A Bad Case of the Grumbles

[0:00] skill skill All right, if you've got your Bible, go to Exodus 16.

[0:48] Exodus 16, while you're turning there, that is one of the most incredible evenings of worship. I was in the back just watching so many people sing out and just thinking about God's faithfulness and what He's done for this faith family.

[1:06] And so, by the way, we've had to pull in chairs, and so we've actually ordered some other chairs too. And so we're going to have plenty of room. Hey, the good thing about having your own place, we can have as many services as we want.

[1:18] Amen? Amen. So, if you're like, Pastor, that's a challenge. Yeah, it is. All right, yeah, it's a challenge. I want you to bust the walls off this place as we continue to be a people committed to sharing the gospel.

[1:34] And so, if you've got a Bible, Exodus 16, we have to take a break over the summer from the book of Exodus. I think it was 18 weeks back in the winter and spring that we were working through this series, through the book of Exodus.

[1:49] And I told you that once we got to our place, we would pick back up. And so, I hope you're excited tonight to be back in the book of Exodus. We're picking right up where we left off a few weeks ago, here in chapter 16.

[2:04] So, if you are able to stand, would you please do so, as we honor the reading of God's Word. Exodus 16, we're going to begin reading here in verse 1.

[2:14] Now, by the way, that doesn't have anything to do with actual sin.

[2:25] It's more a reference to Sinai. They're getting close to Sinai because look at the next phrase, which is between Elam and, say it, Sinai. On the 15th day of the second month after, they departed from the land of Egypt.

[2:39] And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the people of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by meat pots and ate bread to the full?

[2:56] For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. And then the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I'm about to rain bread from heaven for you.

[3:12] And the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day that I may test them whether they will walk in my law or not. And on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.

[3:29] So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. In the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord because He's heard your grumbling against the Lord.

[3:41] For what are we that you grumble against us? And Moses said, When the Lord gives you the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full because the Lord has heard your grumblings, that you grumble against Him, that are we.

[3:57] Your grumbling is not against us. It's against the Lord. Let's pray. God, thank you for this time together to study your Word. And it's such a fitting passage for us to be in for this weekend as we think about your providential care and how you provide for your people.

[4:16] So come and talk to us tonight as we listen to your Spirit as He speaks to us through your Word. And we pray this in Jesus' name. And God's people said, Amen.

[4:27] You can be seated. I don't have time for anything. Those were the words of Brielle Acero. Brielle became very popular on social media a few months ago when she posted a video on TikTok about her job.

[4:46] You see, she graduated from college last May at the University of South Carolina. And she'd always kind of dreamed of starting her own business because she wanted to have what she called, quote, a non-traditional schedule.

[5:01] She wanted a job that would allow her plenty of time to have friends and hobbies and be into fitness and all the different things that she enjoyed to do.

[5:12] Now, after she graduated college, she moved from South Carolina to New Jersey and she took a job in New York City. Now, she said she loves her job and she loves working in the city.

[5:28] What she doesn't love is having to work nine to five. You see, working nine to five, quote, doesn't give her time to, like, do anything.

[5:43] In fact, rather than me explain it, here's Brielle in her own words. So it literally takes me, like, I leave here, like, I get on the train at 7.30 and I don't get home till, like, 6.15 earliest.

[5:55] And then, like, I don't have time to do anything. I don't, I want to shower, eat my dinner, and go to sleep. I don't have time or energy to cook my dinner either. Like, I don't have energy to work out.

[6:06] Like, that's out the window. Like, I'm so upset. Oh, my God. I had nothing to do with my job at all, but just, like, the nine to five schedule in general is crazy.

[6:16] Being in the office nine to five, like, if it was remote, you get off at five and you're home and everything's fine. But, like, I'm not home. It takes me long to get home. And, like, like, people that drive to the office, like, it doesn't, you don't get off at five.

[6:29] And I know it could be worse. I know I could be working longer, but, like, I literally get off. It's pitch black. Like, I don't have energy. How do you have friends? Like, how do you have time to, like, meet, like, a guy?

[6:41] I don't know. Like, how do you have time for, like, dating? Like, I don't have time for anything. And I'm, like, so stressed out. Just give me a moment.

[6:54] Give me a moment. Give me a moment. Give me a moment. Give me a moment. Life is so hard. It's so hard.

[7:06] Amen? Needless to say, that video went viral. She had over 100 million views on TikTok, over 3 million views on Twitter.

[7:20] And while, of course, there were people that criticized what she said, you'd be surprised, or maybe you wouldn't be surprised, how many people agreed with her. One person said, quote, the 40-hour work week is beyond outdated, and your feelings are totally valid.

[7:38] Now, if you're like me, you probably have several responses to that video, not all of which could probably be shared publicly, but one of the responses that I would have would be, suck it up, buttercup.

[7:51] Like, that's just life. Life is difficult. Quit your whining. If there's something in us that responds and reacts negatively, listen, when we hear people grumble, when they ought to be grateful.

[8:07] Amen? There's some kind of reaction in us that when people grumble, when they should be grateful, we know there's something wrong with that. I remember back in the pandemic, like, Madonna took a whole lot of heat because she posted an Instagram picture about how it was awful being stuck at home, and COVID was the, quote, great equalizer.

[8:31] The problem was, that picture was her in her $12 million mansion jacuzzi bathtub filled with rose petals. Yeah, it's really hard to be stuck at home, right?

[8:44] Now listen, let me state the obvious. This is what we all know. Notice it here on the screen. We live in a culture of complainers. We live in a world of whiners.

[8:57] We see it everywhere. In fact, it's so easy to do because of social media, and you can leave online reviews. People can and do complain about everything.

[9:09] These are actual complaints that people gave. For instance, this was to a water park. Someone said, quote, we booked a trip to your water park, but no one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits.

[9:23] We assumed it was included in the price. Another person said, quote, the beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we got back to our room.

[9:35] Have you ever been to the beach? Another person said, we had to line up outside to catch the boat, and there wasn't A.C. There usually isn't A.C. outside, all right?

[9:48] Or on many boats. Here's my favorite one, last one. This is my favorite one. Quote, my fiance and I requested twin beds. Instead, we were placed in a room with a king bed.

[10:00] We now hold you responsible and want to be fully reimbursed for the fact that I'm pregnant. I'm not making it up. It goes on to say, this would not have happened if you would have put us in the room we booked.

[10:18] We live in a culture of complaining, a world of whiners, but let's be fair this evening. Complaining is not just something other people do.

[10:29] Complaining is something we do. Amen? I mean, you do. I don't know about me, but you do. Right? Think about it. Has anybody here this evening ever had a bad case of the grumbles?

[10:42] Anybody? You ever complained about food at a restaurant? You ever complained that a line was too long and taking forever? You ever complained that traffic was terrible?

[10:55] You ever complained that the referee can't get the call right? You ever grumbled grumbled that your spouse won't hurry up? You ever complained that the temperature's too hot?

[11:08] The Wi-Fi's too slow? You ever complained about the Minnesota weather? Yeah? You ever complained that the sermon was too long? Watch it. Watch it. You better not complain to me about that.

[11:20] Have you ever had to listen to your kids complain? I took my kids a while back to this theme park called Six Flags. You ever heard of Six Flags? It's a real fun theme park, man. Took them there for a day.

[11:30] I spent half a grand. Half a grand in a day. I'm driving home that night. I hear this in the back seat.

[11:41] I'm driving home that night. And sweetheart, what's wrong? Billy's daddy took them to Disney World. For a week.

[11:56] And we just got to go to Six Flags. For a day. We hate you. Sweetheart, look up here at daddy.

[12:13] Jesus, take the wheel. You ever feel like doing that? We have all experienced that. The reality is all of us at one time or another has had a bad case of the grumbles.

[12:26] And while we laugh at that tonight, and many of these examples are funny, the reality is, and I want you to listen to me, faith family, grumbling is a serious problem.

[12:37] Complaining is a serious spiritual problem. Here's why. Notice it on the screen. Grumbling is a grievance to God.

[12:52] Grumbling and complaining is a grievance to God. That is, complaining is criticizing the providence of God in your life. Because the whole reason you're complaining, the whole reason why I'm grumbling, is because I think my situation should be different than what it is.

[13:13] And God, in that moment, is not sovereign, is not providential over my life. That is exactly what is happening here in Exodus 16.

[13:25] Look here, there's multiple verses, and every time we get to the one highlighted, I want you to shout it out. And the people against Moses saying, what shall we drink?

[13:36] And the whole congregation of the people of Israel against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. In the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because He's heard your glory against the Lord.

[13:49] For what are we that you against us? And Moses said, when the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat, and in the morning bread to be full, because the Lord has heard your glory that you against Him, what are we?

[14:05] Your glory is not against us, but against the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, come near before the Lord, for He has heard your glory.

[14:19] One last one. And I have heard the glory of the people of Israel. Listen, you don't need a seminary degree to figure out what the problem in this passage is.

[14:29] Amen? I mean, it's repeated. One of the ways you study the Bible and study a passage is you look and see, are there any themes that are repeated over and over again?

[14:40] And what's repeated over and over again is Israel grumbling. In chapter 15, Israel is complaining about not having water to drink.

[14:51] Why? The text tells us that they are three days in the wilderness. Now stop. When you think wilderness, don't think like going up north with lots of trees and things like that.

[15:03] When the Bible talks about the wilderness, it's talking about the desert. They are three days out into the desert, and they are thirsty. Now, it would be understandable for us to say, well, why wouldn't you complain about water if you're in the desert and you don't have anything to drink?

[15:20] And I would agree with you if it weren't for this. Look at verse 22 of chapter 15. Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea.

[15:34] The Red Sea. You know, that body of water that God opened to deliver them from the Egyptians. Are you tracking with me? Here it is. Notice it on the screen.

[15:45] That if God will deliver His people through the water, will He not provide water? If God is sovereign enough to take you through the water, will He not also give you water to drink?

[16:01] And then in Exodus chapter 16, they're not complaining about water, they're complaining about food, which I think makes them the first Baptist church ever to exist in the Bible.

[16:12] Because if Baptists complain about anything, it's food. And they're grumbling that they don't have enough to eat. And again, this is food and water. These are the necessities of life.

[16:24] I understand that this is a real issue. But notice it on the screen. Listen, I'm not saying their situation isn't serious. All I'm saying is God is still sovereign.

[16:36] I'm not saying your job loss that you're complaining about. I'm not saying that the diagnosis is not difficult. I'm not saying that your physical struggle or hurt or loneliness is not serious.

[16:51] Here's what I'm telling you tonight. You're God's. You belong to Him. You are His people. And so even in these situations that are serious, we have to learn to trust Him, not grumble at Him.

[17:09] And know that the One that took us through the water is going to give us the water at the right time. After all, notice this, Faith family, I would rather be in the wilderness without water but belong to God than in Egypt with plenty and without Him.

[17:25] Amen? Do you believe that? I would rather be in the desert without water but know that I have God on my side than I would back in Egypt having all you could possibly have but not belong to God.

[17:40] And not only has this desert sun made them delusional about God, it has also made them delusional about the leadership that God has placed over them.

[17:50] Look at verse 3 of chapter 16. The people of Israel said to them, Would that He died by that, we died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full.

[18:03] And then notice what they say to Moses and Aaron. For you, that is Moses and Aaron, you brought us out into the desert. Here's why you brought us out. Here's the whole purpose.

[18:14] Because you want to kill the whole assembly with hunger. Now listen, listen, listen. Moses and Aaron are far from perfect. We've seen that all throughout the text, all throughout the story.

[18:27] Their struggles, certainly Moses, has been on full display in Exodus. He doesn't hide any of that. But they have the audacity to accuse Moses and Aaron of leading them into the wilderness in order to kill them.

[18:42] Like you can't make this stuff up. Instead of appreciation, Moses and Aaron become objects of accusation. And there's a whole other sermon here. I don't have time to preach it tonight.

[18:54] But listen, if you're going to be someone in leadership, you're going to have to absorb some complaining and grumbling that is not justified. Amen? Anybody testify to that tonight?

[19:06] If you are in a position of leadership, sometimes you are going to have to deal with a grumbling people even though their complaining is not justified. Now what I want us to do is dig a little deeper as to why are they grumbling?

[19:19] Why are they complaining? And in doing so, understand why you and I grumble and complain. Because remember, grumbling is a big problem. Complaining is a serious spiritual issue.

[19:31] So I don't know about you, I kind of want to know why I do it. I kind of want to understand what's going on in my heart that causes me to complain and whine and grumble so that I don't offer up grievance to God, but rather I learn to trust Him more.

[19:48] Anybody with me? So let's unpack this. What's behind it all? Here's the first thing. One of the reasons why Israel, and I think often we, complain is because we forget the grace of God.

[20:01] We forget the grace of God. The reason why the reader, you and I, as we read through Exodus and we come to Exodus 16 and we read verse after verse after verse talking about their grumbling and we respond kind of like we do to Brielle, like, why are you complaining when you ought to be grateful?

[20:20] Why are you grumbling when you should be thankful? God has redeemed you from slavery. God has given you miraculous sign after miraculous sign. He poured out plagues on Egypt but passed over you.

[20:34] He opened up the sea, let you pass over and drowned the Egyptian armies. He's given you a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day and you're going to complain about food?

[20:48] Are you tracking with me? Like, have you forgotten what God has done in your life? Well then remember the grace of God to you.

[21:01] Amen? And we do the same thing. Faith family, God has saved us. God has forgiven us of all of our sins, past, present, future.

[21:12] He has called us and wants to use us in ministry and we want to go, you know, this new building's too small. It could be big. No one has said that to me, by the way, or I would probably punch you.

[21:24] Okay? So, just so you know. But it'd be easy to walk around and just be like, yeah, I'd do this a little different and I'd do that different and I, you know, that really needs to be touched up and you want to just say, do you realize what God has done for us?

[21:40] You want to nitpick little things and you forget the story of God's grace in your life? Somebody say, preach preacher. I mean, Israel's grumbling about food while forgetting everything God has done for them.

[22:00] And you and I do the same thing. If you find in your heart tonight a grumbling spirit, here's what you need to do. Stop and remember how gracious God has been to you. D.A. Carson, who's a professor in Chicago, wrote this, quote, why should people who have witnessed so spectacular a display of the grace and power of God slip so easily into complaining?

[22:30] And the answer lies in the fact that many of them see God, oh man, as existing to serve them. He served them in the Exodus.

[22:41] He served them when He gave them clean water. And now He must serve them food. Otherwise, they are entirely prepared to abandon Him.

[22:52] While Moses has been insisting to Pharaoh that the people need to retreat into the desert to serve and worship God, the people think God exists to serve them.

[23:10] That's what's underneath your grumbling. That's what's going on in your complaining heart. It's a heart that is forgotten that you exist to serve God.

[23:20] He doesn't exist to serve you. Notice another reason why they complain and I think we do too is because we resist change. It's not just that we forget God's grace, but we don't really like change all that much.

[23:35] Look at what happens in chapter 15 and verse 27. When they came to Elam, there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees and they were encamped there by the water.

[23:48] That's pretty awesome. Right? I mean, what was the issue in Exodus 15? The issue in Exodus 15 was we don't have any water. And do you know what God did for His people that are complaining about water?

[24:01] He took them to a five-star resort. They got 12 springs of water. They got 70 palm trees. Like, I'm wondering if they're thinking, who needs the promised land?

[24:13] Let's just stay right here. This is pretty awesome. I mean, just bring me two pina coladas. Garth Brooks, one nothing, right? Just, I mean, life is good.

[24:23] We could stay here a while. And what happens at the beginning of chapter 16, verse 1? They set out from Elam. In other words, they left, oh, come on, say preach, preacher.

[24:38] They left the place they were comfortable. They'd been enjoying the springs of water and the palm trees and they've been enjoying the richness of God's blessing and then God moves them and when He moves them and this change happens in their life, they grumble and they complain.

[25:02] We do the same thing. Some of you, you may not say it out loud, but you're like, I was just getting used to Lakeville. I had my seat picked out. I got it every Sunday morning when I was there.

[25:13] Or, you know what I mean? Like, I was just getting settled in there and then we had to move to Burnsville. Life was so comfortable or maybe it's more serious for you. I was really comfortable in my job.

[25:24] I don't understand why I lost it. I was in a really good season health-wise and then my health changed and there's so many different aspects of change that happens in our life.

[25:38] Remember, God is sovereign over your life. Do you believe that? And that means when change happens even if it's for reason that in the eyes of man is sinful, God is taking you somewhere.

[25:53] And if you don't believe that, you're going to go insane. Here's something you need to hold fast to. Notice it on the screen. Faith family, you're never going to be in your final resting place until you go see Jesus. The rest of this life is going to be filled with all kinds of change.

[26:08] Physical, financial, vocational. And often we need to stop and realize I know I was comfortable in Elam, but it's clear God doesn't want me there anymore and I must trust Him to provide.

[26:28] Thirdly, is we idolize the past. Not only do we forget God's grace and we resist change, but we idolize the past. Oh, verse 3 may be the most ridiculous verse in all of Exodus.

[26:41] It's insane. Look at Exodus 16, verse 3 says, the people of Israel said to them, would that we had died in the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt? You remember back in Egypt?

[26:52] You remember the good old days? Back in Egypt? Oh man, we had it good. Let me tell you how good we had it in Egypt. We sat by meat pots and we ate bread to the full.

[27:08] Oh, I miss Egypt. But now you've brought us out into the desert to kill the whole assembly with hunger. These people have problems. Right?

[27:18] I mean, you read that and you think, how insane could you be? Don't you think you're leaving a few details out about Egypt? I don't know, like maybe the whole slavery, oppression, cruelty, and daily suffering.

[27:32] You know, maybe that was a part of the story too. In fact, this would be a more accurate description of Egypt. Look at verse 23. It says, During those days, this is chapter 2, the king of Egypt died and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and they cried out for help.

[27:57] See, they've idolized the past. How easily we're able to look back to the past and think, oh, that was really the good old days. It was just as broken as today.

[28:09] You just idolize it in many ways. Have you ever been around somebody that's like, you know, in my day, you know, we didn't have these problems. We didn't walk uphill. We walked downhill everywhere we went.

[28:20] It was just perfect. Or, you know, I really liked it when the church was smaller. Or, you know, I really had it great in that previous relationship.

[28:31] See, all of us can look back and forget the suffering of the past. We idolize it in a way that we grumble about what's going on now.

[28:43] Are you with me? But here's the reality. You complained then and you complain now. And if we don't guard our hearts, we will continue to complain.

[28:53] We forget God's grace. We resist His change in our life. We idolize the past. And here's the last one. We obsess over the future. We obsess over the future. Something interesting happens here in chapter 16.

[29:07] And it's really, really important. Look at verse 19. Moses said to them, let no one leave any of it, that is, the man of the bread, over till morning. But they did not listen to Moses, shocker, and left part of it till morning.

[29:21] And it bred worms and stank. I like that Moses puts it. It stank. That's like a southern word. You know, it's like, it makes me know that Moses is a redneck. It stank.

[29:31] Anyways, Moses was angry at them and morning by morning they gathered it each as much as he could eat. But when the sun grew hot, it melted. Let me tell you what's going down here and summarize it.

[29:43] The context here is that God is providing them daily bread. Manna from heaven every day, enough for that day. And what the plan was, I need you to lean in because I've talked about this before at times.

[29:55] Maybe you've not heard this or it'd be good to be reminded of this. This is really important and it has a lot to do with why some of us complain and grumble against God. Here it is. Is that God was telling them I'm going to give you enough bread for the day.

[30:10] I'm not giving you bread for tomorrow. I'll give you bread for tomorrow. When? Tomorrow. Tomorrow. But you're not to store up for tomorrow.

[30:21] You're to, and we even pray this in the Lord's Prayer, give me this day my daily bread. And I'll trust you tomorrow to feed me again. But what Israel wonders is, but what if we're not fed tomorrow?

[30:34] What if God doesn't give me that food again tomorrow? Here's the point, faith family, is that God's mercies are given in direct proportion to today's needs.

[30:46] So when you think about the fact that His mercy is new every morning, and Jesus says, do not worry about tomorrow because tomorrow's got enough trouble on its own.

[30:56] Here's how we need to think. Much like Israel in Exodus 16, like manna in the wilderness, you don't roll over God's mercy to tomorrow. The mercy, are you listening?

[31:09] The mercy that God is giving you today is to handle the trouble that you have to deal with today. And tomorrow, there's going to be more trouble. Cheer up, right?

[31:20] To some level. But guess what? God is going to give you the mercy you need because it's new every morning to deal with the trouble for that day. And here's when we start grumbling.

[31:31] Notice it on the stream. We grumble because we're attempting to bear tomorrow's burdens on today's strength.

[31:43] Some of you right now are stacking up six weeks from now worth of worry and anxiety and trouble on today's mercy and manna.

[31:57] But here's what you've got to realize. When you get six weeks down the road, guess what? God's still going to be dishing out mercy for you. You say, oh, I can't get to six weeks.

[32:07] You don't have to get to six weeks. Just get through today. And then you're going to get through tomorrow. Listen. And then you're going to get through the next day. And you're going to keep going because God's going to keep giving mercy until He is ready to bring you home.

[32:21] But there will not be. There will not be a day as a child of God that you live on this planet that God does not give you the mercy you need to handle today's problems.

[32:36] So grumbling and complaining comes when you're obsessed, too obsessed with the future. And you need to remember, that's right. God is going to give me this day my daily bread.

[32:48] And I'm not going to worry about six weeks from now. I'm going to handle today's problems with today's grace. And I'm not going to complain. So, Israel forgets God's grace, resists change, idolizes the past, is obsessed over the future, and that leads to their grumbling.

[33:06] Right? Now here's my question for you, okay? Okay? A couple more hours and we're good. Okay? Where else do we got to go? Here's my question. Here's my question. How would you respond to Israel if you were God?

[33:19] In fact, I actually seriously want you to think about this. This, I think, is faithful to the text. I want you to imagine that you're hiring an employee. Some of you had to do this. And in hiring this employee, you hire them even though they're not qualified at all.

[33:35] That is, you hire them purely of grace. And not only do you hire them, you pay off all their student loans, you give them the benefits of a lifetime employee, you give them second chance after second chance, you even provide training and guidance for them.

[33:51] And do you know what they do every day? They grumble at how you're a terrible boss and they really wish they could go back and work at Denny's. I mean, no slam on, no one here has ever eaten at Denny's purposely, right?

[34:07] So, oh, fine, IHOP. I didn't know there was such a Denny's fan. Woo! That's where I went off the tracks. Okay, all right.

[34:19] But think if you've got that employee, right? Like, you wouldn't keep them around. You'd fire them immediately. And yet, that's us.

[34:31] Let me finish the illustration. You have been saved by grace. He has paid all your debt. He has given you His own righteousness.

[34:43] He has forgiven you of all you've ever done or will do. He has given the Spirit to you to dwell in you and you grumble because you have to work a 9-to-5 job.

[34:57] God should fire Israel. And He should fire us. But notice how God responds. Verse 10, And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked towards the wilderness and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

[35:17] And the Lord said to Moses, I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel say to them, At twilight you shall eat meat and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.

[35:31] Oh, faith family, the Lord's response is a stunning display of compassion and patience. Amen? I mean, what a God!

[35:43] What a God to be this compassionate and gracious towards a grumbling people. Oh, don't misunderstand. Notice it on the screen. The Lord is most certainly grieved by their grumbling.

[35:55] And make no mistake tonight, God is grieved by your grumbling. But here's the good news. He doesn't hold your grumbling against you.

[36:08] He doesn't base His response to you on you. Instead, He bases His response to you on His own character and name.

[36:23] And He is a gracious God full of loving kindness. And what does He do to this grumbling people? He rains bread down from heaven on them.

[36:35] And it is not just any bread. It is a bread baked especially for them. For this is a bread unlike they've ever seen. Look at verse 15. It says, When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, What is this?

[36:48] We do not know what it is. And we know later on in verse 31 we see that this is a sweet kind of bread. They called it manna. And it's like a wafer made with honey.

[37:02] Do you know what's going on? God has graciously for the first time in history created a Pop-Tart.

[37:15] It's a Pop-Tart. That's what it is. This is the first Pop-Tart. This is a desert hot pocket that is sweet. I think it's the cinnamon brown sugar kind if you ask me because that's the best kind.

[37:29] Can I get a witness? Amen. Amen. Amen. That's the loudest amen I got was for a Pop-Tart. This is a Pop-Tart. God not only provides Pop-Tarts every day but in verses 9-12 He provides quail.

[37:46] Like comprehend this. The Lord turns staffs into snakes and rivers into blood. He parts seas. He provides a cloud by day and Pop-Tarts and quail for 2 million people for 40 years.

[38:02] For 40 years God feeds His grumbling ungrateful people. This faith family notice it on the screen God is so incredibly gracious to you.

[38:22] Amen. Oh He should give you hell instead He gives you Pop-Tarts and a future with Him.

[38:33] This is a foreshadowing of the Gospel. I don't like much. Hang with me. This is a foreshadowing of the Gospel. So here He goes again got to work the Gospel in. Yes we do because it's here in the text. And where's the Gospel here?

[38:46] Think about it this way. These people lived in an agrarian culture. In other words the way they think is you work for your food. You sow seed and you grow your crops and then there's a harvest and you put in the work and then you enjoy the labor that you put in.

[39:02] But notice this on the screen. Just like they didn't work for their salvation in Egypt Israel does not work for their provision in the wilderness. Listen God graciously provided for them what they could not provide for themselves.

[39:18] and God has graciously provided for you what you cannot provide for yourself namely salvation. He's done all the work and look how abundantly hang with me I'll speed it up you listen fast we don't like much look at Psalm 78 Psalm 78 says they spoke against God saying can God spread a table in the wilderness He struck the rock so that the water gushed out and streams overflowed can He also give bread and provide meat for His people therefore when the Lord heard this He was full of wrath a fire was kindled against Jacob His anger rose against Israel because they didn't believe in God or trust His saving power yet praise God for yet are you seeing what I'm saying yet even though God was righteously angry because of their disobedience yet

[40:20] His response was He commanded oh God help us see this He commanded the skies to be opened the doors of heaven and He rained down on them manna to eat and He gave them the grain of heaven and man ate the bread of angels and He sent them food in abundance He rained meat on them like dust winged birds like the sands of the sea and they ate and they were filled God richly though He should have given them discipline instead He gives them the bread of angels isn't our God good what a gracious and kind God He is well I close with this some of you may be there saying pastor this is a great story but what about me what about me ain't no pop tarts fallen from my sky

[41:26] I read this and I want this in fact I read Exodus and I'm like I want these experiences I want a burning bush experience I want a Passover event I want a Red Sea moment I want a pillar of fire to guide me I want bread from heaven and what I would tell you this evening listen to me as I've told you many times in this series is that you not only have those things you have something greater than those things do you believe that listen you don't have a burning bush you have the full revelation of God you don't just have a Passover event you have the cross of Jesus Christ you not only have a Red Sea moment you have an empty grave and a resurrection you have more than a pillar of fire you have the Holy Spirit of God in you guiding you and not only that you have been given bread from heaven

[42:36] John 6 and Jesus answered them truly truly I say to you you're seeking me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves but I'm telling you don't work for the food that perishes think Exodus 16 but for the food that endures to eternal life which the Son of Man will give you and they said to him well what must you who gave you the bread from heaven but my father gives you true bread from heaven oh come on right here if you've zoned out zoned back in here it is for the bread of

[43:52] God is he the bread of God is a person who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world and they said to him sir give us this bread always and Jesus said to them I am the bread of life and whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst for I have come down from heaven faith family the manna in the wilderness of Exodus 16 was only pointing to the ultimate and true bread that would come down from heaven namely Jesus Christ and I want you to hear me tonight Jesus not only claims to fulfill the manna of Exodus 16 he claims to be superior than that manna here's how notice it on the screen manna can only satisfy your physical appetite

[44:59] Jesus can satisfy your eternal appetite he's the true bread your soul hungers for and some of you don't even know it and you're listen listen I promise you I'm almost done I mean it but I need you to listen to me I need you to look at me there are some of you here tonight grumbling and complaining because you're hungry and the reason you're grumbling and complaining because you're hungry is you've been eating the wrong food you're eating the buffets of this world and it may taste good for a night but you'll be hungry again tomorrow there is only one bread that truly satisfies and it is a person the Lord Jesus Christ and if you would do the work of

[46:03] God what's the work of God believe and put your faith in him you would maybe for the first time in your life truly be satisfied amen listen some of you are in a wilderness of life right now I mean this is what life feels like you are thirsty you are hungry it may be relationally financially emotionally spiritually circumstantially but you are running out of food and water and do you know how you can tell you're running out of food and water because you've got a bad case of the grumbles you whine and you complain about everything you complain about how hard life is how life was better in Egypt how God brought you into the wilderness to die the good news that I give you this evening is that there is living water and there is manna from heaven for you today for in

[47:06] Jesus Christ God has given you this day your daily bread and what's even better you don't have to work a nine to five job to pay for it that price has already been paid and all God's people said amen let's pray let's pray God we thank you so much for how you speak to us we said this so many times as we've been going through Exodus that these stories that at first glance don't seem to be all that relevant and yet they deal with our everyday life so many of us complain and grumble about everything and we need to realize tonight that's a serious heart problem that's a serious spiritual problem to not trust your providence and your care for your people so I pray that we would be convicted of our grumbling and that we would be brought tonight to the cross where we would remember your grace remember the salvation that is ours in

[48:20] Christ and that we would eat by faith of Jesus Christ our Lord as we walk with him as he satisfies us as he is the only bread we need we come now to a time when we remember how Jesus his body was broken like bread his blood spilled!

[48:46] out like wine and we remember the providence of God for us in Jesus name Amen Nab