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.

 

Ester 4:15-17 “Filling the Jars”

Ester 4:15-17 “Filling the Jars”

In the past few weeks we have been looking at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.  We considered why John put this in His Gospel and its placement.  Next we considered why Mary got Jesus involved. Last week we looked at the stone jars that represent the law, and the wine that represents Jesus’s blood poured out for our forgiveness.

Now consider this. You are one of the servants; you have heard Mary and Jesus talking. Mary comes over and says “do whatever he ask” and Jesus says “Fill the Jars with water” These jars of stone so they are not lite. They hold 20 to 30 Gallons of water each, that’s 120 to 180 gallons of water. These servants are going to wherever the water is and carry it tow the wedding site and fill these jars. This is a lot of work. Why didn’t Jesus Just fill the jars by snapping His fingers? He could have touched the Jars and they would fill with water.

I believe the answer is that the servants needed to know what was in the jars. They needed to know that they had filled the jars with water.  We also need to know that the servants had to work hard to put the water in the jars. There is the hard work of the soul that is needed for some miracles to take place.

1.       Ester 4:15-17
a. 1 kings 18:31-35 Elijah and the prophets of Baal
b. 2 kings 5:9&10 Naaman the leper
c. Acts 8:26-31 Philip and the road to Gaza
d. John 9:6&7 go and wash

2.       Faith demands action

a.       At the wedding it meant filling the Jars

b.      How crazy is that

3.       The hard work of the soul
a.   getting ready to fish

c.       Want to catch fish

d.      Win the game

e.      Want to lose weight

f.        Save for retirement

g.       We want a new and vibrant church

4.       What do you want God to do in your life?

a.       What is the hard work of the soul you need to do?

b.      What is the seed of faith God wants you to bring to the miracle table?

c.       Our churches success will come when each of us doing the hard work of the soul

I am sure the servants thought filling the Jars with water was hard work. I am sure they thought it a useless job and Jesus a nut. But without the hard work of filling the Jars with water there would be no wine for the wedding. No matter how crazy or difficult the task God has placed on your heart, your work of faith will bring the miracle you need.

Ezekiel 36:24-28 Jars of stone to hearts of love

Ezekiel 36:24-28 Jars of stone to hearts of love

We are using the backdrop of the wedding feast in Cana to explore the ministry of Jesus. Last week we explored why we should involve Jesus in the everyday part of our life. Now let’s take a look at the jars.

These are stone jars each holding 20 or 30 gallons of water. They are used for legalistic washing. Jesus chooses them for his containers. They had wine containers that were empty, why not use them? 120 to 160 gallon of wine, why so much?

1.       The hardness of the stone law.
a. the law was written in stone
b. Ezekiel 36 God describes the hearts of the people as stone
c. water that could not cleanses from sin
d. Matthew 6:21 the people treasured the stone
e. Matthew 24:12 the love of many grows cold

2.       A new heart and new spirit Ezekiel 36:24-28
a. turns water into wine
b. water for washing into the wine of the upper room
c. John 1:17 law through Moses, grace through Jesus
d. Matthew 9:17 New wine
e. hearts that treasure grace and forgiveness

3.       Where is your heart?
a. stone heart toward others
b. a stone heart toward yourself
c. it is time for a new heart
d. where do you need to set aside the jars of stone and receive a heart of love?

Matthew 7:7-11 Why Involve Me?

Company can be fun or maybe you were company to someone else.  Visiting or being visited especially during holidays is something we enjoy and yet we are glad to have the house back to our selves. Then there are people who live near family and are in constant connection to them. Family is not something you visit but something you are immersed in, it’s part of you and your life. Where does God fit into all of this? Is Jesus someone you visit once a week or every now and again? Or is Jesus a part of you someone you are immersed in? What does He want to be?

1.       Jesus and Mary John 2:1-12
A. There is no more wine
a. Why? We don’t care
b. nor is how Jesus address His mother important
B. Why involve Me?
a. Mary knows Jesus heart
b. Mary knows Jesus can and will do something to help
C. no pleading or wondering type of discussion
D. She orders the servants confident that Jesus can and will act.

2.       God ask to be involved
A. Matthew 7:7-11
a. Matt 21:22
b. John 14:13&14
c. John 16:23&24
d. James 4:1-3
e. John 15:9-17

f. John 15:10&11

3.       Matthew 7:9-11
a. God gives good gifts

4.       God wants to be in relationship, involved with your life
a. God does not want to be visited once a week or once a month when you have nothing better to do.
b. Jesus wants you to dive in and be immersed in His life.
c. Jesus wants to be involved in your life.

Buying a new care? Have a Dr. Appointment, fall in love? Having a baby? Retiring from work? Going on vacation? Watching the grand kids, Just going to sit and watch TV?

Jesus wants to be involved ask to be involved, included that you joy may be full. Is there a part of your life that you have been keeping Jesus from? Will you let Him fully into your life? Like Mary you can come to Jesus with confidence, He hears, He cares, and He will act.