Untitled Sermon (19)

Worship call 0733

Thursday September 22, 2022

The bread of life.

obtain the fulness of joy! John 16:23-24 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. As we ask in His name, and we see our prayers being answered, we realize how real and faithful our God is. But I want to focus on the life that is overflowing with JOY! Have you ever met someone who just seemed radiant with joy? Joyful people always seem to be overflowing with life. No matter the obstacles the enemy throws their way, they always seem to live in victory. You’ll also find that they are spending time in the prayer closet...because the outflow of prayer is JOY! When we commune with God at that intimate level, dwelling in His presence, as the Psalmist says, “In your presence is fullness of joy!" [Psalm 16:11] Robert, prayer is intimately connected to the joy in your life. If you’re struggling with anxiety about the future, or the present, or a deep concern that is robbing your joy … it's time to enter your prayer closet, set the time apart, and determine to enter His presence. The Lord's joy will strengthen you from that place. Try it and see. Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, & Obadiah Baltimore, Maryland

Matthew 6:11 (NASB95) — 11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.

740 ἄρτος [artos /ar·tos/] n m. From 142; TDNT 1:477; TDNTA 80; GK 788; 99 occurrences; AV translates as “bread” 72 times, “loaf” 23 times, and “shewbread + 4286 + 3588” four times. 1 food composed of flour mixed with water and baked. 1a the Israelites made it in the form of an oblong or round cake, as thick as one’s thumb, and as large as a plate or platter hence it was not to be cut but broken. 1b loaves were consecrated to the Lord. 1c of the bread used at the love-feasts and at the Lord’s Table. 2 food of any kind.[1]

IN none of the glosses in the Stongs is bread equated to God’s word. And when Jesus says that he is the “Bread of life” He is not saying the bread is Him.

While we want to draw parallels to the Spiritual life and say that Jesus is speaking of the word of God, Artos is not used for the word of God in the bible, but for nourishment of the body.

The bible must be interpreted in the context by which it was written, not by what it means to us.

To his disciples Scripture meant scripture. Bread meant bread.

the differentiation is seen in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8:2–3 (NASB95) — 2 “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

The Basics of life can become a stumbling block to the spiritual life. The worries of where one’s next meal can distract a person from living one’s own life as unto the Lord this day.

There are parallels between the Children of Israel and their failure to trust God. There are failures in our own lives to trust God for our Logistical support.

The Children were on a journey. Having left Egypt, they were on their way to the Land flowing with Milk an Honey. A Prosperous land. The promised land. A land of their own.

The wilderness crossing was so necessary for the greatest need for them and for us in our age is our trust in the Lord. It would be in the wildness that would be the teacher. There is so much to learn from the Israelites, few successes but many failures they had which we do not want to duplicate and fail the same way.

It was not Long having left Egypt that the people began to grumble.

Exodus 16:3 (NASB95) — 3 The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the Lord’shand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

The Miracles thus far, the plagues in Egypt, the Passover, the parting of the Red Sea, were quickly forgotten as the children were back to same ole’ same ole’ and elevated the importance of there stomachs over their following the Lord.

But are many of us the same?

We have crossed over the sea of death into eternal life, God accomplishing Salvation in our lives bringing to life a spirit that was dead in Christ, freeing us from the debt of sin, and do we not ourselves begin to complain of our lack? Worry about the provisions of life over and above our Journey with the Lord?

By God’s grace, God provided food from heaven called Manna. The people of Israel did not have to work for it. It was by God’s faithfulness that each morning all they had to do was to gather God’s logistical blessing. They were not gathering more than they needed, but just enough for their household. Days ration and a guarantee that God would provide still more the next day. On the six day they would gather twice as much as in keeping with the Sabbath they would not gather but rest.

You may have heard from Godly people, and you may have even said yourself…

“Back then, we never knew where our next meal was coming from, but we never went hungry.”

IN this sermon from the Lord, The Lord is dealing with God’s logistical grace support.

Praying for God’s provision is a declaration of dependance and trusting in the Lord upon the Lord.

You see, see the spiritual life is not a life of rugged individualism or independence.

Forget the phrase…

“God helps those who helps themselves”

It’s not in the bible.

The Israelites had to go the wilderness for two reason.

1. It lies between Egypt and the promised Land.

2. To teach the Israelites to trust in Him.

I believe that there is coming a great famine to this entire world. Many are already feeling it. And it is only getting worse. I have already said that I believe that the final showdown is close and as it draws nearer there are those in power that seek to take control of every aspect of each individual life. That includes food supplies. Those who cooperate with the world government will receive their allotment of food. Those who do not will be cut off.

Many Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. They were less concerned about the Promises ahead and more about their stomachs which were in fact being fed and the body was being clothed, but the problem was that the people would not trust themselves to the Lord to feed them tomorrow and the next.

But they could trust themselves to Egypt even though they were enslaved to them.

Numbers 11:5 (NASB95) — 5 “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic,

And because they could not trust in the Lord for small things, that is logistical grace support they could not trust God in the big things and when it came time to meet their enemies in Exodus 14. That was enough for them. It was time for them to throw off the leadership of Moses and Aaron and turn back to Egypt.

Turning back to Egypt was turning away from the promises of God.

Turning back to the sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches his disciples

Matthew 6:11 (NASB95) — 11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.

In the Greek is points to the provisions of the next day, while the needs of this day are already covered.

Give us this day our bread for tomorrow.

It comes with the reality that it is the Lord holds tomorrow.

Such as the hymn Goes

“I don’t know about tomorrow. I just live day to day. “

Jesus will cover this more in the upcoming passage about worrying about what we will wear and what we will eat.

As we pray

Give us this day our bread for tomorrow, we are resting in that prayer, knowing that it is not God’s will to bring us into the wilderness for us to die from the lack of food and exposure to the elements but to teach us to trust in Him day by Day.

I pray for tomorrow’s provision today, knowing that this day is covered. When tomorrow comes I’m thanking God for what he has provided. I am strengthened in faith, and I am praying for the next day that once again God will provide knowing that He will.

For the Israelites they were provided with just enough for that day. They had to trust that God would in turn provide for tomorrow when tomorrow comes. That would keep them from depending upon their stocks or their own bank account but keep them trusting in Him.

Proverbs 30:8–9 (NASB95) — 8 Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, 9 That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Isaiah 33:15–16 (NASB95) — 15 He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; 16 He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure.

[1]Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.