Matthew 6:11

The bottomless Resources of our generous Father.

In noting the order of these petitions, we’re made aware of a glaring and obvious point:

The earnest pleas of seeking that God’s Name would be regarded as holy and that His Kingdom would come

let’s us know that the glory of God is to be preferred before our own personal concerns.

But in the petition, ‘Give us today our daily bread,’ the bread is

taken to include God’s provision of all the necessities of life (see 6:32; ; ),

‘Daily’ carries the idea of one day at a time, like the manna (see also ).

like the manna (see also ).

Just like the instructions to the disciples going out on their training mission,

sufficient for our present needs is all we require;

we are not to hoard out of worry and anxiety about the future.

The big idea

That we’ll see this morning (by God’s help) is this:

We must trust our Father to provide for us from His resources and pray accordingly in faith.

We must remember that the whole prayer is in the context of the kingdom of God.

It is assumed that we shall use the strength gained from this bread to work for the kingdom.

A right attitude to this petition will free us from undue concern with money and possessions.

This is a prayer that, for most of us, is constantly granted, removing the

frequent struggle of Christians about the problem of unanswered prayer.

As all prayers are to be offered ‘with thanksgiving’ ().

To understand this petition you need to see a few different things to see how this works in prayer.

I want you to understand the FAVOR of God in the words, “Give us”

TO pray in this manner is to have the Favor of God.

FAVOR “Give”

It’s God’s FAVOR to you and I that we receive from God!

1. The good things of this life are the gifts of God!

He is the founder and donor of them all!

2. We note that it’s not wrong to pray for God to give us temporal things.

In the writer prays, “feed me with the food I need.”

The Psalmist (who was conscious of his need, which is crucial in prayer) asks for health. "Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking;” ()

Food and healing are all good things to pray for as they are all useful to us.

Like oil is needful for preserving the lamp from going out.

The idea in this point is that God’s FAVOR (grace) prompts us to pray this for others! We naturally pray for ourselves.

And as Spirit born and filled people we pray for temporal things for spiritual ends.

We’re prayerfully desirous of things that will help our spiritual journey to glory!

If we’re praying for health, it is praying to improve this talent of health for God’s glory, that we might be fitter for His service.

Why did Hannah pray for a child? Do you remember? Listen to

"Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life...””

Our aim in prayer is heaven, not this natural world. "You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” ()

I can remember in my 20’s asking God to make me rich!

I wanted it so that my name would be higher and to have power so that I could take a fuller revenge on people.

EVIL! I would pray to God for temporal things so that I could be enabled to better serve the devil!

Let’s not pray that way!

Our Lord is directing to pray to the effect of:

That’s the wrong way to look at anything.

First, that we should glorify God with our temporal goods, employing them for the maintenance of His worship and of true religion.

Here’s what Scripture says: "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, "since it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer.” ()

Secondly, that we should employ them for the common good in the relief of the poor and other necessary duties for the commonwealth.

What’s that mean? It is to be received if it’s “sanctified by the word of God and by prayer.”

By the word “word” it means:

Thirdly, that we should provide for our own, especially them of our family, that we may live in peace and quietness, and so the better prepare ourselves for the life to come.

First, the word of creation, by which God in the beginning fitted the creature for man’s use, and gave him power and sovereignty over it [];

Secondly, the word of restitution, whereby after the fall and after the flood He granted unto man the use of His creatures ()

Thirdly, the word of the gospel concerning our Christian liberty wherein He has enlarged our use in the creatures of God ().

And by prayer, we desire God to give His power to the creation, and

His blessing upon it to serve for our good and comfort;

and also to give us grace to receive everything as from His hand, and to use them to His glory. [slow]

By The Way. Look at everything that’s done here at Redeemer.

Really, all we do has to do with the Word of God and prayer.

Just food for thought. I’m not thinking we’re to be adding to those things.

So if we’re to pray for these temporal things, how much the more for spiritual things?

How about you? Anyways...

So if we’re to pray for these temporal things, what about for spiritual things?

If we’re praying for bread, will we not pray for the Bread of Life t be our true substance?

What is to have bread in your pantry but to lack God’s grace?

What’s the good to have clothes on your back but your soul to be bare?

What good is the bottled water you drink if you’re missing the living waters of Christ!?

Let us earnestly pray for spiritual mercies.

‘Lord don’t just feed me but sanctify me with Your Spirit!’

‘Please give me a heart full of grace, than a house full of gold!’

When we pray for our daily bread, the things of this life,

much more for the things of the life that is to come!

Do you notice also, our text says, “Give us today our daily bread.”

Notice the plural, “us” and “our”.

This is the FAVOR of God.

We know that we’re to love our neighbor as ourselves.

So we are to pray for one another. Paul said in , "Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”

Praying “at all times…for all the saints.”

The grace-filled Apostle’s prayer ministry was predominately focused upon others!

Spiders work for themselves.

Bees work for the good of others.

Springs refresh others with their crystal streams.

The sun enlightens other with its golden beams.

The more that a believer is dignified with grace,

the more they bombard heaven with their prayers for others.

This is the Favor of God upon you.

I also want you to understand FAITH in the words, “today…daily”

We’re not praying for God to supply our needs for the next month or year, but a day.

We must believe that God is faithful today!

Lord, "Give us today our daily bread.” ()

This teaches you and I to not have such a burden to think about, concerning the future!

If we have enough today, it is sufficient.

Look at v34. "Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ()

God fed Israel in the wilderness with manna.

He fed them from hand to mouth and if you were to have asked them where there

breakfast would come from tomorrow they’d have said, our only concern is for today not tomorrow.

God would rain down the manna that they needed each day.

If we have this bread this day, do not distrust God’s provision for the future.

Jesus also teaches us to pray this way, so as to treat each day as your last day.

We don’t pray ‘give us bread for tomorrow’ because we don’t know we’ll live to see tomorrow!

Lord, “give us today”; it may be our last day we shall live, and then we shall need no more.

Notice also that if we pray for bread only for a day, “Give us today,”

then you who have homes and cars have great cause to be thankful;

you have more than you pray for;

you pray but for bread for one day, and God has given you enough to suffice you for many, many days.

What a bountiful God we serve!

Two things may make us rich people thankful:

1. God gives you more than you deserve. 2. God gives you more than you pray for.

I hope this stirs your faith!

So we acknowledge God’s providence upon us from day to day.

This is how God set it up in order that we cast ourselves upon Him daily in faith!

We come to Him daily and continually trusting Him, for all things needful

even if we don’t see how God could possibly provide...

Abraham did this. When he was about to sacrifice his son. When Isaac asked, "where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (In ).

You remember Abrahams response: “God Himself will provide” and so He did provide a substitute.

This is the pattern for every godly person in the narrow road of obedience this morning:

Depend upon God’s providence for all things needful, endeavoring to see His caring hand disposing all things either good or bad.

Trust the Lord!

Those that trust are blessed and privileged.

Those that can say, “Our Father” can say “our bread”.

All the lost around us have legal rights to what they possess but unlike us,

We have what we have because of covenant rights.

They have what they have out of God’s providence.

We have what we have by God’s promise!

They have what they have because God Let them.

We have what we have because God Loved us!

"whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come—everything is yours, "and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” ()

For the lost, all that they have, their monies and land, is like holding onto clothes at Old Navy which aren’t paid for!

But the sweet privilege of the believer that can say, “our bread”.

They say that because Christ is their and so all is their’s!

To possess Christ is to possess all!

“everything is yours”.

We’re to have faith in God and depend entirely upon Him and His fulness to provide all things!

Consider this for your faith.

1. God is the Creator of all things.

"Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his...” ()

What a precious thing the life of man is as you think of the multi-handedness of God that is set to work to maintain your life!

All mankind is dependent upon God!

The hand of God made all the corn to feed you.

He made the beasts of the field to work the farm and

beast to provide his meat for us!

God made the earth to produce the one to feed the other.

God made the sun and the moon, and stars to influence the earth to this end to provide for us all!

2. God preserves us all in our being.

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. ...” ()

The whole frame of the universe and all the creatures in it are upheld by Him!

This blue-green ball is held up by Him and if He let go we’d drop!

Our food would all vanish, the beasts disappear,

the whole globe would be as ashes in the wind, and

the sun go out like a candle snuffed out,

without God’s supporting influence.

3. God is the Owner of us.

3. God is the Owner of us.

"How countless are your works, Lord! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” ()

All the creation in the universe that benefits us has been given by Him.

Do you have food and clothing? Are you under the delusion that you got that on your own and that it’s yours?

Listen to God in .

"Therefore, I will take back my grain in its time and my new wine in its season; I will take away my wool and linen, which were to cover her nakedness.” ()

Food, drink, clothing it’s all Mine (not yours), says the Lord!

4. God makes the creation useful for us.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” ()

And then lastly, you need to understand FOOD in the word “bread”.

If you have your thirst quenched tomorrow by a tall glass of water, understand:

If you have your thirst quenched tomorrow by a tall glass of water, understand:

that satisfaction was poured into that glass by the fountain of goodness, God.

In Hosea chapter 2 we have this beautiful picture of a restored relationship between God and His people.

He make a beautiful statement concerning this line of thought, of God making use of His creation.

"I will take you to be my wife forever. I will take you to be my wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. "I will take you to be my wife in faithfulness, and you will know the Lord. "On that day I will respond— this is the Lord’s declaration. I will respond to the sky, and it will respond to the earth. "The earth will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil, and they will respond to Jezreel.” ()

Follow the source.

Jezreel isn’t going to speak to the corn and the corn listen.

The corn isn’t going to speak to the earth and the earth listen.

The earth isn’t going to speak to the sky and the sky listen no, no, no.

God is the initiator.

He speaks to the sky, it rains, waters the earth, which takes the corn and grows it and it produces goodness for us!

5. All our comforts and supports in life are w/in reach of God.

FAVOR, FAITH.

And then lastly, you need to understand FOOD in the word “bread”.

"Give us today our daily bread.” ()

Bread. Not prime rib!

Bread. Not even a loaf of bread.

Just enough for today.

Maybe you don’t have a fridge that is packed.

Maybe your house isn’t big enough.

If you have a small amount of bread for today to keep you living, let us be content.

Consider the covetous alternative. "The leech has two daughters: “Give, Give!” ” ()

The sin of covetousness is naturally ingrafted in us.

Many will pray Agur’s fist prayer which says, “give me not poverty” ()

But only a few pray what follows: "Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth...” ()

Nothing satisfies the heart of the covetous!

Listen to the Apostolic pattern of ministry:

"God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. "We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” ()

Christ proclaimed and warning and teaching everyone so that everyone is presented mature in Christ.

I’m here to warn you against the sin of covetousness in that it’s a door to every other sin.

It causes,

1st, Theft; Achan’s covetous nature made him steal that wedge of gold which

tore asunder his soul from God, . "When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter, I coveted them and took them. ..”” ()

In v25 we read of the outcome of his confession: "Joshua said, “Why have you brought us trouble? Today the Lord will bring you trouble!” So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them,” ()

Watson, T. (1855). The Select Works of the Rev. Thomas Watson, Comprising His Celebrated Body of Divinity, in a Series of Lectures on the Shorter Catechism, and Various Sermons and Treatises (p. 518). New York: Robert Carter & Brothers.

2d, It causes treason.

What made Judas betray Christ? It was the thirty pieces of silver, . records Judas saying, "and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver for him.”

3d, It produces murder.

It was the inordinate love of the vineyard made Ahab conspire Naboth’s death, .

4th, It is the spring of apostacy, "...Demas has deserted me, since he loved this present world...” ()

5th, It is the spring of apostacy, ., “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.” He did not only forsake Paul’s company, but his doctrine. Demas afterwards became a priest in an idol-temple, saith Dorothens.

He did not only forsake Paul’s company, but his doctrine.

Dorothens from the first century, records that Demas afterwards became a priest in an idol-temple.

5th, Covetousness will make men idolaters. ., “greed which is idolatry.”

Though the covetous man will not worship graven images in the church,

yet he will worship the graven image on his money.

O let us take heed of this infectious disease: .,"Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have ...” ()

So dear congregation,

1. Let us be thankful to God for what we enjoy of the good things in this life.

We owe it all to Him. And so we take all that we have from of His hand, making us mindful of His goodness & thankful.

2. Let’s be content with the measure He sees fit for us.

Let’s not pretend to teach the Ruler of the world, to whom He should give more to and to whom to give less to.

Jesus says in the parable:"Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’” ()

"Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’” ()

3. Let’s serve God joyfully with what He gives us.

Let’s use what He gives us everyday moderately, with thankfulness, and improve it to His honor, in doing His will.