Cast Your Bread Upon the Water (Part 1) by Dr. Rod Mattoon

About this sermon

Ecclesiastes 11:1-Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Chuck Swindoll tells the story about a man and his wife, who after just a few years of marriage that was filled with disagreements and arguments, they decided the only way to save their marriage was to try counseling. Things had slipped from bad to worse as the months passed, turning their marriage into a marathon of misery. They had been at each other's throats for so long that counseling seemed like their only hope. He was incredibly insensitive and dull, while she was hyperactive and dominant. That's never a good mix. When they arrived at the designated office, the counselor jumped right in and opened the floor for discussion. "Well," he began, "what seems to be the problem?" Immediately, the husband slumped in his chair, assuming a defeated posture. He stared down at the carpet, finally managing a shrug of the shoulders. He had nothing to say. In contrast, his wife launched immediately into her script, talking ninety miles an hour, describing all the wrongs within their marriage. And every problem could be traced back to him--his failures, his insensitivities, his failure to communicate, and so it went. After fifteen minutes of listening to the non-stop wife, the counselor stood up without saying a word, walked over to her, and while she was still in mid-sentence, picked her up by her shoulders, gave her a big hug, kissed her passionately, then sat her back down. She sat in stunned silence. The counselor looked over at her husband, who sat there staring in disbelief. He then said to the husband, "Listen to me, now. Your wife needs that at least twice a week--every week!" The husband blinked, and scratched his head. "Well," he replied, "I guess I could bring her here on Tuesdays and Thursdays." Haha! THE GUY DID NOT GET IT!! Unfortunately there are a lot of people that have the same problem. They don't get it about the importance of their spouse, the importance of salvation and trusting Jesus to be their Savior, and the importance of serving the Lord Jesus and being a dedicated, faithful Christian. In this message we will examine a verse which is filled with a bunch of biblical principles that will help you to be the kind of Christian that will honor and glorify God with your life. These principles will help you immensely "to get it." They are principles that will aid you in the distribution of your bread. Solomon said, "Cast your bread upon the water, for you will find it after many days." What is this all about? What does he mean and how does it apply to you and me? We will break down the verse and the principles will help give us understanding. Part one of this 33-minute message was preached on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.