Sermon Tone Analysis

Series Review

Intro: Level 2 v. Level 4. e.g.

Potomac in the summer v. New River in the fall;

How many of you like places or situations that are unpredictible?

Uncontrollable?

VBS is coming.

Rolling River Rampage.

A packed building.

The mission field is coming to us.

Spiritual transformation makes the difference between having a camp for kids and making disciples.

Rolling River Rampage.

An adventurous ride with Jesus.

e.g.

White water rafting: Discipleship was meant to be an adventure: unpredictible, scary, not controllable.

It can be hard, make us nervous, but if is was not, Christianity would be mildly entertaining, providing us the occassional comfort: but boring and predictible, something the world does not need.

Hear our Gospel lesson this morning:

Sermon Introduction

Have you ever asked yourself, “Is this as good as it gets?”

e.g.

cats

Is this as good as it gets?

Job, marriage, church, life.

When you get to the place where your answer is “yes,” you are in a bad place.

Your relationship with Christ - is this as good as it gets?

Are we coasting, maintaining the status quo, or are we wanting, expecting things to get better.

Debbie has just shared with us the story of Jesus turning water into wine.

This story is about Jesus breaking into the world that was living on the status quo and saying, “you are maintaining the status quo, but it gets much better than this.”

same with Jesus both in the Bible and today; people loved Jesus, but eventually left him and killed him;

the point(s) maybe we don’t think we are fickle in our relationships, or create conditions in our relationships, but I think the story of Jesus challenges that notion;

Sermon Overview: we miss things in our relationships (with God and with people)

1. maybe we don’t think we are fickle, but I think this story challenges that notion;

we learn things that we like

we will learn things we don’t like that challenge our committment

there are good things that we miss

Jesus brings us things we like and what we don’t like.

Like any relationship, we can’t just take the good and suppress and ignore

This story often has gotten stuck on the wrong issue: whether or not it is right for the Christian to consume alcohol:

Abigail, herbs on the curb

challenging SS teacher - “it’s not that kind of wine”

why am I sharing that? - UMC has had increasingly mixed opinions on alcohol (from temperance unions and teetotal, BOD [abstain, pray about it, removed completely)

challenging SS teacher - “it’s not that kind of wine”

varying views even today;

this story isn’t about keg parties at a wedding, it’s about a miracle: but not just a miracle: Jesus is teaching us something.

You think about it that’s always true: if you ever experience a miracle from God, the response should not be: “Thanks, that was great!” and then return to life as usual.

Instead, the question should be: “What are you teaching me?”

e.g.

2003, 3 franciscan nuns; Minuteman III missle silo in Colorado, painting crosses; prosecutor: defacing government property and interfering with national defense; defense attorney: symbolic action, it was meant to send a message; they were both right: not just vandalism; it was both; the action was real, but the bigger intention was to send a message

Jesus’ miracles were real: people were healed, but they were also symbolic; there was a bigger message intended

this is Jesus’ very first miracles and it is unique; this miracle doesn’t really seem to do any real good; he doesn’t seem to accomplish any redemptive purpose; he’s not giving a blind man sight - he’s not helping the lame walk or freeing someone from demonic posession: he’s

blowing horn: freedom ??

this is Jesus’ very first miracles and it is unique; this miracle doesn’t really seem to do any real good; he doesn’t seem to accomplish any redemptive purpose; he’s not giving a blind man sight - he’s not helping the lame walk or freeing someone from demonic posession: he’s

prolonging a party; is that it?

what is Jesus saying about God?

uniqueness of the miracle: blind but now I can see; was lame but now I can walk; I had leprosy but I was cured; I didn’t purchase enough wine to the party and Jesus bailed me out

life concerns?

uniqueness of the miracle: blind but now I can see; was lame but now I can walk; I had leprosy but I was cured; I didn’t purchase enough wine to the party and Jesus bailed me out

digging deeper to know Jesus better

theological importance?

if we really want to know Jesus and experience Christ to the fullest, we sometimes have to look deeper at his word; the Bible is not inaccessible, only for scholars, it just takes a little examination;

when we examine the story, we deepen our relationship

the wine means something (joy, peace, forgiveness; freedom, washing away of sins)

the jars mean something (status quo, law, tradition)

know what those mean, answer the question, is this as good as it gets

Jesus is Superior / Better than the status quo

stone jars / ceremonial washing / 20-30 gallons / huge/ as tall as me;

Jesus could have chosen any of the empty wine vats, but he chose the jugs that were used for religious purposes: utensils, hands, feet had to be made clean, a prayer was said after the washing -

stone jars / ceremonial washing / 20-30 gallons / huge/ as tall as me

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments

; is strange to us, but it was the way things had been for thousands of years; it was an important part of their religion for thousands of years:

Jesus is saying, “If you want to be cleansed and forgiven from sin, you need more than a ceremony.

This is not as good as it gets - the best is yet to come.

Jesus is challenging the status quo, the way things have always been: he is challenging a ceremony only faith

Jesus bringing true cleansing; go beyond the ceremonial

There is more to marriage than the ceremony.

Walking the aisle takes a couple of minutes, but building a strong lifelong relationship takes alot more effort

Baptism and Holy Communion - important - takes a few minutes, but walking with Christ, being transformed by Christ, living for Christ is daily.

Joining the church, saying the bapt

stone jars / ceremonial washing / Jesus bringing true cleansing; go beyond the ceremonial

“There is more to God than ceremony.”

(forgiveness, new life that the status quo can’t offer) (e.g.

youth pastor accepted Christ - what do yo do? - amazing that he grew up in the church, realized that his faith was not in Christ)

The ceremony is easy, the is your faith a ceremony only faith?

volunteering for church activity v. relationship with Jesus that transforms everything you?

your marriage a ceremony only / state of Maryland only marriage?

a father on the birth certificate only v. carving out time away from distractions and on raising your sons and daughters;

It’s easy to coast, easy to maintain the status quo, this is as good as it gets, but Jesus wants to make it much better

no coasting (nursing home, last place to live; still reading, praying for me!], no trotting into home place - charging through; learning, giving;

Why wine?

Why is that important?

‘The promise of 2 Corinthians 5:17 is that a person in Christ becomes a new creature.

That included Convict 62345.

Old habits and attitudes were replaced as the Spirit of God worked in my life.

The vengeance that I had nourished for five years and the rebellious spirit that had been a driving force in my life relaxed their grip when Christ took control.

Little by little he replaced my hatred by his love.

Sometimes I lay in the prison yard looking at the sky and relishing the joy and peace that I’d found in Christ.

The bars and fences were still there, as were the guards with their high-powered rifles.

But I had an inner strength I’d never known before—the very presence of Christ.’

Why wine?

Why is that important?

Jesus brings Unlimited Joy