https://youtu.be/HFY3ME6Rk_M

Call to Worship; John 9:1-7

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

Invitation, Offering, and Prayer Concerns; Father in Heaven, author of all life’s miracles, beauty, and grace. Thank you! Lord we pray today that you would open our eyes that we might see, the everyday miracles and the works of your seamless harmony. Today we pray that you refresh us and lead us in your service to others in this life. Today Lord we ask for forgiveness as we forgive others, and pray that you will hold us on course towards you.

Amen!

Message Reading; John 2:1-11

2 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.”

⁴ “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

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.

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. 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.”

¹¹ What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Message; “The Miracle Side of Nowhere”

Don’t you just love to watch our savior in action? Whether He is spitting in the dirt to make mud, or turning water to wine, the Lord is using common things in scripture to say “I’m here”. In fact, God will use regular every day stuff of the average person; spit, mud, and wine to reach us. You are not alone even though many of us often feel that way. That’s why God gave us each other!

Today I am excited to talk with you about something I have no expertise in. Although I am a consumer of, and often hoarder of its provision, I am neither a subject matter expert nor journeyman of this product. In other words, sometimes without thinking, I want the works of God all to myself. With that in mind, I think about, sometimes fantasize, and even dwell upon the possibilities of miracles in all of our lives. And I think I’m not alone.

So, it is my hope today to touch upon that elusive idea called a miracle, or ideas of what miracles mean. Those thoughts that crop up inside many of us routinely. Yeah, the concept of miracles, what they are, and what they convey to you and me living in these times of modernity. Oh, and I did say touch upon. Because discovering and exploring the subject of miracles could keep us here in this room for the rest of our lives. And may very well do so.

Miracles as a bedrock of church life, could easily become a foundation for a church to build its faithwalk upon.

By the way, as a Pastor, isn’t that what I should want for all of you? For us as a congregation, as a family to pursue God’s hope, grace, and yes miracles as God’s family, in this room from this day forward? Yes. Of course. As long as our search, discovery, and experiences are a God centered, well-rounded balanced approach to our Lord’s agenda. Not ours. And also, if we remember, that there are more of us out there watching in our neighborhood, also on YouTube, and that God’s family resides beyond these walls. Then we will be in a better position to really appreciate much of what our Lord does for us on a daily basis.

My hope is to make clear what this all means at least to me in today’s message. Perhaps the answers to those questions and more will present themselves. And hopefully, you will be equipped to think and decide for yourselves, which is what an ongoing faithwalk looks like.

I guess the first thing we should explore today is the whole idea of miracles, and to begin with, define what we mean by miracles. All of us have an idea of what a miracle means to them. Here are some common ideas of what some people think miracles mean:

1. That I will win 6 3/4 million dollars.
2. That my political party will win the election.
3. That Rogaine actually works.
4. The Utah Jazz will win a National Championship.
5. There will be world peace.

Thought by thought, here are my thoughts on why a person might want to reexamine what they are praying for.

1. That I will win 6 3/4 million dollars:

I started at 1 mil, but then started thinking of taxes, then Utah taxes, inflation, then a few bucks for friends and family, then there were some future book purchase ideas… Before I knew it, nothing that was going on in my head that represented a miracle. That’s why prosperity theology can be bankrupt of God!

2. That my political party will win the election:

If you are certain that the Lord only considers your political ideas as wholesome, maybe it’s time to pray for those you oppose. Not that they see things your way, but that we all will listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. That goes for denominations and Faithwalks in general as well. If I am imposing my ideas of others, maybe I need to be asking other people for prayers me receiving guidance from God, because I am losing my way.

3. That Rogaine actually works:

Hey, it’s a concern. Along with Jennie Craig, Nutra systems, and the new and improved “Just for Men” gray remover. Like winning money or stuff, the question to ask is: am I gaming God with all of this vanity? You decide. Am I not just practicing another version of prosperity theology, which is bankrupt of Christ, but rich in my desire?

4. The Utah Jazz will win a National Championship:

Speaking of desire and getting what I want like winning in politics, are distractions. Are there not real needs that my fellowman need, not want. That is what I should be focusing in on? Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong for rooting for your team, but in place of other people’s needs?…

5. There will be world peace.
6. Or, am I looking for quick fix, or universal miracles from prayers (one size fits all), instead of praying for God to lead me in what I can do to make it a better world? Is my blanket statement a way that I can pay lip service to something without being emotionally and faithfully invested in the outcome? Do I even know the people I profess to care about?

If my comments to those general prayer thoughts sound depressing to you because hey, where’s the payoff. Why bother going to church if I am not getting anything back? Where is my return on investment (my ROI)? My answer to those questions is; no there is nothing wrong with you … that the Lord can’t fix. We are all living here in modernity and we have been conditioned to think about ourselves before others.

We need to keep in mind what James 4:3 has to say about praying to God for our needs saying;

³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

But what does that mean? There are miracles in the Bible that seem on their surface to be trivial or selfish miracles as in Today’s Message reading from John 2:3-5

³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

The “water into wine” passage, our Lord’s first recorded miracle as a human being. (We’ll leave out John’s depiction (John1:1-3) of the creation of everything for now.) So, what does God care about a wedding party and if there is wine enough to go around (a couple or more times)? How is this different from my wanting to win in politics and sports, or win money, or wash the grey right out of my hair?

First giving hospitality to others was and is in the Middle East and in certain cultures, is an extreme importance to the society. To be able to offer your very best to a neighbor is scriptural and intricate to social stability. Mary is wanting the best for the people putting on the celebration and trust in Her Son (Jesus) to save the celebration for the Newlyweds. Jesus, instructing us as always, honors His parents, specially mom this time (living the fifth and hardest of the ten commandments from Deuteronomy 5:16), and out of love, provides the choicest wine from water.

Leading me to think that even when the thought may seem unimportant, if our prayers are based on love and selflessness on our part for others, God is interested. Reminding me of what Peter has to say about love in 1 Peter 4:8-10

⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  

Like the Lord’s mother Mary when that gift is your ability to pray for the needs of others and for their very best, to a loving God that cares, who is alive and active in this world. Even when you ask for wine!

So what does the world has to say about what a miracle is. Here are three Google definitions, and my comments following each;

1). A highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.

Our church is learning to reach outward into the community, and by our looking outward, God has been healing us inward. We have demonstrable evidence that as we continue to learn how to serve others, God has provided ever more resources to complete His agendas through us in life!

2). An amazing product or achievement, or an outstanding example of something.

I would ask you to look inward at your life. For many in this room, it’s a miracle that you are here right now today. A further miracle is that you have survived all that you have experienced. There is a greater purpose at work here, and Sunday morning or you viewing on YouTube is just one aspect of the miracle in play within your life. Right now!

Now it’s your turn. Instead of just being on the receiving end of what we have been talking about, you can be the provider of miracles. You have it within your ability to bestow a miracle on the people you meet and talk with this week. By your very attitude towards others. You may be the only nice person someone else may meet all week…

3). A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.

As alluded to earlier, the very creation of everything depicted in John 1:1-3

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

In other words, the very life we are sharing right now is an ongoing miracle and series of miracles! The things that all must fall into place with perfect synchronization, weight, frequency, and harmonic triumph is beyond hit and miss for me. Leading one to quote the theologian Norman Geisler in saying “I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist!” But we sure do want to pray for non-believers! Again, not to be like me, but to find what God has in mind for them. Joy!

As with the other supernatural miracles of Christ the events from today’s Call to Worship John 9:1-7 show that God will even heal us in a way that makes sense to us.

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

So, who needs the miracle in this passage?

• The blind man and his family?
• The disciples to know Jesus is truly of God?
• The people who were there, to know God is alive, and with us?
• You and me, needing to know that not all heartache comes from our sin. So that all of us might see God’s grace at work in the world.

Yes, to all the above and more!

I am often reminded of the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 22:36-40;

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

When Jesus instructs us to Love God with all of our Heart Sole and Mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves, I believe God is saying that when we have the ability to reach out to God and other people, we open ourselves up to the possibilities that miracle bring. Jesus’ teachings show that miracles still come from God every day in every way thinkable, and also come from God through the people we meet. The living, breathing, walking miracles in this life of ours. Our neighbors.

It is my hope and prayer for you this week, as you find your way, your faithwalk that we share in, that you spend a little time in prayer and reflection on what the miracle side of nowhere means to you.

And maybe, we will come to a common conclusion that the places we come from all lessen in importance compared to the future we have hope in, grow faith in, and resolve to reside thereof. That place we share in eternity. That the “Miracle Side of Nowhere”, finds itself redeemed in grace somewhere, and that place is anywhere our Lord, you, I, and each other reside over endless, glorious, untrammeled time.

Amen!

Benediction: Romans 15:13

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (And that my friends will be the miracle side of everywhere.) *     Amen!

 

*Italics mine.