1. Are you satisfied with God’s Gift?
Adapted from “The Sermon Notebook” by Alan Carr

2. Numbers 11 verses 1-17 Other readings Exodus Chapter 16

3. Have you ever received an unwanted gift?
How did you respond?
We express our gratitude because it is the right thing to do!
Thank You

4. Joy is in giving not receiving
How would you feel if the gift you gave was rejected out of hand?
Rejection causes hurt!
And yet ...
And this is exactly what happened with God’s gift to the Israelites

5. God’s will for us We commit circumstances to God
“It is all in God’s hands”
“God is in control”
“In His time ....”
Those are statements of espoused faith and trust

6. God’s path for us
God leads us to follow His stepping stones to His desired will for us
God led the Israelites, his chosen people, through the desert to the promised land
Sometimes, and often, the path / stepping stones that God leads us through seem like the wilderness
Confusing
Characterised by hardship
Why?

7. But we say we trust God
And yet we question and criticise the stepping stones that we find ourselves on.
We question or criticise the circumstances we find ourselves in.
For example:
God gives us work but we criticise our employer
God gives us a life partner but we take him/her for granted and we become selfish in our relationships
God gives us “manna” but we complain about it
We long / wish for something else!
We say we trust but our actions say something else

8. Are we rejecting God’s gift?
Lessons from the Israelites in the desert
What is the application in our lives today?

9. They encountered a grave dilemma
The Children of Israel had a legitimate need
2million people needed water and food in a desert environment
They were pilgrims (on the move) so could not raise crops
Livestock could not reproduce at a rate sufficient to sustain them

10. Hopeless situation that needed divine intervention

11. Their reaction?
Instead of trusting God , they murmured and complained against Moses and Aaron and therefore against God.
They looked for solutions outside of God’s provision
They tried to solve a legitimate need with an illegitimate solution

12. A picture of lost humanity
In this setting the children of Israel are a good picture of lost humanity
As lost people live their day to day lives, they have needs, most of which, with God’s gracious providence, they can take care of themselves
They also have needs, however, that they can never meet on their own – the needs of the afterlife.
Lost people need spiritual bread and spiritual water and a spiritual shelter for their souls
Legitimate needs cannot be met through illegitimate means
Spiritual needs must be met through spiritual means.
The true meaning of life cannot be found in pleasure, alcohol, drugs etc but only in Jesus Christ

13. Experiencing God’s Manna
God sent them manna – everything they needed to sustain them for 40 years and beyond
We say God knows best but how do we really respond?

14. They experienced a Gracious deliverance
They experienced God’s mercy
Despite their grumbling and longing for what they had in Egypt, God reached out to them in undeserved love and gave them the food they needed
The same applies to us
We have received more than we deserve
God’s grace in our lives abounds but the question is how do we respond?
Never doubt the grace and mercy of God. It is the only reason that you and I have made it thus far in life!

15. Understanding the Manna
Manna points ahead to Jesus, the real Bread from Heaven
Jesus compared himself to the Manna in John 6 verse 35

16. Things to note about the Manna
It was small – speaks of Christ’s humility
It was round – speaks of Christ’s eternal nature
It was white – speaks of Christ’s sinless, holy nature
It came at night – Jesus came to a world lost in spiritual darkness and gave them light and life
It was misunderstood by those who found it? – Manna means “what is it?”. Jesus was misunderstood by the very people He came to save
It was sufficient for every man’s need – reminds us that Jesus is the all sufficient Saviour. He meets the need of every man’s soul
It was sweet to taste – all those who receive Jesus as their Saviour find Him to be sweet to the soul and satisfying to life
Psalm 34:8 “taste and see that the Lord is good”
It was to be kept and passed on to others – Jesus is to be kept in our hearts and shared with those who cross our path
Taking the Word out to the world!

17. Just as He did for Israel, God has provided us with everything we need for good spiritual health and perfect satisfaction. Jesus, and Jesus alone, can save and satisfy the soul Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved”

18. They exhibited a great disappointment
God sent the Manna everyday, faithfully, sufficiently and graciously
But ... Israel did not appreciate the gracious gift of God
They wanted more!
They longed back for their Egypt days
The provisions of Egypt deemed to be superior to the Gifts of Eternal God
Does this explain why we grumble about our circumstances despite saying that we trust in God? Do you long for your Egypt days – those days before you were saved and the worldly pleasures that you experienced? Is this still your baseline of happiness and peace?

19. They tampered with the Manna
In verse 8 we read that they tampered with the Manna in many ways to make it more appealing to their taste but their efforts only robbed the Manna of its sweetness and left it tasting like oil. When it was tampered with it lost its ability to satisfy
What a picture of the Gospel of Christ!!!

20. Alan Carr states ....
“When the Gospel is accepted and taken in just as God gave it, it has the power to bring life out of death. It has the power to convert the sinner and save the soul. It has the power to alter one’s eternity. It has the power to make all the difference in the world! But, when it is tampered with, it loses it’s power to save! When the Gospel is added to, or when parts are taken away from it, it cannot convert the soul! Yet, so many people and churches today are guilty of tampering with the Gospel. They grind it, they beat it, they bake it all in an effort to make it more appealing to the flesh! But, it will never work! The Gospel was never sent to make man feel better about himself! The Gospel was given to show man that he is a sinner in need of a Savior! The Gospel was given to show man that he is guilty before God and is in danger of the judgment of God in the fires of Hell! The Gospel is not pleasing to the flesh! It is openly opposed to the flesh. It stands in sharp contrast to the world!”

21. The Gospel of Grace
People, churches and denominations can alter or interpret the gospel anyway they wish, but they rob the power from the gospel when they do
Apartheid
Homosexuality
Divorce
Pre-marital sex
The truth cannot be adapted and modified!
The gospel of grace is just what the name implies. It is God moving on a lost heart, calling that person to come to Him by faith and when they do, He eternally saves them and changes their life and eternal destiny.
You need nothing more so please stop grumbling

22. The Judgement by the Giver
God was not pleased and He judged them severely for their lack of gratitude.
Their rejection of God brought a high price and many perished in the desert
Not all

23. Our application of the lesson
You can have another plan if you like
You don’t have to receive Jesus
You don’t have to be satisfied with Him or with what He has given you
You can modify God’s gospel as you like
BUT ....
Everything you try will fail in the end & you will still face the judgement of Almighty God

24. TO RECEIVE HIS GIFT, HIS MANNA,
There is only one way to avoid facing God’s judgement
TO RECEIVE HIS GIFT, HIS MANNA,
JESUS CHRIST
God is offering every lost person an opportunity to be saved
An opportunity to come to Jesus, to receive him and have your sins forgiven and be granted eternal life

25. Is GOD calling you today? PLEASE DO NOT REJECT HIS GIFT