Prioritizing the Right Bread

Where’s Your Priorities?

As we have seen in this chapter and shadowed in Exodus. Jesus is the bread of life. So often we prioritize physical bread or in others words we get more about getting that bread than getting invested in the bread of life. The people in this passage were having an encounter with Jesus and the only thing they could think about was putting bread in their bellies. But before you get too hard on them. How many of you have at some point made church more about coming to play kickball/volleyball/hangout/fun? Or how many of you will do extra work for school, but won’t read some scriptures for Sunday school? You hate school, but claim to love God?

I say all this to say it is not very hard to get off track and let your priorities get knocked off a little. Food and school are important, but in eternity what will matter most? What you done for God. God is going to take care of you if you strive to do everything for His glory. Search for where he will have you and everything else will fall into place when it is meant to be.

To figure out how well your priorities line up. Think out how your actions immediately effect others around you and how you actions will be remembered 100 years from now. You got to live for more than just what makes you feel good in the moment.

Where is Your Guidance?

What do we see asked in verse 28? Our culture promotes a culture based off of feelings. Our culture lets feelings dictate everything unless you feel someone is wrong. Feelings are in the moment. What is important about moments? They end, feelings end, but consequences remain. Jeremiah 17:9 says:

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

In other words most of the time the heart is going to tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. Your feelings don’t get you into heaven. How others feel does not get you into heaven? Having Christ you number one priority and Lord of your life gets you into heaven.

Your guidance should come from the word of God. Does scripture always make you feel happy? No it convicts and leads you to make change? Life is not always about being happy. Happiness is not where you should find your identity. it is a fragile identity and shallow. To stay happy all the time you need a very controlled environment. Being happy all the time keeps you from healthy critique of things. Other emotional states give you depth in life and evaluating things. A world of pure happiness is a world of delusion.

If you want true guidance open the word, pray, discuss scripture with people. Don’t find guidance in emotions, culture, social media, but in God.

Distractions from our Priorities

We already see them letting food distract them or their physical needs

Verse 31 we see them play the comparison game on getting needs met. We get distracted from what God wants us to do sometimes by looking at what everyone else has. We get in the ole poor pitiful me routine. Nothing just ever goes my way. Or I work so hard, why cant I be as good as so and so or be able to have such and such. Are you so and so? No. God has put you and given you exactly what you need. Jeremiah 29:11 says:

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Your welfare does not mean a huge bank account necessarily, but your welfare spiritually. God does not intend for you to live like someone else, but as you. You try to live like someone else you gonna cause yourself misery.

Verse 42 they think they know it all. So they don’t listen. They knew some of the facts but not all of them. Be willing to listen, and then compare to Scripture what you hear. Continuously through this life you will be learning and growing in your faith. The moment you think you know it all Spiritually a big fall is coming for you. Because God will humble you. It is not a matter of if but when.

Verse 52 The Jews are shown disputing. Sometimes we let ourselves get caught up in debating who is right and who is wrong on trivial things. Some things are worth taking a tough stand on, but most of the time the things we dispute on we need to learn to work through our differences and work together and not let our minor differences distract us from doing gospel work.

We should not be a people characterized by grumbling. These people were becoming characterized by being grumblers. We should not be known as people who are known for always complaining and being a kill joy. Be know for being a thankful person and encouraging person

Realize all these things were said in a synagogue not on the streets, but in a place where people should have good knowledge of God. And should have none who was standing before them. Anybody can play church, but when faith gets tested the ones who are truly the church are shown. Just coming to this building does not make you a Christian. Being a Christian is much more than just gathering here for a couple hours a week. being a Christian is a 24/7 365 deal. It is a lifestyle not a social club.

V. 36 The peoples focus on physical things and grumbling kept them from believing what Jesus was putting right in front of them. Jesus has the answers right here. Jesus has your purpose right here. Jesus has true life right here. Don’t let your grumbling and coveting make you miss out on what God has in store for you.