He Made a Believer Out of Me!
Notes
Transcript
John 2:11 “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” – He Made a Believer Out of Me!
Since I met the Savior at the old rugged cross; Life has never been the same for me; He took away the sin and all the sorrow it caused; He changed the wretched man I used to be; Now my yesterdays are gone and Heaven's waiting up ahead; I know He'll never leave me cause that's what the Bible said; Since I met Him'. Oh, I want to testify Jesus made a believer out of me. Jesus Made A Believer Out of Me by Kingdom Heirs
I believe there are some folk in the house this morning that can testify that He Made A Believer Out Of You. Matter of fact, more than likely that’s why you keep showing up here Sunday after Sunday; Wednesday after Wednesday, because the God of all creation has worked a work that is undeniable.
He has brought you from homelessness to owning a home. He has brought you from spam because you had to, to spam when you just want to; He has brought you from going to the dealership to owning the dealership; He has put good shoes on your feet; He has give you new clothes to wear; some of you used to work the fields and now you own the field; some you had to thumb a ride to work but now you provide the ride. He has brought you from the lust of the eyes to a leaning toward eternity; He has brought you from the lust of the flesh to a longing for being faith; He has brought you from the pride of life to the promise of life. All I’m trying to say is that I believe if we think long and hard enough, we would come to realize why we believe. “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” 1 Peter 2:3; you ought to say so. If you “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” Psalm 34:8; you ought to say so.
God has answered your prayer, God has lifted your burden and those that He didn’t lift He became strong in you so that you can bear them. God has touched your life, He has turned things around, He has led you into green pastures of provision, He has placed you beside the still waters of peace, He has prepared a table of plenty before every hater you got, He has dried tears, mended broken hearts, made a way out of no way, put food on your tables, roof over your heads. He has given you real hair, fake hair, implants, dentures, new knees and hips; He has made your enemies your footstools, He has elevated you with promotions. I know I got somebody in here that can testify that He Made a Believer Out of Me!
And I really wish more people would believe in Jesus today. There is a theological reason that folk are acting as wild, wicked, weird as they are; because they don’t believe. Anytime you can take taxpayer’s money to purchase police body cams and not do what you promised, you don’t believe. Anytime you can fuss and fight over where to place unsheltered citizens who are hurting while you go back to your church and pretend to believe and sit in your office without any deep concern for people; you don’t believe. Anytime you can send innocent people from boarders and drop them off in front of the vice-president home to boost your own ego; you don’t believe. Anytime you want to keep honoring Confederate generals who fought to preserve slavery and then tell schools and parents that students don't need to know the full history of slavery and racism in America, you don't believe. Anytime you can call yourself a House of Prayer Church but fraudulently take Veterans benefits; you don’t believe. Anytime you can come up in the church and drop 2 dollars in the offering tray but go down to the lucky penny and spend $2000; you don’t believe. Anytime you can out shout any and everyone but won’t speak to your neighbors; you don’t believe. But, when you truly have an experience with Jesus; He will Make A Believer Out Of You!
John records one such instance and it’s found in the text. Jesus is just beginning His ministry. At this time, He had just called four disciples. And they are all invited to this week long wedding. How many of you know that when things are supposed to be going well and it is supposed to be a joyous, jubilant, jovial time there is almost always a blooper; hence running out of wine.
And who better to call than the master, Jesus. And mother has no problem calling her son to deal with the problem. Interestingly, there is no indication that Jesus could do anything at this point because he has not performed any miracles yet, but his mother had enough confidence in her son to seek Him anyway. And because Jesus knew His time had not come yet, He responds as such. Mom still has confidence in Son and knows He will do what is right for those gathered so mom instructs the servants to do as Jesus instructs.
Fill the twenty or thirty gallon jars to the full, Jesus says. This is equal to 120 gallons of water, 2,000 4 oz. glasses of water; and take to the master of the feast. Typically, Jewish wine was watered down for a 3:1 water to wine ratio. After all the watered down wine was gone, they experienced what was pure and perfect.
And it is here where Jesus revealed the first of His signs. You will note that John uses this term “sign" rather than “miracle.” He does so to lay how the heavenly road markers point to Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah! And this act of water-to-wine became tangible evidence of the divinity of Jesus. This evidence of the divine nature of Jesus awakened something within His disciples that they recognized who He is. When Jesus gets involved, that which is common is transformed. There are, in the text, some heavenly hints that helps us to see how Jesus can Make A Believer Out Of Us!
1. Revealing Himself
While these signs demonstrated God’s great love for people and his concern for their individual needs; it was also for a deeper purpose - to “manifest “reveal” his (Jesus) glory” (v. 11). Their purpose is to portray Jesus’ unique, divine nature in such a way that it claims our loyalty and reverence. Somebody say: He Wants To Make A Believer Out Of Us!
John 2 - water to wine - Jesus has power over nature.
John 4 - Royal officials Son healed - Jesus’ power is beyond time and space.
John 5 - paralytic healed (Pool of Bethesda) - Jesus has power over disease and disability.
John 6 - feeding 5,000 - Jesus has power to supply humanities need.
John 6 - Walking on water - Jesus has power over the forces of nature.
John 9 - healed man born blind - Jesus has power over birth defects.
John 11 - Lazarus - Jesus has power over death and the grave.
Therefore, we ascribe - Greatness, Splendor, Honor to God. When you study these ‘signs,’ you see how just about all of them was a renewal of fallen creation (sight to blind, lame to walk, death to life).
This story is framed by two incredible statements: “They have no more wine” (v. 3) and “you have saved the best [wine] till now” (v. 10). This is a sad and true observation of the bankruptcy of the law under Judaism and the arrival of grace through Jesus. The new wine is abundantly superior to the old. But moreover, that which contained the old wine must pass away.
Rom. 6:4 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
But Jesus just doesn’t reveal himself; He reveals Himself …
2. To Us ... so we can believe
And the Bible is filled with what happens when we believe. You got time walk.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life...”
John 8:24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
John 14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
John 20:31 “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
To believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance—‘to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith.
Certainly these disciples had some faith before this event, but now it was strengthened, solidified, and stabilized. Now they are ready to follow him anywhere. And, God is still manifesting, revealing His glory today, so that He can Make A Believer Out Of You!
God is still working miracles. God is still doing the impossible. God is still providing. God is still healing the sick. God is still breaking chains. God is still setting the captives free. God is still opening blinded eyes. God is still making a way when it seems like no way. God is still answering prayers. God still brings light out of darkness. God still brings Life out of death. God still takes disease from the body. God still makes the broken heart whole. God still restores insane minds. Whatever is wrong He can make it right. If God is for us, who can be against us? Yes, He wants to Make A Believer Out Of You!
Moses will tell you God made a believer out of him. Moses take your staff place it at the edge of the water and she the salvation of the Lord. the Lord parted the Red Sea and the children were Israel walked across on dry ground.
Joshua would tell you God made a believer out of him. when he marched the children of Israel around the Jericho walls seven times God made the walls fall flat.
David would tell you but God made a believer out of him. when he defeated the giant Goliath with a stone and a slingshot.
The disciples will tell you that he made a believer out of them. when they observed him cashed out demon open blinded eyes, make the lame the walk, raise the dead.
Paul would tell you that he made a believer out of him. when he met him on the road of Damascus and changed his life forever.
The Roman soldier would tell you that he made a believer out of him. when Jesus hung on that cross died on Friday and the day turned to darkness.
Yes, I can tell you that he made a believer out of me. one day I was lost and all my way to hell. but Jesus stopped by and saved me.
John 11:26 “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”