Do Whatever He Tells You (John 2:1-11)

Let us bless one another, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. I think they’re singing this praise song because I’m centered on missions. I’m hearing this song for the first time in a few years after attending a World Missions Conference, and I’m receiving new grace. I think it would be even better if the lyrics were flashing on the screen so that the people could listen and read along, but regardless, I pray that God’s great grace will be upon today’s worship as well. The title of today’s sermon is, “Do Whatever He Tells You.”

Main

1. Wedding in Cana
   In today’s passage, there is a wedding in the Cana region of Galilee, and in the first verse, Jesus’ mother is already there. Perhaps it was the wedding of a family member or someone who is really close to their family. It seemed like Jesus’ mother was not simply there as a participating guest, but she was actively helping to coordinate and organize the wedding.

Jesus Christ and His disciples were also invited to the wedding, so I think from the perspective of other people, Jesus was someone who was a Nazarene and there was a group of people who followed Him around, and those people were simply invited because Jesus’ mother was invited to the wedding.

1) Jesus = God
However, in the midst of this, we know that from John 1 that Jesus Christ is the Word and the Word is God. In John 1:3, we realize that Jesus Christ is the One who created everything in this world, so the Creator of the world is attending this person’s wedding. Jesus Christ Himself is the life and the light of all mankind, and whoever meets Jesus Christ comes to life. You’ll be able to see things in life that you were not able to see before. So, from the moment you accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Master of your life, your entire life changes.

2) Man
John 1:14 says that the Word of God came to this earth as flesh, and this person has come to attend this person’s wedding. Now that Jesus Christ has come onto this earth and is living His active life, John the Baptist announces, “Look, the Lamb of God has come, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” That’s so important. It means that John the Baptist was teaching people about sin, people who did not know what sin was to begin with.

3) Problem
What is sin? If you go to the fundamental beginning of sin, it was when Adam and Eve were first disobedient to God’s Word, and God has sent Jesus Christ Who was able to restore our relationship with God, but sin is not believing in the One He has sent. In the Old Testament, Genesis 3:15, God promised us the offspring of the woman to save us all, and if you do not believe in that Messiah, that is sin.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites would forgive themselves of their sin by doing rituals such as blood sacrifices and burnt offerings to take their sin upon these animals on their behalf. But John the Baptist announces that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This means that, by Jesus Christ’s death, He has taken charge of every single person’s sins.

All the problems in the entire world begin from the sin of disobedience. Disobedience does not happen out of nowhere but it is absolutely caused by Satan. Therefore, as Jesus Christ died on the cross and resurrected in three days, He finished all the problems of mankind, and John the Baptist sees this Jesus and exclaims, “He is the Lamb of God!”

Then, Jesus goes to a wedding. In the Israelite culture, there are two wedding ceremonies. The first wedding ceremony is when the groom goes to the bride’s house, but just because they have that ceremony of engagement does not mean that they are officially married. It is a situation where everyone drinks alcohol and they are examining the groom.

The first engagement party is where the bride and the family of the bride is serving the groom, thinking, “Should I really send my daughter to marry this man?” That is the wedding that Jesus is attending. In other words, it’s kind of like an engagement ceremony.

One year later, there is another wedding ceremony, and at this wedding ceremony, if the bride drinks alcohol, it is her acceptance of the marriage proposal. In the midst of people’s everyday lives like this, Jesus Christ is attending this person’s wedding. The most important thing in this wedding is the wine because you need the wine in order for the atmosphere to be like a celebration. All the people prepared as much as they could, but in the middle of the wedding ceremony, they ran out of wine.

People are like that. People think, “I have prepared perfectly,” but because people are not God, they don’t know what kind of circumstances will arise, and now because the wine is completely out, the party has become completely dry and dead. People should be all excited and wild at a party, but because they’re running out of wine, it’s kind of simmering down. In verse 3, Jesus’ mother says to Jesus, “There is no more wine.”

2. God
   Seeing how involved Jesus’ mother was at the wedding, it really seems like the wedding was for someone within Jesus’ family. Jesus’ mother, Mary, also knew the fact that Jesus Christ is God, so Mary goes to Jesus with a problem, and Jesus replies, “Woman.” He does not address her as woman, but she addresses her as, “Woman.” When Jesus Christ refers to His mother as “woman,” it means that He is speaking to her from the perspective of God.

1) Jesus Christ
Mary came to Jesus with a request to provide more wine, and this is something that is not possible unless it is by God, and that is why Jesus Christ replies from the position of God, He says, “My time has not yet come.” This is very important. Does God work any random way? Does He work just because you believe? Mary was someone who believed that Jesus is God, but Jesus responds, “My time has not yet come.”

2) Time Schedule of His Works
In other words, time belongs to God. God is the One who created time and God is the One who moves time. Everything that has happened in history has happened according to God’s timeline, and everyone who was born on earth was born according to God’s timeline for God’s will. Even when you leave this earth, it is not according to your heart nor your desire. Just because you exercise and live a healthy life does not mean you will live a long life. You may live a healthy life up until the point where Jesus Christ calls you.

In the midst of life, we run into many problems, but God does not work randomly upon all of them. We are the people who must align our timelines with God’s. If I’m trying to live my life based on my timeline and my will, then that means I’m trying to be my own God, but there is the Time of God.

If someone is supposed to be successful, then there are times where they will be selling at the lowest level. If there is a time when someone is young, there is also a time when someone is very old. It feels like we’ll always stay young, but there will absolutely be a time where our skin wrinkles and our body deteriorates.

It is very important that we gain the knowledge of the world through great education, but if you misunderstand, you may think you know everything. The only thing you know is the knowledge that God has allowed you to learn. God has only allowed you to learn the knowledge that is necessary to glorify Him and to reveal His glory.

3) House of the Wedding
Jesus Christ is at this wedding ceremony as a guest, and no one knows that Jesus Christ is God other than Mary and His disciples. There is a banquet master who facilitates the entire wedding, and the banquet master’s mood is getting worsened. As much as the banquet master tried to prepare to his best ability for this wedding, we as individuals cannot take responsibility for everything that happens.

“I’m going to live today very healthily,” but no, if God calls you, you are going to die. I saw a Kakao Talk message recently that there was a pastor in Hawaii who passed away, and only a few months ago, I was speaking personally with him, and I still remember the evangelism-centered heart with which he left an impression on me. We even shared a hotel room, and that was our last conversation. “We have to do the evangelism movement,” and as we concluded our conversation, that’s what remained in my heart, the evangelism movement.

Especially in the environment of Hawaii, with all the Caucasian people, he wandered around proclaiming the gospel, but we did not know when he would be called away. I saw his picture on my phone this morning, and I long for him even more, because the thing that I remember about him, yes, his face, but more importantly was the center of evangelism that he put into my heart. He and I spoke about 20 years ago, too, but that conversation isn’t what remains; what remains now is his confession of faith as an evangelist. Everything else we talked about over meals, I don’t remember.

You and I are the same. You and I are living this earth, and one day, God will call us to leave. We may want to live until the age of 120, but that is not something we can decide. If our mission is complete, we must go, or if you cannot take charge of your mission, then God must call you in a hurry because if you’re not able to take charge of God’s mission for you, and He leaves you alone, you’ll only block God’s mission so He’ll call you away.

When God leaves His spirit on this earth, it’s because He has a specific purpose for that spirit, and if you are not being used in the way that God desires, He will take you away. You need to know well who God is today. You need to know well who God is in order for you to receive the proper guidance in your life.

3. Witnesses of God’s Works
   Then, in John 2:5, Jesus’ mother calls to his servants and says, “Do whatever He tells you.” This is important. Jesus can work at any point He wants, but He doesn’t. The work only begins when He speaks. You and I must live our life according to the Word that God proclaims through the pulpit message, otherwise you’ll live according to your own thoughts, right? You’ll live your life according to the biblical knowledge you have in your head. However, only when God gives His Word does the work arise.

These servants are people who need to listen to everyone’s directions, regardless of who they are. Do you think if Jesus Christ gave His commands to the banquet master, would the banquet master obey? I don’t think so, because the directions didn’t make any sense. If anything, the banquet master would have said, “You’re crazy!” and look down on Him, why? Because the banquet master has his own experience and his own knowledge.

Why do we keep blocking God’s works? You alone are blocking God’s works because of your past experiences and your knowledge. If God gives us His Word, then God will fulfill His Word, but we are blocking God with our own knowledge. Jesus Christ speaks, and when He speaks, He speaks of six stone water jars which are used for washing. They are present in homes as well as temples.

Jesus Christ says, “Fill these jars with water.” When God gives you the word to “Fill with water,” that’s not all it takes. If God tells us to fill it, our job is to fill it, however, there is a common characteristic among every single church member who is not able to receive answers. They listen to God’s Word, they listen to the words that Jesus Christ said, “Fill the jars,” and then they say, “Wow, I received grace,” and they go back to do whatever they want.

So, instead of living their lives by following the Word of God by faith, they’re listening to the Word of God, but they’re living however they want. I’m sure the banquet master must have heard these. If the banquet master heard this, he would have said, “Oh, those are good words,” but if the banquet master had heard those words, he would not have filled the jars.

However, the servants were at such a lowly place that they weren’t able to have a will of their own; they only listened to the word of the people above them, so they were in a good opportunity to listen to Jesus Christ’s words. Just because someone is poor and powerless, though, does not mean they will always listen to God’s Words. This means that if Jesus Christ gives you the Word, you have to do the action to obey.

We do actions from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep every day. What is it for? It must be for the Word because even opening your eyes needs to have meaning in the Word of God. You might just open your eyes because you’re awake, but that has nothing to do with the Word of God. Why must I open my eyes this morning? I open my eyes this morning because even today, God must reveal His glory through me, and it becomes an action of faith.

Why must I shower and eat today? I take those actions, but what am I taking those actions for? You’re taking those actions today again for the glory of God. Why do you take the action of going to work, going to school, making money and studying? You do those actions for the glory of the name of God, but you might have a life where you’re just taking action by action without any meaning or regard to the Word of God. You are doing all these actions without any of God’s Word.

However, God works through His Word. When we hold onto God’s Word and act upon them in faith, then God works upon us. If you live your life without any thought at all, it means you are living your life spiritually separated from God in a life of ignorance. If you don’t even know why you’re studying or why you’re working, then you are living a life of ignorance in regards to God.

What happens when they fill the jars with water? Because they moved according to God’s Word, they were able to see the works of God’s Word, why? Because from now on, the master of the wedding has changed to Jesus. Why do we follow the Word of God? We follow Jesus’ words because He is the true God and He is the Master of my life.

Why do nonbelievers live their lives serving idols and other gods? It is because they do not believe in the Word of God. In the Old Testament, after God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He made a covenant with them. God said, “I will be your God and you will be My people,” but that’s not the end. He gave them His Word, He gave them the Ten Commandments. “You must base your actions according to the Ten Commandments.”

So, when God gives us His Word, He doesn’t give us His Word so that you can sit still and do nothing. He gives us His Word and the strength to obey and to carry out His Word. God has absolutely given us His Word about what we should do and what we should not do, and people fail because they do not follow God’s Word but they live according to their own desires.

For believers, there is no such thing as absolute failure because the very fact that you’ve accepted Jesus Christ is itself success, because you’re going to live your life on earth as a child of God whether you believe it or not, you’re going to go to heaven. However, because of your lack of faith, you will be living a life of unbelief and you will suffer from the curses that come from that unbelief, and you will give those curses to your kids.

What is the Word of God? God is the Word. Why do we worship? So that God can give us His Word, but there are a lot of people who look down on worship and the Word, then without fail, they will not be able to receive answers. Do you know why? It’s because they do not believe. God will work upon people who believe in Him. If you have disbelief, you will face the curses and disasters from your disbelief.

Why do you think God is giving us the Word of John 2 today? God is giving us this Word because it is necessary for our church, but there are some people who do not believe that in itself. They listen to the Word but their actions are their own thoughts. Do not live like that.

Through John, you need to see that God is always with you, but at what point does He work? Jesus Christ works when you follow the Word of God by taking action upon it. Why do we give offering? There are some people who simply give offering without thought, simply because they have the money, but I’m sorry to say that that offering has no meaning. Because the there is no Word of God in that offering, it has no meaning.

You can give offering to a temple, too, you can give an offering to any temple or mosque, you can give donations to charities with that heart, too. But let’s say you take an action of faith. When you give your offering as an action of faith within God’s covenant, then God will fill you with wine. So, unless you fill that jar with water, God will never turn it into wine. The servants must fill up the jars with water.

Unless you study, God cannot work upon your studies. In order for God to work upon your studies, you have to study. If a person who doesn’t know how to drive wants to become an Uber driver, God does not work upon him. Christians misunderstand this a lot. At that time, they believe in God’s power, but it’s because they do not know who God is. If anyone has the skills to drive so they can become an Uber driver, that skill came from God. That means the most basic level of skill and knowledge is given by God.

Some people try to run a business without any knowledge or experience, but they challenge towards it. God is powerful enough that He can work upon that with power, but He won’t. Why? Because God’s method is to have the basic fundamentals first. Christians will misunderstand a lot, they think, “Oh, this is worldly knowledge.” They do not acknowledge that God is the One who gave us all knowledge in the world to begin with. There is no such thing as God’s knowledge and the world’s knowledge.

Some kids don’t study. What does that mean? They are pretty much saying they are going to live as a poor beggar in the world without any knowledge. God says, “Fill your jar with water.” When the servants take that water and give it to the banquet master, they don’t know if it’s going to be wine or water that he drinks. I think God changed the water into wine completely, because if it looked like water but it tasted like wine, people would be fascinated by that miracle and look for it.

But the banquet master believes this is wine because he calls over the bridegroom, “Most people will give the cheapest wine at the end after the guests have had too much to drink, but your wine gets better at the end.” In verse 11, it says that this is a sign. There is a difference between a miracle and a sign. A sign is something God gives you because He has a specific direction in which He wants to point you towards.

It says here, His glory was revealed to all of Cana in Galilee. What is the glory of God? It is the fact that God, from His position, changes water into wine and reveals His power and glory. What is the goal? God’s main attention and interest is upon the disciples who have accepted Jesus Christ with faith, and to these disciples who have accepted Jesus Christ, God does this miraculous sign to put faith in them.

So, what is God’s goal? To believe in Jesus. Why does your life crumble? Your life crumbles because you do not believe in the Creator God. Even now, what is the sign that Jesus Christ continuously gives you in your life? To believe in Jesus Christ through the cross and to believe in Jesus Christ through the miraculous signs of God. Turning the water into wine is not the goal in itself, but through that sign, may you believe in Jesus Christ.

There was a time when Jesus Christ did the miracle of the five loaves and two fish. But most people were not interested in Jesus Christ; they were interested in the food. What happens to people like that? When they do not receive food from Jesus, they’ll leave him. Through the food, you believe in Jesus. Through the coronavirus, you believe in Jesus. God does not send things like this for no reason; He wants to give more faith to the people who have believed.

The only ones who know about Jesus Christ’s miracles is His mother Mary, His disciples, and the servants who carried out His work, and God has His plan for evangelism through these people. I’m sure that the two servants who poured the water would have asked, “Who is this person?” Of course, He would have explained because they’ve already seen the miraculous sign, they would have asked, “Who is this person?” In our life, whether we fail or succeed, every single thing that God does in our lives is because He has the purpose of saving lives.

In John 20:31, “The entire Bible is written so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” When water turns to wine, that is a temporary and fleeting thing. However, the fact that the eternal God is living within us as spirit is an eternal thing.

1) David
David, who believed that God was with Him always, was able to make a confession that, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” These are words that were already proclaimed. “The LORD is my shepherd.” These are not words he was creating; these are words that existed from the beginning. God already gave David the Word to begin with, but when David goes to the valley of the shadow of death, he is clinging onto and holding onto the Word that God gave him.

“He will guide me to green pastures and quiet waters,” and even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I am not afraid of the valley of the shadow of death because God is with me there. People who really like signs and acts of miracles, if they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, they’ll hold onto that as evidence that they have failed in life, but that has simply come according to your faith.

For people who believe in Jesus Christ faithfully and follow His Word regardless of the signs or miracles they do or do not get, even when they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, they will walk forward in faith, unchanged. They say, “My cup overflows,” because God is more than enough. God is not frugal, and God is not iffy thinking, “Will life work out or not?” Only from our standard will we worry about whether we will run out of wine or not. God is not someone like that.

That God is with us even now through the spirit, and whenever we pray, He is with us, working upon us. God is fulfilling His will through us. God told us to pray for God’s will to come on earth as it is in heaven. God’s will is already determined, God’s will was already determined in heaven. When God sent us to this earth, He sent us, already having determined His will, so that is why we must pray so that God’s will may be fulfilled through us.

Do not live by your own will, but seek God’s will and live according to that. What is God’s will? God’s will is that all people may believe in Jesus Christ and gain eternal life. Why did Jesus Christ come to earth? What is the goal? To give us life. Why does the Holy Spirit come into us? So that He may guide us and allow us to save other people’s lives.

That is the praise we sang today where we sang, “Let us live according to God’s will.” If you think, “I don’t really know God’s Word, then keep it simple. Say, “God, lead me according to Your will.” Stop trying to use your brain, but just pray, “God, please use me however You want for Your will.” That is the filling of the Holy Spirit.

“God, completely take complete control over my thoughts, my heart, my emotions, my circumstances, my life, everything,” then God will guide us according to His will. Why is your walk of faith so complicated? Even though you study the Bible so much, you still don’t believe. You’ve lived your walk of faith for so long, but you still don’t believe.

You don’t believe the fact that Jesus Christ is God and that He is the King of your life, but that is why you are so anxious and worried, and that is why you’re so wishy-washy. You’re like that because you’re the owner and master of your own life. If you die, you go to heaven, but because you don’t believe that, you’re so afraid of death.

The fact that Jesus Christ dies and resurrected, He says when He comes again, we will resurrect with Him, but because we don’t believe that, we are afraid of death. Whether you are successful or completely ruined, believe that Jesus Christ will fulfill His Word.

2) Daniel and His Friends
You’ve heard of Daniel. Everyone told him to bow down to idols and he said no. Why? Because God gave him a promise through Moses, “Do not have any other gods, do not make for yourselves an idol, do not bow down to another idol.” In the wilderness, the Israelites made an image of a golden calf and bowed down to that as God. Do not misuse the name of the Lord.

God already exists, but you’re creating an image of a golden calf and you’re calling that, “God”? Do not misuse the name of the Lord. If you’re living your own life with your own will, and you’re saying, “This is the will of God,” do not misuse the will of God. You’re praying to God so that you can fulfill your own thoughts and your own plans. Do not misuse the name of God.

Why are you using your will and calling that the will of God? Is God’s will simply an instrument for you to fulfill your own will? Daniel knew that, the reason why his ancestors were taken captive to Babylon was because of their idol worship. You need to serve God as God in order for God to protect you and bless you, but instead, they have rejected God as God.

Because they chose the world, they were taken captive by the world, but Daniel held onto the Word that was given to him from long ages past and made a resolution, “I will only worship and serve the Lord God,” but he was facing the danger of death. He said, “If I choose death, then life will be [nothing?] to me.” He chose faith in God’s Word, and then he was sentenced to death in the lion’s den.

God sent the angels ahead of him to close the mouths of the lions. Daniels’ three friends also made the resolution to not bow down to idols. You need to make a decision. If you follow the Word of God, it seems you may fail, but if you follow your own will, it seems like you may succeed.

You come to worship and you’ll lose your time. If you don’t go to worship, you might study or take some time to rest; you have to make a decision. Take an action based on faith on God’s Word, then absolutely, God’s works will arise. There is no way God’s works will not arise because God is alive.

3) Early Church
Even the members of the Early Church did not gather for no reason, but they took the action of prayer, holding onto the Word that God had given to them about establishing the Kingdom of God on this earth. There are some people who simply do the practice of prayer as if they’re praying to some kind of shaman or idol without any kind of word in there.

God says, “When two or more people gather in my name,” it means you need to gather for God’s plan and purpose in the world. Holding onto God’s will, if you do the action of worship and prayer, that is when God works. That is the work of God that comes from Acts 2 all the way to Acts 28.

Paul confesses, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Paul is a very capable person, but Paul never said, “I can live my life with my own strength and capabilities.” A lot of failures in life say, “I have failed.” This is all unbelief. Within Christ, God gives you His Word. You hold onto that Word and challenge towards it. Then what happens? The works of faith in God’s Word will arise.

Conclusion

1. Jesus Christ is the Master of the Church and Me
   You and I must make the resolution today to do whatever the Word of God tells us to do. Throughout the week, do not just simply listen to the Word and keep it in your brain, but holding onto the Word that God has given to you, think about the actions you can take to fulfill it. If you do not take your actions based on the Word of God, you will have to take actions based on your own thoughts, and if you do that, your life will be all foam; there will be nothing left to it.

God gives you His Word every week and He confirms His Word to you every single day. God is the master of me, my family, and my church. If He is my Master, I must do whatever my Master says. You can’t make Christ your Master and do whatever you want; you can’t make Christ your Master and listen to the words of other people.

“God says this, and until I receive that Word, I must pray.” If God’s Word does not move, then I do not move. If I fail there, then I fail there because only when I fail, God may be glorified, but if you’re afraid of failure, Christ must be glorified through you. That is how the Israelites lived in the wilderness for 40 years.

2. Works of Jesus Christ
   The moment you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you listen to the Words of God,
   
3. Answer of Saving Lives
   Then the works of saving lives and receiving power will arise.
   Let us take a time to pray to God, holding onto the Word as the covenant that God has given to us, and praying, asking, “What are the actions we can take to fulfill that covenant?”