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This is how you shall pray
Part III Part III : Mat 6:11 Give us today our daily bread(NIV) Mat 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, :10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Mat 6:11 Give us today our daily bread. :12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. :13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' Exo 16:31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. :32 Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'" :33 So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come." :34 As the LORD commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna in front of the Testimony, that it might be kept. :35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.
This bread that God provided was more then just food for the people. If you read the text very carefully the bread in a way symbolized the relationship with God .When we pray that prayer, do we ask for food? Do you believe in all honesty that God would place us on this earth and not provide enough food for us? We learned before that if there are any people on earth who do not have any "bread" it is because of "us." We have the choice of raising food, distributing food and to make it available to others on this earth. We have the ability to produce to store, and to distribute wherever we want. And as I mentioned in my previous sermon, we have the ability to bring the Kingdom of God to this earth . . . if we choose to do so. We have to share our resources with others, we have to rethink our relationship with others and become a transformed people. We have to allow through us that the Kingdom of God will be done on earth. So. . . . this has nothing to do with food or the intake of calories. Jesus gives a very detailed description of what the bread symbolizes. Allow me to make a few comments: Many people give their life to Christ and leave it at that, but Christ asks us to be disciples. He asks us to go out and bring the gospel to people. Some churches are happy when their pews are filled, when their collection plate covers the annual budget, they bring messages that people want to hear . . . but they forget that the essence to the church (the bride of God) is to proclaim the Gospel and that it is absolutely mandatory for each Christina to learn about the message to God for us. If we as a church fail to teach through our Elders, Deacons and pastors, Sunday School teachers we will lose the very teaching of Jesus and misunderstandings arrive. I encourage you to be part of our educational curriculum, because this church will proclaim the Gospel in a powerful way . . . we will not live by hearsay, by assumptions, or by guess work. We will seek God and God will proclaim through us. In fact if you conduct a survey among churches in our community most of them may tell you that "the bread" is the food nourishment that is asked for. But Jesus tells us differently: John 6:31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" :32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. :33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."Is this not the best explanation you have ever heard? I want you to know that when Jesus says: "I tell you the truth" it is not meant that He lied to us before, but in the cultural context of that time it is meant that Jesus is about to say something very, very important. Today he would probably say: "Here is the deal." If you read the verse though there may still be some un-clarity what is meant. So Jesus continues in verse 49:
John 6:49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. :50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. :51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."Let me read it again, and then I will give you a few seconds to meditate on this saying (PAUSE) I want to tell you that many in this world have rejected this "bread." They have rejected this bread, because they think it is stale and that there are better food items out there. And you know that feeling is nothing new. The Jews who had walked with God. The One who had delivered them out of Egypt, the One who guided them into the promised land, the One who protected them, the One who loved them and wanted the very best for them . . . even after they had failed His love so many times came only to the following conclusion: Num 11:5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 11:6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" This is about a people who were close to God at some point. There are people in our lives who we know who once had a very close relationship with God, but for some reason now reject Him. They reject him because they think that the "fish" of the old times was better . . . and it had no cost. Maybe they are right. Maybe to believe in Christ is connected with a price, but I am asking you what price did Christ pay for them? Christ paid with His life for them. Maybe they are right . . . cucumbers, and onions and melons, etc. Yes, there are a variety of things that may nourish our imagination. There is New Age, there is Buddhism (who have no God), there is Atheism, there is Hinduism, the list goes on like the vegetable assortment at the local grocery. Why have they lost their appetite for the Manna? Because they wanted to lose it. Because they made the choice to lose it. Faith in God is finding contentment in being. When I was young, my Mom worked very hard in a local factory in Germany. She always prepared the food two or three days before . There was a time where, if I remember right, we had for six days straight "cabbage balls" By the second day, the time I sat before the meal it took me longer to look at it then the time to eat it. By the fifth day I was so udderly disgusted with these cabbage balls" that my mind went wandering into spheres I do not want to discuss here. Yes, I was mad. I was mad I had to eat this horrible stuff and I was mad at my Mom who cooked the uneatable mix of green By the sixth day I confronted my Mom. I was about six years old and I think I made a horrible scene. Make no mistake I loved my Mom and she loved me, but the cabbage rolls did me in. I pointed my finger at her and I told her that she once was a good cook, and what happened to her and if she does not care for me anymore. . . .I was in rage. My Mom just stared at me. My voice rescinded. I knew something was wrong. And I felt as if I had overstepped my boundaries. And then I saw her eyes. They filled with tears as she was trying to look away. Still, it was quiet . . . she did not say a word. "What is wrong" I asked. And she said that it was the best she could do. She explained that it was the end of the month and that she had no money for anything else and that she had only eaten dry bread in the time when she made me cabbage trolls. As I was standing there, I felt as if the layers of my skin were rolling off, I felt so guilty of having brought my Mom to the moment where she was now. "I am sorry, but I did not know." You know friends, maybe the manna is getting old in your life and you want the juicy burger. Yet God is providing for you eternal bread. He is the bread of life. Without this bread there is no life. More Sermons by Pastor Manfred Schreyer >>
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