00:00Hey friends, can I share something with you today that I think could genuinely change
00:06the way you approach your relationship with Jesus Christ?
00:11I've been thinking about the wedding at Cana ever since yesterday's video.
00:17It's the story in John 2 verses 1 through 11, where Jesus performed his first recorded
00:24miracle by turning water into wine.
00:26And the more I've been thinking about that story, the more I realize there's something
00:33extraordinary happening there that has very little to do with the wine itself.
00:40It's about Mary, the mother of God.
00:43It's about faith.
00:45And it's about what we do after we ask God for something.
00:51Let me explain what I mean.
00:53Jesus is attending a wedding with his mother and his disciples.
00:58Everyone is celebrating.
01:01People are enjoying themselves.
01:03And then something happens that could become terribly embarrassing for the family hosting
01:09the celebration.
01:11They run out of wine.
01:13Mary notices the problem, and she goes to Jesus.
01:18Now, pay attention to what she says to him.
01:22She says,
01:24They have no wine.
01:26And that's it.
01:28She doesn't give him a long explanation.
01:31She doesn't describe every possible consequence.
01:34She doesn't beg him to intervene or spend 10 minutes trying to convince him how important
01:41the situation is.
01:43She simply tells him what is wrong.
01:47And then something happens that I think many of us overlook.
01:52Jesus responds in a way that doesn't sound like an immediate agreement.
01:57He tells her that his hour has not yet come.
02:02But Mary doesn't argue with him.
02:05She doesn't try to negotiate.
02:08Instead, she turns to the servants and says something incredibly powerful.
02:14Whatever he says to you, do it.
02:20I want you to think about that for a moment.
02:23Mary has brought the problem to Jesus.
02:26She has received a response that doesn't clearly promise anything.
02:31Yet, she has enough confidence in him to direct the servants toward whatever he might tell them to do.
02:40That is so beautiful.
02:43And you know what?
02:45Doesn't that raise an important question about how you and I approach our relationship with Christ?
02:51How often do we pray for something and then spend the next several days worrying about whether or not God
03:00hurt us?
03:01We explain the problem.
03:03Then we explain it again.
03:05We go through every detail, every fear, every possible outcome.
03:11And sometimes we act as though we need to convince God that our situation deserves his attention.
03:19But Mary?
03:21Mary shows us another way.
03:24She brings the need to Jesus.
03:26And then she leaves room for Jesus to decide what happens next.
03:33Now, I want to be careful about something here.
03:36The lesson is not that we can ask Jesus for whatever we want and automatically receive it.
03:53The lesson is something even more meaningful than that.
03:58We can trust that Jesus hears us without having to control how he answers.
04:05And there's a tremendous amount of freedom in that, isn't there?
04:10Because if you really believe that Jesus loves you, that he knows what you're facing, and that his wisdom is
04:18greater than your own,
04:21then maybe you don't need to carry every worry as though the entire outcome depends on you.
04:28You can tell him what's on your heart.
04:30You can ask him for what you need.
04:33And then you can begin doing whatever faithful, responsible thing is in front of you.
04:41That doesn't mean we should never pray about something more than once.
04:46Jesus himself taught us to be persistent in prayer.
04:51But there's a difference between continuing to pray because you trust God
04:56and feeling that you must keep begging because you're afraid he wasn't listening.
05:02And I think Mary understood that difference.
05:06And there's another part of the story that I find absolutely fascinating.
05:12When Jesus tells the servants what to do, he doesn't immediately hand them wine.
05:19He tells them to fill six large stone water jars.
05:24Not with wine, with water, ordinary water.
05:31And these weren't little containers.
05:34These were large jars used for Jewish purification practices.
05:40The servants filled them to the brim.
05:43Now, imagine being one of those servants.
05:46You're standing there with a problem that involves wine.
05:50And Jesus is telling you to carry water.
05:53You might be wondering what one has to do with the other.
05:57But they do it anyway.
06:00And then Jesus tells them to draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.
06:06And somewhere in that remarkable sequence, the ordinary water becomes extraordinary wine.
06:15Do you see what I think is important about that?
06:19The servants weren't responsible for the obedience.
06:23Jesus was responsible for the miracle.
06:27They couldn't turn water into wine.
06:30They couldn't manufacture a miracle through determination or hard work.
06:36But they could fill the jars.
06:40They could listen.
06:41They could follow the instructions they were given.
06:45And I wonder how often we overlook that same principle in our own lives.
06:52Maybe you're praying for a new opportunity.
06:56Maybe you're asking God to help restore a relationship.
07:00Maybe you're hoping for a better financial situation, a renewed sense of purpose, or something
07:07that gives you the strength to get through a difficult season.
07:12You can bring every one of those things to Jesus.
07:16But after you've prayed, there may still be something for you to do.
07:23If you're praying for a job, you can prepare your resume and reach out to people.
07:29If you're praying for reconciliation, you can be willing to have an honest conversation
07:35and offer forgiveness where it's needed.
07:39If you're praying for a healthier, more peaceful life, you can begin making choices that support that goal.
07:47None of those actions guarantees the outcome that you're hoping for.
07:53But they allow you to participate faithfully in your own life,
07:58rather than allowing fear to keep you standing still.
08:02And maybe that's one of the most encouraging lessons we can take from Cana.
08:08Trusting God doesn't always mean waiting without moving.
08:14Sometimes it means moving forward without knowing exactly how everything will turn out.
08:20There's something else in this story that I don't want you to miss.
08:24When the master of the feast tastes the wine, he is astonished.
08:30Normally, the best wine would be served first, with the lesser wine coming later.
08:37But at this wedding, the best has been saved until now.
08:43And I love that detail, because it reminds me we have a tendency to assume the best parts of our
08:50lives must already be behind us.
08:54We look at opportunities we've missed, relationships that didn't work out,
09:00years that passed too quietly, or dreams that haven't happened.
09:07And sometimes, we quietly convince ourselves that things will never be as good as they once were.
09:14I've done that.
09:16But this story reminds us not to make that assumption.
09:21God is not limited by the timetable we have created in our minds.
09:26I can't promise you that every situation will turn out better than you imagined.
09:30Scripture doesn't teach us that every disappointment will disappear.
09:37But I can tell you that your story isn't necessarily finished just because one chapter didn't go the way you
09:45hoped.
09:46There may still be goodness ahead of you that you haven't experienced yet.
09:52And then, there's one final detail that I find deeply moving.
09:58The master of the feast didn't know where the wine had come from, but the servants knew.
10:06Think about that.
10:08The people enjoying the celebration didn't necessarily understand that a miracle had occurred.
10:16But the people who carried the water, filled the jars, and followed Jesus' instructions,
10:24had witnessed something remarkable.
10:28Sometimes, the people who see God's work most aren't the people standing in the spotlight.
10:36They're the people quietly doing what is right when no one else is paying attention.
10:43Maybe that's you right now.
10:46Maybe you're doing your best to be faithful,
10:48to help your family,
10:50to encourage others,
10:52to keep going,
10:54and to trust Christ through circumstances that nobody fully understands.
11:01Don't underestimate the importance of those acts.
11:06Jesus took an everyday situation at a wedding
11:09and used it to reveal His glory.
11:12John tells us that His disciples believed in Him.
11:16That, to me, is the heart of the story.
11:20Jesus wasn't simply showing that He could change water into wine.
11:25He was revealing something about who He is,
11:28while responding with compassion to a very human need.
11:34So, here's what I want to leave you with today.
11:38When you have something on your heart,
11:40bring it to Jesus.
11:42You don't need impressive words.
11:45You don't need a perfect prayer.
11:47You don't need to explain your situation
11:50as though you are speaking to someone who doesn't understand.
11:55Speak to Him honestly.
11:57Speak to Him as a friend.
12:00And trust that He hears you.
12:03And then ask yourself one simple question.
12:07What can I faithfully do next?
12:11Maybe there's a conversation you need to have.
12:14Maybe there's an opportunity you need to pursue.
12:18Maybe there's a small act of kindness you can offer.
12:22Or maybe, the faithful next step is simply to be patient
12:28and trust Him a little longer.
12:31Whatever it is, remember Mary's words.
12:37Whatever He says to you, do it.
12:41Not because you know exactly how everything is going to happen,
12:45but because you know the One you're trusting.
12:48And if there's one lesson from Christ that I hope stays with you today,
12:53it's this.
12:56You don't have to know how the water will become wine
12:59to take the next faithful step.
13:02Bring Jesus your needs.
13:05Listen for His direction.
13:08Do what is yours to do.
13:11And leave room for Him to work in ways you may not yet understand.
13:18Because your job isn't to perform the miracle.
13:22Your job is to trust the One who can.
13:26And my friend,
13:27there is an enormous amount of peace
13:31in knowing the difference.
13:35My name is Douglas Vandergrath,
13:38and I believe in Jesus Christ.
13:42God bless
13:43every single one of you.
13:46Every
13:47single
13:48one of you.
13:51And everyone you love.
13:53Bye-bye.
13:55Bye-bye.
13:56Bye-bye.
13:56Bye-bye.
13:56Bye-bye.
13:56Bye-bye.
13:56Bye-bye.
13:56Bye-bye.
13:57Bye-bye.
