Living In The New Testament

Welcome, beloved friends and family of faith, as we gather in this sacred space, a sanctuary of solace and strength, to seek the wisdom of the Word of God. We are here, united in our hunger for understanding, our thirst for truth, and our shared desire to draw closer to our Creator.

In the words of esteemed theologian and pastor, Tim Keller, "The Bible is not primarily a series of stories about individuals that tell us what we are to do, but a single story of God's grace and redemption, a story that culminates in Christ and defines everything before and after Him, including us."

What does our subject for today mean? Living in the New Testament. Well, it has two meanings: one, that we all, believers and unbelievers are living in the grace of the New Testament ushered in by Christ Jesus; two, for the believer, we are brought into a state of living, living for life eternal and living it in abundance.

Today, we will immerse ourselves in this grand narrative of grace, as we meditate on the profound words of Matthew 9:16-17.

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

In these verses, Jesus presents a emotional parable, a vivid illustration of the transformative power of His message, the radical shift from Old to New Testament, the transition from the rigidity of the Law to the liberating love of Grace. He challenges us to ponder the profound implications of His teachings for our lives today, for us to live in the New Testament. Are we holding onto old wineskins, such as church traditions of the past, or as some would have it, falling so far back into the Old Testament that Jesus no longer exists, and in so doing, resisting God's renewing grace? Or are we willing to be transformed allowing for the reception of to the new wine, the transformative teachings of Christ, ready to be filled with His love, His wisdom, His peace?

Transition from Old to New Testament

In the grand narrative of the Bible, we find a profound shift, a transformative transition that takes place between the Old and New Testaments. This shift is not merely a change in time or context, but a radical redefinition of our relationship with God, a new understanding of His grace and love. Because we sometimes fail to understand that the Old Testament is presented to us as an example, and the people in that example failed miserably.

The Old Testament, with its laws and rituals, was a covenant between God and His people. It was a system of rules and regulations, a code of conduct that defined what it meant to be God's chosen people. It was a system that demanded perfection, a standard that no human could fully meet. Yet, it was a system that pointed forward, a signpost to a future promise, a promise of a new covenant, a new relationship with God. He, in His love now gives us the opportunity, by example, to determine if you want to live in the Old Testament or Live in the New Testament. Let me tell you this, there is no in-between, you’re either living for Christ or you’re not. Unbelievers, know that by not accepting Jesus you are living in the Old Testament, where God will judge you by its laws.

The New Testament, with its message of grace and redemption, is the fulfillment of that promise of the new covenant. It is the story of God's love in action, His grace poured out in the person of Jesus Christ. It is a story that transcends the limitations of the law, a story that offers hope and freedom to all who believe. It is a story that invites us, not to a life of rigid adherence to rules, but to a life of loving relationship with our Creator.

In the parable of the wineskins, Jesus uses a simple, everyday image to illustrate this profound shift. The old wineskin, rigid and inflexible, unable to expand anymore, cannot contain the new wine. The new wine, with its fermenting power, will burst the old wineskin, causing the wine to spill out and the wineskin to be ruined. The new wine needs a new wineskin, a container that can expand and adapt to its transformative power.

This image speaks to us today, challenging us to examine our own hearts and minds. Are we just like the old wineskin, clinging to old ways of thinking, old patterns of behavior, old understandings of God? Are we resisting the new wine, the radical message of grace and love that Jesus brings? Or are we just like the new wineskin, open and ready to receive the new wine, willing to be transformed by its power? For that to happen, we must first believe in Jesus, that He came to save us, that His death on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection are real, because that was the transition from the Old to the New.