Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20050619.htm

JOHN: TRUSTING IN JESUS AS MESSIAH AND GOD
Part VIII: Appreciating So As To APPLY Jesus' Grace And Truth
(John 2:1-11; 1:14, 16-17)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

People need spiritual fulfillment today as we can easily show:

(1) This past week, a retired law enforcement official whose family had lived for years in the nearby town of Harwinton, Connecticut was so upset at a messy child custody case in which he was involved, that he fired a gun at his wife, her lawyer and then turned the gun on himself. In the end, the lawyer lived, but the children lost both of their parents in death!

(2) Many people know they lack and so they search for spiritual fulfillment. The November 16, 1998 issue of the Foothills Trader ran a novena by "C.W." that urged needy readers to "Say 9 Hail Marys for 9 days, ask for 3 wishes, first for business, second and third for the impossible. Publish this article on the 9th day. Your wishes will come true even though you may not believe it . . ."!

This view is fostered by belief in certain circles that Mary has a special pull in getting special petitions answered by God. Bishop Alphonse de Liguori, a great devotional writer in the Roman Catholic Church, wrote in his book, The Glories of Mary, p. 127, 141, 143 that: "Many things . . . are asked from God, and are not granted; they are asked from Mary, and are obtained,' for She . . . is even Queen of Hell, and Sovereign Mistress of the Devils'" (as cited in Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, p. 138-139).

(3) But lest we think this search for spiritual fulfillment exits only in those who pray to Mary, consider the following quote from a letter to the Editor of the June 11, 2005 World magazine by a conservative Protestant: Britney Smith of Seaside, California there wrote: "I am a Bible college student and am very familiar with the Scriptures and evangelical theology. However, I have felt a distance between myself and God for some time now . . ."

(4) This need for fulfillment among even professing Christians is great; on just two pages of a Christian book catalogue I was mailed to my office, I found five promotions for various devotional books that all exposed a need for real, heart-to-heart intimacy with God!



If we sense a LACK of spiritual FULFILLMENT in our lives, and that EVEN if we are CHRISTIANS, WHAT are we missing, WHERE is the way UP OUT of our spiritual need?!

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "I or a friend senses a real LACK of spiritual fulfillment in his life, and that though we have tried so much to gain it. We may even be Christians, so WHAT are we missing, and WHY?"
  1. In opening His Gospel, John wrote that he saw the GLORY of Jesus, the "Word" from the Father, and that His glory was "FULL of GRACE and TRUTH" that FULFILLED him in CONTRAST to the law that came from the great prophet, Moses, John 1:14, 16-17.
  2. Christ's miracle of changing the water to wine was a SIGN by which He displayed the glory of His FULFILLING GRACE and TRUTH (John 2:11; 1:14, 16-17); we thus study that event in John 2:1-10 to see what it REVEALS of Christ's GRACE and TRUTH:
    1. Jesus eagerly offers His grace and truth -- we need not plead for this:
      1. Jesus' words to His mother that His time had not yet come meant He had not been told by His heavenly Father to begin to perform any miracles, John 2:1-4; Bible Know. Com., N. T. , p. 278.
      2. Yet, to help out His relatives who needed the wine for the wedding, Jesus went beyond the requirements of His calling willingly to exert His miraculous power and turn the water into wine, 2:1-10!
      3. Thus, contrary to some who think we must beg God for His help, He always WILLINGLY extends His grace and truth unto us!
    2. Jesus' grace and truth are offered from His power and Person alone, not in the power and work of Himself plus any other person, 2:1-5:
      1. Some hold that to gain eternal life or answers to prayer, they must appeal to Mary, Jesus' Mother: Roman Catholic Bishop Alphonse de Liguori, "one of the greatest devotional writers of the Roman Catholic Church," in his book The Glories of Mary, p. 160 wrote: "Mary is called . . . the gate of heaven because no one can enter that blessed kingdom without passing through her.' On pp. 127, 141 and 143 he wrote: Many things . . . are asked from God, and are not granted; they are asked from Mary and are obtained,' for She . . . is even Queen of Hell, and Sovereign Mistress of the Devils'" (cited in L. Boettner, Roman Catholicism, 1978, p. 138f)
      2. Yet, in the sign miracle of His turning the water into wine, a miracle showing Jesus' grace and truth unto us (Jn. 1:14, 16-17), Jesus distanced Himself from Mary, and she CEASED HER plea, telling the servants to do what Jesus directed them to do, Jn. 2:4-5.
      3. Thus, Jesus' unmerited favor and truth come through Him alone as OPPOSED to Him PLUS some other person. (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5)
    3. Jesus' grace and truth are extended to us free of our merit, Jn. 2:6-8:
      1. The water that was changed to wine was located in stone vessels used for ritual purification rites in relation to meals, John 2:6, Ibid.
      2. Yet, such pots were NOT commanded by God, but existed due to the man-made rules of Judaism, Ibid., cf. Matthew 15:1-2, 3.
      3. Also, to supply wine for a wedding feast was itself (legalistically) felt to be a spiritually meritorious work, cf. Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah , 1972, vol. i, p. 359.
      4. Thus, for Jesus to use these vessels in his miracle of supplying wine for the wedding feast reveals His grace and truth is extended to us by His power and goodness without our merit, Rom. 3:24!
    4. Jesus' grace and truth can transform the worthless sinner into a highly prized trophy of God's goodness unto him, John 2:6-8, 9-10:
      1. The water in the stone pots was not meant for consumption, but for the ritual purification of hands, Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N. T.
      2. Yet, Jesus turned THAT water into highly valued wine, revealing His grace and truth can make an undeserving sinner a trophy of God's great truth and mercy unto him, Ephesians 2:1-7.
    5. Jesus' grace and truth can abundantly meet man's needs, John 2:6:
      1. The 6 waterpots used in the miracle each held around 20 gallons of water, Alfred Edersheim, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord, p. 71.
      2. Since the servants filled each of them to the brim (John 2:7), Jesus produced 120 gallons of wine, an "enormous" amount, Ibid.!
    6. Jesus' grace and truth extends even to the lowliest of men, Jn. 2:9, 11: though the wedding guests did not know the origin of the new wine, the way Jesus produced it involved the filling of the stone pots by lowly slaves who thus most understood and appreciated His miracle!
Application: Any LACK of spiritual fulfillment comes by man's NOT applying Christ's unmerited favor and truth that is offered so willingly, graciously, richly and freely by Christ alone for all people! (1) Let us then BEGIN to have our souls' needs met by trusting in Christ for salvation from sin (Jn. 3:16, but (2) DRINK to the FULL of His spiritual blessing through heeding ALL His Word by His power in our lives, cf. John 14:23; Galatians 5:16!

Lesson: Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine reveals His grace and truth are (1) willingly offered unto us from Him, (2) they are offered by Him ALONE, (3) they come free of our merit, (4) they can change us from worthless sinners into trophies of His grace, (5) they can abundantly meet our soul's needs (6) and they are available for ALL mankind!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 Two Sundays ago, my wife and I arrived at the Church to find our parking lot littered about with beer cans and cups, and at the far end of the lot lay a young woman in the back seat of a car sleeping off the effects of the party the night before that had begun at the Grange.

Needless to say, I was unsettled! What bothered me MOST was the sight of a cup full of beer left sitting on the center of the step at the side door I use so often during the week!

Though it was a hot morning and I was dressed in my suit ready to teach and preach the Word of God, I knew I had to act quickly to edify the rest of the body, and so got out a trash bag to pick it all up.

In the process, I recalled the prophecy of Revelation 3:20 that I know applies to our current era. It urges pastors not to complain or pressure others or get another job when trials arise that threaten their ministry success and livelihood. Rather, they must treat others kindly, letting Christ provide success in ministry and livelihood provisions.

So, while picking up the beer cans in my Sunday clothes, I made a decision to heed Revelation 3:20 and approach the ministry that day with a gentle demeanor and faith in God's leading. Later, I happened to mention the situation in our Adult Sunday School Class to make a point on another matter, and Mike Rindflesh who knows a man in the Grange's oversight heard my words and told him all about it.

God then gave His Revelation 3:20 reward last Sunday. A man from the Grange came by just before the service with a card and a check and some flowering plants. He apologized profusely, affirming the Grange was taking steps to avoid such future abuses by its renters. (1) Upon reflection, what I find so REWARDING about this conversation is the fact that it occurred right next to the step where that full beer cup had been left on June 5th! (2) Also, in fulfillment of Christ's promise to pastors in Revelation 3:20, the check in the card was for $50, so I figure earned $50 for the Church for ten minutes of picking up trash in my suit! That amounts to $300 per hour, a rate I've NEVER known before!



When we get SERIOUS about LEARNING and DOING God's Word, there is a fulfillment He provides that dwarfs the joy anything else can offer! May we then BELIEVE in Him and really APPLY His grace and truth for GREAT FULFILLMENT!