The Best is Yet to Come | Sharing the Life-Saving Message

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Sign up at harvest.org. Our most important responsibility as believers is to share the love of Christ. And Pastor Greg Laurie says that should influence our priorities and our attitudes.

Listen to this. If you want to win some to Christ, be winsome. Far too often as Christians, we're known for what we're against. I'm against this.

I disagree with that. And we get off on these other conversations instead of looking for ways to talk about Jesus. Jesus didn't tell us to argue someone into the kingdom, or to protest our culture into the faith, or even to isolate ourselves from those who don't believe. Pastor Greg Laurie has said we're not to isolate, but infiltrate. We're to be salt and light in a culture that needs the hope of the gospel. Well, today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg helps us set a course for taking this life-saving message to those whose eternal lives hang in the balance.

It's the very reason we're here. All right. We're starting a brand new series today. The Seven Signs of Jesus is the title. The title of this message is The Best is Yet to Come.

And our text is John chapter two. So imagine for a moment a world without signs. No signage. I mean, signs help us do so many things. Start with the men's bathroom and the women's bathroom, right? We know which one to go to. Some people want to go to both.

That's not a good idea. The signs, I'll get off on this off-ramp. A sign shows me where my product is or what it is I'm shopping for in the supermarket, what aisle it's in.

We really need signs to get around in life. And sometimes advertisers create products in America, try to market their products overseas. But there can be a problem with translation. For instance, in Italy, there was a campaign for Schweppes tonic water. But there was a breakdown of communication and they wondered why it wasn't selling because it translated out over in Italy. Instead of Schweppes tonic water, it was Schweppes toilet water. Want a cup of toilet water? The dog might be excited about that.

In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan, come alive with the Pepsi generation, translated out to Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead. Pretty full promise. They weren't able to deliver on that one. Clairol marketed its mist stick, mist stick, a curling iron. But instead, it wasn't selling.

That was the problem. They marketed it in Germany. And instead of being called the mist stick, it translated in German to manure stick.

So yeah, nothing like that old manure stick going through the hair, right? So in China, they were marketing Kentucky Fried Chicken and the slogan is finger licking good, right? Instead, that translated out to Kentucky Fried Chicken, eat your fingers off. Not a good idea.

Gives new meaning to finger sandwiches though, doesn't it? Have you ever asked God for a sign? Have you ever said, Lord, if you want me to do this, send me a sign. You know, people came to Jesus and said, do a sign for us. Do a miracle for us.

Impress us. Prove to us that you are the Messiah. Jesus said, no sign will be given but that of the prophet Jonah. And as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so will the son of man, referring to himself, be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Basically, he's talking about his crucifixion. Allow me to loosely paraphrase the statement of our Lord. Hey, you guys want a sign?

Here it is. I'm going to die on a cross for the sin of the world and I'm going to rise again from the dead. That's your sign. Take it or leave it. Oh, we say, oh, I need something that will convince me. It's like that scene from the Jesus revolution film and Chuck's in this front room with his wife Kay and they're watching the TV and all the crazy kids, you know, who are flipping out and wasting their lives and his wife's concerned and his daughter Jan says, I think it's kind of good what they're doing. You know, they want love.

Isn't that what you want? And he says, I think they need to, you know, get a job and cut their hair. And she goes, well, dad, you've never even talked to a hippie. He says, if God sends me a hippie, I'll ask him what it's all about.

Then Lonnie Frisbee comes into his house played by Jonathan Rumi and there's his little request was answered and then he said to his daughter, but I didn't mean it, right? God, if you'll prove this to me and maybe the Lord does something to convince you it's true, but maybe we don't like that sign. Jesus fed the 5,000 and immediately on the heels of that dramatic miracle, 5,000 people got a free lunch plus women and children.

People come to him and say, well, what sign do you perform so we may believe in you? Excuse me? Is your stomach not full?

Did I not feed you a delicious meal with leftovers even? See, they didn't like the sign. Sometimes they'll say, well, convince me.

Well, I don't like what you're saying because you really don't want to change at all. So here now we see the first miracle of Jesus. Let's read John chapter two. I'm going to read verses one to 11. Read along with me and I'm reading from the New Living Translation. John two verse one.

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities. So Jesus' mother told them 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 water jars used for Jewish ceremonial washing.

Each could hold 20 to 30 gallons. Jesus told the servants, fill all of the jars with water. When the jars have been filled, he said, now dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies.

So the servants followed his instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water, there was now wine. Not knowing where it had come from, though of course the servants knew, he called the bridegroom over and said, a host always serves the best wine first, he said. But 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 Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory and his disciples believed in him. So this is the first miracle performed by Jesus.

And where did it happen? It happened at a wedding. And he was enjoying himself at the wedding. Did you know it's okay for a Christian to enjoy life? Did you know it's okay for a Christian to walk into an environment where non-believers are present and be a pleasant person, a nice person, a fun person to be around?

Jesus was just there enjoying himself. You know, when I first became a Christian, I didn't know what to expect. You know, all my life I'd been a prankster and a joker and I was a cartoonist and I was always making fun of things and making fun of people and I become a Christian. I think, well that's the end of that. No more jokes. Now I will be a very pious person and never laugh again, I guess.

I didn't know. So I went to a summer camp sponsored by Calvary Chapel and Chuck Smith was there. So I'm really new in the faith. I'm only a few weeks old as a believer and there's Pastor Chuck, who to me was like one of the apostles.

I mean, there he is. I'm right next to Pastor Chuck. And so I'm sitting there at the table. He says, would you like some more punch? I said, yes, Pastor Chuck. And I hold my cup up and Chuck's pouring the punch into my cup. It's like fourth full, half full. I'm thinking, Pastor Chuck's pouring my punch.

This is so amazing. I can't believe it. It's almost full. Now it's full. He's still pouring. Now it's overflowing. Overflowing. It's going on the table. It's going to my arm.

I'm like, this is a spiritual message. My cup runneth over. I heard that somewhere. And Chuck starts laughing. And it occurs to me Chuck is goofing off.

Wait, what? It was like a revelation. Are you telling me that I can still have fun as a Christian?

Yes, in so many words he was telling me that. And I think sometimes as Christians we walk into an environment and we make it unnecessarily awkward. I have to tell you when people find out you're a Christian it can sort of change the temperature. You ought to see what happens when you tell them you're a pastor. It's like you're talking, hey, what do you do, Greg? I'm a pastor.

Everyone takes one step back. Did you say a telemarketer? No, a pastor. Did he say axe murderer? No, I said the pastor.

I don't bite. And then someone who's probably been using profanity will say, oh well, pardon my French, reverend. Oh, is that what that was, French? I didn't know the French used those words you were just using.

Guess what? I don't expect non-believers to behave like believers. However, I do expect believers to behave as believers. Believers. When I'm around a non-believer and they use a word that's maybe off color or whatever it is, I see it for what it is and my objective there is I'm trying to build a bridge. I'm trying to find common ground with that person so I can share my faith. Someone said, well, that's compromise. Oh, really? Then Jesus Christ was a compromiser. And clearly that's not the case. But Jesus entered into the worlds of non-believers.

Wherever we go, we see him engaging people. The woman at the well, everyone knew of her immorality. But there's Jesus all alone with her waiting for her to draw water so he can talk to her about her life. How about Zacchaeus? Nobody wanted to hang out with Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector.

He took advantage of people. Jesus comes into his town of Jericho, sees Zacchaeus up in a tree watching. Hey, buddy, come on down.

I'm having lunch at your house today. Nicodemus. So many others. He's engaging them, trying to reach them.

That's not compromise. It's called evangelism. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. You know, when you've walked in the very land where Jesus himself walked, you'll gain a whole new appreciation for the truth of scripture. Hey, everybody, Greg Laurie here, inviting you to the Harvest Ministries Israel tour, April 9 to 19, 2024. This will be an unforgettable journey through biblical sites and a unique opportunity to grow in your own faith. Listen, spots are limited. Be sure to sign up as soon as possible at Israel.harvest.org.

Again, it's Israel.harvest.org. Hope to see you there. Pastor Greg is pointing out how we can be more effective in sharing the love of Christ with those around us.

Let's continue now. Listen to this. If you want to win some, be winsome. Does that make sense? If you want to win some, to Christ, be winsome. Colossians 4 and 5 says, live wisely among those that are not Christians. Make the most of every opportunity.

Let your conversation be gracious and effective so we will have the right answer for everyone. Far too often as Christians, we're known for what we're against. I'm against this. I'm against this.

I disagree with that. And we get off on these other conversations instead of looking for ways to talk about Jesus. That's our message. That was what was happening in the Jesus movement.

That's what needs to happen today. We need to be, as I've said before, Jesus people. We're told to engage people in this way. And I love how Jesus did that. The apostle Paul summed it up this way in 1 Corinthians 9-20. I want to become all things to all men. So when I'm with the Jews, I become one of them so I can bring them to Christ. When I'm with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, or we could translate that as, when I'm with nonbelievers who don't live by God's word, he goes on to say, I fit in with them as much as I can. Now you don't want to compromise your standards.

You don't want to be the person with the punchline to the dirty joke. You don't want to be the person that's doing things you shouldn't do, but yet in that space you're in, you want to build that bridge instead of burn it. Paul continues on, if someone's oppressed, I share their oppression so I can bring them to Christ. And then he sums it up this way.

Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so I might bring them to Christ. This is how I share the good news. So here's Jesus at a wedding, having a good time. And why was he at the wedding? Because he was invited.

Someone said, hey, Jesus, would you like to come to the wedding? Sure. Can I bring my friends? How many friends do you have?

12. Okay, that's a lot of friends, but come on. So there's Jesus with his disciples. He was invited. And he said, every wedding where he is invited. And he's in every marriage where he is invited. Let's remember, it was God who designed and created marriage to begin with. So if you want your marriage to be blessed and happy, invite Jesus in.

Now understanding what's going on culturally. Weddings were different in these days than they are today. A wedding celebration could last for upwards of a week. You would stay in the home of the bride and groom and relatives and friends would show up and it was sort of like a honeymoon, family reunion, bachelor party, wedding shower, all rolled into one. And so it went on.

It was a big celebration, a wonderful time. And it just reminds us that marriage is important. You know, some people say, well, it's just a piece of paper. You don't have to be married. We live together and it's sort of a trial run for marriage.

Well, it's more than a piece of paper. It's a commitment you make to God and in front of other people. And it's a lifetime commitment. And I would also add, if you want to sabotage a future marriage, live together before you're married.

And stats actually back this up. Statistics show that those that live together before marriage have a 48% higher divorce rate than those that don't. So marriage matters. Here's Jesus putting a stamp of approval on marriage between a man and a woman. This is the only union he will bless.

So he's present. And now he's going to do his first miracle. And what is that first miracle going to be? Yeah, I'm going to turn water into wine. If I was the PR person for Jesus, I'm going to push back on this.

Wait, what? You're God in human form, right? Yes, I am, he might say. Which means you can do anything, right? Could you raise a person from the dead? Well, we need a dead person to start, but yes, I could. Could you restore sight to the blind?

Yes. Heal someone who's deaf? I can do that. Restore the ability to walk to a person who's disabled?

Yes, I could do that. So your first miracle to prove you're the Messiah, your first sign, if you will, is to provide refreshments at a wedding? Exactly.

Why? Very simple. The first miracle of Jesus was done to simply bring joy to people. I want to bring joy. I want to bring happiness.

I want to bring a blessing to the people here. But it shows something else of significance to us as well. It shows his power.

Jesus could do what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. And at this moment, he's showing I can meet the needs of man. I can meet whatever need you have, and this is true for you and me too. What are you facing? Are you facing a crisis? Are you facing a financial need?

Are you facing some other health issue and you say, I don't know what to do? God can meet that need because he's the same yesterday, today, and forever, right? We just have to call out to him. And what's also interesting about this first miracle is it not only impressed the people that were there, but it really impacted his followers. Look at John 2, verse 11.

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him. Now, this does not mean his disciples did not believe prior to this. What this does mean is their faith got deeper.

Wow. This impresses us. It showed them it was true. And you know, as his followers, we believe and we keep believing. Why was the Gospel of John written? John tells us these words were written that you might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and by believing, you might have life in his name. So all of these signs, seven of them, are assembled together to convince you that Jesus is the Lord.

Jesus is the Messiah. And so sometimes we need to grow in our belief, because that phrase, they're written so you might believe, could be translated so your faith might continue to grow. And we have doubts. Have you ever had a doubt? Of course you have. And so we have those moments, and God will do things in our life to remind us of how powerful he is.

So listen to this. Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts. So this one really moved his disciples. So Mary, the mother of our Lord, wants to say something. She sees this as an opportunity for Jesus to prove himself. And so she says to Jesus, they have no more wine. Do something, Jesus. And he gives her a rather unexpected response. Look at verse four.

Dear woman, that's not our problem. My time has not yet come. That's an interesting phrase that is used seven times in the Gospel of John. My hour has not yet come.

The first time he uses it is right here. Later in John 7, verse 30, we read, They sought to take him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. But then later on in John 17, when the Lord prays this powerful prayer, that I think is the true Lord's Prayer, because it's a prayer only Christ could pray, he says, Father, the hour has come.

Glorify your son, so your son may also glorify you. What is the hour Jesus was talking about? What is the hour Jesus was talking about? The hour of his betrayal. The hour of his crucifixion. The hour, if you will, when all of the sin of the world would be poured upon him. The hour when he would rise from the dead. The hour when his ministry would be completed. There are times where like Mary, Lord, do something now.

Right now, do it for us. We see things happening in the world that are so wrong. Oh, how can they get away with that?

How could that be allowed to happen? Do something now. Someone attacks you. They say unkind things about you.

They lie about you. Jesus, do something now. Effectively, he was saying to Mary, Mary, there's a time and a place. And he says the same to you. Just relax. Hold on. Your problem will ultimately be solved.

Your provision will ultimately come. Pastor Greg Laurie, with good encouragement from a new study series in the Gospel of John here on A New Beginning, a series called Seven Signs of Jesus. Well, we're talking with Shannon Bream today, Fox News anchor and author of The Love Stories of the Bible Speak.

She's our guest in the studio along with Kathy Laurie. And Shannon, let's get personal for just a moment. Which biblical story speaks best to the love story of Shannon and Sheldon Bream? That is tricky.

But I will say, you know what? The book I was the most challenged to write about was Song of Solomon. I think so many people in the church are like, whoa, this flowery, very descriptive language about body parts and love and yearning. But it reminded me that all these things about romance and sex and marriage, like God designed that for us. And so we should embrace that part of our relationships with our spouses. And I was just reminded, I do share a lot in that chapter about the excitement I had about marrying him. And as a young bride, you know, you're excited and happy to get down the aisle.

You don't know all the twists and turns and things that will come to you. But that desire to be together in Holy Union and to be together, those are good things. And God honors those and created those for us. In a culture that's so saturated with sex on your own terms or the way you like it or when you like or with whom you like it, God gives us such beautiful guard rails in order to, within those guard rails, there's a lot of freedom and blessing. And so we can see in that Song of Solomon that God doesn't want us to be just sort of these monastic, isolated on some mountaintop somewhere without any kind of love relationship with our spouses. But he can bless it and he honors it. And he actually wants that to be part of our lives.

And he wrote about, we can read how he has expressed that so beautifully in Solomon's song. Yeah. And I feel like I really have to up my love notes game because the language about your arms are rods of gold and your teeth are like twins of doves. And I mean, it's so funny.

It makes me think like, okay, I got some work to do here. I can get more creative on my love notes. Excellent. So Shannon Bream has written a brand new book called The Love Stories of the Bible Speak, biblical lessons on romance, friendship, and faith. And we're making it available to you for your gift of any size this month.

Yeah, that's right. It's an excellent resource that explores so many different types of relationships, not just marriage relationships, but friendships, extended family, community, even dysfunctional relationships. And it's written in a very candid, engaging way.

It's such a helpful, enlightening book. We'll send you a copy to thank you for your investment in keeping these daily studies coming your way. So contact us today for your copy of The Love Stories of the Bible Speak. You can call 1-800-821-3300. Call any time. Again, 1-800-821-3300.

Or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514. Or just go online to harvest.org. You know, there's nothing like hearing the word of God and worshiping the Lord together. I want to encourage you to join us for something we call Harvest at Home. It happens every Saturday and Sunday at harvest.org. You can join Christians from around the world as we worship and we study the word of God together. So join us for Harvest at Home at harvest.org. Well, next time, Pastor Greg brings us more insight from his opening message in the series called Seven Signs of Jesus. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie.