WEBVTT 00:00:02.310 --> 00:00:04.809 But the water that I shall give him shall be 00:00:04.809 --> 00:00:07.769 in him a well of water springing up into everlasting 00:00:07.769 --> 00:00:12.570 life Tonight I ask you to be patient with me 00:00:12.570 --> 00:00:14.730 and follow along because I know I've heard from 00:00:14.730 --> 00:00:20.769 the Lord I Want to preach to you tonight on this 00:00:20.769 --> 00:00:28.730 subject hunger has a sound Hunger has a sound 00:00:29.230 --> 00:00:32.210 Let us pray before we go to the Word of the Lord. 00:00:33.149 --> 00:00:36.729 Father, I am so thankful, God, for Your Word. 00:00:38.049 --> 00:00:42.750 I am so thankful, God, for Your Word. I don't 00:00:42.750 --> 00:00:45.109 know where I would be without You, God, and I 00:00:45.109 --> 00:00:48.429 don't know what my life would be like if Your 00:00:48.429 --> 00:00:52.950 Word hadn't come to me and changed me, God. Father, 00:00:52.950 --> 00:00:57.710 I'm so thankful for Your Word. I ask You tonight, 00:00:57.710 --> 00:01:01.079 Lord. that you would touch every life that is 00:01:01.079 --> 00:01:05.120 in this house, God. You know every person, God, 00:01:05.180 --> 00:01:07.719 what they've walked in this house needing, oh 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:10.879 God. And I know, Lord, that I've heard from you 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:13.420 and I pray that you would help me, God, just 00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:16.599 to deliver the word as you've given it to me, 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:19.299 Lord, and that it would be like oil, God, that 00:01:19.299 --> 00:01:22.519 just flows into those deep places of their souls. 00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:27.620 God, I'm asking you. To touch every life here 00:01:27.620 --> 00:01:29.939 tonight that they would not leave this house 00:01:29.939 --> 00:01:32.939 empty Oh God, but that they would just be full 00:01:32.939 --> 00:01:57.920 God and the things of you need in your life. 00:01:58.519 --> 00:02:00.859 Can you just lift your hands already and just 00:02:00.859 --> 00:02:05.219 give God thanks? Can you just begin to worship 00:02:05.219 --> 00:02:09.879 Him? Can you just begin to feel after the Lord? 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:15.139 Can you open your heart and tell Him how hungry 00:02:15.139 --> 00:02:21.259 you are? Hunger has a sound, church. If you're 00:02:21.259 --> 00:02:29.569 hungry, you cry out. Oh God, do a work like only 00:02:29.569 --> 00:02:40.210 you can. We give you praise in this house tonight. 00:02:41.129 --> 00:02:43.889 Let your will be done, Lord, in Jesus' name. 00:02:44.689 --> 00:02:48.650 Amen, you may be seated. I'm sorry that I'm always 00:02:48.650 --> 00:02:51.409 a crybaby. If I'm feeling the Lord, there's gonna 00:02:51.409 --> 00:02:56.020 be some tears. God is a God who pours out His 00:02:56.020 --> 00:02:58.800 blessings powerfully, mightily, and abundantly 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:03.900 upon those who belong to Him. Have you been a 00:03:03.900 --> 00:03:07.780 recipient of those blessings? In the Gospel of 00:03:07.780 --> 00:03:11.199 Matthew 5, 1 through 12, Jesus begins with what 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:13.780 is known as the Sermon on the Mount. We're all 00:03:13.780 --> 00:03:17.180 familiar with it. Seeing the crowds, He goes 00:03:17.180 --> 00:03:19.599 up into the mountain and He sits down and He 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:23.180 begins to teach His disciples. And in the opening 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:26.379 section often called the Beatitudes, Jesus describes 00:03:26.379 --> 00:03:29.580 the kind of people who are truly blessed in God's 00:03:29.580 --> 00:03:34.340 kingdom. He declares in Matthew 5 and 3, blessed 00:03:34.340 --> 00:03:36.719 are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:39.939 of God. Blessed are they that mourn for they 00:03:39.939 --> 00:03:42.840 shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:45.879 they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:48.080 which do hunger and thirst after righteousness 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.780 for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, 00:03:51.979 --> 00:03:54.780 for they shall obtain mercy. And blessed are 00:03:54.780 --> 00:03:59.400 the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:01.240 are the peacemakers, for they shall be called 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:04.080 the children of God. Blessed are they which are 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:06.240 persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:09.159 is the kingdom of heaven. And blessed are ye 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:11.539 when men shall revile you and persecute you and 00:04:11.539 --> 00:04:14.020 shall say all manner of evil against you falsely 00:04:14.020 --> 00:04:18.009 for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, 00:04:18.370 --> 00:04:22.149 for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted 00:04:22.149 --> 00:04:25.829 they, the prophets which were before you." So 00:04:25.829 --> 00:04:28.790 in this verse, Jesus turns the world's values 00:04:28.790 --> 00:04:32.930 upside down. He doesn't praise power or wealth 00:04:32.930 --> 00:04:38.250 or status. Instead, he honors humility, he honors 00:04:38.250 --> 00:04:42.689 repentance, he honors mercy, and he honors purity. 00:04:43.750 --> 00:04:47.089 Each blessing that he declares, it carries a 00:04:47.089 --> 00:04:50.649 promise. He promises comfort for the broken, 00:04:51.290 --> 00:04:54.610 mercy for the repentant, satisfaction for the 00:04:54.610 --> 00:04:58.550 hungry heart, the joy of seeing God, the honor 00:04:58.550 --> 00:05:01.470 of being called his children, and the inheritance 00:05:01.470 --> 00:05:05.470 of his kingdom. These blessings reveal the heart 00:05:05.470 --> 00:05:08.750 of God's kingdom and the rich rewards of a life 00:05:08.750 --> 00:05:12.680 that lives them. In these passages of scripture, 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:16.480 we see Jesus guiding us along a spiritual journey. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:20.860 First, we encounter the poor in spirit, those 00:05:20.860 --> 00:05:24.819 who recognize their deep need for God. Then comes 00:05:24.819 --> 00:05:29.459 mourning, those who grieve over sin, over brokenness, 00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:32.699 over the things that grieve the heart of God. 00:05:33.860 --> 00:05:37.220 And next, the meek, those who have surrendered. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:41.759 yielded and stopped striving for control. And 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:44.600 when a soul reaches this place of emptiness, 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:48.600 something beautiful begins to happen. Most of 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:52.399 us in this room have experienced that. A new 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:56.339 hunger is born, a hunger for only what God can 00:05:56.339 --> 00:06:00.379 satisfy. It is in this very place of emptiness 00:06:00.379 --> 00:06:05.649 that Jesus declares in Matthew 5 and 6. Blessed 00:06:05.649 --> 00:06:08.970 are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, 00:06:09.589 --> 00:06:12.649 for they shall be filled. But I wanna ask you, 00:06:12.670 --> 00:06:16.350 what does it truly mean to hunger and thirst 00:06:16.350 --> 00:06:19.949 after righteousness? And how does that hunger 00:06:19.949 --> 00:06:24.069 prepare us, position us to be filled by God and 00:06:24.069 --> 00:06:29.610 to be completely satisfied? When Jesus speaks 00:06:29.610 --> 00:06:31.889 of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, 00:06:32.220 --> 00:06:35.819 He is talking about a consuming relentless hunger 00:06:35.819 --> 00:06:40.000 of the soul. He's talking about a spiritual appetite 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:44.199 that refuses to be satisfied by the things of 00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:47.860 this world. When he talks about hungering and 00:06:47.860 --> 00:06:50.500 thirsting after righteousness, he is calling 00:06:50.500 --> 00:06:53.560 us to a pursuit of living in perfect alignment 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:57.620 with his will. He is asking us to reflect on 00:06:57.620 --> 00:07:01.709 his heart. His holiness and His character in 00:07:01.709 --> 00:07:06.930 every thought, word, and action. He is calling 00:07:06.930 --> 00:07:10.269 us to have a heartfelt longing for Him, to have 00:07:10.269 --> 00:07:14.850 an intimate relationship with Him. Righteousness 00:07:14.850 --> 00:07:17.970 is simply just being in right standing with God. 00:07:18.910 --> 00:07:21.850 A righteous person seeks to do what is good, 00:07:22.310 --> 00:07:26.230 what is just, and what is pleasing to God, not 00:07:26.230 --> 00:07:30.360 just outwardly. but from the heart. It's choosing 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:33.860 to live rightly, honestly, and faithfully according 00:07:33.860 --> 00:07:38.439 to God's ways. The pursuit of righteousness begins 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:41.680 with a hunger. Jesus declared that those who 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:43.779 hunger and thirst after righteousness, they will 00:07:43.779 --> 00:07:48.139 be filled. Almost all of you have heard the phrase, 00:07:48.220 --> 00:07:51.199 you are the company that you keep. Have we heard 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:55.199 that? This means the people you spend the most 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:57.759 time with have a strong influence on your character, 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:02.040 your behavior and life choices. It's about the 00:08:02.040 --> 00:08:05.220 idea that your friends, your peers, your associates 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:10.420 shape you positively or negatively because habits, 00:08:11.220 --> 00:08:16.199 attitudes and values are often contagious. If 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:18.379 you spend time with people who are disciplined, 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:22.189 kind and spiritually minded, you'd more likely 00:08:22.189 --> 00:08:25.930 adapt to those qualities as well. If you surround 00:08:25.930 --> 00:08:29.089 yourself with people who are careless, dishonest, 00:08:29.629 --> 00:08:32.850 or constantly complaining, it can pull you into 00:08:32.850 --> 00:08:37.470 those same patterns. In a spiritual sense, it 00:08:37.470 --> 00:08:40.710 also ties into your moral and righteous growth. 00:08:41.649 --> 00:08:45.009 If you want to draw closer to God and live a 00:08:45.009 --> 00:08:48.000 life of righteousness, The people that you choose 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:51.159 to be around, they will either encourage your 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:54.440 faith or they will weaken it. You could think 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:58.299 of it also like this. Just as iron sharpens iron, 00:08:58.940 --> 00:09:01.360 the right company strengthens your character 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:05.700 while the wrong company will dull it. So I just 00:09:05.700 --> 00:09:08.559 ask you tonight, please excuse me for the personal 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:11.440 reference. But in the last several months of 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:14.580 doing this, I have found this. The easiest way 00:09:14.580 --> 00:09:16.559 for me to speak, preach, whatever you want to 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:19.379 call this, is just to tell you of my own life 00:09:19.379 --> 00:09:24.039 story. I was not raised in a godly home. I've 00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:27.240 shared this with you before. I didn't know a 00:09:27.240 --> 00:09:30.720 thing about being righteous. I come from a family 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:35.840 of heathens. They drank, they smoked, they cussed, 00:09:35.860 --> 00:09:39.399 they lied, they steal, they fought. That was 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:43.259 my upbringing. It's all I ever knew. It's all 00:09:43.259 --> 00:09:47.440 I ever knew. But I remember it's been almost 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:51.759 21 years ago. Well, it has been 21 years. The 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:55.460 Lord began to deal with my heart. He began to 00:09:55.460 --> 00:09:57.940 just nudge me and I began to feel like something 00:09:57.940 --> 00:10:01.659 is just not right with me. Something is missing 00:10:01.659 --> 00:10:05.179 inside of me. I didn't think I was a terrible 00:10:05.179 --> 00:10:08.320 person because I didn't do the things, most of 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:10.100 the things that my family did. I didn't drink. 00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:13.480 I didn't smoke. I did have some bad habits, but 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:15.259 I'm not gonna tell you what they were because 00:10:15.259 --> 00:10:17.820 God has forgiven me and it's not for you to know. 00:10:19.559 --> 00:10:22.240 But I did struggle with a lot of things, but 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:25.720 God did help me. And I remember it was on the 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:30.000 beginning of February of 2005. And like I said, 00:10:30.139 --> 00:10:32.409 I began to feel the Lord just... dealing with 00:10:32.409 --> 00:10:34.830 me, and at that time, Autumn was just a young 00:10:34.830 --> 00:10:38.289 baby, and I thought to myself, I want to give 00:10:38.289 --> 00:10:41.230 her a better life than I ever had. I want to 00:10:41.230 --> 00:10:44.649 do right by her. And I began to feel God convicting 00:10:44.649 --> 00:10:47.690 me. And even though I didn't know what righteousness 00:10:47.690 --> 00:10:50.649 was, I didn't know what right living was, I knew 00:10:50.649 --> 00:10:53.710 that deep down inside of me, that there was something 00:10:53.710 --> 00:10:57.210 hungering in me for something more. I had a void 00:10:57.210 --> 00:11:01.309 in my life, I could feel it. So it was in that 00:11:01.309 --> 00:11:05.909 time that God began to deal with me and I just 00:11:05.909 --> 00:11:08.330 felt the need that I needed to tell him sorry 00:11:08.330 --> 00:11:12.070 for all the things I had done. And I repented. 00:11:12.590 --> 00:11:15.029 I didn't know anything about the way you lived 00:11:15.029 --> 00:11:16.990 your life. I didn't know how to come in here 00:11:16.990 --> 00:11:18.809 and be a Christian. I didn't know how to worship. 00:11:18.909 --> 00:11:20.690 I didn't know how to pray. I didn't know what 00:11:20.690 --> 00:11:23.149 the Word of God meant. I couldn't define righteous 00:11:23.149 --> 00:11:25.389 if you asked me to. I'd never heard of it my 00:11:25.389 --> 00:11:29.590 entire life. But I knew I had a hunger inside 00:11:29.590 --> 00:11:34.769 of me for God. And so in that, I repented. And 00:11:34.769 --> 00:11:37.029 as I was over there praying before this service, 00:11:37.129 --> 00:11:40.409 I felt the Lord to nudge me to share the testimony 00:11:40.409 --> 00:11:42.990 of me receiving the Holy Ghost. You see, you 00:11:42.990 --> 00:11:46.250 can try to live a good life and you can try to 00:11:46.250 --> 00:11:48.529 do all the right things, but it's always going 00:11:48.529 --> 00:11:50.590 to come up empty if you're not filled with the 00:11:50.590 --> 00:11:54.350 Holy Ghost. Because your righteousness can only 00:11:54.350 --> 00:11:58.580 take you so far. And so I'll never forget that 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:01.240 hunger that I had for God. I was so hungry, people. 00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:04.419 I didn't know anything, but I remember sitting 00:12:04.419 --> 00:12:07.259 at my kitchen table, and from daylight to dark 00:12:07.259 --> 00:12:09.679 for three weeks, I read the Word of God, and 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:11.840 I never got up from that table except to feed 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:15.759 my daughter. That's how hungry I was. But in 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:18.240 doing so, the Lord began to reveal to me who 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:22.799 He was. I had the understanding that He was the 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:25.179 one true and living God, and there was no one 00:12:25.179 --> 00:12:30.159 else. He began to do something in me and I was 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:35.419 so hungry for him. I had saturated my soul with 00:12:35.419 --> 00:12:39.529 his word. And I'll never forget when I decided 00:12:39.529 --> 00:12:42.990 to go to an apostolic church. That hunger was 00:12:42.990 --> 00:12:45.450 there. Oh, I just wanted Jesus. I didn't have 00:12:45.450 --> 00:12:49.250 it all figured out, but I wanted Jesus. No one 00:12:49.250 --> 00:12:53.009 had to beg me. No one had to convince me. No 00:12:53.009 --> 00:12:55.090 one had to do anything. There was just such a 00:12:55.090 --> 00:12:57.529 hunger in my heart for God that when that man 00:12:57.529 --> 00:12:59.950 of God gave that altar call, I went to the front 00:12:59.950 --> 00:13:01.970 and I did what he asked me to do and I lifted 00:13:01.970 --> 00:13:05.370 my hands and God filled me with the Holy Ghost. 00:13:07.929 --> 00:13:11.029 I began to speak in other tongues. I didn't even 00:13:11.029 --> 00:13:14.250 know what it was. I remember the man of God said, 00:13:14.470 --> 00:13:16.190 if you've not been filled with the Holy Ghost, 00:13:16.370 --> 00:13:18.230 come up. And I remember tapping him. I don't 00:13:18.230 --> 00:13:20.090 have the Holy Ghost. He's like, oh, you got the 00:13:20.090 --> 00:13:22.789 Holy Ghost. I didn't understand it, but there 00:13:22.789 --> 00:13:27.190 was such a hunger in me. God changed my life. 00:13:27.370 --> 00:13:29.129 And even though I didn't have it all figured 00:13:29.129 --> 00:13:32.389 out, there was such a hunger in me. And I wanted 00:13:32.389 --> 00:13:40.259 more of Him. And because I spent time with him 00:13:40.259 --> 00:13:44.200 and I hungered for him and his word and his presence, 00:13:44.220 --> 00:13:47.860 he began to change me. I began to understand 00:13:47.860 --> 00:13:51.639 what he was asking. You become like those whom 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:56.559 you spend the most time with. But the same is 00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:58.600 true about when I began to spend time with God. 00:13:58.620 --> 00:14:00.360 You see, I'd done that with my family and I'd 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:02.639 picked up habits that they had. But the moment 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:04.379 God filled me with the Holy Ghost and I began 00:14:04.379 --> 00:14:07.720 to spend time with him in prayer, and His Word, 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:13.539 I started taking on His nature. It wasn't until 00:14:13.539 --> 00:14:15.779 I began to hunger for God that He began to show 00:14:15.779 --> 00:14:20.220 me what was pleasing in His sight. The more time 00:14:20.220 --> 00:14:22.340 that I spent with Him, the more I understood 00:14:22.340 --> 00:14:26.600 what His righteousness was. That hunger and that 00:14:26.600 --> 00:14:30.419 thirst that I had for Him led me to hunger and 00:14:30.419 --> 00:14:33.139 thirst after what pleases Him, not me anymore. 00:14:33.889 --> 00:14:36.509 Wasn't what I wanted anymore. It was everything. 00:14:36.830 --> 00:14:39.490 I didn't care what he asked me to do. There was 00:14:39.490 --> 00:14:41.830 no disputing it. I didn't care if he would have 00:14:41.830 --> 00:14:45.769 asked me to dunk cartwheels. Whatever, I did 00:14:45.769 --> 00:14:49.350 not care. I just wanted what he wanted. And that's 00:14:49.350 --> 00:14:52.889 what hunger would do for you. The more time that 00:14:52.889 --> 00:14:55.110 I spent in his presence, the more he made me 00:14:55.110 --> 00:14:59.440 like him. If you find yourself struggling with 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:02.899 unrighteousness and carnality, ask yourself, 00:15:03.179 --> 00:15:06.039 how much time are you spending in His presence? 00:15:07.019 --> 00:15:10.879 How much time are you spending in His word? Are 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:14.320 you hungering for the things of God more than 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:17.320 the things of this world? Only you know, it's 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:20.399 between you and Jesus. But I really feel like 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:24.490 God has... prompted me to just ask you to search 00:15:24.490 --> 00:15:26.929 your heart tonight. What are you spending time 00:15:26.929 --> 00:15:30.490 on? Who are you spending time with? Are you making 00:15:30.490 --> 00:15:34.990 space for the Lord? Is He your priority? We've 00:15:34.990 --> 00:15:38.750 been hearing a lot lately about kingdom purpose 00:15:38.750 --> 00:15:43.860 and we want that in our lives. We've got to have 00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:45.759 the power of the Holy Ghost working in our lives. 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:48.019 We've got to be intimate with God. That is what 00:15:48.019 --> 00:15:51.440 God is asking of us. We all want to see God do 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:55.059 great things. I do too. But I feel like the Spirit 00:15:55.059 --> 00:15:58.279 of the Lord is saying, just hunger for me. Get 00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:02.909 back to what is the main priority. Get back to 00:16:02.909 --> 00:16:06.149 just wanting me. And what I have found that if 00:16:06.149 --> 00:16:09.490 we'll just invite him and love on him, he has 00:16:09.490 --> 00:16:11.250 everything that we need. If we can just get in 00:16:11.250 --> 00:16:14.309 his presence, get him right where we are in our 00:16:14.309 --> 00:16:17.029 situations, he's gonna supply everything that 00:16:17.029 --> 00:16:24.289 we have need of. Do you believe it, church? Amen. 00:16:25.139 --> 00:16:28.259 Just as our bodies crave food and water for survival, 00:16:28.700 --> 00:16:32.500 so does our souls. They must long for the righteousness 00:16:32.500 --> 00:16:35.759 of God. Physical hunger is not really anything 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:37.700 that I need to tell anybody in this room about. 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:41.200 It is one of the most powerful and undeniable 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:45.240 forces in the human body. Probably a majority 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:47.779 of you're sitting here hungry now. I know I am 00:16:47.779 --> 00:16:49.480 and so is my husband because I did not feed him 00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:52.500 supper. So I know what the man is feeling. He's 00:16:52.500 --> 00:16:56.500 used to eating at four o 'clock in the day. You 00:16:56.500 --> 00:17:00.059 know what hunger feels like. I don't have to 00:17:00.059 --> 00:17:03.019 tell you that. You don't have to teach a baby 00:17:03.019 --> 00:17:07.099 to cry when it's hungry. And you don't need someone 00:17:07.099 --> 00:17:09.500 to remind you to eat after you've skipped a few 00:17:09.500 --> 00:17:14.779 meals. Your body will send signals. There may 00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:17.119 be weakness, discomfort, even pain until you 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:21.960 respond. Physical hunger, it is natural. It is 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:26.509 built into us by God for survival. And spiritual 00:17:26.509 --> 00:17:31.849 hunger, however, it operates differently. Physical 00:17:31.849 --> 00:17:35.609 hunger, it's automatic. When God created humanity 00:17:35.609 --> 00:17:37.589 in the beginning, He designed our bodies with 00:17:37.589 --> 00:17:46.910 needs. Hunger is evidence of life. Did you hear 00:17:46.910 --> 00:17:54.210 that? Hunger is evidence of life. A healthy body, 00:17:54.470 --> 00:17:58.069 it gets hungry. And what we know is when someone 00:17:58.069 --> 00:18:01.829 never feels hunger, doctors grow concerned because 00:18:01.829 --> 00:18:05.549 it signals that something is wrong. Are you hungry, 00:18:05.549 --> 00:18:09.869 church? In the same way, appetite reveals health. 00:18:10.250 --> 00:18:13.250 But here's the difference. Physical hunger returns 00:18:13.250 --> 00:18:16.390 on its own. You can ignore it for a while, but 00:18:16.390 --> 00:18:21.160 it will come back. It demands attention. Spiritual 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:24.940 hunger does not always demand attention. You 00:18:24.940 --> 00:18:30.819 can neglect prayer. You can avoid the word. You 00:18:30.819 --> 00:18:34.880 can skip worship. And guess what? Your flesh 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:38.599 will not protest at all. It will be just fine 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:40.980 with that. You don't have to worry about it. 00:18:42.259 --> 00:18:45.539 And that's why spiritual hunger must be cultivated. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:50.829 Spiritual hunger must be developed. I said it 00:18:50.829 --> 00:18:53.589 before, you'll only have this spiritual hunger 00:18:53.589 --> 00:18:56.890 if you are full of the Holy Ghost. You must be 00:18:56.890 --> 00:18:58.809 filled with the Holy Ghost. If you are in this 00:18:58.809 --> 00:19:01.470 house tonight and you have never been filled 00:19:01.470 --> 00:19:04.170 with the Spirit of God, don't leave this house 00:19:04.170 --> 00:19:06.690 empty. Don't leave this house without it because 00:19:06.690 --> 00:19:10.789 it is for you. And in doing so, in receiving 00:19:10.789 --> 00:19:14.009 the Spirit of the Living God, you will hunger 00:19:14.009 --> 00:19:16.670 and thirst after the things that He has for you 00:19:16.670 --> 00:19:21.359 and you will live a blessed life. When Jesus 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:23.839 said in the gospel of Matthew five and six blester 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:25.940 they wish to hunger and thirst after righteousness 00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:28.740 for they shall be filled He was not talking about 00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:32.779 an accidental craving. He was describing a deliberate 00:19:32.779 --> 00:19:36.460 growing appetite for God The word hunger there 00:19:36.460 --> 00:19:41.210 implies an ongoing desire a deep craving How 00:19:41.210 --> 00:19:43.369 many of you have had a craving if there's any 00:19:43.369 --> 00:19:45.289 pregnant mamas in here You know when you got 00:19:45.289 --> 00:19:47.630 a hunger you got a craving for something Nothing 00:19:47.630 --> 00:19:50.450 is going to satisfy that until you get what you 00:19:50.450 --> 00:19:53.630 want For me it was pickles and ranch dressing. 00:19:53.869 --> 00:19:57.009 I know, ooh gross, but nothing was satisfying 00:19:57.009 --> 00:20:00.470 that I had a craving and I had to have it. And 00:20:00.470 --> 00:20:02.430 that's what God wants from each and every one 00:20:02.430 --> 00:20:05.130 of us in this house tonight. He wants us to hunger 00:20:05.130 --> 00:20:08.329 after Him with such an intensity in our souls 00:20:08.329 --> 00:20:11.509 that nothing else is gonna do until we just get 00:20:11.509 --> 00:20:16.789 everything that we can from Him. Unlike physical 00:20:16.789 --> 00:20:19.190 hunger, I want you to know that your spiritual 00:20:19.190 --> 00:20:23.390 appetite can be doled. Just as junk food can 00:20:23.390 --> 00:20:27.950 suppress a desire for healthy food, worldly distractions 00:20:27.950 --> 00:20:33.549 can suppress a desire for God. If someone constantly 00:20:33.549 --> 00:20:37.809 feeds on entertainment, if you constantly feed 00:20:37.809 --> 00:20:41.589 on busyness, if you constantly feed on fleshly 00:20:41.589 --> 00:20:46.470 desires, You may not feel hungry for righteousness. 00:20:47.509 --> 00:20:49.609 Not because you're full of God, but because you're 00:20:49.609 --> 00:20:54.089 so full of everything else. Losing a hunger for 00:20:54.089 --> 00:20:58.490 God is usually a gradual thing. It doesn't just 00:20:58.490 --> 00:21:01.549 happen like that. It's a slow fade. It's little 00:21:01.549 --> 00:21:05.650 by little. And just like your physical body has 00:21:05.650 --> 00:21:09.630 hunger signals, so does your soul. There are 00:21:09.630 --> 00:21:12.589 signs that your spiritual appetite has doled. 00:21:13.609 --> 00:21:18.309 Prayer feels empty. It's forced. When you're 00:21:18.309 --> 00:21:20.029 starving, when you're hungry, and you have no 00:21:20.029 --> 00:21:25.190 appetite for the things of God, you're empty. 00:21:25.549 --> 00:21:29.049 Prayer feels forced. It's empty. You pray, but 00:21:29.049 --> 00:21:32.470 it feels like routine. It's lifeless. Or it's 00:21:32.470 --> 00:21:35.009 like a chore rather than a conversation with 00:21:35.009 --> 00:21:38.289 your Maker. Your prayers, they just lack passion. 00:21:38.769 --> 00:21:42.109 There's no expectation. There's no desire for 00:21:42.109 --> 00:21:47.819 intimacy with Him. When you are spiritually dull, 00:21:48.460 --> 00:21:50.960 when that hunger, that appetite in you has become 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:55.720 dull, scripture just becomes boring. Reading 00:21:55.720 --> 00:21:58.019 the Bible feels like reading a manual instead 00:21:58.019 --> 00:22:01.819 of hearing God speak to you. You struggle to 00:22:01.819 --> 00:22:05.119 concentrate or you skip over verses instead of 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:09.779 meditating on them. You lack a desire for worship 00:22:09.779 --> 00:22:14.039 or fellowship. You avoid corporate worship. You 00:22:14.039 --> 00:22:17.680 avoid your life groups or you just attend with 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:22.460 no engagement at all. Musing and singing or praying 00:22:22.460 --> 00:22:24.839 with others doesn't stir your heart like it used 00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:30.160 to. Compromise starts feeling acceptable. Choices 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:33.720 that you once knew were clearly wrong. Now they 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:40.519 feel normal or less concerning. Your conscience 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:44.730 may feel dull. or you rationalize your actions 00:22:44.730 --> 00:22:49.230 that pull you away from God. Your life feels 00:22:49.230 --> 00:22:52.730 empty without Him. You seek fulfillment in temporary 00:22:52.730 --> 00:22:58.329 things, work, relationships, hobbies, possessions. 00:22:58.450 --> 00:23:02.750 You know the thing. But there's no lasting satisfaction 00:23:02.750 --> 00:23:07.329 in those things. When your appetite has become 00:23:07.329 --> 00:23:12.500 dull, you rarely long for God. Hunger for God 00:23:12.500 --> 00:23:17.019 is often audible. It is a heart that cries, more 00:23:17.019 --> 00:23:20.420 of you, Jesus. More of you, Jesus. I've got to 00:23:20.420 --> 00:23:23.039 have more of you, Lord. I'm not satisfied. I 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:27.740 need more, God. And if your heart rarely longs 00:23:27.740 --> 00:23:31.880 for God, if it rarely thirsts for His presence, 00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:37.299 church, that hunger may have faded. Hunger for 00:23:37.299 --> 00:23:39.720 God isn't something that comes naturally forever. 00:23:39.980 --> 00:23:43.960 It must be cultivated. Even the most faithful, 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:46.680 even those that have lived for the Lord the longest, 00:23:47.619 --> 00:23:50.880 this can happen if you stop feeding your spirit 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:55.539 with prayer, scripture, worship, and godly fellowship. 00:23:55.779 --> 00:23:58.720 I know for me, I've had the Holy Ghost almost 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:02.299 21 years, February the 27th, it'll be 21 years. 00:24:02.650 --> 00:24:05.230 I've got to stir myself up. I've got to shake 00:24:05.230 --> 00:24:08.529 myself. I can come and just get so complacent. 00:24:09.930 --> 00:24:11.910 But I've got to stir myself. I've got to give 00:24:11.910 --> 00:24:16.529 an account. You're responsible for what you bring 00:24:16.529 --> 00:24:21.089 to the Lord. Come hungry. We've all heard this. 00:24:21.089 --> 00:24:26.589 You are what you eat. Does that scare you? For 00:24:26.589 --> 00:24:30.029 my little emeline, it would be potatoes. Sorry, 00:24:30.150 --> 00:24:32.710 she's hearing. I'm glad you're not a potato. 00:24:34.630 --> 00:24:37.289 This can be applied spiritually as much as physically. 00:24:37.950 --> 00:24:40.450 Just like your body is shaped by the food you 00:24:40.450 --> 00:24:44.269 consume, your spirit is shaped by what you feed 00:24:44.269 --> 00:24:48.769 it. Your thoughts, your words, your attention, 00:24:49.190 --> 00:24:52.789 and what you allow into your heart. If you feed 00:24:52.789 --> 00:24:56.309 your mind with negativity, doubt, or worldly 00:24:56.309 --> 00:25:00.240 distractions, your spirit will become heavy and 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:04.119 it will become weak. And just like junk food, 00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:06.380 it nourishes the body temporarily, knocks off 00:25:06.380 --> 00:25:10.299 the hunger, but it weakens over time. Spiritual 00:25:10.299 --> 00:25:13.859 junk, which is like envy and bitterness and gossip, 00:25:14.500 --> 00:25:18.140 it can seem satisfying at first, but it slowly 00:25:18.140 --> 00:25:22.279 harms your spiritual well -being. If you feed 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:25.200 your mind with God's Word, If you feed it with 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:27.779 prayer, if you feed it with worship and fellowship, 00:25:28.200 --> 00:25:31.640 your spirit will grow strong, it will be alive, 00:25:31.740 --> 00:25:36.960 and it will be aligned with God. Jesus said in 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:39.720 Matthew 4 and 4, man shall not live by bread 00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:41.960 alone but by every word that proceeds from the 00:25:41.960 --> 00:25:46.460 mouth of God. Our souls are designed to be nourished 00:25:46.460 --> 00:25:49.880 by God's truth just as our bodies crave real 00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:53.779 food. The more you feast on God's word, the more 00:25:53.779 --> 00:25:56.539 your thoughts, attitudes, and actions reflect 00:25:56.539 --> 00:26:00.900 his character. Spiritual hunger, church, grows 00:26:00.900 --> 00:26:04.759 when you consistently expose yourself to God's 00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:07.779 presence. It is so important, church, every day, 00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:10.039 every day, every day, every day. Don't miss a 00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:12.420 day until you've been in his presence. Don't 00:26:12.420 --> 00:26:14.359 get up from that place until you know you've 00:26:14.359 --> 00:26:17.240 touched him and he has touched you. It has to 00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:21.400 be a desire. There's no compromising that there's 00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:24.019 no questioning that there's no like if if if 00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:31.920 no it's a must church It's a must Your spiritual 00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:35.400 hunger will grow when you fast nobody likes it 00:26:35.400 --> 00:26:41.380 Nobody likes it, but it's important It's important 00:26:41.380 --> 00:26:44.559 Spiritual hunger grows when you spend time in 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:48.569 his word when you obey what he speaks Obey what 00:26:48.569 --> 00:26:51.750 he asks. Don't run from conviction. If God is 00:26:51.750 --> 00:26:54.069 telling you to do something, if he's convicting 00:26:54.069 --> 00:26:58.609 you, don't brush that off. Yield to that. Submit 00:26:58.609 --> 00:27:01.289 yourself to that. Be obedient to that. Because 00:27:01.289 --> 00:27:04.809 if you don't heed to that over and over and over 00:27:04.809 --> 00:27:06.470 and over, that voice is just going to get silent, 00:27:06.589 --> 00:27:09.170 silent, silent. And guess what? You'll find yourself 00:27:09.170 --> 00:27:11.210 doing things you never imagined that you would 00:27:11.210 --> 00:27:14.630 do. So if God comes knocking on your heart and 00:27:14.630 --> 00:27:16.970 he's convicting you of something, change, stop 00:27:16.970 --> 00:27:19.650 what you're doing. He loves you. Whom the Lord 00:27:19.650 --> 00:27:23.690 loves, he corrects. If he's correcting you about 00:27:23.690 --> 00:27:26.869 something, he loves you. Listen to what he says. 00:27:28.950 --> 00:27:31.130 The more you taste of God, the more you want 00:27:31.130 --> 00:27:36.009 him. Can some of the elders say amen? Amen. Not 00:27:36.009 --> 00:27:39.130 quite an elder, but I'll say amen. What you feed 00:27:39.130 --> 00:27:42.470 grows. If you need proof, just look at your children. 00:27:43.609 --> 00:27:45.910 The Apostle Paul contrasts the works of the flesh 00:27:45.910 --> 00:27:47.910 and the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5, 19 00:27:47.910 --> 00:27:50.490 through 25. I'll read through it quickly. Now 00:27:50.490 --> 00:27:52.349 the works of the flesh are manifest, which are 00:27:52.349 --> 00:27:54.950 these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciveness, 00:27:55.509 --> 00:27:58.069 idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, 00:27:58.309 --> 00:28:00.829 wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, endings, 00:28:01.109 --> 00:28:03.170 murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. 00:28:03.289 --> 00:28:05.789 of the which I'll tell you before as I have also 00:28:05.789 --> 00:28:08.950 told you in times past that they do they which 00:28:08.950 --> 00:28:10.829 do such things shall not inherit the kingdom 00:28:10.829 --> 00:28:13.349 of God but the fruit of the spirit is love joy 00:28:13.349 --> 00:28:16.789 peace long -suffering gentleness goodness faith 00:28:16.789 --> 00:28:19.329 meekness temperance against such there is no 00:28:19.329 --> 00:28:22.029 law and they that are Christ have crucified the 00:28:22.029 --> 00:28:24.529 flesh with the affections and lust if we live 00:28:24.529 --> 00:28:27.329 in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit 00:28:27.329 --> 00:28:30.369 the flesh has its own appetites and they are 00:28:30.369 --> 00:28:33.670 not automatic excuse me they are automatic No 00:28:33.670 --> 00:28:36.589 one has to teach the flesh to crave pride and 00:28:36.589 --> 00:28:39.509 envy and lust and selfishness. That appetite 00:28:39.509 --> 00:28:43.410 is natural to fallen humanity. But the fruit 00:28:43.410 --> 00:28:45.950 of the spirit, we said it, love, joy, peace, 00:28:46.009 --> 00:28:47.930 long -suffering, gentleness, you heard them. 00:28:48.390 --> 00:28:51.569 These come from feeding the spirit. Cultivating 00:28:51.569 --> 00:28:53.650 a hunger for righteousness isn't something that 00:28:53.650 --> 00:28:56.509 happens automatically. It is a spiritual discipline. 00:28:56.910 --> 00:28:59.710 It is a posture of the heart and a deliberate 00:28:59.710 --> 00:29:03.039 pursuit of God's presence. It's about training 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:06.119 your spirit to desire what God desires, much 00:29:06.119 --> 00:29:08.920 like you train your body to crave healthy food. 00:29:09.640 --> 00:29:11.839 When you pray every day, even on days that you 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:13.859 don't feel like it, you are teaching your spirit 00:29:13.859 --> 00:29:17.480 to long for God. When you worship beyond what's 00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:20.480 easy or convenient, you are expanding the hunger 00:29:20.480 --> 00:29:23.779 of your soul. When you fast, you are reminding 00:29:23.779 --> 00:29:27.500 your body you're not in control, God is. And 00:29:27.500 --> 00:29:30.750 over time, What was once discipline, it becomes 00:29:30.750 --> 00:29:34.329 a desire. You'll find yourself desiring those 00:29:34.329 --> 00:29:37.869 things. Fasting, like really, you're gonna find 00:29:37.869 --> 00:29:41.190 yourself desiring those things. I said it before, 00:29:41.309 --> 00:29:44.849 hunger is a sign of life. A spirit that is spiritually 00:29:44.849 --> 00:29:49.089 alive will naturally crave purity, truth, and 00:29:49.089 --> 00:29:53.930 holiness. Imagine a plant in a dry pot. If that 00:29:53.930 --> 00:29:58.640 soil becomes dry, what happens? That plant withers, 00:29:58.960 --> 00:30:02.000 it wilts, but the moment that it senses water, 00:30:02.380 --> 00:30:04.319 its leaves perk up and they reach toward the 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:09.099 light and its roots stretch deeper. Spiritually, 00:30:09.240 --> 00:30:12.160 hunger is the root system of revival, and without 00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:16.660 it, life stagnates. Revival does not come to 00:30:16.660 --> 00:30:20.140 a congregation that is comfortable, that is indifferent, 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:25.460 or full of spiritual complacency. Jesus warned 00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:29.000 about this in Revelations 3, 15 through 16, speaking 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:32.059 to the church in Laodicea. He says, I know thy 00:30:32.059 --> 00:30:35.559 works that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would 00:30:35.559 --> 00:30:38.960 thou were hot or cold. So then because thou art 00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:41.720 lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew 00:30:41.720 --> 00:30:45.599 thee out of my mouth. One of the most dangerous 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:48.880 spiritual conditions, yes rebellion is one, but 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:54.579 it's also apathy. Apathy is a state of indifference 00:30:54.579 --> 00:30:59.440 or a lack of feeling, interest, or concern about 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:03.700 something that normally would matter. In a spiritual 00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:07.579 context, apathy often describes a person who 00:31:07.579 --> 00:31:10.640 doesn't care about growing closer to God, pursuing 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:13.720 holiness, or responding to spiritual matters. 00:31:14.500 --> 00:31:18.700 They're emotionally and spiritually disengaged. 00:31:19.779 --> 00:31:22.960 Heaven view, we must make it our priority to 00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:26.039 be like the early church in the book of Acts, 00:31:26.759 --> 00:31:30.119 the church who hungered for God's presence. And 00:31:30.119 --> 00:31:33.180 just as they devoted themselves to prayer, to 00:31:33.180 --> 00:31:36.180 fellowship, and the word, we must do the same. 00:31:37.700 --> 00:31:40.279 As I was preparing for this message, these are 00:31:40.279 --> 00:31:42.799 the thoughts that I couldn't get away from. When 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:46.140 a baby cries for food, it's not silent. Every 00:31:46.140 --> 00:31:48.240 one of us has experienced a baby that's hungry 00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:51.200 and what that sounds like. The sound rises from 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:53.660 the depths of its being. It's desperate, it's 00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:57.140 unmistakable, and it is persistent. That cry 00:31:57.140 --> 00:32:00.079 is more than noise. It is an announcement to 00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:04.160 the world that something inside is empty, that 00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:07.460 something is desperate to be filled. And our 00:32:07.460 --> 00:32:10.380 spirits were created the same way, just as our 00:32:10.380 --> 00:32:13.549 bodies... hunger and thirst for sustenance, our 00:32:13.549 --> 00:32:16.170 soul's hunger and thirst for God. And just like 00:32:16.170 --> 00:32:19.470 physical hunger, spiritual hunger has a sound. 00:32:20.269 --> 00:32:22.789 It's the groaning of the heart in need of mercy. 00:32:23.150 --> 00:32:26.130 It's the tears of a soul longing for God's presence. 00:32:26.470 --> 00:32:29.150 It's the persistent cry of faith refusing to 00:32:29.150 --> 00:32:32.130 be silent, even when the crowd tells it to be 00:32:32.130 --> 00:32:36.309 quiet. The Bible is full of people whose spiritual 00:32:36.309 --> 00:32:39.660 hunger could be heard. Their cries rose up from 00:32:39.660 --> 00:32:42.599 their deepest need and God responded powerfully, 00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:45.359 transforming their lives and satisfying their 00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:48.799 souls. Look at Hannah. Hannah was deeply distressed 00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:51.579 because she could not have children. Her soul 00:32:51.579 --> 00:32:54.400 was in anguish and she prayed with such intensity 00:32:54.400 --> 00:32:58.349 that the Lord remembered her. Her hunger for 00:32:58.349 --> 00:33:01.769 a child and of God's favor came out in tears 00:33:01.769 --> 00:33:04.829 and in earnest pleading and God answered by giving 00:33:04.829 --> 00:33:08.750 her Samuel who would become a prophet Look at 00:33:08.750 --> 00:33:11.089 David in the Psalms David frequently expressed 00:33:11.089 --> 00:33:15.109 a raw vocal hunger for God in Psalms 42 1 through 00:33:15.109 --> 00:33:17.930 2 He says as the deer pants for streams of water 00:33:17.930 --> 00:33:21.670 so my soul pants for you my God my soul thirsts 00:33:21.670 --> 00:33:25.789 for God for the living God You could almost hear 00:33:25.789 --> 00:33:29.009 the longing in his cries. His need for God's 00:33:29.009 --> 00:33:32.069 presence was palpable, and God consistently met 00:33:32.069 --> 00:33:35.970 with him. Look at blind Bartimaeus. He cried 00:33:35.970 --> 00:33:38.890 out with persistence, refusing to be silent. 00:33:38.950 --> 00:33:42.269 He said, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy 00:33:42.269 --> 00:33:46.289 on me. The crowd tried to hush him, but his hunger 00:33:46.289 --> 00:33:49.009 for healing and an encounter with the Messiah 00:33:49.009 --> 00:33:52.950 could not be stifled. And Jesus responded immediately, 00:33:52.970 --> 00:33:56.890 restoring both his sight and his life. How much 00:33:56.890 --> 00:33:59.329 more would God do those things for us if we could 00:33:59.329 --> 00:34:02.029 just come with a hunger and a deep desire for 00:34:02.029 --> 00:34:08.150 him? In closing, I want to share with you why 00:34:08.150 --> 00:34:12.530 I titled this sermon, Hunger Has a Sound. And 00:34:12.530 --> 00:34:15.269 before you think I've lost my mind, I promise 00:34:15.269 --> 00:34:18.070 you that I have not, I have heard from the Lord. 00:34:19.920 --> 00:38:09.150 I have heard from the Lord Church What you're 00:38:09.150 --> 00:38:11.429 hearing there and what you're feeling is what 00:38:11.429 --> 00:38:14.289 I felt from the Lord. You see, last Wednesday 00:38:14.289 --> 00:38:16.809 I was supposed to come and deliver this word 00:38:16.809 --> 00:38:20.489 to you. I couldn't really explain to you what 00:38:20.489 --> 00:38:23.750 happened to me last Tuesday and Wednesday, but 00:38:23.750 --> 00:38:25.869 it doesn't matter because it brought us to this 00:38:25.869 --> 00:38:28.809 moment. And when Brother Mark Fowler reached 00:38:28.809 --> 00:38:31.050 out and asked me would I come and speak this 00:38:31.050 --> 00:38:33.829 Wednesday, I immediately said yes knowing what 00:38:33.829 --> 00:38:38.130 I wrestled with the week prior. And I began to 00:38:38.130 --> 00:38:42.150 hunger after God. And I began to ask the Lord, 00:38:42.150 --> 00:38:45.809 God, what is it that you're asking me to share? 00:38:46.789 --> 00:38:49.210 And day after day, I've just spent this week 00:38:49.210 --> 00:38:51.389 just reaching for him, and he would just drop 00:38:51.389 --> 00:38:54.369 things in my spirit. I thought I had it all together. 00:38:56.309 --> 00:38:59.889 Yesterday, around 3 .34 o 'clock, I was sitting 00:38:59.889 --> 00:39:02.150 there in my room, and I could feel the Lord moving 00:39:02.150 --> 00:39:07.079 upon me to pray. And as I began to pray, I felt 00:39:07.079 --> 00:39:12.000 him drawing me to this video. And some of you 00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:16.019 may recognize it. It was back in July of 2022. 00:39:16.639 --> 00:39:19.539 It was when our young people stood in this sanctuary 00:39:19.539 --> 00:39:23.000 and ushered us into the presence of God. And 00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:27.280 I want to tell you that hunger that was in this 00:39:27.280 --> 00:39:32.019 sanctuary was just as powerful to me as it was 00:39:32.019 --> 00:39:36.090 when God filled me with the Holy Ghost. I have 00:39:36.090 --> 00:39:39.630 not forgotten that because you see, I was in 00:39:39.630 --> 00:39:43.289 a terrible situation in my life. I was going 00:39:43.289 --> 00:39:47.010 through the pits. But I stood in this sanctuary 00:39:47.010 --> 00:39:50.769 with such a hunger for God, as well as everybody 00:39:50.769 --> 00:39:52.869 that filled this sanctuary who was there that 00:39:52.869 --> 00:39:55.409 night. If you were there, you know what I'm talking 00:39:55.409 --> 00:40:00.070 about. You experienced it. It changed me. I haven't 00:40:00.070 --> 00:40:03.579 forgotten it. And that's what God wants from 00:40:03.579 --> 00:40:06.519 us church. Every time that we come into this 00:40:06.519 --> 00:40:11.280 sanctuary, don't treat it just like it's something 00:40:11.280 --> 00:40:22.679 casual. Don't take it for granted. Don't just 00:40:22.679 --> 00:40:25.579 come in and out of here all the time and just 00:40:25.579 --> 00:40:32.079 not desire to be changed. If you'll just surrender 00:40:32.079 --> 00:40:38.360 everything to Him, if you'll just hunger after 00:40:38.360 --> 00:40:41.280 Him, I promise you, you'll never thirst, you'll 00:40:41.280 --> 00:40:45.559 never be hungry. He'll satisfy every need that 00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:49.679 you have. There's something inside of us that 00:40:49.679 --> 00:40:56.860 only Jesus can satisfy. I'm sorry it seems so 00:40:56.860 --> 00:40:59.639 heavy, but it does seem as if the Lord has come 00:40:59.639 --> 00:41:02.920 in to prick our hearts. And it's what we need. 00:41:03.840 --> 00:41:06.920 We need to be reminded of why we live for Him, 00:41:07.400 --> 00:41:12.119 why we serve Him. We need to be reminded of that 00:41:12.119 --> 00:41:14.760 first love that we had when we first came to 00:41:14.760 --> 00:41:19.760 Him. If you've lost that, this is a good time 00:41:19.760 --> 00:41:22.760 for you just to talk to the Lord about it. because 00:41:22.760 --> 00:41:25.579 He wants you to have that hunger in your heart. 00:41:26.519 --> 00:41:37.260 If you all stand, the musicians may come. I know 00:41:37.260 --> 00:41:39.159 that there's a hunger in your heart or you wouldn't 00:41:39.159 --> 00:41:45.900 be here tonight. I want you to know that God 00:41:45.900 --> 00:41:48.199 wants to fill everything in your life that feels 00:41:48.199 --> 00:41:51.320 empty. If you're empty, if you're just feeling 00:41:51.320 --> 00:41:55.400 empty tonight, you're in the perfect place. That's 00:41:55.400 --> 00:41:57.519 the right way to feel because when you come to 00:41:57.519 --> 00:42:01.739 this altar, if you'll come hungry, God will feel 00:42:01.739 --> 00:42:05.360 you. I want to invite you to come to this altar. 00:42:06.059 --> 00:42:08.559 And as you come, don't take it as if it's just 00:42:08.559 --> 00:42:10.900 another Wednesday night church because I'm telling 00:42:10.900 --> 00:42:14.780 you, you've heard from the Lord tonight. So come 00:42:14.780 --> 00:42:18.000 to this altar. If you need to repent, repent. 00:42:18.750 --> 00:42:21.670 If you need to ask God just to stir a hunger 00:42:21.670 --> 00:42:25.269 in you for His word, for righteousness, just 00:42:25.269 --> 00:42:27.309 to take anything out of your life that's not 00:42:27.309 --> 00:42:31.670 like Him, ask Him. He is here to hear you tonight. 00:42:32.389 --> 00:42:34.989 You have an audience with the King of Kings. 00:42:35.449 --> 00:42:38.309 He's come to touch each and every one of you 00:42:38.309 --> 00:42:45.809 in a personal way. Remember, hunger has a sound. 00:42:45.849 --> 00:42:50.179 You've got to lift up your voice, church. You 00:42:50.179 --> 00:42:57.519 heard the the audio you heard that sound