How To Receive New Wine In 09 (Prayer) Pt 2 Series

Series: How to receive New Wine in 09? Pt 2

Sermon – Breakthrough Prayer

Opening Illustration: Brooklyn Tabernacle’s inspirational stories and the power of prayer – Vanessa’s Story or Winn Dixie clip on prayer.

Thesis: To receive new wine in 09 requires that we persevere in prayer for the breakthrough.

Introduction:

Our theme this year is New Wine in 09 – We talked a couple of weeks ago about the importance of being willing to change so that we can drink in a new fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Wine in the NT symbolizes the Holy Spirit and that is what is referred to in our banner.

We looked at Jesus parable in Luke 5:37-39: 37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

We discovered that Jesus was being ripped on by the religious leaders because He and his followers did not strictly adhere to the man made religious rules of the religious legalists.

How did Jesus address the old wineskins of Judaism? Here is one way that He did!

Mark 11: 12-25:

12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

“‘My house will be called

a house of prayer for all nations’ ?

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

18The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

19When evening came, they went out of the city.

20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

22“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Wow – Jesus addressed the old wineskins with force and in the midst of this scene he tells them and us, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” The fig tree is a prime example of a tree which is suppose to bear fruit and does not of what happens to it – it is cursed and it dies – why? No fruit – no reproduction of life!

So we have concluded over the last few weeks and from our Scripture texts that we need be open to a fresh out pouring of the Holy Spirit. We need to pray for renewal and revival. We need to be known as a house of prayer here on the hill. Yes, we really do need New Wine in 09 here at Christian Hills and in our personal lives.

For this out pouring to occur in our lives requires us to persevere in prayer and push forward for breakthrough’s in our lives and in our church.

Last week I mentioned Paul as an example of a man who shed his old wineskins for new ones. We know that Paul wrote ½ the New Testaments and started numerous churches and brought the Gospel to the Gentiles. He shed the old wineskin of Judaism’s and its legalism for a Gospel of grace. His name ranks at the top of the list of the great men of faith in the New Testament.

This week I want to highlight another biblical hero of the faith who also shed his old wine skins for new ones. He came to a point in his life when he had the willingness to change, an openness to go with the flow of the Holy Spirit. This openness to change redirected his life and his impact for the Kingdom of God.