Reasons to Believe, Part 1: Water to Wine

By Pastor Greg Byman
St Joe Community Church
July 29, 2018
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Does Jesus ask you to believe in him by just squinting hard and mustering faith? Or, did he actually provide compelling evidence that he was, in fact, who the Bible proclaims—the one and only Son of God? Today, Pastor Greg Byman begins a seven-part series entitled, “Reasons to Believe” and today’s installment focuses on Jesus first miracle of turning water into wine at wedding. Pastor Byman preached, “Seven Reasons to Believe, Part 1: Water into Wine” on Sunday, July 29, 2018 at St Joe Community Church. 

Notes

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Transcript

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Well good morning. Couple of things before we get going we're going to look in the book of John for the next seven weeks we're going to do an overview of John by looking at reasons to believe the seven signs that John the Apostle a disciple of Jesus Christ he recorded for us for the purpose of believing and trusting in Jesus Christ that we would know that Jesus was the crisis of the Living God. And getting some kind of a feedback and I don't know what's going on behind me but if I could knock out the back speakers might be helpful before we go through that I wanted to remind you and your bulletin that we have a lunch right after church and I don't smoke people don't have to reminded that we're eating but in case you didn't know or didn't look at that how many of you actually have looked at the bulletin and read anything in it since we've gotten here today All right wow that's pretty good how many of you knew there was a lunch this coming Sunday OK West OK so keep reading but later but this Sunday we're actually this coming Sunday we're going to host the team from the soccer team the women's soccer team from Indiana tech the second year in a row they've come I might be third year and only when they came last year and we host of them for lunch and we're going to do that again this week but it's also a time for us to have our own time together and fellowship together down in the basement and so bring a couple of things with you to pitch in to help and be a part of that and so what do I bring I like you know bring something bring a couple of things dessert dish if everybody brings dessert then we'll all eat dessert if you all bring green beans than some of us we green beans but all of us we green beans so we'll just have our greens that day but whatever it is bring some stuff enjoy and be right looking for that right after that we're having a membership class discovering church membership What does it mean to belong. The St Joe community was a million church generally we'll talk about that in that class we also talk about what it means to belong specifically to St Joe what are our beliefs what do we practice how do we organize ourselves. Every church is unique they're all the same in many ways but they're unique in their own special way and we'll share what that is and give you an opportunity to know what it means to be in covenant relationship with us through membership in our church so you're welcome to look more about that e-mail with the church office call but we certainly you don't have to sign up ahead of time just if you would put on your card that it would be helpful for us to know and have enough workbooks for everybody to put on your card that you will be there and put it in the offering box when you leave and that way we can know it's called Actually I'm interested in church membership please and Romy in the next connect Now membership study so that's the one on the bottom of the back of your connection card in the middle actually would be one of the. Decisions All right reasons to believe seven signs recorded by John you heard the story already when Craig shared with us read the Word of God to us and we're going to look at that very verse of the first miracle of Jesus Christ when he began his public ministry on this earth as the Son of God fully God fully man. There are seven signs that we're going to go through and look at these seven signs our seven real historical testimonies. I want to make that real clear this is not Grimm's Fairy Tales this is not C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia where animals talk in trees become alive and all kinds of horses man and all kinds of weird stuff these are true stories that really did happen and I'll talk more of that throughout the series of the authenticity of the Word of God but I just want to make sure we know that that these are not just nice myths or made up stories to make a point about Jesus Christ these really did happen. And they were really recorded and John and many others were eyewitnesses to these facts John was an eyewitness. In fact if you look at the traditional view of what an apostle was it was someone who had seen and known about Jesus Christ they had seen him act so Jesus and the eye witnesses testified that these took place in John Chapter twenty verse thirty one B.C. or know in John chapter one verse fourteen we see a Bible verse that John again he's writing this entire book to us the story of the life of Jesus Christ and he writes he says the word became flesh and took up residence among us we Jesus John the Apostle and the others that were that were reading this account and the disciples we observed his glory the glory as the one and only son from the Father full of grace and truth we observed it we saw him to be true we saw him live his life we saw him live out his perfection we saw the fact that no accusation could ever be held against him that he had a sham trial he was mocked and ridiculed by people who had no idea what they were doing playing into the hands of US Divine Providence but also into the hands of an evil adversary called The Devil who was wanting to snuff out any attempt or hope by God to actually do something about the sinful nature of humanity that was keeping us captivated and would imprisoned us forever and hell with Satan himself he was trying his best but even in his best attempt he played right into the hand of providence of the providence of God in such a way that by that very act of putting Jesus to death he paid for our sins. Jesus paid for our sins. And we are free because of that miracle that took place these were signs that were historical testimonies John is saying he's building. Case in his entire book saying this these things happen and these things happened and these things happen and they happened and we want you to know that this really was Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God and we want you to trust Him In other words these signs demand a response they demand a response he is either the Savior of all or he is no savior at all period. There is no back up plan it's either Jesus or anything else there's no in between. John does not write this for us to tell good stories to our children do it for the Bed time although many times in the by and as our kids went to bed we would read them stories or we would just tell from memory the Bible stories that are recorded in in the Old Testament in the New Testament but that it was never an attempt to have just some nice story book that we would put on the coffee table to say the Holy Bible and inside of it on the front pages you would have the chronology of your family you would have your marriage is and all the different things and your sisters and brothers and all the people in the relatives in that page that nobody even fills out anymore it wasn't something that on the accu good just look at the nice little colorful baps and go What are all these traces of and what are all these maps for No it is the it is the center piece of truth that points us to the fact that God came down to earth. To solve the biggest problems will the biggest problem we have and that is. We die and why do we die because we are having a belt against a holy God. And we are already spiritually dead we're really like those zombies in The Walking Dead we're already the walking dead on this earth. And it is only that cure of Jesus Christ that makes us alive the way we were meant to be. In the series you just got to shoot him thank God he didn't just have to shoot us. So John is right in these things and these historical testimonies these signs and wonders these are miracles Now let me read to you evangelical dictionary theology definition miracles Christians must not teach that miracles are events that runs counter to nature but rather that they are events which run counter to what is known of nature our knowledge of nature is limited knowledge clearly there may be a higher law all which remains unknown to man in any case miracles are not correctly conceived as irrational disruptions of the pattern of nature but is only known part of that matter is only the known part of that matter. In other words. Jesus didn't come on like some alien and do some weird alien power he worked with in the creation that He created by his own hand and he manipulated or moved around that creation in such a way that it worked in sync with or in comp incompletion with nature he turned water. Into alien Jews no he turned water into wine. He took something in nature and turned it into something else that is in nature but the process was extraordinary supernatural it was a miracle. He bypassed all the processes of growing up plant having a fully budded great picking the grapes harvesting putting them down into a press grinding it down getting the juice out of it flowing the juice out so that it was the best juice remember it said you pray you save the best for last the very best use putting it in some sort of a container so that it can be held carefully so that at the right time at the right moment it was purchased by a wedding party to throw a party to say this couple is married and here we are. Here's the wine all of that. Process. Happened within a moment it was a miracle water instantly became wine. And it was the sign that John used to show us that this was the very first miracle that Jesus would perform in the words let's look at the story let's break it down chapter two in your Bible. Either physically or in your phone. We see here that a wedding took place and Cain a Galilee and Jesus' mother was there and Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding Oh now how many of you all have watched some kind of movie with Jesus in it now for the actor to be Jesus he has to have long flowing hair. And it kind of walks around like this. And you think in yourself would you invite him to a party like like you know he's so holy and he was holy he was perfect but you would can you see him. Can you see him doing this a at a dance at a wedding I don't know if he did or didn't but he was Jewish and Jews would have this festivities he was enjoying a normal life activity he went to a wedding party. And this party was something that would last for a week and by the way the groom in the western thinking and Western ways of the bride is the is the centerpiece might be because Western civilization has been built around Christianity and we know that the church is the Bride of Christ and we think of the bride being more important in the groom and so we we parade the bride down and everybody looks that way and then they start following her with their eyes all the way to the front and dad says here's my daughter you better take care of her all shoot you all those kinds of wonderful things that we do actually shooting would be kind. I have two daughters OK Anyway so. So we we have this tradition of the bride being the centerpiece but in eastern thought. The groom was the centerpiece. And the idea was that he was storing the party and it was and was about him being in to provide for his wife and he was the one that was able to take care of this and in a very poor community wedding was a big deal thing I mean you didn't have many fun things to do when you were poor and when you were dirt poor you just didn't know there was a whole lot going on they didn't have T.V. back then and they didn't go to the movies anyway I digress they the a wedding was a big deal and the groom would throw a party. But we noticed in this party that that Iran had a wine on the third day. There's a problem. Now the other thing we see in this story is that Jesus has corrected his mother she says hey they've run out of wine. And he says what has this concern of yours to do with me woman now. My small group is really concerned about women not having names. Yeah. Why don't the women in because they didn't they didn't matter that's often. Back in those days it was not quite as important to talk about the names of the women now some of you I think if you talked to your mother that way a woman. You would be slapped fully first by your dad. And second of all by your mother who slapped with her worst probably look he was this term was actually it's literally translated woman but it actually trust me trust the translators trust the Greek people that know Greek better than I do it was actually a term of endearment what would you have me to do ma'am more so so it wasn't as harsh as you might think it to be and he wasn't saying I'm not going to do anything because he did do something he did help fix the problem but he corrects her and what she thinks he ought to do remember this is the mother of Jesus Christ. She knew who he was she had the baby without a father physically present to make a baby with her she knew she had the angel visit she saw all this perfect child never ever ever sin ever and I know your grandparents think you have perfect grandchildren this was the most perfect grandchild this was the best grandchild anybody can ever have and she knew this he had not yet come public he's now invited to a wedding the scene is set there's a bunch of people there she does have a no wine no problem son come in there show your glory let everybody know who you really are you're the son of God let him know it's your hour has appeared and it's not my hour his hour was to die for the sins of the world not to be a king who was anointed by the crowds. She wanted him to reveal his glory in such a way that everybody would see she he would she was proud of her son she was she was thankful that who he was and she probably in a most godly way wanted him in her own understanding she wanted him to be revealed in the way he ought to be revealed in the way that any turn to be to come when the world is over every male will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father that's going to happen there will be people who will kneel because they have already knelt and they have freely given their lives to Jesus Christ and there were those who rebelled against them till the last breath of their body and they will be grinding their teeth in submission to a holy God who will have to because they never chose to trust in him they will have to receive the punishment that they themselves chose to receive because they themselves chose to rebel against the Holy God and they themselves chose to never accept the free gift of eternal life and they will kneel before a holy God confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior but they will he will not be their savior of for they will spend eternity separated without him and Jesus wanted Mary wanted Jesus to show everybody who he really was and Jesus Sonoma hours not come it's not yet time for me to do what you think you want me to do and it is this very story that John records that this was the first miracle. That Jesus performed. And I just want to make clear up another note about this there are stories after stories after stories about the childhood of Jesus Christ. And while there may be a mixture of. Truth maybe in there if there was anything fanciful or miraculous or supernatural that took place in the early life of Jesus Christ if that's true that what Jesus what John said is false we have to trust what the Word of God says and record and test everything against what God's word says. And if it doesn't square with that then we have to reject it and so the idea that Jesus brought a bird back to life or he did something special in his early life we know that if he performed his first miracle that this Bible says that that we know there was no miracle prior to that. Oh by the way one last thing about miracles the ultimate miracle was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If that miracle had not taken place we wouldn't be talking about this story Jesus wouldn't be marginalized in the annals of history abouts by some fanatical preacher that was crucified and went off to just go off into oblivion nobody would even know who he was it wouldn't matter who it was that all of these other miracles that John records taking place. Were about building a case for the personhood of Jesus Christ but the centerpiece of miracles. The central miracle of the new testament religion is the resurrection of Christ and we recruit read this event dictionary theology again without this miracle the early church would not have come into being and we who live in the twenty first century would no doubt never have heard of the other New Testament miracles and deed we probably never have would never have heard of Jesus of Nazareth who would have been forgotten along with hundreds of other obscure preachers and miracle workers who wandered about the ancient Middle East. So we're building to the resurrection of Christ but the seven signs that we're going to talk about build a case for even as we head towards the resurrection but Jesus revealed himself on earth as the Son of God So what was the sign the sign was a supernatural sign. It was a miracle. It was taking water and turning it into walk in it was beyond the natural order of things that should take place as we've already talked about it was not an alien moment in the history of the world. It was truly something that could be understood to be normal in the world a glass of wine. Now there's been some debate by the way about the Jesus make wine as an alcohol and there's alcoholism and all of that first of all I would say that debate continues on but I will say this that the kind of alcohol that is consumed today in the fermentation processes and the chemicals that we use to induce the fermentation and all the things that we have in the clued in especially the hard liquor that is available today was not even a concept that existed in the day of Jesus Christ so the idea that this is the same as what we have over here today and what we call wine. It certainly is different in composition because it's nothing like what we can do today and manipulate it with our chemistry chemical processes we do know also that this wasn't a drunken party because it was socially completely unacceptable for anybody to be drunk in that day and time just as much as if we had a party today and people get out of hand at a wedding party that's not a cool thing either. And so we know that as a Jewish community and an upright community they would not have encouraged this revelling in partying and drinking to oblivion and you would understand what you're doing and all that so we know it wasn't about getting drunk it was just that that was the beverage and with no refrigeration process there was probably some fermentation but the bottom line was whatever it was made it whatever beverage they drank in the day that was acceptable socially right and good he made the very best he made the very best. It was supernatural. The get the the head waiter says you know some people you know they give the best stuff upfront and then later on they give just a little they give the cheaper stuff later because you're already excited that you're there so of course that is a script towards the end of the party and will only do so much but you have saved the very best drink for a last let's just use it if you don't drink alcohol you know. There's Coke and Pepsi or some people's Dr Dr Pepper or Mountain Dew whatever your favorite carbonated beverage is and then when we're all down we're going to get all these pop at the end of the party now and in college I lived on all these pop it was ten cents a can back then I mean who who couldn't resist that you know I mean sprite off brand is. Still OK. But he said you didn't save the off brand all days you brought the very best you brought the name brand stuff you brought the stuff that cost more the most the most expensive stuff and you're now serving it again it all new. Even the people that didn't know miracle occurred knew or testified that this was cool stuff this was the very best. Jesus doesn't make junk Jesus doesn't write every single time and isn't that true about our lives if you're a Christian today Jesus has claimed you up has given you a new life giving you a new opportunity and there's nothing you could have done about it that he already did for you and it's something that you just live in and get excited about because he that he didn't make junk. It was supernatural It was straightforward Jesus simply spoke and app and there was no theatrical involved we had the privilege last week when we were staying. We all thirty people including my family entire family this year went and stayed in two different houses and we all hung out together we ate meals together and we did this for an entire week and this year we chose to go to Delaware Bethany Beach Delaware. And in Bethany Beach Delaware there is a magic there is a theater a little theater sixty seat theater tiered seating in the old two car garage I guess it probably wasn't as a house that's converted into a theater and and we would sit in there and it was bigger than a two car garage is pretty big is five big as objects not here to pick on him anyway it's as big as the garage in the hall that we used to stay in when we were three car garage with a high anyway it was pretty nice and it had a front stage and they bring in different acts and this particular guy his name was David Curry and he came in and he was a magician. And for at least a solid hour on went so fast on how long it was he did. Some of the most amazing tricks you could possibly think of I mean it was it was incredible and I think several of us got on stage and used grant my son's dollar bill and ripped it up and found in the wallet later I mean I don't know how that happened and then he called me and he put this piece of paper together this big poster board put all kinds of phrases on it and then he folded it up at the beginning of the show put it under the foot of some lady in the front row and then after was all done he he was able to have predicted all the things that happened in the room including which the fact that he put my name on the piece of paper that at the end of the show he called me up and I did something on the show it was embarrassing I'll talk about it had to the plunger in my head anyway. And it was just so and but he actually put that down that Greg would be on the show with me on that piece of paper on the floor now how did he know how did how he I never met the man. I'd ever talked to him we never put on a list who the names of the people were that came from our party we just said the Wilkins family party and thirty of us were in there of the sixty people it was kind of crazy. And he knew that. It was all sleight of hand it was all did he have a marker in his sleeve and he put Greg on there real quick and he was opening up the paper to show us he this tractor this many times he used all kinds of different illusions to get us to think about this then he went over here and did that he did this over here and he had a pocket he had a he had a suit that had all different kinds of ways in which he could hide cards and do things it was all sleight of hand. It was all an illusion is the make you think that he was the mind reader but he truly was manipulating the crowd so that it looked like he was and it was fun and we knew that to be case in the case Jesus is no magician he's the son of God and he just said go get water now draw it out give it to the head waiter. There's no mention that did it it says it was filled to the brim there was nothing in the bottom that just it was like concentrated wine Jesus threw a drop of concentrate wine in there and leave it to water and there it all blew up into big wine thirty gallons of it at a time no it instantly app and it was straightforward there was no sleight of hand there was nothing in the story that would make you think that Jesus did something that was manipulating the crowd into thinking you did something that he really didn't do he just tricked everybody he was straightforward and finally this morning we see it was symbolic So there are reasons to believe this story and John builds into this story elements that make us understand that Jesus came and it wasn't just the sign itself of turning water into wine let's dig into this story a little bit more before we finish up to see what we ought to do about it this morning first of all John says it was on the third day on the third day a wedding took place. The readers this but this testimony of John was recorded probably thirty forty years after the death burial resurrection of Jesus Christ the other gospels we believe are already written and circulating around there all the chronology of the life of Jesus Christ through Matthew Mark and Luke were already out there and John was kind of writing a follow up God inspired him the Holy Spirit inspired him to write a follow up story to not tell really encouraged ology what was going on but to bring it together for a purpose and John says on the third day a wedding took place and all the readers that would be reading this gospel there would be orally transmitting this gospel of third day on the third day Jesus rose from the dead maybe if they knew their Old Testament they know and Hosea it says that on the third day the nation of Israel be healed there is some symbolism in this this story didn't just accidentally take place on the third day was the third day. The third day Jesus rose from the dead on the third day in Hosea but it is a light nation to be healed. The Bible is not just some random words that are brought together there's a story there's a point there's a purpose the purification water jars you know what those jars are used for they're for ceremonial cleansing to purify themselves so that they would be righteously right before God that they would be they would be they would be symbolically saying that God you were cleaning me up with this water even though they really weren't clean at this point they still weren't clean it was symbolic it was ritual and Jesus came. To take the purification water jars and replace them with himself he's the one that purifies you not anything you do. I talk to people all the time I say if you want to keep living in the ritual of religion. Are do you want a relationship with Jesus Christ. Through his righteousness alone succumbing to church doesn't clean you up wearing the right kind of clothes doesn't clean you up reading enough Bible verses and memorizing them doesn't clean you up enough it replaces bad thoughts no doubt but trusting in Jesus Christ and letting him clean you up that's the only thing that cleans and stop. We're still dirty without Jesus. And Jesus takes these purification water jars and he performs his first miracle using center pieces of their religion of that day that was set up at a time that take place and he says on the purifier. I'm the one that transforms your life just as the water is being transformed into wine so I will transform you if I come in to you. And you not just big deal tap water you're going to be the best there is walking on this earth if I'm living inside of you and then you have. The spiritual groom versus the earthly groom and if Chapter five it says that we are the Bride of Christ and the bridegroom is coming to take us back someday to be with Him forever and we have this earthly groom in the story and think about it the spiritual groom was perfect and he was able to in an instant give the party what it needed. The earthly groom didn't even plan ahead and didn't have enough wine to take care of the guests that had arrived. They are earthly groom was inadequate and lacking. You and I are inadequate and lacking. We don't have what we need to be right. We don't have the answers for what life is all about if humanity hadn't came up with their own view of what morality was there is no center reference point without something beyond ourselves to point to if we were to say that we are the hope of the world how can we explain the pain and suffering that goes on in this world as C.S. Lewis says is the megaphone of God to get our attention when pain occurs and if there is no God and Jesus really was a liar and a lunatic. Then really the purpose for why IGS we exist cannot be found logically in our own self it is just a game of random chance when we back up you know there are many people who will say I want to believe in God because why would a holy God if there is a God why does he allow suffering to exist. And I was reading from the obvious that Darius this past couple weeks a book that I have called King man live without God and that book keeper brings that argument to light when in art when an atheist comes and says Why why would a holy God allow pain and suffering to exist to which it would say by what reference point can you even point to the fact that pain is either but nor bad. If an atheist believes in pain what does it matter if we are all random chance he's talking about a moral argument he is positing a moral argument. While while positing that there is no such thing as a moral transcendent truth if there is no God there is no more ality and if there is no morality then what's it matter if there's pain and suffering or not pain and suffering it just we are what we are and we experience what we experience an atheist cannot solve the answer of pain in fact an atheist has to by his own conclusions say it doesn't matter if we're in pain and death is probably the ultimate freedom from that pain period and as some would say. One of the grandest atheist that ever existed you will shake you will take my hand on your dying breath and say thank you and die. And that will be it and then one atheist said I will not take my life to be free from that pain because then that would exist that would prove the fact that there is something else beyond me. And so I'm not even going to take my life because I would be cheating the very fact that pain I would be assuming that pain is something that is real and moral and right or moral and and needs to be dealt with Jesus is the spiritual groom we live our lives as an earthly groom inadequate unable to find the answers unable to transform ourselves unable to get ourselves out of the jam and Jesus is the perfect groom who gives us exactly what we need when we need it and as much as we have need so is Jesus the savior without Jesus there is no true answer for morality hope or purpose and this morning the question is you can go along with everybody else down the path. Are you going to take a right turn. Are you going to take a left turn. Are you going to turn off the path. And into the arms of Jesus the rest the road continues to drive right on past Jesus and they reject him day after day after day after day. And John is saying there is a reason to believe in Jesus this Miracle is the first of many but these were written John Chapter twenty. So that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah the Son of God and by believing you may have life in his name. And then come here to tell you a cute story to get you impressed about a Savior that walked this earth. And convinced a lot of people that he was pretty saw something else special shared the story this morning and will continue this story through the book of John and I encourage you by the way there in this next month or so just start John chapter one just read the whole story if you've never read the Bible much John's a great book to start at and then you'll be right along with us as you read it and you can read and think and learn and listen and in your own time feeding yourself God's word. You can begin to see and say God show me what you want me to know. But this morning my question is are you here today and you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ. Bible says there's no it's not a no man's land it's not you know it's not well I'm on for God or I'm against well I'm kind of in the middle I kind of like who Jesus was but I'm not sure I'm ready to put my total faith in him the others you up bailout plans we were a small group one time when the first ones we ever did it right mill that group a newcomer in our group got a phone call. That phone call. Never mind I'm busy right now by. Some I called him out and said that was a bailout call wasn't it the guy looked of emphasis if things weren't going well at this weird party called a small group in a church you were going to use that call as a way to get out of it but we musta passed the test because you told him you were busy some of you are treating Jesus. Like you're testing him but you still have bailout calls coming in. Thinking well he might be right but I've got these other hedge bets he might be the answer but I'm still going to trust in me. I'm still going to trust in my money I'm going to still trust the pleasure is more fun than God I'm still going to trust that my logical thoughts I'm not going to buy him completely I've heard about those stories of people drinking the Kool-Aid. I'm not into doing that Jesus says you drink my wine. You take me in. You either take me lord of all or I'm not the Lord at all it's all or nothing he's asking you to take all your allegiances and all your bosses and everything that you to your horoscopes your superstitions your own self man made woman made whatever it is pull yourself up by your bootstraps and do thing thank you very much I built myself. And you take it all out and you say I have nothing without Jesus Christ. I mean this morning this card means more than just something little that you put in the in the offering box when you leave today you say I am committing my life to Jesus Christ if you have never done that before that first phrase on there you have to decide am I going to commit my life to Christ or not you need to know that if you do not check that Mark and you've never put your faith in Christ you are saying I am rejecting Christ today. So will I don't say that I know by your own lifestyle you're choosing to reject Christ today. If you've never put your faith in him and you're refusing to write that on there I'm not telling you what to do I'm not here to manipulate you I just want you to make make clear where the lines are. Between being fully follow Christ and not. So simple all you have to do is just say Jesus I admit I'm a screw up I'm messed up on the flop. I can't clean myself up and I'm bankrupt I don't have enough to get by with what I need tomorrow and I need you. And I believe Jesus You're the son of God and that you died on the cross and you rose again from the grave and I place my faith in you. And you may say to me but I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow you know I was like this Jesus as best I know how I give you my life right now and do with that please whatever you want to do with it I'm yours just surrender. You never whatever words you used to say I give up. On that. I'm yours and then for us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ how much faith you've been shown up for lately are you trusting him till things get bad. You trust him just enough to get up on Sunday and be part of the crowd I mean. Tap or he'll see the Lord of everything you do is there a part of you that you like sort of say well that closet I'm going to live that's kind of. I can't see Jesus being in that closet. First of all. All of human life Jesus is everywhere and he's just as human I just said he went to a party had a good time he by the way if you if you know the Greek and you read into it he tells stories and sometimes there's jokes in there that they would have gotten and they all would have laughed Jesus was a regular guy. But you and I know that doesn't put up with junk and sin and pornography and crud and drunkenness and evil living and bad behavior and relationships and sex outside of marriage he doesn't he doesn't approve of any of that and you know it and I know it and if you're calling yourself a Christian and you're continuing to live a life with him being the Lord and yet you're not letting him take charge of other parts of your life you're just fooling yourself and he loves you too much to leave you that way and he's working in your life even now and I don't even know what he's doing but you know that he's doing something to bring you into a right relationship with him in such a way that he has wooing you into what he's calling you into he's inviting you into the best joyful life you could ever live and so as a Christian today I'm asking you is there any area of your life that you're not letting him take charge of and transform just like he turned water into wine he can transform your life in an instant Is there any error of your life that you're saying there's no way God could take that from me and I'm telling you yes he could and yes he will if only you'll let him this morning. Oh God I prayed this morning that you will touch all of us start with me. Start with all of us that we will know what we ought to do this morning for those in this room it might be for the first time to place their faith in you. God and maybe this morning for we are believers that we're not just have a appearance of Christianity but we have a private experience of freedom from the very things that you died to save us from. Oh Lord help us to take our next rights to help us to interview as our Lord and our Savior to be our boss of everything in our life and I pray this in Jesus name list and our feet are teams going to come and sing one more song I invite you to respond maybe it's alters a place where you need to publicly say I'm putting my faith in Jesus for the first time bring your car down I'll be. Standing down here per team of people down here to talk talk with you will have some people in the back to talk with you if you bring your card and say I don't really know what I want to do maybe they can pray with you and talk with you through what God is saying in your heart and they can help you to know what God is saying all are going to ask you is what is God telling you to do today that's all they're going to ask you they're not going to tell you to do anything they're asking you what is God telling you and you can just say God is telling me I need to put trust in Jesus telling me I need to give up this habit this situation God is telling me I need family to belong to I need to be more involved in finding a community that's going to help me to be who God intended for me to be and not just be a French participant I don't know what it is God wants you to do but will you make that step public and clear when you least if you don't come publicly put that on a card and put it in the offering box when you leave today so that we can know how to privately carefully pray for you and also follow up and walk with you and talk with you about whatever decision the Lord is asking you to make today let's make this day the best the first day that happens to be the best part of the rest of our life to get.