Participants:
Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000102S
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00:06 #S054 - “This Is Just The Beginning” (Part 1)
00:19 And so today saints we want to go ahead and jump into it. 00:22 Do me a favor. 00:23 Stand to your feet as we get into the word today 00:28 and identify those who are in the hallways. 00:30 Ushers, if you can kind of let them slip on in now 00:34 so that we can go seamlessly into the teaching today. 00:37 John chapter two and verse number one. 00:40 When you get there, let me hear you say amen. 00:43 Saint John, chapter two. 00:45 And we're going to begin together at verse number one. 00:49 And in light of our lunch and our investiture 00:52 programs, we will be very brief today. 00:55 It's not just a goal. 00:56 It's a promise today, 00:58 not just a goal. 00:59 It's a promise. 01:01 John, chapter two and we're going to begin together, verse 01:04 number one. When you get there, let me hear you say amen. 01:07 All of our 01:08 online apostles are digital disciples. 01:11 If you can do your work, 01:12 if you can hit the share button on Facebook, 01:14 if you can 01:15 copy the link on YouTube and send it to somebody 01:17 that they might be blessed as well. 01:19 The Bible says on the third day 01:21 there was a wedding in Qana of Galilee 01:25 and the mother of Jesus was there. 01:28 Now both Jesus and his disciples were invited 01:33 to the wedding, and when they had run out of wine, 01:36 the mother of Jesus said to him, 01:39 They have no what. 01:43 And notice what Jesus says to her. 01:45 He says, Jesus, Jesus says, Woman, 01:48 what does your concern have to do with me? 01:52 My hour has not yet come. 01:55 And notice what his mother does. 01:57 His mother said to the servant servants, whatever 02:00 he says to you to do, do it. 02:03 Now, there were set there six water pots of stone, 02:08 according to the manner of purification of the Jews 02:11 containing 20 or 30 gallons of peace. 02:14 And Jesus said unto them, fill the water pots with water, 02:18 and they fill them up to the brim. 02:21 And he said to them, Draw some out now 02:25 and take it to the master of the feast. 02:27 And they took it. 02:29 And when the master of the feast had to sit, the water 02:32 that was now made wine 02:36 and did not know where it had come from. 02:39 But the servants who had drummed the water knew 02:41 the master of the feast, called the bridegroom 02:44 and said to him, 02:45 Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine. 02:48 And when the guests have, well, drunk them, the inferior 02:51 you have kept the good wine until now. 02:55 This is the beginning of signs 02:59 Jesus did in Cain of Galilee and manifested His glory. 03:04 And His disciples believed in Him 03:06 the day saints for just a little while. 03:07 I want to talk to you under the subject. 03:09 This is just the beginning. 03:12 This is just the beginning. 03:14 Let us pray together, Father. 03:17 In this brief space, 03:21 would you 03:22 communicate, hate, eternal truth. 03:25 And, Lord, my prayer is that in the hearing of the word 03:29 that faith would be multiplied. 03:31 Expand, insulate. 03:33 So, Lord, would you give me anointing to preach the word? 03:37 But, Lord, would you give us a special 03:39 anointing to receive and act on it? 03:42 Bless us. 03:43 To this end, we pray in the wonderful name of Jesus. 03:47 Let those who believe say together. 03:48 Amen. And a man. 03:50 You may be seated in the house of the Lord 03:53 again talking today on the subject. 03:55 This is just the beginning. 04:00 You know, church, I want you to know 04:05 that you serve a God who cares 04:09 about the small things, beloved. 04:15 I need you to be convinced 04:18 that what ever matters to you matters to God. 04:24 There is no 04:24 anxiety that He is unaware of. 04:28 There is no stress that he's not noted. 04:32 There is no care that you have that God is not tracking. 04:36 In fact, God says He cares 04:39 so specifically about you. 04:42 That the very hairs on your head have been numbered. 04:48 God loves you so much. 04:49 Church that he keeps record. 04:54 Of every tier that has ever fallen from your face 04:59 so that God is so particular in His love for. 05:02 You that He's kept the record. 05:06 Of the first tier. 05:07 You cried when you came from the womb up to the latest tier. 05:13 You cried at the funeral after a particular loss. 05:16 I need you to know 05:17 you serve a God that cares about the small things. 05:21 And it's weird 05:22 because I used to operate with this hierarchy of concerns 05:26 because I thought 05:27 that I was supposed to take care of the little things 05:31 and only take the big things to Jesus. 05:35 In other words, I thought that I was supposed 05:37 to take care of the promotion, but give Jesus the termination. 05:40 Shouldn't we take care of the kids? 05:43 But we take to Jesus the cancer. 05:46 We operate with the belief that we handle the minor things, 05:50 but we give the big things to God. 05:51 But the reason you shouldn't even try to handle the minor 05:54 things is that there is a way that seems right to a man. 05:59 But the end is the way of death. 06:03 And how many of us know that 06:04 the little things I try to manage on my own today 06:09 become the big things I have to take to Jesus tomorrow. 06:12 In other words, friends, I need you to understand that 06:15 Jesus cares. 06:17 Help me, Holy Spirit, about everything. 06:21 I need you to know that Jesus hears even your tiniest prayers 06:27 so that if you pray, Jesus will help you 06:30 find your keys in the morning when you can't find them. 06:35 If you 06:36 pray when your gas tank is on empty 06:40 and the gas station is 12 miles away, 06:43 God will add fuel to your tank 06:47 until you can get to the place of refueling. 06:50 In other words, young people, 06:51 God cares when you're being bullied in school 06:55 and because your name is registered in heaven, 06:59 God is aware of 07:00 everything that pertain is until you hear me today. 07:04 In fact, let me say it this way. 07:05 I remember one day I was traveling to Columbus, Ohio, and 07:10 and as I got married to my layover, 07:11 I was working on my iPad. 07:13 And when I was getting things together, 07:15 I left the iPad in the seat pocket in front of me 07:19 when I got off of the plane, and I had no idea that I left it. 07:24 But how many of us know that when you register your Apple 07:25 devices in the cloud, what happens is it keeps track 07:31 of every device that is connected to the cloud. 07:35 And so when I get there to the sky cloud, I get a notice. 07:38 That said, you left your iPad behind. 07:42 Now, I thought this was wrong. 07:43 And I looked in my backpack only to notice that it was missing 07:48 and it was there that I went back to the plane 07:50 and the lady at the counter got it there. 07:53 And I guess what I'm saying, friends, 07:54 is that because the device was registered in the cloud, 08:00 every one of those devices is kept record up. 08:04 And what I'm saying is that if Apple keeps a record 08:07 of where all of its devices are, 08:11 if your name is registered in heaven, 08:14 thank God it keeps track of your movements, 08:18 your issue, your sorrows, and your page 08:21 because you've been registered in the cloud 08:25 by the Almighty God. 08:26 Are you hear me today, friends? 08:28 And so quickly. 08:28 As we look. 08:30 At the story of Jesus turning the water into wine, 08:34 don't be so Adventist that you missed the miracle. 08:39 I just have to say that on the front end, 08:42 because you spend the whole sermon trying to figure out 08:45 if it was all for a minute. 08:46 Grape juice, all right, 08:51 or if it was the real thing. 08:52 Now, now, again, this story just shows us 08:54 three principles how one is spouse. 08:58 The first thing it teaches us is the power of intercession. 09:01 So the Bible says that Jesus was invited to come 09:05 to this particular wedding. 09:06 Now, I understand. 09:07 That Jewish weddings could actually go up to. 09:10 About seven days. 09:12 And the reason it was such a celebration is that 09:15 it was not just a cause for the bride and the groom. 09:19 It was a community rejoicing that two people 09:22 had entered into covenant, one with another. 09:26 And the Bible says that they go to this wedding. 09:29 In fact, designer of ages says that Mary 09:32 and Jesus were actually related to the bride and groom 09:37 and that Mary was actually one of the wedding coordinators. 09:41 Now, I need you to take note that Mary notices that the wine 09:45 is beginning to run out, and she begins to talk 09:48 to Jesus on behalf of the couple. 09:51 Now, I'm 09:53 not sure if you've noticed this in the text that the bride 09:55 and groom never even know there's a crisis. 09:59 The bride and groom never know that something is wrong. 10:03 They never become aware there is a lack and the reason 10:06 they never face this anxiety is because Mary was already 10:11 standing in the gap. 10:12 Mary was already talking to Jesus on their behalf. 10:16 The reason they living their best lives and acting like 10:19 nothing wrong is because somebody saw what was coming. 10:23 Start talking 10:24 to Jesus on their behalf and the need was supplied 10:29 before they even recognized they had a need. 10:32 In other words, how many of us are thankful 10:35 that there are certain crisis that never showed up 10:40 because somebody was talking to Jesus 10:43 before 10:44 you even recognized they had a need? 10:47 In other words, I don't usually like for people 10:49 to talk about me behind my back, 10:52 but I guess it depends on who you're talking to. 10:56 If you're talking to Jesus about me behind my back, 11:00 then you actually become my best friend. 11:04 And is there anybody thankful that you had a praying grandma, 11:07 a praying mama, a praying daddy 11:11 that was talking to Jesus behind your back? 11:14 In other words, I need you to know 11:16 there were weapons 11:17 that were formed that never got to prosper 11:21 because somebody was talking the job 11:23 to Jesus on your behalf 11:29 and say, I love loving friends. 11:30 Because Mary, what she did, what she stood in the gap, 11:34 see, interceded on behalf of those 11:37 that did not even recognize that was a need. 11:40 And it was her petitions 11:42 for these young people that bless their household. 11:46 When I want to say quickly 11:46 to some of our seniors 11:48 is to make sure that no matter how it looks, 11:51 no matter how they act up, never give up your petition 11:54 for your children or your grandchildren. 11:58 I need you to know friends of mine, 12:00 that even if you fall asleep before the prayers, answer 12:06 that the prayer doesn't get canceled 12:09 when your breath is taken away because God 12:13 has a way of answering prayers even after you go to the grave. 12:18 Why do you think? Sorry, Jacob. 12:21 God bless everyone. 12:23 Because Jacob deserves death. 12:25 But because God made a covenant with his granddaddy 12:30 that God continue to bless Jacob and his descendants. 12:35 You are hearing me today, friends. 12:38 And so this story 12:39 anguish like Malcolm, it kind of it kind of trips me out 12:42 because I'm 12:43 trying to figure out, see, like, why would Jesus start 12:47 his miracle. 12:47 Ministry at a wedding? 12:52 Like, in my mind when I look at this, that 12:53 there is a real, real sense of urgency here. 12:56 If Jesus does know miracle, guess what, man? 12:59 Nobody dies. 13:00 Nobody strokes out. 13:02 Nobody begins to code. 13:04 I'm beginning to wonder, like, 13:05 why is it, man, that Jesus feels so impress 13:10 to do his first miracle 13:12 by turning water into wine? 13:15 But I need you to know what the miracle is and what it is not. 13:19 The miracle 13:20 is not that he turned water into wine. 13:23 I need you to know what the disaster is. 13:25 You see? 13:26 Understand that a wedding was a time 13:29 where your social status would be placed on display. 13:32 So that. 13:33 Guess what if no one Jesus does nothing, no one dies, 13:37 no one is in pain, no one suffers physical ailment. 13:41 The only thing that suffers is their reputation. 13:45 Okay, somebody out and get it. 13:47 So his first miracle 13:50 was to save somebody's reputation. 13:53 Oh, God. 13:56 His first miracle was keeping their lack from being exposed. 13:59 Y'all still acting brand new? 14:01 How many of us know it ain't no miracle for him 14:04 to turn water into wine because water and create a thing. 14:09 Although always obey the command of their creator. 14:12 But the greatest miracle is when God is able 14:14 to cover the reputation of his children. 14:18 Oh, y'all acting brand new. 14:19 Anybody thankful today 14:22 that God kept your reputation? 14:27 That God 14:28 kept your reputation intact? 14:32 Somebody out of praise him for the stuff that never came out. 14:37 For the things that never got exposed, 14:40 for the things that never hit Facebook. 14:43 Some of us have good character. 14:46 Some just have a good reputation 14:48 because God covered it. 14:52 Are you hearing the word today, friends? 14:54 And see, God just kept your reputation 14:58 until your character could catch up to it. 15:04 Are y'all hear me today? 15:07 So, so real quick. 15:08 So something in Jesus message comes to Jesus 15:12 and is like, man Jesus day running out of mind. 15:14 I need you to show up. I need you to do something. 15:16 And it's crazy because Jesus, the. 15:18 Ancestor, her woman, which was a. 15:21 Term of endearment or respect that will be paid in that time, 15:25 he says This ain't got nothing to do with me. 15:29 He says, I don't even know why you bringing this matter to me. 15:32 He says, My time is not yet come. 15:36 Now notice what Mary then turns around and does. 15:39 She turns around and says to the servants, Do 15:41 whatever he asks you to do. 15:45 Now I'm tripping because the way she reacts 15:49 is not congruent with the answer he gave. 15:52 In other words, 15:53 I have to read it three or four times, 15:54 and maybe there's a clause that I missed that 15:56 I don't understand why she's telling the servants 15:59 to stand in the face of obedience 16:01 when Jesus said, I ain't got nothing to do with this. 16:05 But see, one of the reasons she acted in the way she did, 16:09 where she was convinced by his consistency. 16:13 Let me share with you real quick desire of ages. 16:16 Page 68. 16:17 She talks about how Jesus as a child talks about he, 16:20 how he had willing hands that were ever ready to serve, 16:27 and he never left a situation like he found it. 16:31 Okay, you out and get it. 16:32 In other words, there was a consistency 16:36 about Christ that let her know 16:40 he would never leave a situation 16:43 the way he found it. 16:46 Okay. 16:47 It was her history with him 16:50 that anchored her in the moment of great lack. 16:54 So in other words, even as Jesus, as a child 16:57 from a babe up to the age of about 30, whenever Jesus saw 17:01 a sparrow with a broken wing, he didn't just walk by. 17:05 He picked it up and he helped it. 17:08 When Jesus saw you carrying a heavy burden down the road, 17:12 he didn't just go about his business, 17:13 but he put his shoulder up under the burden 17:17 and help you get where he is that you needed to go. 17:19 When Jesus was a child and saw an elderly person carrying 17:22 something heavy across the street, 17:24 he would stop 17:25 whatever it was that he was doing 17:27 and he would help you get that burden across the street. 17:31 In other words, she noticed something about her 17:32 baby boy is that he was so consistent in his health. 17:37 He was so consistent and helping others. 17:39 He never left a situation like he found it. 17:41 And it was his consistency 17:44 that gave her 17:45 courage to know that he would act, even 17:48 in the light of his response to I'm still not here yet. 17:52 How many of us know 17:53 that Christ has been consistent in your life? 17:57 Oh, God. 17:58 In other words, 17:59 he hadn't just come through seven out of ten times. 18:03 But for me, he's come through ten times out of ten times, 18:07 and he didn't always come when I want it. 18:09 But he's always there right on 18:11 time. 18:15 And see, friends of mine, one of the things I need, 18:17 you know, one of the things that. 18:18 Will anchor you in the present is if you keep a record of. 18:21 How God has blessed you in the past. 18:24 You see, one of the reasons we don't have any faith for 18:26 this moment is because we've got spiritual amnesia. 18:31 We have forgetfulness about the blessings and miracles of God. 18:35 And as some of you heard me say, 18:36 and it crazy how we remember our curses 18:41 more than we remember our blessings. 18:44 Somebody does something wrong to you. 18:45 You remember it for 50 years. 18:48 God pays the bill. 18:49 You act like he ain't never done nothing in your life before. 18:53 And what I'm saying to 18:54 somebody today is that if you look at the consistency of God 18:58 and the faithfulness of God, 18:59 that if you look back on your history, 19:01 you will have strength to face a difficult destiny. 19:05 This man I remember one time I was on a flight 19:08 and on this particular flight. 19:09 Malcolm, it began to get a little turbulent. 19:11 We began to have. 19:11 Drops in the flight. 19:13 And I'll be honest with you, I'm 19:14 not one of those folk that's a nervous flier. 19:15 I don't even really get scared because of turbulence. 19:19 But on this day, man, it was dropping hard, man. 19:20 The little luggage racks were starting to come open. 19:23 And one of the things I do 19:24 when I see turbulence that bad is 19:25 I just look at the flight attendants to see how they move. 19:28 And in that situation. 19:29 And so I remember this particular day, 19:31 I was sitting near the exit row and the flight attendant 19:33 was sitting right across from me. 19:35 And it's funny 19:36 because we're in the storm, dead drops 19:37 and the plane is shifting and moving 19:39 and the flight attendant 19:40 right in front of me, she don't even look up. 19:42 She's playing the board games on her phone. 19:45 She's playing with her hair. 19:46 She's acting like nothing and going on. 19:48 And so when 19:49 we get down to the floor, did I ask her the question? 19:52 I say, I know you got to play it cool 19:55 for the customers on the flight, but when it gets this bad, 19:57 you got to get a little bit nervous, don't you? 20:00 As she said, without a hit, she says, I would get a little 20:03 nervous normally. 20:04 But she says, I've been flying with this one 20:06 pilot so long, and because I've seen him 20:11 bring God through worse, I don't get nervous and stones. 20:16 Has anybody been flying with Jesus? 20:19 So you do that. 20:23 You don't get nervous in the storm 20:27 because you've seen him 20:29 bring you through worse. 20:32 I hear me today. 20:33 France. 20:36 So, so. 20:38 So Jesus tells them, they say, feel the warp, but 20:43 the water pops up to the brim. 20:46 And notice that the Bible says 20:47 that they feel the water pots all the way up to the top. 20:50 Anthony I see. 20:51 One of the things this teaches us is that man partial obedience 20:57 will lead to partial blessings. 21:01 Are You're going to cancel me in a minute, 21:04 but I'm going to stand here in the strength of the Lord. 21:07 So if they only feel the parts 21:10 a third of the way up, 21:13 they only get a third of the one. 21:17 If they only for that half of the way up, 21:20 they only get half of the why. 21:22 But guess what? 21:23 Because they fill it all the way up. 21:27 They got one that's overflowing from the vats 21:32 because they operate in obedience to what has been said. 21:36 I see. 21:37 What I need somebody to understand about obedience 21:40 is that you cannot have an obedience deficit and 21:43 operate in spiritual overflow 21:49 to. The 21:50 problem is we have used grace as a reason 21:53 to not obey what it is that God has told us to do. 21:57 And say, I need us to understand this. 21:59 Fundamental. Truth. 22:00 The reason the issue is that how many of us realize. 22:03 Certain covenant blessings that God has made 22:07 are certain covenant promises that He's made. 22:08 They are conditional. 22:11 They are conditional upon you operating in obedience 22:13 with the covenant that God has made. 22:15 And so what I'm saying to us is that if we're not going 22:18 to obey the condition, why are you running around here 22:23 trying to claim the promise? 22:27 Oh. Oh, you're all quiet now. 22:31 Doesn't the word say bring ye 22:35 all the time. 22:37 And you're. 22:38 Going to look happy? Grace 22:40 No, it doesn't say bring some. 22:42 No, don't look at your phone. 22:44 It doesn't say bring most. 22:47 It says bring you all the time into the storehouse. 22:52 And he says, if you do it, I open up the windows of heaven 22:56 and pour out such a blessing 22:59 that you don't have room enough to receive it. 23:02 He has shown us, in his word, 23:04 how we are to care for our bodies 23:07 if we want to experience maximum health. 23:09 But I cannot experience it if I want to abandon 23:12 the principles of say, amen to the pastor the day church. 23:17 Amen. 23:18 The word says give and this shall be given back to you. 23:20 Good measure pressed down, second together and running over 23:26 and see. 23:27 The reason I need to kind of say this. 23:28 Is because some of us say I have faith 23:32 without 23:33 obedience, but I need you to understand that 23:35 obedience is not what qualifies you for the miracle. 23:39 Obedience is simply what authenticates your faith. 23:43 No, no. 23:44 Obedience is the price you believe. 23:48 Because for many of us, faith is just theology. 23:52 It is just mental assent to the word. 23:55 But I need you to know 23:56 that you ain't believing for something 23:59 if you're not acting in obedience 24:01 to the promise that God made. 24:03 So I need you to know until you obey, 24:07 your faith is going to remain dormant. 24:12 So I remember one time when. 24:13 My oldest son, he was a. 24:14 Baby, he wanted to kind of help wash the dishes. 24:16 And so I told him to run the water. 24:18 And get the sink full of bubbles. And and so. 24:21 He made a little mistake. 24:21 What he did 24:22 was he filled the sink halfway up with water 24:25 and then let the water sit still. 24:26 Then he put the dishwashing liquid in it, 24:29 and then 24:30 he was like, Daddy, we ain't got no bubbles. 24:33 And the reason we have no bubbles 24:35 is he let the water sit still before he put the bubbles in. 24:41 And when you let the bubbles pour in, steal water, 24:44 it's just gone, lie dormant and it's not going bubble. 24:48 And so I said, Son, you've got to pour and store the water 24:52 so that you engage the bubbles so that it bubbles 24:55 up to overflowing. Y'all missed it already. 24:59 So I need you to understand, faith ain't nothing 25:02 but a half sink of water 25:05 with dishwater, dishwashing liquid laying dormant. 25:09 But obedience is what stirs our faith. 25:12 Or obedience is what makes it bubble. 25:15 Obedience. Well, it makes it flow. 25:18 And if you never obey, it's just going to sit there 25:21 and nothing's going to ever grow or develop from it. 25:24 I go hear me today friends 25:27 and this crazy because I'm wondering like 25:28 why is this such a big deal for Mary Rochelle? 25:33 But why is it so critical for her 25:35 that she ministers that she intercedes 25:37 and makes sure 25:38 that this young woman receives the wedding of her dreams 25:42 And it shows us something very powerful about ministry. 25:46 To the most powerful ministry. 25:48 Is not. 25:49 Necessarily when I just volun teer for a. 25:50 Task, 25:53 but when I minister out of my own experience. 25:58 What do you mean, Pastor? 26:00 Because this woman, this young girl, 26:01 she's about to be embarrassed. 26:03 Cheap, not to be ashamed. 26:05 Do you realize, as this young girl runs out of wine, 26:08 that they're 26:09 going to be talking about her wedding 40 years from now? 26:12 Come on, y'all know how y'all is, y'all. 26:14 Y'all know how we all come on and same in like and like. 26:17 She won't be known as his wife is her profession. 26:20 She'll be known forever 26:21 as the girl that ran out of wine at her wedding. 26:25 In other words, it's going to be filled with scandal. 26:28 I mean, seeing I'll be able to post wedding pictures online, 26:31 because this is going to remind everybody 26:32 that her stuff ran out of wine and her wedding. 26:35 But why does Mary make sure 26:39 that Jesus does something for her wedding? 26:43 Because remember, 26:44 because of Percy scandal, 26:47 Mary couldn't have hers. 26:52 So remember because Mary got pregnant 26:56 and was going to start showing 26:59 she had to run to the justice of the peace. 27:02 And there was always a certain scandal 27:05 or a sense of what went wrong 27:07 that followed her wherever she went. 27:10 And because Mary had now found her redemption 27:14 through the son, Jesus Christ, she says, I'm 27:18 not just going to keep this redeemed sin all to myself. 27:23 I'm going to make sure 27:24 that this redemption carries over to somebody else. 27:29 In other words, she didn't just keep her salvation 27:33 and bottled it up, but she made sure that she shares 27:37 the blessing that she's received with those that need it. 27:42 Thank you so much for joining us for The Breath of Life 27:45 Television Ministry Broadcast with Pastor Debleaire Snell. 27:49 Now we hope and pray 27:51 that you have been blessed by his powerful message today. 27:55 Join us next week for part two of the message. 27:58 “This is just the beginning.” You don't want 28:02 to miss it. 28:03 (Breath Of Life Music) |
Revised 2024-01-04