OUR DAILY BREAD
The first part of the 8th chapter of Mark tells us of the great miracle that Jesus performed when he fed 4000 men with only 7 loaves of bread and few small fish. (In one other instance in Matthew chapter 14, Jesus had fed 5000 with only 5 loaves and two fish.) Right on the heels of this great miracle came the Pharisees – the very same people who Jesus described in Matthew 23:27, "… hypocrites… whited sepulchres, which … appear beautiful outward, but are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness."
These Pharisee didn’t come to give God glory for the miracle of feeding the 4000. Their eyes were spiritually blind and their hearts were hardened and they were dead in their sin and hypocrisy. They came for one reason only: to tempt Jesus to do some great thing before their eyes to prove that He was the Son of God.
Isn’t that just like the Christians that fill so many of our churches today? These Pharisees were supposed to be representatives of the Law of Moses and they were supposed to be some of the spiritual leaders of Israel and they didn’t know God when they looked at Him face to face. How blind can we become when we are caught up in our own self-righteousness! We can’t enjoy liberty in Christ for ourselves and we won’t let anyone else enjoy theirs either if we can stop it.
The devil knows which of those in God’s house are open for his suggestions and he will never hesitate to use a hard-hearted and hardheaded Christian to create havoc in the House of God. These modern day Pharisees are far more concerned about seeing the “signs” than knowing the “sign giver”. We will chase miracle workers and faith healers all over the country to see the signs but we won’t get out of bed on Sunday morning or any other time to go and learn the Word of God.
It is no small wonder that Jesus takes a deep breath and sighs as though he was totally disgusted with their attitude and unbelief. Why do you Pharisee always need a sign?
Christian, why do we need a sign? Why can we only believe God for miracles after the miracle comes? Why can we only believe God to meet our every need only after the need is met? I’ll tell you why. It is because we are like those Pharisees who refused to accept the truth and recognize Jesus for who He was even when they confronted Him face to face. They refused to believe! They refused to change! They refused to accept God’s gift to this sinful world! And, their refusals would condemn their souls to hell! That’s a high price to pay for being hard headed!
Mark 8:13-21, "And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, it is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember?
I want you to remember that just a few hours before they set sail the disciples had seen how that Jesus, the Bread of Life, was able to perform miracles of provision for those who followed him. They had picked up 12 baskets of extra pieces of bread – and now, out in the ship, on the sea they found themselves with no bread, at least not enough to feed their hunger.
Isn’t that just like you and I? Let me tell you what I mean.
I have found that many times when there are stories in the Bible that talk about the sea, that it is making a reference to the “sea of humanity” that all of us are a part of. Just as out in the ocean, everywhere you look there is water and none of it is fit to drink, as you go through your daily life, all around you, in every direction, there are people everywhere and the vast majority of them are not yet fit for the Kingdom of God. They don’t know Jesus, the Bread of Life, and they are starving for that spiritual nourishment that Jesus can give.
How often do we come to church, or get into the presence of God wherever we are and God fills us with His Spirit, providing not only all that we need but we know that there is always more of God that we should seek to know that our souls may be spiritually satisfied. We leave church feeling encouraged, strengthened and fed with the Word of God, then we go out into the sea of people in our daily routine and we find ourselves in the same condition as the disciples!
It wasn’t long after the disciples left the shore until they discovered that they didn’t have enough food to make it to the other side before they would get very hungry. As they talked about their troubles Jesus began to use the occasion to teach them a powerful lesson on trusting in Him to meet their needs.
Jesus said, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”
Oh how little we understand of the things of the Spirit! How little do we know of God! I don’t care how long we have served Him or how much we have studied, read and meditated upon His Word; we still don’t know anything about God. The more I study, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know and understand!
The disciples didn’t understand either. That helps me to feel a little better. After all they were face to face with Jesus, talking one on one with God! Should that make me feel any better? Of course not! WE have the same privilege if we will only use it and not ignore our privileges in Christ! We can talk to Jesus face to face. We can walk hand in hand with Him if we really want to! We just don’t want to bad enough.
I’ve heard it said, and it is so true, that anything we want in life or in the realm of the Spirit can only be attained or achieved if, “We have the Want To bad enough”!
The disciples thought that Jesus was talking about their lack of food when He was really talking of matters that were far more important than food for this mortal fleshly body.
Jesus was trying to teach the disciples, and us by proxy, that the bread that the Pharisees had was not bread at all but poison to the Spirit within.
The doctrines of the Pharisees included many traditions that had nothing whatsoever to do with salvation but only gave a form of religion with no power to deliver. They also embraced the beliefs of the Sadducees who did not believe in a resurrection. May of the Pharisees also embraced the teachings of the Herodians that taught that King Herod was the Messiah. They weren’t there to learn the truth. They were there to catch Jesus and trap Him and force Him to prove that He was the true Messiah. Jesus didn’t have the time to play their little games because He knew they wouldn’t believe not matter what He did and He would not make a public display just to satisfy their evil desires.
“ …And they reasoned among themselves, saying, it is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, seven. And he said unto them, how is it that ye do not understand?"”
Oh how foolish we are sometimes! Just like the disciples, we miss out on the greatest portion of what we are taught about the things of the Spirit because the flesh gets in the way.
The disciples not only missed the whole meaning of what Jesus was saying concerning the Pharisees, they forgot about the power that Jesus had to meet every need.
They were worried about having enough food for the body of flesh and forgot that the Bread of Life was right there with them. So what if all they had was one small load of bread! Could not Jesus multiply that loaf just as he had only hours before for the 5000?
Oh, but before we start pointing fingers at the disciples, let me pop our bubbles of pride and tell you that we are all guilty of the same thing!
We walk out of the church and resume our daily routines and it isn’t long until we discover that we don’t have enough either! The vast majority of people live paycheck to paycheck and we often worry about where the money will come from to pay our bills or buy groceries. Not only do we worry and fret over our lack of earthly things but we also discover that I don’t have enough of Jesus to make it to the other side. I need more of Him! I can never have enough of the Holy Spirit within! I am never so strong that I can make it without a daily renewal and refilling.
Some of us have been running on empty for so long that we have all but forgotten what it is to be filled with the power of God and the Spirit of God! Some have run on empty long enough until they have stopped going altogether and now they are lying dead in their sin again on the side of the road. They are going toward Heaven anymore. They aren’t looking for spiritual food anymore. Their whole desire has gone back to fulfilling the desires of the flesh and they have forgotten God!
Matthew 6:11, "Give us this day our daily bread." Luke 11:3, "Give us day by day our daily bread."
I don’t care how much of the Lord is in your heart right now, you still need a daily portion of the Bread of Life. I don’t care how much we know of His Word, we still need a daily feeding upon that Word.
If we don’t feed this earthly body it will starve and die. If we don’t feed the Spirit within then it will die also! As I look around I can see that many of feed this earthly body pretty well. It wants for very little.
But what would we look like if our spiritual body was what people saw?
Illustration:
There is a movie that was recently produced that was titled “Shallow Hal”. In that movie, Hal was given a gift of seeing a woman, not as she physically looked but as their heart would appear. There were some who were over weight, some who were not so physically appealing to the normal observer, but Hal was able to see past that and they were all so beautiful to him. No one else could see what he saw and everyone thought he was crazy. What he could see was the true inner beauty and not the outward appearance. Of course a few of those who had outward appeal actually appeared ugly and emaciated to Hal because their heart was so wicked and self-centered.
I’m not promoting a movie, but it does make a valid point for this message.
God looks upon the heart of man, not upon the outward appearance. I wonder what we look like to God? Are we beautiful, appealing and desirous to look upon or do we appear as starving, emaciated, skin and bones, ugly and disgusting, and filthy?
If God would open the eyes of those around us to allow them to see us as we are on the inside, how many would want to run away screaming and hide until we made it right with God so we could look good?
We take care of this body. Clothing, feeding, making it look as attractive and presentable as possible. We look into the mirror to see if we will frighten the world when we walk out the door and we will comb our hair, brush our teeth, and hide the imperfections with Max Factor or Cover Girl and then bebop out into society as though we are God’s gift to humanity.
I dare say that not many people, including Christians, even take the time to reflect upon the Word of God everyday to see how the spiritual man looks.
…When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, seven. And he said unto them, how is it that ye do not understand?"”
People of God, when we go out into the sea of people around us let’s make sure that the inner man is fed up, beautiful to look upon and ready to witness of the provision of Christ for our salvation and healing.
Jesus looked at those disciples with His piercing eyes and said why don’t you understand? Can’t you see that I am all you need! Can’t you see that nothing else satisfies? Can’t you trust me even now to meet your need in the middle of the sea?
Now only is Jesus able to feed you right now but His grace is sufficient to see you through to the other side!
After every one of the 5000 was filled, there were 12 baskets of bread left over. God’s provision for your soul is just that great. There isn’t only enough for now but there is always much left over that we are not able to grasp or understand until we are ready to hear it.
Luke 6:38, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
We often use this in teaching about tithing and giving in offerings and that is a good time to use it but today I want you to realize one thing about this scripture.
Just as there were baskets of fragments left over after the feeding of the multitudes, there will always be much left over when Jesus gets through giving you your portion. It’s not just pressed down or compacted tightly. It’s not just poured on until you can’t hold anymore. Jesus keeps pouring it on until runs over and falls all around you and fills the ground where you walk.
Everywhere you go you are dragging extra blessings with you. Everywhere you walk there are words you speak and things you do that are encouraging and helpful to other people. Those are the fragments that are left over. Those are the blessings that are running over that you don’t need.
In conclusion let me say to you that we should never be overly concerned about tomorrow and what it will hold. When you feel empty look to Him. When you feel discouraged, look to Him. When there are no answers in sight, look to Him.
Matthew 6:34 says, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Don’t worry and fret over what seems to be lacking in your life at times. God is faithful. Jesus has enough leftover blessings to take care of you. Not only that, when He finishes meeting your needs you will have enough leftovers to bless someone else.
Let’s have the same attitude and spirit as Paul had when he felt as though he just didn’t have enough strength and power within to put up with the infirmity that rested upon him continually. What that infirmity was, no one knows. But, if Paul can be victorious, even through his lack and suffering, so can we.
When Paul sought for release from his infirmity, the answer came to him in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Understand that through your lack and through your weakness, God will not only supply all your needs but He will leave you an abundance of fragments to share with others. God’s power and His grace are your source and your daily bread comes from His bountiful supply.
Disclaimer:
Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copies and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
