Communion Message
Meting Our Needs
October 3, 2004
Terry Clark

As we enter into this time to celebrate what God has done for us, I want us to consider something written in Matthew chapter four. Just after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist it says that He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Listen to the words:

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He became hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

Let's notice for a moment what's said and not said. We're told that the Spirit of God led Him into the wilderness, and led Him to go without food, but it doesn't tell us how long. It just says that after forty days He became hungry.

A friend of mine wasn't sure that anybody could survive after forty days of starving to death, so he tried it. He said that after the first few days he lost his hunger and went about his normal duties, and then at the 40th day something strange really happened, an intense craving for food began to take over his body; so much so that he reported that he began to just admire his shoes, and not for their shine, but for the leather.

Likewise, Jesus' body must have been filled with the craving of a man starving to death, a life-and-death situation. It was in this circumstance that His mind went back to something Moses said to the people of Israel many years ago. Listen as we think with Jesus to try to see what was in His mind when we repeat Moses' words.

And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all this way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

You see, like the people of old, Jesus was being tested. Would He wait and depend on the faithfulness of God to provide His need or would He reach out in His own power and take care of His needs, because just by speaking a word He could take the stones that lay on the ground around Him and turn them into piping, hot, steaming, fresh bread.

As Satan tempted Jesus, our culture tempts us. The advertisements all around us cry out -- by this product, act this way, wear this, follow this plan, earn this; in other words, they beg us to reach out our own hand and fulfill our own needs and thus live. But Jesus said I am the bread of life.

Today, what is it that cries at your life? What need is tempting you to reach out and take care of it yourself? Is it food? Is it the need for shelter, for family, for job, enjoyment, love, companionship, health, strength, or accomplishment? The bread that we have represents His body broken for us. Eating it means we're making a commitment to trust in the forgiveness He purchased and to turn away from the craving temptation to meet our needs outside of His faithfulness.

Perhaps you failed God in some way in this area; failed the One who loves you the most, and failed in trusting Him. Then remember this, that the cup that we take represents His blood shed for us that inaugurated a new covenant. The old covenant said, you sin, you die. The new covenant says you believe and you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you live -- forever.

If you're physically able, would you join me as we kneel and ask the Lord to search our hearts at this time.

Lord, we come before You and we ask, search us; we give You permission. Lord is there any way within us in which we are not keeping Your commandments? Would You search us now? Tell us, Lord, we'll listen.

Lord as we take this bread we say, I believe. I will trust in You. Thank you for Your body that was broken on our behalf. Let's take the bread together.

And Lord as we hold this cup we say to ourselves, to You, to one another, and to the world that we have believed. We live because of the blood that was shed on our behalf. We honor You and remember You. Thank you Lord Jesus. Let's take the cup.

Lord, we have come to the throne of grace to find mercy and help in the time of need, and I ask that You would meet everyone's need here today in Your time. Thank you Jesus. Amen.