Am I Empty Yet? - John 2: 1-12

God. Well, let's stand together. Remain standing. If you could open up to John chapter 2. We're going to read and pray and then we'll dismiss the choir and the worship team.

John chapter 2 starting at verse one. The next day there was a a wedding celebration in the village of Canaa in Galilee. Jesus's mother was there and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities. So Jesus's mother told him, "They have no more wine."

"Dear woman, that's not our problem," Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." But his mother told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Standing nearby were six stone water jars used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each can hold 20 to 30 gallons. Jesus told the servants, "Fill the jars with water." When the jars had been filled, he said, "Now dip some out and take it to the master's ceremonies." So the servants followed his instructions.

When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from, though of course the servants knew, he called the bridegroom over. "A host always serves the best wine first," he said. "Then when everyone has a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now." This miraculous sign at Canaa and Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory and his disciples believed in him. After the wedding, he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.

Father, I pray, Lord. I I need your help, God. I pray, Father, for an anointing, Lord, a fresh heart, fresh mind, Lord. I pray, Father, that you would give us ears to hear. Give us faith to respond. Lord, I thank you, God, that you are alive. Jesus, you are alive. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. And you still do miracles.

We thank you. Father, bless this time. Take away all distractions, Lord. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen. You may be seated. Choir, worship team, band. Thank you. Let's put our hands together. They're they're a wonderful group of people, not just servants, but of of people.

So John 2:1-12 the title of the message is am I empty yet? It's a question. Am I empty yet? Now we have the wedding. Now Jesus is invited to the wedding. He was invited by the couple. Excuse me. But when one thing we do see though is that the couple is not mentioned how close they are to Jesus. So in other words, we can have people in the Christian world, in the church, that invite Jesus in to be their personal Lord and Savior, but yet still be far from him in intimacy.

See, Mary here is a type of intercessor. What is intercessory prayer? It's when we talk to Jesus on behalf of somebody else. But we have to be careful here because Mary is not the type of intercessor that the Catholic Church would want us to believe or maybe you've come from that background like like I did. She is an intercessor. However, Jesus still respectfully because this isn't the warmest title that he calls her, but is still respectful puts her really in her right place and in her category when he says, "Dear woman, dear woman, that's not our problem." And then she goes on to say, and again, she submits herself back under the authority of Jesus Christ when she says, "Do whatever he tells you." It wasn't this big act of faith really. It was saying, "You know what? Let me take a step back here for a second and say, do whatever Jesus tells you." Remember, Mary needed to be saved just like everybody else. Mary needed the power of the Holy Spirit. That's why she was in the upper room in the book of Acts.

A wedding is supposed to bring happiness. It's a gift from God. But how many you know that marriage does not fill the void. Only Jesus does. And I want to talk to the singles that are in the room. If you love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, there is no compromise in this area. You need to marry a believer. You need to marry a believer. If you think uh marriage is going to fill your void and even when two believers get together it doesn't, you're in for a rude awakening if it's going to be you and an unbeliever.

And so what tries to make the world happy is fading here. We see uh now the the the the world would think would bring happiness here. You got the wedding, you got the wine and but what the world tries to make themselves happy with is fading. They try to bring out their best in the beginning to hold on to the happiness, but it fades away. And for those of you that may be in the room or maybe you're online or maybe you hear this another time online, um this chapter is not the uh the chapter that we go to for justification whether you should drink alcohol or not. I'm just telling you that right now. The world knows about this chapter. the believers know about this chapter and jump right into and be like, "Oh, I I guess I get my answer." Actually, let me share something with you from Proverbs 31:4-7. "It is not for kings to drink wine. These are people in leadership. Or for rulers to desire strong drink. In one translation, it says beer and another translation says alcohol. For they will drink and forget what's decreed. Science has already proven this that every ounce of alcohol a person consumes it begins to destroy cells that are in their brain and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who's perishing. We're not the people who are perishing and wine to him whose life is bitter. We are the people of joy. Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more."

And so before you um because I'm not going to speak a lot about that in this this chapter here today, but be when you make your decision using scripture and the the the the topic of alcohol, remember your brain. Remember your family. Remember those that are around us and and how that could affect them.

See, the world looks for things like there's no sex, there's no affair, there's no adultery, there's no pornography, there's no drug, there's no alcohol that gives joy. The third day. It says in verse one, the next day. This was the third day of the week. Why did the the Jewish people choose the third day, Tuesday, as the day of the week for wedding? It's because in the book of Genesis, the third day is the only day that was blessed twice. And so they thought it was a day that was blessed twice. Hey, this is a good day to get married on on Tuesday. It would give us some time before Sabbath for us to celebrate longer. And so they they believed, hey, this is a a good day to be blessed twice. There's a lot of pictures in this chapter. And so we know a third day also that is a wonderful blessing for us. And that's called the resurrection. And on the third day, Jesus rose. Victory over death, power over sin, death to life. Because when Jesus shows up, then there's joy.

See, the water jars, the water jars were meant to hold water, not wine. And so you and I can be encouraged that Jesus can do way more for us than we can see in the natural. No intention of of holding wine. They were there for water. Actually, they were there for ceremonial washing. The the Jewish people, that's why there was a lot of them. There was probably a lot of people at this wedding. More than likely, it was it was one of Mary's relatives. That's why Jesus and the disciples were invited as well. And so when they came in, they would wash their hands. But not only physically wash their hands. It was a it was a symbol of saying there's something impure about me and I need to be ceremonially clean. And so Jesus takes away the dirty and what we use to try to make ourselves clean and pours in real joy.

In the Old Testament, they got rid of the clay pots because they were porous and and when people would clean and and use them, they'd have to smash them and throw them away. So they said, "Let's use stone that's not as porous." But how many you know that that drinking water was not pure drinking water after people are washing their hands?

See, in Isaiah 61:1-4, it Jesus began to quote Isaiah 61 in the book of Luke. He said, "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted." Like Sharon shared a testimony today, right? He binds up the brokenhearted that are here. To proclaim freedom for the captives, released from darkness for the prisoners. That Jesus still saves. He sets people free. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion. He's still the same God that gets people up out of bed when they can't get out of bed. And instead of ashes, he gives them a crown of beauty. The oil of joy instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. And he doesn't stop there. Not only does he does he change our heart and and and change how we view life and and change our song, then he says, "I'm going to make you a testimony." They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. In other words, you and I, when God gets a hold of our lives, we become a testimony in this world. They will rebuild the ancient ruins. You and I will be able to reach out to the to the people, to the broken, to the hurting, to the marginalized, the those that are all around us. And we'll be able to have a song now because God is the one who provides those songs. He's the one who gives the the praise. And he's the one who gives the beauty a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the the oil of joy instead of mourning. And we will restore the places long devastated. They will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

The miracle, see, Moses turned water into blood in the Old Testament. That was a miracle, but it was a miracle that represented judgment. It was a miracle that represented the old covenant. Jesus turns water into wine. It's a miracle that represents the new covenant. It's a miracle that takes things that were broken and empty and instead he fills them with joy. It it the the Jesus turning the water into wine is is is for us the joy of being set free. It's the new covenant. What is the new covenant? The old covenant was man trying over and over and over again to get to God, to please God, to impress God, to make promises to God. Jesus under the new covenant says, "No, now you rest, my beloved. Now you rest, my child. You rest. You rest in me. And I am going to make promises to you. I'm going to keep my word. I'm going to watch over my word because I am faithful to fulfill it." Moses turns the water to blood. Nile River, old covenant. Jesus turns the water into wine. John chapter 2. The joy of being set free. The joy.

And who does he reveal? It's amazing who he reveals this message. Who he reveals the miracle. Who he reveals his power to. Yes, his disciples saw it. But it doesn't say he took the married couple. It doesn't say he took the chief of of operations there. He didn't take the wealthiest. He didn't take the person who brought the biggest wedding gift. He took the servants. He took the nothing and the nobodies. That's you and I. Jesus did this. It was also told about Jesus in book of Luke, right? Who got the message of the Messiah being born first? It was the shepherds. The shepherds. The people that looked down upon at that time of that job, the lowly.

Acts 4:12 and 13 tells us, "Salvation is found in no other name." And when they saw the boldness and the courage of Peter and John, they were amazed. They were astonished. They weren't astonished because they were bold. They weren't astonished because they were tough. They were astonished because they were unschooled ordinary men who had been with Jesus that you and I can find encouragement and strength and comfort in John chapter 2. That if he can reveal his first miracle, physical miracle on the earth to the lowliest at that party that he's willing to reveal to us who he is and what he can do. That he takes the nothing. He takes the nobodies. He takes the average grandmother, grandfather, father, mother, son, daughter, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, and he makes us a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Joy is what this chapter and this section in chapter two is about. It was over 10 years ago that I went to one of my pastors at a previous church and was not on staff there. We were volunteering, my wife and I at the time. And and I asked, "Can I speak to you? I need to speak to you." It was a Sunday. And and I went to him and I said, "You know, pastor, I have I have a burden for young people. I have a a heart for young people. I'll do anything. I want to work there at the church. I I I'll I'll fill out papers. I'll do administrative work. Whatever it is, I just I just want to be a part of this." And so shortly after he called my wife and I for a meeting for with with him and his wife and we're in the meeting and at that church they they had a large staff paid interns. My wife was inquiring about paid internship but she didn't say much. And so we're in the meeting and and I'm waiting for it. I'm waiting for the okay, he's heard my heart. You know, here's here's an opportunity. I I don't know what's going to happen. God, you hear my prayers. You know what I'm praying for? And he turns to my wife and he offers her a paid internship and says nothing to me. My wife didn't even ask to work in that department. She didn't she didn't say anything. She didn't send anything. And and so talk about joy. I'm I'm trying to keep my face together in the meeting. And we leave the office 51st and Broadway and we go down to 8th Avenue and we're making our way up to Columbus Circle to Whole Foods. And we get a a couple blocks. This is sitting over a true story. It's it's so it blows me away still and my face did not have the joy of the Lord. And we're walking and about 10 to 12, 15 feet, whatever it is, there's a person on the street and you know people beg for money in in the in the city, right? And so there I don't know if they were standing, sitting, I don't remember, but there someone was begging for money and they look right at me. I'm not even two feet in front of them. It's a good from here to maybe about that microphone. And they look at me and say, "Fix your face. God is good." And I don't know if I fixed my face, but joy.

People say, "I I'll get joy from marriage. I'll get joy from having a child." Right? This is how it starts off in in John chapter 2. We we have people that are happy. They're they they got what they wanted and the wedding's going on but then things begin to dry up and and so we hear the we see the symbolism here where where it's you know what people they start off with the best and then they try the cheaper and and that's what many people do. I got to get joy from getting married that's running out. We need to have children now that's running out and you know what let's just try some cheaper things to keep it up.

See in Luke it talks about a new wine. See, new wine, if you want to get technical, new wine was pure, sweet, and unfermented. In other words, it was untainted and uncompromised. Old wine was the fermented. Old age wine. And in Luke 5:37, it says, "And no one puts new wine into old wine skins. For the new wine would burst the wine skins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wine skins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. The old is just fine," they say.

See, it's our receiver. It's our receiver. These people are saying, "I don't I don't mind. I have a container that holds the tainted, compromised wine. I have a a container that says, you know what? I'll try to get joy from other things that aren't the things that God wants to produce in and through my life." He's saying if you want new wine, you want this untainted, unfermented, this uncompromised, this sweet, pure joy from God, then we're going to need a tender and moldable heart. And what God wants to do through our lives can break apart if we're not ready for it. The old wine skin was was crusty, right? So many can be dried up. They're fragile and they they're brittle. They don't know how to have the joy of the Lord anymore. They they've dried up. They can be hardened from sin. They they try to keep the the dirt inside the vessel instead of emptying it before the Lord. Or maybe they're wounded, right? We heard Sharon share her testimony and say, "I couldn't get off the ground. I I couldn't wake up. I I couldn't go forward until the joy of the Lord hit my heart." That doesn't come from a person. That doesn't come from a dream that's fulfilled. It comes from Jesus.

See Jesus, he he turned water into wine when the servants obeyed. That's when it happened. One step at a time. They they they said, "Hey, listen. Here's here's water." Jesus said, "Here's fill that with water and then take it out and and bring it and so on." And then we see water turn into wine. God's word washes us, but it turns into joy when we obey. John chapter 15 says that his love, we will remain in his love as we obey his commands. And then Jesus goes on to say, "And you will have joy overflowing when you do these things, when you obey me, when you walk in obedience to me and to my word." It's not just the the washing of the water. Those servants had to obey the master in order for the miracle to take place. And when you and I come to the place and say, "God, I will agree with you." Psalm 16:11 tells us that God will lead us into the way of life. And we will have joy in his presence. There's there's a steps there. It says leading to the way of life. Leading to the way of life, not just joy and presence and do whatever we want. There's a leading to the way of life. And as we're walking honestly with the Lord, as we are walking step by step with the Holy Spirit, when we fail and you and I will fail, that we're honest with God, we confess sin as sin, we we don't call it something that it's not. There is a joy that comes into our life as we obey Jesus, the Jesus found in scripture, the Jesus that is at the center of our hearts.

Yeah, I forgot to tell you this is not a long message, but we're going to have a longer response. And so the worship team could start to get ready. The title of the message is a question, am I empty yet? I believe Jesus is saying that when we are done trying, I have something greater for you. When you're done striving, when you're done trying to make it happen in your own strength, when you and I quit, finally quit. I remember I had to hit rock bottom as a Christian. I came in to Christianity with a with a big a you know when I say big athletic background I'm not talking about accolades. I'm talking about it was my life and it was a athletic background and so I got to be up at a certain time praying and reading and if I'm not I'm I'm sinning and I I got to be doing this at a certain time and I got to push myself and I got I got to do this and when finally finally I I remember picking up a book I had gotten at a church and it was years. It was about the new covenant and about how we can rest.

That in John chapter 6, it tells us, you know, the disciples are wondering, "What is it that we have to do? Come on." They they saw the law. They saw the the the Jewish religion and they said, "What is it, Jesus? Tell us something that we have to do. Tell us what." And he says, "Do nothing. Just believe. Just believe." John 6:63 says, "The human human effort counts for nothing." And the Spirit gives life. Some of you are in this place. You are trying so hard. He says, "I have something greater for you that he can take a marriage that's dried up and pour new joy into it."

The verse that we've heard the worship team and talk about today is Nehemiah 8:10. "For the joy of the Lord is our strength." Back in 180 AD, there was a a young lady that was born who died in 203. She was a young adult. Her name was Perpetua, one of the martyrs of the the Christian faith. And she came from a family of paganism, a wellto-do family. She had an infant son, a little a little boy, and a father begged her to renounce Christianity. Just recount and her and a few other Christians they were arrested. See Nero was persecuting Christians about a hundred years before then and because of that the the she was in Carthage which is in Northern Africa and she was there and so they started saying listen we can have these Christians rising up and so they arrested them. The pastor wasn't even arrested. He volunteered to go with them. And so came the day of of martyrdom where they they had a a mad heer, mad cow, and a and a leopard and a bear. And I know there's another animal, but none of them died by the animals. Matter of fact, Perpetual got flown onto her back from from the mad cow. And and the and the writings say that it was like they were in a daze. Like they they didn't feel the pain. There was also a meal. There was a meal that they partook in. What? What? What a what evil. They would get some of this the people that were watching this and and so they would feed the Christians their last meal and hoping that like like it's like a like a reality TV show. Let's watch the Christians eat their last meal. But the story says that they were singing. They were worshiping. They were praising God. People were shocked by the peace that they had. On the way out to the persecution and and about to be killed, they were singing. They were worshiping. After Perpetual got flown onto her back, she went over to another lady who was actually just gave birth like days before that she went out there and was killed for her faith. And she picked her up off the ground and they were about to die by the sword and she takes her tunic and she covers herself cuz she wanted to be modest. And then she stops the parade of evil and she asks for a hairpin. She asks for a hairpin. She says, "I I don't want to look like I'm in mourning before I go to my Lord." And she began to fix her hair. And the young gladiator hit her with the sword and it didn't kill her. She says that she was in pain. It hit a bone. She takes the young gladiator's hand and she she shows him where he has to do his job at the neck. She had joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Psalm 30:5, "The weeping may last through the night. Joy comes with the morning." If you and I would be willing to confess sin, willing to be emptied before God, see those, I don't care if they use clay or stone. Anyone who washes their hands over over those things that something's going to be dirty inside. And if you and I are willing to empty it before the Lord, we will receive great joy. The Bible says unless two agree, they can't walk together. And if you and I, you and I agree with God and what he calls sin and we don't call it something else, we'll be able to walk with him. But, but if we are in agreement with sin, then we can't have the joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord comes from full surrender and obedience to God's word.

Would you stand with me? If you're in this place today, listen, beloved. If you are empty, you are in a good place. It is a good place. If you are in an empty place, that means you have an opportunity to be filled. There are times where I am so dry. It feels like you know another song, another another reading. This is this you may not feel anything but it's alive and you just keep reading and you let it into your soul and you're watering your soul. And as we you know everyone wants to know what is the will of God? I think about young people that are here today. What is the will of God? What is just do the next right thing? Before you leave this building just listen for the Holy Spirit's voice. What is the next right thing you want me to do? And as we obey him, joy comes into our heart.

I think about people who have addictions and they go to detox and they they empty themselves out in the physical sense, but but then they stay there. You and I can't stay empty, though. Ephesians 5:18 is a command. It tells us, "Do not be drunk with wine. That can ruin your life, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. Be being filled. Be being filled." It's an ongoing continuous command that God gives us in his scripture. And it's not filled with the Holy Spirit in a corner part of our souls. It's every part of us, our heart, our minds that the water jars in John chapter 2, they needed to be empty so they can be filled. And we need to empty ourselves of of trying to clean ourselves. Empty of the cheap wine, the counterfeits, empty of the sin, empty of the mixture, empty so we can be filled.

And Jesus takes a vessel that was used to get rid of uncleanness. How long have you and I tried? I will wash my hands. I will clean myself up. I will I will do this in my own strength. It was on the outside that Jesus takes that vessel that people use to try to clean themselves up and now he says, "I'm going to bring joy on the inside." Joy set before him, he endured the cross. You are here today, not by accident. Jesus, how in the world can he have joy going to a cross? Because he thought of you and I. And I have to tell you, if you were the only person on planet Earth, he would still go and he would still have joy set before him to endure the cross. Cuz he came back for his creation. He came back for what he loved. He came back. He didn't leave us. And he went to a cross and his body was ripped apart and the thorns was shoved into his head and he was spit at and mocked and he did it with joy in his heart. It is so you and I can spend eternity forever in heaven.

And if you're in this place or if you're online, but if you if you're in this place, I'm not talking about just believing in your head. I'm not talking about just knowing Bible verses. I'm not talking about showing up for church attendance. I'm not talking about any of those things. I'm talking about knowing God, knowing him intimately, that our hearts are open, and we surrender our lives to him as Lord, as Master, as leader, as King, as Savior, Savior of my soul, savior from what? From going to hell. Chris sang it before. The worship team sang it before. Hell lost another one. There's a reason why so many people can't sing that song. It's because they don't know what they've been saved from or they've never been saved at all.

If you're here today, please do not leave without surrendering your life to Jesus. It's got to be a cry. It's got to be a cry in the heart, not a fancy prayer. The thief on the cross said to he told him, "Today you'll be with me in paradise." That's what he say. Said, "Lord, remember me." There needs to be a repentance and there needs to be an acknowledgement of faith in what Jesus did on the cross. You and I have no idea. We always hear the things of tomorrow's not promised. Let me tell you, an hour is not promised from now. If you're in this room and you've never surrendered your life to Jesus, now is your opportunity. He wants you. Make no mistake about it. He desires you. He desires you. The young and the old and everyone in between. He desires you.

If you're here and you say, "Pastor, I just I I need to pray. I need to give my life to Jesus. I'm I'm just going to pray with you. If that's you, raise your hand. Wherever you are right now in this room, raise your hand. Yeah. Anybody else say, "I I need to be born again." The spirit of God, I can wash my hands. I can try to clean myself up all I want, but I am there's there's no spirit of God inside. Anybody else say, "Pastor, pray. Pray with me right now. I want to give my life to Jesus. I want heaven to be my home." Would you raise your hand if you didn't already? And if you're online, listen carefully. You didn't tune in by accident. You didn't flip a channel and so so happened this came up. God has ordered your steps because he wants you. And you pray this prayer, too.

Those of you that raise your hand, pray with me. Jesus Christ, I need you. I'm sorry for my sin. I give you everything. I believe you died for me and I believe you rose from the dead. I opened my heart to you and I give you my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit that I would never be the same. I turned away from sin and I ask you to be my Lord, my master, my savior in Jesus name.

Now listen the rest of us, we got some work to do. When I say work, it's not in our own strength. We got some cooperation to do. If you're here and there's some things you need to empty before the Lord because he wants to fill you, then then in a moment we're going to give an altar call. You just empty. He already knows it. Lord, this is I need to give this to you. I need to give this to you. Or maybe you're here and you are empty. You are dry as can be. That's okay. It's his desire to fill you. Matter of fact, he gets the glory. He gets the glory. Then he gets the glory. Nobody in John chapter 2 in this part of the of the Bible can get the glory but Jesus. And so if you're empty, come to the altar. I'm I'm going to invite you now. You don't have to wait for the worship team. You need the Holy Spirit to fill you. Come. Step out of your seat right where you are. Come meet me now. I want to pray with you. Just come. If there's something in your life that you need to give over to the Lord, just give it to the Lord. We're not going to ask you what it is. We're we're not going to put you on display. Just come and say, "God, I need to empty this to you. I need to empty this." And and when you're here, begin to pray. Come on, balcony people. If you feel that tug on your heart, believe me, that's that's not the devil. And and so come just come and begin to pray. God, I need you. God, fill me with the Holy Spirit. God, I don't want to just be walking around like a water jar. No, I want the joy of the Lord to come out of me.

Many of us, we know the word. Listen, we know the word. Many of us know the word. We know it. We know the word. We can quote it. We can go back and forth. We can argue. We can argue with everybody that we see. But there's no joy. There's no joy. I'm not trying to make light of this moment. I I think it's a wonderful point. David Wilkerson used to say that there's a second salvation. There's not really a second salvation. He used to say that people's faces needed to be saved. There's no joy. We we know the word. We're walking around and we're saying, "God, I got all the word inside of me. I I can argue with the Muslims. I can argue with the Jews. I can argue with the atheists. I I know the doctrines. I know the fightings. I know all the positional papers. But God, there's no joy. There's no joy." Your wife wants you to have joy. You need joy, sister. What are we waiting for? What are we waiting for? You're afraid to get out of your seat and come to an altar. What is it? Oh God, forgive us. Forgive us. You died on the cross, not so we could argue with people. Not so we could just show up at church and sing and go home. God, you want us to have a strength that comes from your joy, a supernatural touch from heaven. Please God, there is nothing else I can do. Move on our hearts. I want to challenge you one more time. If you need the Holy Spirit to fill you a fresh, it's be being filled. You need the joy of the Lord, then come to this altar today. We're going to spend time praying. You're gonna spend time praying. And then we're going to spend time rejoicing. But before we get there, we need to ask. We need to ask, oh God, do only what you can do in Jesus' name. Go ahead worship team. You you can begin to sing. And begin to lead us in worship.