Man Does Not Live by Bread Alone
God is calling every Christian to be part of the last-days army, focused on His will and ready to be involved in His work.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that God will use ordinary people, not just prominent evangelists, to fulfill His work in the last days. He explains that many Christians are focused solely on their material needs, living 'by bread alone,' which leads to a life of boredom and spiritual wilderness. Instead, believers are called to prioritize God's will and His word, moving beyond mere survival to embrace the abundant life He offers. Wilkerson encourages the church to prepare their hearts for God's final outpouring, as He seeks a dedicated army ready to carry out His mighty work.
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If you think you're too ordinary to be used of God, listen closely: God is not going to do
His last-days work through big-name evangelists or pastors. They alone will not be able to handle the great moving of His Spirit! The fact is, God is going to need every housewife, teenager, elderly person and all who love Him to carry out His mighty work. This last-days army is going to be made up of Christians who have been weaned from bread alone. Let me explain.
God said through Moses: "Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Bread stands for all natural, material things necessary for this life--food, shelter, clothes, labor, wages. Bread represents livelihood--those things we need that are not evil in themselves. Many Christians, however, live only for the things of this life--they live on bread alone!
Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). But first He said we were to pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done" (v. 10). We are to focus first on God's interests--praying for His will to be done!
What have you been thinking about more than anything else these past six months? What has consumed most of your time and prayers? Has it been mostly bread issues--personal needs?
If you focus only on bread, then you have no life! You are living in a wilderness, just as the children of Israel did. They rose daily and began crying for bread--their personal needs--every day for forty years!
Beloved, that is boredom--drudgery! God never intended for His children to live like that. Instead, He told Israel through Moses, "You should be living by every word that proceeds out of My mouth! Yes, I told you I would give you bread, but don't stop there. Move on! I have told you there is a land flowing with milk and honey, with rivers, trees, forests, green pastures--and I want that place for you!"
God is raising up a people who are focused on His will for this midnight hour! They are tired of living in a wilderness of mere survival. All they want is to know and do God's will. Every member of this last-days army must be ready and prepared in heart--because God is poised to release His great, final outpouring!
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction
- A. God's work in the last days will not be done by big-name evangelists or pastors
- B. God needs every Christian to be involved in His work
- II. The Importance of Living by God's Word
- A. God's word is what gives us life, not just physical bread
- B. We must focus on God's interests, not just our personal needs
- III. The Dangers of Living on Bread Alone
- A. Living only for physical needs leads to boredom and drudgery
- B. God wants us to live in a land flowing with milk and honey, not just survive
- IV. The Call to the Last-Days Army
- A. God is raising up a people focused on His will for this hour
- B. We must be ready and prepared in heart for God's great outpouring
Key Quotes
“God is not going to do His last-days work through big-name evangelists or pastors.” — David Wilkerson
“Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” — David Wilkerson
“You should be living by every word that proceeds out of My mouth!” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must focus on God's interests and not just our personal needs.
- We must be ready and prepared in heart for God's great outpouring.
- We must be part of the last-days army, focused on God's will and ready to be involved in His work.