Water to Wine

Sermon Style Sheet

Write that down in your formation Journal

Illustration

Sermon Text

Sermon Text: Scripture

Call to Worship

Psalm 148:7–13 CSB

7 Praise the Lord from the earth, all sea monsters and ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and cloud, stormy wind that executes his command, 9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, creatures that crawl and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth, 12 young men as well as young women, old and young together. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted. His majesty covers heaven and earth.

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Passage:

Formation Journal Page Number: 4:07-4:53 6:50-7:31 7:42-8:25

John 2:1–11 CSB

1 On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.” 4 “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 “Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants. 6 Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons. 7 “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did. 9 When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom 10 and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Opening Illustration:

Scales - whole grain oreos

How we see the scales changes our relationships

But here’s the reality of the situation, when it comes to our relationship with God, The scales of love are always weighted towards Christ. He has done so much already, that if he does nothing else, we will still always be in defict compared to him.

it affects a lot of things - including the way we pray, the way we trust God, it affects our faith, it even affects the way we live on mission for God.

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Getting into the Sermon

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John 2:1–3 CSB

1 On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”

Cultural background of the problem - not having wine was a big deal - could get sued by the family - this was a huge problem

Mary was somewhat important at the wedding

So how does Jesus reply

John 2:4 CSB

4 “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”

OK, this seems like a rude response. We can be really confused by it. But it’s important to weed through what he did say and what he didn’t say.

How we understand what Jesus is saying here is going to have a big affect on how we pray.

Let’s first talk about what Jesus wasn’t saying but that we might think he was saying.

Jesus wasn’t being rude or dismissive. What we can here from here is this, “Listen woman, this isn’t any of my business.” Or really, “I don’t care about this.”

So first, the phrase woman wasn’t rude it was a term of endearment. He uses it when he is taking care of her at the cross. It’s like dear lady.

But he also isn’t saying “I don’t care about this.” That’s not what’s happening. But we can think that’s what Jesus is saying.

What’s more, this is what we think Jesus attitude towards us. After all, wine at the wedding wasn’t really an important spiritual need . This isn’t moving redemption history forward.

Sure, this family will be disgraced. It’s a personal tragedy for them, but what of it? Why would Jesus care?

this attitude affects the way we see God, the way we think God sees us and the way we pray.

We live all of life through prayer because Jesus cares about all of our life.

When I talk to people about living all of life in prayer, one of the areas of dissconect is that people believe that some parts of their life.

God doesn’t care about my job issues. God doesn’t care about the way my kids are fighting each other. God doesn’t care about my romantic life. God doesn’t care about my business.

We create this categories of things Jesus cares about and things he doesn’t . This silo is something God cares about. This silo over here, it is boring to him.

we are projecting our own weakneses on to God.

And frankly, that’s the way we feel sometimes. There was a social media thing where a wife would record herself talking about seeing a bird. And if the husband or boyfriend isn’t enthralled by the account of a bird he’s a bad guy, he’s problematic.

But not everyone cares about everything. Some people are’t interested in birds. I like birds, but I’m in my mid-forties. Right, It becomes a thing. Look, nothing would kill this sermon faster than me talking about all my accounting stories, the great skill I once had on excel, how I mastered the accounting of abestos abatement, how I pioneered a new paperless paryroll system.

Nobody wants to hear about that. Honestly, I get bored talking about it. But it was once important to me.

So we don’t have the capacity or bandwidth to care about everything, whether it’s birds, asbestos accounting, or whatever. We all have limits in our emotional life.

Now here’s the problem - we take our limited emotional bandwidth and we apply it to God. We look at our lives, and we say - why does God care about my dinner plans - he has bigger problems.

All of that matters to God. .

Our concern is limited not God’s.

You know who cares about your birds - Jesus, God,

Where this get’s really out of whack, is that we think Jesus tells his mom no and then she pressures the God of the universe into helping anyway. As if Jesus’ love is more limited than Mary’s.

No, that’s not what he was saying. That’s not what happened.

Jesus isn’t saying I don’t care. Look at it again.

John 2:4 CSB

4 “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”

He’s not saying I won’t help - it’s my hour has not yet come.

He’s not saying I don’t care, he says it’s not my time.

It seems like Mary assumed that Jesus was going to do a big reveal. He just showed up with disciples, that’s an escalation in his public persona. Enterouge - you are going to think alright Tony, I guess we are going big time.

Giving and receiving favors is a huge deal. So it would make sense. that he would show himself this way. Perhaps even this is God’s way to showcase Jesus’ power.

And, it affects someone who is lowly and poor. All that makes it seem that Jesus is being set up for a big reveal.

But his hour hadn’t come - not that he didn’t care- it wasn’t time for the big reveal.

Jesus is making clear who he is and how he handles things. He isn’t pushed around. He isn’t going to be flashy, he certainly isn’t someone’s magic trick.

That’s key, it’s not that he doesn’t care, its not time for the big reveal.

And Mary get’s that. Look how she responds:

John 2:5 CSB

5 “Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.

The first thing, I want you to see is that she goes to the servants. The people in the background.

Now look at verses 9-10

John 2:9–10 CSB

9 When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom 10 and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”

The waiter doesn’t know what happened. He doesn’t know how it came. Neither does the groom. The two people responsible for the wine don’t know where it came from.

Jesus wasn’t saying that he didn’t care, he was saying it wasn’t his time, so he was going to help in secret.

Mary’s response represents both understanding and faith.

See some people read it as if it Mary is being passive aggressive. As if she is pushing Jesus to act when he doesn’t want to.

What people imagine is that in the scales between Mary and Jesus, Jesus’ was in a deficit and so Mary could manipulate him into action as if Jesus owed Mary.

That’s not right. Mary responds as a godly woman entering a prayer story.

Look again at verse 5

John 2:5 CSB

5 “Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.

She doesn’t say, “Jesus is going to take care of it.” She doesn’t say, “I’m his mother, he will do what I say.”

She tells them to “do whatever.” He could have told them to run to the store and buy some. He could have told them, prepare for trouble.

Mary doesn’t know how Jesus is going to respond -but she trusts him.

Her trust in God correctly represented how she saw the scales - that God’s love for us is so one sided, so overwelming, that even if he didn’t answer the prayer, even if he didn’t come through for her the way she wanted, God would still be good.

And that’s how we should trust him too - whatever you want. We go to him in prayer, knowing that he cares about all of our life, and trusting in his love. Most of us are in the middle of some significant prayer stories, we really want to see God move. WE are calling out day and night. The problem can be, that we slide into gauging God’s love based on his answer to this prayer.

God’s love is so one sided, that he doesn’t have to answer our prayers to prove his love.

God doesn’t need to prove his love - He already has

And when we understand that, we really understand faith.

This reminds me of the story Shadrach

Daniel 3:17–18 CSB

17 If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

We know he can, we think he will - but even if he doesn’t the scales are always weighted towards God,

Even if he doesn’t. God’s goodness doesn’t need to be proved by miracle answers to prayer. It’s already there.

That’s just so important for living all of life in prayer. His love is already demonstrated without a doubt.

How do we know that? His love was demonstrated when his hour came.

when he is fully displayed as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

Gospel all of Good is unreciprocated love towards us

ABC’s of repentance

What else does God need to do to prove his love?

Romans 8:32 CSB

32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?

God’s not holding out on you. He does care. He is greater than we are. His ability to be concerned with the details of your life is greater than your ability to care about the details of your life.

Part of what we do when we enter into a prayer story, is that we have surrender to Christ. He’s proven his love.

But he does care. I mean look, Jesus did take care of the wedding.

John 2:6–8 CSB

6 Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons. 7 “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.

Look what he did - he didn’t just answer their need he went over the top. He made about 120 -180 gallons. 700-900 bottles of wine. This was so much wine that they had left overs. Think about going into a grocery store and seeing the wine aisle - something like that.

So why did Jesus do that? He cared but also he was pointing to a promiesd reality

John 2:11 CSB

11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

What is he showing them - he pointing to the promised, eternal kingdom of abundance

Joel 3:18 CSB

18 In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will issue from the Lord’s house, watering the Valley of Acacias (uh kay shuz)

Amos 9:13 CSB

13 Look, the days are coming— this is the Lord’s declaration— when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the one who treads grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and all the hills will flow with it.

Jesus was showing that that’s what he is doing.

He is bringing a greater joy and a greater reality.

The sign pointed to a kingdom beyond our hopes.

we cannot imagine the glories of heaven and once you enter it you won’t be concerned about what you are missing.

That’s what he does. That’s the promise that we have.

The promise isn’t that we will get everything the way we want, when we want. The promise is that he comes on his own terms to create a paradise for us.

He cares about you but he writes the story and we can trust him in it.

Hopefully, this will encourage in living all of life through prayer. He cares about the details, he loves us, the scales are weighted towards God.

So why does this matter to us as Mercy Hill - I want you to see again God’s pattern for working his kingdom.

Jesus could have gone big, made a display to the groom or the headwaiter, but he went to the servant. He went small.

Jesus was working quietly through ordinary servants - and today we are those servants

We think God only uses big platforms but God uses small faithfulness, we look to influential people but God uses the ordinary. We trust the headwaiter, jesus works with through the servants.

Church plants are more effective at reaching unchurched people. That means we have a unique redemption burden.

Redemption burden - our redemption burden is the unique calling that we have as a church. For us as mercy hill.

Modeling the kingdom of heaven in Winter Haven - In winter haven as it is in heaven. That should be our prayer.

another part of that is this - we are insiders with God in a city of outsiders. There are so many people who are questioning God’s love, they don’t know him, they don’t even understand the basic story.

The more I talk to unchurched people the more I’m convinced that its not that people have rejected Christ, its never been explained.

But we desire them to know. We want to see God’s big reveal as much Mary did. We want people to know that the scales of love are weighted towards Christ for them too.

And what we talked last week, I want talk about more is that as a church plant we have a window of time, where we are better suited to reaching unchurhed than the established, fancy churches in this city. Only 2% of christian invite an unchurched person to church. That’s just inviting them to church, it’s lower for when they come, when they have it explained to them.

So we have this God who loves people, who cares about their every detail of their life, and we are invited to partner in connecting them to the God of love.

How doe we do this- we live all of life in prayer. We enter prayer stories for Christ with the attitude that I know he cares, and know he loves, but also whatever you want, Lord. Just like mary - do whatever Jesus says.

Here’s what I would like for you to be praying this week - I want you to say “Father, how do you want to use me? Who should I pray for? Who should I invite? How do I get in the game? Whatever you say - I’m in.”

So let’s make sure that as we live all of life in prayer, that we don’t let people get left out, or fall through the cracks, that everyone gets prayed for, everyone get’s the offer, everyone is loved, and we don’t do it alone, we do it togehter.

Lord’s Supper:

On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

Benediction:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD makes his face shine upon you and be gracious to you:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.