HANDLING PROBLEMS
GOD’S WAY ( Reprint from a previous posting)
John 2:1-10
In life, problems may arise daily and unexpectedly. Believers
are never told that they will not have problems. In fact, Jesus
told us to take up our cross and follow Him.
How do you deal with problems as they arise?
In today’s text, Jesus gives us insight into problem-solving.
IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
On the third day, a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
A. The best-laid plans can fall apart. This story is about a Jewish wedding
celebration which usually last seven days. On the third day, a problem
arose.
To the embarrassment of the family of the groom, they ran out of wine.
1. Some suggest that it was the third day of the wedding celebration.
2. It could also have been the third day of the week.
RIGHT ATTITUDE
B. You should prepare yourself for problems just as do for training in any
activity.
1. Each day you have to focus your mind on who you are and who’s you
are.
2. The best way is to start your day off with prayer.
3. Ask the Lord to use you as a vessel of his glory
4. The Bible says to ask the Lord what you want in Jesus Name and it
shall be given to you.
5. Invite Jesus to walk with you as you go through the day.
6. The Bible says,
Rev 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he
with me.
7. RIGHT EQUIPMENT
Eph 6:13-19
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil
comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth
buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness
in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from
the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the
shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows
of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of
prayers and requests.
8. Don't start your day half-dressed.
9. Don’t ignore Jesus during the day.
10. The Bible says to pray without ceasing.
B. When a problem arises, go to Jesus first.
1. The problem was they had no wine.
2. In any problem, someone has to take the lead.
3. It was not the wedding of one of Mary’s children, but Mary took
the lead.
4. When it is time for you to step up and take the lead, God will
put it on your heart.
WORK WITH THE PROBLEM SOLVER
V:4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has
not yet come."
A. When you go to Jesus, go with confidence.
1. The Apostle James says you should ask without doubting.
If you doubt, don't expect anything.
2. We should go to God with the expectation that the problem
is solved in His time.
NO PROBLEM TO BIG FOR JESUS
B. Mary understood that the problem was too big for her to handle.
1. There is no problem too big for the God we serve.
2. America is dealing with a problem of racial injustice along with
a pandemic and an economic crisis.
3. A white police officer intentionally killed a black man by
putting his knee on the neck with the full weight of his body
while the man was handcuffed and down on the ground.
4. As a result, there are demonstrations in America for racial
equality.
5. The problem didn’t start with that police officer.
6. It began with one race of people who consider themselves
better than other races and denying others the right to live.
7. The problem continues because it is protected, regulated,
and legislated by our government.
8. Jesus can handle any problem, no matter how big it is, but you have
wait on Him to handle it His way.
EXPRESS YOUR CONFIDENCE IN JESUS
V:5. His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you.
A. You have to express your confidence in Jesus to those around you.
1. Mary told the servant to do whatever Jesus told them to do.
2. Mary had never seen Jesus do a miracle. Yet she was confident
that Jesus could handle the problem.
3. For 30 years, she had watched Jesus grow in the spirit.
4. She had received the Word about Jesus form the Angel
Gabriel which was confirmed by Anna and Simeon in the
Temple when the baby Jesus was presented to the Lord.
5. Not only had Mary heard the Word, but she believed the Word.
6. When needed, Mary acted on the Word.
ACT ON THE WORD
7. We should proclaim our faith in Jesus to all we meet
8. Those around you may be the workers that God will use to
solve your problems.
9. We first have to read the Word and believe it for ourselves.
10. Determine what the Word says about the problem.
11. When you turn the problem over to Jesus, be
committed to following His instructions.
GOD USES VOLUNTEERS
A. Everyone who has accepted Christ as their personal savior
are in the category of volunteer workers.
1. When we volunteer our services, others are motivated to
volunteer their services
2. There are two types of volunteers.
a. There are those who come to serve in any capacity to help.
b. There are those who come to use the opportunity to
serve their own agenda.
4. In the case of the demonstrations for racial justice, there are
those who came to make their voices heard to demand
a change in our system.
b. But there are those who came under the influence of
Satan, to steal, kill, and destroy.
c. Violence and looting are the evil desires of those
who serve their own agenda.
5. Let us not get distracted by the violence, but stay focused on
issues that cause the problem.
6. In that group of demonstrators are people of all races,
backgrounds and nationalities.
a. We have to be proactive in training up our children to stay on the
Lord’s side.
b. We have to first look at ourselves to see that we are on the Lord’s
side.
c. If we go out without the full armor of Christ we could easily end up on
the wrong side.
FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTION OF JESUS
V:6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for
ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
A. Sometimes, what Jesus instructs us to do may seem strange or go
against what we think.
1. We want to fight, but Jesus says standstill.
Isa 55:9
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
2. We are commanded to show up for the battle, not fight.
3. Consider what God told Moses with his back up against
an opposing powerful, well trained Egyptian army.
a. In front of Moses and the Israelites was the Red Sea.
b. They had no way to go and no weapons to fight.
Ex 14:13-14
“Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you
today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The
Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
4. The Israelites, didn’t lift a finger. God opened the Red Sea so they
walk through on a dry sea bed. The Egyptian all dies as the waters
returned to the right level.
OBEDIENCE LEADS TO SUCCESS
5. Filling the water pots used for purification with water, didn’t
seem to have anything to do with wine.
6. Putting wine into a Jewish purification pot would be against
their laws.
7. The servants immediately did what they were instructed to do.
8. Our problem is we want to rationalize God’s Word. We want to
form a committee to determine whether God said what He said.
9. Or we will do what we want to do, then ask God to bless it.
10. God does not need our help
11. God works His way and can use what you have and make it what
you need.
GOD WILL BLESS YOUR FAITHFULNESS
V:8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the
banquet."
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.
A. We don’t need to know how Jesus does things, we just need to trust that
He will do what we need to do.
1. Often, blessings from God come to us after we have obeyed His
commands.
2. A blind man was sent to Siloam, a man with palsied told to
stretch out his hand, Lazarus was told to come out of the tomb.
Each of us was told to believe in Jesus to be saved.
B. The servants took the water from the purification pots and it
became the wine that blessed the wedding party.
1. Our obedience affects the lives of others.
2. The looting and the killing of police officers is not
the command of God.
3. The looting and burning of buildings got the attention of
lawmakers and the president.
4. But God can affect lasting change without violence.
5. All we have to do is stand and raise our hands to praise God.
6. The Israelites marched around the walled city of Jericho
seven times at the command of God. With a shout, the
walls came tumbling down.
7. Dr Martin Luther King led nonviolent protests in the 60’s
and the walls of segregation fell.
C. The problem with protests is they are emotionally
charged. If emotions do not lead to action, the purpose
is lost.
1. After the smoke clears, they are soon forgotten, and nothing
changes.
2. In 1992, police beat Rodney King. After the police officers
were acquitted, there were riots in Los Angeles.
3. After the smoke cleared, it became old news, and 30 years later
nothing has changed.
4. Change comes when we let God do the fighting.
FOLLOW THROUGH IS ALSO GOD’S WORK
V:10. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink, but you have saved the best till now."
A. You got to have continuous follow-through, sharing the Gospel of Jesus
Christ from generation to generation.
1. The wine was taken to the expert, who claimed it as the best.
2. Through our faithfulness, God gives us His best, not his leftovers.
3. God will ensure those halls of justice change to favor us.
B. The reason we continuously face police violence against the people
they are paid to serve, is their hearts and minds have not changed.
1. We keep electing people to political offices who soon serve themselves
at our expense.
2. Wait one month and see if the death of George Floyd becomes old
news.
People will soon forget and settle into a normal life which has never
been a normal life.
TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH
A. We have to take a proactive approach and get out to vote for
those who are interested in change.
1. Once in office, we have to hold them accountable for their actions.
2. We have to teach our children that the only right, is when God is in
control.
3. We all have a responsibility to teach the righteousness of God,
so that we raise up another generation that knows what is right.
4. Down the road there will be more reports of police violence,
or other issues for demonstrations.
5. It may be our children in the next demonstrations.
LET THE NEXT GENERATION KNOW TO STAND WITH GOD
Rev. M. Mitchell
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