Finding God’s Signs in Your Emptiness // Priscilla Shirer ?
Priscilla Shirer joins us for a special Mother’s Day weekend with a powerful and encouraging word on being a believing disciple of Jesus.
best sermons, Christ Jesus, Christian, Christians, Christmas, Christmas message, Christmas sermon, Christmas story, Christmas teaching, cross, encouraging sermons, faith, family, forgiveness, God, gospel, heaven, hell, HolySpirit, hope, inspirational sermons, Jesus, love, marriage, messages, powerful sermon, prayer, preaching, reason for the season, relationships, sermons, teaching, Tony Evans, Tony Evans sermons, trusting, victory, youth
hey there I am so excited to have the
opportunity to be with you like Point
Church I feel like saying Lake Point
Church family and the reason why I feel
like saying that is because you know I
born and raised right here in the
dallas-fort Worth Metroplex and my
entire life I have known about Lake
Point Church that’s kind of been holding
it down in the Rockwall area of town
we’ve been in Oak Cliff the south side
that’s where our church is Church I
still attend to this day that my dad
pastors and you know we live in a great
community don’t we where it seems like
God has put these incredible anchor
churches and ministries in the four
corners of DFW and so I want you to know
that that the ministry of your church
for all these years and all these
decades has gone far and wide and so it
feels like a gift to me to be able to be
a part of today and so I want to thank
you so much for the opportunity to do
that Pastor Josh and Jana thank you for
inviting me to be a part of Mother’s Day
and to be a part of the life of your
church again it feels like a gift to me
and I’m so grateful there’s another
reason why I want you to know that this
is a delight to me to be able to share
God’s word with you over the next few
minutes it’s because this is my first
year mother’s day without my own mom my
mom went home to be with the Lord
on December 30th though so just a few
moments ago and one of the things she
was saying to us as you know the last
weeks of her life were very clearly sort
of drawing to an end and she knew she
was going to be in heaven soon and we
were all kind of coming to grips with
that reality one of the things she said
to us was this cannot stop ministry this
cannot stop ministry so I know on
Mother’s Day what she’d want is for me
to be doing everything that I can to
still be pouring into the life of God’s
people so your invitation is a gift to
me on Mother’s Day thank you so much I’m
gonna pray and then we’re gonna jump
into a portion of Scripture that I want
you to dive into with me if you would so
if you know you got your cell phone
ready if that’s the way you look up
Scripture or if you actually still use a
Bible with paper pages like I do then go
ahead and grab that all old-school and
stuff however you do it is totally fine
but I want to show you something
the pages of scripture that I think is
gonna be an encouragement to every
single one of us no matter if we’re male
or female or if we have children or
don’t have children or whether we’re
single or married but I think
specifically it will be an encouragement
to moms on this mother Day Mother’s Day
moms like me who are raising children
and you’re right in the throes of it I
want to encourage you with it and I want
to help to propel you forward as you
continue doing what it is that God has
called you to do so let’s pray together
Lord Jesus I thank you for this
privilege and this opportunity to
celebrate in particular on this Mother’s
Day the moms who are holding it down
Lord who are doing what it is required
of them to raise the children you’ve
entrusted to them to us father I thank
you for them I pray that your blessing
would be upon them and over these next
few minutes that we’re gonna spend
together at Lake Point Church in your
word I’m asking that you would breathe
afresh on this passage father so that we
are all encouraged and so that there is
not one person under the sound of my
voice even though technologically
speaking we’re now distant from each
other but the Holy Spirit is going to be
able to take this message right into the
hearts and homes of every individual
who’s listening and that before our time
is over every single person will know
that today they heard the voice of God
do it father in your name I pray amen
well go ahead and get your Bibles ready
to the Gospel of John it’s one of my
favorite books in the Bible so just kind
of get yourself ready there toward the
second chapter because that’s where
we’re gonna land in just a few minutes
and as you get yourself there let me
just tell you what I was thinking about
as I was considering this passage the
book of John is one of my favorites
because John is real specific about
pointing out different encounters Jesus
had different conversations that he had
different messages he preached and he’s
real specific about the reason why he
says that they’re all going to be signs
that point people specifically to Jesus
so that they might believe that he is
who he said he is and I was thinking
about signs signs so up until recently
my family and I have lived in a fairly
rural part of the Dallas Fort Worth area
you may have heard of it Midlothian it’s
south of y’all quite a bit if you’re at
your local church there in Rock Walden
it’s very south from walk wall and we
lived there for quite a while and about
about ten years or so and the reason why
we moved to this fairly rural part of
Dallas is because it was far enough away
from the city to feel like we were
worlds away but it was close enough
where we could get there in a hurry you
know the Starbucks was just around the
corner and you know girl you know that’s
important that we get to the Starbucks
so the Starbucks was just around the
corner and the Barnes and Noble’s nearby
and Dillard’s wasn’t too far super
target on hand took us about 10 minutes
to get into Cedar Hill where all those
things were but once we drove back on
that little two-lane road toward
Midlothian where our house was
we literally felt like we were worlds
away and you know as I mentioned I have
three sons so I believe in go outside
and play I don’t know if you still
believe in that but that’s what up
that’s what I believe in to this day
they need to go outside and play so I
wanted to move into an area where there
was a little bit of yard you know things
boys need in their life like trees and
bugs and mud and stuff like that and so
anytime my boys still to this day have
the nerve to come to me and say mom I’m
bored I say do you see that tree out
there go play with the tree I don’t care
what you do with the tree but go enjoy
yourself outside so we lived there for
all those years where they were little
they are 17 and 15 and 11 now so older
but when they were little we were
outside all the time one of my closest
friends in the world lives across the
street from where we were she has a huge
pond in front of her property we’d go
over there and fish and you know we just
enjoyed living out there in all that
space here’s the problem with living in
the country though when it’s dark it’s
dark and anytime somebody wanted to come
and visit me I would always try to get
him to come during the day before the
Sun set because it’s easier to find that
way but if for whatever reason they had
to come out in the evening time after
the Sun had gone down and it got dark
not only would I give them just sort of
regular old typed out texted directions
I would also give them some specific
signs to look for I’d give them some
landmarks
I’d say girl don’t just look for the
particular wording that’s on the
sign where you got to turn left or turn
right because maybe you know in the
country some brush has grown over and
now you can’t see all the wording on
that I would say look for the big red
boulder that’s sitting on the corner
right there or I would say look for the
huge sign that’s in front of an entire
neighborhood then you’ll know that
you’re headed in the right direction or
look for the horse farm that you’ll see
when you make that sharp left because
there’s some signage around there that
you can pinpoint it’ll let you know
you’re still on the right path and of
all the signs that I would give them to
look for the very first landmark was the
one that was most important it was the
one that would let the person the
visitor that was coming to see me it
would let them know that they were
indeed on the right path so that when
that road got longer than they thought
or when the curve was a little sooner
than they expected it to be they would
know because of that first sign that
they were headed in the right direction
this is what’s so interesting about
John’s book John says to us that he has
written about specific signs in his book
as a means to point people to Jesus in
fact you don’t have to turn there I’m
gonna read it to you he ends the book by
saying I want you to know exactly why I
wrote everything that I pinned under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit exactly
why I wrote it in these pages he says I
want you to know why I’m gonna read to
you John chapter 20 verse 30 and 31 he
says many other signs Jesus performed in
the presence of the disciples and
they’re not written in this book but
these these are the ones that have been
written here for the purpose of making
sure that you believe Jesus is the
Christ the Son of God and that believing
you may have life in his name
John admits there’s a whole bunch of
other signs that he could have written
down but he said I specifically didn’t
write down everything I just pinpointed
some of the signs because I believed
under the inspiration of God’s Spirit
that these would be the signs that would
be most strategic and letting you know
that our God is who he says he is and
that he can do everything that he says
that he can do so I’m starting here you
know to dig into this book thinking to
myself well not only do I want to know
what all the signs are but I want to
know about the first sign because just
like when I give directions to someone
coming to visit me
very first sign often is the most
important sign
it’s the landmark that’s gonna tell you
right up front
that you are headed in the right
direction it’s like the first couple
chapters of a book that you may be
reading or the first musical bars of a
pianist rendition of a song
it’s those initial inaugural things that
sort of grab our attention they pull us
in they make us stay tuned for the rest
so since I knew how important it was
that the first sign be something really
seminal and important and critical I
thought you and I might dive in to the
very first sign because if John thought
it was important enough to be the first
landmark the first sign to point us in
the direction of Jesus so that by
believing or by reading we would believe
that Jesus is who he says he is then I
thought of John thought it was important
enough to be the first sign but you and
I should take our attention there and
see why now I want to make sure you
remember before we read this story
that’s gonna be fairly familiar to you I
want to make sure that you remember that
signs are never designed so that you can
be impressed with the sign any sign that
you’re so impressed with that you never
take your eyes off of the actual sign
itself that means that sign might be
cute but the sign is not doing its job
signs aren’t designed necessarily to be
impressive for the ultimate purpose of
drawing your attention to them the goal
of the sign is to introduce you to
something else it’s to point you in a
different direction so all of the
miracles of Jesus the signs the
landmarks the messages he preached the
conversations that he had the encounters
that we see throughout the entirety of
Scripture all of those signs if they
never lead us to Jesus we’ve missed the
point of the sign altogether and the
very first sign that Jesus that John
draws our attention to is in John
chapter 2 look at verse 1 through 11 it
says on the third day there was a
wedding in Cana of Galilee the mother of
Jesus was there and Jesus also was
invited his disciples they also came to
this wedding verse 3 says
that when the wine gave out the mother
of Jesus said to him they don’t have any
wine anymore and Jesus said in verse 4 a
woman what do I have to do with you my
hour has not yet come but Mary knew
better she said to the servants in verse
5 whatever he says to you you do it and
so verse 7 Jesus said to them fill the
waterpots with water so they filled them
up to the brim and then he said to the
servants take some out now and take them
to the headwaiter so they took it to the
headwaiter
and some were in between verse 8 and
verse 9 a miracle happens because it
says in verse 9 that when the headwaiter
tasted the water which had become wine
he didn’t know where it came from but
the servants who had drawn the water
they knew what had happened the
headwaiter called the bridegroom and in
verse 10 he said to the bridegroom
doesn’t everybody usually serve the good
wine first because you know after
drinking the good wine everybody would
be a little bit too confused to know
when the poor wine had started to flow
so he said doesn’t everybody normally
serve the good stuff first and when men
have drunk freely then that was just
poor but you you saved the best stuff
until now verse 11 this was the first
sign Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and he
manifested his glory and look at the
last line of verse 11 and his disciples
believed in him I don’t know about for
you but for me that begs a very
important question because this text
says that after this sign the disciples
started believing in him that tells us
it’s possible to be a disciple who
doesn’t believe it’s possible to be
someone who has a relationship with
Jesus who walks with him who talks with
him who’s in fellowship with him who
goes where he goes who does what he does
who participates with him who eats with
him who has conversations with him it’s
possible to be a disciple but not really
be a believing disciple I’m talking
about someone who
whole life has yielded to him who
depends on him and trusts him who
doesn’t lean on their own understanding
when adversity comes or trials come or
hard stuff comes like what you and I are
facing right now the global crisis that
we’re all facing and all the personal
crisis we were already facing before the
global one showed up a believing
disciple is someone who trusts him and
believes that he is still on the throne
he is still calm he is still sovereign
and that he is not displaced and
surprised by the things that surprised
us I don’t want to just be a disciple I
want to be a disciple who believes a
disciple whose whole life is fully
surrendered and dependent upon Jesus
Christ
so John writes this sign and he says
this is the primary way that I know to
make sure that you begin to really put
credence and who Jesus is that your life
now even just you know where you’re a
Christian and name only where you go to
church every now and then you know
Easter Christmas when it’s convenient
that you’re not just a Christian in name
only but you don’t just behave a certain
way around certain people that you don’t
just you know read a Bible verse a day
to keep the devil away you know it’s not
like some ritual for your life you you
actually have a living breathing fervent
vibrant relationship with Jesus where
you pray where it’s not a a last resort
where prayer is your priority where you
look forward to fervent conversations
with him and where with every crisis
that you face before you seek the input
of anybody else you’re seeking the input
of your great God through the spirit as
he lumens his own word in your life I
want to be a disciple who believes and
John says that the primary way I know to
begin to make you a disciple who
believes is to write down a story of a
time when I saw Jesus step into
someone’s emptiness and fill it back up
he said the primary sign is when I saw
somebody giving the best they had to
give and their best was not good enough
and Jesus stepped into that emptiness
and fill
right back up okay I’ve got bad news and
good news the bad news for us is that
our best likely will never be good
enough for the marriage that you have
for the children that have been
entrusted to you mom
for the dynamics on your job
entrepreneur for the business that
you’re trying to build ministry servant
for the for the ministry that God has
entrusted to you the outreach that
you’re poor in your life into the
creative ideas that you have the gifts
that you have the talents that you have
finances that you have the interests
that you’re able to sew into that
endeavor or that person the emotional
investment that you have for that a
relationship of yours you and I can give
our best and oftentimes we will find in
fact more than often most of the time
we’re gonna find our best is not good
enough no matter how much we give no
matter how much we invest no matter how
much we pour in we’ll constantly feel
like our best is not good enough that’s
the bad news
but the good news is that he gives us
his best to implement into every
circumstance of our life can I tell you
right now how important it is to me to
hear this message and this principle of
John chapter 2 because right now in the
throes of raising these teenage boys I
don’t know what I’m doing I’m looking at
them going through the struggles that
are similar to what we faced you know
for me it was like in the 90s I
graduated from high school in 93 so
coming up through the 80s and the 90s we
had struggles too and the pressure of
our peers and of course having to steer
clear of immoral choices and I certainly
was not perfect at any of any of that
but what I do know is that the pressures
I see my sons facing have escalated and
mushroomed so much so because they have
much more at their disposal 24 hours a
day then we have had access to many of
us and so as a mom trying to raise young
adult men I feel like a fish out of
water and I feel like every single day I
keep on trying to give my best to the
best of what I know to bring of advice
or of boundaries or of discipline or a
consistent fun or hospitality
for them and their friends I mean I’m
doing the best I can but can I tell you
that most every night I going I go to
bed feeling like my best wasn’t good
enough again none of us can be in our
own strength and in our own power what
we need to be to satisfy all of the
demands and the needs of the aspect of
our life and it seems like the gospel
writer knew that so he wanted us to know
that the primary way the seminal way
that we can begin to see our own life as
a sign that points people to Jesus is
when we have given our best and our best
isn’t good enough that means that
instead of being discouraged and
disappointed because we feel overwhelmed
and outmatched and like we’re the
underdog in some area of our life
instead of being disappointed maybe we
should actually sit on the edge of our
seat with our chin in our hands leaning
forward to catch sight of when Jesus is
getting ready to show up at this party
the party of our lives and show us that
even when our best isn’t good enough
that’s when he begins to turn water into
wine he begins to actually make
something not just good but better than
what you ever had in the first place
it’s a promise that I’m so grateful for
in my own life and John is showing us
that actually the primary way we see
Jesus is in the seasons and the times
and the areas of our life where we keep
on giving keep on doing keep on serving
keep on investing and we keep on feeling
like we’re falling short could it be
that that’s the exact area of our life
where Jesus is waiting to be invited to
the party so he can show us what it’s
like when he fills up that thing that
has become empty and difficult and hard
for us in our lives this is the primary
sign that John wrote down and I believe
that it’s one of the primary signs from
our own lives that show us that Jesus is
who he said he is now not only is it an
important sign for us because we get
introduced to Jesus in a very palatable
tangible way when we’ve got emptiness in
our life or disappointment in that way
and
life you know it’s one thing to know him
in the pages of Scripture like it’s one
thing to have read about and y’all know
as I said a minute ago I grew up in
church I grew up you know sitting on the
second the second row of pews piano side
right behind my mama right on the side
where the piano was I mean I grew up in
church I know what it is like to hear
incredible Bible teaching from my dad
who stole my pastor to this day I know
what it’s like to know about the God who
had power enough to divide the Red Sea
or the God who had power enough to say
to Joshua and the Israelites walk around
the walls and then he causes the walls
to basically implode on themselves I
know and have read about the power that
Jesus had in the New Testament to raise
up Lazarus from the dead I got it I mean
I got it down I know the stuff but it’s
one thing to know it but then allow what
we know to now not satisfy us but
actually become a little bit of a divine
agitator because now that we know it we
want to experience it we don’t just want
to know about how powerful he is we want
to see that power operating in our
marriage and as we invest in our
children and in our financial dilemmas
our small businesses some of you have
been so affected by what we’re going
through right now we want to see him
step in in our own health crisis and the
needs that we have in our life we don’t
just want to read about it we want to
see about it John says this is the way
the way is when you’ve got emptiness and
it needs to be filled up and you can’t
do it that’s the part of your life where
you start looking to the horizon Jesus
is coming if you’ll let him in and he’ll
show you the miracle of a lifetime how
he takes your messes and make some
miracles how he takes five loaves and
two fish a little bit that you’ve got
and he multiplies it and all of a sudden
people are able to be fed in your life
emotionally physically they’re able to
be fed your business your ministry the
people that are entrusted to you through
that outreach that you are invested in
people are able to be satisfied that you
know you could have never satisfied
given your own limitations and your own
boundaries so not only is this his way
of showing us that this
the way we personally meet Jesus but the
people in our sphere of influence namely
on this Mother’s Day your children they
will not come to know Jesus not just
here but here they won’t come to know
him because mom was a perfectionist who
was rigid and had to have everything
right all day long every day what is
going to draw them to Jesus is when they
see a mom who knows how gosh I’m trying
to learn this to walk with the rhythms
of grace to recognize that man I’m so
not perfect I have so many weaknesses
and so many lapses in judgment and like
I’ve said to my kids often listen I’m
apologizing right now for all the stuff
as an adult you gonna have to talk to
your counselor about because I already
know I’m not doing everything right I’m
hoping that as they see me in situations
like these people were right here in
John chapter 2 where they’ve given their
best but we recognize that man without
Jesus the single workout as they see
that emptiness principle operating in my
life and how I depend on Jesus how I’m
prayerful when they were younger I used
to let them intentionally catch me
reading the Bible I wouldn’t do my
devotions behind closed door I did it
right smack dab in the middle of the
living room or at the kitchen table so
that when they woke up they would catch
me inviting Jesus to the party and
saying Jesus I actually need you today
to help my family to help my sons to
know who you are and to see you by your
spirit at work in our lives so I’m not
just interested in what testimonies like
this will teach me but and what it will
teach and show and how it will influence
the people that I’m impacting in my
lives and again on this Mother’s Day as
we think about our children I just want
to encourage those of you that are
mothering and you feel like you can’t do
it single mom you just give it
everything you’ve got and you feel like
it is just daily
not enough can I encourage you encourage
you in knowing that not only is Jesus
getting ready to
troduce introduced himself to you in a
real practical way but your kids aren’t
gonna come to know him in a very special
way not because you were perfect not
because you had it all together not
because you were enough but because you
weren’t enough and they saw Jesus
stepped in they’re gonna be able to give
the testimony about how their mama did
the thing not because she was excellent
and amazing but because they watched
Jesus support her support your family
dynamic I want that testimony for my
children because I don’t want them to
just be churchgoers I want them to be
boys and then men who are warriors for
the kingdom of God and they love him
with their whole heart with all their
strength and with all their mind I’m
praying that as I walk in the rhythms of
grace as you walk in the rhythms of
God’s grace where we admit that the best
we have to offer has run out as we admit
that and Jesus steps in and fills it
back up to the brim I’m asking that that
will be in the eyesight of our children
and that it will influence them in a way
that will be a ripple effect
generationally in each and every one of
our families you know one of my son’s
I’m he’s 15 now but when he was 3 years
old I’ll never forget this was a day
when the offering basket had gone by at
church and he’d missed the opportunity
to put in you know the dollar or two
that we had given him as a
three-year-old and we’ve been trying to
teach the boys this principle of tithing
and how important it is to give to the
Lord what is due to him and to honor him
in that way so after service he said mom
I missed the opportunity you know in his
little three-year-old way he’s holding
up the one dollar bill and and I said
it’s okay don’t worry because at our
church in the four-year lobby area
there’s a box that sits there and
anybody that wants to actually
throughout the week anybody could show
up at the time and they could put in
their offering in that low box so I said
after church don’t worry when the crowd
clears out we’ll go out into the lobby
and we’ll we’ll put the put the dollar
and don’t worry we’re gonna go give to
the Lord so after everything cleared out
we were talking with people you know how
you do after church just fellowship it
and enjoy it everything cleared out then
I walked with my three-year-old towards
the lobby and as we were walking
I’m teeth
the principle I’m trying to remind him
what tithing is what offering is that
it’s not just a donation no we are
giving to the Lord what he’s owed what
he’s due for how good he has been to us
so I’m teaching him this principle we’re
going to give money to the Lord as soon
as we step in the lobby our worship
leader at the time comes bounding down
the staircase on the side from his
office towards the lobby now this guy
had a gregarious personality he was
always on the platform at church because
he was the worship leader so my boy saw
him every single Sunday here he comes
bounding down and down the stairs
JC my second son sees the dollar in his
hand that I’ve just told him were giving
to the Lord and he sees this guy that he
sees every single Sunday high and looked
it up on the stage and he says is that
the Lord explained to him nobody
that ain’t the Lord and in fact no human
is I think sometimes in our church
culture which in a way I wonder as he’s
shaken up our church culture with
everything that has happened with this
shelter-in-place mandate I wonder if
this is going to start to shake off some
of the df’ some of the ways we have
deified humans we’re people that really
are our servants we have kind of lifted
them up to the fact that we have
forgotten that no human is the Lord
in other words can’t nobody do for you
what Jesus did in John chapter 2 okay
nobody be for you what only Jesus can be
for you can nobody satiate and satisfy
the demands and needs that you have when
you feel overwhelmed the way Jesus can’t
it doesn’t matter what their talent is
what their gifting is we thank God for
that how they maybe help us to rightly
divide the word of truth we praise the
Lord for our leaders and our servants
and our preachers and our teachers but
we can’t give them the allegiance that
only deserves to be given to one and his
name is Jesus Christ
just in case John wants to make sure you
know he intended for you to see this
sign I just want to point one thing to
you point out one thing to you in
closing verse 1 he says three key things
to let you know he wasn’t
around when he wanted to give you this
sign as the primary way way that our
lives become a billboard for the
goodness and grace of God did you notice
that in verse one he says that this
happened on the third day and that he
points out that this wasn’t just a
random party but it was a wedding and
that he also seems to trip over himself
with this detail he wants you to know
that Mary the mother of Jesus was there
I mean all of this detail do you know
that Mary is only mentioned one of the
time in John’s Gospel that is at the
crucifixion John wants you to see Mary
here at this wedding and at the
crucifixion he wants there to be
assertive a logical bridge over there to
the crucifixion so that you will always
remember that your insufficiencies are
covered by the blood of Jesus Christ
shed on Calvary that in whatever way you
feel that you are weak and insufficient
as we all our his grace is sufficient
for you but not only that he wants you
to know this happened on the third day
because he doesn’t just want to point to
a crucifixion he wants to point to a
resurrection he wants you to know that
the same power that got up out of the
grave is the exact same power that is
available to you and me through the Holy
Spirit every single day so that when we
are weak his strength is perfected in
our weakness but not only that he says I
also want you to know that this happened
at a wedding and I’ve got good news for
you there’s another wedding that I think
is closer than we could ever imagine
where the bridegroom is going to return
the Trump is going to sound the dead in
Christ will rise first and those of us
who are alive and remain we will meet
him in the sky and the bridegroom is
coming for his bride and in that day
there will be a union and a wedding the
likes of which you have never seen
before john wants you to know he’s not
messing around with this sign he
specifically gave it to you and to me so
that on this Mother’s Day in the year
2020 we would never again forget that in
our weaknesses his strength is made
perfect be encouraged know that it’s
okay to be exactly who God has created
you to be
and
and rely on His grace and goodness he
will take everything even the hard
things and turn them around until they
work for your good and for his glory in
Jesus name Amen
amen <3