Don't Let the Bread Get Stale

Exodus 16:11-21

[Read Scripture]

Have you ever been in this situation? Look around and can’t find anything to eat? And then what do you do? Start grumbling because your hungry.

We believe in eating around here. Amen?

Well, each day we feed our stomachs the foods we crave, and satisfy our physical appetite, but there is another appetite that needs to fed too. That is the spiritual appetite.

Now our spiritual appetite is hungry, and one of the ways we help satisfy that hunger is by coming to church and hearing the message that the Lord has prepared for us.

Sadly, there has been a famine on many lives today, because there has been such a neglect in preaching the Word of God.

It is time, that preachers across the land, start preparing and sharing what God has said from his Word, and stop giving junk food to feast on.

Think about it. If your body is hungry and laid before you was on one plate a perfectly cooked steak, with a hot potato, loaded salad, and dessert; and on the other plate, there is a Vienna sausage and some crackers. Which one are you going to choose?

If you’re smart you choose the steak. But so many are choosing the latter because they have never been fed the best.

Now in our passage today, the children of Israel are in the wilderness, and they’re hungry, and they start murmuring. And God brings them food from the sky that the Israelites called manna. Now I want you to see some important points from this passage that speaks to us.

The Hunger that was Heard (vs 11-13)

· Here was a group of people that were murmuring and complaining because they were hungry. But God heard their hunger.

· You ever hear hunger? I tell you when it occurs, when you are in a quiet room, trying to be serious, and your belly decides to make that errrrr noise.

· God heard the hunger of these people. He heard their complaints, their wants, there pains. God heard them.

· And if you are a child of God, he will hear yours as well.

· 1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

· Friend, God hears your hunger, now what are you going to do about it? Are you going to keep on being hungry or are you going to ask God to meet your need?

· You can gripe and complain about your situation, or you can take it to the Lord.

The Food that was Found (vs 14-15)

· So there is the hunger that is heard, but here is the second thing we see in this passage, and that is the food that was found.

· Now God heard their hunger, and what did he do? He gave them something to eat. Now they didn’t know what it was, so it was called Manna. Which means “What is it?”

· You ever had those mystery meals? Someone brings out a plate of food, they sit it before you and you look at it funny and ask the question, what is it?

· Well, that’s kinda of how this was for them. They didn’t know what it was, but it was given to them by God.

· It wasn’t what they were expecting, but it was exactly what they needed.

· Now this manna, if you think about it is a picture of Jesus Christ. Here is the gift that God gives to them, it is a bread that satisfies hunger.

· Now this manna was right in front of them, it was right before their eyes, all they had to do was get up and walk right to it.

· Friend that’s all you have to do with Jesus.

· Matthew 7:7 says “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find…”

· Friend, these people went out and found bread right before them, and Jesus is right before you right now as well.

· Jesus said in John 6:35 “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

The Command that was Communicated (16-19)

· So we have the food that was found, but now we see the command that was communicated.

· Now the people were hungry, God provides them food, but he gives instructions on how they are to handle the food.

· They were to gather it, to get each person in their home a serving, and they were not to try to save it to the next day.

· Now God was specific, this is the way that it is to be done, no deviations, no changes, this is the way.

· This wasn’t a hard thing that was placed on the people, it was simple. And friend that is how Jesus is with us.

· He isn’t trying to make it complicated, but he gave us instructions. He told us that he is the way, the truth and the life, no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6.

· Now, everyone has a hunger, everyone needs this food. Everyone in each household needs Jesus. It is not meant for just some, it is meant for all.

The Demand that was Disregarded (20)

· Now we’ve seen the command that was communicated but look at verse 20 and we see the demand that was disregarded.

· What were the people doing, exactly what God had told them not to do. God was giving them their daily bread, and they were trying to make it last until tomorrow.

· My daughter found this out with sushi, we had bought some and if you know anything about it, you need to eat it that day, not tomorrow. She ate some and got sick.

· And that’s how a lot of people deal with the things of God. They are not looking for the freshness of the Lord today, they are living on stale memories of yesterday.

· Let me ask you, did you eat two days ago, was that enough food to get you through until today? No. You needed something fresh.

· I don’t care to eat left overs. Left overs for the most part don’t taste as good. They lose their savor. I like to eat it fresh.

· What I am getting at, you will not survive on a memory and you want be happy on left overs. True satisfaction comes with a fresh meal each day with Jesus.

· Now these people tried keeping the manna, but you know what happened? It became infested with worms. Imagine opening up a dish and there it was covered in maggots and stunk. Would you eat that?

· No way, well some of you have done just that, you are full of worms. You have tried to live off last week’s sermon until today.

· You need the freshness of Christ in your life every day.

The Effort that was Exerted (21)

· So, there was the demand that was disregarded, but now we come to the final point and that is here in verse 21, and this is the effort that was exerted.

· Now understand, these people could get up and see the manna laying on the ground, but until they put forth the effort of picking it up and eating it, it did them no good.

· Friend, there has to be an effort on your part if you want to be filled.

· Now are you hungry, Jesus said come unto him. These people had to go out there and receive it.

· It was given to them, but they had to receive it, and that it what you have to do as well.

· The gift of salvation is free to you and I, but if we do not go and receive it, then friend we are going to be hungry.

· Let me ask you, are you hungry for Jesus today? He is here to satisfy that hunger if you will receive him into your life.

· Let me ask you this? Is your life stale and lacking? Maybe your life is corrupted and stinks. Let me tell you all you need to do is be obedient to Christ and allow his to refresh you.

· This can only happen if you put forth the effort, will you do that today?