Preparation Precedes A Blessing

Intro:

- Jesus had to be announced before He could come (John 1:19-23)

- Naaman had to wash seven times before he could be healed (2 Kings 5:10)

- Before fire could consume the burnt offering barrels of water had to be poured on it. (I Kings 18:33)

- Jesus had to go out into the wilderness before he began His ministry (Matthew 4:1)

I. A Relationship with God precedes a Blessing (v.3-5)

- Mary knew what Jesus could do because of her relationship with Him

- Mary had a reasonable expectation that Jesus would honor her request because of her relationship with Jesus

- The Master of the feast did not even know to go to Jesus because he had no relationship with Him.

- 1Jn 5:12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

- Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

II. Fellowship with God precedes a Blessing (v.4)

A. We get fellowship from studying His word

- We stay pure by staying in His word (Psalm 119:9)

- We avoid sin by storing God’s word in our hearts (Psalm 119:9)

- We have an answer for those who speak evil against us by knowing His word (Psalm 119:42)

B. We get fellowship by spending time in prayer

- Pro_15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

- Pro_28:9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

- You have to have a relationship before even your prayer can be heard

- 1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

- 1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

- But we must ask ourselves, do we want to do most of the talking (prayer) or (listening) reading His word

III. Obedience to God precedes a blessing (v.7-11)

- Mary instructed the servants to be obedient to Jesus

- Story of telegraph job

- Luke 22:41-43

- Jesus went to the cross in obedience and we received the blessing

- Jesus went to the cross in obedience and He received the blessing

- Revelation 5:9-12

- Php 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

- Php 2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

- Php 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Conclusion:

- Looking for blessings from God is great

- But we need to be sure to get some things lined up first