DOING WHAT EVER HE SAYS

John 2:5

Morning Meditation 11/2/17

"His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."

Someone said, "In this key-verse is the golden rule of a happy and useful Christian life. Do we want to know his joy, peace, and blessing upon our service? If we do, we must do what He says. Are we seeking fresh and enlarged fields of service -- and do we need His guidance? Do we need our prayers answered? Then we must do what He says.

This text comes from our Lord's attendance at the marriage at Cana of Galilee. I suggest you read John 2:1-11. They had run out of wine at the wedding. Mary told Jesus and then she turned to the servant and said, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."

There were six good sized water pots there. He told them to fill the water pots with water. I can imagine them saying to themselves or among themselves, "I don't think the ruler of the feast is going to like being served water!!! And before they knew the water suddenly became wine. Jesus said, "Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast." The surprise of surprises was first experienced by those who drew out the water made wine. I think they must have said, "Listen, we put water in the pots. Vot has hoppened!!!" There is a program entitled, "How did he do that?!" We are told that this was the beginning of miracles (vs 11). If this is the first miracle He ever did, then why was Mary so confident in telling Jesus that they were out of wine? Why did she confidently tell the servants to do what He said?

This may mean that this was the first miracle He wrought after having entered His public ministry. Is it possible that He had done some miracles at home that His mother saw before He entered His public ministry. I guess we'll have to wait until we get to heaven find out things like this. Let's,

CONSIDER THE FACT THAT HE DOES SPEAK TODAY

He speaks just as He spoke to His disciples 2000 years ago. How does He speak?

1. He speaks to us authoritatively. He was constantly speaking to His disciples. Some of the things He said were hard to understand. John 6:49-61, "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?" Then in John 6:66 we are told, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."

Do you have God speak to you? If Jesus is our Lord, He is the one who will constantly speak to us about His will in all the circumstances of our lives. I do not believe that when He speaks He is giving additional revelation. The Bible is God's complete revelation. But He does speak words of guidance. He does speak words of illumination. Many times when I am reading the Scriptures, He turns the light on concerning a certain passage of Scripture. Then He speaks to the Church through the Holy Spirit filled preacher. He addressed the letters to the seven churches of Asia to the pastors (called angels). The pastor's passed the information along to the members.

2.. He speaks to us personally. "Whatsoever He saith unto you do it." God called me to preach in 1954. I have yet to find my name in the Bible. But His call was not contrary to the Word of God. And the call came through a burden that would not let up. 1 Timothy 3:1, "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." That desire was there. The feeling that I couldn't do it was there also. Both feelings were correct. I have discovered God's call is always to attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed unless God steps in. With God's call, comes the gift to do what He has in mind for you. God never calls us to do anything in our own flesh. God works through us. To do that, He speaks to us personally. Sometimes it is while hearing a preacher preaching the Word of God. Sometimes it is while we are reading the Word privately. Some times it is the intuitive knowing that He wants you to do a certain thing.

3. He speaks comprehensively. Note the word "whatsoever." He speaks to us about the little details of life as well as the big things. I read this in one of Muller's biographies. Someone was sitting before him in his office. He was writing something and his pen took out. The man watching said Muller closed his eyes and moved his lips in prayer that the Lord would cause the pen to write. When he finished his prayer, he continued to write and pen preformed as it should. Now if something like that has never happened to you, you might question some trivial thing like that. But I remind you that the Scripture says in Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

If we do not pray about the small things, it is doubtful that we will be able to pray with faith about the big things. It is prayer about the small things that gets us ready to pray for the big things. We need to see the living God working in our lives all the time.

4. He speaks to us instrumentally. That is, he speaks through others. Wise and helpful counsel is a great aid in finding the will of God at times. However, we can get unwise counsel. At this point we need to exercise the truth of Colossians 3:15-16, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

I believe the regenerated spirit will bear witness to the RIGHT counsel. I also believe that wrong counsel will give us an unsettled spirit.

5. He speaks to us providentially. To me one of the greatest miracles is a Sovereign God working in providence. God can orchestrate all the affairs of men, even to the small things, to accomplish His will without violating their will. If we pray God can give us opportunities to witness by bringing to us those who need our help. At times He has us on an elevator in a building at the same time some other person is there He wants us to witness to. I don't want to give the impression that I button hole everyone I meet. I do not. But I have won, I don't know how many people to Christ, because God impressed me to witness to them. Many times I have had people respond by saying something like, "I have been wanting to talk to someone about that." I have also had God bring into my path troubled Christians that He impressed me to talk to.

6. He speaks to us through His Word. The Word of God is one of the main ways Jesus exercises His Lordship over His people. Can you imaging how many Christians do not even open their Bibles? They do not have a private time with the Lord or come to Church on a regular basis. There is a common saying that shows the complete ignorance of the professed believer. It is, "I can worship God as well at home as I can at church." The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." This is not a request, it is a command.

There is another verse in Ephesians 3:21, "Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." If one wants to give God glory from his life, he must be in a New Testament Church. The Word of God is taught and preached in the Church. Hundreds of people have come to me after the service and told me that the message was just for them.. God has a way of guiding the preacher to preach on what the people need. This is where growth takes place. Read Eph. 4: 11-16.

7. He speaks to us by the Holy Spirit. John 16:13, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."

Believers are to walk after the Spirit; Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Preaching is to be done in the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:4, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:" When this happens people will be saved and the saved will grow.

CONSIDER HOW WE SHOULD RESPOND TO WHAT HE SAYS

1. We should respond with prompt obedience. Mary said, "Whatsoever He saith do it." Too many Christians think that getting to heaven is all there is to being saved. They have not obeyed the Lord since they have been saved. When you practice the Word of God in your life, you are being obedient to Him.

2. We should respond with complete obedience. There is a danger of rendering to the Lord only partial obedience. They filled the water pots "to the brim." Partial obedience is not acceptable. Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

3. We should respond with unquestioning obedience. The word in our text is "whatsoever." This means that we are to obey Him without question or dispute. We have a tendency to argue with the Lord. We try to put unscriptural fleeces out to make sure we understood Him. Most of the time we understand clearly. We just want to get out of it.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White