Bloom in Your Work Manuscript

SERMON TITLE: Bloom in Your Work
TEXT: John 2:1-11
SPEAKER: Craig Cramer
DATE: October 31, 2021

You can watch the sermon here.
You can find the sermon notes here.

We all want to love what we do for our career. We might call it our profession, job or vocation, but these each point to what we do for a living. Too often, even as followers of Jesus, we think we can only bloom if we are in the “perfect” career where we are fulfilled, we enjoy it every day, we are making a difference in the world, and we are appreciated by others.

The reality is that whatever we do for a “living” is temporary. As a child, you go to school. Most of us often begin with a part-time, low-paying job where we are on the bottom of the flow chart. As well, very few of us rise to the tip-top of our professions. Not many are the CEO, president or owner of a business. It is true that the world very much holds up the “top dogs” as more important and significant. God’s values contrast greatly with the world’s values.

When we see our lives in light of the gospel, our perspective changes. We begin to view our work as a service to our Lord. As Christ-followers, we are royal priests (1 Peter 2:9). First of all, our Lord is King of Kings. That makes us princes and princesses of our Lord. We are spiritual royalty. Not based on anything we have done, but solely on what Jesus has done for us. We are also given the title of priest. We are called and commissioned to represent God on the earth. We are to teach and share the message of the Lord to the world. There is no greater title than “child of God.”

We often strive in our professions for titles in order to impress and imply our importance. Think of titles that we could have: CEO, president, doctor or astronaut. Be honest, if you were an astronaut, would you enjoy subtly letting people know. Most of us would. But God is not impressed with titles and worldly success.

Let’s look at how God used some guys who were unnamed everyday people in order to point people to Jesus. Knowing Jesus is the ultimate in life. Nothing else compares.

John, we believe the youngest disciple of Jesus, wrote the Gospel of John. He records the life and teachings of Jesus and shows us the way to Jesus. John’s life was transformed and he wants that for others…for you.

Jesus has lived for about 30 years. Though he is the Son of God, he apparently did not perform any miracles up until this point in his life. He is at a wedding. Sometimes we assume Jesus was stoic and did not have fun. But weddings in Jesus’ day and culture were a week-long party. He is there with his mother and disciples. He likely was related to or a close friend of the bride and/or groom.

They ran out of wine. Why does that matter? It would have been a disgrace to the groom and his family. It might be like when we have a reception after a wedding. Could you imagine inviting all of your family and friends and not being able to feed them? You would be embarrassed and ashamed. In Jesus’ day and location, wine was a sign of God’s blessing and prosperity. To run out of wine would be an indicator of a lack of God’s blessings…or God’s favor being removed. This could be a real problem at this wedding celebration.

When the wine was gone, for some reason, Jesus’ mother, Mary, took the matter to Jesus. It appears that she was helping as my huge family would with a family wedding. Why did she bring the issue to Jesus? She knew who always came through. Imagine having a child who ALWAYS kept his or her word. Who always did what he or she said they would do. As the divine Son of God, Jesus was perfect in righteousness. He is not like I was as a child. I would make promises and not deliver. Not Jesus. Mary knew if Jesus said he would do something it was as good as done. That is what God is like.

There are only a few people who I trust where it seems like they ALWAYS get things done. My wife, Ellie, is one of them. I can think of a guy named Jim and a lady named Faith. Whenever they say they will do something, it is as good as done. Imagine having people like that in your life. They are a blessing. They are being like Jesus. Even though Jesus had not performed a miracle yet, the way he lived reflected who he was.

Jesus’ response to his mother seems disrespectful. But his reply to her let her and others know the ultimate authority is God the Father. And the Father’s timing for Jesus revealing himself to the world was of utmost importance. His mother tells the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” That instruction is for us. The best for us in life and in our career is simply to just do what God tells us to do. Obeying God in the “little” things as well as his leading to school, job, and church is an act of trust.

Jesus commands some unnamed servants to fill the purification jars with water. The jars were used to wash one’s hands and vessels in order to be “clean” in coming into the wedding and participating in the celebration. Jesus would later be accused of not following these man-made laws (Matthew 15:2) that had been added to God’s commands. What Jesus is communicating is that he is the only way for us to be cleansed and purified of our sin and uncleanness. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection is the only answer.

These unnamed men go on to do what Jesus tells them and they get to experience something that I imagine they would never forget. I picture them telling their children and grandchildren of what Jesus did. They were called to go fill the jars with water. The job would not have been easy. They likely had to go to a well and fill these jars up with 20 or 30 gallons…each. Six of them. Imagine holding just one gallon of milk. Now add 19 more or 29 more. Is that light? They would then haul them back. Then Jesus told them to take some to the master of the feast, who would have been like the head caterer in our day.

Imagine for a moment if Jesus had not performed a miracle. If the servants took a jar to the master of the feast and it was just water, and likely not clean filtered water like we have today, the servants could have looked like fools. Instead, because they simply did what Jesus said, they became part of people believing in Jesus (John 2:11).

A “sign” is a picture of something greater. Jesus used the wine, the best wine, to point to the great work of the gospel. Scholars note that Jesus provided about 120-180 gallons of THE BEST wine. And that amount of wine was way more than they needed. Imagine having so many bottles of the best most expensive wine. The family would have had wine for a LONG time. I suppose every time they would drink it, they would remember what Jesus did. But this was pointing to more than blessing this family with great wine. It was that Jesus’ blood would be poured out for our sins (Luke 22:20). It was the new covenant of Jesus’ blood.

Like the wine was the best, Jesus’ provision is the best. He provides us eternal life based only on what he has done for us. Not our good works, our generosity, or our obedience, but upon trusting on what Jesus did for us on our behalf.

Maybe you do not feel significant. Maybe you are retired, a student, working a “dead-end” job. Maybe you feel like you are a big deal because you are a CEO or an astronaut. No matter what, you can be used by God.

I bet all of us feel at times that what we are doing does not matter a whole lot. But you know what, when you do it unto the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17), the Holy Spirit uses it. I suppose the servants felt unimportant to a degree. They were just carrying water jars, filling them up, and hauling them back to the wedding celebration. But they just did what God said. And they got to be part of the first miracle of Jesus. God used them. And God can use you.