Posts tagged: bible sermon notes on trusing God

By: Max Kure

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus speaks words that turn our natural instincts upside down:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

In a world where everyone is trying to prove themselves right, build their image, and defend their reputation, Jesus calls His disciples to something radical: renounce not only your rights—but even your own righteousness.

Letting Go of “My Righteousness”

To renounce your own righteousness does not mean to stop caring about holiness. It means you stop trying to earn approval. You stop keeping score. You stop saying in your heart, “At least I’m better than them.”

Disciples of Jesus do good, they sacrifice, they forgive—but they do not demand applause. They do not insist on recognition. They do not build their identity on moral superiority. They know that even their best works cannot manufacture true righteousness before God.

There is a deep humility here. A disciple says:

• I cannot justify myself.
• I cannot cleanse my own heart.
• I cannot fix this broken world by my strength.

That realization could feel discouraging—but it is actually freeing.

Hungry, Yet Hopeful

Jesus says the blessed ones are not those who have righteousness, but those who hunger and thirst for it.

Hunger is uncomfortable. Thirst can be painful. It is a daily reminder that something is missing.

Followers of Christ live with longing:

• Longing for forgiveness of all sin.
• Longing for inner renewal.
• Longing for a world where injustice no longer crushes the weak.
• Longing for God’s perfect justice to reign.

They look toward God’s future righteousness. They know they cannot bring it fully by themselves. And yet—they do not give up.

This is not pessimism. It is hope anchored in God.

As the psalmist declares in Book of Psalms:

“For the word of the Lord is upright… He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:4–5)

Because God loves righteousness, our hunger is not in vain.

Neither Our Own Nor Fully God’s—Yet

The disciple “has neither their own righteousness nor God’s righteousness on earth” in its fullness. We are forgiven, yes—but we still struggle. We are renewed, but not yet perfected. The world has glimpses of justice, but not its completion.

This tension is not a reason for cynicism. It is the space where faith grows.

We live between promise and fulfillment. Between cross and kingdom. Between prayer and answer.

We do not say, “Nothing will change.”
We say, “Lord, Your kingdom come.”

What If the Church Renounced Its Own Righteousness?

Imagine a church that stopped boasting.

A church that said:

• “We are saved by grace.”
• “We are still learning.”
• “We do not stand above the world—we stand among those who need mercy.”

Such a church would:

• Approach other churches with humility, not competition.
• Speak to the secular world with compassion, not condemnation.
• Engage other religions without arrogance, but with conviction and love.

When a church renounces its own righteousness, it becomes a hospital instead of a courtroom.

Does Hunger Lead to Action?

Real hunger does not produce passivity. It produces movement.

When you are thirsty, you seek water.
When you are hungry, you search for bread.

When disciples hunger for righteousness, they:

• Speak against injustice.
• Stand with the oppressed.
• Refuse corruption.
• Work for reconciliation.
• Pray—and then act.

They say no to suffering caused by unrighteousness. They stand in solidarity with those who suffer “for righteousness’ sake.”

Their longing pushes them into compassion. Their thirst fuels obedience.

Our Personal Hunger

Where do you feel this hunger in your own life?

Maybe you are tired of your own recurring failures.
Maybe you are grieved by corruption in society.
Maybe you ache for peace in your family.
Maybe you are weary of injustice in your nation.

That ache is not weakness. It is evidence that God has awakened something in you.

You alleviate that hunger not by pretending you are righteous—but by:

• Confessing honestly.
• Seeking God daily.
• Practicing justice in small, concrete ways.
• Forgiving.
• Serving.
• Praying for renewal.

And trusting that God will fill what you cannot.

A World Crying for Righteousness

Look around. Our world is hungry.

Communities suffer from violence, exploitation, inequality, broken systems. People are thirsty for fairness, dignity, truth.

The question is not whether the world is hungry.

The question is: will the people of faith respond?

Will we say no to injustice?
Will we stand beside the suffering?
Will we live as signs of the coming kingdom?

The Blessed Life

The blessed life is not the life of self-satisfaction.
It is the life of holy dissatisfaction.

It is the life that refuses to settle for sin.
It is the life that longs for God’s justice.
It is the life that waits with hope.

Jesus promises: “They will be filled.”

Not by applause.
Not by self-righteous pride.
But by God Himself.

Prayer for Today

Lord, may Your righteous kingdom come in my life and in this world.
Create in me a deeper hunger for what is right.
Keep me humble, keep me hopeful, and use me to bring light where there is injustice.
Amen.

By: Max Kure

In a world where everyone is fighting to be heard, fighting to be seen, fighting to defend their rights, the words of Gospel of Matthew 5:5 fall like a quiet thunderclap:

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

At first glance, this makes no sense. The earth belongs to the strong, doesn’t it? To the aggressive. To the loud. To those who demand their rights and protect their territory. But Jesus turns the system upside down. In the Kingdom of God, inheritance does not come through force — it comes through surrender.

A Community With No Rights — Yet Full of Hope

The disciples of Jesus were strangers in the world. They had no social power, no political leverage, no earthly protection. No rights they could claim defended them. And yet, they did not rise up in self-defense. They did not organize protests to secure their position. They did not retaliate when insulted.

When they were mocked, they remained quiet.
When violence was done to them, they endured.
When they were cast out, they yielded.

Why?

Because they had chosen to renounce their rights for the sake of Christ.

To renounce one’s rights does not mean believing one has no value. It means trusting that God is the defender. It means saying, “I do not need to prove myself. I do not need to win this argument. I do not need to crush my enemy. My security is not in my power — it is in my Savior.”

Meekness Is Not Weakness

The world confuses meekness with weakness. But biblical meekness is controlled strength. It is power under submission. Look at Jesus Christ Himself. He had every right to defend Himself. He could have called down angels. He could have silenced His accusers. Yet before Pilate, He stood silent. On the cross, He did not retaliate.

The One who created the earth allowed Himself to be nailed to it. That is not weakness. That is divine strength. True meekness is the courage to suffer wrong without becoming wrong. It is the refusal to let hatred reproduce itself in your heart. It is choosing peace when your pride wants revenge.

Why Would Disciples Not Want Their Own Rights?

This question challenges us deeply.

Why would anyone willingly give up their right to defend themselves? Because disciples understand something greater: when you cling to your rights, you often lose your soul. But when you surrender your rights to God, you gain eternal inheritance.

Jesus promises that the meek will inherit the earth — not the old broken earth ruled by violence, but the renewed earth of God’s Kingdom. Those who grasp power now through injustice will lose everything. Those who quietly trust God, even unto suffering, will reign with Him.

This echoes the hope found in Book of Psalms 10:17–18:

“O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart…
to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed.”

The meek are not forgotten. Heaven hears their whispers.

Should Followers of Jesus Be Non-Violent?

Jesus’ life answers that question more clearly than any argument. The cross is God’s declaration that love is stronger than violence.

This does not mean Christians ignore injustice. It means they refuse to fight evil with evil. They overcome evil with good. They seek justice without hatred. They stand firm without becoming cruel.

The early church grew not because it crushed its enemies, but because it endured suffering with unshakable hope.

The Earth Belongs to the Meek

How can it be said that the earth belongs to those without rights and power?

Because history is not finished yet.

Right now, it may seem that arrogance wins. That power dominates. That the loudest voices control the narrative. But God’s story is still unfolding. In the end, violence will not inherit the future — humility will.

Those who renounce everything for Christ lose nothing. They are heirs of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

A Personal Reflection

Let us bring this close to home.

Are there rights you are fiercely defending right now?
The right to win an argument?
The right to be appreciated?
The right to be treated fairly?

What would happen if, in one situation, you chose meekness instead of self-defense?

Imagine responding to criticism without bitterness.
Imagine enduring misunderstanding without retaliation.
Imagine trusting God to vindicate you.

Meekness does not mean you become invisible. It means you become unshakable.

A Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus,
You renounced heaven’s glory to walk among us.
You surrendered Your rights to save us.
Teach me to follow You.

When my pride rises, make me gentle.
When I am wronged, make me patient.
When I am tempted to fight for myself, remind me that You fight for me.

Give me the gift of meekness.
Make me an instrument of Your peace.

Amen.