Give Us Today

Bottom line

May you learn to completely rely on God

Opening Line

How many of you have ever had to teach their child or a child what a need is?

Introduction

It is so interesting how quickly kids figure out that there is a difference between a need and a want, even if they don’t fully grasp what the difference is. Dad, I need that toy that I played with at my friends house. Mom, I need an exact copy of that thing that you bought my sibling. Pastor, we need to get the new video game that just came out at youth because then my friends would want to come to youth.

How many of those things are actual needs? None of them. So why do they use the word need in each of those scenarios? Because it communicates importance. Because they have convinced themselves that life will not be at the quality it should be unless this thing is in my possession and at my disposal.

Main Point

However, if you were honest with yourself, you are not above using the same tactics on yourself. Do you really need that new phone or that new car? Do you really need everything that is in that Amazon cart right now? Do you really need all the subscriptions that you are currently paying for? Because a need is anything that is necessary for survival. The basic needs of any human being is food, water, shelter, and air. I’ll add clothes in there because it is January 26th and it still has potential to get cold outside. Air, food, water, and shelter. Anything outside of those four things are just wants. But even with in those four things, there is a little bit of abuse, isn’t there?

Why it matters

As we come to the next part of the Lord’s prayer, I believe that you and I need our heavenly Father to teach us a few things about what it means to have our needs met. I think our western society as corrupted our understanding of what a need is, and it is interfering with our ability to fully embrace living for the Kingdom of God. So I want you keep this question in the back of your mind as we dive into the third part of the Lord’s Prayer.

What does it mean to have your needs met?

Just a warning, this may be the shortest verse in the prayer, but this has potential to be the longest sermon, just warning you now.

Scripture

As always, we will start by saying the Lord’s Prayer together.

Matthew 6:9–13 NLT

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need,* and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation,* but rescue us from the evil one.*

There are three parts to this line, and I will unpack two of the three in depth today, saving one of them for later in the series.

Give us

This one I just want to mention, with greater elaboration coming later. Have you ever noticed, for those of you have been praying this prayer for a while, that there are no personal pronouns used in this prayer. All the pronouns used are, “Our,” “Us,” and “We." The significance of that is that Jesus taught us to not pray for ‘me’, but ‘we'. It is the reminder that when you pray, you need to have the humility to recognize that you are part of something bigger than yourself. So if you are asking your Father for strength, pray for all your brothers and sisters in the faith that they would have the strength they need to face the challenges coming their way. When you feel sad, that you pray for all the men and women of the church who may be feeling down, that all of you would experience the comfort of God in that moment.

Today

Today. You are taught to pray for today. Later on in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus would say this to the followers:

Matthew 6:34 NLT

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

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It is interesting that this is something only needs to be highlighted in the West. Most areas of the world understand that today is a gift and you should make the most of today. In the West you are taught to always looks a head to tomorrow because tomorrow has got to be better than today. How many of us have heard or even said to someone during a tough day, “There’s always tomorrow.” Sports fans are notorious for this future mindset when their teams loses too soon. "There's always next year.”

Yet Jesus teaches his followers to pray for today because there is enough going on today that you shouldn’t be worrying about tomorrow. James picks this up in his letter to the church.

James 4:13–16 NLT

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.

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This is actually connected to the previous line of the prayer. May your kingdom come soon is prayed with the anticipation that soon could be tomorrow. Soon could be today. Jesus and the New Testament writers clearly write that the Day of the Lord, the return of Jesus will be like a theif in the night. No one knows the day or the hour it will happen. The Bible gives us signs to watch for, but like labor pains, the signs just tell you the coming is coming soon. Ladies, you know that labor pains could mean get to the hospital and wait 12 hours, or get to the hospital because you might not make it. You can know it is coming soon, but you won’t know exactly when.

In light of that Jesus teaches you to pray for today. Pray that everyone in the church would stay strong in the face of temptation and trial. Pray that the church would be found holy and blameless on the day of the Lord. It is not to say that you can’t have goals and dreams and 5 year plans. It is hold those things open-handed, willing to allow your Father in heaven to refine them and bring them into alignment with his will. Wait didn’t you just pray something like, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"? Sorry that was a little cheeky. Moving on!

The Food That We Need

Now I’ve heard sermons unpacking each of these parts in detail, but I don't know if I've ever seen what I'm about to show you. Last week I talked about how, “May your kingdom come soon, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” is actually meant to be a reflective prayer where you are telling God that you are going to play your part. Now watch the significance of praying that God would meet our needs next.

Later on in the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus teaches his followers this. Matthew 6:25

Matthew 6:25 NLT

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?

Matthew 6:31–33 NLT

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God* above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

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What is Jesus saying? God knows that food, water, and clothing can be matters of concern. Remember he is talking to people who were poor and probably weren’t always sure when their next meal was going to be. So the prayer is framed in such a way that you are coming before God saying, “I am committed to seeing your kingdom come soon. I am committed to seeing your will done here on earth. But have these needs in my life that can be really distracting. So Father, please meet my needs so that I can serve you and live out your will to the fullest.” It is this idea that Paul picks up on in 2 Cor 9:6-10

2 Corinthians 9:6–10 NLT

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”* And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”* For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity* in you.

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So Paul uses the illustration of a farmer, quite appropriate since many of us are somewhat familiar with how farming works. If you only put out a little seed, you get a little crop. You put out a lot of seed, you get a bigger crop. But then Paul reminds you of a very important detail. It is God who provides the seed. Farmers, do you have any control of how much seed each stalk is going produce? No. Why? Because you don’t control the sun, you don’t control the rain, you can’t even make the plant grow on command. You plant the seed, you fertilize, you might spray to get rid of weeds, but the rest of it is completely in God’s hands. And this applies to all of us. You gives breath to your lungs? Who formed you in your mother’s womb? Your ability to make money to provide for your family is a gift from God Almighty. What are you to do with this gift? You are to exercise generosity, trusting that God will meet your needs in the midst of it. Why do you practice generosity? Because of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25:31-40

Matthew 25:31–40 NLT

“But when the Son of Man* comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations* will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,* you were doing it to me!’

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As God is the provider of your needs, he invites you to be a part of the process. It is the whole idea of doing for others what has been done for you. As God meets your needs, you in turn help others who are in need. You get to be a part of their answered prayer.

Transition to Application

But this all comes back to one very important question. Do you believe that God is going to meet your needs?

Main To Do

The question is simple enough, but it is not easy. See you have to unpack what a need is. Where is line between need and greed? Where is the line between daily bread and gluttony, which is an ironic thing to say on potluck Sunday. Where is the line between need and want? The answer is going to be different for each of us, but it is an important question. If you are called to give your life for the kingdom, if you are called to practice generosity, then you also need to identify the things that get in the way of those things. Is your job preventing you from making church and faith a priority? Does the idea of being generous cause you to sweat a little because of all the other financial restraints?

Father, give us today the food that we need.

Why it matters

It is important that you ask yourself these questions because Jesus also says this in Matthew 6:24

Matthew 6:24 NLT

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

Romans 13:8 NLT

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.

Proverbs 22:7 NLT

Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.

You are to serve one God. The only debt you are supposed to have is the debt to love one another. I could keep quoting scriptures but the point is the same. It is really important that we get this right. It is a matter of the heart. It asks uncomfortable questions, but the result is the life you are meant to live; a life in step with your heavenly.

Give us today the food that we need.

Communion

As you take communion this morning, you are reminded of one simple truth. Jesus is the bread of life.

John 6:35 NLT

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Jesus is the bread of life. Your Father is the giver of all good things. In preparation for communion, take a moment and the ask the Holy Spirit to show any area of growth He may want to impress on you. Is there anything you need to confess before the Lord?

As the communion dishes come around, please grab a cracker and a juice and hold onto them until I tell you to take them.

after time of reflection

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NLT

For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.* Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

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Jesus, may you come soon! May your kingdom quickly, so we can experience the fulness of your presence and blessing. May we rely on your fully, daily, in everything. May we honor your generosity to us by extending generosity to others. Teach us what it means to live with daily bread!

Discussion Questions

What stood out?

How can we distinguish between our true needs and our wants in everyday life?

In what ways do you see the cultural understanding of needs impacting your dependence on God?

How does understanding God as our provider change the way we approach financial generosity?

In your experience, how has God met your needs in unexpected ways?

In what ways can serving others fulfill both their needs and our own?

How do you feel about asking God to meet your needs? Does it feel easy or challenging?