It’s Time To Eat

Scripture:

Psalm 34:8:         

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

1Peter 2:2-3:      

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

 

Theme:

It’s Time To Eat!

 

Introduction:

• Our Scripture comes from two distinct portions of the Bible
  • Old Testament
    • King David wrote the Psalms as an expression of his desires and praises to God. A man guilty of murder and deceit in his life, David knew what it meant to fall short and to need God for restitution.
  • New Testament
    • 1Peter was written by the Apostle Peter just before his death. Its object is to remind the people of Peter’s teaching and to warn the people against false teachings.  The people of this time where falling into the belief of an ethical libertarianism.
• Eating is the way by which we satisfy the body’s desire for food…a way to attain human satisfaction!
  • Our theme is derived from a very familiar phrase heard in my life and I am led to belief yours also…It’s time to eat!
  • During the infantile stages of my life, I could see myself passing nonverbal, yet auditory, signals to my mother. Most affectionately call these signals crying.  This sound would at times be used to tell Mama that…It’s time to eat!
  • During my development as a toddler, child, and a teenager, I was often disturbed from my sleep, studying, playing, conversation, television show, or video game with the resounding voice coming from my Grandmother that reached across the room, house, yard, or woods that said emphatically…It’s time to eat!
  • During my adult life, I am independently and interdependently left to rely on my reactive capabilities. In other words, when I can feel the rumblings in my belly, when I am reminded of the body’s need, or simply when the mind yells out the desire to intake food…It’s time to eat!
• The authors of our scriptures both know when It’s time to eat!
  • David in Psalm 23:5 said, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:”
  • Peter in Acts 11:7, saw a vision of a sheet laid down to prepare a meal of various animals that were considered “common” and “unclean”, and then heard the voice of God say, “…Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
• Jesus knew the importance and the effect of providing food for people to eat:
  • Fed the multitude of 5000 men not including women and children with 2 fish and 5 barley loaves.
  • Fed the disciples by preparing their meal on the shore while they were in their boat brooding over His death.

 

Body:

• Our scriptures focus on the importance of “TASTING” the goodness or graciousness of God. – Psalms 34:8 encourages us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” and then 1Peter 2:2-3 says that if you “have tasted that the Lord is gracious”, “as newborn babes”, you will “desire the sincere milk of the Word.”
  • “To taste” is defined as 1)to detect the flavor of, 2)to put a little into the mouth, or 3)to experience.
    • In summary, the definition of “to taste” has two components – 1)a small “portion” and 2)it being received in the “mouth”
  • In the bible and in our scripture, “taste” is sometimes used hyperbolically to fit its last definition, which is “to experience”…in our scripture it is specific about the man or woman’s need to “taste” the goodness and graciousness of God. – the two components of our definition of “to taste”
    • “a small portion”
      • To taste food means that you place the first portion of the food in your mouth to detect the flavor and your level of satisfaction from the flavor.
        • To taste God’s goodness and graciousness means that through our chosen availability to our experiences we are blessed with an infinitely small portion of His goodness and graciousness for us to receive nourishment and power.
        • The new convert has a small portion
        • The old warrior in Christ has a small portion
        • The Pastor and the preacher only have a small portion
        • God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent
  • “mouth”
    • The “mouth” is a metaphor representing what receives the “small portion”.
    • One of the greatest commandments is in Mark 12:30 which says, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:”
    • The mouth is a metaphor for the heart, soul, mind, and strength, which must receive the small portion.
    • Receive Jesus Christ!! All Salvation can be attained by accepting the portion and believing!!

• A portion is always available. As David told us in the 23^rd Psalm, there is always a table prepared for us. – “God is Good all the time, and All the time God is Good!” — God ALWAYS has a portion…a bite…a taste for us to eat of His goodness and graciousness.
  • It’s time to eat Before God’s blessing to us comes through – Foretaste
    • The foretaste is the feeling of joy and strength from God’s goodness and graciousness that you know is going to happen in the future.
      • Foretaste CONFIRMS – It is the binding of God’s promise to us.
      • Foretaste AFFIRMS – It is the reminder of God’s bound promise to us.
    • Psalms 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” – David is drawing from the nourishment of the FORETASTE of God’s goodness to him. – THE POWER OF SURELY!!!
  • It’s time to eat When God has blessed us – Taste
    • The taste is the experience of God’s blessing to us
      • Taste CONFIRMS – It realizes for us the existence of God’s blessings present in our life.
      • Taste AFFIRMS – It reminds us of what God has already done.
    • Psalms 27:13, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”
  • It’s time to eat After God has answered our prayer or supplied our needs—Aftertaste
    • The aftertaste is re-experiencing of God’s goodness after it has already been experienced before.
      • Aftertaste confirms – It realizes for us God’s presence and activity in our life…a comfort
      • Aftertaste affirms – It reminds us of God’s goodness that is already present in our life…a joy and strength.
    • As Paul told the church in Thessalonica in 2Thessalonians 1:11, “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:”
    • God ALWAYS has a portion…a bite…a taste…for us to eat of His goodness and graciousness.

 

Conclusion:

Yes, it’s always time to eat!

• That sincere milk of the Word of God:
  • Never runs out – “Lo, I’ll be with you always, even unto the end of the world”
  • Never goes bad – “Sure Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”
• Then the child of God:
  • Can’t get too full – David said, “My cup runneth over”
  • Can’t get enough – “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled”

 

IT’S TIME TO EAT!!!

 

• As it says in the old hymn, “Guide Me, O, Thou Great Jehovah”

Bread of Heaven, bread of Heaven,

Feed me ‘til I want no more!

 

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