God's Provision Is More Than Bread Series

SERMON SERIES: SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LORD’S PRAYER FOR DAILY LIVING

TODAY’S MESSAGE: GOD’S PROVISION IS MORE THAN BREAD

TEXT: MATTHEW 6:12; JOHN 19:28-29

FEBRUARY 26, 2006

DR. KEN SQUIRES, JR. (SQUIRESKD@INTEGRITY.COM)

(READY TO POST. PROOF FIRST)

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right;

Do what’s best—

as above, so below.

Keep us alive with three square meals. (care for the present)

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. (care for the past)

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. (care for the future)

You’re in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You’re ablaze in beauty!

Yes. Yes. Yes.’

(Matthew 6:7-13 The Message)

At the heart of the second half of the Lord’s Prayer is the topic of daily bread, forgiveness for our debts, and not being led into temptation. In The Message Bible they are identified as

Keep us alive

Keep us forgiving

Keep us safe.

I want to suggest a couple of outlines that work for memorization and alliteration: Provision, Pardon, and Protection or Supply, Salvation, and Security. If they work use them!

28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. (John 19:28-29)

Thank you, John. We owe you a debt of gratitude for giving us the human side of Jesus; for reminding us that Jesus was more than supernatural, more than sinless, more than a sufferer, more than a sin bearer. John really messed up the sayings on the cross when He slipped this one in. It sounds too simple. It is easily overshadowed by the BIG SIX: forgiveness, salvation, care for mom, anguish, completion, and trust. He is more than a Savior; He is a man like you and me.

God came along and made it clear that He understands where you live. Jesus is so much more than stained glass pictures of the Savior holding a lamb. He is so much more than a cosmic God who has declared Himself to be without sin. Just when you thought he was only limited to clouds, the galaxy, or some 4th dimension beyond our comprehension, a knock came to your door and the messenger said, “He was human.” He was tired. He was sleepy. He was angry. He was hungry.

The reason that God’s provision of daily bread is so real is because the Savior also relied upon that provision. Don’t forget it! This prayer of provision is so human, so real, and so basic. Jesus knew what it was like to pray this prayer and have this need: Give us this day our daily bread. Whether the background for the text was the Wilderness Wanderings or Jesus own time in the desert at the Temptation, this and many other biblical texts give us a glimpse of what Jesus was thinking when He said, “Give us this day our daily bread.” One of the key elements to understand what Jesus was thinking is to emphasize the human side of his life. A brief glimpse of the Savior’s humanity gives us confidence that God is interested in our base needs:

I’m tired…

4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) –(John 4:4-6,8)

“I’m tired-I can’t go another step. You guys go into town and get some burgers and fries. I’ll stay at this well and just rest.” It was about noon. They had been traveling the better part of the morning. Jesus was trying to put as much distance between the church growth pundits as possible. They had been looking over the reports to see who was baptizing more, John or Jesus.

1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. (John 4:1-2-NIV)

He needed rest. He was tired like you and me. Perhaps He walked with a limp. For some time the disciples had seen that He was slowing down. Now He was alone. To His surprise along came a woman at mid-day carrying an empty pot - and an empty heart.