[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia. It is our prayer that you will be blessed by the preaching of God's Word. Exodus chapter number 16, we're going to, with such a great God, and with teaching as simple and plain as it is about complaining, why do we have such a hard time with it?
[0:17] With such a great God, how could we ever be dissatisfied with anything He does? With the Bible being as clear as it is about complaining, I'm not sure why we're ever involved with it.
[0:27] If I told you I had a cell phone, my cell phone's really great. It does. You get a cheap phone every couple years. I like the payment plan we have on it. It just doesn't have good reception, which is kind of important for cell phones.
[0:40] But if I was to complain about my cell phone, what would be a question? I tested this today with some teenagers, and they did not say anything normal. But if I was to tell you I was having problems with my cell phone, what would be a common question?
[0:52] You would say, who is your provider? Thank you, Brendan. We didn't even stage that. You would say, who is your provider who gives you service? Even if you have a cell phone, we're always curious to know who is your provider that's doing a poor job because I never want to make them my provider.
[1:10] And I do not want to be the type of person that somebody would walk up to me and they'd say, man, you're miserable. You're always complaining. You're murmuring. Who's your provider? Because I sure wouldn't want him as a provider because God is my provider, and he cares for us and he loves us and he's gracious.
[1:26] In the middle of our complaining, he rains bread upon us, not the wrath of God that we deserve, but he rains bread upon us, and we're reminded of these things tonight. I'm pretty sure quail means chicken wings.
[1:38] Manna and quail. So man and chicken wings, as we look at that and he provides it, that's a pretty good meal. And for 40 years, he provides that there for them, even though they fail test after test.
[1:50] Before we get to Exodus 16, let me tell you, remind you, what Moses is going to say to these children of Israel in Deuteronomy 8. They're going to go into the wilderness. He doesn't get to go in.
[2:00] Remember, he's part of that group that two and a half years into the wilderness, that generation's not going in. He doesn't go in striking the rock twice. That older generation doesn't go in. They failed that test when the spies went out, came back, and the report.
[2:14] He's not going in, but he says, guys, let me tell you something. You're about to go in to the promised land. And he says, Deuteronomy 8.11, he says, Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, and not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes, which I command you this day.
[2:31] Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwell therein, and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, prosperity is happening here, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that has is multiplied, then thine heart be lifted up.
[2:48] Then thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage. Right before they go in, he's going to say, guys, let me remind you one time that prosperity is dangerous, that the promised land is going to be dangerous to your heart if you're not prepared.
[3:05] Because a real testing ground for them is going to be the prosperity. The wilderness is kind of like a boot camp for them, but when they go in there, they're really going to have that battle of the heart. And God's been preparing them.
[3:16] He has no unintentional detours. He doesn't get lost in the wilderness, but he's taking them, and he's going for their heart, and he's trying to prepare them for it. Jeff Bush took a man to Argentina just maybe a month ago.
[3:30] Mindy was there, and he's not here, so I don't know if he'll like the story or not. Maybe we'll see if he listens, all right? So the guy wants to see Uruguay, and he's thinking about being a missionary to Uruguay.
[3:40] Well, Jeff tries to take him on the way to Uruguay to maybe the major cities of Argentina, and he's playing People Need the Lord in his radio as he goes.
[3:52] And so Jeff takes the scenic route to Uruguay, and when he gets there, the guy says, are you ready to buy a flag and be a missionary to Uruguay? He says, I'm going to buy a flag, but it ain't to Uruguay. I'm going to Argentina.
[4:03] I tell you, Jeff wasn't unintentional about the route he took to Uruguay. He took their long way around and took them to the major cities and showed him those things. And you know I'm joking, but he had a plan.
[4:15] Well, God also had a plan, and every stop had something to do about their heart or every challenge that they had had to do with something he was preparing their heart for because he loves them.
[4:26] Deuteron 8.5 says, you fathers, if you're going to discipline your children, chastisement, discipline their disciple, instruct. Don't you know that I'm going to do that to my children? And so that's what he's doing.
[4:37] He's a father walking, and we see his glory in the clouds, and he's really taking his children by the hand, and he's walking them through the wilderness. And sometimes he stops, and he says, my little children, the problem in your heart right now, if it was released in the promised land, would be destructive.
[4:56] The problem in your heart right now, if it goes into the promised land, idolatry would come in from outside, and it would destroy you. And he works with it, and he's raising them. And as I said, number 14 shows that they weren't ready.
[5:07] The whole class flunked, and they were sent back into the wilderness for more training. None of them graduated. They were sent back to school. And so as we look at number 16, we think about the provider.
[5:19] We think of his provision. How many of you know the name of George Mueller? Anybody in here? Good. More of you all know George Mueller than Mr. Rogers. I learned that on Sunday, and that's a good thing to know, okay?
[5:30] Well, the story goes about George Mueller is that he had the orphanage with children. And one day, the lady of the house came and said, sir, there's no food for our children today.
[5:41] And he said, set the table. Bring our kids to the table. And the kids were at the table, and he begins to pray. And there's a knock on the door. He goes to the door, and the guy comes to him, and he says, sir, last night I could not sleep.
[5:54] So I went and made three batches of bread because I knew you would need it today. And he's taking the bread back to the table, and another knock comes on the door, and he goes there, and it's the milkman.
[6:06] He says, my wagon broke down. This milk is going to go to waste. I want you to have that. What an incredible person to Mr. Mueller that he would sit there at the table. I know that's a very more real and a very more literal example than most of us will ever have.
[6:22] But by faith, he just went and sat down. He says, I'm not going to complain. I'm just going to go wait. And the children of Israel didn't. Did God forget them in the wilderness? Did he not know they weren't hungry?
[6:33] They should have set a table before them, as the psalm says, set a table before. God can prepare a banquet there in the wilderness. He can prepare that for them. But we see that the children of Israel, when they're complaining, they miss out.
[6:46] So let's look at Exodus chapter number 16, verses 1 through 4. Normally we read the whole chapter. This time we're going to read a few verses, talk about it. When I say talk about it, I'm going to talk. You're going to listen. And then we're going to do that a few more verses.
[6:57] All right? 16, 1 through 4. And they took their journey from Elam. And the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sim, which is between Elam and Sinai, on the fifth day of the second month after the parting out of the land of Egypt.
[7:10] And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, when we did eat bread to the full.
[7:25] For if we have brought up forth into this wilderness to kill his whole assembly with hunger. Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law or no.
[7:42] So, 16, 1 through 4, they said, as my little kid, my Thatcher says all the time, this is the worst day ever. Only six months into the journey. And there are already two accounts of them complaining.
[7:53] We ended 15 and they were complaining there wasn't any water. The water was bitter. He puts the tree in there. Beautiful picture. And he meets their need. But then it says here that the whole congregation, it wasn't isolated.
[8:05] It wasn't on the outskirts. A few people were talking about it. All the children of Israel were murmuring, saying that our God is not good. Saying that our God brought us out here. And they were being more subtle.
[8:16] Because they weren't talking directly to God. They were saying this leadership here has brought us here. And the whole congregation is complaining. So they went from a beautiful time of praise and worship to this pitiful whining and murmuring.
[8:30] If I can remind you about 15, God says, I'm going to make my name known. And we find that after this, after they get out of the wilderness, the places that they go to, people have already heard about what he has done.
[8:42] He says, I'm going to redeem these people. And they're going to praise me because of it. And these people, they learned of their redemption. And they celebrated. Miriam repeated the song. And they danced there. They were so excited.
[8:52] And they talked about it. And people were hearing about it. And the enemy had a plan to make them stop. But God's plans were greater. Everything the enemy planned, God reversed it. And it happened for the children of Israel.
[9:04] And that redemption puts God's glory on display to the whole world. And he says, look what I've done for my people. And his people said, look what my God has done for us. And it was awesome. Exodus 15 is just incredible to see people talking about it.
[9:19] Moses doesn't take any credit for himself. He doesn't give credit to anybody else. He just says, our God is a warrior God. Our God saved us. Despite ourselves, he did it.
[9:30] Six months in, two accounts of complaining already. And we so easily forget what God has done for us. That's why we are complainers is we forget. A little trouble when we're right back in the middle of our whining and complaining.
[9:44] And we must guard against being so quick to turn our back on what God has done. Verse 24, 15, it says, and the people murmured against Moses. They said, what should we drink? And even while we're complaining, God has a solution for it.
[9:57] He provided something for them, 15, 24. So I ask you, do you ever think that God is allowing some things to happen in your life to see if you will remember him, that you will go to him?
[10:09] Do you ever stop to consider that if he did great things before, he'll do it again? I mean, if God could take a seat and split it, I'm sure he can make water be provided for you and I.
[10:20] If it's going to turn bitter water into sweet in these times in your life, you just need to wait and trust in him. And we learn these things from the past and these experiences that we continue to see that God is good to us and that we should continue to do right during these hard times of being tested.
[10:38] So what decisions will you make right now that will help you control your thoughts and not turn from singing to complaining so quickly as they have done? So we ended 15 with one instance kind of just in a few verses.
[10:52] They complain. God gave a solution. God's showing that he is the provider. But then again, they find themselves in the same problem. All right, God, you took care of our water problem, but now we have a problem with food.
[11:03] What are you going to do about it? And so God hears our complaining. Verses 7, 8, and 9, it says, He heareth your murmurings in verse 7. Verse 8, towards the middle of it, for he that the Lord heareth your murmurings.
[11:16] Verse 9, for he has heard your murmurings. Verse number 12, it's going to say it again. That is a very convicting and sobering passage for me. You know, when you pray with little kids or if you're somewhere and it's time to pray for the meal, you don't like for people to goof off.
[11:31] I don't like for my kids to say goofy things during prayer time. They can do it any other time, and they do. But during prayer time, we speak reverently to God. We speak respectfully. We close our eyes.
[11:42] We bow our head. And because we know in that moment that God hears them. So sometimes I'll be sitting at the kitchen table knowing that God is listening to my prayers and wanting my kids to speak in a certain way.
[11:53] But then there's other times when they go to bed that I'm sitting at the kitchen table complaining and murmuring and having a pity party, totally forgetting that God didn't leave the room, that God still hears our murmuring.
[12:05] It's amazing that God would hear our prayers. And it's convicting to know that he hears everything else. I heard your murmuring, people. I heard what you said about me. It was about me.
[12:15] It wasn't about Moses. It wasn't about your authority. You were speaking about me. You have a problem with me, people. And he tells them that he hears them there, and it's that full-blown rebellion. If you kind of look at the anatomy of the complaint, you see here that it's misdirected.
[12:29] They understood, again, that Israel's grumbling against his leaders is really a distrust of God's providence. Students on Sunday have been learning about authority structure, and they've learned that it's a big myth that when you get older, you don't get to do whatever you want.
[12:43] That's a big myth, that when you move from being an adolescent to adult, nobody gets to do whatever they want. There's always somebody that you answer to, and all of us are the same in here. Yes, spiritual leaders we should support.
[12:56] We submit to those that have rollovers, that look out for us, that care for us. But it also applies to all authorities in your life, at work and outside of work, inside of the family. And so it's misdirected.
[13:07] So they're complaining about God by acting like they're complaining about somebody else. But God knows better than that. Also, it changes their perspective about the past. In complaining, we fabricate what the past used to look like.
[13:19] We make things look better in the past than they were, or we make things look worse than they are. We're not honest with ourselves when we get to complaining. And then they even go as far to question motives of Moses.
[13:30] So Moses, which had delivered them and taken them out of Egypt, they're like, Moses, did you bring us here to kill us? Man, I would not like that. I'd be like, see you later. Yes, I'm out. All right? And you see Moses' love in numbers when he says that, when God says, I'm going to get rid of these people.
[13:45] And he said, God, for your glory, for your sake, I beseech you, that the people are watching. God, he loved these people, but these people were complaining. It might have been like, did you bring us here to kill us?
[13:55] Was that your plan or your poor? Your leadership is so bad, you've got to kill us. You know, that's pretty hard, isn't it? You ever leading something, somebody that says, this is so bad, you're going to get us all killed.
[14:07] You know, that would be the ultimate insult about the way you're doing your job. And that's what they did. They said, you are so incompetent. You and Aaron have brought us out here, and now you're going to kill us.
[14:18] Six weeks in, and at least their second occurrence of grumbling is going on here. But as I've already said to you, God has a gracious response to these people. They're complaining against him, which no man has the right to speak in that way towards God, especially no man whose understanding his redemption has.
[14:36] But then he said unto them, behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, and I will prove them whether they will walk in my law or no.
[14:46] So every time we see God in the Bible respond, we should learn something about him, and we should learn that he is gracious. I have been in very minuscule opportunities where the person complaining against me has said something against my character, and I have not responded graciously.
[15:06] The creator God of heaven who created these people and were meeting their needs, he responds graciously to them. What an example to us. In what scenario do you not think that you can respond to somebody graciously?
[15:19] Can you bring an example where somebody was more wrong about you? Because honestly, as humans, whatever complaint anybody would have against me has some truth into it. You know, if they say, Trent, I'm mad at you because you're selfish, I'd say, yeah, you're probably right, I am selfish.
[15:34] Or Trent, you didn't think this through. I'm like, yeah, you're right, I probably didn't think it through like I could. But you don't bring any of that to God and say that. They had no footing to stand upon. And then he graciously responds to them.
[15:47] We don't see that anymore. Everywhere you go, you see angry people looking for an opportunity to just be vengeful. I have an opportunity. You hear the thunder because I'm about to rain down upon you, and that's all they need.
[16:02] Sometimes I don't ever honk my horn. I want to, you know, because I'm always wondering, is this an appropriate time to honk the horn? If I honk the horn and then I realize that it wasn't their fault, it was my fault, and then I get around them and I'm going to feel bad.
[16:15] But sometimes I take a breath of air. I'm like, I have a legitimate reason to lay on my horn. And then I just do it. And then I do, and I start to drive by. Then I'm thinking, why did you do that?
[16:27] It didn't feel that good. They're going to look at you now. Or they're going to go to the same store that you went to. But for that moment, for some reason, I love to say, hey, you're the moron today, buddy.
[16:37] It's not me, all right? And I love to lay on that horn because we love to be vengeful and we love to let people know, hey, today you failed and it wasn't me today.
[16:48] And we feel like that, and we shouldn't be like that. Honk your horn. It's needed. You can't drive in some countries without honking your horn. Missionaries, honk your horn. You won't get anywhere without it. So here we go.
[16:58] So six days a week, 312 days a year, six days because they're going to collect enough before the Sabbath for it. For 40 years, he's going to give them bread. Six days a week, 312 or so days a year.
[17:11] For 40 years, he is going to give them bread. And he's also going to meet their spiritual need every one of those days. Every day he's going to meet their physical needs and he's going to meet their spiritual needs.
[17:23] He provides food and rest. And this begins a plan of discipleship. He provides what they need materially and spiritually. And he tells them, I'm going to rain bread here upon you.
[17:34] Notice that God's plan in the wilderness will be to disciple them and his providence by providing daily bread. He will teach them day after day to trust his providence by day after day, raining on them his bread.
[17:46] Isn't that a wonderful thing? I mean, what is greater to have such an abundance that you never have to go and ask God for something or that every day know that he provided it for you? Can you think of any meal that's greater than sitting by a river and knowing that God fed you by the ravens like the prophet of the Old Testament?
[18:03] To know that. And if you have an abundance in your house or whatever and you eat, he still provided it for you. He just provided it in advance. But it's hard for you to remember that. And it comes to you.
[18:14] And his presence was there. I'm going to meet your needs daily because I want to meet your spiritual needs daily. I'm going to give it to you as you need. And he gave them a test. He said, some of you are going to go gather up more than you need.
[18:24] But his presence was going to be there as well. I always joked with my mom. As you know, she was a widow as I was a teenager. My stepdad had passed away in teenage years.
[18:35] And we always joked with her because the swan's man, that truck, would come by. You know what the swan's truck is, the big silver truck that comes by? And I always, my sister would joke and say, you never order more food than we need because you like to see the swan's man, don't you?
[18:50] And he came by and she always made sure she had an order for the swan's man. And she would hate this illustration. So we'll know if my mom listens to this one as well. But she liked the person providing the food.
[19:02] She liked the company. She liked talking to it. And why would we not think it's a wonderful thing that our God would provide for us daily that he would give us what he needs? Because he gave us his presence with it as well.
[19:12] And so he's going to test them. He says, will they obey him in terms of specific instructions on A, collecting only what they need for the day, and B, not collecting on the Sabbath day? He establishes a plan to address their heart attitude of Israel and the situation.
[19:28] I thought about getting a cow's heart and showing you what is one of the most dangerous things in the Christian life. And it's showing you this heart and saying a selfish, ungrateful heart is such a dangerous thing because it goes completely against your mission statement in life to bring glory and praise to God.
[19:44] But then I realized I'd have to eat the heart or do something good with it. And they're really gross. Verses 6 through 10. So here we've got the complaining going on. We have God's gracious response. And then the message, will it be received?
[19:56] Verses 6 through 10. And Moses and Aaron said unto the children of Israel, And even when you shall know that the Lord has brought you out from the land of Egypt, and in the morning then you shall see the glory of the Lord.
[20:07] First time that expression is mentioned in the Bible. The glory of the Lord. And when are they going to see the glory of the Lord? In a daily provision. That's awesome. For he that heareth your murmurings against the Lord, what are we that you murmur against us?
[20:21] And Moses said, This shall be when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full. For that the Lord heareth your murmurings which you murmur against him. And what are we?
[20:32] Your murmurings are not against us, but they are against the Lord. And Moses spake unto Aaron and said, Say unto the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your murmurings.
[20:42] And it came to pass as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation. Of the children of Israel that they looked towards the wilderness. Behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
[20:53] So he states the purpose there of what he is going to do. You shall know that the Lord has brought you from the land of Egypt. He tells them this is the whole reason God is going to display his provision for the people.
[21:04] And he will display his glory in that provision. And God is revealing his essential nature and his character here. As I've already said, it's the first mention of the glory of the Lord. And he does it by providing food for them on that day.
[21:17] And he deals out daily provision. He calls them near to him, as it said in verse number 9. And when he does, he says, I've heard what you have to say. Gather up, my children. I've heard what you said.
[21:30] And I'm going to provide for you. I'm going to give you what you're complaining about because I don't know what you need. But I'm going to give you what you don't even know that you need. I'm going to give you a constant reminder that I am your provider.
[21:41] And he lets them know this, that it's not just bread. In Deuteronomy chapter number 8, Moses is interpreting what's happening here in this story. And what God's trying to teach them. In verse 8 of chapter 8, he says, He humbled them and suffered them the hunger and fed them with manna, which thou knewest not.
[21:58] But neither did thy fathers know that ye might make thee know that man doeth not live by bread only, but everywhere that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
[22:09] He says, guys, you need more than bread. And I'm going to provide both of them. Provision and presence. And then Jesus, in quoting Moses in Deuteronomy chapter number 8, he looked at it maybe a month ago, and the temptation there in the wilderness.
[22:22] He says, in quoting Moses, that man doesn't live by bread alone, but everywhere that proceeds out of the mouth of the Father. And it's not that we just need food. The food shows up as that God is the provider of that food.
[22:35] Then verse number 11, The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I've heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, and speak to them, saying, At even you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.
[22:48] He says, I am going to be your provider. In verse number 15, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. Before it happens, he says, I've heard you, and I'm going to meet your need.
[22:59] And when it happens, you should recognize where it comes from. And so let's take a close look at him as the provider tonight, before we leave and we pray here in a second. Because it's not about manna.
[23:09] It's not about quail. It's about a relationship with the provider. What did they need? They needed to know that God was their provider. Yeah, they needed provision. But they needed to know that God was the provider, and he does that by providing it for them.
[23:23] This phrase, you hear the murmurings there, lets them know, I'm here. I'm very much aware of what's going on. Later on, it's called the bread of heaven, is what manna is called.
[23:35] You know, the word manna just really means, what is it? When they went out there, they picked it up, and they said, what is this? The word is manna. What is this? And so they called it, what is this? They didn't know.
[23:45] And Moses has to tell them, this is what God said he would provide for us. He told them in advance it was coming. Then when it came, they went out there, and they said, what is all this stuff on the ground?
[23:56] And he says, that's what God said he was going to provide for you. And then he gives them a test, a quantity control. Get what you need. Measure it out. Don't take more, because that's all about the heart.
[24:07] Why is it like that? Was it that God had shortage of manna in heaven? And he says, guys, I only have enough for all of you this day. No, he's working on the heart. He says, I'm going to see if you will just take what I provide for you trusting.
[24:19] Because what did the person who took more than they needed on a day say to God? They said, God, I know that you provided for me the day, but I can't trust you for tomorrow, so I will not pass this test, and I will gather.
[24:33] Where does our complaining come from? It's reaching out and wanting for today, you're wanting tomorrow and the next day and many years out. But looking at what you have today and say, God, what you provided for me is wonderful.
[24:45] But you say, God, what you've given me today isn't going to be enough for ten years. And he says, that's fine, because I'm going to be with you for ten years. So I don't have to give it to you here, because he wants a relationship with us and his provision.
[24:57] Now, let's look at John chapter number 6 together. John chapter 6 is 28, one of my favorite verses. The people in the crowd gather around Jesus. He had already fed them.
[25:08] There's a large gathering, one of the 5,000 gatherings, and they come there. And they ask this question in verse number 28. I hope all of you will turn there and take note of this, because this is where the story of daily provision and the Old Testament comes really to life to you today, because you're not looking for manna and you're not looking for quail, but you still have a daily dose that God has provided for you that ought to cause you to praise his name.
[25:31] In John chapter number 6, number 28, they ask this question. Then they said, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? And I think that's just a great question. Brandon goes around presenting in churches, and he loves to find a teenager that would say, what do I have to do to do the works of God?
[25:48] What do I have to do to get involved in this thing? But they weren't paying attention, because in chapter 6, 26, just two verses before, Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and you were filled.
[26:04] He says, you guys came here and you didn't want me. You just wanted this provision. You just wanted the bread. You just wanted the meat. But you didn't want me in your life. He states it again in verse number 29.
[26:15] He says, Jesus answered and said, This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent. They came up and he says, guys, you don't want me. You don't believe in me. You just believe in what you can see.
[26:27] And you want to have your bellies filled here. You want to do the works of God. Then you've got to trust in me. That's what you do. You trust in me. You put your faith in me as the Messiah. I do not only meet physical needs, but I'm the only one who can meet your spiritual needs, is what he was telling them.
[26:43] But this silly crowd responds by saying this. Listen to what they said to the creator of the universe. What are you going to do? They said unto them, therefore unto him, What side shouldst thou then that you may see and believest thee?
[26:57] What is our work? O Father, our fathers that eat man in the desert, as is written, he gave them bread from heaven that eat. They said, hey, we know about Moses. Moses came and he fed our fathers and he gave provision.
[27:11] What are you going to give to us? What are you going to do to meet our needs? Because Moses gave out bread. And listen now, Jesus responds. Very lightning strikes.
[27:22] And he says, then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not the bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. He was interpreting it the same way Moses did.
[27:33] Moses didn't make that for you. He didn't meet your needs. But the God of heaven did. Verse 33 continues, says, For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world.
[27:44] He says, I am the bread of life. I am going to satisfy your every need. What am I going to give you? I am going to give you my life and my all.
[27:57] Then they respond in verse number 4, and they said this, and I hope this is what you would say, Then said they unto him, Lord evermore, give us this bread. Give us this bread.
[28:09] They said, you, that is what we want. That is what we've been hungry for. That is what would satisfy us. So pay close attention. This is life-changing truth. Not just to those that are in the desert in Exodus, or those that are standing around Jesus in the New Testament, but every one of you in this room, right now in Alpharetta, verse 35, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life.
[28:33] He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Just that God has provided, so there's no need to complain. God has provided, so there's no murmuring.
[28:46] I hear about orphanage in the World War II, a story I read, and how the kids couldn't sleep at night, because they weren't worried about bread the next day, so they would cut off bread, and the kids would hold the bread, so that they could sleep at night, because they would know, they would have something to eat, when they wake up, as we have the presence of God.
[29:04] And even though you might have only had enough bread, and meat for the day, the glory of the Lord is in the clouds, and He's right there, and He's got His presence. We don't have to have enough food, and bread for tomorrow, because the provider is going to be there.
[29:15] We don't have to have it for 10 years out, because God said, He is going to be there for us. And so I'm going to read to you Psalm 78, verse 6, and encourage you to pray in your seat there, and say, God, remove my ungrateful heart, remove my complaining, let me see you as a provider, let me stop doing inventory, of my stuff, and saying, this ain't going to last forever, I'm going to complain, and recognize that we have a provider there for us.
[29:41] Psalm 78, we'll start in verse number 6, but can God provide a table in the wilderness? And your answer to that, will determine so much about your opportunity, to do the work of God.
[29:52] Do you believe that God can provide a table, in the wilderness, will determine, if you get to be involved in doing the works of God. Psalm 78, 6, that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born, who shall arise and declare to them their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments, and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that has set not their heart aright, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
[30:23] Oh, I pray that that's not our hearts tonight. The children of Ephraim, being armed and carried bows, turned back in the day of battle, they kept not the covenant of God, and refused the walk of the law, and forgot His works, and His wonders that had shelled them, marvelous things did He, in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
[30:39] He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters to stand as a heap. In the daytime also, He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. He claimed the rocks in the wilderness, and He gave them drink, as out of the great depth.
[30:53] He brought streams also out of the rocks, and caused waters to run down like rivers, and they sinned yet more against Him, by provoking the Most High in the wilderness, and they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust.
[31:05] Yea, they spake against God, and said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? They get to a point, and they're hungry, the redemption has happened, and they're there, and they have to make a choice.
[31:18] And you know what they should have done? They should have done, as George Mueller, they should have set the table, they should have sat down, and they should have said, God, our provider, will prepare a table in the wilderness, and He will take care of us.
[31:32] And in that moment, when we sit at that table, and we say, God, You alone will provide, You alone are worthy of praise, they chose option B, which is the sin, and they complain, and they say, God, this is beyond what You can do.
[31:46] God, we are complaining. You're not a good provider, and that's what complaining does. This week, we got an email from somebody, who didn't like that a gospel literature, was put upon their door, and they said, You're going to force your religion upon us, because you know, those pieces of paper, are so hard to fight, that it causes people, to change their belief system.
[32:06] But He says, You're going to force your religion on us, so I'm going to send you an email, and He says, it was something about the church of Satan. You know, none of us would want to be involved in that, and that is so far from us.
[32:17] But when we're complaining, who is it that we think, that we are praising? When we're complaining, who is it that we are showing allegiance to? Who is it that we are defaming? Who is it that our hearts are moving away from?
[32:30] And it's the God of heaven. And it's saying, God, you can't provide a table here, and so I'm going to complain, and I will look for somebody else to meet my need. So let's come full circle here, unless you think that I got off track about complaining.
[32:45] But this is the opposite side of the track, going in the other direction. You're complaining and grumbling. My complaining and grumbling is being heard by God. It's not against your circumstances, but it's against the goodness of God.
[32:56] He is the provider. You need Him more than you need anything else. Believe on Him and be quiet. Believe on Him and be quiet. You know, there's a saying, if you can't think of anything good to say, then don't say anything at all.
[33:11] In my house, if you have nothing good to say, then you need to repent, because you're a spoiled brat, and you need to remove the sin in your life, so you can see a holy and just God.
[33:22] The kids haven't really caught on to it yet, but that's really what it is. If you have nothing good to say, then what? That's crazy. If you have nothing good to say, then you need to repent, and remove the sin in your life, and recognize that our God is a provider, because as redeemed people, people, we always have something good to say.
[33:42] We always have something good to talk about. Do you think the provision for them to eat was not coming? Do you really think that God took them out there to kill them? Their ungrateful hearts changed the way they received the gift.
[33:55] Don't complain. Just look up. They should have been expecting it because God is good, not because they earned something, because of the step of faith they have taken. God said, you think you need provision, but what you need is you need to recognize that I'm your provider.
[34:09] In here today, I don't know what you're complaining about. There's a million different things you can complain about, and you think your circumstances need to change, so you'll stop complaining, but the answer is you need to take another look at your provider, and the world is watching us, and they need to know that we have the best provider.
[34:27] We have the only true provider, and what he gives us with his scarred hands will satisfy us, and we need nothing else. Our daily bread, he is here. When we came to him, he said, God, we need something.
[34:39] He says, you have me, and I will satisfy you. So no matter what lack of resources you have, or no matter how bad things are out of control, you have been given Jesus, and he satisfied your needs.
[34:51] So don't be involved in praise to the opposing team. Don't be complaining and bringing fame to Satan when it belongs to our holy and triune God. So would you find a place there, make that your altar, or make this your altar, or make this your altar, or make this your altar, and say, God, I see you as my all-sufficient provider.
[35:10] Forgive my heart for the complaining and murmuring, because I know you hear me, and with your help, you will not hear it any longer. Heavenly Father, thank you for your word.
[35:21] Lord, I needed this so much, but you knew this. Lord, I pray right now for my brothers and sisters that we will get a clear view of you as a provider, that we will be people that do not murmur and complain, but we are a people that in the middle of the wilderness, we will set a table, knowing that you will provide for us, because you will never stop loving us, you will never stop being gracious, you will never stop being who you are.
[35:47] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfredo, Georgia. For more information, log on to www.visionbaptist.com, where you can find our service times, location, contact information, and more audio and video recording.