Title: Religion of Miracles and Joy
Religion of Miracles and Joy
John 2:1-11
2005. 4. 3, am
If you look at today's sermon, you will see a family drowning in great worries and concerns. There was a problem with the happy wedding feast. It appears that Jesus' company arrived at this home sometime on the last day of the week-long wedding feast, as customary by the Jews.
There were more people than expected at this feast, so the prepared wine ran out. Psalm 104:15 says, “Wine rejoices in our hearts, oil rejuvenates our faces, and grain gives strength to our hearts.” Even in rabbinical texts, wine symbolizes joy and has religious connotations that make weddings holy.
Therefore, even if there is no other preparation, we prepare enough wine for the 7-day banquet to serve our guests, but we are very worried about running out of wine, which is essential for this joyous wedding feast.
Ghana is a small town, so I couldn't afford to go to the store and buy it right away. Or maybe the owner of this house was poor, so the wine he had already prepared was not enough or he didn't have the ability to buy more.
So the joy in the banquet was lost. Worry, worry, and sighs burst out. But there has been a big change in such a banquet house. A miracle happened. This miracle was accomplished because Jesus came to the banquet house. Jesus made wine from water, and from the jar of water, the sweet fragrance of the finest wine spread softly throughout the house.
This banquet house is very similar to our society in which we live today. It is as if our lives, which opened tomorrow in anticipation and hope, became a valley of sighs. Just as this Ghanaian banquet house was bewildered by the unexpected, we too today live with fear and anxiety in the face of many unexpected tasks.
We have run to this day with many unexpected things in our health, in business, and at home. However, what is clear is that just as Jesus came to the party in Cana to solve problems, so when Jesus comes to our lives today, when we have Jesus, problems will be resolved, sorrow will become joy, and anxiety will turn into joy. I believe in giving
Our Christianity is a religion of feasting. It is a religion of joy. Of course, in the life of faith, there are times when you need to fast, there are times when you need to repent by crying and confession, and there are times when you need to lead a celibate life.
But in essence, our Christianity is a religion of joy. It is a religion that believes in a God who enriches us, and a religion that believes in a God who puts a smile on our faces. And this joy comes only when we receive Jesus Christ. We hope that our members will spend the Easter season living in joy with Jesus.
First, our Christianity is a religion in history.
The God we believe in is not the only one sitting on a throne in heaven looking down on us. You are not the only one who gives laws to this universe and allows them to operate. God comes to us in the midst of human history, and He wrestles with the problems of our lives.
Our Jesus is not the only one who climbs a deep mountain and prays. He is not the only one who contemplates the world and conveys noble enlightenment. He is the one who came to our history to laugh and cry together, and to share life and life. He is the one who worries with us, grieves with us, and solves the problems, pains, and conflicts of the human world.
In fact, if we think about it, there are many problems in this world created by people. There are difficulties. There are challenges to be solved. However, it is ironic that in some way, it is a grace and a blessing that we are faced with problems large and small in our lives today.
If there was no shortage of human beings, we would all have mistaken ourselves for God and lived. However, we do not know how grateful we are to realize our human limitations, acknowledge our shortcomings, and seek God whenever we face difficulties.
We come before God through problems. We look to God to help us. Then having a problem is a blessing. If any difficulties lead us to God and make us hold on to Him more, our weakness can become a channel of grace.
If someone feels they don't need God because they're so healthy, smart, and rich, it's not a blessing, it's a curse. On the other hand, if you are sickly and have a difficult life and you desperately seek God, then the bad conditions of your life have played a blessed role. The problems we face can be used as turning points that make us realize our limitations and put our trust in Almighty God.
The question is what to do to solve this problem. Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew the problem with this banquet house. I even knew how to solve the problem. Instead of trying to solve the problem elsewhere, Mary took it to Jesus. It's a really important story.
Jesus did not have wine. It's not even having money. That's why I did it, even though I consulted it with Jesus. Whether it is the word of truth or the knowledge of the Bible, it is a wine problem. It has nothing to do with Jesus. Nevertheless, Mary brings the matter to Jesus. We need to think deeply about the benefits.
As is often the case, people are too smart to pray. “How dare you pray before God to solve this problem? Yes, you have been living your life of faith, but how can you brazenly pray when you have a problem? Or, God has nothing to do with this problem. “I give up praying.
But keep in mind. Whether you can do it or not, God decides. We only have the responsibility and privilege to move forward with the problem. Whether it is a big problem or a small problem, we need to take the problem as it is and go ahead and discuss it with the Lord. Prayer is looking to the Lord. It is leaving the matter to the Lord. That is faith.
Our Christianity is a religion in history. Jesus is the One who comes to families with problems and worries. And He is the One who solves the problem and turns worries into joy and anxiety into joy. We must meet this Jesus, and we must build a family of faith that accepts Jesus.
Second, Christianity is a religion of change.
Christianity is a religion that turns water into wine. Therefore, the wine Jesus supplied is not wine made from grapes. It is wine made from water poured into stone jars according to the words of Jesus.
This change is a qualitative change, not a quantitative one. So this miracle has a spiritual meaning. God is the one who gives us qualitative change. I believe that the Lord is accomplishing a miracle work in me today that changes my life and my humanity in a qualitative way.
What do we mean by believing in Jesus and being born again? Are you saying that his behavior has improved a bit? Are you simply living an ethical and moral life? No. Qualitatively means that people change.
Those who were previously children of the devil and children of wrath are now children of God. Those who previously belonged to the world now belong to God. The sinner became the righteous. A life that has no choice but to die has become a being that enjoys eternal life. It means that finite life is grafted into eternity and enjoys eternal life.
It is our Lord Jesus who transforms us. He is the one who brings the blessing of change. Our Christianity is a religion of change. So now, an ordinary person becomes a person of taste. A fisherman turns into an apostle, a tax collector turns into an evangelist, and he transforms a shy Martin Luther into a great preacher.
We believe that this year should be a precious history of living as people of God who are truly transformed by being held in the hands of this very Jesus.
Third, Christianity is a religion that adds flavor.
The conversation between the bridegroom and the guests about the wine Jesus made is a great help in letting us know the secrets of Christianity.
The world's custom is to put out the good first. And as the excitement grows, the quality of the food provided declines, and in many cases ends in a disappointment. Many things in the world start with a smile and end without much fun. Most of them start with hope and end with despair. So, the wise men who realized this kind of life reveal the true nature of the world we live in with the word "Iljangchunmong".
But this is Satan's work. Satan always tempts and seduces us with delicious things, and in the end he inflicts the bitterest pain on us, and turns us into his servants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . There is a saying in the saying, "Cover the fishmonger". The beginning or the outside is gorgeous, but when you look inside, it often smells rotten.
However, our Christianity, centered on Jesus, seems dry at first, but its true value shines as the years go by. The more you taste it, the deeper it gets. It gets better and better, and it gets more and more gracious.
Our Christianity is a religion that gives hope in despair. It is a religion that gives the victory of resurrection in the midst of the desperation of the cross. So, we should strive to become believers who end the year better than the beginning.
Fourth, our Christianity is a religion of miracles.
If you do what you say, miracles will happen.
1. Obey the Word no matter where you are.
God's work takes place regardless of time and place.
Lack is the pathway to blessing.
2. Obey no matter the circumstances.
Be obedient regardless of the lack or the size of the problem.
3. Be obedient even in disappointing situations.
Obedience in the midst of obstacles, wounds, discouragements, and difficulties.
Ex) The Suroboniges woman
4. Obey even if you do not understand the whole process.
Christianity is a religion that is logical but not bound by logic, but goes beyond logic.
If you understand and obey, you are not Christianity. The cross, original sin, etc. cannot be explained with logic. must be declared. The essence of evangelism is proclamation. Don't try to understand, just obey. Miracles and powers will appear.
If you follow Jesus' words, miracles will happen.
1) Let go of preconceived notions.
2) If the problem is big, expect a bigger miracle.
3) Be obedient in spite of disappointing circumstances.
4) Be obedient even if you do not understand.
Jesus is watching my life. It is a life full of hardships and problems, but He is pleased to renew, change, and add to the taste of life. We believe that when we come to Jesus and live with Him at the center of our lives, we will enjoy the riches and joys of the Lord.
We live under the protection of Jesus, who cares for us without taking our eyes off them even for a moment. The Lord leads us into that miracle. I hope that you will receive the Lord in faith, restore joy in the arms of miracles, and become believers who enjoy joy.