DID YOU SEND AN INVITATION?

by Rev. Howard Rosen, Jr
(Dillwyn, VA)

Pleasant Grove Baptist

John 2: 1-12
We have only looked at one chapter of the wonderful book of John. But we can clearly see that Jesus has come to earth, and is here to make a change in people’s lives.
In just a few short verses he has many followers, and many who know that he is indeed the Son of God.

Today as we look at his first miracle not only do we need to see the impact it had on the lives of the people there. We want to see the impact on our lives when we remember to send Jesus Christ the invitation into our heart and life.
Too many times we go into things and wonder what has happened, why it is not working out.
Most times the answer is simply we did not invite Jesus.

If we are to see him work in our life we must invite him, he will not crash the party!!

1. WE DO NOT INVITE HIM

V1-2 If we want to experience the touch of Jesus Christ in our personal daily lives we must invite him. Call on the name of the Lord!
If Jesus had not been invited to the wedding the miracle would not have taken place.
When we look at the track record of families today we can see the ones that didn’t forget to send Jesus and invitation.

We leave him out of things that we think we can handle. He should be invited to everything. Have you ever been left out? Remember how it felt, how it broke your heart. It’s the same with Jesus.
He will come – He was the Son of God he came to lead people to God, but he stopped long enough to be social, and made an impact on the whole world as well as the group at the wedding. He will stop for you if you invite him.

2. WE DO NOT TALK TO HIM

V3-4 When things started to go wrong at the wedding Mary knew who to ask.
It would have been a very embarrassing for the family if everyone knew they had run out of wine. So Mary went to Jesus.
We must invite Jesus to take our problems as well!

We often go to our friends or other sources for or help. We must first take it to the Lord… Oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bare. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

We have a friend that can take our burdens and help in times of need.
He wants to mingle with us and talk with us and help us.
Ever feel no one wanted to talk with you?

3. WE DO NOT FOLLOW HIM

V5 We must follow the Lords instruction. It was the obedience to the instructions that made the miracle possible. Mary said do what he says!
We must be careful to obey the instructions given to us by the Word of God.

Faith is only complete when we obey. Sometimes it is only a simple command that leads into the greatest blessing. Dap of mud, pick up thy bed, fill the pots with water.

4. WE DO NOT TRUST HIM

V6 The Lord always uses instruments to perform his work.
We don’t think like God so we don’t see how it can work out his way, but we must trust him.
We must trust and see him work that is what faith is.

He fed five thousand people with a few fish a few loaves of bread, he has been know to use a donkey, a great fish, a burning bush, and lets not forget the many people he use to get his work done that others had given up on.

He may put people in you life and you wonder what is going? God is going on! He has a plan, just trust him. Just walk in the comfort of knowing that he is looking out for your every need.

5. WE DO NOT SEE HIS ABUNDANCE

V7 They were filled to the brim. When we invite Jesus to take care of us he will always does it better than we can imagine. He wants the best of all things for us. Oh how we need to depend on his abundance. How we miss many things he would have for us because we don’t invite him to take control.

V10 We will always have more than needed and it will always be the best.
In the text the heads of the wedding were impressed with the fact that they had saved best for last.

So it is when we wait on God he will bless us so that others will see how he loves us, and how faith is blessed. God is not dull and lifeless; he is not on welfare or working on a fixed income. He will bless according to his riches in glory!

6. WE DO NOT SEE HIS GLORY

V11 When we don’t give Jesus an invitation to control our life he is not able to fulfill his plan in us and he is robbed of the glory that he wants to get from our life.
And we are robbed of the manifestation of him through us.

And the sadist thing of all is someone who needs to see Jesus can not see him in us. And our Christian family is not lifted and helped by our example.
Notice – “His disciples believed on him” By inviting him in all parts of our life and allowing him to be seen we will affect every member of our church, family and everyone you have contact with.

We want to be sure to send Jesus an invitation to all the events in our life.
He is not just some far off supernatural being that doesn’t care about us.
He cares about the smallest detail of your life.
He can minister to you every need, and we all have needs!!

The same power that filled the water pots can fill your life!!