Keep The Party Going

KEEP THE PARTY GOING!

John 2:1-11

S: Celebration of Change

Th: My Life as God’s Light

Pr: JESUS HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE US.

?: What? What changes can He make?

KW: Changes

TS: We will find in John 2:1-11 three changes Jesus has the power to make in us.

The ____ change that Jesus has the power to make in us is from…

I. SADNESS TO GLADNESS (1-3)

II. INEFFECTIVENESS TO USEFULNESS (4-8)

III. HOPELESSNESS TO WHOLENESS (9-11)

RMBC 01/28/01 AM

INTRODUCTION:

ILL Notebook: Wedding (no deposit, no return)

At a wedding rehearsal, the minister told the father of the bride, "As you give your daughter’s hand to the bridegroom, you should say something nice to him."

The father, a grocery store manager, took the advice. During the wedding ceremony, he placed the bride’s hand on his son-in-law’s arm and said, "No deposit, no return."

Perhaps that wasn’t what that minister had in mine, but this I do know…

Weddings are great opportunities for celebration.

ILL Personal (great memories)

When it comes to wedding ceremonies, I get a front row seat. I get to see and hear things that are hidden from most people. Some of it is a lot of fun and it is always, always a privilege to partake in this sacred transaction.

But I have had some unusual experiences…

One of the first weddings I performed, the bride was an hour late. I expected the groom to be panicking, but he was cool as a cucumber. In fact, I was the one panicking and he kept telling, “She’ll be here.” She did come.

Another time, I performed a wedding for a Jewish groom and a Filipino bride. The ceremony had traditions from both sides. At the end, I gave the Aaronic blessing, “The Lord bless you and keep you…” in Hebrew. Afterwards, the groom’s side of the family kept speaking to me in Hebrew during the reception because I had done it so well, they mistakenly thought I spoke it fluently.

In another wedding, I was standing by the candelabra as the couple prayed. The candles were the spring-loaded type that push the candle up as it burns, but one had come loose, and shot up out of the candelabra. I caught it in mid-air, put it back, all in one motion. Only a few people saw it.

At Scott and Anna Mae’s wedding reception, they put a camera at each table, which to say the least was very dangerous. But I don’t think they ever suspected that my wife would go around the room taking pictures of the baldheaded men in the room.

Weddings are great times of celebration and special moments.

TRANSITION:

In our passage today, we find Jesus at a wedding.

And just as we find them now, or as we should find them now, weddings are times to celebrate God’s design.

It is a time of the glorified ideal.

At the same time, it is a nervous event brimming with potential confusion.

You know…

1. Jesus had a way of making events memorable.

Jesus is going to make a difference.

He has already made a difference in the lives of John, James, Peter, Andrew, Philip and Nathanael.

They have already dropped what they were doing and accompanied him back to their homeland of Galilee.

Now they find themselves with Jesus at a wedding in Nathanael’s hometown.

Jewish weddings are grand events with drama and excitement.

For the Israelite, it was most grand event in life where festivities would last for days.

The ceremony would take place in the evening following a feast.

Then the couple would be taken to their new home in a parade, through the most roundabout route possible in the town.

Instead of a honeymoon as is our tradition, they had an open house for a week, where they were treated like a king and queen, and granted any request that they made.

At this wedding, this new couple would eventually learn this lesson because of an impending disaster…

2. When Jesus touches something, it changes.

What Jesus touches—changes.

This means that…

3. JESUS HAS THE POWER TO BRING CHANGE.

But what difference can He make?

Well, that is what we hope to find out this morning, for…

4. We will find in John 2:1-11 three changes Jesus has the power to make.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first change that Jesus has the power to make is from SADNESS TO GLADNESS (1-3).

(1) 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. (3) When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

This may seem as an overstatement of the obvious, but I think it is worthy of notice because of its implications.