GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD – MATT6:11
INTRODUCTION: AS WE CONTINUE OUR STUDY OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND PARTICULARLY RIGHT NOW, THE LORD’S PRAYER, WE ARE BROUGHT TO THIS PHRASE – GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.
THIS IS A PHRASE WHICH SPEAKS OF OUR DEPENDENCY ON THE LORD FOR OUR DAILY NEEDS. IT SPEAKS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUSTING GOD FOR HIS PROVISION, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, NOT NEGATING OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BOTH WORK AND EARN, WHICH MAY VERY WELL BE GOD’S PROVISION FOR OUR NEEDS.
GOD IS THE SUSTAINER AND PROVIDER. IT IS A MISCONCEPTION THAT WE ARE THE PROVIDER FOR OUR NEEDS, AS IT IS GOD WHO GIVES US THE ABILITY AND STRENGTH TO DO WHAT WE DO.
TRANSITION: SO, AS WE LOOK AT THIS PASSAGE TOGETHER, I WOULD LIKE US TO SEE THE MEANING BEHIND THE WORDS FIRST AND THEN HOW THAT SHOULD PLAY OUT IN OUR DEPENDENCY ON GOD
I. UNPACKING THE PHRASE
a. GIVE
i. SINCE THIS PHRASE AND WORD IS DIRECTED TOWARDS GOD IT ACKNOWLEDGES GOD AS THE GIVER
ii. GOD IS THE SOURCE OF OUR BLESSING
iii. GOD IS THE SOURCE FOR OUR NEEDS
iv. GOD GIVES BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY. LOVE AND GRACE TOWARDS US
NO OTHER LINE IN THE LORD’S PRAYER GOES SO SHARPLY AGAINST THE DIRECTIONOFOUR WORLD.
WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT VALUES THE SECURITY OF THINGS. WE BELIEVE THAT INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY OF THE “NEST EGG”. WE WANT THE SUPPLY THAT WILL EXCEED OUR YEARS OF RETIREMENT.
ALTHOUGH THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE, FOR THE “RAINY DAY”, AND THE UNEXPECTED EXPENSE; IT IS WRONG TO MAKE THIS OUR ALL-CONSUMING GOAL.
BEHIND THIS ENDEAVOR IS THE DESIRE TO BE INDEPENDENT OF GOD.
JESUS SPEAKS TO THIS ISSUE IN THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN (LUKE 12:15-21) AND TELLS US TO HEED WHAT HE IS SAYING AND TO BEWARE OF ADOPTING A SIMILAR DIRECTION. IN THIS PARABLE HE MAKES THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
? THE LIFE OF MAN IS NOT IN WHAT HE POSSESSES AND HOW MUCH OF IT HE HAS
? WE SHOULD NOT SACRIFICE OUR ETERNITY FOR OVERABUNDANCE HERE
? WE CAN’T TAKE WHAT WE HOARD WITH US TO HEAVEN
? WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TIME WE HAVE LEFT AFTER WE HAVE AMASSED ENOUGH.
? WE HAVE USED UP OUR LIFE IN PROVIDING FOR SOMEONE ELSE (WHO BY THE WAY WILL NOT VALUE WHAT WE LEFT AS MUCH AS WE DO), AND AT THE SAME TIME MAKING US POOR TOWARD GOD.
b. GIVE US
i. THIS IS A REMINDER THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT LIVED IN A VACUUM.
ii. OUR WALK AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST NEEDS TO BE ONE OF MUTUAL CONCERN
iii. WHEN WE PRAY THIS WE, WE ARE COMMITTING TO BE PART OF THE ANSWER FOR THE NEEDS OF OTHERS
iv. JAMES IN HIS LETTER SPEAKS ABOUT WHAT WE GIVE WHEN OTHERS COME ASKING. STONE FOR A LOAF OF BREAD OR SERPENT FOOR A FISH.
v. CAN I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT WITHOUT THE PROPER MINDSET CONCERNING OUR WALK WITH THE LORD WE CANNOT HAVE THE PROPER MINDSET WITH THE NEEDS OF OTHERS
vi. “US” BUILDS MUTUAL CARE AND CONCERN FOR OTHERS
vii. “US” AFFIRMS OUR SOLIDARITY WITH THE NEEDS OF OTHERS AND PERHAPS EVEN A WAY FOR US TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AS WELL.
c. GIVE US THIS DAY
i. THIS IS THE SCHEDULE GOD’S DESIRES FOR HIS PEOPLE
ii. GOD IS SEEKING TO FOSTER A DAILY DEPENDENCE ON HIM
1. TRIED IT WITH THE NATION OF ISRAEL
iii. ASKS THE SAME OF US – WILL WE DEVELOP A DAILY DEPENDENCE ON GOD
iv. GOD WANTS TO HEAR FROM US EVERY DAY.
1. FOR OUR NEEDS
2. FOR OUR WANTS
v. TO COME TO HIM BOLDLY
1. REVEALS OUR CONTENTMENT WITH HIS GOODNESS
2. REVEALS OUR CONFIDENCE IN HIS FAITHFULNESS
3. REVEALS OUR CONVICTION IN OUR TRUST OF HIM
a. WHEN WE WORRY, WE CANNOT TRUST; WHEN WE TRUST WE CANNOT WORRY!
d. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
i. OUR DAILY NECESSITIES OF LIFE
ii. ALTHOUGH GOD MAY GIVE US OUR WANTS, HE DESIRES THAT WE PRAY FOR OUR NEEDS
iii. TOO MANY TIMES WE PRAY FOR OUR WANTS
1. OFTEN WHEN WE HEAR THAT GOD IS NOT ANSWERING OUR PRAYERS, WE NEED TO ASK WHAT IT IS WE ARE PRAYING FOR
2. THE LORD IS INSTRUCTING US HERE TO PRAY FOR OUR NEEDS NOT OUR GREEDS!
II. OUR DEPENDENCE ON THE LORD
a. DEPENDING ON HIM FOR OUR SALVATION
IN 1983, THE U.S.A. ISSUED A POSTAGE STAMP COMMEMORATING THE BUILDING OF THE FIRST STEEL BRIDGE IN AMERICA. IT WAS BUILT ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ST. LOUIS. MANY SAID IT COULD NOT BE BUILT. THEY SAID IT WOULD NEVER SUPPORT ITS OWN WEIGHT. SO JAMES EADS, THE BUILDER, ORDERED FOURTEEN LOCOMOTIVES TO STOP ON THE BRIDGE AT ONCE. THEN PEOPLE TRUSTED THE BRIDGE. THEY CALLED IT THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN SINNING MAN AND A SINLESS GOD. WE MUST TRUST HIM IN ORDER TO CROSS INTO HEAVEN.
b. DEPENDING ON HIM FOR OUR STRENGTH EACH DAY
i. PHYSICAL
ii. SPIRITUAL
iii. TWO GREAT PICTURES OF OUR DEPENDENCE ON THE LORD
1. THE BIBLE SAYS HE IS OUR PARACLETE – A GREEK TERM WHICH DESCRIBED HOW GREEK SOLDIERS WENT INTO BATTLE IN PAIRS
c. DEPENDING ON HIM FOR OUR STABILITY AND STEADFASTNESS
i. WE CANNOT KEEP THE COURSE WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE LORD
ii. GOD CHOSE THE WEAK OF THE WORLD TO BRING HIS MESSAGE. WHY, SO WE WOULD LEAN ON AND INTO HIM
d. DEPENDING ON HIM FOR GUIDANCE
i. DON’T GO TO YOU KNOW
ii. PROVERBS TELLS US THAT GOD DIRECTS OUR PATHS
e. DEPENDING ON HIM FOR OUR SAFETY
i. WE SERVE A GOD WHO CAST OUT DEMONS
ii. WE SERVE A GOD WHO STILLED THE WAVES
iii. WE SERVE A GOD WHO CALLS US TO WALK ON WATER
iv. WE SERVE A GOD WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE OR FORSAKE
f. DEPENDING ON HIM TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS
i. WE HAVE A GOD WHO ANSWERS WHEN WE ASK FOR WISDOM
ii. YET HE EXPECTS US TO ACT UPON THE WISDOM HE GIVES US.
g. DEPEND ON HIM FOR YOUR SUSTENANCE
i. WHICH IS WHAT THIS PHRASE IN THE LORD’S PRAYER WAS ALL ABOUT
WHEN WE CAN DO THIS, WE WILL ACT JUST LIKE WILLIAM PENN:
WILLIAM PENN, THE FOUNDER OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, WAS WELL LIKED BY THE INDIANS. ONCE THEY TOLD HIM HE COULD HAVE AS MUCH OF THEIR LAND AS HE COULD ENCOMPASS ON FOOT IN A SINGLE DAY. SO, EARLY THE NEXT MORNING HE STARTED OUT AND WALKED UNTIL LATE THAT NIGHT. WHEN HE FINALLY WENT TO CLAIM HIS LAND, THE INDIANS WERE GREATLY SURPRISED, FOR THEY REALLY DIDN’T THINK HE WOULD TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY. BUT THEY KEPT THEIR PROMISE AND GAVE HIM A LARGE AREA WHICH TODAY IS PART OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA. WILLIAM PENN SIMPLY BELIEVED WHAT THEY SAID. SHOULD WE DO LESS WITH GOD!
BELIEVE GOD’S PROMISES ARE FULFILLED WITH EVERY NEW DAY. HAVE FAITH IN WHAT HE SAYS AND THE PROMISES HE GIVE. AND JUST LIKE BILLY PENN YOU WILL GO FAR BEYOND ANYONE EVER THOUGHT
