HERE'S YOUR SIGN Water into Wine

EIGHT IS ENOUGH Session Two

HERE’S YOUR SIGN: Water into Wine

CONNECT Have you ever ran out of something? I have run out of gas many times, usually at key moments. Have you ever run out of food or drink at a party? The party shuts down pretty quick.

TENSION Can you imagine what it would be like to run out of food or drink at a wedding reception? That is the situation the family in our story today faces. It is symbolic of the times of lack we all experience.

SOLUTION We are going to see how Jesus came to the rescue for that family and how He stands ready to rescue us.

PRAYER

BACKGROUND John writes about eight miracles in detail. These were not all the miracles Jesus performed.

John 20:30-31 (NKJV) And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

John calls them signs. A sign points to something and gives information and instruction. It reveals something. The signs Jesus did point to His glory and demonstrated to the world that He is the Son of God. They caused people to believe in Him and find the eternal life He came to offer.

TEXT John 2:11 (NKJV) This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

INSTRUCTION Jesus was ready for ministry: under authority, baptized in water, filled with the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit.

He had called His disciples. They did life together. That’s how discipleship happens, hanging out. Teaching and ministry happen naturally; like in a family.

Illustration: No devotions in our family… Daughter got saved in the car…

John 2:1–10 (NKJV) On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

This is as a week-long party! Mary was probably a friend of the family…

² Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.

Jesus did not isolate himself from the world.

Luke 7:34 (NIV) The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”

Luke 15:1-2 (NIV) Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

They had run out of wine. A source of embarrassment to the family.

1.     There was a lack!

We all have times we lack something. It could be resources, faith, power, health, strength, love, life, light, friends. The list is endless. You fill in the blank.

The lack can come suddenly. It can be your fault or result of circumstances. The cause doesn’t matter. It is still a lack.

It is embarrassing to have a lack. When you can’t pay your bills or provide the things you want to give your family. When you don’t have the strength to do what you need to do to overcome the battle you’re in. When your faith reserves are low, and you don’t have any power. When you are weak with sickness and you can’t get well. When you feel you lack the skills and experience to succeed in your job.  When your love has disappeared for your spouse or your family and you can’t get it back.

Lack is an accursed thing. But I have good news for us this morning. There is Someone who sees our lack and hears our cry for help, and He is able to meet us at the point of our  need!

Psalms 34:10 (NKJV) The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

2.     Jesus was already in the house.

When you have a lack or a need or a problem, Jesus is already there! He is with you!

Isaiah 43:2 (NKJV) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Daniel 3:25 (NKJV) “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

James 1:5 (NKJV) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Now take out the word “wisdom” and read it again.

James 1:5 (NKJV) If any of you lacks… let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Now read it again. This time put your lack in that blank space.

James 1:5 (NKJV) If any of you lacks _____, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

God is ready today to fill that empty place in your life. Just ask Him! Cry out to Him from that empty place.

Now if you don’t feel like you can go for yourself, someone can go for you.

3.     We are called to intercede.

Intercession is going to God on behalf of someone else who can’t or won’t go on his own. God invites us to participate in intercession with Him. Mary demonstrates that. She took the lack as her own and took responsibility to meet the need through interceding to her Son and Savior.

The Bible sometimes calls intercession “standing in the gap”.

Ezekiel 13:5 (NKJV) You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD.

Ezekiel 22:30 (NKJV) So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

A ‘gap’ is an area of lack. It is the distance between what is and what God wants it to be. We can ‘stand in the gap’ for people who have an area of lack.

The Father is interceding for us today.

Romans 8:27 (NKJV) Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The Holy Spirit is interceding for us today.

Romans 8:26 (NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.

Jesus is interceding for us today. Even this morning Jesus is praying for you.

Romans 8:34 (NKJV) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

⁴ Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

Notice that Jesus tries to rebuff His mother’s attempts in intercession. God will sometimes do that to see if we will fight through and persevere. Jesus did that with the Syrophoenician woman.

Jesus told a couple of parables about this. 

Luke 11:5-8 (NKJV) And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

Luke 18:1-8 (NKJV) Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

It is called importunity: hanging on until the answer comes; just like a bulldog...

Luke 11:10 (AMPC) For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

Isaiah 55:6 (NKJV) Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

Mary doesn’t let that dissuade her. She acts in faith as if the answer was coming. She takes action based on her knowledge of Jesus!

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

4.     Obey what Jesus says

This is the key to life. Just do what God says. It is also the key to answered prayer. We pray the will of God.

⁶ Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. ⁷ Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.

Jesus uses the unbelieving servants to accomplish the miracle and fill the lack. God can use anyone and anything to meet your need.

Illustration: Oral Roberts and the dog race track owner…

⁹ When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. ¹⁰ And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

5.     The best is yet to come.

If you have lack in your life today, that lack will turn into abundance in the name of the Lord.

John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

APPLICATION

1.     Where is your lack?

2.     Where is Jesus in your lack?

3.     Have others pray for your lack.

4.     Obey Jesus.

5.     Expect abundance.

INVITATION