Sermon #S027 - Save The
Best For Last - (Part 2)
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Welcome to The Breath of Life
Television Ministries Broadcast
with Pastor Debleaire Snell.
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In today's episode, Pastor Snell
will share part two of the
powerful message titled "Save
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The Best For Last". Now let's go
on to the Word of God and learn
more about His transformational
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power. Pastor Snell: This
story is one that always kind of
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confuse me, DJ,
because Jesus does a miracle.
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His first announcement to the
world that he is the one of whom
they waited is to turn water
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into wine for a wedding. Now,
the reason I messed up, it's
because this occasion in my
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opinion, and maybe I'm thinking
as a Westerner, or maybe it's
just a male, this doesn't really
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require that type of
intervention. In other words,
nobody dies. If he doesn't turn
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the water to wine, nobody's
going to perish, if he doesn't
turn water into wine, but it
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shows something about our
savior, that Jesus is concerned
about every aspect of our Lives.
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[Congregation: Yeah] But I need
you to understand what is it
working in this story
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and I need you to not be so
Adventist that you don't spend
the whole sermon trying to
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figure out if the wine was
fermented or unfermented grape
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juice- [Congregation: Clapping,
laughing, and cheering]
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-- that who miss out on the
larger points that we are trying
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to share today. Now, I need us
to understand what wine did at a
wedding. See, what wine did,
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friends of mine, is that wine
brought strangers and made them
friends. When you drink wine, it
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will cause you to put down your
defense systems. You would lay
down some of your suspicions,
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that wine would be the
conversation piece. Wine would
drive conversation, and
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dialogue, and fellowship. It
would get us to a place where
the meetings just come in and
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look at one another as strangers
across the room. But what wine
did in this context is it
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brought different parties and
put them in the same space so
that if someone was without wine
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and someone was, guess what,
they would be kind of off in
their spirits, but if they both
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had the same wine, it would put
their spirits on the same page.
And I need you to get, friends
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of mine, that what wine was to
the wedding, Jesus is that to
marriage. In other words, what
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Jesus does is he makes strangers
and makes them friends. Jesus is
the bonding agent. Jesus allows
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us to be mixed and put on the
same spirit. Jesus is what
drives the conversation in the
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same way when the wind runs out.
You just got a room full of
strangers in the same way when
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Jesus runs out of the marriage,
you've got spirits that are not
on the same page, guards go up,
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suspicions begin to multiply and
then all you've got is two
strangers occupying the same
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room. And see the question
should become for us today, how
is it that they run out of wine
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so quickly? And I want to
suggest briefly just a couple of
reasons as to why they run out
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of wine, maybe they ran out of
wine, and this is a little bit
conjecture, maybe they run out
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of well wine because they
planned the wedding too fast. In
other words, maybe they're in
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such a hurry to get to the altar
that when you're in a hurry,
guess what, you miss some stuff.
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When you're in a hurry, your
overlook some things. When
you're in a hurry, your
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calculations are a little bit
off and because they're in such
a hurry to get to the altar,
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that they don't have sufficient
provision to endure the length
of the celebration. And can I
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suggest, friends of mine, the
reason so many marriages are
running out of wine is because
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we were in such a hurry to get
to the altar that we didn't
build up the fortitude that we
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needed to make sure we can
endure the Long Haul. Are you
all hearing what I'm saying? In
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other words, I need you to get,
don't be in a hurry for a
wedding day. A wedding day is
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one day, but the marriage is the
rest of ... Are you all hearing
the pastor today? And what I
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want to just admonish really
briefly is to all of our young
adults or singles who are
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contemplating this decision, I
want to teach just a moment
because I need you to know that
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you don't need to be in a hurry,
because being in a hurry will
cause you to be deceived. So you
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can't make your decisions,
friends of mine, just based on
two or three good months. See, I
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don't believe in love at first
sight. Now, you can be in lust
at first sight. But see, I need
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you to understand this about
love. See, love is not ignorant.
Love is informed. God. See, what
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some of us do is because we are
operating according to
infatuation and we're blind and
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we don't have all the
information, we hurry up to the
altar. When we get married and
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the true character emerges, what
we say is, man, we got married
and they changed. The devil is a
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liar. [Congregation: Laughing] I
need to know, they didn't
change. All that happened is
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those traits that you are so
blinded by by infatuation and
lust, they just became permanent
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in your situation. See, one of
the reasons you want Jesus to be
in every part of your courtship
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is that Jesus will be your
interpreter. [Congregation:
Yeah] You see, there's no such
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thing as good liars. They're
just bad listeners. So when they
speak a lie the holy spirit will
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catch it in mid-air, interpret
it, so that by the time it hits
your ears, it's the truth.
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[Congregation: Cheering and
clapping] So when he says, I'm
in between jobs, what you hear
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is, I don't really want to work.
And because you make good money,
I'm going to sit on the couch
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and wait for you to bring your
check home. [Congregation:
Clapping] When he says, I just
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got a lot of female friends.
What you hear is I'm going to
have competition all the days of
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this relationship. When you ask
him, is he married, and he says,
it's complicated, what you hear
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is that you need to run in the
opposite direction.
[Congregation: Cheering and
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clapping] You see the Holy Ghost
won't let you be deceived. He
won't let you be led astray. He
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will interpret so that you
understand the truth of what God
wants you to hear. Are you all
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hearing me today, friends?
Second reason, friends of mine,
that perhaps they run out of
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wine is because they don't quite
count the costs. You see, a
Hebrew wedding will last, man,
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this thing is rough, I mean, you
have to feed for between three
and five days. And they ran out
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of wine the very first day of
the wedding. And see, because
they're in a hurry, guess what,
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they don't quite know how to
rightly provide. They're not
sure how many folk to account
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for. In other words, they don't
properly count the costs of
entering into this union. And
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can I just pause to say this
quickly, before you jump in, you
better count the cost.
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[Congregation: Right] It's more
expensive than you think. And
one of the things I want to say
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to the married couples, really
briefly, is stop saying... See,
I need you to know, this is the
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devil... when the devil tells
you it ain't supposed to be that
hard. Talk to anybody must been
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married each 30, 40, 50 years,
you've got to witness, raise
hand. Can anybody a test that
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there ain't never been no hard
in your relationship? In other
words, friends, I need somebody
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to get beloved that those who
endure in marriage and thrive in
marriage are not the ones that
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get to bypass hard. They're the
ones that endure hardness like a
good soldier. [Congregation:
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Clapping] So, sisters, don't
jump into this thing just
because you want a wedding day.
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Come on, married ladies, testify
that being a wife and a mother
is hard work. Listen, being a
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wife and a mom is basically
having people dependent on you
25 hours a day. Don't just jump
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down and propose brothers
because your friends got
married. Brothers, can I testify
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that there is a weight to being
a husband. There is a
responsibility that comes along
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with headship. There is a
never-ending stress. There is a
sense of always being
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overwhelmed because not only are
you worried about the mortgage
for this month, you're thinking
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about college tuition, you're
thinking about retirement,
you're thinking about what its
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gonna be like in 10 years.
You're wanting to make sure the
family is going to be well off
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and cared for. And let me just
pause and say this to the
brothers that if you're going to
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manage the weight well, you got
to have a strong prayer life.
[Congregation: Clapping]
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You've got to learn how to cast
your cares upon Him, because,
you know that he cares for you
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because if you don't know how to
manage the weight, eventually
you'll drop the weight and
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abandon the Covenant, or you'll
begin to embrace unsanctified
habits just to help you make it
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through the end of the day. In
other words, when you see a
brother that smoking and
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drinking and clubbing and still
running around like he's 12, it
ain't nothing that something's
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wrong with him, it just means
he's not ready for the weight.
It means that Jesus is not his
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spotter.
[Congregation: Cheering]
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See, how many of us know you got
to let Jesus be the spotter so
that when you get to a point
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where you can't handle it no
more, the long arm of Heaven
reaches down and carries what
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you cannot carry for yourself.
[Congregation: Clapping]
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
Who says it is not supposed to
be hard? The reason it's going
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to be hard is because of what it
represents and because of what
it represents, it's going to be
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resisted. Do you realize,
friends of mine, that marriage
is supposed to be a daily
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parable of God's love for the
church? The way the world was
supposed to know the love of God
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was not just in tent meetings
and revivals and Evangelistic
efforts and door to door, it was
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when somebody who did not
believe, look at a man love on
his woman. It was to be a role
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play of the love of God for
mankind and that's why it's
resisted and tested and pushed
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because the world devil does not
want the world to see the role
played out. Are you all hearing
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what I'm saying? Stop saying it
is not supposed to be that hard.
Yes, it is, because of what it
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represents, because in a healthy
marriage and see, in order to
really get this, you got to
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understand the purpose of
marriage. See, some of us think
the purpose of marriage is to
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make you happy. I'm gonna wait
for you. How many of us know
that if you wait until you get
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married to get some happiness?
You all better help me tell him.
You in for a rude awakening.
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[Congregation: Cheering]
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Because marriage doesn't solve
problems, it just makes them
permanent. You better get you
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some joy while you standing in
Jesus. Are you hearing what I'm
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saying? [Congregation: Clapping]
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So the purpose of marriage is
not to make you happy. Thank
you, Gary Chapman, it's designed
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to make you holy.
[Congregation: Yeah. Clapping]
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Because guess what, what
marriage is, it's like looking
in the mirror for the first
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time. See, there are certain
traits of character that can go
unaddressed by yourself,
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but in marriage, there is
nowhere to hide, there is
nowhere to get away.
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There's going to be somebody on
the other side of that bed
that's going to function as a
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mirror of your deficiencies of
character. And see, the problem
is you get mad and what you see
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in them and you're mad because
all they're doing is mirroring
the parts of you you have never
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seen before.
[Congregation: Yeah]
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Am I preaching to anybody today?
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[Congregation: Yeah]
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Listen, third reason they run
out of wine is maybe they have
some uninvited guests. Ushers,
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lock the door.
[Congregation: Laughing]
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Maybe they got some, in other
words, they got like, you know,
they got 50 on the wedding list
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but they got like, 85. You know,
how we do it a black wedding.
You ain't gonna have no
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invitation. You just got to know
somebody that knows somebody,
and they're giving away free
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wine. Man, it's about to be
happy hour. Are you all hearing
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what I'm saying?
[Congregation: Clapping]
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In other words they got too many
people in the business and as a
result, they run out of wine
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prematurely. And see, I need us
to understand something, friends
of mine, that when you form a
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covenant, married folk, are you
all listening to the pastor
today, that God creates a circle
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that only has room for three,
husband, wife, and God.
[Congregation: Yeah. Clapping]
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Since you're all mad, let me
stand in it, not husband, wife,
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and his mama? [Congregation: No]
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Not husband, wife, and her
friends. Not husband, wife, and
your boys. Not even her husband,
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wife, and your children. See how
many of us know that we advocate
for a marriage first approach to
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Parenting? In other words, you
don't put your marriage on hold
to make sure that the kids needs
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go before your marital needs. In
other words, you invert the
order and you bring disaster
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upon the entire union.
Understand that the kids are not
fed because husband and wife
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starve, but when husband and
wife are well-fed and they're
operating in the overflow,
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marriage becomes like a fountain
and when the top cup overflows,
everything underneath gets
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well-fed. [Congregation:
Clapping] Are you all hear what
I'm saying? So stop saying, man,
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we can't never go out on a date
cause we got kids. Oh, we can't
put on nice clothes because we
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got kids. The Devil is a Lie.
And we ain't got time to come
together. You got to make some
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time. Are you all nervous now?
[Congregation: Yeah. Laughing]
00:16:12.90\00:16:15.00
I'm scared about what I'm going
to say. I'm going to be
sanctified, but what I'm saying
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today, friends of mine, is we
got to get to a place where we
prioritize the right things.
00:16:19.34\00:16:22.98
Every time you hear the truth,
let me hear you say, Amen.
[Congregation: Amen]
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Let me just say this game real
quick to my brothers. I know
that a lot of the large portion
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of our community because Dad was
not there, mama has been
everything to some of us. She's
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been the first, she's been the
last, so that when Daddy left,
mommy was there. When other
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girls left, mommy was still
there. We kind of made it up in
our minds that no matter what
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comes, mom is going to always be
the queen of our hearts, but
understand that when you get
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married, there's got to be a
shift in the order. In other
words mama at some point is,
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she's not getting a demotion but
she's going to be realigned. I
mean, you still love her. She's
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still Mama. But how many of us
know that when you get married,
your Allegiance is to your wife?
00:17:03.15\00:17:10.06
You share your heart with your
wife, you share your secrets
with your wife, you share your
00:17:10.09\00:17:12.93
stories with your wife, not your
Mama. [Congregation: Clapping]
Are you all hearing what I'm
00:17:12.96\00:17:18.10
saying today? That's why Genesis
2:24 says, for this reason,
shall a man leave his father and
00:17:18.13\00:17:26.27
mother's house and he shall
cleave unto his wife and the two
shall become one flesh. In other
00:17:26.31\00:17:31.58
words, at some point, Mama got
to have to get a man or a
ministry- [Congregation:
00:17:31.61\00:17:35.88
Clapping and cheering] -- so
that's your house can thrive.
Are you all with me today?
00:17:35.92\00:17:39.05
[Congregation:
Clapping and cheering]
00:17:39.09\00:17:49.53
Since this husband, wife, God,
not husband, wife, and your
girlfriends. Can I just say this
00:17:49.56\00:18:01.38
again? This goes both ways, but
especially since you got to stop
letting your single girlfriends
00:18:01.41\00:18:06.85
council you about your marriage.
[Congregation: Clapping and
00:18:06.88\00:18:10.55
cheering] In other words, they
can't lead you where they have
never been. They live in a world
00:18:10.59\00:18:17.46
where they can get mad and call
it quits, they can start over
tomorrow, you're in a covenant.
00:18:17.49\00:18:21.06
In other words, why you taking
advice from somebody who have
not been where you trying to go?
00:18:21.10\00:18:25.50
All right, let me ask it this
way, ladies, if you saw a sister
and her hair is busted,
00:18:25.53\00:18:32.51
are you asking her
who does your hair?
00:18:32.54\00:18:37.78
[Congregation: Laughing]
00:18:37.81\00:18:40.18
I want to go and see them. In
other words, if they don't got
it, they can't give it. Oh,
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you're all mighty quiet here
today. See, marriage, friends of
mine, see, the visual ought to
00:18:52.09\00:19:03.41
be like a good pair of scissors
so that when the two sides come
together, it punishes anything
00:19:03.44\00:19:07.14
that gets in between the
two. [Congregation: Clapping]
00:19:07.18\00:19:12.68
So one of the things we've got
to do, friends of mine, is we
got to go back to the source.
00:19:12.71\00:19:19.02
Are you all hearing what
I'm saying? [Congregation: Yeah]
00:19:19.05\00:19:21.56
Can we go in the Bible's real
quick? First John 4:8. First
John chapter 4 in verse 8, when
00:19:21.59\00:19:28.70
you get there, let me hear you
say amen. Over there toward the
New Testament. First, John
00:19:28.73\00:19:33.64
chapter 4 and verse 8, I promise
you, I'm not gonna keep you much
longer. First, John four and
00:19:33.67\00:19:40.88
verse 8. When you get this a
pass from here. Not St. John,
First John, Some of you all
00:19:40.91\00:19:43.75
struggling for this first
John. [Congregation: Laughing]
00:19:43.78\00:19:45.91
We got to get some new Bible
study class is going back up in
here. You got to get Sabbath
00:19:45.95\00:19:49.62
school started again. First John
4:8. When you get there say I'm
00:19:49.65\00:19:51.85
here. [Congregation: I'm here]
00:19:51.89\00:19:52.99
The Bible says, he who does
not love does not know what?
00:19:53.02\00:19:56.66
[Congregation: God]
00:19:56.69\00:19:57.49
God. For God is what?
00:19:57.53\00:20:00.30
[Congregation: Love]
00:20:00.33\00:20:01.43
God is love. And I know it
seems cliché, friends of mine,
00:20:01.46\00:20:04.40
but we got to get back to the
place where we're taking these
marriages back to the source.
00:20:04.43\00:20:08.80
Notice the word
didn't say God is loving.
00:20:08.84\00:20:17.21
See, love is not just one of the
traits of God. Mike, the Bible
says God... he is love, he is
00:20:17.25\00:20:29.46
the source, it emanates from
him. It is renewed and
replenished in him and because
00:20:29.49\00:20:39.27
he is the source, whenever I
feel like I don't have enough,
all I've got to do is go and
00:20:39.30\00:20:47.41
plug back in to the source which
is God. So there was somebody
says to me, Pastor, you know, I
00:20:47.44\00:20:51.91
just feel like I've just fallen
out of love, you know. I just
don't have no more love to give.
00:20:51.95\00:21:00.32
What you're actually is
announcing is that you're no
longer connected to the source,
00:21:00.36\00:21:06.90
because if I'm connected to the
source, guess what, my well
never runs dry. It's crazy, I
00:21:06.93\00:21:12.23
remember probably about 10, 11
years ago, man. I had a long day
at church, you know, is that
00:21:12.27\00:21:17.11
second weekend in February,
All-Star Weekend game, and I had
preached and taught and visited,
00:21:17.14\00:21:20.14
and I couldn't wait Malcolm to
get home and watch the game that
night and I get there to the TV
00:21:20.18\00:21:25.31
on a press the remote, but it
does not come on. And then, you
know, I hit it manually and it
00:21:25.35\00:21:29.72
still doesn't come on, and it's
crazy because like, man, I'm
frantic. The dunk contest is
00:21:29.75\00:21:34.76
about to come on. I mean, it's
crazy because I started doing
all kind of histrionics. I'm
00:21:34.79\00:21:40.76
looking at the TV, I'm yelling,
I'm yelling at the TV. I mean,
I'm the pastor, I'm yelling at
00:21:40.80\00:21:47.14
the TV, and it's crazy because
now I start shaking the TV, star
trying to hit the TV. I'm trying
00:21:47.17\00:21:50.67
to do all these things to
manipulate the... into giving me
some picture on the screen and
00:21:50.71\00:21:52.81
eventually, it dawns on me, go
and see if it's plugged in.
[Congregation: Laughing] And
00:21:52.84\00:21:59.01
because it wasn't plugged into a
source, it didn't matter how
much I hit it, our spoke to it,
00:21:59.05\00:22:05.25
or shook it, it could not give
me what I needed if it was not
plugged into a source. And the
00:22:05.29\00:22:16.16
reason we're struggling, it's
been trying to hit it and speak
to it and shake it, when all
00:22:16.20\00:22:29.78
we've got to do is get plugged
in to the source of love, which
is Jehovah. See, friends of
00:22:29.81\00:22:40.49
mine, we've got to stop
experimenting and start
becoming. You say, we spend too
00:22:40.52\00:22:50.07
much of our times talking about
what they are not and so, you're
missing out on where your
00:22:50.10\00:22:56.17
victory is. See, how many of us
know your victory is not in them
changing, its in you accepting.
00:22:56.20\00:23:19.79
Ooh, you all don't want this.
No, no, no. If your happiness is
based on them changing... No,
00:23:19.83\00:23:21.83
no. See, singles, hear me this.
That's why you don't marry by
faith. You marry by sight
00:23:21.86\00:23:28.47
because we marry hoping they're
going to change. Ooh, you all
look so mad right now.
00:23:28.50\00:23:35.98
[Congregation: Laughing] Your
pictures not in waiting for them
to change their sense of humor.
00:23:36.01\00:23:45.25
Your picture is when you just
accept their sense of humor.
It's not in in waiting for them
00:23:45.29\00:23:50.89
to change and become a punctual
person. It's in accepting that
they're going to always be
00:23:50.93\00:23:57.77
running a few minutes late. It's
not in waiting from the change
and be financially wise, it's in
00:23:57.80\00:24:00.27
accepting that that's your
strength and not theirs.
[Congregation: Clapping] Are you
00:24:00.30\00:24:09.18
hearing what I'm saying? See,
why did you marry them if you're
waiting for them to become
00:24:09.21\00:24:14.55
somebody that they are not? And
you won't ever be happy until...
your happiness won't come when
00:24:14.58\00:24:17.92
you get what you want, but when
you just say, I'm going to want
and celebrate what I already
00:24:17.95\00:24:22.89
have. [Congregation: Clapping]
And we got to stop
experimenting. What do you mean,
00:24:22.92\00:24:28.90
Pastor? So there are times when
our marriage is in crisis and I
said, well, did you try to pray?
00:24:28.93\00:24:34.00
Did you try coming... call on
the name of the Lord? Did you
try counseling? Did you try
00:24:34.04\00:24:47.12
that? And it was like yeah,
Pastor, you know, I tried it
for, yo know like, that one
00:24:47.15\00:24:55.26
time. You know, I prayed like,
two weeks in a row. We went to
counseling twice, and we've got
00:24:55.29\00:25:03.00
this experimental approach. As
opposed to a committed approach,
see, how many of us know that if
00:25:03.03\00:25:08.27
you tried diet for two days, you
will never lose that thing. You
got to commit to that thing.
00:25:08.30\00:25:12.67
It's the same with the marriage
so that as we approach this ,
friends, like we're not trying
00:25:12.71\00:25:22.12
to answer the question if it's
going to work out. We're
operating with a divorce is not
00:25:22.15\00:25:28.46
an option mantra that says, we
ain't got no choice but to work
this thing out. We got each
00:25:28.49\00:25:34.76
other and by the grace of God,
this house is going to be built
upon the rock that is Christ and
00:25:34.83\00:25:36.93
no matter what comes against it,
the house is going to stand. Are
you all hearing the word today,
00:25:36.97\00:25:40.57
friends? [Congregation: Yeah]
And it's crazy because what
Jesus does, man, is crazy. I got
00:25:40.60\00:25:46.17
actually got more sermon than I
have time to preach. He
literally turns water into wine.
00:25:46.21\00:25:50.48
He takes something that's stale.
He takes something that's dead.
He takes something that likes
00:25:50.51\00:25:55.95
texture and color and what he
literally does is he gives it
life. He gives it color. He
00:25:55.98\00:26:01.19
gives it Vitality. He makes it
something that is exciting and
pleasing, and bonding. It brings
00:26:01.22\00:26:04.39
two people together, it lowers
their suspicions, it gets them
on same page, it makes enemies
00:26:04.43\00:26:14.90
friends, and it gets their
spirit on the same place. And
what God is saying to somebody
00:26:14.94\00:26:32.59
today is today, your marriage
might be water, but if you give
it back to me, hold on a little
00:26:32.62\00:26:40.50
while, dip in one more time, in
a few days, it might be wine, if
you just let me have control.
00:26:40.53\00:26:44.07
Have you ever felt like you were
on the verge of something big,
like you were on the precipice
00:26:44.10\00:26:53.51
of something providential? You
could sense God's divine
movement in your life, but you
00:26:53.54\00:26:57.71
didn't quite know how to
anticipate the space of being on
the verge of something. You got
00:26:57.75\00:27:06.65
stuck in a place of anticipation
and you got settled or cemented
in your current reality. I want
00:27:06.69\00:27:12.26
you to know, friends, that on
January the seventh I'm going to
begin a new teaching series
00:27:12.29\00:27:20.44
entitled On the Verge of
Something. This series, we're
going to follow Israel's journey
00:27:20.47\00:27:26.31
from the Passover to the Red
Sea, where they went from being
in a place of anticipation,
00:27:26.34\00:27:32.41
where they're able to see God's
ultimate plan come to pass for
their lives. This series is for
00:27:32.45\00:27:41.62
somebody that's got a living
vision on the inside of their
soul. It's for that person that
00:27:41.66\00:27:48.63
has dreams gestating inside of
their spirit. And so I want to
encourage you to join us each
00:27:48.66\00:27:54.90
Saturday at 11 a.m. and each
Wednesday at 7 p.m. and then on
Sunday, January the eighth. I
00:27:54.94\00:28:02.54
want you to join us for our 21
days of Prayer. Each Saturday
and Sunday, we're going to join
00:28:02.58\00:28:10.99
together at 8 a.m. and each
Monday through Friday, we'll
meet at 6 a.m. Central Standard
00:28:11.02\00:28:28.10
Time. We're going to pray, we're
going to testify and give
messages of encouragement to
00:28:28.14\00:28:47.42
those who believe they're on the
verge of something. And so this
year, I want to encourage you to
00:28:47.46\00:29:02.50