up your Bibles to John chapter 2 the
Gospel of John chapter 2 where I'm going
to be doing a miniseries for a few
Sundays on miracles in the Gospel of
John there a series of miracles that the
the the Apostle John refers to as signs
and there are seven Biggie's in his
gospel and we're going to go through
them one by one and we sort of started
out of order last week when we are a
couple weeks ago when we talked about
how jesus healed the blind man for those
of you were here you remember that Jesus
did it in a rather unorthodox way he
spat he made mud he smeared it in the
guy's eyes and made him go wash it off
okay now don't worry if you're new here
I don't plan on spitting on you but
Jesus did do that and it worked and it
had a purpose Jesus is the Son of God he
was present in the creation and in the
same way God created people from the
dust of the earth he recreates them
someone sent me a great email afterwards
that all of a person's DNA is in their
saliva and it's like Jesus was imparting
the DNA of God to that man isn't that
awesome and I'm like why do you write
that to me when I'm done but that I
thought we ought to say it next time you
know because I love it which reminds me
if anyone has opinions or observations
about the miracles in the Gospel of John
and you want to send me some ideas I
just might steal your ideas up here so
please send them to me I am all ears I
God speaks to all of us but the miracles
in this gospel are unusual they're weird
miracles now John is an interesting
author right John the Apostle John was
one of the twelve and Jesus within his
twelve apostles he had three that he was
very intimate with james peter and john
and these were the three that he was
closest to and John you could even say
was his closest and most intimate friend
you could say that because the one when
they were laying around the tape
the way you laid around a table in
ancient Hebrew days is you kind of
reclined you kind of reclined on the guy
next to you and and it says that John
was leaning against Jesus's breast and
had that intimate conversation with him
so John was an intimate friend of Jesus
when Jesus was on the cross he pointed
to marry and he pointed to John and say
woman behold your son son behold Your
Mother you're gonna and from that day on
Mary went into John's home and John took
care of him so Jesus entrusted the
church to Peter but he entrusted his
mother to John that says something about
the the relationship that they had John
was a man who was sensitive to the
spirit who was deep his gospel is
written in a way that seems simple
deceptively simple because it has layers
and layers and layers of meaning there's
some things that John knew about Jesus
that no one else knew there's a prayer
that Jesus offers near the end of his
life that no one else could have heard
but John because he was right there next
to him hearing Jesus talked to his
father John knew intimate things about
Jesus and this miracle that we're going
to talk about today in John chapter 2 is
one that was not a public miracle only a
few people even knew it happened but
that's all it took because Jesus did
something that reflected his glory now
these miracles in the Gospel of John are
interesting they are creative miracles
they're not just healing although
healing is a miracle right but they're
actually creative they're creating
something new in a way we're going to
read about the miracle where Jesus turns
water into wine now these miracles as
you read the Bible they seem to happen
in clusters when you read the Bible they
cluster around certain important moments
in the history of God's dealing with
people in the when God was saving Israel
from slavery in Egypt and he sent Moses
there were a lot of miracles right you
remember some of them separating the
waters of the Red Sea plagues on
Egypt bringing water out of a rock bread
in the desert awesome miracles then you
see another cluster of wild kind of
creative miracles in the time of the
prophets and the Kings when there were
evil Kings who worshiped idols and God
raised up a group of prophets who would
hear the word of the Lord and to witness
to their prophetic word God unleashed a
time of unusual miracles very similar
miracles multiplying bread calling fire
down on the enemies of God some crazy
stuff there's one story where Elijah was
with a group of prophets and the guy was
cutting down a tree and the head of the
axe falls into the water and the guys
like know it was borrowed and the
prophet Elijah says it's cool give me a
stick looks like give you a stick ok he
takes the stick he throws the stick in
the water and the ax head floats up to
the top weird miracles weird miracles we
see them cluster again around the time
of Jesus multiplying bread opening the
eyes of a man born blind with mud
changing water into wine our God does
strange and awesome and wondrous things
amen now there are some people who
believe some theologians who think that
because these miracles are clustered
around certain events when God was
revealing something through Moses
through the prophets through Jesus that
they were just meant for limited times
and they're not meant for all times ok
some people think that I don't believe
that I do believe that God clusters the
miracles in certain times to make a
point but that doesn't mean that God's
in a box right he can still do crazy
miracles whenever he wants and who's to
say we're not entering another season of
human history when God is going to
unleash another cluster of strange
miracles because Jesus is about to come
back again I actually believe that I
believe that the church might be
entering into a time of unprecedented
challenges our society is unraveling
around us but God may raise up the
church in the
end times in a glorious way and he may
be entering us into a new season so God
who did strange wonders in the past is
the god of wonders again today why not
why can't God do miracles I mean wild
ones weird ones ones that are needed to
cure the messes that people are in
because what we see happen is that God
solves a problem and through solving
that problem he teaches people about who
he is I heard of put this way our mess
is an opportunity for God's message her
brother Leroy prayed that one day I said
oh I feel the anointing on that can I
steal that your mess my mass is an
opportunity for God's message in the
mess because he intervenes and he does
something special and he teaches us
through it well God is still the
speaking God and we are still a very
messy people who need God to speak his
message in our messes amen so we're
going to read about one and there's a
reason why these miracles in the Gospel
of John are called signs why would a
miracle be called a sign what does a
sign do a sign on the street directs you
where to go it tells you what's ahead it
tells you where you should turn it tells
you what city is down that route some of
the signs in the Boston area are very
confusing there is a sign near my house
that tells me I'm driving on route 1
north and route 95 south at the same
time I don't know how that's possible
it's the nexus of the universe there's a
vortex going on there i doesn't make
sense to me but the sign is telling me
it's true well god sends miracles as
signs they're meant not just to meet a
need and cure a mess although they do
that literally but they also teach a
lesson they teach us something about God
there's layers and layers of meaning the
miracle is meant to be a revelation of
Jesus's glory in a special way and
there's almost always a symbolism to the
miracle that God's teaching us through
and the miracle we're about to read
today is one of the most powerful signs
that Jesus did that teaches a message
that I want to
I want us to hear today so John chapter
two and will read it and then I'll pray
so John chapter two and verse one the
Apostle John is telling the story I'll k
you with me on the third day a wedding
took place at Cana in Galilee a wedding
Jesus's mother was there and Jesus and
His disciples had also been invited to
the wedding when the wine was gone
Jesus's mother said to him they have no
more wine woman why do you involve me
jesus replied my hour has not yet come
his mother said to the servants do
whatever he tells you verse 6 nearby
stood six stone water jars the kind used
by the Jews for ceremonial washing each
one holding from 20 to 30 gallons jesus
said to his servants fill the jars with
water so they filled them to the brim
then he told them now draw some out and
take it to the master of the banquet
they did so and the master of the
banquet tasted the water that had been
turned into wine he did not realize
where it had come from though the
servants who had drawn the water knew
then he called the bridegroom aside and
said everyone brings out the choice wine
first and then the cheaper wine after
the guests have had too much to drink
but you've saved the best till now what
Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was
the first of the signs through which he
revealed his glory and his disciples
believed in him after this he went down
to Capernaum with his mother and
brothers and his disciples and there
they stayed for a few days wild stuff
huh let's pray god I thank you that you
are the God who delights and jumping out
of the boxes me we might want to put you
in and you are a specialist in the
unexpected and I thank you God that you
are the same who turned water into wine
those two thousand years ago and you're
here with us today
to fulfill the meaning that that sign
points us to and God I pray that we
would have ears to hear what you want to
communicate to us today in Jesus name
Amen awesome story huh now the Apostle
John like I said was very close to Jesus
and there's a lot of accounts and this
gospel although some people say that
this gospel is very philosophical but
there's a lot of very human accounts
where Jesus is telling a story of what
he did with Jesus what John did with
Jesus and this is a very human normal
natural context it's a wedding think of
the last wedding you went to it's a
wedding of course last wedding you went
to you probably went to a ceremony and
then afterwards you went to a reception
right maybe you went to a reception the
party afterwards well in those days you
went to the reception and then you went
to the reception again the next day and
the next day and the next day if you're
a Hebrew you really knew how to
celebrate seven days of party afterwards
Hebrews knew how to celebrate our God is
a celebrating God huh God is not boring
god is a god of life abundant life he
knew how to have fun jesus knew how to
eat and apparently also he knew
something about wine okay now before I
get too into this I I guess I'll jump
ahead to this I was going to save it for
later but when I was going over this
with my kids who helped me prepare this
message they said daddy isn't drinking
too much wine bad right right wouldn't
you say and that's true if you're
drinking too much the Bible says do not
be drunk on wine it talks about that
right well what's he doing then
multiplying all this water into wine huh
and there's the question two of if this
is kind of a 10 and I want us to be
aware of that that for many of us here
many people who are in recovery from
abusing alcohol at one time in their
life just need to stay away from it
right maybe they don't even need to go
into the bar where you're going to smell
certain smells right and and that's just
the reality for many of us
it's a significant percentage of us
should just not even taste it so I don't
want anyone saying well pastor Greg said
I can go to the bar after this no no no
but what I am going to say is that in
heaven you can just go nuts up there
because it's going to be all right it's
all going to be good up there but for
now so that we understand that this
miracle is problematic i would say on
the side though that wine in the hebrew
times was not as alcoholically potent as
it is today okay it was much less
alcoholic it had a less alcohol level
level than a light beer it was still
alcoholic but it was not what we would
call what they called in the Bible
strong drink strong drink was a higher
octane wine or beer whatever that was
actually forbidden for them to have too
much of but wine was the stuff of
everyday life killed a lot of germs it
was just normal for them to drink it and
you especially needed the wine at a
wedding right running out of wine at a
wedding so this is a very normal scene
we remember that Jesus was fully God
fully divine but also fully human right
Jesus grew up in a town Jesus was a
carpenter Jesus had a mother and a
father although we know it was his
stepfather right but no one else hardly
anyone else knew that he had brothers he
had sisters he had friends did he have
enemies in the neighborhood I don't know
maybe someone who didn't like a plow he
made I don't know that but Jesus it
wasn't Jesus as fault i know that right
he was a normal person in a lot of ways
and people when he first started
preaching the people in his hometown
were scandalized they said in this jesus
he grew up right here he played on the
soccer team he you know he went to
school you know i had to you know put a
bandaid on his knee one day what are you
talking about now he's saying is the son
of God he was a normal guy here he's at
a wedding with his brothers and his
mother and his friends and his closest
apostles now it's interesting because
they were probably related to the couple
that was getting married
because how else would they know that
they ran out of wine at the wedding so
this is a very human situation you read
in the New Testament that Jesus's mother
and brothers didn't always they weren't
always on the same page with Jesus as he
began his human ministry right his
brothers at one point in the Gospel of
John tell him so you want to be a public
figure now why don't you go to the
festival and Jesus like well for you any
times right but for me I've got to take
my my orders from my Heavenly Father you
almost felt like his brothers they
weren't buying it at first now we know
that they eventually came around you
know the guy who wrote the letter of
James at the end of the New Testament
you know who that was that was Jesus's
brother half-brother right as Jesus's
brother he probably even looked like
Jesus and he came in and if you think
about that I heard someone talking to me
about that this week your brother knows
everything about you your sister knows
everything about you right so at first
they were skeptical but he came around
and James became one of the greatest
Christian leaders and he believed that
Jesus was the son of God so the britons
brothers can run and even his mother
Mary was a little bit uncomfortable with
a lot of how things were going at first
in his ministry there's one point where
says Jesus was so busy in the Gospel of
Mark the Jesus was so busy doing his
ministry the crowds were so great that
he didn't even have time to eat and that
apparently pushed Jesus's Jewish mother
over the edge my boy hasn't eaten today
and so she says she and the brothers
were at the door trying to take charge
of Jesus because the Bible says they
said he is out of his mind so Mary
wasn't really always understanding what
was going on we know that she eventually
came around to understand too on the day
of Pentecost Mary was in the upper room
with the Apostles right so she
eventually understood but as they went
along if this was all Jesus was so human
that it was hard for them to really
understand but Mary knew that her son
was special right obviously she knew he
was conceived by the Holy Spirit she
knew and angel visited her even though
most people probably didn't know this
most people had no idea she knew my son
has
destiny that day when he was 12 remember
the moment they're at a festival in
Jerusalem and Jesus separates for mom
and dad don't try this and he runs away
and he goes to the temple to hang out at
the temple and then they find him and
they're like why have you treated us
this way says mother didn't you know I
had to be in my father's house about my
father's business so she knew something
special about Jesus but up to then
nobody knew it he was just a normal guy
most of the time he didn't do anything
out of the ordinary he didn't do any
miracles there's a lot of apocryphal
stories I him doing all these miracles
as a kid I don't believe it I think he
was just a normal Jewish young man took
over his father's business when he died
probably became a carpenter and here
there to wit wedding and Mary is
thinking you know Jesus this would be a
really good time for you to pull out
some of your powers right they run out
of wine now this is a very normal kind
of human situation imagine the panic
you're at a wedding and there's no wine
this would have been so embarrassing in
that time just yesterday we had a little
celebration in my house a certain
someone turned seven right and we put in
an order because we find these great you
know discounts right on the phone and
you find the discounts if we were going
to get forty percent off and we order
the pizza and we're like congratulating
ourselves if we got all these little
girls running around like a bunch of
little in Spanish they would say chivo
seen lay which means goats without law
in Spanish running around running around
and the pizza is not coming where's the
pizza right where's the pizza so we call
and they had lost the order of course
because it's too good to be true it's
probably not true right and they lost
the order what are we to do dough pizza
all these kids no pizza now if we feel
like that I don't let you didn't even
know did you if we feel like that at a
party how much war at a hebrew wedding
seven days of entertainment ahead of you
and you run out of wine so there's the
scandals there's this running around and
Mary comes up to Jesus and says you know
they're out of wine so you can tell I
get the feeling she's thinking look I
know that my son
is going to have miraculous power
someday now be a good time jesus we
could use some could you do something
about this and he answers in a very
interesting way doesn't he he says woman
what have I to do with you what's what's
going on some people see in this Jesus
being disrespectful to her I don't think
so I don't think he's being
disrespectful but they could there be a
hint of frustration maybe not sinful
frustration but a hint of what do you
want me to do about it right I've had
people sometimes people put me in those
situations because I'm a pastor right I
could do magic tricks right I don't
forget one wedding one wedding we're at
a rehearsal and it was going to be an
outdoor wedding don't do outdoor
weddings they they never go right we're
gonna do an outdoor wedding and at the
rehearsal the night before there you
know talking about how its predicted
it's gonna rain tomorrow night and so
the mother of the bride she's looking at
me like mice daughter you're gonna gonna
do something about this right you've got
the direct line right gonna you gonna
change the weather forecast for tomorrow
and I'm like yeah yeah right i'm gonna
look into that you know it's like what
do you what am i what am I Jesus well
Jesus was Jesus right and Mary was a bit
just a bit pushy maybe what kind of how
do you imagine Mary because we meet her
initially as the young woman who says
may it be to me as the Lord has said
who's completely submitted to God we
imagine her so pure that of course she
would never have attitude right I have a
feeling she was a tough lady I don't
know I just imagine I think so there's
some hints about that and so she's
pushing a little bit with Jesus and
she's like Jesus they have no wine and
Jesus like what do you want me to do
about it and he says it's not my time
yet throughout the Gospel of John it
talks about the timing of God the hour
that jesus knew his destiny and he knew
that even his mother couldn't map out
the plan for him it had to come from God
and I would just say a little thing on
the side there two parents here God has
a purpose for your children if you have
children and and he will map out that
destiny and we can't force it into being
the way we want so Mary is trying to
make him do it it's like okay would you
do it she's like what do you want me to
marry doesn't give up did you notice
that we have a great version of this on
a cartoon at home and Mary yes is all
cartoon she asked Jesus Jesus do
something about the wine Jesus is like
my time has not yet come and in the
cartoon she just gives him the I like
you know I don't know that look I was
the Jewish mother look 2000 years ago
but I get a feeling it's a look you
don't say no to right I and then she
tells the servants do whatever he tells
you in other words she's not taking no
for an answer here right she's not being
disrespectful her son is she knows who
her son is she's being respectful but
she's a do whatever he tells you and so
there's this thing and Jesus then goes
on and you notice he does it right he
does the miracle I almost feel I believe
in the Bible God presents people who
have pushy faith pushy faith they're not
always appropriate they're not always
polite but they believe in God and they
won't take no for an answer you know
anyone like that maybe you are someone
like that I hope you are because the
Bible says that Jesus likes that there's
a story of four guys who had a friend
who was sick and that friend was was a
paralytic he couldn't even walk they put
him on a mat and Jesus was teaching in a
house and the house was so full and it
was so busy that they couldn't get in
the front door so you know what they do
they start digging through the roof
apparently the roof was made out of like
you know clay or something you could dig
through it they start digging through
the roof and then like excuse me you
can't do that and they said sorry our
friend needs Jesus and the guys like
that's my house that anyway but digs
through lowers the mat and the Bible
says when Jesus saw their faith he
healed the man pushy faith faith that
won't take no for an answer I imagine
the woman who was who was a prostitute
but who came to believe in Jesus when
she heard that Jesus was visiting the
Pharisees she came to the front door she
says I've got to get in and see Jesus
and they're like you don't understand
you can't come in you're not invited
this is a
Pharisees house she says I'm afraid you
don't understand sir I've got to get in
and see Jesus ja comes in and makes a
scene and cries and wets his feet with
her tears you know the story and dries
it with her hair and everyone
scandalized but Jesus says don't even
worry about them you have sinned much
but you love much and your faith is
healed you go in peace my daughter Jesus
likes people who are a bit aggressive
with him see that's why God is not
intimidated by people who might be a
little bit rough around the edges
because sometimes people who were rough
around the edges who maybe had to you
know live hard but now for Jesus they
bring that same rough faith into their
pursuit of God and God blesses and I
think mary had a little bit of that I
almost imagine him I again I'm using my
imagination but I almost imagine a
little sigh mom you know what am I gonna
do mom says okay go get the jars you
know I almost imagine a smile I like
okay i'll meet you halfway i'm going to
do the miracle but it's not time for to
be public yet so this is going to be
kind of a undercover miracle I love
God's undercover miracles sometimes God
does this in our lives because we get in
messes right and God works behind the
scenes to to pull our fanny out of the
fire and sometimes nobody knows all that
he did for us but we know we're like God
thank you you came through for me again
you know those secret miracles maybe no
one's going to know but you know God
knows that's good enough and so that's
what happens he's like okay go get the
jars and they get the jars and they
bring them back then I think the
servants didn't even know what they're
doing they're just filling it up with
water they bring the jars over to the to
the master of the banquet we don't even
meet the couple do we they never even
know that God blessed their wedding
which by the way i would take a little
step back again this is again very
surface level this is the the literal
surface level meaning of the miracle
Jesus went to a wedding you know
sometimes in church history marriage has
been seen as somehow less holy than
monastic separation Jesus went to a
wedding Jesus blessed a normal wedding a
normal marriage
it's it's it's a thing it's a god thing
as well so they didn't even know we get
the water they bring it to the chief of
the banquet the chief of the banquet
makes a wisecrack he's like what are you
doing bringing out the expensive stuff
now everyone's too happy to notice the
difference now is when you bring the
cheap stuff out they're all just a
little south stand happy by excuse me
don't don't do this don't but you know
they weren't any it's like it's okay you
know this guy's making a joke this is
all very human very natural very human
God is doing something now on the most
surface level I want us to know that God
is in touch with the messes of our lives
the situations where we might find
ourselves embarrassed where we find
ourselves in us in a bind God is there
to work behind the scenes and and bring
us out of it okay Jesus is present he's
not to up there to be involved in your
life but there is another meaning to
this miracle okay these miracles have
different layers of meaning their signs
and I want to look at the deeper meaning
of the symbolism of what God's doing
here look at the beginning of the story
if you would John chapter 2 verse 1 it
says on the third day a wedding took
place at Cana in Galilee you ever
noticed that third day the third day of
what wait what the third day after what
we don't see the Gospel of John at the
beginning is structured around the
structure of a week right there's
something that happens on day one where
he meets a certain he meets John the
Baptist day two he meets some of the
disciples day three this happens day
four day five did there's a week of
seven days where Jesus starts his
ministry now that might be a little
literal seven days or might be I'm not
to get into it but it's it's a structure
it's a literary structure that John is
using to introduce Jesus now this
miracle happens on day three when is day
three going to become really important
in the story of the gospel what happens
on the third day right think about
this dies on Friday he's dead on
Saturday and on Sunday he's alive again
God raises him from the dead on the
third day Jesus is raised again this
miracle is meant to be a picture of the
resurrection it's meant to point us
forward like a sign that says one day
just like Jesus is going to have a new
body one day everything is going to
become brand new in the resurrection
it's meant to point us forward to
another wedding that's going to happen
someday not between two people but
between Christ and the church a wedding
that's going to be a feast like none
other we can imagine it's going to be a
day when water is turned into wine it's
going to be an awesome day and this is a
picture of that future resurrection it's
a picture of heaven that waits for us a
menu will few believe in Jesus and it
says now why won't you look at how the
miracle happened Jesus told them to fill
up six jars he had him used six jars and
fill them up with water they weren't
just any jars look with me you got to
look for the details in Scripture and
there's meaning in it in verse 6 it says
nearby stood six stone water jars the
kind used by the Jews for ceremonial
washing now it would make sense at a
wedding feast that there would be these
six ceremonial washing jars because a
bride in part of her preparation to get
married is she would take a purification
bath remember all of our teaching on the
Book of Leviticus all of the the
purification ceremonies they would go
through there were all symbolic of hard
holiness well one of those was called a
mitzvah when the bride would take a bath
before the wedding right that's
generally recommendable you take a bath
before the wedding okay men you really
need to you know okay so you take the
bath in it but it's ceremonial washing
right it's a ceremonial thing in these
stone jars that were used
for purification that the water from
those jars made the bride symbolically
holy holy to God and holy for her
husband set apart for her husband Jesus
says those of the jars were going to use
can you see why because Jesus has come
to initiate something new all the
ceremonies that I took all those months
to preach about here we're all signs
pointing us forward to a day when Jesus
would fulfill them and Jesus is going to
say that water from the Old Covenant the
old temple the old sacrifices all the
purification I am going to turn it into
glorious wine that was just the symbol
the reality has come you see that water
purified the exterior but what I give
you is going to transform you from the
inside out see the wine in the Bible
represents something the Bible says do
not be drunk on wine but be filled with
the Holy Spirit the wine is the Holy
Spirit Jesus says you had water before
the John the Baptist said i baptize you
with water but the one who comes after
me will baptize you with what the Holy
Spirit and with fire Jesus says i'm
going to give you not just water to
cleanse the outside i'm going to give
you wine that's going to intoxicated
God's love that's going to transform you
from the inside and make you a new
person God comes and makes all things
new now think about this he didn't just
make better water see sometimes as
Christians we teach come to Christ and
God will make your life better right but
God didn't just make better water he
changed it into something entirely
different he changed it into a new
creation he changed the water chemically
into wine not just a little better
totally different
much much much much better because God
makes all things new that's the promise
of the gospel not just a slightly better
life a new life that's what God comes to
offer us and the wine represents that
and and there's a reason why he picks
wine because yes does God want you to be
happy does God promised an easy life
never right as a Christian we may suffer
we'll go through hard times will be
persecuted but there is a joy there is a
wine available to the Christian that is
better than any drug you could imagine
and it doesn't leave a hangover it fills
your senses it fills your mind your body
your feelings it saturates every part of
your life with a new wine that is
available to us and it tastes great
little story I was travelling in
Argentina anyone ever been to Argentina
no we got no Argentina I was in
Argentina and my first day there right I
was traveling Latin America first day
wake up in the morning I was in a
retreat center went down to breakfast
they had a a meal where they had toast
and peanut butter so I took the peanut
butter and I spread it on the toast and
I had my cafe con leche and I and I took
the toast with the peanut butter and
took a bite and it wasn't peanut butter
it was something called dulce de leche
which is basically caramel-like like
really good caramel now it's not door to
the logic are even young que esta muy
bueno tambien it's it's liquid it looks
like peanut butter you spread it and
took a fight not like I'm expecting
peanut butter and I get a mouthful of
caramel it was one of the happiest
surprises of my life and I'm like this
isn't peanut butter this is it was I was
like give me more that remember that's
part of why but it's it was really good
that's what God does with our life he
changes the peanut butter into dulce de
leche he changes the water into wine he
makes it all new
it's a picture of a time when the world
will be a different place you see we as
Christians believe that God is going to
transform this world that there will be
a physical resurrection we're going to
have new bodies we're going to see our
loved ones who've died in Christ we're
going to see them again we're going to
eat new foods we're going to have new
trees new sky new clouds new music it's
going to be awesome the world is going
to shift over to put this way for CS
Lewis says from a minor key into a major
key right God's going to turn the world
into HD you ever seen Charlie in the
chocolate factory where the rivers are
running with chocolate where the where
the leaves are made out of licorice you
know we put that in a movie but you know
it'll be even better than that we're
talking about having God says see I will
make a new heaven and a new earth it's
going to be an earth where the water is
going to taste like wine you don't
believe me the Bible says in Isaiah
chapter 25 verse 6 on this mountain the
Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of
rich food for all people a banquet of
aged wine the best meats and the finest
of wines on this mountain he will
destroy the shroud that in folds all
people the sheet that covers the nation
he will swallow up death forever the
sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces there's a day coming and
that miracle where Jesus turned the
water into the wine says that day is
coming sooner than you think because I'm
the third day I'm going to begin to roll
back death that has corrupted this world
and begin to bring everything to life
it's going to start with Jesus and then
he's going to do something he's going to
pour out that wine that Holy Spirit in
his believers and that wine in us is
going to begin to bring us to life and
little by little death is going to be
pushed back and life is going to be
unleashed and it's going to be awesome
the wolf will live with the lamb the
leopard will lie down with the goat the
calf and the lion and the yearling
together and a little child will lead
them the infant will play near the
Cobras den and the young child will put
its hand into the viper's nest but they
will neither harm nor destroy on all my
holy mount
and for the earth will be filled with
the knowledge of the Lord as the waters
cover the sea amen that's something to
look forward to heaven is going to be
spectacular i'll never forget before one
funeral i was doing you know i was
praying before hand and in the quietness
of that moment it's like I could just
feel a rain just washing over me and I
thought you know God is that the reign
of heaven I don't know but I just felt
like you know when we're there it's
going to be good it's going to be good
but I got good news for you that can
start right now that new beginning of
heaven God sends us a down payment see
we're not going to get the whole thing
yet but he's like I'm going to give you
a taste of it I'm going to give you a
sip of the wine and that deposit that
down payment is the Holy Spirit that God
gives us it's the Holy Spirit that
transforms us from the inside out and
the new creation begins right now with
you the Bible says if anyone is in
Christ he is a new creation the old has
gone the new has come praise the Lord
you're a new person in Jesus you're
already starting to live a new life our
God is the god of new beginnings now it
doesn't happen overnight some of you
think I don't feel like such a new
creation today if I'm a new creation why
am I still so miserable well because
it's a process it's a process of that
wine filling us and changing us it's not
going to happen overnight but our God is
the god of new beginnings the Bible says
he gives us new birth into a Living Hope
to when you become a Christian our
spirit is born it comes to life again
God puts a new heart and a new spirit
within us he puts a new song in our
mouths the Bible says that God even
gives new names to people you ever have
a nickname from your old life that maybe
you don't use anymore for good reason
right because that's the old me I that
person's gone that person died in
Baptism and a new me is alive now God's
been doing that throughout think about
Abram
God said you will no longer be called
Abram you will be called Abraham and
your destiny will be to be the father of
many nations Jacob supplanter you will
no longer be called Jacob you'll be
called Israel because you struggled with
God and man and have overcome his son
they had a son who the mother died in
childbirth they named him Ben Annie
which means son of my affliction and
misery and Jacob renamed and saying no
no no you're Benjamin the son of my
right hand Hosea Moses changed his name
from Hosea to Joshua which means the
Lord is my salvation in the New
Testament Jesus comes along and says to
Peter he wasn't Peter he was Simon he
said you are no longer Simon you are
Cephas which means rock and on this rock
Peter I will build my church the Apostle
Paul full of Pride and bravado gets
knocked down from his horse and God says
you're no longer gonna be Saul you're
gonna change your name to Paul which
means really small because God has
humbled you to do great things through
you our God is the god of new beginnings
he makes all things new he gives you a
new name a new future a new destiny a
new person in you living with Christ in
you the hope of glory the water is
turned to wine God enters into the
messes of our lives and he gives meses
messages of new beginnings he takes the
ordinary and he makes it extraordinary
he takes water and he turns it into wine
and it is going to be great and it can
start now we need to realize that it's
all about preparing for a wedding that
we are waiting for a day of glory when
God will present us to Christ as a
glorious bride we're not going to have
to take a physical bath because we'll be
purified with washing with water through
the word the Bible says and we will be
invited to the wedding banquet of the
Lamb and that is a beautiful thing to
hope for now we can live optimistically
as Christians because if you think about
it Jesus didn't just make enough wine
for them to get through that day did you
notice that how big were the jars
that Jesus filled can you imagine there
were 20 to 30 gallons think of a gallon
of milk from the store right it's a
little heavy now multiply that by 20 so
we're talking about a container probably
that comes up to here right a big jar
not just one of them six of them six of
them and God makes the fat and he
doesn't just make a little bit of the
Bible says that they fill the jars to
the top to the brim God isn't going to
give you just enough to get by there's
plenty of wine available for you there's
plenty of goodness in your future the
Bible says that the enemy comes to steal
kill and destroy but Jesus says I have
come that you might have life and have
it abundantly in the Gospel of John it
says that God gives his spirit without
measure the wine again is not perfect
things in life I'm not promising you
that although in heaven that's coming
but the wine that we have available to
us now is the presence of the Holy
Spirit and we can drink as much as we
want if we will be willing God says I
will fill you to overflowing you know
you prepare a table before me in the
presence of my enemies you anoint my
head with oil my cup runneth over praise
God God wants the cup to run over the
Bible says do not be drunk on wine but
be filled with the Holy Spirit I want us
here to get absolutely smashed on the
Holy Spirit and then I want us to be
intoxicated with God because that
intoxication is so strong that that can
overcome addictions to other kinds of
intoxications because you're like I've
got something better I got something
much better than that that intoxication
also brings us
together right have you ever observed
that sometimes people who would not
ordinarily be friends get to be friends
when they get drunk enough again I'm
sorry this is pg-13 forgive me I'm gonna
have to explain this later but they get
to be friends when they're like drunk
enough because they're they're not they
don't have any judgment they're just
hanging out their friends right for the
moment well in the spirit if the Holy
Spirit intoxicates us enough then that
is a bond between people that is thicker
than water no pun intended right thicker
than water because we are drinking from
the same spirit the Bible says we we
have been given the same spirit to drink
and because we share the intensity of
that experience with God we are one and
you're my brother and you're my sister
even if you're from another country even
if you've got a different style or you
speak a different language we are one
it's no accident that every revival in
Christian history where the Spirit is
poured out powerfully there's always
multi-ethnicity scandalously so it is
who's a street in 1906 when God poured
out his all the spirit and the gift of
tongues was being unleashed in a new way
it was scandalous that the blacks and
whites and Asians were all worshiping
together it was scandalous our God is
going to bring us together and create a
new humanity not just through idealism
and hopefulness and wishful thinking but
through becoming intoxicated on the same
spirit and being drawn together but
here's the question do we want it see
God makes a promise I believe in this
miracle right at the end what does the
what does the chief of the bank would
say when he tries he says you have saved
the best for last our god saves the best
for last still and I believe that in our
individual lives some people think it's
too late for me you know I had a
conversation the other day with a with a
sister who is in her 80s and she is as
ready for action in the Lord as she ever
has been I mean the Holy Spirit telling
her to talk to people on the bus and
going up and giving money to complete
strange
I'm preaching the guy more than ever
she's in the zone because God saves the
best wine for last it doesn't matter
what you've been through you might think
it's all done for me no no no no no your
best is yet to come your best days are
ahead of you in Jesus God saves the best
for last and I believe that is also to
be taken in a big way this is part of
why I think there might be another
barrage of creative miracles in church
history because before Jesus returns the
Bible says he's going to return for a
glorious bride for that wedding without
spot or wrinkle or staying and I believe
in the last days that the Church of
Jesus Christ is going to experience the
fullness of the Holy Spirit like it
never has been why not guys why not us
why not today why not us be part of that
the best is saved for last but but
here's the question do we really want it
yeah are we going to be like Mary and be
just a little pushy with Jesus Jesus
told a parable about a friend who was a
pushy friend right who was knocking at
the door because he had friends who come
on a journey he didn't have any bread to
give them he says hey I I got company
could you wake up and give me some bread
and his friend says wow man will you
leave me alone i'm in bed already the
friend keeps knocking no I need
something I need some bread and the
friend finally says that he gets up and
gives him what he needs not because he's
his friend at that moment he can't stand
up but because he's so pushy he gets up
and gives him all you want and Jesus
says so I tell you ask and it will be
given to you seek and you will find
knock and the door will be open to you
everyone who asks receives the one who
seeks finds and to the one who knocks it
will be open but here's the question do
we seek do we want that wine I would
dare to say to a certain extent we have
as much of God's presence in our lives
as we want if we settle for little
little if we're hungry for more more
goes on to say which of you fathers if
your son asks for a fish will give them
a snake instead or if you ask for an egg
will give them a scorpion
if you then though you are evil know how
to give good gifts to your children how
much more will your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him
that tells me that the Holy Spirit can
be given in different measures even
though the Spirit is a person the Holy
Spirit is not some electrical force but
the Holy Spirit is a person in spirit
form is God with us and we can have that
fullness to the extent that we asked as
he thinks tent we don't ask we don't
have and here's the question are we
hungry today are we willing to ask we're
about to transition to the Lord's Supper
today where we have and and there's not
going to be any turning grape juice into
wine today because we're on this side of
heaven still but it's a symbol of the
not just the coven ental feast of the
Passover but it is also i think part of
the background is the wedding banquet
with the brine and you're invited to the
table too if you want to come that's the
basic thing some people think I really
shouldn't with what I've done with what
I'm struggling with I really shouldn't I
shouldn't participate so this is a
symbol of the fact that Jesus paid for
our sins on the cross in his own blood
that He died for our sin so if you feel
guilty today or like you don't deserve
it then you are more qualified probably
than anyone else because you know you
need the medicine that we're offering
here okay you what you do is you confess
you say God I have sinned but I believe
in you I ask you to forgive me and then
you participate you take it let's say
you're here today and you're just you're
just going along you're a Christian and
you love Jesus what I want to tell you
is got to save the best for last your
best days are ahead of you you take this
in God I want the real wine that you
have for me forgive me for false
substitutes I want what you have for me
but before we do this I'm going to take
a minute and i want to invite anyone who
needs to accept Jesus in your heart is
your Lord and Savior before you
participate because important that you
be a Christian before you participated
this
I want to give you a chance to become a
Christian it's as simple as just saying
God I'm a sinner but I believe Jesus and
I receive him as my Lord and Savior if
you want maybe you're not sure you've
ever done that or maybe you're not sure
well let's be sure today let's make it
official with God so I'm going to invite
you to say that prayer with me and I'm
going to invite us all to close our eyes
for a moment before we come to the table
and prepare our hearts close your eyes
and just feel the presence of God here
and know that God is here with us in
this moment know that God loves you he
understands you and he knows you and he
invites you to come to him and to invite
Jesus into your heart and if that is a
decision that you want to make today I'm
going to ask you to raise your hand
before the Lord and pray with me to
accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior so
if that is you today I'm going to ask
you to raise your hand as a symbol of
your telling God God I want to accept
Jesus as my Lord and my Savior God bless
you god I see I see young ladies over
here god bless you brother god bless you
over here in the corner I see you okay
so there's several of you now what I'm
going to do now is I'm going to say a
prayer and you just still with your hand
raised before God I ask you to repeat
this prayer with me and give your heart
to god it's not magic words but it's a
it's a way of opening your heart to him
so you just repeat this with me dear
father
thank you that you love me I admit that
I am a sinner and I have failed in many
ways but I believe in Jesus I believe
that Jesus died for me on the cross and
I believe that Jesus rose again and I
accept you Jesus in my heart to be my
Lord and to be my Savior I want to
belong to you please forgive me and give
me your spirit and make me brand new and
i will be your son your daughter the
rest of my life in Jesus name