How High Is the Demand For the Righteous Man? By Brother Duke Hansen

         If you are really serious regarding your walk, seeking the truth in the word, looking for God's face, there is a frustrating thing you often discover. It is true spiritual growth occurs over time. You cannot really make true gains in your growth while you are young in your walk. Age does not always equal wisdom. There may be someone quite older than you today who is still in the same position they were in 30, 40 years ago. There is a depth to God which very few can comprehend. In the Bible, there are things which have been predicted yet to happen that man is not really ready for. One takeaway from the message today you should take to heart is assume responsibility for yourself. The title of this message is a question. How high is the demand for the righteous man? In your walk, things will happen both good and bad. Only God can take you out of a lie and into a blessing, yet you will to be able to leave it without a curse. In situations which come up in life, the bad decisions you make, you cannot take the high side.

        Turn to the book of John the 12th chapter. We are going to start with verse 9.

        9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

       10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;

        11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

        12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

        13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

        14 And Jesus, when he had found a young donkey, sat thereon; as it is written,

        15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on a donkey's colt.

        16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

        17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.

        18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.

        19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

        Verse 12 illustrates how high the demand there was for a righteous man. Before the triumphant entry, word was already spreading among the people. Branches from palm trees were taken to lay out before Jesus. God is anything you want him to be. The biggest lie that has ever been told to anyone is you are saved. There are so many lost sitting on their heels under this delusion. Your life will continue to have highs, lows, victories and failures. You can still turn away and return to the world. The only assurance you have is when you pass away and arrive in glory. Up until then it's a daily walk with the goal of growing in righteousness. If you are not mindful now, as you get older your life will be filled with fear and anxiety. Those feelings you will be very familiar with and they will dictate to you your thoughts and decisions. 

        Matthew 21:1-11 adds more context to the triumphant entry, and when you get to verse 12 what is recorded? The story of Jesus cleaning out the temple is written. You cannot go with the flow because the flow is the world. There are many self professed christians who continue to allow things to happen within their church, believe in lies because they are going with the flow. God's path is against the flow. How big was the demand for a righteous man when everyone is walking with the flow? How incompetent are we in making the same failures over and over again never learning from those mistakes? If you want to be a christian and follow God, then realize that God is seeking righteous people and not saved people. You are going to struggle with your faith until death. In Joshua 1:9 God says Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.

        God is wanting to work with the man walking in righteousness beyond just the three steps to obtain salvation. Strength overcomes dismay and courage overcomes fear. Think about men like Phillip, the other disciples, Stephen. These were righteous men. 

        Break out of this mindset that church is a meeting house where you socialize, get some warm feelings from the music, conviction from the word, and then chat about worldly things over chicken lunches. True church is out there in the world on the weekday, through testimony, witness and discipleship. The confines of this building is a safe haven for new information, encouragement, and a time of refreshing. You could summarize many peoples interaction with God as often just looking, just checking things out. Not really wanting to commit to anything. Like a person going to a car lot or store which has major purchases with the intent to buy but not the courage.

        The term saved means obedience. You can always be saved but mess it up with obedience. Pursue righteousness. Think on this question; Where am I with God this morning? In Hebrews chapter 11 the heroes of faith chapter, you will find righteous people and someone who is just saved. Are we so infantile in our thinking that we need some spectacular CGI event in order to keep our faith strong? Life is not like some overblown budget movie. How big of a demand is there for a righteous man in your house? In your family? At your job? Being strong is a choice and you have to embrace the patience and the pain that go along with it. You will never start to see righteousness until you put yourself under subjection. If you don't want to ever make progress with your walk, God is a gentlemen and will to push you onto it. Man has selective hearing when it comes to the words of God. 

        What makes you strong? Hard times can. There's a tough life cycle that shows strong people create good times, good times will create weakness. Strength and courage are a decision. It is ultimately your decision where you go and how much you want to grow in your walk and into righteousness.