LIVING WORD # 1AM – 4 AUGUST 2013 
WHAT EVER HE SAYS TO YOU – DO IT!
Here is the message for Sunday 4th August 2013 at Plenty Valley Church.
The PURPOSE – Inspire you and empower you to value, read and apply God’s word.
TRUTHS
In this church we believe that the bible is divinely inspired and infallible from cover to cover – If you would like more information about that please go to our podsite: http://pvc.podomatic.com/entry/2010-04-09T06_14_02-07_00
There will be a later blog just focussed on the reliability and authenticity of the Bible.
The Bible has came to us through the laying down of many lives as the martyrs that fought for the right to read the bible, translate the bible and publish the bible died for their work through persecution. This book is so very precious!
YOU’RE INVITED TO A WEDDING!
What will you wear? – Give out invitations… (Jesus is coming, that should be a big draw card)
READ – JOHN 2:1-11
Joh 2:1 ON THE third day there was a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
Joh 2:2 Jesus also was invited with His disciples to the wedding.
Joh 2:3 And when the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no more wine!
Joh 2:4 Jesus said to her, [Dear] woman, what is that to you and to Me? [What do we have in common? Leave it to Me.] My time (hour to act) has not yet come. [Eccl. 3:1.]
Joh 2:5 His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it.
Joh 2:6 Now there were six waterpots of stone standing there, as the Jewish custom of purification (ceremonial washing) demanded, holding twenty to thirty gallons apiece.
Joh 2:7 Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. So they filled them up to the brim.
Joh 2:8 Then He said to them, Draw some out now and take it to the manager of the feast [to the one presiding, the superintendent of the banquet]. So they took him some.
Joh 2:9 And when the manager tasted the water just now turned into wine, not knowing where it came from–though the servants who had drawn the water knew–he called the bridegroom
Joh 2:10 And said to him, Everyone else serves his best wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then he serves that which is not so good; but you have kept back the good wine until now!
Joh 2:11 This, the first of His signs (miracles, wonderworks), Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory [by it He displayed His greatness and His power openly], and His disciples believed in Him [adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him]. [Deut. 5:24; Ps. 72:19.]
WHAT EVER HE SAYS TO YOU – DO IT!
It was a big day; so much preparation was involved. Also there was joy and expectation. At a wedding it’s always such a great time for the family to show off. What they are really saying is – this is who we are.
Then suddenly they ran out of wine. What a horror. “We will look bad! Cheap! This is more than an error; it’s a crisis!”
Mary is the key in this story. She knows Jesus can do something about it. She knows Him best. Do you know Him? Hey Jesus – We have a problem! – His response was not rude but more like “Take it easy Mum … I have not failed to recognise the need and the opportunity.” Jesus and His disciples had no doubt had some wine to drink and were at least partly responsible for the wine running out… So Jesus was not about to leave this issue unattended.
(To take a tangent – MY STANCE ON ALCOHOL)
I was a very heavy drinker in my teens and till I got saved at 20. I chose to give up drinking totally. It is my personal choice. I will tell you why I made that choice. It is because in Australia abuse of alcohol is the leading cause of Family Violence and road trauma and teenage binge drinking. I am not associated with the problem, I am associated with the answer. In this church we needed a value and a culture about alcohol and this is how we arrived at it. I called all my young adults together because they were drinking at church functions and some were offended by that.
We had a debate – passionate arguments for both sides to drink or not to drink included clear scriptural advice. So we formed a church policy and value.
- To be drunk is a sin and not tolerated.
- To drink alcohol in ones own personal time is up to the individual.
- At any church function organised by the church – no alcohol should be offered or taken along.
Now back to the Story.
Jesus and His disciples had no doubt had some wine to drink and were at least partly responsible for the wine running out…
Jesus will never be in your debt for very long, He has a plan to bless you.
He sees provision where you don’t – the water pots.
WHAT EVER HE SAYS TO YOU – DO IT!
Who knew of this first miracle? Mary, the host, the disciples? – Who benefited? – Everyone there! When you obey Jesus – not everybody will know what’s really going on… but everybody benefits.
THERE IS A RISK TOO. There was a risk in obeying Jesus. – Take this water to the Governor of the feast. WHAT RISK IS THERE FOR YOU TO OBEY JESUS’ COMMANDS?
MY STORY
- I come to faith as a uni student in 1977 at age 20. The words that I heard and remembered that impacted my life were. “Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will in no way cast out.” There was RISK: That is: To be rejected by my peers
- Later when I felt called into full time ministry, God’s word came to me again. – This time God spoke to my heart confirming what I had read in the scriptures many times. “What good is an arrow that never flies, what good is a fire that never burns, what good is wind that does not blow? This is your hour and for this I have chosen you.” There was RISK: In working for the church I had no earthly security, job, money, provision.
- Many years later our family knew God had called us to leave Brisbane and plant a new church in Melbourne. – God’s word came again and said “You shall lead the 12 tribes.” Referring to the many different nationalities that make their home in Melbourne. There was risk now too: RISK = Leave all our supports, family, friends, jobs, home, school, reputation.
- Some years later when I was in a dark place, I came under depression, and suicidal feelings. I measured the wrong things, but God’s word came and rescued me – God showed me, “You’re a rich man and your reward is for obeying me, not achieving success as measured by men. Again there was RISK = I may have to be content with less OR I may not reach my real potential.
WHAT’S HE SAYING TO YOU? WHEN YOU READ THE BIBLE – HE WILL SPEAK TO YOU.
WHAT EVER HE SAYS TO YOU – DO IT!
Will you build your house on the rock or on the sand?
Matt 7:24-27
Mat 7:24 So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.
Mat 7:25 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Mat 7:26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand.
Mat 7:27 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell–and great and complete was the fall of it.
THE STORMS OF LIFE WILL COME – THAT’S CERTAIN
WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING YOUR HOUSE ON? WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING YOUR LIFE ON?
What’s He saying to you? – Just do it!
WHAT EVER HE SAYS TO YOU – DO IT!
If you read the word but don’t apply it – your house will fall. The message is storms come no matter how you build your house. If you don’t read it – you can’t apply it!
RESPONSE
- Do the reading plan
- Apply what you read – live it every day
- What is Jesus saying to you right now? – DO IT! Surrender your life to Jesus today.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Who is using a reading plan? How is that going for you?
2. What are the advantages of regular reading of God’s word?
3. Can you share a message that you received when reading the bible that greatly encouraged you?
4. How could you find an answer to a life question in the bible?
5. Choose a single verse to memorize for the next meeting.
craigmanderson 
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