The Simple Bare Necessities

The title of our sermon study today is The Simple Bear Necessities. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to open them up. Let's turn to Luke 11. We're going to begin in verse 3. Luke 11 verse 3, as we once again come to the portion of Scripture where Jesus is teaching his disciples to pray. Of course, he is responding to one of the disciples who beseech him, Lord, teach us to pray. Jesus responds with a form of words that he gives his disciples in order that they might use as an example in the course of their prayer. We've noticed on previous occasions that the prayer begins with God in his glory before it ever gets to man and his need, beginning with that most intimate of terms father, indicating that these form of words are for those directly who in this lifetime are able to enter into a relationship with God, to know him in that familial way as their father. Who have become sons or daughters by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Perhaps one of the reasons why this example prayer doesn't hold as much value for men and women is that they are truly not able to refer to God as their father. Then we noticed in this model prayer that it has a concern for God's name. Hallowed be thy name. Thy name we studied previously. His character, the essence of God. Then the model prayer has a concern for his kingdom and God's will being done here on earth as it is in heaven. We looked at that last time where while we wait for the ultimate fulfillment of God's kingdom to come to this earth, today we are to have Jesus Christ our king rule in our lives. That is to happen today.

And then it is after that and only after that that we come to requests here. In the first of them, there you'll see in verse 3, there give us day by day our daily bread. So this is the first of three requests you'll see here. We will consider the others in time. So first, daily bread. The second request you'll see in the model prayer, give us daily forgiveness. And then the third that we'll come to in time. Father, daily preserve us from temptation. You'll see there. So it is in fact that we now begin the second half of this model prayer with the fact that of our total dependence upon God in this way.

And first in the list again is this request, give us day by day our daily bread. You know, this is a very familiar request to even those who might not be familiar with the Bible. And I don't know if any of you have done a kind of a deep dive into this particular phrase, but if you have, what you will find is numerous commentary interpretations of this phrase.

Most, when you begin to dig into this phrase, most you'll find is that the commentators will look to spiritualize this phrase. And one commentator refers and says that they interpret this phrase as being linked to the bread of the Passover. You will find that in some commentaries where the bread, one of the symbols in which Jesus Christ instituted before his death, the bread and the wine, they will say this is tied into this Lord's Prayer, this part of it is tied into the Lord's Passover, they will say.

Not an unhelpful thought, per se, but I don't think that's quite it. Others will say this bread is linked to the Word of God, and they will interpret this phrase as, Father, give us daily your word, you know, your bread, and they'll link it to the Word of God. Others will suggest this is referring to the bread of life, namely Jesus Christ himself. Give us daily your son in a matter of words.

Again, not unhelpful, but I don't think that's exactly getting at each of those interpretations, because I think we could all agree that bread, if it represents anything in our culture today, it most often represents daily sustenance. Okay, it's most common for men and women to think of bread as that which is the most basic requirement for life's daily concerns, if you will. So I want to just to mention those other interpretations before we move on and acknowledge those.

Before stating that I believe that this, it would be right for us to view this request in its most direct and straightforward terms, plainly, that this is a request that we might be supplied with all of our needs for our daily existence. Everything else we could say is luxury, but again, this is beseeching God for that requirement of life's most basic concerns.

And to think of it in that way is also to be keeping in with the Old Testament picture that we find in Exodus 16. So if you'd like to keep your marker here, let's turn over to Exodus 16 verses 14 through 21. When you begin to think of this request as a request of us beseeching God for our most basic daily needs, almost immediately will come this picture, this Old Testament picture found in Exodus 16, where we can be reminded that that of the experience of God's people in the 40 years wandering in the wilderness and the experience concerning bread, which God was teaching them to depend upon Him completely for their total dependence.

Put their total dependence upon Him daily. And here in Exodus 16 verses 14 through 21, verses 14 through 21, one of the ways in which that unfolds here is in the provision of the daily manna, that bread from heaven. And it was clear that it was going to be enough for that day, for that day, and that day only. Look at this. Let's break into the story here. Exodus 16 beginning in verse 14. And when the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a small, round substance as fine as frost on the ground.

Verse 15, so when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, What is it? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to him, This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. This is the thing which the Lord has commanded. Let every man gather according to each one's need, one omer for each person according to the number of persons. Let each man take for those who are in his tent. Verse 17, Then the children of Israel did so and gathered some more, some less. So when they measured it out by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.

Every man had gathered according to each one's needs. And note verse 19, And Moses said, Let no one leave any of it till morning. Verse 20, however, notwithstanding, they did not heed Moses, and some of them left part of it until morning. It bred worms and stink, and Moses with anger was angry with them. So they gathered it each morning, every man according to his need, and when the sun came and when the sun became hot, it melted.

Let's stop there. So it was God's purpose that they would obey him, depend on him for their daily needs. And in the course of that, we see right from the beginning, in mankind's glorious humanity, they disobeyed the clearest of instructions. There was only enough for that day. They weren't to keep it for tomorrow. Immediately, some kept it for tomorrow, failing the test immediately. There was to be no carryover, no saving up. Don't, don't, if you save it over, it's going to be, there's going to be worms in it and smell.

Notwithstanding, it says, we find a few waking up in the morning. The husband turns over to the wife, kisses her on the cheek, honey, I got you some coffee. Oh, and by the way, I saved up some manna for a nice breakfast for you. He goes and gets the manna. He uncovers it. She screams because it has these crawling worms in it and it's this horrific smell, you know. He's just trying to do something good for her and now she's not talking to him the rest of the day. We know how that goes, gentlemen.

There would be, but there was to be non-saving up. They weren't to save it up for the next day. Just the daily provision. So, when you take this as an Old Testament picture and you come to the New Testament phrase, give us day by day our daily bread, you can understand it in this way. And you realize the wonder is God's plan in teaching his people in every age not to trust in our own provision, which makes us keep it over to the next day, keep more for the next day, rather trust in the provider, which allows us to trust in him afresh every morning. We have it for today. Don't take any for tomorrow. Why? Why? Well, again, because God won the Well, again, because God wants us to wake up every morning and to discover the same God that provided yesterday is the same God who will provide today. And it's the same God who will provide for you tomorrow. And if you try to carry it over in your own efforts and provisions, you will end up with a stinky mess. And I don't know about you on an aside, every time I've gone against the clearest of God's instructions, I've always made a mess of it. And it usually does stink. Brings a stench to my life, you know. And so this was a powerful, powerful lesson that they were to learn. And you see this lesson right from the beginning of the Bible. And now you see Jesus Christ embedding this lesson into the very essence of our daily prayers. It was to be a powerful, generational lesson. In fact, if you allow your eyes to go down here, staying in chapter 16, and go to verse 32, look down to verse 32. We see this future generation lesson here. Then Moses said, verse 32, this is the thing which the Lord has commanded, fill an omer with it to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt. And we won't turn there, but for your notes, Hebrews 9 verse 4, we discover when you move into the New Testament that there was a jar of manna kept, and to be kept in the tabernacle, or future generations, future generations. So those of the previous generations could teach the younger generations this very principle here. And it's a reminder, they would say, 40 years, God the Father in that journey never missed a single day to give them their daily bread, what they needed for that day. There was never a day that He didn't provide, and they kept it generation for generation, just the the wonder, just to worship and the wonder of that provision. So let's make it absolutely clear, this is what we're praying for when we pray this part of the prayer. This give us day by day our daily bread.

This is God's, this is Jesus Christ instructing us to pray for this, and to pray for expectation in this. So let me ask, do you trust Him with this, and trust Him as your daily provider? And you pray these words. So when you find yourself without your daily provision, it could be physically, it could be emotionally, it could be spiritually, and you come to a point in your life, and you can't even get through the day. That day. Well, I want to embolden you to come to this part of the prayer and pray it boldly. Come to Him with confidence. Request this, and request this with expectation.

Trust Him in this way. He will answer.

Now, I found myself this week, and you may have found yourself after I gave the title, singing that song, you know, you know the song I'm talking about from the Jungle Book, from the Jungle Book, looking for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities. Forget about your worries and your strife. One more, everybody. I mean the bare necessities. That's why a bear can rest at ease with just the bare necessities of life. If Mr. Griffin was here, we'd get him up here with a guitar.

Wonderful song. That's what he's speaking about. This is the request of this model prayer. He's speaking about the bare necessities here. This is the request. We are to request and pray for and have faith in the expectations of the bare necessities of life.

Do you find this interesting? That this is first in the list of requests. I was thinking this past week, you know, if we came together as a group and let's say, let's come up with a model prayer, you know, as a group. I don't know if we would come to this first. We might come to, Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done. Give us each day our bare necessities, you know. Surely we can think of something better than that, you know. Are we really going to go with daily bread to begin with? I mean, surely we can think of something else first, you know. Well, Jesus says when you pray, say, this is your first request, give us today, or day by day, our daily bread. Why? Why? Again, it's simple. God the Father, God our Father, cares about. He's concerned with, and He will provide our personal, practical, basic material needs in our life.

The Father, to whom we come to know in Jesus Christ, He's interested and concerned about our personal, practical, basic material needs to get through life. He will answer a sincere prayer by one of His sons and daughters for this request for daily bread. So, seek first God.

Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done. We're concerned about God and His glory first. Of course, I know this is coming to mind. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these bare necessities will be taken care of, and all these other things will be added to you. In fact, if you want to turn there, let's turn there. Matthew 6 verses 31 through 34. We referenced this in our sermonette today. Matthew 6 verses 31 through 34. Let's just see it. Again, when you begin to look for this model prayer, you begin to see it in all of Scripture. You'll see it echoed by all those who have been taught by Jesus Christ or led by the Spirit.

Look at this. Matthew 6 verses 31 through 34. Here it is. What a great summary statement. Therefore, Matthew 6 verse 31, do not worry, saying, what shall I eat? Or what shall I drink? Or what shall I wear? These basic necessities. For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God. Here's the model prayer and His righteousness and all these things. All these bare necessities will be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow. You know, this is hearkening back to that exodus in the manna. Do not worry about tomorrow. For tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient bread, sufficient manna, we could say. For the day is its own trouble. Okay, so God knows our daily needs. In other words, put first, put me first in everything, and I'll take care of you. That's my promise to you. He says, I'll take care of you. God knows our needs. He will answer this part of the prayer. He will do that. When you are in need, when you are in the lowest of lowest of lowest, physically, emotionally, spiritually, you can boldly pray for the bare essentials to get through that day. Father, I just need to get through this day, and he will answer that request. Okay, that is the overarching fundamental aspect to always begin with when you're speaking about this particular part of the model prayer. But we want to, at this time now, to pivot and to look at a second aspect of this request. We know when we're praying these words that this is what we're asking for, just God to provide us with that. I'll have you know there's also a second aspect of this prayer. When you pray these words, another aspect in which you want to consider when praying these words, because it's important to understand and to be clear, of the fact that God is able to distinguish between our needs and our desires. Okay, so this is the second. We're moving into the second aspect to consider with these words. God is able to distinguish between our needs and our desires. Just know that.

We're moving to the second aspect of this request, where what we might deem as an essential requirement in our life, God, in His omnipotence and in His gracious care for us, will determine that which is our need and that which may be a desire, okay, and not an actual bare necessity. Anyone who's a parent knows this, you know this, even if you haven't been a parent, if you know this as you were a child when you came to your mom and dad, and you said, I need this particular thing. I can't breathe mom and dad without having this, only to be turned away and disappointed that they said no. I can remember in my youth, dad, I cannot breathe without an end-in MM5A 50cc motorcycle, okay. That's what I needed. My buddy David had it in the neighborhood, and he was zooming around all the neighborhood. It's this little mini motorcycle. I don't think I can go on, dad, without it, you know. This is my my bare necessity, you know.

I was turned away, and I will say, in hindsight, wisely so. I had no business at that age, zooming around the neighborhood with that powerful ovenage, you know.

So the father knows our needs. He knows our true needs, and he knows what's best for us. He knows what's best for us.

There is a particular proverb which just hits this on the nail. I mean, just hits this particular aspect of this request right on the nail, and I'm going to show you this. It's found in Proverbs 30 verses 7 through 9. Turn there, if you will. Such a, the writer of the proverb, such a wise individual. We have the wisdom with regards to this found here, most directly in Proverbs 30 verses 7 through 9. So this proverb, this is our perspective. When you think about God knowing the distinction between our needs and our desires, and our Father knowing what's best for us when we pray for our daily provision, this is our perspective when we pray this. When our prayers, perhaps, aren't answered in the way that we would want them to be answered, when we're not given the bread that we anticipate. Anticipate. Think of this proverb. Proverbs 30 verses 7 through 9. The writer of the proverb says, two things I request of you, God, deprive me not before I die. Remove falsehood and lies from me. So give me clarity of these things. I don't want to lie to myself. Number two, here it is. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food allotted to me. Lest I be full and deny you and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and still and profane the name of my God. Let's stop there. Wonderful proverb. I mean, this just hits it right on the nail here. Give me neither poverty nor scarcity. Don't make me so affluent in that way where somehow I'm tempted to not depend on you for my daily provision. But also, Father, don't make me so desperately impoverished. So I'm tempted to go and steal and therefore, dishonor your name here. Father, Father, would you please give me exactly what I need? Would you give me exactly what I need?

So, we're beginning to see that this phrase, this little phrase in the model prayer, as we think about it deeply, it's perhaps a deeper and I'll say perhaps a harder thing to pray than we might have considered at first glance here. He will absolutely provide us what we need. So don't worry about what you're going to eat, don't worry about what you're going to wear, don't worry about shelter. He will give that to us. A son or daughter of his who prays that sincerely, he will get it to us. But it's to acknowledge that perhaps what we perceive as a daily provision might not line up with whatever's best for us in our purposes for God. So inherently, I think that's the inherent difficulty in this model prayer. The difficulty arises in not desiring more than our daily need. That's the difficulty, not desiring more than our daily needs. So you think back to those 40 years in the wilderness and you think back to our life today, that's where the difficulty lies in praying these words. Being content with our basic needs being met and not desiring anything more than our basic needs. The philosopher Epicurus, who lived in the fourth century, he puts it this way, Epicurus didn't have it right on so many things, but he had it right on this. Quote, quote, the secret to contentment does not lie in adding to man's possessions, but in taking away from his desires. Unquote. So again, the secret to contentment does not lie in adding to man's possessions, but in taking away from his desires. That's a helpful way to think about it. That may be the secret to being content with daily bread, not adding to my possessions, but taking away from my desires for more, being content with that, which is my basic needs. And so I know if I have any absence of contentment, if I have any discontentment, then I know I may be falling into the ditch of design more than what my need is. So in terms of this part of the example prayer, if we're ever going to believe it, live it, it's essential to understand what we're praying for. And by requesting daily bread, we are at the same time submitting to and delighting in what God our Father gives us. So when you ask, Father, give us day by day our daily bread, at the same time you are submitting to and delighting in what the Father gives us. Okay, very important. And again, this is a this is a principle, you know, they stored it up and they wanted future generations to get this principle. That's how important it was. You see it all throughout Scripture when you begin to look for it. Paul, one of the things that he taught Timothy in his mentorship with Timothy, is this very concept. Let me show you that. It's found in 1st Timothy 6, verse 6 through 8. So we have it being taught in the Old Testament. We have Jesus Christ reaffirming it in the example prayer. Here we're going to see Paul picking it up in writing to Timothy. 1st Timothy 6, verse 6 through 8. This is a concept that Paul wanted to get across to Timothy as he was mentoring Timothy. And look at the way Paul puts it. He puts it in a very helpful way, I think.

He's going to direct Timothy's thoughts to two fixed points in our life, the beginning and the end. Look at this. 1st Timothy 6, beginning of verse 6, Paul says, Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we were brought, so for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we carry nothing out. And here it is, verse 8, and having food and clothing with these we shall be content. Stop there. So I've been a part of two births with my wife. She did the birthing. I was just facilitating, watching, and I don't remember them bringing in any packaging. I don't remember my two kids coming with any packages. There they were, and the absolute bare necessity of their life, coming in with nothing into this world. Again, when you look in Scripture, you begin to look for this principle. You see it all through Scripture. Job even said, Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I shall depart. Even Job was speaking to this principle. As far as your exit, I found this phrase, There are no pockets in a shroud. So that's, I found that there's no pockets in a shroud. So when you, even if you built a mausoleum to yourself and gathered up all your things around you, eventually they're going to get worms and stink, eventually. All those possessions. So Paul wanted to get this across, and when this dawns upon you, you're able to pray those words in this model prayer. Again, verse 7, For we brought nothing into this world, and it's certain we can carry nothing out. And verse 8, and here it is, you know, having food and clothing with these, we shall be content.

And if you look up this word, clothing, it can actually reference not only clothing, but it actually can reference shelter as well. So this speaks of those bare necessities, food, clothing, shelter. With this, we shall be content. And Paul connects it to godliness, godliness here. So this is what we pray. This is what Jesus says. Pray for this, no more, no less. Gotta get this, loved ones. We gotta get this. This is our level of expectation. Father, give us day by day food, clothing, and shelter. Food, clothing, and shelter. Don't let me be seduced by believing that I have a necessity for more.

And I just know, you know, each of us might be feeling moved by these words today and reassessing our lives and reassessing this part of our prayer here. And just know, this is not a call to poverty. You know, I like to speak to our young people. Be ambitious. I was. Work hard. Be successful in this life. You know, in this physical life. Yes, this is not a call to poverty. This is not condemning physical riches by any means. This is about our perspective. It's about our priorities. And it's about fulfilling our purpose.

You know, what's our perspective? What's our expectations? What are we putting first? Are we putting man in our needs? Are we putting God in his needs first? And are we praying for that which will help us fulfill our purpose? You know, give me exactly what I need just to fulfill what you need me to fulfill here. I don't want to fall into the pitfalls. While this is not condemning riches, there are pitfalls to being rich. And that's where Paul goes next. If you look at verse 9 and 10, verse 9 and 10, it's not condemning riches, but just know there's some pitfalls. To those who desire to be rich, we can say be careful because you may fall into temptation and a snare into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. Verse 10, for the love of money. So where's your love? Where's your love? If you love money, well, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through many sorrows. He says, stop there. So where's your love? You can be ambitious, striving, successful, but always be checking. Where's my love? Is my love for God or is my love in these things? Where's the priority? Have I flipped the model prayer on its head and I'm praying for me and my needs first? No, I got to get it back around here. So we're not tempted to love more than that which God promises us, our bare necessities. And Paul continues here, and just to show you this isn't a condemnation on riches or a call to poverty. If you look at verse 17, Paul continues, allow your eyes to go down to verse 17. In his admonition, he says, command, verse 17, those who are rich in this present age, command them not to be haughty, nor trust in uncertain riches, but trust in the living God. Notice, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. So if our perspective and our priorities are correct and we know that what we're feeling for a purpose, so often God is this wonderful Father, He not only gives us food, clothing, and shelter, but He gives us richly all things to enjoy. You see, He exceeds it all. So often in our lives, our lives have been flow, of course, but so often we're on the receiving end of just these riches to enjoy here. So if you're in a season when you're flowing and you have some things to enjoy, you receive those with the right perspective and with gratitude, oh boy, Father, you're giving me more than I need. Thank you. This is wonderful, but I want to keep my priorities correct and I want to make sure my I'm fulfilling my purpose. I don't want to be caught up in that. I'll receive it, Father. Thank you. You're so generous. Thank you for that, but I'm not going to fall into that ditch of forgetting what I'm doing here on this earth, and I'm not going to get my expectations out of order.

And then you have this great summary statement of it all here in verse 18. Here it is. Here's our perspective, keeping our priority in line so we may fulfill our purpose. Verse 18, let them do good that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life. Talk about one day, God blowing the top off of daily bread. We're talking about eternal life here. So here it is. Father, each morning I'm setting my eyes on you. Thank you for allowing me to be able to even call you Father in that relationship. I want to honor your name. How low would be it? I want to be a disciple of yours. I want people, when they see me, to see you. How low would be your name? Let me carry your name in a sacred way.

Your kingdom come, Father. That's my priority. I want your will to be done in me. I want you to rule in my life today. And Father, then let me make this request of you. Would you give me exactly what I need in this physical life, no more, no less, to accomplish everything you need me to accomplish? Father, ultimately I want to be rich, but I want to be rich in good works. Ultimately, I want to be storing up, not ultimately for this life, but for next the life to come, eternal life. Would you grant me daily, day by day, my daily bread, Father, for all these things? Well, let me conclude in this way. In King Henry VI, which I'm sure many of you were reading this week, in King Henry VI, there's this wonderful section, the king is out in the country. He's encountered by two gamekeepers. They approach him and they ask, who are you? He says, I'm the king. If you be a king, where's your crown? To which the king replies, My crown is in my heart, not on my head, Not decked with diamonds or indents stones, Nor to be seen. My crown is called content, A crown seldom kings in joy.

So let me ask today, where's your crown? Where's your crown?

Can you find contentment? And not only contentment, but just joy, joy in this life. Being able to call God your father. Will you then trust God for your daily needs today? And will you trust him that he's going to give you exactly what you need? Will you pray today, neither give me poverty nor riches, father, just allot that which is mine for me today to accomplish your will, so that one day, father, I can lay hold of eternal life, and I can lay hold of the bread of life, your son, Jesus Christ. So may we all truly pray today in a greater way. Father, give us today, day by day, our daily bread.