Yesterday's Manna

You have your Bibles with you turn with me if you want to second Samuel chapter 21 were looking at verses 15 through 22, there was war between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with the servants. My father gives the Philistines and David grew weary and issue of being up one of the descendents of the giant whose fear white 300 shekels of bronze and who was armed with the new sword thought to kill David vitiate the sun is a roux. I came to his aid attack. The Philistine killing then David's man swore to him, you shall no longer go out with us to battle lest you quench the lamp of Israel after this there was again war of the Philistines, a gob, then so Buckeye. The full the Hoosier type strike down staff who was one of the descendents of the Giants and there was again war with the Philistines that job Culhane and the son of Gerard Oregon.

The Bethel might strike down Goliath, the get tight, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam and there was again war at Gath where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand, six toes on each foot. 24 and number. He also was descended from the Giants and when he taunted Israel. Jonathan, the son of Jimmy David's brother striking down these four were descended from the Johnson Gath. They fail by the hand of David by the hand of the servants that with me as we got our Lord in prayer.

Heavenly father, we have several today that we want to continue to lift up to you. We pray for the Ifor family having experienced the death of our of our brother Martin just about 10 days ago.

Lord I pray for that family for specially for TM and Charles and Kathy and their and Kim's children Lord is they are still deeply grieving over the death of Martin.

We asked father that you give them comfort put into their heart that peace that passes all understanding.

We pray for Barry Bailey, Lord, as he is in the hospital and still struggling with the effects of Cody Witt still having lung problems. We pray for his healing. We pray heavenly father. A prayer of thanksgiving for Rick DeVore.

We thank you Lord for answered prayer. We thank you Lord that he is able to be with us worshiping you today and we thank you Lord for healing him heavenly father we are looking at issue today that most of us deal with often the problem of depending on yesterday's manna didn't work for the Israelites. It didn't work for David and it won't work for us. Father, we need fresh manna every day. We need to quit living on the high of our past spiritual experiences and trust you for today's journey. Lord, give us wisdom give us insight, may we learn from David's mistakes and avoid them. Our sales father, help me to feed your flock in grace today and more than anything. Help me to exalt Jesus. What is in the precious name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. You may be seated. In Exodus chapter 16 we read the story of the Israelites getting their first taste of manna God spoke to Moses and God said to Moses that he was every day going to send manna from heaven, and the manna from heaven would be nutritious. It would be tasting it would be good for them to eat and he said they can they can get all they want. They can eat all they want, but there's a stipulation that stipulation is that they cannot save the manna from one day to the next. They must trust God for new manna every day and the only day they can get extra manna would be on the day before the Sabbath, so they will have to work on the Sabbath day, but that's the stipulation God gave them, and so Moses went back in to gather the people together and he said God has gloriously done a miracle on our behalf. He is going to see an manna for us to eat every day.

We can eat all we want, we can have all we wall and and we can get all we won't, but we cannot save the manna from one day to the next. Guess what is really immediately the first day whether they do they go out to gather up manna. They like the way a taste so they get their balls in their pots and pans their jars and expel them all up and they try to save the manna. What happens will I get up the next day and that manna is rotten and it's got worms all in it and is stinking like crazy folks what's taken place.

There is this. That's the sin nature of man, God gives the command and immediately there is disobedience. I remember when I was eight years old. My sister Carol was three and we were in the backseat of my dad's car and I was picking on her and she was starting to cry and whine and my dad look back at us with one of those looks and he said I don't want to hear another Pete I do you. And if you do send him to take you out and spank you.

He turned back around and it was like I just couldn't help it and I said Pete. That was the wrong thing to do. He pulled my car over and took me out and boy I got a spanking but that is exactly what Israel is doing God gave him instruction told them what not to do and they went ahead and they did it anyway.

Let's Israel learned a lesson you came be nourished today with yesterday's manna you need a fresh supply of manna every single day. You can't live on the high of past victories you need a new touch from God every single day. This is why try to encourage you all the time to to get very serious about daily Bible study. We need a new touch from God, a new word from God every single day. Rev. Rev. Jack Taylor said it will and he made this statement.

He said the greatest hindrance of the work of God in your life today could be the work of God he did in your life yesterday. What he mean by that he meant that our flesh is lazy and we too easily get satisfied with what God is done for us in the past and and so we we get go at we enjoy that we get used to that and we quit pursuing God in the present 90s, I would've what is it mean to pursue God line of the best way for me to pursue God is to pray in the another best way for me to pursue God is to get into the Scripture let it speak to my heart each day. I can't tell you what time of the day is best to do a Bible study for you but for me it's very early in the morning. I like to get up eat a quick breakfast and immediately go to prayer and then after my prayer goes straight to the word of God to find out what God's challenges for me today what his word for me today. What is comfort for me yesterday and maybe what his conviction is for me for that day.

I need to do that a few weeks ago we gave out a little study plan a Bible study plan that Eugene worked up called journey through the word. It's a great little Bible study. Study plan and it will hold you accountable if you don't have a plan that you're using right now. I would encourage you with all my heart to use it.

I believe God will honor it and you may be asking said necklaces got to do. David and second Samuel chapter 21, we see a colossal failure and is is a failure that almost cost David his life. Why did David fail. I think David failed. Here, because he was depending on yesterday's manna now if I would ask you today to tell me that the name of the giant that David followed. I have a feeling that I know what you'd say it's all that's an easy question. David talk a lot. That's the giant that he thought was true.

He did, but did you realize there was another giant that David fault. His name was issued for being up and who ever heard issued by being up. We don't talk about him doing well is Rubino was the either the son of Goliath. He might've been just grandson of Goliath, but he was one of his descendents folks when David went to fight Goliath. It was a major glorious victory, but when he went to fight issued Rubino. It was a terrible, horrible, almost fatal disaster.

My question is what happened, why is it that that we shout with joy about David's struggle and fight with Goliath and we almost we about David's David's finiteness struggle with his Rubino. Well, let's take a look first at yesterday's victory and let me just quickly reiterate the biblical narrative I David is out watching over the sheep that belonged to his dad is out in the past year working with them and David has brothers that are all older than him. Some of them are in the military, and they know they are working for for Saul's army and they are out there on the battlefield. Right at that moment, and they are trying to protect Israel from the Philistines. They will Israel to have peace answer David's dad Jesse goes to David and he wants to minister to his older sons. Thereafter, on the battlefield and he says David, I want you to take food to them and he gives him a big, picnic basket and is filled with all this nutritious, tasty food and he says you take this to them and encourage them and get them to eat this so that they will be nourished and be strong to have everything that they need to to get along and to get to get better into and to win that battle. David goes out on the battlefield, he finds them and he went out, expecting that he might see hand-to-hand combat on the battlefield. That's not what he seems. Instead of C in hand-to-hand combat. He sees the entire Israelite army cowering from this John 10 foot tall Philistine giant warrior whose name is Goliath I Goliath is standard on the Healy stream and I out at the Israelite army this cowering before him and he's he screaming at them is calling them names. He's laughing at their plight. He's blaspheming their God and is humiliating them just leaving them in that humiliation.

Goliath is challenging them and he does it for 40 days in a row. He says we don't need to fight a battle country between country we can do in a representative fashion. He said I will fight for for the Philistines you get your greatest warrior bringing about thinking fight against me. We will fight together one on one, and whoever wins that battle, then the land belongs to them and so that's what we want to do it if I we end in the Philistines take the land if if your man your greatest warrior wins, then the Israelites get the land at the end of Goliath.

40 days.

David shows up. David is not expecting what he heard.

Here's this Philistine giant cursing the armies of Israel and blaspheming his God. David gets mad. I want you know this is not a sinful anger. This is righteous indignation and David starts asking questions to the Israelite soldiers and he said why doesn't somebody stop this godless blowhard, Omar, what are you doing cowering like like just a silly little girls. What are you doing that why you letting this kind of blasphemy go along but some want you to know this is not David be in macho. I want you to know this is not human courage that we see in David this is righteous indignation that comes from David's deep fear of God in reverence of God and David steps up and he challenges the Israelite soldiers who is this uncircumcised size Philistine that is define the armies of the living God and the next thing that happened, I think shocked David for his older brother.

The oldest one a lie steps up and jumps all over David for taking this strong stance for God to Mrs. White a minute, wait a minute, is this is not some little white thing that's going on here that we can just ignore this is a very serious matter. Our God is being blasphemed and somebody needs to take a stand, but David is entering spiritual warfare here and one of the first things that David has to learn is this sometimes in spiritual warfare you have to stand alone. Sometimes you're going to have friends you can have family you have.

Even church members that are not gonna be willing to pay the price that you're willing to pay. This can happen with spouses and I've seen it, they could happen with spouses when you got one spouse it's committed to God, and committed to truth you got another spy on this, compromising, and that the spouse is compromising will come and put the heat on the other spouse in the compromising spouse will say you while you always have to be a fanatic you always act holier than thou. You turn people off with your false piety. Why don't you just get a life you know that hurts when it's the devil's crowd making a statement to you like that when it's your family when it's your loved one when it's your good friend when it's a church member. It's really tough. David did not let alive discourage him and Saul heard what David was saying.

And Saul called David in and he said I want to talk to you and they sat down and and for same.

Chapter 17 verse 3202. Listen to what David said to Saul, you should let no man's heart fail because of him, your servant will go and fight the Philistine brothers and sisters. That's an important step in spiritual warfare. To refuse to be intimidated by the naysayers to stand up and say I will obey God, come hell or high water, I will obey God no matter what the cost is listen to Paul's teaching on the armor of God, and in Ephesians chapter 6 as I go through these verses, I want you to notice how often the word stand is mentioned.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power. This might put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities and rules of darkness this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take into you the whole armor of God, that you may withstand in that evil day, and having done all, to stand stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness.

I don't have time to expand on fully owned David spiritual warfare here but it started out with David's being willing to stand against the negative opposition. That's the first thing that he had to do. The second thing that he had to do was to rehearse past victories that's different from depending on yesterday's manna what David did as he went back and he saw the promises that God had given him any Saul have gotten always been faithful to keep his promises and folks God always will be in second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 20 Paul said that all the promises of God in Christ Jesus are yes in a million's of God and promised that he would take care of David and when David had to go out with him to his flock and he saw a lion attacking his sheep God strengthen him and he was able to defeat that line barehanded a bear did the same thing he was able to defeat the buyer so he said if God will give me the strength to do that. I believe that God will give me the strength to fight Goliath and not only did you do that, but he refused five faults armor. Saul came to him is the day that I got some great armor for you here want you to put on this heavy bronze armor.

It will protect you, David.

Since all know I don't what the armor said all I need is a slingshot in God we David fall Goliath.

He was a young man teenage boy really had no military experience. He had never fought in the war before when he went out to battle against the giant. He had no protective armor he had no protective clothing.

He did not carry a weapon other than the little slingshot.

No shield no sword, no javelin on the one little slingshot five smooth stones.

Here we see this little wiry teenage boy standing before this great giant this this ruthless tough meanest chiller on the face of the earth at that time. No Goliath took one look at him and just roared with laughter and a second think you are little kids come out here to fight make little doggy causing base and I'll take you and I will rip you to pieces and I'll use you for alligator bait and David look back adding, and David replies Goliath you come to me with a sword and shield in a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, and you're going to die the day because this battle is the Lord's. David took a slingshot.

He put up a rock about one of those soft smooth stones into that sling. Hey slung around his head a few times. He let it go, that rock flew through the air, guided by the hand of God. It hit the giant right between the eyes went into his brain killed them on the spot he fell over graveyard did and David runs over to him he takes the last sword out of his sheath and he severs his head from his body. He takes the head of the lot.

He holds it up and the people of Israel. The soldiers begin to shout in a hoot and holler and they're just rejoicing over what God is done and then he turns around he sees the Philistines running for the hills. We love it story don't we love that store asked David that's our man.

He was able to to kill a giant with nothing but a slingshot where we should get excited about that because it was God's victory over read the story in second Samuel chapter 21 and we mourn over it because when David fights the judgment lien of these defeated, but it's a completely different situation. This time David is not a young boy. He's a man is the king of Israel. He is a great military strategist.

He is a seasoned war hardened veteran. He is a man who knows how to use a sword.

He is a man who this time is wearing the strong tough bronze armor and this time he's carrying out the battle sword and shield in a javelin when he walks out the faces for the bane of this time he walks out with great confidence in himself is as I have done this before then you're done that. I know how to do this piece a cake. Nothing to it all went p.m. and in all of Israel will love me for it and I can just seal David he stand in there with his chest all poked out and he screams at issue.

Bane of fight I quit your dad 35 years ago and now get up with you initial bane of roles officially since as I don't think so and he walks out to David probably runs out the David and he takes a mini slab seam in the face and not seem to the ground.

He jumps on David and I can just seemed beaten David in the face and then he takes his sword. He's ready to kill David in a Vichy I wanted David's great warriors comes running over not just being about clothing, not seam down to the ground and then he a Vichy I takes issue with being of his life he kills thing kills thing that all of David's men gathered around David. They say to him, David. That's it your fight days are over what we can't, we can't let you in. The battle ever again because if your keel then it's all over is nothing that we can do is nothing we can do what what a blow for David.

How embarrassing. This must've been here. Here's the giant killer he's the king of Israel, and he's the man who's the greatest military strategist on the face of the earth and for his own life to be saved. One of his own servants. One of his own men has to come into his fighting foreign because David couldn't do it.

What you lead a great man to go down a road of defeat like that member of the quote that I just gave you about from Jack Taylor. He said the greatest hindrance of the work of God in your life today could be the work of God that he did yesterday. Or, as I stated in the title the sermon, there is a great danger independence on yesterday's manna got three points on share with you very quickly this morning, number one, a strength that fails look with a verse 15 there was war again between the Philistines and Israel. David went down together with his servants and they fought against the Philistines and David grew weary when David went out. The fight is Rubino.

He went his own strength he depended on his own military prowess. He knew that he could handle a sword. He knew that he was known as the greatest military strategist on the face of the earth.

He knew it.

What a difference. There was an attitude of David fighting this bring them compared to the attitude of David finding Goliath. When David went out to fight Goliath.

He was totally confident in God. He was filled with the spirit of God is fear was not of Goliath's fear was of the Lord, and he went out knowing his own weakness, knowing his own inexperience, totally trusting God. Not trusting himself David throughout his chest went when he was fighting against Goliath and he said you come to me with the sword and shield in a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, and you're gonna die the day because this battles the Lord when he went out to fight this will bring up it was different.

He said I come to you with a sword and shield in a javelin and you're gonna die today because this battle is mine while how stupid can you get dependent on yourself depending on on your own confidence. David was David was failing himself. David is dependent on his own strength and brothers and sisters we start dependent on our own strength. The thing that we can be sure is can happen is our own failure 12 chapter 2nd Corinthians.

The apostle Paul is teaching us about his thorn in the flesh, and he calls it a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him. Whatever it wasn't even tell us what it was but it was something that hurting it was something that caused him great great pain he felt like it was hindering his ministry. He felt like he was keeping him from being everything that he could be praying about it three times.

Lord take this thing out of my life. Finally, God said no Paul I'm not taking this out of your life.

I am leaving this in your life to keep you humble. I am leaving this in your life to keep you dependent upon me. I am leaving this in your life so that you can learn this truth that my strength is made perfect in your weakness. In other words, the more we realize our failings and our lack of talent in our lack of ability. The more room. We give God to work in our lives for ever wondered why so many of the intellectual elite today reject God and they reject the teaching of God's word. They don't appear to be dependent upon anything but their intelligence, their talent and their agenda to follow God, you must acknowledge it. You are not God. The intellectually leader not doing that folks is this pseudo-intellectualism that is attacking our world and our nation and even many of our churches on Ridgewood Dewey. Robert said think he said it will French Pres. Emmanuel macron recently specify the reasons for his country outlawing homeschooling. He said that too many homeschoolers are being taught about God and that has proved to be a negative thing for society. It is obvious to anyone that has eyes and ears that totalitarianism is on the rise throughout the world. Countries which are formally permitted missionaries are now outlawing them nations that have had democracies returning to socialism.

Countries that have enjoyed freedom or imposing despotic laws supposedly to protect the citizens.

Yet the old adage remains true that any nation which chooses safety over freedom shall have neither the same thing as happened in the modern church social justice has taken over many denominations in the United States and North America. And with that, social justice, there is bit come tyranny for many it sees him seems unfathomable but it is true. A movement that touts justice, denies justice to most justice for all, has been replaced by justice for a few those identified as the oppressed and retribution against all those who identified as the oppressors, the old values have been thrown out and Marxist values of so-called social justice and critical race theory have been substituted with those new values the church can expect all the same compassion is the former Soviet Union's KGB and other communist nations gave to their citizens, brothers and sisters left a wake-up call. John chapter 10 verse 14 Jesus said I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep what a sheep look like will sheep are willing and I smell bad and they usually grow to about the same size. So how does a shepherd identify or distinguish between all the sheep in his flock. How does he do that he does that because he knows them by their imperfections. He might know this one because there's a cut is a year, this one has a birthmark. This one has a little scar on his nose. That little individual imperfection marks mark him out as being special year that Jesus doesn't hate your weaknesses uses your weaknesses for his glory.

My strength G. The Lord said, my strength is made perfect in your weakness .2. There's a pride that destroys look at verse 16 and is moving up one of the descendents of the giant who spirit weight 300 shekels of bronze and who was armed with the new sword thought to kill David CS Lewis great British theologian running right wrote a great book called mere Christianity in that book he was describing pride. He described it this way. There's one sandwich.

No man in the world is free which everyone in the world loads when he sees in someone else, and of which hardly any people ever imagine that they are guilty of them. Sales I've heard people admit that they are bad tempered that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I've ever heard anyone who is not a Christian, accuse himself of this sin. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular and no fault which we are more unconscious in our sales and the more we have it in our sales. The more we dislike it. In others, the sea and I'm talking about his pride. The number one sin that Jesus hates. I believe his pride when Jesus would see these self-righteous Pharisees walking through the streets of Jerusalem with their long flowing roads with their noses stuck up so high in the air if it would rain. They drowned what we when he would see all that and see that kind of self-righteousness.

It hurt his heart and folks I want you to know David when he went out to face issues with a note was proud.

His heart was field with pride. He was cocky. He was so cocky could strut sitting down. I mean, this is just amazing to look at the David that we know who's become so horribly proud for and what happened while he was the end beaten up by issues of being a one of the servants had to come over and save his life and do the work that he could not do at that point David knew that pride cometh before destruction in the Holy Spirit before fall. My third point is a harvest to consider.

Look at verse 17 B shall the son is Rue.

I came to his aid attacked the Philistine and killed in then David's men swore to him, you shall no longer go out with us to battle lest you quench the lamp of Israel in Galatians chapter 6. The apostle Paul said whatsoever a man. So with that shall he also reap.

Think David is really genuinely learning that lesson in this particular passage. I think he's coming to understand just how serious this is that that when a person is field with pride when he is dependent upon his own strength in his own power.

They are going to be great consequences that are going to follow Butch that's true.

There is a high cost to sin. Whether you're a believer whether you're an unbeliever. There is a high cost to sin. This sin caused David greatly. David's me and said David that's it, you're going to the you going to the bench. You're no longer in the ballgame you get out of the war we can't trust you anymore, you might you kill David you have just lost your opportunity to serve and honor God while Ms. there is a law of the harvest for us to consider. For Christians it says they asked if we don't use our talents for God's glory. Then God may take the opportunities away.

Maybe you're here today and you got a talent, a gift of teaching is well too busy and don't really want to use it.

It could be that God takes that opportunity for you to teach away made you have the gift of beautiful singing voice. You're not using it for God's glory. He may take the opportunity away. Maybe your aunt in a situation where you are financially well-off. He has blessed you financially and you're not given liberally to the kingdom work.

He may take those opportunities away made to God's called you to preach that God's called you the mission field and you just kind of input it off putting it off, put it off. He may take that opportunity away not know what Romans chapter 11 verse 29 says system. The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. There, without repentance. So what does that mean it means that if you've genuinely been saved if you generally been born again. He's not gonna take your salvation away and it also means if you have been given a spiritual gift. He's not a take that spiritual gift from you, but he may very well may take the opportunity away. All of a sudden you have the desire to serve like you once did and all of a sudden he takes you a put you on the shelf and he opens up an opportunity for someone else that they might come in and do what God is called you to do and you missed the opportunity to glorify God looks. If you think that's not important. I want you to know that what you do for the Lord's kingdom on this earth will have an effect on you for all of eternity. It will glorify God for all of eternity. And if we miss those opportunities.

What a horrible, terrible state wherein there is a harvest for us to consider. People don't depend on yesterday's manna stay in the word and stay in the word daily. Stay humble, stay dependent and did not leave your first love is pray. Heavenly father's we come to the end of this chapter we understand more than ever are only true hero should be Christ. Here we see David the man after God's own heart the apple of God's eye and is essentially being put on the shelf is pride and dependence on past victories as mating pretty much useless as a battlefield warrior Lord you inspired Paul to write these words in first Corinthians 1011 if these things are things that happened in the Old Testament happened to them as examples to us that were written for our instruction, may we take heed to Paul's words and fight desperately against depending on yesterday's manna help us to remember that your strength is made perfect in our weakness, break our pride and please don't put us on the shelf.

May we spend all of our time on this earth, striving to bring you glory. We assess prayer in the holy and precious name of Jesus. Amen