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Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000050S
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00:05 Sermon #S027 - Save The Best For Last - (Part 1)
00:19 Pastor Snell: Today, friends, we want to continue in our teaching series entitled family-ish 00:26 and what we're going to spend a few more weeks talking about is just being able to identify God's plan for the formation, 00:33 the maintenance, and the continued thriving of our families. How many of us want our families to thrive? 00:39 Let me hear you say amen today. Amen. And so today we want to go ahead and jump into the word. 00:44 So do me a favor, stand to your feet, as we go to the scriptures today. And as you stand, 00:49 I would invite those who are watching at home, if you don't mind, do your part. Be a digital disciple, 00:54 be an apple apostle, even if you're on the android anointing. If you're watching on YouTube, 01:00 you can copy the link and send it to somebody who you want to see, receive a blessing for their family, 01:05 or if you're watching on Facebook, 01:07 just hit that share button a few times so that somebody else will be able to receive the word of God today. 01:11 Today we're going to go in our Bibles to the book of St. John Chapter 2. St. John Chapter 2, 01:18 and we'll begin together at verse number 1. St. John 2:1. If you don't mind turn to your neighbor, 01:24 just give them a little fist bump, say, I'm glad to see you this morning or this afternoon. Now... amen. 01:29 Turn to your neighbor, give a little fist bump, say I'm glad to see you too. Amen. Amen. 01:34 John Chapter 2 and verse 1. I need you to know that even though it's a family series, it's not just for married folks. 01:40 Any single folks in the room? I need you to know there's a word for you and here today. Any parents in the room today? 01:45 All right. There's a word for you today. Anybody just need Jesus, raise your hand. Amen. 01:49 There's a word for you in the room today. Amen. 01:51 And so we're grateful and we pray that the Lord would speak in a very clear way to his people, 01:56 John Chapter 2 and we're going to begin together at verse number 1, when you get there, just say Pastor, I'm ready. 02:02 [Congregation: Pastor, I'm ready] 02:04 John 2:1, The Bible says, on the... which day? 02:10 [Congregation: Third day] 02:11 Third day. There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. 02:18 Now both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding and when they had run out of wine, 02:27 the mother of Jesus said unto him, they have no wine. And Jesus said to her, woman, 02:34 what does your concern have to do with me? Now, that sounds like a harsh statement 02:40 but in that time to refer to a woman as woman was a term of endearment and respect for an elder 02:47 or someone you were showing respect to. He says, my hour has not yet, what? 02:53 So, I need somebody to get that God is a god of timing. Can somebody say, timing? 02:57 [Congregation: Timing] 02:58 So his mother said to his servants, whatever he says to you to do, do it. 03:04 Now, there were six water pots of stone, according to the manner of what, purification of the Jews, 03:14 containing twenty or thirty gallons a piece, and Jesus said unto them, fill the water pots with water, 03:22 and they fill them up to the brim and he said to them, draw out... draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast 03:31 and they took it. And when the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and did not know where it came from, 03:40 but the servants who had drawn the water knew the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said unto him, 03:48 every man at the beginning sets out the good wine and when the guests have drunk, then the inferior 03:55 but you have kept the good wine until now. This begins the signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory 04:06 and his disciples believed in him, and after he went down to Capernaum, he, his mother and his brothers and his disciples, 04:14 they went down and did not stay there many days. But again, I'm going to read for emphasis verse number 10. 04:20 The Bible says, and he said unto him, every man, at the beginning sets out the good wine and when the guests have well drunk, 04:29 then the inferior, but you have kept the good wine until now. 04:34 Today, saints, for just a little while, I want to talk to you under the subject, Save The Best For Last. 04:42 Let's pray together today. Father, through your word, would you give clarity. 04:51 And father, all of us are just at different phases of our family experience so, 04:57 Lord, would you speak to us directly where we are? And so father, 05:01 we pray for a word that there's not just entertain the ears or set on the countenance. 05:06 Lord, would you get beneath the surface, would you operate on the level wake where we make decision, 05:13 and so father, I pray that in addition to an amen and a hallelujah, and the waving of the hand, 05:21 may our response to the word be one of obedience. We pray in the Blessed name of Jesus, 05:27 let them that believe say together, amen. And amen. You may be seated in the house of the Lord 05:34 and we invite those who are coming from the outside in to be seated. 05:39 Again, we're talking under the subject today, save the best for last. You know, friends, 05:56 there is an old carpentry proverb that says, it's better to measure a thing 10 times and cut once than to measure once 06:11 and have to cut 10 times. And what it speaks to is the need to exercise patience in the way that we evaluate things. 06:24 In fact, this is supplemented in scripture for Paul says to the church at Corinth, he says, 06:30 judge nothing ahead of its appointed time because God brings those things that are in the darkness into the light. 06:39 And one of the errant trends of humanity, we have the bad habit of coming to conclusions about things 06:48 before we have sufficient amount of data. In fact, as we are making decisions about our wholeness, our happiness, 06:58 and our Holiness, we've got to be more thorough in our evaluations and when we make romantic evaluations, 07:08 I need somebody to know that time is actually your friend. In fact, what time does, 07:15 it allows you to see the true character of a person, their motives, and their reasonings. 07:22 In other words, folk can hide their crazy for two weeks. 07:26 [Congregation: Yeah] 07:28 They can hide it for two months, but over the course of time, God is going to provoke circumstances 07:35 that causes the true character to be seen. In fact, the only thing that time hurts is infatuation 07:44 and the only way to know the difference between love and infatuation is to allow time to guide you in your evaluation 07:54 and the larger Motif that I want the church to get today is that you get to got to get out of the habit of 08:01 making permanent decisions based upon a temporary season. 08:06 In other words, you should not decide to get married based upon two or three good dates 08:12 and you should not decide to get a divorce based upon two or three Bad seasons. 08:19 In other words church, I need you to know that next week, the first lady and I will celebrate 19 years of marriage together. 08:28 [Congregation: clapping] 08:30 And see, this is my testimony that year 19 was better than year 2, it was better than years 7, 08:39 it was better than year number 12, and like most couples, we've got a long way to go, 08:45 but I can testify that God has brought us a mighty long way, 08:50 and the reason I'm saying this church is that if I had made a decision at year 2, 08:56 I may have made the wrong choice. If we had 08:59 made a final decision at year 7, we might have come to the wrong conclusion. 09:04 If we had made a choice at year 12, we would not experience the joy we are having today. 09:10 And what I'm saying to somebody today is that, you'll never know what it can be if you make an evaluation too soon. 09:20 And what I'm saying to somebody is don't forecast the weather 10 years from now just 09:26 because it's a little cold today where y'all at today church. In other words, 09:30 there are some of us get messed up because we make an evaluation too soon but, 09:37 how many of us know that we serve the God that doesn't do his best work on the front end? We serve the God that does 09:44 his best work at the end. In fact, Ecclesiastes 7 09:51 and verse 8 says that the end of a matter is better than the beginning of the matter. 09:55 In fact, he says, through the prophet that the latter days shall be greater than the former day. 10:01 How many of us know the Bible says, the path of the just is like the shining sun growing brighter 10:08 and brighter to that glorious day? In fact, he which has begun a good work in you shall continue it until the day of Christ. 10:17 I need you to know in Christ, here is development. In Christ, there is maturity. I don't judge it based on the first year. 10:25 I need you to know that God is saving the best for last. 10:30 [Congregation: Yeah!] 10:31 Okay, you all, not with me yet. I shared some of this with you online last week, 10:35 but I remember a few years ago, about 10 years ago, I bought a 1994 Acura Legend and I need you to know that car served me well. 10:45 It drove as smooth as melting butter. Do I got to witness out there today? 10:50 And it's crazy because after having it a little while it begin to give some mechanical problems with some regularity. 10:58 Every month there was a repair that costs $100 or $200 and eventually I got to the place Malcolm where I said, 11:07 I'm not putting another dime in that car and I decided to get rid of it. 11:13 And so, we had a relative that said they were willing to come 11:17 and take the access of the car and we told them how many issues it was having but they were not deterred, 11:24 they still wanted the car, and so we gave it to them with full disclosure about what was going on. 11:30 And the strangest thing is this car that I thought was on his last leg, when they came to visit us four 11:37 and five years later, they were still driving the same car that I gave up on and when I asked them, 11:44 how did you get it to keep running? She said there were just two things that we did. 11:49 First of all, we didn't go to random mechanics. We start going to the dealership. 11:54 We took it to the one that made it because the one that made it is able to fix it. 12:00 And then, we realize that because you gave us the car for free because it was paid for, 12:07 we made it up in our minds that we're going to drive it until we can't drive it anymore. 12:13 Somebody didn't get the point. See, there's somebody that's willing to give up on a marriage. 12:18 You're not willing to put any more into it, but what I'm saying to somebody, 12:23 if you take it back to the manufacturer and make it up in your mind that 12:29 because the price has already been paid, you're not trying to figure it out whether if you're going to work it out, 12:35 you're just trying to figure out how we're going to work it out because God does his best work at the end. 12:42 Are y'all with me today, friends? 12:45 So, as we go back to this thing, we're going to unpack and say a lot to you, hopefully, in a short period of time. 12:52 Now friends, one of the things I loved growing up and, you know, hopefully I got a few cousins out there. 12:59 I used to love to have old school family get-togethers where the uncles and the aunties and the cousins, 13:06 we would come together and eat and tell stories and celebrate one with another. 13:13 But the one thing that would make you a little anxious when company came over as a kid, 13:18 you know how I was as a kid at some point you were going to have to come out 13:23 and do some type of performance in front of company. In other words, you're a little kid and you're going to come out 13:29 and the older folk are looking at you, y'all know what I'm talking about today. 13:33 So that if you sing, you had to sing in front of company. If you played an instrument, you had to play in front of company. 13:41 If you could speak, you had to recite something in front of company. 13:45 And how many of us know that this was not so much about the child's ability? 13:50 It was so the parents could show off. 13:53 [Congregation: Laughing and clapping] 13:55 If I live this firsthand, when the kids were a little smaller, we would Skype or FaceTime my parents on the device 14:02 and the kids would say their ABCs and sing all week long. And as soon as I got them in front of the camera, 14:09 they would act as if they could not even talk. And it's crazy because Mom and Dad are rolling their eyes and looking like, 14:16 what is going on? And I'm got an attitude now because at this point, it is really not about them. 14:23 [Congregation: Laughing] 14:25 This was a chance for Daddy to show off. Are you all hearing what I'm saying? 14:29 And see, friends of mine, this is where the frustration of Mary, the mother of Jesus lies. 14:36 You see, she's the one mommy in the group that can't show off her child's true potential. 14:44 You see, because his mission is different, 14:47 she cannot really Express to the world what he is all about and so, Mary literally has to hold back her flesh, 14:55 when the other kids are playing piano, the other kids are playing clarinet and the other kids are giving a speech, 15:03 there's a part of Mary that wants to be like, Jesus, make it rain outside today. 15:07 [Congregation: Clapping] 15:09 There's a part of Mary that wants to be like, baby, bring water from that rock. You see that funeral, 15:15 Jesus, go and stop it and bring that boy, back to life. But understand, friends, that because his mission is different, 15:23 she cannot show off in the same way and understand that this is an interesting mother-son dynamic 15:31 because Jesus is her baby but he is also her Lord. He is her child, but he is also her Redeemer. 15:44 And you realize that t is to guide and influence him to a point 15:50 but also recognize that he's got to be about his father's business. Are you with me today? 15:56 And see, it's just funny because Ellen White says that she would be more than human to not want to steer 16:03 and direct the way that his life unfolds and even though she is honored to be the mother of the Messiah, 16:12 she is somewhat disappointed in the way his life has unfolded. 16:17 She has not quite digested the idea of a homeless nomad servant Messiah. It's crazy. In Desire of Ages, page 147, 16:27 she literally says that she hoped that he would announce himself as Messiah, take the Throne of Israel, 16:35 and overthrow Roman Authority. And see, the first thing this story teaches us is that kids get their parents DNA 16:44 but they get their assignment from God. ooh, you all got quiet today. See, so I need you to know that as parents, 16:51 all we give them is DNA but God gives them their purpose. 16:57 okay. See, that there's a tension that is personified here in the relationship between mother and Jesus. 17:06 Have you ever noticed that? That was an interesting dialogue that happened as they raise this special child? 17:13 Do you remember they're... in the Book of John, when they were returning home from Jerusalem for the Passover, 17:20 they had an expectation that Jesus would be amongst their family and they spent three days looking for him, 17:28 but when they went back to the temple they found him discerning the scriptures with the teachers of the law. 17:36 And when they began to chasten him, Jesus stood up with preteen base and said, 17:41 don't you realize that I've got to be about my father's business. 17:47 And even here, Mary is wanting Jesus to take center stage, 17:52 but he makes it clear that my time has not yet come. 17:57 And it's amazing because Mary feels that being his mother entitles her to give him some direction. 18:05 She wants in a motherly way to see his life unfold in a certain fashion. 18:11 But what Mary's got to realize is that even though she gives some DNA, his purpose is given exclusively by God. 18:21 And see my prayer today is that this is going to free some of the parents who have adult children. 18:28 In other words, I need us to get that our job is to instill character. Our job is not to dictate their future. 18:36 [Congregation: Clapping] 18:38 Okay, all right. So let me stand here and do this slow since y'all acting a certain way today. 18:43 In other words, we've got to give them discipline. We've got to teach them to be kind and selfless and good citizens, 18:51 but guess what, it is not our job to choose their path, to choose their calling, to choose their career, 18:58 or even choose the one that they marry. Oooh, y'all mighty quiet in here today. 19:03 [Congregation: Laughing and clapping] 19:05 In other words, friends, it is our job to teach them to know God's will, not to execute our will. 19:12 And see sometimes we bring undue stress upon ourselves trying to make children live in traditions we ourselves have created. 19:23 You see, how many of us know that just because you went into medicine, it doesn't mean the child is going to go into medicine. 19:31 It doesn't mean that because you're into music that the child will be into music. 19:37 As much as I would love for my children to follow in my footsteps so I can pass down the knowledge that God has given, 19:45 I realized that they were created for God's glory and not mine. 19:50 [Congregation: Clapping] 19:52 And I want you to hear me on this. This is not a call to parental indifference. 19:55 You see, there is an interesting balance that has to be struck. 19:59 In other words, we have to guide them and help manage their gifts. 20:03 We are supposed to help them not quit and make sure that they don't give up, but how many of us can testify that each 20:10 and every one of our kids is as different as every day of the week. Am I preaching to anybody today? In other words, 20:19 if they are not into sports, you just can't force them to be into sports. 20:24 You can invest all the money in the world in instruments, and when they're 18 years old, they're going to put them down. 20:31 You can try to get them to like a certain man or young woman, but until they see it for themselves, it will not matter. 20:38 And what I'm saying today is not that you should not care, I'm trying to let you know where your power is. 20:46 I need you to know, you've got more power in your prayer closet than you have on your soapbox. 20:52 [Congregation: Clapping] 20:54 In other words, the reason the relationship is fractured with your adult children is you spend more time on your soapbox 21:01 than you do in your prayer closet. But do I have one witness that knows that the prayers of the righteous availath much 21:10 and that what God does from your prayers is more than what you can do with 10,000 speeches? 21:18 [Congregation: Cheering] 21:20 And see, I need us to get this principle. See, how many of us know that parents are supposed to be training wheels, 21:25 not handlebars? Okay. 21:28 [Congregation: Cheering] 21:30 In other words, I need you to know Jesus is supposed to be the handle bar that steers them but Mom 21:37 and Dad are supposed to be on both sides as training wheels to brace them. Oh, y'all quiet today. 21:43 In other words that is on one side. Mama's on the other side and you're bracing them so that they don't fall, 21:50 but how many of us know that at some point training wheels, get taken away? 21:55 [Congregation: Cheering] 21:57 And see, I need you to know that if you train them to know Jesus when they're young, 22:01 you don't mind falling back when they get old, but because you didn't give them Jesus in their season, 22:08 you're trying to parent them outside of the season. 22:13 [Congregation: Clapping] 22:15 Are you hearing what I'm saying today? Let me just say this to encourage somebody today 22:21 and I want to encourage somebody that's got a grown child because they're 24 and they're 27 22:26 and they're 28 and they have yet to hit their stride. Do you realize that Mary the mother of Jesus had the same concern? 22:35 In other words, your boy Jesus, 28 and he still living at home... oh, why y'all quiet here today? 22:43 In other words, Mary, in her mind is like, I know what the angel told me, I know what God put inside of him, 22:52 I know there is potential that has to come out. 22:55 But how many of us know that Jesus didn't start his assignment until he was Thirty, 23:01 and he didn't finish it until he was almost 34? I just want to encourage any parent that's got a child, that's a late bloomer, 23:09 that not be discouraged because Jesus said, my time is not yet. In other words, 23:16 God had some things on the calendar that he did not reveal to Mary. Ooh, are y'all hearing this today? 23:23 Just because it has not been revealed to you doesn't mean that it's not been scheduled by God. 23:28 There are some that get discouraged because you're 28 year-old. He is not working yet, doesn't have a degree yet, 23:36 they're not married yet and you don't have grandkids yet. I need you to know if it hasn't happened yet, 23:43 it just means that it's not their time but, I need you to know that God doesn't work in our time. 23:50 God shows up in due time. And when God does it it'll be more blessed than if you planned it out according to your own devices. 24:01 Are you hearing the word today? So the word says to us, here in John chapter 2 and verse 1. 24:08 The Bible says, and on the third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. 24:14 Now, friends of mine, I need you all to get that this story is wet with principles of redemption. 24:22 Now, I need you to get that it is no accident that Jesus shows up to save a wedding that took place on the third day of the week. 24:34 Now, I need you to get, Pastor, that in every culture. Every culture has a different way of celebrating virtue specifically, 24:42 a woman's virtue. Are you all still with me? So you remember like that back in the day that they would celebrate a woman's 24:49 virtue in our culture so that a virgin bride would wear white on her wedding day, 24:54 where someone who was experienced would be kind of kind of stigmatized by wearing off white, where in our culture, 25:01 it was the wedding dress, but in Hebrew culture, it was the day in which you got married. 25:06 So that a virgin bride would be married on the fourth day 25:11 because the Sanhedrin met on the fifth day and if it was found out that she was in inexperience that the marriage could be nullified, 25:20 the next day of the week, are you all with me? So that a virgin would be married on the the fourth day, 25:25 a widow would be married on the fifth day, but a common or experienced woman would be married on the third day of the week. 25:36 In other words, one that got married on the third day would be considered a common woman of sorts 25:42 and so I need you to get that not only is the bride running out of wine, 25:47 there is already a stigma attached to her wedding because of what day she is getting married. 25:53 In other words, there are old ladies that are watching her waistline to see how far along she might be. 26:00 There are conversations in the corner. There are shame to parents. 26:05 There are awkward relatives as folk who are looking to see what type of shame is going to be announced. 26:11 But what would happen is the woman's reputation would be saved or secured as she would be made 26:18 and honest woman in her Union to the bridegroom. And, of course, friends of mine, 26:25 Jesus shows up on the third day wedding as a symbol of salvation. 26:32 [Congregation: Cheering] 26:35 See, when Jesus shows up on the third day, it is an announcement that the Messiah is here. 26:42 You see in scripture, the Bible always referred to my to Jesus as the bridegroom, 26:49 that his people were referred to as a woman or a bride, 26:54 but Hosea makes it clear that we were not the Virgin bride that we are some gomers that have been around the block on a 27:04 couple of occasions. And see, how many of us know that we couldn't wear white when Jesus met us? 27:12 [Congregation: Clapping and shouting] 27:13 Can anybody remember where Jesus first found you? Come on and say amen. 27:18 And do I have a church that's thankful that even though you've had different partners, even though you're a common sinner, 27:25 even though you've been around the block, we serve a savior that looks beyond your faults, 27:31 and he sees your needs? Is there anybody that's grateful that he read himself to a common bride, the church? 27:40 Thank you so much for joining us, for the Breath of Life Television Ministries Broadcast. 27:45 We hope and pray that you have been blessed by Part One of “Save The Best For Last”. The second message in Our “Family-ish” series. 27:56 Join us next week for Part Two. You don't want to miss it! 28:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music) 28:31 [END] |
Revised 2023-01-10