Thirsting for Righteousness, Teachers Guide, by CindyGirl

Thirsting for Righteousness January 13, 2013
Teacher’s Guide

Discuss that we need to stop telling people that if they come to Christ their lives will be happy and trouble free. That is not the truth. Yes God gives peace and joy, but a lot of times it’s in the midst of trouble and trials. (1 John 3:13; Luke 21:12; John 15:20)

We bring people to Christ, just the way He did, by following His example. Jesus showed the people their sin, and their need for Salvation. That is what we must do, otherwise they will not see the need for Christ in their lives. (Psalm 34:18)

Does that mean that we go around downing people? No, but we must tell them the truth so that they see their sin and realize the need for Jesus the Savior! This is EXACTLY what Jesus did. Remember the rich ruler back in the last lesson. The story is found in Mark 12. Jesus showed him that he wasn’t as good as he thought he was, that he needed to be saved. We have to get people to thirst for righteousness.
I recently heard Kirk Cameron from The Way of the Master ministries say that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. That is true you can’t make him drink but you can put salt into his oats and make him thirsty. When he eats the oats, the salt will make him thirst, and then he will drink the water.
It is the same with people who are lost. We can present Jesus, but we cannot make them accept Him and be saved, but we can get them to thirst for Him by showing them their sin. We can put salt in their oats!

(Matthew 5:13; Matthew 5:6; John 4:14; John 6:35)
C. When people trust in themselves that they are “a good person” they are relying on their own righteousness when God’s word tells us are as filthy rags. They do not see their need for Christ. We must do as Jesus did and show them their sin so that they will see their need for the righteousness of Jesus Christ and be saved.

(Isaiah 64:6; James 4:10;
1 Peter 5:5; Luke 18:9-14; Romans 5:17)
When we help people to see their sin, planting that seed, the Holy Spirit will show them their need for Jesus Christ and Salvation through Him. This is the plan and the way that Jesus did it when He was walking in human flesh upon the earth. We must be the salt that He places us here to be, seasoning the earth with the gospel and causing the lost to hunger and thirst after the righteousness of CHRIST! God be with you all.