The Friendship Jar Ecc 4:9-12

The Friendship Jar Ecc 4:9-12

In our study of Jesus turning six stone jars of water into wine, we have considered the Personal Jar and then our Family Jar. This week I want us to consider the Friendship Jar. True deep lasting friendships are becoming more rare. Many settle for Facebook friends and tweets, where you only share what you want the whole world to know. You only have to get burned on Facebook a couple of times and you learn to watch your words. Time, distance, age, life events, etc... All work against deep lasting friendships. Like the family, friendships are intended to help keep us grounded in our faith.

1.       The Power of Friendships

a.       Ecc 4:9-12 Power to Protect

b.      Proverbs 18:24 & 17:17

c.       1 Cor 15:33 Bad company corrupts

d.      2 Cor 6:14 do not be unevenly yoked

e.      Your choice of friends can make or break you.

2.       Filling the Jar

a.       Cast your bread Ecc 11:1-2

b.      Prov 12:26 Choose them carefully

c.       You pour in Time, Trust, energy, emotions, and faith.

d.      Like hauling water to pour into the Jar, friendships  can be a burden and inconvenient

3.       Drawing out the wine

a.       Ecc 11:1-2

b.      Ecc 4:9-12

c.       Proverbs 17:17 and 18:24

Satan wants us alone in a dark alley where he can work us over. A few strong and faithful friendships will protect us in times of trouble. Pour the water wisely into the Jar of friendship and God will transform it into new wine, which protects us, encourages us, and picks us up or even carries us in our time of need.

Josh 1:7-9 The personal Jar

The Personal Jar

If you picture self at the Wedding in Cana looking at the six stone jars waitng for the water to be turned into wine. One of those jars is marked personal. Many of us are in need of new wine in our lives. We are tired, worn thin, as Bilbo Baggens put it. “like to little butter spred onto to much bread. Often we make our selves to busy to even quench our own thirst. Today I want to talk about that personal jar.

1.       PRAYER

A. LUKE 5:16 Jesus went to the lonely places to pray
B. Gethsemane

C. Phil 4: 6&7 Let your request… and the peace of God..
D. Romans 8:26 The Spirit intercedes for us.

2. The Word
A. Josh 1:7-9 This Book of the law
B. Psalm 119:11  I have hidden your word in my heart
C. woman in a German consentration camp

3. Invest in others
A. Eccle 11:1&2 Cast your bread upon the waters

4. The things we do
A. Psalm 1:1-3

4. The Armor of God
A. Eph 6:10-17
B. 1 Thess 5:8-11

5. Our Focus in life
A. Phil 4:8&9 Focus on whatever is
B. Gal 5:22&23 the Fruit of the spirit

There is a personal Jar. John 7:38, John 4:10 Jer 17:8

Family Jar Deut 6:7

Family Jar Deut 6:7

We have been looking Jesus turning our water into wine. How to experience the miracle of God in our lives, and our part in it. Last week we looked at filling our personal Jar and drawing out the wine from it. Today I want to talk about the “family Jar.”  How do we go about filling this jar with water and how can we draw out the wine for our families?

1.       Pouring in the water.

A.      You shall teach them to your children

a.       When you sit at home

b.      When you travel

c.       When you lie down at night

d.      When you rise

e.      The gates and door post

f.        Exodus 12:24-27

B.      Mark 5:18-20

a.       Go Home

b.      Tell them how God has had mercy on you

c.       Your faith struggles

C.      Eph 6:1-4

a.       How you treat your parents

b.      How you treat your children

c.       Col 4:18-21

d.      Husbands and wives

D.      Prayer for them

a.       Job 1:5

2.       Drawing out the wine.

A.      Guidance every day

B.      In times of distress

C.      Times of forgiveness

D.      Times of healing

We all want the wine of God for our family, but we must pour the water into the Jar. Then purposefully draw out the wine to heal, encourage, guide and bless our families.

Drawing out the wine Mark 8:1-8

Drawing out the wine Mark 8:1-8

We have been using the wedding in Cana of Galilee to see how miracles happen and what our part is in them. We are also looking how our water is turned to wine. First we saw why we should involve God in our life, even in small things. Next we saw that God’s desire is to take hearts of stone and make hearts of love and compassion. Last time we talked about the hard work of the soul, the filling our jars with water. Now comes the perhaps the craziest thing of all, drawing out the wine.

1.      Believe the water is now wine

a.      Take the wine to the steward and then the guest

b.      Setting the bread and fish Mark 4:1-8

c.       Ester 5:1-5 dresses and stands in the inner court

d.      Elijah calls to God in prayer 1 kings 18:36-38

2.      You have wine to give

a.      Holy Hand

b.      Isaiah 6:4-9

c.       1 john 1:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17

d.      1 Peter 1:16 “You Shall be Holy for I am Holy”

3.      Serve it to the guest

a.      Let them see it in you

b.      Matthew 5:14-16

c.       Offer it but don’t force it

d.      Fill their glass but don’t flood the table

By the power of God we have had our water turned into wine. We have been given what the rest of the world craves. Be bold, have courage and show it to the world. Be crazy enough to offer it to others and fill their glass.