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Every Man At The Beginning
Gbile Akanni
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0:00 1:21:50
Gbile Akanni

Every Man At The Beginning

Gbile Akanni · 1:21:50

Gbile Akanni teaches that while every natural man begins well, only a divine source can sustain and renew love and commitment in marriage beyond the initial fading enthusiasm.
In this teaching sermon, Gbile Akanni explores the biblical story of Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana to illustrate how natural human effort in marriage begins well but inevitably diminishes. He emphasizes the necessity of divine intervention to sustain and renew love and commitment over time. Through practical insights and scriptural reflections, Akanni encourages couples to seek God's power for an ever-increasing, fulfilling marriage.

Full Transcript

Living Seed Media brings to you God's Word, which is his comprehensive equipment for changing lives. May the Lord impart your heart as you encounter his Word. For further inquiry or counsel, contact Peace House, P.O. Box 971, Boko, Benue State, Nigeria.

Telephone numbers 0703 0363659, 0703 7681198. Email address lsmediaatlivingseed.org or visit our website at www.livingseed.org. Let us sit back and listen as the servant of God brings forth the Word of Life. I'd like to welcome all of us on today's Corpus Retreat.

I'd like us to please bow our heads as we pray together. Let's pray. Our Father and our God, we thank you for your faithfulness and for your loving kindness.

Thank you for your hand that has been stretched out towards us. Thank you for what you want to do all over the world by visiting the family. Thank you God that the Rehoboth you have declared, you have also brought us to recognize that even our homes will experience Rehoboth in every dimension.

So Lord, we thank you. As we go ahead tonight, in the different centers where we have gathered, we are asking that your mighty hand will rest upon us. We are asking that we will open our hearts to you, we will open our homes to you, that you might do the great work that you intend to do in these few days of our coming together.

Holy Spirit, we pray that even those that are sitting in the language centers, those that are listening in the different languages, in French, in English, in Yoruba language, in Tibe language, in Ausa language, in Igbo language, and other languages, we are asking that all of us, all together, will be helped and blessed to the glory and praise of your name. Thank you for hearing our prayer, for we have asked in Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen. Amen. I will welcome you to this place, but much more to welcome him into our midst, into our lives, into our homes.

And two passages that I want to use to exhort and to open this meeting, again, is that passage that we have read over and over again, but which I found it again appropriate tonight that we should open this couples retreat with. Because in the book of John chapter 2, John 2, the Bible told us about a story and what was attracting me to it this night is actually in verse 11. I would like to pick it from verse 1 very quickly.

And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus was called and his disciples to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine.

And Jesus said to her, woman, what have I to do with you? My hour is not yet come. His mother says unto the servants, whatsoever he says unto you, do it. And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three farthings apiece.

Jesus said unto them, fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he says unto them, draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.

And they bore it. Then, when the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not where it was or whence it was, but the servants which drew the water knew, the governor of the feast called the bridegroom. And he says unto him, every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine.

And when men are well drunk, then that which is worse, but thou hast kept the good wine unto now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory, and his disciples believed on him. I want to stop at that verse 11.

May the Lord get across our hearts as quickly as we can tonight, in the name of Jesus Christ. Now I said, it is not the story that is attracting me tonight. It was something that you will see in that verse 10 and verse 11 that is the attraction for me to bring you the opening church for this important, crucial, corpus retreat.

As the Lord by himself has gathered us. What were the issues that I want to note here? In verse 10, the Bible says, every man, every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine. And when men are well drunk, then that which is worse, but thou hast kept the good wine unto now.

This governor was addressing the bridegroom as if the wine, as if the new wine actually originated from the bridegroom. He was talking to this man as if the bridegroom had capacity to do what, to do differently from what every man does. Please listen to me carefully.

This man was addressing the bridegroom, thinking that it was the bridegroom that was able by himself to produce the new wine when everything should have collapsed. So he quickly addressed the bridegroom and said, ah, ah, you are different from what every man does. You must be a different man entirely.

Because what every man can do and what every man does is different from what we are seeing in your life now. What does every man do? He says, every man, every man, and I want you to note that, every man at the beginning, they do set forth good wine. Every man, every natural man, at their best, they start well.

They start with the best of their strength. They set forth that which is good. Every man, every natural man, normally begin well.

But one thing with the natural, whether in marriage or in anything else that is natural, the natural normally begins strong. But what happens to the natural? It wears out. It dies out.

It reduces. The law that governs the natural man is the law of diminishing return. It starts in glory.

It ends in shambles. It starts promising. It ends with disappointment.

It begins with great promises, with great zeal. But as time goes on, the zeal of the natural man, the power of the natural, the love of the natural, the care of the natural, the wisdom of the natural man, dies out. It reduces.

It diminishes until it finally fades out. Anything that is natural, and the way the Bible would say, every man, every man, without exception, any man that begins a thing by his natural energy, if nothing else was injected, it is normal for it to reduce. It is normal for it to die off.

It is normal for it to fade out. It is normal for it to become more and more and more and more weak until it is weakened out. Every man.

Every natural thing. And I want to say to you, marriage is not exempted when it is operated by the natural. Matrimony is not exempted when it is the natural man that does it.

Several couples, they ask this continuous question. We didn't start like this. That is true.

Every man in the beginning, what did they do? They set forth that which is good. Every marriage that is having diminishing returns, when you go and ask the woman, the woman said, this is not what you presented to me when you came. This is not what you promised me.

This is not how we started. If I know you will be like this, you will change like this, I would have thought otherwise. You couldn't think otherwise, sister.

The truth of the matter is that in the beginning, every man, they put up their best. They put up the best of their strength. They put up the best of their energy.

They put up the best of their love. Their affection is highly affectionate at the beginning. At the beginning, every man does the highest sacrifice.

He can sacrifice anything from the beginning. He can sacrifice his time to be with you. He can sacrifice his money to keep you comfortable.

He can sacrifice himself to prove to you that he loves you. Every man at the beginning, anything that is natural, it begins well. It begins strong.

It begins glorious. It begins with great promises. It begins with deep assurance.

But, the Bible says, when men are well drunk, he brings in that which was worse. Please permit me to note with you. If your marriage that started at a very high level with great communion, your husband will never eat outside.

He'll say, my wife is waiting for me. So, he's very concerned. He's very committed.

Your dining table was always decorated. You put flowers on it, sister. In the beginning, every man.

When you look at your dining table now, what is on the dining table place? Books and other things. And you just say, your food is somewhere there. If you want, go and eat.

I'm rushing somewhere. Why was it like that? It is what the natural man does. The natural man says, that which I started with, I started in order to woo you, in order to convince you, but naturally I can't sustain that.

In the beginning, when anything touches your spouse, it touches you so much, you run up and down. You say, oh God, I don't even know why I took you through this bad road. Darling, please, I'm very sorry.

Even when it was not your fault, you apologized. In the beginning, every man. What did they do? They put forth that which is good.

Even when your wife mistakenly hit her leg against a stone, and it pains her, you say, wow, wow, wow, wow. Oh God, the way it touches you, it was as if it is me. God, I can't just imagine how, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.

In the beginning, but now, as we are passing on the road, she hit her leg against that same stone. When she was holding her leg and say, you say, honey, please move, let's go. Time, time, time.

And by the way, how are you carrying your leg that you didn't see that stone? That stone is big enough for you to know that there's a stone there. Be careful next time, let's just go. So your wife is doing like this.

But you are still moving. In the beginning, I know what you will do. What did you do? You carried her.

You carried her. She will say, what of the meeting we are going for? You are more important to me than any meeting. Let them wait.

How can I leave my wife going for a meeting? Let the meeting wait. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Every man, without exception, they bring forth that which is good. But something happens to the natural man. Permit me to say to you, if it's a man, if it's a woman, the reduction you are seeing, the diminishing that you are experiencing, the dryness that is coming, the carelessness that you are beginning to touch, the distraction and the diversion of heart to something that looks more important to him than you, is what every man does.

In the beginning, his career was not as important as you. Would you go for that job? One job, one job, one job. I prefer you.

Actually, you are the rose of my life. You are the sun. You are the sunrise that gives me light.

Without you, everything is dark. Going to work when I'm not sure you are beside me is going to hell. The inspiration that keeps me on fire is you.

The words you whisper to my ears is what tingles me and keeps me going. I don't think I can survive anything if you are not there. In the beginning, every man, every man, every man.

But, what is the key issue for me here that I want us to begin this with, this Corpus Retreat? It is the fact that if there is no one else that comes in with a divine input there is little you can do to prevent diminishing. Whenever I have seen that there are other things that is attracting the woman or attracting the man away from his wife, it was not there in the beginning. It was not there when we started.

It's not no one else but yourself. But as times are going, as the strength of the natural is diminishing, so is love also diminish. So is care also diminish.

So is passion also dies gradually. Gradually out. Or it is replaced with something else.

At the beginning, every man. Brothers and sisters, if it were possible to sustain what a natural man does and keeps it ever increasing, none of us would be talking about what is the challenge of marriages today. But because of my space of time, I now want you to see whereas the Bible said, the Bible said, and I want you to see what the Bible said.

In that verse nine, when the ruler of the fields had tasted the water that was made wine, and he knew not whence it was, he did not know where it comes from. But the servants which do the water knew. That little statement he knew not whence this new wine comes from.

But the servant that drew the water, they knew. What does that have to say to us tonight? I'm praying that each one of our matrimony where we know we're a never fading wine of marriage. We will know we're an ever increasing matrimony.

We will know where the one that is sweeter than the one we started with is drawn from. The governor of the fields did not know. And he was facing the bridegroom and said, you bridegroom, you have done something different from what every man does.

You have behaved differently from what every man does. And I'm trusting God that this meeting will turn us to another man in the name of Jesus Christ. That people that don't know where he comes from, they will keep saying, Abba! The way your own marriage is, you are unlike every man.

You are unlike every other couple we have met. You are unlike all those people that we started with. Where is your own coming differently? They did not know.

But you will know in the name of Jesus Christ. The Bible said, but the servant that drilled the water, they knew. And this is what we are trusting.

That in the course of these next few days, God will help us to know. God will help you to touch the source that can keep matrimony and ever fulfilled and a fulfilling, you know when we use the word, a fulfilling matrimony as the theme for this meeting, you see the word fulfilling, present continuous. Have you noticed that? Progressively.

Progressively fulfilling. Increasingly fulfilling. All the time.

Fulfilling. Never finished. Never outdated.

Never a past tense. That every blessed day, there is an increase in your matrimony that is fulfilling. May God cause you to know that in the name of Jesus Christ.

And in this meeting, as we begin to talk and study and pray together, we are trusting that when men will meet you, even when your children will meet you after here, when colleagues will meet you after here, when church members will meet you after here, when your disciples will meet you after here, they will ask the same question that that governor of the feast was asking. Where have you kept this until now? Hallelujah. Where have you reserved this? It looks as if you have just come out of something you have kept.

For this time, where did you get it? You are different. You are not like what we used to know. Even your children, they will say, Daddy, something new has started again.

Where did you keep this? You seem to be springing forth with something fresh, something new, something that we have never seen before. Instead of your marriage diminishing, it has sprung up again and something new has broken forth. When have you kept this? They may not know, but you will know.

Did I say you will know? By the grace of God, you will know. You will know where it comes from. You will know where we get this kind of thing.

You will know where we draw it from in the name of Jesus Christ. Where did it come from? Where can the new wine that keeps marriage, even if it is now 30 years, even if it is now 40 years, if it is now even 10 years, some people, only five years, the diminishing has entered. Their own rate of diminishing is so rapid that it's almost zero now.

And he started lifting his hand to hit that jelly. You remember she was your jelly at the beginning. You carried her like that jelly, but now your fist is now stretched out with your eyes bulging and I'm hearing you say, mind yourself.

Mind yourself. Because I have been gentle enough and that is the truth. You used to be gentle.

I have been gentle enough and because I kept quiet all the time, you have now taken it as a right to bounce on me. That has finished. In fact, the reservoir for that diminished until it has finished.

Now, you are meeting me as I am. And you better redress yourself now so that life can be made a little easy. But I'm telling you now, only more has finished.

We face issues now. I'm not here to serve a woman. I serve you enough.

Go and think. If you have an answer to what I say, let's talk tomorrow. What has happened? We had the wine.

But now, where did it come from? Where are we going to get it? What is God going to do for us in the course of this meeting? Now, I want all of you to now cast your eye back on what was the source. And it is that source that we are going to end our prayer with tonight. The Bible says, and both Jesus was called and his disciples to the marriage.

Incidentally, it was touching me that that was the first miracle that Jesus performed when he came on the earth. Even though people speak about it casually, but for me, it's not casual. That the first miracle, the first intervention that Jesus brought was to a marriage that is about to scatter.

Very significant. It appears to me as if when God wants to move and when God has spoken to us about Rehoboth and he insisted that this year couples retreat must come back and that it must be a couples retreat where couples are sitting together because he wants to do something. He did not allow us to say, okay, anybody can just come.

Even if your husband is somewhere and you cannot come, you just come and sit down and hear. No, no. That's not what God wants to do this time.

And that's why we are very strict. We are quite obedient to that thing because something is going to happen. Though people think, ah, let's bring all the thousands.

No, no, no, no. Those of you that are here, you are sufficient because all the other governors, they will begin to call you as I say, how did it come about? You will become the interpreters of this message. As I'm seeing you here, I'm not seeing you alone.

I'm seeing this couple. There are people behind you. There are multitudes.

There are people that will come to your home and they say, excuse me, we have noticed that you are different from all of us. How did it come? Do you know after this meeting, there's going to be a different discipleship classes and it will be based on marriage. Couples will be coming to your home.

They will be saying, can you explain to us where did you keep this wine until now? Our own has finished. We started natural. We try, try, try that until everything finish.

When I see my wife now, it's just one woman there. No matter what she does, she doesn't attract me again. My own is finished.

Something else. She has not changed the way she spoke. But something has changed in me.

Everything she says now irritates me. When she says I love you, I think she's manipulating me. So when your wife says I love you, because you want to get something.

You say no, I love you because of you. She say, you are just coming. The last time you said you love me, is it not to collect something? I love you also.

Everything she says now is misunderstood. It is because the wine had finished. What remains now is the wine of suspicion.

Now, when she speaks, there is analysis of the language. Excuse me, are you speaking past tense or past perfect? She said, but you know, I used to kill grandma when you married me. And you have always understood what I said.

I didn't need to improve my vocabulary to comment, to communicate with you. You say, well, that time, I tried to put sense to what you always say. But it's enough.

I don't think you are sensible enough. And the way you think is completely off course. So let's check what you really are saying.

I don't like how you are speaking grammar that I don't know what it means. You know what has happened? Excuse me, what has happened? The wine has finished. It's not the language.

It's not the construction of the language. It's the wine. You know why I'm trusting God? Each one of you sitting before me, governors of feasts.

Those that have been managing marriages, they will come to you. And they will ask, where have you kept the good wine until now? You know the question is where, where? You will lead them to the source. Your marriages will bring revival.

It will bring revival to marriages. Homes will line up behind you. Take note of this so it will happen.

Are you hearing me? It is going to happen. Couples will begin to run and say, let's just talk to that brother and his wife. There's something about them that is attractive.

Maybe they can help us. And you are going to take them to where it was drawn from. May God do that for me and for you.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen.

Please take note. You will tell me the reports by the grace of God. Will God going to break forth in Ghana? What God is going to break forth even in our new field of Botswana? What the Holy Spirit is going to do in America? How God is going to do something? And men will be wondering, where have you kept this until now? So quickly, where did it come from? And where will it come from? And where should we turn our eyes? The Bible said, when they lacked wine.

I love the old King James, when they wanted wine. But that word wanted means, it's in the same language that you read when you read Psalm 23. What is Psalm 23? Who knows Psalm 23? The Lord is my shepherd.

And I what? I shall not want. What it means that, I shall have no lack. But then the Bible said, when they wanted wine, when they lacked wine, when wine finished for them, the mother of Jesus, says to Jesus, these people, you see them doing giggly around, they have no wine.

Honest assessment, they have no wine. The reason why things are becoming tough between them, is because they have no wine. The reason why, you see them arguing before they arrive at any decision, is because they have no wine.

What has happened, that they are walking apart, they are thinking apart, this one is going this way, that one is going this way, their businesses are no more together. They have separated their accounts. It's because they have no wine.

It is not because their faith changed. It's not because they did not understand grammar again. What was the reason? They have no wine.

That thing that binds their lives, dried. That thing that make them always bonded, has finished. That is the secret, there is nothing else.

The problem is not in the house. The problem is not furniture. The problem is nothing.

The problem is the wine that has finished. Sir, they have no wine. And my brothers and sisters, as we begin this meeting, I want to pray that you not beat about the bush.

Are you hearing me? I want to trust God that you will not be focusing on what is not there. I want to pray that you will not be capitalizing on peripheral issues. I pray you will not be bothered about secondary issues when you have left the primary course of things.

And what I think God is going to do during this meeting, is going to get to the primary course of things. How many of you would like God to get to the primary source of every issue? Let me see your hand up. There are too many secondary issues, there are too many things that happened and happened and happened, and so many times, you would like us to keep discussing secondary issues.

But even doctors, when they want to treat a matter, they know there are secondary issues that come out of a primary deformity. When they want to help, they will push the secondary issue aside and say, let's get to the primary. Jesus is going to go to the primary issue in the course of this meeting.

And please take him there. Hallelujah. The Bible said the mother of Jesus, she knew the primary issue.

And she went to tell him who is able to handle it. It went to him who can bring solution. It didn't go about.

She didn't go about complaining here, talking here, talking here. She knew the matter is that they have no wine. There are many, many secondary issues that bedeviled marriages today.

But my brother, if that's what we want to pursue, there's no end to issues. But if we get to the primary source of the trouble, we finish it at once. God will finish it at once.

I say God will finish it at once. Anywhere you are. It is not your culture that is a problem.

It is something more primary. And so when the mother of Jesus said, sir, we have no wine. And she knew that the only person that can solve that problem is Jesus.

And Jesus did something which looked like Luke chapter 11. Jesus said, woman, what have I to do with you? My hour is not yet come. It's not yet my time to do anything.

I'm just visiting. But the mother of Jesus knew that even though you are saying your hour has not come, our own hour of need is here. My own hour of need has come.

And I don't know who else I can go to apart from you. The Bible said in that Luke 11, any of you can read Luke 11 chapter 11, I think verse six or verse seven. It said, when you go and you knock, and the man in the house says, trouble me not.

The door is now shut. I cannot rise up to give you anything. My children are with me in bed.

The door is shut. The Bible said, even though you will not rise, because he is his friend. But because of his importunity, I say unto you, he will rise.

My brother, my sister, he will rise. God will rise for me. God will rise for you.

God will rise for your family life. God will rise. And you'll get to the very primary source of every challenge in the name of Jesus Christ.

The mother of Jesus, knowing that there's no plan B, there's no plan C, there's no one else in that arena that could solve the problem. She simply was not arguing with Jesus. Hallelujah.

She demonstrated a faith that put Jesus, you know, on the spot. What was it? She immediately told the servants, you servants, wait, wait here. This man is the solution to your problem.

And whatever he says to you, do it. Whatever he says to you, what? Do it. Whatever he brings to you, do it.

There is no other place to go. Even if what he says to you look foolish, do it. Even what he says to you does not look reasonable, he doesn't look appealing, do it.

Whatever he says to you, do it. And the mother of Jesus walked away. Not that she walked away, she walked away.

She went standing there, holding her, and said, you are the only one. Sorry that I'm troubling you, but you've got to do this. If you don't do it, everything will be scattered.

These people have no mind, the source of their problem is this, and you are the only solution to it. How I pray this night, that all of us that have come, wives, husbands, for something that God wants to do in your life, not just because there's a problem, but because there must be a progressiveness in fulfilling the purpose of God for your marriages. And we don't know where else to get that which never fades out, to get that freshness that never finishes, that makes your matrimony ever fresh, ever new, ever growing, ever blessed.

Since we do not know anywhere else to get it, we will insist, we will knock until it stands up. We will stay here until something happens. We will push.

What does it mean to push? We will pray until something happens. But I thank God tonight that we're not talking to a reluctant God, we're not talking to one that said, it's not time, I'm doing nothing, you will die, if you will die, go and die. When the disciples, I mean the servant, waited, Jesus now said to them, fill the water now.

Fill the water pot with water. Unreasonable, but they did. And he says to them, draw out now and bear unto the governor of the feast.

And they did. And that was the beginning of all. So they said, the man said, where did you get this one? He didn't know, but the servants that drew the water, they knew.

As I stop here this night, will you take this matter to him? Will you honestly, honestly, stop talking about her, she did this, she didn't do this. She has always done that. And you never saw that before.

But when the wine finished, her nakedness has now come out. When the wine finished, her foolishness is now so pronounced in your ears. Your husband has always been that, he has not been anything, but when the wine finished, the love that covers the multitude of sin has finished.

He's appearing to you as a bunch of mistake. Sometimes you speak about that man as if everything about him is mistake. Sometimes husband has said, is there nothing good in me again? He said, well, I have been looking for it, I couldn't find one.

And I want to be honest with myself. The days have gone when I covered everything, I say, darling, darling, darling, there's nothing, darling, about you. I'm just being honest with myself.

How long will I continue to struggle and keep something, keep something? I want to be myself now! You don't want the salt. But anyway, I married you already, I don't know what to do, but I'm just praying, God will deliver me from this thing. Your husband say, have I become this thing? He said, you can say anything.

I just want to tell you that I'm tired. Excuse me, what has finished? What has finished? The wine. Secondary issues must not be clouded where we are going tonight.

We must go to him. Must go to him. But my excitement, which made me to start from this point.

Two things. The Bible said, this, verse 11, beginning of miracles. You know, maybe it's the King James that I'm reading that is making me feel like that.

I did not think they said this is the beginning of miracles. If you read your Bible the way I'm reading it. How did they read it? This beginning of miracles did Jesus incarnate of Galilee.

This beginning of miracles. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Are you hearing me? This, that God is going to do here.

They incarnate of Galilee. But in the center where you are sitting, this beginning of miracles. This meeting is beginning of what? Of miracles.

Of miracles. This couple's retreat is beginning of miracles. This beginning of miracles.

Jesus did incarnate of Galilee. He will do it now. Where you are seated, where you are located, and you know, as we were praying and waiting on God for this meeting, it was becoming clear to me that God is doing something concurrently across the nations, across the nations, across the land, across the state, across the places.

This beginning of miracles. I just felt that this couple's retreat is the beginning, is the beginning, is beginning of miracles that you will be recording as your life goes on from here. Beginning of miracles.

I cannot enumerate miracles, but this beginning of it. And it was interesting that it has to begin with marriage. As I stop to pray and to conclude this message tonight, I will only ask you to do one thing.

Just one thing. One thing that the mother of Jesus did. One thing that I thought we should do tonight.

The mother of Jesus came and said, Lord Jesus, they have no wife. And that was enough to bring this beginning of miracles. So read verse 11 together with me, and then we will take our space in the place of prayer tonight.

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Canaan of Galilee and manifested forth his glory and his disciples believed on him. As we rise in prayer, I dare say to you, miracles are beginning in your life now. And this beginning of miracles is what Jesus will do in that center where we are seated.

As we were spanning all the centers, it was, I was crying in my heart, I said, oh, so God, so this is what you are planning to do. So you want this beginning of miracles in Mubi, in Biu, in Maiduguri, in Sokoto, in Zulu, among the Leila people? So you want this beginning of miracles to happen in Yenegua, among the people on the creeks? You want this beginning of miracles to happen among the Francophone, in Mali, in Ouagadougou? So this beginning of miracle will be in Ghana, all the different centers, and that it is going even as far as Swaziland and Swatini are. So this beginning of miracles is going to be happening simultaneously and concurrently in all the nations of the earth.

I am overwhelmed. But for you, this beginning of miracles, Jesus did in Ghana of Galilee. You will be able to trace this beginning of miracles to this meeting, to this place where God has brought you in the name of Jesus Christ.

But one thing I want you to do right away, bring it to Him. Bring it to Him. Come tell Him as it is.

Don't talk about secondary problems. Get to the primary issue. What changed is what He must deal with.

There are too many things you can complain about, but that's not the source, that's not the reason, that's not what started it. What started it is somewhere else. Take it to Him.

Open the door and let Him in. I will ask us to pray now. And I will ask husband, I will ask wives, I will ask people, wherever you are, to pray a deep prayer.

To take the position of that mother of Jesus. And say, Jesus, I have no wine. I have been trying.

Honestly, I didn't want to be a disgrace, so I'm just putting up, but I'm under pressure. And I'm reacting to everything. Everything is about to break.

The wine has finished. Take it to Him. Please listen.

Even if the first attitude was, don't worry me, I have no time for you. The door is now shut. Don't do that.

He said, I say to you, He will rise. And give Him as many as He needed. Even not for He be His friend, but because of His opportunity.

Can I request that you stand where you are. And one thing I want you to do tonight, we have come. We have come from all places.

We left even our other things behind, just to be here. And this night, you will take a step. A step to Him.

And say, Jesus, as a natural man, I'm diminished. In my wisdom, I have diminished. My patience to persevere has finished.

My expectation, my hope, that this man, this woman will change, has finished. I have become quite hopeless. Or some of you say, well, we are not quarreling.

We are not moving forward. I am used to his attitude now, but there's nothing again that is moving me forward. My wine has finished.

Lord, tonight, I'm bringing it to you. And even if the first thing you are hearing is that, it will not change, it will not change. That is not what God is saying tonight.

He will intervene. You will become the beginning of miracles. In the name of Jesus.

Let's stand up to pray. Anywhere and everywhere. All the centers.

All the centers across Nigeria. Across South Africa. All the centers across Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone.

All the centers that we could see in Africa. And the centers that we are touching, even abroad. Can we all rise? And I want you in a few minutes to pray.

And to take a step. Don't keep quiet. Don't keep looking at peripheral issues.

Come to him. Bring it to him. Whatever it was.

It might even mean that the faith you had in him before, has died. It could look as if disappointment in your marriage has made your heart to turn, even from the Lord. It is possible that the fire you used to have when you started, has died.

You have become lukewarm. It is possible that, even this meeting, it was a drag. But God, who wants to do a miracle, this beginning of miracles, lift up your voice and say, Lord, I'm coming to you.

What I'm looking for is not just what a natural man can do. I'm looking for this beginning of miracles. Some of us, by the grace of God, we are on and on and on.

But there is this beginning of miracles that must come again. Something that will end your story. And people will begin to gather around you and say, we want to know the secret of this new wine.

Lord, hear our mind. Let's call God together. Lord, lift up your voice and speak to him who answers prayer.

And as we are going to be praying, I will simply lift up my heart to God on your behalf. Wherever you are, God may have put his finger and said, yes, bring it to me. I'm the source that never runs dry.

I am the answer to every unanswerable question. And some are saying, but we are still doing fine. But you can see the diminishing coming.

You need to come to him who can bring the better wine. There's something higher than what you have now. There's something much more than what you are carrying presently.

What you carry will finish if he does not replace it with his own. Please call on God with me tonight. Thank you, Father, tonight.

Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity of prayer. Holy Spirit, thank you.

Now, as we are praying, and I see Jesus standing out there. I first say, woman, what have I to do with this? My time has not come. But we eventually saw that he did it.

Because they waited for him to act. And I can see the Lord, he will rise on our behalf tonight. He will walk where men cannot walk.

Holy Spirit, please thank you for this moment. As we are drawing our attention to this, this beginning of miracles. This beginning of miracles.

When man has finished, you begin miracles. When human energy has been exhausted, you begin miracles. When men are tired out, you begin miracles.

When it looks as if everything is exhausted, you begin miracles. Father, we ask that in this corner of our own Galilee, in this particular center where we are gathered, in this church building where your children are seated, do this beginning of miracles in our midst in the name of Jesus Christ. In this, our own corner of Galilee, in the different camps, in the different centers, in the different places where your children are sitting, this beginning of miracles you will do here in the name of Jesus Christ.

We will become a surprise and a testimony to everybody around saying, where did you keep this? They may not know, but we shall know it. We will know your source, we will know where you did it for us in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you.

But do you know that until they came, until she came to him, the water pots are there. Empty. The water is there to be fetched.

But unless he comes in and says, draw the water now, go and give it them, nothing will have changed. That's why you need to take one step tonight. And I want to give you that space everywhere you are.

And I just pray that as we are praying, you take that step out, you come to him. You will step out to him and say, Lord, I don't know how it is happening to others, but I have no wine to press on. I can't go on like that.

Even though I'm a preacher, I'm a pastor, but I know things are finished. I'm struggling not to misbehave, but I know what is holding me will soon finish. I am coming to you tonight.

Do a new thing. You want to step out? You want to come towards the altar? And just walk out before God and say, yes, Lord. My complaints, my struggle, the thing that I thought I can do is finished.

Tonight, I'm coming to tell you as it is. Step in. Where are you? Can you step out? Can you lift up your right hand wherever you are? Can you walk out and say, yes, Lord? Tonight, I'm dropping it.

I'm dropping it. I need a touch. I need a divine intervention.

I need something that you alone can bring in. Thank you. God bless you.

And as you are doing that, please let's walk out wherever you are. Just lift those hands and walk out so that we can pray together. I would like to pray with you.

God bless you. Thank you, my friend. Thank you, my brother.

Just walk out. Dear sister, thank you. And there's nothing to hide now.

This beginning of miracle is about to happen in that canal gallery where you are standing. Thank you, my brother. Thank you, my sister.

Just walk out. You know, there are things that you may not be able to tell men. But you know that you are only struggling.

It is not something that you can struggle and struggle and succeed. It must come in. Please come in.

Please step out. Please walk out. Thank you from all the various centers.

If you are coming, just do so. The Lord bless you tonight. Thank you, my friends.

Thank you, my brothers. Thank you. What was finished, only God can restore it.

Thank you. Thank you. And if it's possible that the two of you, you are saying, let me just go.

What is finishing for us, I do not know how to put it. Here are my Lord Jesus. Thank you, my brother.

Thank you, my sister. Just come. Just come.

God bless you, brethren. In all the centers, as you are stepping out, He will step in. He will step in.

Jesus will step in. Thank you, my friends. As you are stepping out and saying, Lord Jesus, I'm not talking about secondary issues.

I'm not talking about peripheral matters. I'm not talking of effects. I want you to go to the cause.

The cause of my problem. The cause of our dryness. The cause of our need.

Some of you, you look nice on the outside. You are still wearing your uniform. But something has changed.

The affection has become a disaffection. Something is going to happen tonight. Lord, we are coming.

Thank you, my brother. If you are able to come with your wife, just come together and say, let's go and lay it at the feet. But even if your husband is saying, go first, you just come and say, Lord, I'm putting it at your feet.

What finished in my heart, only you can restore it. God bless you. I want to end now.

In all the centers where you have stepped out, the hand of the Lord will be stretched forth upon you. Because he is interested. And he is causing things to happen simultaneously everywhere all over the land.

God bless you. God bless you. Yes, from Ekiti zone, please step out and say, Lord, help us.

Even if you say, but we are only few in this place, and God has come, that corner of Galilee, there he will do this beginning of miracles. What is happening tonight is the beginning of miracles. There are miracles that this meeting will drag, will drag into your home.

It will drag into your family. It will drag into your ministry. It will drag.

It will drag many, many things. But this beginning of it must happen here. Thank you, my friends.

Thank you, my brothers. May God bless you. May God bless you.

May God answer your prayer. May Jesus do for you what no man can do tonight. Father, we are grateful to you.

Now, with your hands lifted to heaven, just lift those two hands to God. Yes, just lift it up and say, God, we have come. We have come tonight.

Let this beginning of miracles, let it begin here with our lives. You are the one who changes things. The natural man normally fades out.

The natural man changes. And our natural strength is finishing. Our promises have died off.

Our effort is no more working. Our patience is exhausted. This night, Lord, this beginning of miracles, let it happen.

Within our hearts, let it happen. In our individual hearts, let it happen. Jesus, step into this matter.

This is the beginning of what you began to do. Do it again. Do it in this marriage.

Do it in this home. Do it in this family. In the name of Jesus Christ.

Break the yoke tonight. the men will see these people after this meeting and they say, where have you kept this until now? Lord, I'm trusting that they will become a testimony in the community. Their lives, their marriages will become the talk, oh God, among people and say something happened to these people.

Something fresh has taken place to them. Your children will know it. Your friends will know it.

Your extended family will know it. Your church people will know it. You will be a testimony in the name of Jesus.

Everything that finished, the Lord will replenish. All that dries up is bringing a better one. All that you saw that now became mistake, that became complaints, criticism, they will be swallowed up in this new nest in the name of Jesus.

The power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you. God who makes all things new will make your life new. Every issue that the Mr. Flesh has operated and worked out shall be uprooted here in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Sermon Outline

  1. I
    • Introduction and prayer for divine impartation
    • Reading and reflection on John 2:1-11
    • Setting the context of the marriage at Cana
  2. II
    • Explanation of 'every man at the beginning sets forth good wine'
    • The natural man's diminishing return in love and commitment
    • The fading of passion and care in natural relationships
  3. III
    • The uniqueness of the bridegroom's wine as a metaphor for divine sustenance
    • The need for divine input to sustain marriage beyond natural capacity
    • Encouragement to seek God's source for an ever-increasing fulfilling matrimony
  4. IV
    • Application to couples to recognize and renew their commitment
    • The significance of Jesus' first miracle being at a marriage
    • Closing prayer and expectation of transformation

Key Quotes

“Every man at the beginning, they do set forth good wine.” — Gbile Akanni
“The law that governs the natural man is the law of diminishing return.” — Gbile Akanni
“If it were possible to sustain what a natural man does and keeps it ever increasing, none of us would be talking about what is the challenge of marriages today.” — Gbile Akanni

Application Points

  • Recognize that natural love and effort in marriage will diminish without God's sustaining power.
  • Seek God's presence and divine input regularly to renew and strengthen your relationship.
  • Be intentional about maintaining passion and care beyond the initial stages of marriage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'every man at the beginning sets forth good wine' mean?
It means that naturally, people start relationships or commitments with their best effort, love, and passion.
Why does the natural man's love diminish over time?
Because the natural man operates under the law of diminishing returns, where initial zeal and strength fade without divine intervention.
How can marriages be sustained beyond the natural decline?
By seeking and relying on God's divine input and power to renew and sustain love and commitment continually.
Why is the miracle at Cana significant for marriages?
It shows that Jesus' first miracle was to restore and enhance a marriage, symbolizing God's desire to intervene in and bless marital relationships.
What practical steps can couples take from this sermon?
Couples should open their hearts to God, seek His presence together, and allow His power to renew their relationship continuously.

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