DON’T PLAY WITH FIRE (4/5); GOD WILL PROVIDE
LEVITICUS 10:12-15; MATTHEW 6:11
BREAD OF HEAVEN . . .
THEME SONG – CHILDREN OF ISRAEL . . . FOR THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT . . .
SUSTAINED: 40 YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS
MANNA – HEAVEN
ROCKS – WATER FOUNTAINS
SANDALS . . .
SIMPLY PUT: GOD WAS ISRAEL’S PROVIDER. A LESSON THAT ISRAEL, ESPECIALLY THE ELECT, THE PRIESTS OF GOD, WERE NOT TO FORGET ONCE THEY INHERITED THEIR PROMISED LAND . . .
GOD – COMMANDED THAT WHEN THE LEVITES . . . ENTERED INTO THE PROMISED LAND, THAT THEY WERE NOT TO BE ALLOCATED ANY PARCELS OF LAND PER SE - GOD WAS THEIR INHERITANCE.
NO LAND – DEPENDENT ON GOD
NO LAND – GOD PROMISED TO PROVIDE ALL OF THEIR NEEDS.
LESSON – WE DO GOOD TO REMEMBER EVEN TODAY. GOD – PROVIDER. . .
BOSS – THREATEN YOU . . .
MAN – ENSLAVED YOU . . .
PERSON – PASS – CONTROL YOU/FUTURE
GOD – PROVIDER.
AS A FATHER PROVIDES FOR HIS OWN CHILDREN, SO GOD IS OUR PROVIDER. JAMES 1:17 SAYS, "EVERY GOOD THING BESTOWED AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE, COMING DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS." PAUL - PHILIPPIANS 4:19 "AND MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY IN CHRIST JESUS."
TEXT . . .
YOU CAN’T BEAT GOD GIVING . . .
ELIJAH – WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH . . .
LESSON: GOD – MOSES, AARON, ELEAZAR, ITHAMAR . . .
LESSON: JESUS – DISCIPLES IN MATTHEW 6:11 . . .
THE IMPORTANCE OF AND HOW TO PRAY. WHEN YOU PRAY . . .
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD:
BREAD – THEOLOGICALLY THIS WORD REPRESENTS MORE THAN JUST A LOAF OF “OROWEAT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD.” THIS WORD REPRESENTS ALL OF MAN’S PHYSICAL NEEDS. MARTIN LUTHER DEFINED “BREAD” AS “EVERYTHING NECESSARY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THIS LIFE: FOOD, A HEALTHY BODY, SHELTER, FAMILY, FRIENDS, CLOTHES, SHOES, HEALING, TRANSPORTATION, EDUCATION.” EVERYTHING WE NEED. OUR SUSTENANCE, WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP US GOING THROUGH THE DAY. GOD IS CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF OUR BASIC NEEDS.
GIVE US . . .
THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD . . . (ENTER THE PROMISE LAND – HORNETS/ENEMIES . . .)
THAT’S WHY IN PROVERBS 30:8, A MAN NAMED AGUR PRAYED, "KEEP FALSEHOOD AND LIES FAR FROM ME; GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES, BUT GIVE ME ONLY MY DAILY BREAD." OTHERWISE, I MAY HAVE TOO MUCH AND DISOWN YOU AND SAY, ’WHO IS THE LORD?’" (V. 9). SOMETIMES WHEN WE ARE INDULGED, WE BECOME ARROGANT AND DEFY GOD LIKE PHARAOH, WHO IN ALL HIS PRIDE AND ARROGANCE, ASKED THE QUESTION: "WHO IS THE LORD, THAT I SHOULD OBEY HIM?"
SOMEBODY YOUR TESTIMONY IS: THANK GOD, THAT HE HAS ME RIGHT WHERE HE WANTS ME AND RIGHT WHERE I NEED TO BE. BLESSED ENOUGH TO OBEY HIM, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO DISOBEY HIM.
JUST GIVE ME/US OUR DAILY BREAD.
WILDERNESS . . .
6 DAYS . . .
6 YEARS . . .
YEAR OF JUBILEE . . .
TAKE NO THOUGHT . . .
. . . THIS IS THE AGE OF ANXIETY. PEOPLE SEEM TO BE UPTIGHT AND WORRY ABOUT SO MANY THINGS. YET, 40% OF ALL WORRIES ARE ABOUT THE FUTURE AND THEY NEVER HAPPEN; 30% OF WORRIES ARE ABOUT THE PAST AND THEY CAN’T BE CHANGED; 22% OF WORRIES ARE ABOUT PETTY THINGS THAT HAVE NO LASTING SIGNIFICANCE, AND ONLY 8% ARE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS.” MORAL OF THE ARTICLE: WE’VE GOT TO LEARN TO PLACE ALL OUR CARES, CONCERNS, AND WORRIES IN GOD’S HAND.
ELIJAH – WHEN HE WAS HIDING OUT. . ., GOD SENT RAVENS TO FEED HIM. MORNING AND EVENING, TWO TIMES A DAY, THE BIRDS BROUGHT ELIJAH BREAD AND MEAT, AND HE DRANK WATER FROM THE BROOK UNTIL IT DRIED UP. IF GOD PROVIDED THEN . . .
SONGWRITER: WHAT HAVE I TO FEAR, WHAT HAVE I TO WORRY . . . ?
