Scripture: John 2:1–11 (ESV)

As we stand on the last Sunday of 2025, this message declares a faith-building truth to carry into 2026:
If you are still standing, He’s still pouring.

At the wedding in Cana, celebration was still happening, music was still playing, and guests were still seated—but the resource that sustained the joy had run out. Many can relate to that place: still faithful, still showing up, but wondering if strength, joy, or hope is drying up. It is right there, at the end, that Jesus performs His first miracle.

This miracle did not happen:

1. At the beginning, when expectations were high
2. In the middle, when momentum was strong
3. But at the end, when hope was thinning

Key Teaching Points & Notes

I. The Shortage

• Mary noticed the shortage before the servants panicked.
• She didn’t tell Jesus how to fix it—she simply brought the need.
• Her instruction to the servants was clear: “Do whatever He tells you.”
• Her faith demonstrated an understanding of timing, authority, and obedience.

II. Give Him Something to Work With

• The servants supplied the water; Jesus supplied the transformation.
• Jesus didn’t create something new—He transformed what was already there.
• The water came from stone jars used for purification (John 2:6).
  • It kept them ceremonially clean.
  • Jesus turned it into wine, pointing to being covered, not just kept.
  • This wine foreshadowed the blood He would shed on Calvary.
• God is not running out—He saved the best for last.
• Biblical patterns:
  • Moses had a sea → it parted
  • The widow had pots → oil multiplied
  • The servants filled jars → water became wine

III. The Taste Test (Movement Without Evidence)

• The water remained water until the Master of the Feast tasted it.
• The text never says:
  • Jesus announced, “Now it’s wine”
  • The servants tasted it
  • There was a visible change in color or smell
• The servants knew the source, but not the substance.
• They carried water but delivered wine.
• Faith sometimes requires movement without evidence.

Conclusion

This text teaches that God does some of His best work at the end.
The story begins “on the third day,” reminding us:

• Jonah came out in three days → purpose restored
• Jesus rose in three days → death defeated
• A sealed tomb opened → hope released

If you supply the cup, Jesus is still pouring:

1. Delivering what was delayed
2. Restoring what ran dry
3. Refilling what was empty

The calendar may be closing, but Heaven is still open.

Scripture: Luke 2:6–7

Key Thought: God is not looking for empty space—He is looking for prepared space. What He is birthing often requires more room than where we are.

Introduction

As we enter the holiday season, the birth of Jesus reminds us that God often uses ordinary moments to fulfill extraordinary prophetic purpose. What appeared to be a political decree from Caesar was actually divine alignment. Joseph’s return to Bethlehem fulfilled prophecy long before Jesus was born (Micah 5:2).

Bethlehem reveals:

1. Though you be little — small place, big purpose
2. Out of thee shall He come forth — God births greatness from unlikely places
3. A ruler in Israel — not just a baby, but a King
4. From everlasting — Jesus didn’t begin in Bethlehem, He arrived there

God did not miscalculate Mary’s delivery. The rejection at the inn was not a mistake—it was prophetic redirection.

Why There Was No Room at the Inn

Sometimes God closes a door to a smaller room because what He is birthing requires more space than where you are.

The inn was too small for the assignment:

• It was built for rest, not redemption
• For overnight guests, not eternal glory
• For the comfort of a few, not the salvation of the world

Key Note: Stop viewing redirection as rejection.

A Manger Made the Miracle

Jesus chose the most unlikely place to make the greatest entrance.

• The manger matched the mission
• This birth was not meant to be private—it was meant to be accessible
• When God moves you from the inn to the manger, your blessing is meant to be seen, reached, and received

The closed door was proof that something greater was coming.

Truths to remember:

1. Sometimes you don’t know what you’re turning away
2. A closed door never cancels God’s promise
3. What’s coming is too big for where you tried to fit it
4. God wasn’t making room for a baby—He was making room for a King
5. A blessing this big attracts company, and company requires space

Closing Reflection: What Have You Made Room For?

We don’t accidentally have space—we decide what matters.

Priority

• What you value rises to the top
• We make room for what we want
• If it matters, it makes the calendar

Permission

• God never forces His way in
• He fills what He’s allowed
• God lives where He is invited

Position

• Where you place yourself determines what can reach you
• The manger wasn’t fancy, but it was accessible
• You receive what you are positioned for

Mary carried holiness in human form.

The Inn was full of:

• Human traffic
• Human noise
• Human intimacy
• Human clutter

The Manger:
No pride. No performance. No reputation.
Only provision.

Final Thought:
God is still asking the same question today—Have you made room for Me?

Scripture: Psalm 24:7–10

Key Thought: When the King of Glory shows up, everything must make room—and everything else must bow.

Introduction

In a transparent moment during worship, the question arose: What exactly is glory? As Psalm 24 unfolded, it became clear that many believers experience worship without fully understanding what is present when God’s glory enters. The enemy benefits from this lack of understanding—but revelation changes everything.

What Is Glory?

Glory is the visible, weighty, overwhelming expression of who God is.
It is God revealed, unveiled, and put on display.

• Hebrew word Kabod = weight, worth, substance, heavy importance
• Glory is the manifestation of God’s nature

When God’s glory shows up:

1. His Holiness becomes visible
2. His Power becomes undeniable
3. His Presence becomes tangible
4. His Authority becomes irresistible

Glory vs. Anointing

• Anointing: God working through you
• Glory: God revealing Himself

The anointing produces results, but the glory stops everything.
(2 Chronicles 5:14 — no one could stand in the glory.)

Glory is where God lives.
Where glory shows up, everything else bows—sickness, fear, demons, and confusion.

The Text Explained – Psalm 24

Verse 7 – Lift Up Your Heads
A command to ancient gates to open wide.
Today, the gates are our entry points: heart, mind, body, and soul.
The King requires room to enter.

Verse 8 – Who Is This King of Glory?
He is the Undefeated Champion—strong, mighty, and victorious in battle.

Verse 9 – Prepare for Divine Entry
This is a call to preparation. The King is not asking permission—He is arriving.

Verse 10 – The Lord of Hosts
He is the Commander of Heaven’s Army, reigning over every realm.
This is not a visiting King—He’s coming to take over.

Understanding Psalm 24

This is a processional Psalm, sung as the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem.
It reveals three truths:

• Authority: The earth belongs to the Lord—He owns it all
• Access: God requires clean hands (actions) and a pure heart (motives)
• Arrival: The King is ready—have we met the criteria?

Closing Reflection

The King of Glory is ready to enter.
The question is not who He is—the question is are we ready to receive Him?

Lift the gates. Make room. The King is coming in. Selah.