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Jesus was invited to a wedding at Cana of Galilee. Here's what's critical: Jesus was invited to the wedding, and the wine ran out. In biblical times, running out of wine was a social problem. But notice this—they had somebody special on the guest list.
Many of us feel overwhelmed because we wait until we run out to invite Jesus in. But God has said, "If you bring me in before you run out, I can fix it when you lose it." Some of you are running out of money, running out of peace, running out of strength. God says: because I'm in your situation, I'm going to give you more strength, more peace, more finances.
We have to mature to a place in God where we don't just run to Jesus when it's broken, but we run to him when we don't have a problem. When the problem comes, Jesus is already there.
Up until this point, Jesus had not performed a single miracle. When the wine ran out, his mother tells him they need help. Jesus responds, "Woman, my hour has not yet come." This is critical—the moment he performs his first miracle, the clock starts toward his crucifixion. Jesus knew he only had three years before he would die.
His mother wanted him to do something that would benefit everybody, not realizing what it would cost him. Some of you are overwhelmed because you've been making miracles happen for people, but they don't realize what it took out of you to make it happen for them. If I come to church and I'm not cute and I'm not quiet, and I throw my hands up and I holler—you don't know what this cost me. I paid too much for this anointing. I paid too much for this peace. I paid too much for this favor. I paid too much for my vision. It cost me something.
When Jesus calls his mother "Woman," he's drawing a line in the sand. From that moment forth, because you are now pulling on my power, every other time you came to me, you pulled on who I was based off a relationship. But now that you're tapping into my divinity, I got to make it very clear: My anointing ain't subjected to you.
The problem with many of you is that you keep allowing people who shouldn't have access to your oil access to the parts of you that God desires to use. You cannot let people tap into your power just because they have a relationship with you.
Jesus tells his mother, "Woman, my hour has not yet come." But look at her response in verse five—she doesn't respond with attitude or anger. She looks at the servants and says, "Whatever he tell you to do, do it."
Wait. Where in the conversation did Jesus say he was going to do something? She knew the type of God that He is. She couldn't see Him lacking or not stepping into it. She just needed Him to step. And every time He steps into your situation, He steps in. Step into my family. Step into my finances. Step into my mind. Step into my ministry.
God is about to step into your situation. When God steps in, nothing can be against you. Sometimes life gets rough because God says, "I'mma let it get as rough as it can, cuz I'm not just trying to prove to you that I'm God. I'm getting ready to prove to everything that's been holding you that I'm God."
There stood six stone water jars used for ceremonial washing, each holding 20 to 30 gallons. Jesus looks at them and says, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the brim.
What's the first thing you missed? These jars should have already been filled. These are the jars where people would wash their hands. Why is there no water in these jars? Because sometimes before God performs a miracle, he makes sure you have no other options.
But here's what's remarkable: How does Jesus know the jars aren't full if nowhere in the text does he inspect them? This speaks to his ability, because the Scripture says man sees the outer appearance, but God sees the heart.
You think the only miracle in this scripture is the fact that water got turned to wine. But no. The first miracle is that the vessels got filled. God looks at these water pots and He says, "Before I fix your situation, I'm going to make sure these vessels are in purpose."
What I was going to teach you on today was consecration—when God sets something apart for His specific use. Consecration is when He looks at you and says, "Hey, how you doing? Do me a favor. You can't be with them, because you're going to be used by me. And because you're going to be used by me, you're going to have to be lonely for six months. If I let them use you, they're going to use you up."
Some of you are going to die letting everybody use you but God. You're over here trying to figure out why you don't fit in with nobody. You're consecrated. You're trying to figure out why that last relationship didn't work. You're consecrated.
When you are consecrated, He sets you apart. To be set apart means you're not for everybody's use. It means you are surrendered—it's not about what you want, it's about what God wants. It means you are prepared, which means you must remove everything that does not please God.
Just because something can hold something doesn't mean that's how it was supposed to be used. Too many of you are letting people treat you like a broken old TV—just because it can work doesn't mean it should be used that way. When God has a purpose for you, He consecrates you and pulls you out.
Those jars only got filled because the people at the wedding had a need. The people in your life don't even realize half the blessings they got because they got blessed because God was blessing you. And in order for God to bless you, He had to go by them. Which means you don't have to be jealous of what He's doing in their life, because when He flips your life, He's going to flip theirs too.
Jesus says, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the brim. They filled them to the brim.
Here's what this means: If you're going to dream, dream to the brim. If you're going to serve God, serve Him to the brim. If you're going to love people, love them to the brim. There are two types of people in the world—those who would have filled it, and those who are going to fill it to the brim.
I discovered I got to start picking my circle better. Because when God fills you up so much that every time you move, the person on your left and the person on your right gets a little bit of your breakthrough, you need people around you who are going to fill it to the brim, not just halfway.
Jesus tells them, "Draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." Up until now, it's just water. Water is a euphemism or metaphor for the Holy Spirit. What we see in this text is an empty vessel filled with water—an empty vessel filled with the Spirit.
Why do I preach every week like I do? Because I see vessels that need to be filled with the Spirit. We're living in a day and age of spiritual warfare. If you don't have the power of the Holy Spirit, life will consume you.
He draws some out water. It is not yet wine. Upon first draw, you still are what you are. Some of you are overwhelmed because you thought when God filled you, you would instantly become what He predestined for you to be. But that's not how it works.
You've been coming to church six months and it feels like nothing's changed. Well, you're just water—He's forming you. You're loving God and loving people, and then you got upset the other day and ended up cussing and acting a fool. It's because you're still water. He's forming you.
Jesus says, "Take it to the master of the banquet." Here's why this is important: Too many people want to be the taster, not the drawer. When it's your season, He says, "Yes, you did the work and you filled the pot. You drew the pot. But you're a server. You don't know the potency of what you're serving. Take it to the one who can validate the miracle."
Throughout the Bible, we see patterns. Remember the ten lepers who were healed? Only one came back. Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest because the priest was the only one who could validate the healing. God says, "I don't skip you because I don't love you. Sometimes I skip you because you ain't qualified to validate what I'm doing."
The master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. But here's the question: Did it happen in the pouring? Did it happen in the drawing? Or did it happen on the way?
There are three types of praisers in this room. Some of you shout when He fills you. Some of you shout when He gets it out of you. But then some of you can shout because it's on the way.
For what you're not even holding yet, get ready. Your breakthrough is on the way. Your favor is on the way. Your promotion is on the way. Your job, your peace, your overflow, your engagement, closing on your house, another degree, your scholarship, your health, your strength, your family, your future, your finances, your joy—it's on the way.
You may not see it now, but I know it's on the way. Not every sign will you see now, but I know it's on the way. Eyes have not seen. Ears have not heard. It's on the way.
But let me free you about something. Yes, it's on the way. But it wouldn't have to be on the way had the people in charge of the wedding planned properly. We have to stop depending on miracles because we're not doing our part. That's why your praise should be on another level—not just because it's on the way, but because it's on the way in spite of me being in the way.
I will worship while I'm waiting. Any day now You will fulfill Your promise. I still believe that You are good.
When the master tasted the water that had been turned into wine, he didn't realize where it had come from. But the servants who drew the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside—notice that he didn't ask where the wine came from, though the servants knew. This detail is crucial.
The master wasn't present for the miracle. I'm going to tell you something: stop trying to explain to people who weren't present how God flipped it. They won't understand because they didn't see it.
Here's my own theory about why the master didn't ask: If Jesus's mother knew the wine ran out, that means people were talking. Everyone at this wedding knew they had a problem—they had no wine. Wine was their natural drink, not just a luxury. So everyone was looking at the bride and groom thinking poorly of them.
But then suddenly, the servants bring out new wine—not watered down. This was real, quality wine. The host comes out of nowhere with something miraculous, and the shame is lifted.
What you need to make wine isn't just grapes—you need grapes that are crushed and you need time. To make sweet tea, you need sugar. To make wine, you need time, grapes, and a dark place. That's the recipe.
Jesus didn't only lack the resources; he also didn't have the time to wait. Yet here's the truth: you serve a God who can do today what should have taken a soul. Your God can do in this amount of time what seems to need this much time. It doesn't take God long. He can pay off your house this year. He can change your career. Don't listen to people who tell you it takes six months.
When you're in a dark place, he's developing you. He does his best work in the dark. Wine isn't made in the light—it's made in a dark place. If you're going through a dark season right now, understand that God is crafting something in you. Time, resources, and a season of confusion—that's what creates the finest wine.
Here's what's powerful: the master praised the wine but had no idea where it came from. He 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 for last."
The master was saying, in effect, "I give you the good stuff first." But here's the principle the devil is still using today: he lets a relationship start off so good that you become drunk in love and don't realize all they're giving you now is water. He lets a job start out so high. The devil masters manipulation. You end up drinking out of habit, tasting water but thinking it's wine.
This was Jesus's first miracle. His first miracle was a social gathering—not opening blind eyes, not healing the sick, but saving a wedding. Had his first miracle been opening blinded eyes, you would have thought his whole career was about performing healings.
But Jesus is strategic. He's what my professor at Yale Divinity called a hypostatic union—all God and all man. He emptied himself of his deity, wrapped it in flesh, and called it humanity. He called himself Jesus. Yet he said, "Mike, I want everybody to know that yes, I can open blinded eyes. Yes, I can heal your body. But I'm also that concerned about meeting your needs." And his disciples believed in him.
After this miracle, Jesus went down to Capernaum with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and they stayed there a few days. But notice something nowhere in the text does Jesus or the disciples enjoy the wine. This is the biggest lesson I learned in 2024.
Sometimes God will call you to do for others what you don't even get to experience for yourself. God will use you to help people pay stuff off and you're still in debt. God, you have on the phone giving people the best advice in the world and you don't even know what to say to yourself. Am I preaching to anybody?
I said something about three years ago that got over a hundred million views: the apples on the apple tree aren't for the tree. They're for the people. Somebody listening right now, you find yourself smack dab in that tension. You've helped so many people. You've saved so many relationships. You've fixed so many careers. You've helped people find purpose. But what about you?
I don't think that's a wrong statement to make. I've had nights where I laid on the floor and said, "God, come on, bro." I've literally said to God out of my own mouth, "Why I always got to fight? Can I just have six months? Just give me six months where whatever I decide to do, don't nobody hate on it."
Outside of this past Easter, I've never had a moment in my life that was incredible that wasn't instantly followed by something crazy. You win an award, but someone said this about you. You get this building and all of a sudden it's whoosh—flags, problems come up. But nobody paid attention to the bill, and now every inspector in the world just happened to drive down the street.
But this is the first year of my life where it's different. You want to know what it took? I surrendered. This year, I surrendered being impressive for being impactful. I no longer desire to impress anybody. I'll sit at a table now and do Bible study on a Wednesday night and could care less who shows up because I'm in purpose.
The highlight of my life now isn't awards. I was nominated for BET Awards and I was like, "Oh, that's so dope." But you want to know what my biggest award this year was? A young lady tagging me after she graduated from high school. Seeing Brad get to go to school. That means so much more to me.
What I'm trying to get my church to realize is this: we should be caught up on being that vessel versus being the bride and groom. You want the miracle. I just want to be used. You hear me?
I don't know where you are in your life right now. You know what? Slip your hands in the air and just say, "Lord, I just want to be used by you, God." From this room to overflow to people watching all over the world, playing church is over. This game where it's a race to see who can get the most members, who can go viral, who can have the biggest church, who got the most followers—that's dead. Only what you do for Christ is going to last.
So God, in this moment, we repent for the seasons of our lives where we weren't obedient. For the seasons where we didn't follow your word, for the seasons where we constantly fell short—God, we know now you're not looking for flawless people. You're just looking for faithful people.
Nowhere in the text have you ever called us to be perfect. You just called us to be surrendered. So in this moment, God, I come to you just as I am. Issues in my life, I come to you. Family trauma, I come to you. Whatever it is, I come to you perfectly imperfect. We surrender right now.
God, let our church be a place that welcomes people to Christ, not run them from Christ. God, I pray that you get the glory.
