Do Whatever He Tells You!

Focus Statement:  In this scripture, Jesus is at a wedding in Cana and the host runs out of wine.  Mary tells the servants, ADo Whatever He Tells You,@ and Jesus turns water into wine.

 

Function Statement: Because of this sermon, the congregation will realize for us to see the miracles of people brought to Christ and church growth we must do whatever he tells us: we must seek guidance and direction from God: specifically, people will commit to seeking direction from God for the church and in their lives.

 

Prayer

John 2:1-11

 

 

Sermon manuscript:

Movement 1: 

I want to tell you about a friend of mine who I met in one of my former pastorates.  I will call her Jane; her story is true, but her name has been changed to protect the innocent!  Jane and her family were very active in our church.  They were the type of family that people looked up to.  They had been in the community a long time, and people respected what they thought.  Jane=s husband and she served on several committees and boards in our church; although, they did not always show up for meetings.  By the older generation, they were looked upon to be the future of the church; if we can just get them excited and involved, we will grow.  Jane was very busy with her job though.  She worked at school and was very active with anything that went on at school.  When I would go to school games, it seemed Jane was always there supporting the home team.  The kids loved her.  Jane walked with a fast gate, like someone who had some place to go.  She was usually dressed in name brand work-out sweats.  She was slim and very attuned to what she ate and taking care of herself, getting plenty of exercise.   She was a very likeable person.  After we moved from that church, one time I was at the school at a game where our school was playing the school from my former pastorate, and Jane was there.  She had followed her team to this away game.  Donna and I saw her after the game and talked to her a bit as we walked out to the car.  She still had that fast gate, and she was telling us about her latest diet and exercise plan.  We walked with her out to her car, she took her key from its hiding place (she never carried a purse - remember she is in work-out sweats), and she went on her way. 

It wasn=t too long after that when I heard she had had a major stroke.  She was completely paralyzed on one side, couldn=t walk, couldn=t move one arm, and couldn=t hardly speak.  She was devastated; her church was devastated; she didn=t know what she was going to do. Why did this happen?  She was almost without hope!  Would she be able to walk again?  Would she be able to talk?  Could she go to games?  Would she ever be able to drive again and regain some of her former freedom?  She was told that if she would do what the therapist told her she could make great strides toward recovery.  Jane did her best to do what the therapist told her to do.  She pressed on, making small steps each day.  Time went by and Donna and I were in a neighboring town stopping into a Wendy=s to eat, and guess who drives up?  You guessed it, Jane!  She was by herself, driving her car.  She was in her sweats.  She walked with a limp, but she walked.  She talked slowly, but she was able to communicate.  She had taken early retirement, but she was able to go again; she wasn=t home bound because she did what the doctors said to do!

 

Movement 2:

Our scripture today is about the first recorded miracle that Jesus performs.  He is at a wedding celebration, and they run out of wine, and Mary, Jesus= mother, tells him about it.  Surprisingly, especially with what later happens, he says, AWhy is that a concern of me or you? My hour has not yet come.@  Gerard Sloyan, in Interpretation Bible Commentary says this was a symbol that nobody had claim on him except the Father.  That isn=t what stood out the most to me as I read this.   Mary then tells the servants, ADo whatever he tells you.@  Jesus then tells them to fill six stone jars with water.  They do.  Jesus then tells them to serve the chief steward from the jars of water.  They do, and the steward says, why did you save the best wine until last! 

Jesus was the one who could make miracles happen.  Mary told them to do whatever he says!  I don=t know how she knew this, but she did.  It was important for them to listen to Jesus.  What if they hadn=t?  What if they had said, AThat is ridiculous!  Take water to the chief steward?  He will laugh us out of here!@  They wouldn=t have experienced the miracle.  They did what Jesus said.  They experienced the miracle, it revealed his glory, and the disciples believed in him; the scriptures say.

 

Movement 3:

What about for us?  Individually, it is best for us to do what Jesus says.  Jesus is our great physician, our Lord, our master, and our King!  God=s plan for our lives is best for us.  We can be happiest doing what Jesus says.  We can have purpose doing what Jesus says.  We can be the best we can be doing what Jesus says.  I challenge you to seek God=s direction in your life!  Read the Bible to see what Jesus says in it; Pray!  Only as we read what Jesus says can we love people as Jesus loved!  Only as we read what Jesus says can we make decisions about the social issues of the day!  Don’t take someone else's word for it; read what Jesus says! 

As a church, it is best for us to do what Jesus says.  God=s ways are the best for us.  God has a perfect plan for Forsyth UMC.  A plan where we can reach the most people.  A plan where we can make the greatest difference.  A plan where things will work out, but what is that plan?  Forsyth has a good start!  We have a greeter; some of you are good at welcoming people!  We have a good facility that we have been working on; it gives us lots of options.  We have upgraded our sound and visual equipment!  We support missions!  We have experienced some good growth, but how do we sustain it?  How do we better serve our community?  We have joined the small church Cohort that is fully about helping us to that!  What do we do first?  How do we find out what Jesus says? 

I want to suggest for us as a church that it has to start with prayer!  Before we can do anything else, we need to seek God=s will!  We need to pray for God=s leading and direction!  Pray for your pastor.  Pray for each other; let’s discern together!  I challenge you, at a certain time each day,  pour out your hearts for the church:  seek God=s direction for the church.  Make a special time to do this.  God give our pastor direction in leading us!  God help us to know what you would have us do next!  God direct our Cohort team!  God use us!  God help me to be more inviting!  God help me to be filled with your love!  We really do need to do whatever Jesus tells us to do so we can continue to see miracles today! 

As we encounter Christ at the table today, I want to invite you to pray at the altar or at your seats for God’s leading in our lives and in our church and begin this ministry of prayer for ourselves and the church.  Thanks be to God!

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion