Lent IV

Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread."

I. To receive it with thanksgiving

LSC "God indeed gives daily bread to all men, even to the wicked, without our prayer; but we pray in this petition that He would lead us to acknowledge our daily bread as His gift, and to receive it with thanksgiving."

A. The result of failing to give thanks

1. Romans 1:21 - wrath results from failure to honor God as God, or give Him thanks

2. World map - see the direct relationship of honoring God as Father and provider with need and disaster - i.e. Haiti

3. Our future ?????

B. Our attitude in prayer

1. Ephesians 5:18-20 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

3. I Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

C. Contentment

1. I Timothy 6:6-12 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2. James 3:14-18 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

3. I Timothy 3:3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

4. Matthew 6:25-35 v.33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

5. Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

II. Daily bread

LSC "What is meant by daily bread? Everything that is required to satisfy our bodily needs; such as food and raiment, house and home, fields and flocks, money and goods; pious parents, children, and servants; godly and faithful rulers, good government; seasonable weather, peace and health; order and honor; true friends, good neighbors, and the like."

A. Provisions - food, clothing, house, home, fields (work place), flock (work), money, goods

B. Relationships - pious parents, children, servants; godly and faithful rulers, good government

C. Environment - seasonable weather, peace, health, order, honor

D. Community - true friends, good neighbors

III. Financial faithfulness

A. The Old Testament tithe

1. Leviticus 27:30 "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD….’”

2. Deuteronomy 14:22 “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.”

3. Deuteronomy 26:13 “Then say to the LORD your God: "I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.”

4. Malachi 3:6-12 “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.
"But you ask, 'How are we to return?'

      "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
      "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
      "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

B. The New Testament principles for giving

1. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.:

2. I Corinthians 16:1, 2 Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

a. First day of every week – regular

b. Set aside a sum – deliberate

c. in keeping with his income - proportionate

C. The tithe today

"What is meant by daily bread? Everything that is required to satisfy our bodily needs; such as food and raiment, house and home, fields and flocks, money and goods; pious parents, children, and servants; godly and faithful rulers, good government; seasonable weather, peace and health; order and honor; true friends, good neighbors, and the like."