals with the infection. That doctor, in my estimation, if he doesn’t do something else for you, has not really helped you. Indeed, he may have hurt you by deadening the pain and doing nothing else. Now, when a person seeks happiness rather than righteousness, what they’re doing is simply deadening the pain of a sinful life.

Have you ever gone to a resort and watched the people in these resorts? Go to Miami Beach or somewhere and watch the people walking down the street. You will never see a more miserable looking lot of people than you’ll find in these resorts. If you don’t believe it, try it sometimes. Just stop and watch them as they go by. They are absolutely miserable. You’ll find better looking faces on bottles of iodine. And they have come there, most of them, to seek joy, to seek happiness—and that’s why they don’t find it. Friend, happiness, joy, fulfillment is a by-product. If you seek it, you don’t find it. But if you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, then the Bible says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” (Matthew 5:6) You are to desire the Lord Jesus Christ. There’s a hunger that you have, dear friend, that will never ever be satisfied apart from Jesus Christ. God just made you that way, and you’re not going to be satisfied apart from the Lord Jesus.

Application

The point is this friends: spiritual hunger and thirst are a lot like physical hunger and thirst....if you hunger and thirst, you want something real....if you were to be really hungry and I were to say to you “well I’m awful sorry, let me pray for you”....well that would be a nice gesture but it would certainly not do the job. If you desire happiness this year, it’s not going to do the job…you are just desiring a feeling....happiness is just a feeling, instead, desire the real thing, which is both filling spiritually and does the job and that is righteousness: that is to seek holiness…and to seek to be like Christ. If you are hungering after that and seeking it, the bible says you WILL be blessed....and you will be FILLED. That is, you will find fulfillment and blessings....if you will make that part of your formula in 2021....you will be sure to have a blessed new year.

V. Point #2: Desire Jesus Purposefully

Explanation

Number two: This coming year, I want you to seek Him purposefully—purposefully. Now it’s not just enough to desire Him. If you really desire Him, if you really hunger for Jesus, you’re going to seek the Lord Jesus Christ and to do so on purpose…to do so with meaning. Now, when Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness,” He was taking the two most basic things that we need—food and water—and He was saying, as we spend so much of our lives just to make certain that we have food and water, then we’re to do that: We’re to purposefully seek the Lord Jesus Christ.

According to some reading that I’ve done, a man can live about forty days without food. He can live about three days without water. He can live about eight minutes without air. But he cannot live thirty seconds, spiritually, without Jesus. He is to seek Jesus. If he desires Jesus, he is to seek Jesus.

Illustration

Now, when a man knows that he’s in a starving condition, let me tell you what happens. His interests are greatly narrowed; he’s not interested in a lot of things that other people are interested in. He really doesn’t care whether the Giants won today or not. He’s starving. He really doesn’t care about the paintings in the Dixon Art Gallery. He really doesn’t care about some peace treaty between Israel and the Arab nations. If he’s starving, his interests are very narrow. Isn’t that true? There is one thing on his mind, and that is food. And he makes up his mind that he’s going after food, and he’s going to find it or he will die.

Application

You know, I’ve found in life that if I don’t do things purposefully, they don’t get done. The difference between purposely and purposefully is simple: purposely simply means you did what you did and meant to do it....purposefully means you meant to do what you did because you were looking forward to the outcome. When Hannah and I walk in the evenings, it is not just for the purpose of walking: instead we focus on the end goals, which is getting healthier and losing some weight.

If you seek the Lord just to say you are seeking Him, you will not be successful friend....you have to have the end goal in mind: which is to be closer to God and have a better relationship with Him....

So friends, if you want a better relationship with God....if you want blessings in 2021…then make Desiring and seeking God purposefully part of your formula for blessings this year.

V. Point #3: Desire Jesus Perpetually

Explanation

Now, the third and final thing I want to suggest that you do this coming year: not only desire Jesus preeminently; not only seek Him purposefully; but I would like for you to enjoy Him this year. Just enjoy the Lord Jesus continually—enjoy Him perpetually.

Verse 6 says “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled,” some translate this “shall be filled” to mean: “For they shall be completely satisfied.”

Illustration

Now to be completely satisfied doesn’t mean that you’ll never want to eat again. That would actually be tragic. My mama fixed us a wonderful Christmas dinner this past year, and we had all the family and kids around the table. And I have to admit I overdid it. I think we all tend to do that at Christmas and Thanksgiving. But I definitely overdid it. I ate, and, you know, I was like that little old boy I heard about that they asked him to have some more food, and he said, “No.” He said, “I’m about to explode now.” And they said, “Well, we made cherry pie.” He said, “Well, pass me a piece of pie and stand back!” I felt about that way. And you know, I thought for a just a minute as I was in pain from overeating.., “Well, you know, I really don’t care if I ever eat again.”... But sure enough, about seven o’clock, I was back there in the refrigerator fooling around, looking for more to snack on. Isn’t that about how it goes? It’s amazing. And I’m glad I was, because I’d hate to think that I’d just eat one time and that one feeding would satisfy me. Now it does satisfy me, but I don’t want it to so satisfy me to the point that I don’t ever want to go eat again.

Application

You see friends…like our seeking of food and drink....our seeking of the Lord should be ongoing....because of our sin nature, we need to be constantly refilled with the Lord and His Word....so we should never cease i seeking the Lord....

Hebrews 11:6 NASB95

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Blessings await those who seek the Lord....so do yourself a favor....make seeking the Lord continually…perpetually....constantly…part of your formula for blessings in 2021.

VII. Conclusion

a. Let me ask you this morning, are you seeking the Lord like this? Do you desire Him....truly desire and love Him with all of your heart? If you will love, desire, and seek the Lord preeminently, purposefully, and perpetually....whether you have a “happy new year” or not in 2021, I can assure on the authority of the Word of God: you WILL have a blessed one.

Deuteronomy 4:29 NASB95

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

Seek Him…and you WILL find Him....and you don’t find Jesus without a blessing.