Sermon nuggets Weds. April 23
Theme- Miraculous Manna
Verses- 43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.
46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 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."
GOD’S OFFER 43-51
Life on this earth is dedicated to keep our bodies alive. The basic pursuit of food, clothing, and shelter takes much work. We add to that other conveniences that help pursue those basics, such as tools, machines, fuel, cars, furniture, various styles of clothing, and things to cook and store food in. After our family receives these, there is the pursuit of pleasures. We love to have fun, recreation, and enjoy hobbies and games. More money is used for books, education, games, sports, restaurants, amusements, social gatherings, art, music, films, and the list is never ending.
When I’m taking a nice warm shower I think of how wealthy I am in experiencing what most of the world had never experienced. Even Solomon with all his wealth never could jump into a shower. Through the invention of cars and airplanes travel is faster and far reaching taking us all over the world and back again in a reasonable period of time. TV, Computers and phones are increasingly taking the communication and information systems and uniting us as a world, family and friends. To be able to press a couple of buttons and have heat and cool air and food cooked in seconds and frozen for months and sometimes years and still be fresh and edible is something our generation experiences as normal.
When I think of the pioneers that built this church and the work the farmers went through sawing by hand the logs and dragged them many distances to dig out by horse and hand the project to build a church building – and months it took for labor. What they wouldn’t give for a bulldozer and chain saws, and tractors and bulk tanks and coolers, and combines, and bailers – man we have it easy compared to those of 75 years ago. Only 75 years ago compared to the 1,000s of years man has lived and toiled mostly for bread, to eat, be sheltered, and at rare leisure times to have fellowship and social contacts.
God has been good for his provisions for us, but why? Bread was the bodies fuel to keep on living because life is sacred. Bread is life. The purpose of the manna in the desert was for life, yet this life always comes to an end. All those provisions for which we are thankful are so temporary. Bread of the desert lasted one day, but they had to trust God everyday.
Jesus has food that will not perish, and life that goes beyond out existence. These things that capture our attention are only a shadow of what is yet to come. He want us to look beyond this temporary life and see what He has to provide of greater life, and what is needed to make that happen.
Pastor Dale
