Rev. Justin R. Lester - 9.2019 - National Baptist Convention

Some of our church members came today, but most important person here is my wife is here with me today. And so my wife Courtney is here. And to all of you God's children, to see some friends. I grew up in Milwaukee, went to school in Nashville. So to see so many of my friends and colleagues here today, and especially you, it's just good to be alive in your midst to see what God would have to share with us in this moment. So not to delay the moment. If you have your Bibles, turn with me to the Gospel according to John. John chapter two. And I want to share with you what God shared with me. To share with you all this afternoon and then go on to Cafe Du Monde and get a good beignet. John chapter two, beginning at verse number one. It says this. I'm reading from the new international version. Your version may read different, but it's the fresh, the powerful word of God. It says this. On the third day, a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus mother was there. And Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus mother said to him, they have no more wine, woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied, my hour has not yet come. But verse five, his mother said to the servants, do whatever he tells you. So nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing east, each holding from 20 to 30 gallons. Then Jesus said, fill the jars with water. So they filled them to the brim. And then he told them, now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the bridegroom aside and said, everyone brings out the choice wine first and the cheaper wine after. The guests have had too much to drink, but you saved the best till now. I want to concentrate for our time together in verse number five. Mary, his mother said to the servants, do whatever he tells you. I want to wrestle with this thought. If you would tag your it. You may be seated even in the presence of the Lord. Tag your it.

I have a two year old son.

And I love my little boy. He grows by leaps and bounds every single day. And one day I went to go pick my son up from daycare. They were on the playground playing this little game called tag. The teacher goes out and gives one of the students this intangible yet powerful thing called it.

And the students are going around Chasing.

Each other to give each other this.

Little powerful thing that you cannot see called it. And they're teaching these students to move.

From a posture of receiving to a posture of giving, from a posture of receiving to a posture of giving that.

They'Re constantly running back and forth to give away. This thing called it. It has weight to it, it has responsibility to it. It carries a certain amount of maturity that these students are constantly running back and forth all over the playground just to share this little thing called it. And it made me think about when God called us, when God selected us, when God put himself on us, when we wake up and see that we're made in his image, that for so many of us in this room that God had for us, we ran from it because we knew there was weight to this thing called it. There was responsibility to our anointing, there was exposure that comes with being it. Because when you're it, Pastor, you're the one on the front page. When you're it, you're the one the mayor will talk to. When you're it, you're the one who's on the front of the program. When you're it, you're the one who other people look up to. When you're it, you're the one who gets criticized. That there's some weight when God moves you from a posture of receiving. Receiving to a posture of giving. When God trusts you, when he puts it on you. And somewhat so not while we wrestle with this thing called it even our own Savior, John, chapter two, tells us he wrestled with the it that the Father puts on him. The Johanna narrator is a very interesting writer in the text, some 10 to 20 years following Luke and Matthew's writing, even 40 after Mark penned his John, this beloved disciple who calls himself that he, he communicates some parables. We don't get another gospel. He gives us different stories of Jesus because he's trying to unveil to us that Jesus was both a hundred % human and 100% God. Why is that important? John is writing to a bunch of Gnostics and docetists, and he's bearing witness to the world. That the gift of God has now come into the world in the incarnate Jesus. That Jesus was a hundred % human and 100% God. And we see this in the subtleties of how John writes his gospel. And the Johannan narrator gives us interest into the life of Jesus by introducing us to Jesus in some interesting ways. Not only is he the Word made flesh, but John says he's the light in the life of men. And he says that Jesus is the only one in verse 14 of chapter one who has access to the Father's heart to make the Father's heart known. And so this narrator gives us this beautiful story and a pause on the third day of Jesus's ministry. Get the picture For Jesus, he's come down, he's been baptized by his cousin John. The dove has fallen, he's called some disciples. And on the third day of his ministry, three days of exposure, three days of silently meandering in communities, three days of the word spreading that Jesus is live on the scene. The text says that Jesus gets thrust into the limelight in the middle of a week long celebration of a wedding down in Cana at Galilee. And here gives John, gives us the opportunity to wrestle with how Jesus would live into the reality of being this 30 year old Jewish brother sitting at a wedding, but now full of the fullness of the divine God that Jesus, who now had the revelation of God in him, sits on the outskirts of the wedding close enough to the water pots that were used for ceremonial washing. Pastor Lee, this 30 year old Jewish brother, he's here hanging out with his crew. He's here hanging out with his family. He's here hanging out to celebrate. And in the middle midst of him hanging out, being a 30 year old Jewish brother, the text says his mother shows up and says, baby boy, the wine has run out. This party in the middle of this wedding, the thing we would use to keep the party going, the wine has run out. Now we can glamorize this subject, but at that time wine was like water. You weren't, didn't have to be 21 and show an ID to get some wine. There's no funny business to wine. The wine ran out. Jesus being a Jewish brother, is kicking it on the scene in his Jesus lean at this wedding. And Mary comes and calls out what she knows the father has put inside of Jesus. Because, Pastor, I believe God has a curious way of calling us out when we sit on what we know God has put inside of us. Have you ever been there in spaces where you intentionally are sitting on. You don't want to reveal what you know God has put inside of you. I mean, you're sitting on the airplane, you don't want anybody to know you pastor a church because they may start asking you some questions. You don't want to get. You don't want to be the one to lead the prayer at the birthday party because you don't want to have to have some questions about what your church believes or doesn't believe. Because Jesus is this 30 year old brother sitting in the background. But I love Mary because Mary says, I know what the Father put in you and I know what God has put on you. And you can't hide the anointing that's inside of you. See, I'm talking to some folk in the room. Y' all can talk to me if you want to. Who get frustrated that wherever you go, somebody figures out that you know the Lord. That wherever you go, somebody figures out that you're saved. And let me tell.

You something. I.

Thank God. He trusts me to take him into places other folk wouldn't take God to. I wish y'. All, But I love that.

God trusts me, that he knows if.

He put a word in me, I'm gonna make sure that word gets out. He trusts me with my anointing. Am I talking to anybody in the building? That's why you won't stay silent at the.

State House. He.

Trusts you. That's why you won't stay silent when you.

Go home. Because God knows if I.

Put in you, I know what's in you. And I'm gonna call out the word I put inside of you. And Mary comes to Jesus and says, son, we've run out of wine. We. We've run out of what will keep this party going. And Mary, the mother tells him and all of his in front of all of his boys, we have no more wine. Now, some believe. Some believe. Some believe this would be an embarrassment because we believe that the person. The wedding that was happening in Cana might actually have been Jesus, sister. And so this would have been an embarrassment for their family because now, as Joseph would have died a few years earlier, Jesus is on the front scene. And this is an embarrassment to our community. No matter whose wedding it was, it's a big deal. Weddings are a time to celebrate. Weddings are a time to love, to engage, to celebrate the sanctimonious part of marriage. And after angels have come down, the dove has descended on Jesus. Mary has the name nerve to call out what she knows God has put inside of Jesus. See, I'm talking to folk in the room. You know the authority God has put on your life. But right now, it's not my time yet. You're sitting there, you know that God has put something greater in you. But right now I'm wrestling with when to reveal it. Because I don't want to be known as somebody who turns water into wine. But I thank God, Pastor Lee that God will put some Mary's in your way. I thank God that God will put some Marys in your space that will ensure that while you may not want to reveal how gifted you are in this space, I know the God that's inside of you. And I'm gonna call out what's in you. Because, Tag, you're the one God has selected to be it. So Jesus, you've been baptized Jesus, you built your crew. Jesus, you're chilling at the wedding. Jesus, I know you're here just to be here, but Jesus, you're the only one God who has access to the Father's heart. And Jesus Christ, we've run out of wine. See, sometimes I love it. Jesus was reticent as his response to be engaged in this community. Because understand at this time, turning water into wine was something that was done by magicians and by false idols. People would trick around and turn water into wine. And so Jesus says, I don't want to be known by something the world calls success. Because I know I can do something bigger than this. But I love it because, Pastor, there are some times where God will position you to do what the world calls magic and show that what the world considers magic is normal to the God I serve. That God will take success. I wish y' all and call success normal. Okay, we call healing a whole bunch of success. God says, I heal folk every single day. I.

Wish.

Y'. All. We see God turning marriage around. Cause turning marriages around is normal to my God. And here's how I know. Success is normal to my God. And my God is able to do. I wish I had some Bible readers, exceedingly and abundantly so. I'm not surprised that I get graceful every morning. That's normal to.

My God. I wish.

Y'. All. I'm not surprised he wakes me up in.

The morning. That's normal to my God. I'm.

Not surprised. He makes my enemies.

My footstool. That's normal to my God. I'm not surprised. Am I talking to anybody in the building? I'm not. You can't make me doubt him. I.

Wish.

Y'. All. I know too much about him. What the Lord has done.

For me. Jesus says, I'm almost done. It's not my.

Time yet. I want to.

Be known. I don't want to be known the way magicians are known. But I.

Love it. Because God uses the ending.

Point of our own fragility, of the fragility of the magicians minds as a starting point for God's divine operation in the world. And so Jesus is positioned to do this. And Jesus says, woman, it's not my time yet. Now, there's nothing crazy or funny about the way he calls a woman. That's just the way it was written in the Aramaic. And John was used to talking like that. But I love it because it's the divine operation of God working in Jesus that speaks boldly. In this moment. I don't want to be defined by what false gods have done. I don't want my reputation to be something that turns water into wine. I don't want this wedding to be the place of my main exposure. And I know I will show signs of the Father. I know I will change the world. But right now, I don't want to change water into wine because my first miracle will not be the gluttony of people or the lack of preparation for this family to ensure we have enough wine. But, Pastor, I love Mary because the text says Mary. Y' all doesn't even respond to Jesus. The text says that Mary looks at the servants and says, servants, do whatever he tells you to do. That bothered me, Pastor Lee. Mary, who do you think you are? Jesus only had a couple of disciples. So Mary, maybe Mary was trying to raise a statue in the community. Servants, do whatever Jesus. Jesus tells you to do. It's a plot twist because what Mary did was Mary took away the opportunity for Jesus to manage or define how he will be exposed in this community. Jesus says, it's not my time yet. Mary says, no, it is your time. Mary calls out what she knows Jesus is capable of. Jesus, I know you don't want to be known as someone who turns water into wine. I know this ain't how you want to come on the scene. I know this isn't how you want your reputation to be defined. I know there's more to you than turning water into wine. But I won't let you.

See sit on the background of this.

Wedding because I know what you're capable of doing. So servants, do whatever he tells you to do. And here's what I know. What's in you. Jesus. Jesus. Remember I'm Mary. I prayed for you, Jesus. I rode a donkey nine months pregnant for three days to get back and take a census while I had you in my.

Belly.

Jesus. Jesus. My husband almost divorced me.

Over.

You. Jesus. Jesus. I prayed for.

You, Jesus. I went down to my.

Cousin'S house and you, you let John jumped inside of my sister's belly. Jesus. I wrote a whole song called the Magnificent about you.

And Jesus. I will not let you.

Sit in the background because I know.

That God is working inside of you. And I think Mary does something Pastor, that God is doing to our churches. And I'll take.

My seat. I believe that God is.

At a place in our churches where he knows what he showered on us. He knows how we're wrestling with the exposure to.

Our communities. And God is looking at.

Our communities and saying, communities, show up to that church and do whatever they tell you to do. And I believe this is a challenge for us to wrestle with the knowledge that God is working with us and in us in the way we desire to be perceived in the.

World, that God is getting beyond the.

Ways we want our churches to be.

Known, how we market ourselves, how we.

Want our ministries to.

Be defined. Because we don't want to.

Be known as the church with a whole bunch of homeless folk because we don't want them.

To come. But maybe God has looked.

At the homeless community down the street from your church and said, homeless people do whatever I wish y' all talk to me they tell you to do. We don't want to be known as the church pastor that has all these young folk in skinny jeans singing praise and worship. We are him singing church. But what you don't know is God told the millennials in your community, do whatever God I wish y' all they tell you to do. I don't want to be known as the hooping church pastor. I want to be a teaching church to get all these life.

Church folk. But what you don't know is God has sent some. Some folk that need your.

Hoop and said, do whatever they tell you to do. We won't live into the authentic reality of Jesus working in us. The clear image of the imago DEI that every time I look in the mirror, I see the Godhead staring back at me. That we're afraid of how the world will misinterpret my name and.

My exposure because I want to control how I'm talked.

About, woman. It's not my time yet, but servants do whatever they tell you to do. And here's the reason why God does this. And I'm finished. Because God knows there's something he's put in you that when he sends the community to you, he knows you're well able to handle the weight of what the community will bring to your table. Let me suggest the challenge of this text is not the water into wine. We know God works miracles. But I believe the challenge of this text is accepting the reality that no matter how young we are, how old we are, how educated we are, uneducated we are, how big our budgets are, how small our budgets are, how competent our staff is, how incompetent our staff is, is that God has our churches at a place where we cannot control how the world talks about us. And God is challenging us to get beyond the insecurity of our concern, of our reputations, of our exposure, so that we can ensure that at any given moment, his reputation is the one that's shown in our churches. And could it be that God has our churches at a place where he's challenging us to ensure that we have something to offer the community when they come, instead of being consumed with how we refuse to work with the opportunity, the community he's sending to our churches? God is telling the servants, do whatever they tell you to do. Maybe that's why millennials keep coming to your church, seeing your pastor. You think you're old and nobody wants to talk to you, and you think a T shirt and Facebook's gonna change it. But maybe God is sending them to your church because the gospel that comes out of your mouth is still powerful and gets beyond age. Because God told those millennials, do whatever God I wish, I'll talk to me. They tell you to do. Young preacher my age. You're 30 years old. All these senior citizens keep coming to your church, and you're saying, I want a young, hip church. You don't want to sing hymns, but maybe God has looked at that senior citizen complex you pass by every single Sunday but don't do ministry, too. And God says, I told them, do whatever God I wish, y'. All, they tell you.

To.

Do. Why? Because, Tag, you're it. I'm sending you to the church because you're the one who's it. So how do I live in the. Into this reality? Very quickly, one thing. I'll give you number one. How do I live into my itness? Number one, I can work with anything because God works with everything. I can work with anything because God works everything with the text. The text says Jesus looks at the water pots around him, ones used for ceremonial washing, and tells them, go use these pots. Now, these pots stood about 2 to 3ft tall. These pots were used. They were used to wash hands, to wash feet, to watch the leftovers of pots and plates and pans. They were nasty, dirty, disgusting water pots. And whether that nastiness was literal or figurative, with impure bodies being washed into these pots, the impurities of the meals, the leftovers from bodies of sins were washed into These pots. This consistent washing wasn't a one time thing. It was a constant washing of impurities. Every time I went into a place of worship and the text says, Jesus looks at these dirty disgusting water pots and says these are the perfect vessels for my first miracle. God. Jesus looks at something that we've defined for another purpose, at something we've overlooked because we put our leftovers.

In it. At something we used to.

Wash our private sins off God and says the first miracle will not happen at somebody's church. God, I'm going to use a dirty disgusting water pot. Jesus repurposes. He re engages something we've overlooked through our own consistency and says, I'm going to repurpose something in front of us and give it purpose in this party. Could it be pastorally that God has us in a season to really dive deep into what it means to have prophetic vision, what it means to see the things around us the way that God sees the things around us. Your ministry is not dead. Your ministry is not over. Your ministry is not on decline. You just need to give it a brand new purpose that that ministry. Those seniors you think aren't bought into what God has in your church, young preacher. God says look at that water pot one more time. Those millennials you think don't understand anything but constantly are tweeting your sermon. God says look at that water pot one.

More time. Those black bodies you overlook.

As you walk to church every Sunday but you think they can't be do anything. God says look at those security officers one.

More time. Those homeless people that you.

Overlook on the way.

To church. God says look at the water pot one more time. Could it be we get.

So numb to the vessels that God has put in our midst at the.

Very thing we need for the miracle for Jesus to perform in our midst.

Is right in front of us. But we get so caught up in giving it our private sins and giving it our leftovers that we overlook that Jesus can use that dirty dispute, disgusting water pot for a miracle right in front of us. It shouldn't take a non profit to care for our people because we got some water pots in our churches. I wish y'. All it shouldn't take banks to finance our churches. We have water pots called tithing. I wish y' all that are right in.

Our churches. It shouldn't take a school to teach after take schools to do.

After school programs in our communities. We got empty rooms in our churches every.

Single day. It shouldn't be the daycare's fault when our Children don't know who black.

Authors are. We. We've got black folk that write in our own churches. And maybe the situation is we've overlooked the water pots that are right in front of us. That water pot you've walked.

Over, maybe that empty classroom you guys call a junk room at your church. You trying to reach.

Young families. And maybe that junk room.

In your church can be repurposed for.

A nursery for young mothers in that dirty little.

Water pot. Maybe those college students you've thrown out in your church can be repurposed to tutor the children that you want to.

Beat up. But God says, I'm sorry, trying to grow.

Them up. Maybe that old van that doesn't work anymore. Can you be used to go into food deserts to take food to our people? So they're not eating Popeyes, but they got access to whole foods because God can do a major thing with some dirty.

Water pots. And the reason I know.

God works with dirty water pots is every single one of us in this room is a living testimony that I was sinking deep in sin. I wish I had somebody for far from the peaceful shore Very deeply stained within Sinking to rise no more but the master of the sea. I wish I had heard my despair. Am I talking to any dirty water pots in the building that can thank God right now? He used me in spite of me. He used me. Regardless of me, I thank God he specializes in using some dirty.

Water pots. I'm done. I'm done. I'm done. God can use anything. Secondly, and finally, I'm finished. I have a desire to bring other people on the journey with me. Watch the text. Jesus does not fill up the pots by himself. Text says, he tells the servants, fill up the pots. After you fill them, dip into the pots, and then take the miracle to the chief servant. There's Pastor Lee. There's so much in.

This.

Cash. There's. There's so much in this. Because we know the third part of a miracle in the Gospel of John is participation in a miracle. We know that. We know that power.

In there. But God said, justin, go back at.

The text. And God shared with me. He said, look at Jesus. Jesus says, fill the pots up. After you fill the pots up, dip your cup into the pot, take it to the chief servant. Jesus says, fill it, dip it, take it to the servant. The miracle would have happened in the pot. And he says, take the miracle. The weight of what just happened, the future of the party is in your hands and take it to the chief servant. Are we empowering our People with the opportunity, with the faith, with the wisdom to carry the weight of being a miracle God? Are we empowering people to carry the weight of the miracle that Jesus trusted them to participate in? Or is our faith so static you got to preach one way, you got to sing one way, you gotta shout.

One way. Or are we giving people.

The space to wrestle God with the weights of carrying some miracles? Watch this. Taking a miracle to a community I don't have influence in yet, but the only thing they can say is Jesus is the one who empowered me to have this miracle. Are we giving people the space preachers to wrestle with the ever evolving nature of their faith that they know when they get in the presence of Jesus, they can wrestle with their faith. They can wrestle knowing that with Jesus they can carry the weight of a miracle because it's not on their back, but it's the trust they have in the Lord Jesus Christ. May God challenge us as churches and leaders to give people the space in our churches to wrestle with the weight of their stories. May God challenge our ministries and churches not to be static but ever evolving. May we wrestle with our own presumptions and accusations about other communities that have been planted in our churches that we can wrestle with the language we talk to with the people around us. May God enrich us with the resources necessary to attend conferences not.

To pat each other on the back, but to find out best practices to change and fill our.

Deep wells. May God challenge our church.

Spaces where we can wrestle with the.

Weight of hyper masculinity and divorce and living together before marriage and where folk.

Don'T feel casted out, but we can show them, baby, God can turn your life around. May we give people the space to wrestle with the jar because here's why that's so important. The only story they can tell about the jar is Jesus is.

The one who told me to fill the.

Jar up. Jesus is the one who told me to dip in because my story always is going to point back to the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, because Jesus is the.

One who turned that water.

Into wine. Jesus is the one who fixed my marriage. Jesus is the one who got me through depression. Jesus is the one who brought me out of that conflict. Jesus is the one who turned. Am I talking to anybody in the building that can think about your testimony and testify? If it had not been for Jesus changing some things. The word of God is what impact.

Empowered me. And pastorally, as New School.

As I am, as young as I am, I still believe the word of.

God is The only thing we have as preachers in this day and age to fight through and wrestle.

With miracles. Because I still believe that eyes have not seen and ears have not heard and minds have not conceived and hearts have not felt the great things that God would do with his people. I still believe that a miracle, signs and wonders. I still believe that God can do exceedingly and abundantly. I still believe that the Lord still is my shepherd. I shall not want he'll make me lie down in green pastures. I still believe the Lord is the light of my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. In nothing shall I be afraid. I still believe that he sent down his son through 40 and two generations he suffered under Pontius Pilate. I still believe he died one Friday night and his body was stretched and brutalized and battered for me to have power today. I still believe that he stayed dead all day Friday and all day Saturday, but got up early on Sunday morning. I still believe that 50 days later the Holy Spirit came down.

On those who are praying for.

The Lord. Local church I still believe that he's called some to be deacons.

And apostles and preachers.

And evangelists. I still believe that some glad morning when this life is over he's gonna crack open the sky and.

Separate the wheat from.

The tear. I still believe that the Antichrist will come through for Christ to come and destroy this temple and resurrected once again. I still believe that one of these are glad mornings I'm gonna cast down my crown Am I talking to anybody in the building? I ain't got a whole lot of money But I still believe God's word I ain't got a whole lot of honeys But I still believe God's word. I ain't got a whole lot of friends but I still believe God's word. And that's why I love the hymn, because the hymn put it.

Like this. When we talk about what.

To preach, how to reach the masses.

Men of every birthday for.

An answer. Jesus gave the key and the Lord said, if I be lifted up, I will. I'll draw all men unto me. Is there somebody that can help me close this sermon? Stand on your feet and lift up your hands and help me lift Jesus because he's worthy of the praise. Because the higher I lift him, the better my budget is. The higher I lift him, the better I feel. The higher I lift him, the better my praise is. I wish I had somebody at the National Baptist Convention down in New Orleans that can toss your head back, open up your mouth? Tear the roof off this place? And help me lift Jesus? Because he woke you up this morning? Help me lift Jesus? Because he started you on your way? Help me lift Jesus? Cause he paid your bills? He healed your body? He turned your life? Didn't he do it for you? Didn't he make a way for you? Well, if you're not too mean? Help me close this sermon? Open up your mouth and shout his name? Jesus, my burden bearer? Jesus, my heavy load sharer? Jesus, my battle ax? My friend at the midnight hour? Won't he do it? I said won't he do it? Won't he do it? If you know he will say yeah?