Best wine for last

JOKE:  For weeks a six-year-old lad kept telling his first-grade teacher about the baby brother or sister that was expected at his house.

One day the mother allowed the boy to feel the movements of the unborn child. The six-year old was obviously impressed but made no comment. Furthermore, he stopped telling his teacher about the impending event.

The teacher finally sat the boy on her lap and said, “Tommy, whatever has become of that baby brother or sister you were expecting at home?”

Tommy burst into tears and confessed, “I think Mummy ate it!”

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And that is what I want to share with you today, no not that mommy ate it, but whether the expectancy of how we come to church, what do you expect God to do?

We’re going to take some time, maybe a few weeks and deal with some of the miracles that Jesus performed in the Scriptures.

We probably don’t look at them, really speak about them near enough.  So, my prayer is that with each miracle that we look at we will see just how applicable they are for us today.  These things didn’t just happen 2000 years ago so that we can read about in the Scripture and go wow, go Jesus!  They are for us to learn from.  There are lessons we can learn from each one that we will look at.

There are at least 36 miracles that Jesus performed that are recorded.

I think talking about miracles has been overlooked at times because there are many in the Body of Christ that have this believe that the miracles we read about, the miracles that Jesus performed and that the disciples performed no longer are needed, necessary, or available.  And nothing is further from the truth.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) – ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

John 14:12 (NIV) – ¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

So, where do we begin?  What miracle should we look at first?  Let’s start right at the beginning its found in the gospel according to John chapter 2.  We will begin at verse 1.

John 2:1–2 (NIV) – On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

Now I want you to notice something here.  Point 1 that we can learn from.  Jesus has always been about relationship.  Jesus must have been friends with the wedding party.  Not sure if it was the bride or the groom, but the Scripture tells us that he was invited.

Why pastor are you making such a big point of that?  Glad you asked.  Here’s the reason.  How many miracles had Jesus performed up to this point?   Zero.  So, they didn’t invite Jesus because of the great things he was doing.

Jesus up to this point had performed no miracles, nobody knew that He was the Son of God.  They may have heard Him teach.  But even the disciples up to this point hadn’t seen anything miraculous come from Jesus.

So here they are at the wedding, by the way the Jewish weddings weren’t like we have today ours might last 30 minutes or so, much longer then that and the bride starts to look at me funny.  The weddings in the days of Jesus could last a week.

So, the wedding planner had to make sure enough food and wine was there to last until the end.

And on this particular day. . .he hadn’t planned that well.

John 2:3 (NIV) – ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

John 2:4 (NIV) – ⁴ “Woman,  why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

Paraphrased, mom really, don’t get me involved it’s not my fault they couldn’t plan well.  Besides its not time for me to let on to who I am.

John 2:5 (NIV) – ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Isn’t that mom for you?  It’s like she was saying they don’t know who you are, but I do.  I think it’s time for you to let them in on your secret, son show then who you are.  So, she tells the servants. . . “Do whatever he tells you.”

John 2:6–9 (NIV) – ⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. ⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, ⁹ 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

I think that’s funny.  The pots they used were the ones that were used for washing their hands.  They didn’t have those little dispensers hanging on the wall to pump unto your hands after you pet the animals at the zoo.

And I love verse 9

John 2:9 (NIV) – ⁹ 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

I highly doubt that the servants that obeyed Jesus looked at the master of the banquet and said, wait a minute, before you taste that, before you pull the bridegroom aside let me tell you where the wine came from.  No, I think they just looked over at Jesus, His mom and the few disciples he had and said. Shh let this be our little secret.

I think another lesson that we can learn here is that Jesus didn’t perform this miracle of turning water into wine to say look at me world.  No, the only ones that knew were the servants that filled the pots, his mom, and the disciples that were with them.  The master of the banquet, the bridegroom, the parents of the bride and groom all clueless.

So they call the bridegroom aside and look what they say. . .

John 2:10 (NIV) – ¹⁰ 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 have saved the best till now.”

And this verse is where I want to spend a few moments on.  The last line, you have saved the best till now.

I love that.

The truth is: what Jesus has for you is always greater than anything you’ve imagined in your life so far.

1 Corinthians 2:9–10 (NIV) – ⁹ However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him— ¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Jesus saving the best for last, there’s something we need to capture about that, and that is that when Jesus made the best wine it changes the way we live and think.

Truth is according to 1 Corinthians 2:9 I have not even begun to imagine the goodness that I’m going to see in Jesus the longer I spend time with Him.

Think about this, these disciples followed him up to this point hadn’t seen a miracle performed. They haven’t seen Jesus do anything supernatural, or miraculous yet.  All he asked them was to come follow me.  They had nothing to go off.

They followed him simply because John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God” and they believed that witness so they’re following him.   Now here they are, and they see Jesus do this extraordinary miracle and suddenly their expectations change.  Suddenly what they knew about Jesus was much different than a few moments ago.

Here’s another lesson we can learn from this miracle of Jesus turning water into wine.

The expectation at the wedding was bring out the cheap stuff.  They have all drank a little more then they should they won’t notice anyway.

And church that is what we often do.  We don’t see the miracles of God because we have no expectation of Him.  We read the miracles that are found in Scripture and think cool, but we never get from the Word to our heart or head.

We expect something mediocre because, to really expect God to provide in some miraculous last-minute,I have no other option kind of way sounds scary, and to take that kind of risk well I’m just not sure that is what I can do.

But see here’s the truth church, faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the full staircase.

Show Indiana Jones video

I think there needs to be an expectation from God that if I’m a lover of Jesus, if I’m a disciple of His, if he has saved me and changed my life, and if I believe that Jesus is who he says He is,  and by the way I do, there ought to be a heightened sense of expectancy in my life that I believe he will show up and do things that are not ordinary, that he will  do things that are extraordinary.

He’ll do things that I could not do on my own.  See truth is if what He asks me to do is something that in my own power I’m capable of than that is not faith.  It doesn’t require any.

When I pray with someone with an illness, a sickness, a pain, or whatever ailment they may have.  I need to have an expectancy that God is a healer.  That God will indeed show up.

I want to pray in such a way that the doctors will be amazed and know that a miracle has taken place. I want to pray believing that God can heal and perform the kind of miracle that cannot be achieved by any human, but that they will simply say it was a miracle.

The scriptures teach us that with prayer we invite heaven to get involved.   And God desires to have heaven invade earth.  As a matter of fact many have recited this you know it. . .

Matthew 6:9–10 (NIV): This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

And church, there is a way to almost guarantee that I’m not going to see anything miraculous happen and that is to not invite God to do what only He can do.

He is Jehovah Rapha – The Lord that heals thee.

I think one of the issues is that s lot of us have trouble believing that God wants the best for us.

We have been taught to believe that he’s mad at us all the time.  We mess up oh no God’s mad at me.   We get this idea that He is just a grumpy old man.  Looking down from heaven above waiting to get us when we make a mistake.  Or some will say, “I know Jesus is a nice guy, but God, he’s mad at me all the time.” We fail to interpret the Father through the eyes of Jesus.

But let me say this:

Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) – ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Hebrews 1:3 (TPT) – ³ The Son is the dazzling radiance of God’s splendor, the exact expression of God’s true nature—his mirror image! He holds the universe together and expands it by the mighty power of his spoken word. He accomplished for us the complete cleansing of sins, and then took his seat on the highest throne at the right hand of the majestic One.

Hebrews 1:3 (The Message) – This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words!  After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God.

Get the picture.

Incase you don’t look at this. . .

John 10:22–33 (NIV): Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” 31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

He’s good to his people. He supplies the best for their lives. He doesn’t have to, He chooses to.  He isn’t obligated to do so.  His grace, his goodness, his compassion, this undeserved kindness flows from Jesus.  It truly is The Reckless Love of God.

Matthew 7:11 (NIV) – ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

I am overwhelmed at the loving kindness and the goodness and the patience, the peace that I have found in God.  I don’t deserve it, but he gives me the best.  In spite of me.

I love how this miracle story ends. . .

John 2:11 (NIV) – ¹¹ 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.

If you look throughout John, and keep reading past chapter two, the other gospels have it as well, you’re going to see a few more times when the Bible says, “And his disciples believed in him.”

It’s like they forgot about that wedding miracle.  The Israelites had the same problem.  They forgot how God had brought them through many difficult circumstances, delivered them, helped them, guided them, blessed them.  And truth be told many in the Body of Christ have the same problem.  We forget how God has seen us through.

So, the disciples would come to a place and Jesus would do something amazing, and the Bible would declare that the disciples saw that, and they suddenly believed in him.  It’s like over and over he keeps taking them to new levels of faith.

And church that is exactly what He desires to do in our lives.  He wants to take us to new levels.  The conference I’m going to in August, do you know what it’s called?  There is More.  And the truth is God always has more for us to experience, to encounter, but we need to get to a place that we recognize that He is good, and he is pouring out His best for us.

Hear this church.  You can continue to live life expecting the bare minimum from God if you want to, but as for me I want to come into His presence with an expectation.

A lot of us live life that way, not expecting much.  But what he invites us into is to understand and experience and have our minds elevated and have revelation after revelation and an ever-expanding, view of the goodness of God.

Whenever I come into worship rather it’s here corporately or in my prayer closet, or throughout my day, every time, he looks more amazing to me than he did before.

Listen church if you pick up nothing else from this message, it doesn’t matter if you have been in a relationship with Jesus for a day, a year, or a century.  It doesn’t matter if you have seen miracles every day, every month, or just a few times in your journey.  Truth is you have only begun to see just how good He truly is.  Just how much He desires to show Himself.

If you’re here today and there’s a situation in your life where you need to be expecting God to show up in a supernatural way, in a way just not make sense. Then my prayer for you is just what the disciples prayed.

Luke 17:5 (NIV) – ⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”