Call To Worship - Isaiah 58:1-11
Scripture Reading - 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
New Wine & Old Whine
Mark 2:18-22
Parallel Passages: Matthew 9:14-17 & Luke 5:33-39
Introduction:
1. Illustration: 1991 Chrysler New Yorker - Mark 5
It was my first real Chrysler and I loved it. I would still like to have it. It had all the bells and whistles a guy could want (told me when I was running out of gas, had a compass that made for exciting cross country trips with no map; just my sense of direction; up to the minute gas mileage reports) and a comfort ride that my wife found nice. It was closing in on 230,000 miles but I was attached to it. I kept replacing old parts with new ones but the patchwork was only temporary because new parts couldn’t keep the old from continued deterioration. Even using premium high octane gasoline would not save it. It was falling apart whenever I took it out but I loved it and didn’t want another car.
Then my Hmong friends intervened. They said that they wanted to replace the car that I had used up raising awareness and support on their behalf. I was reluctant because I didn’t want to give up my old interesting friend. I was comfortable with him even though it was obvious he couldn’t continue to serve me like he had used to do. They were insistent. They gave me a new car to replace this car that I loved when I made a trip to see my daughter. I couldn’t refuse. It would be an insult to do so. I needed a car and they loved me enough to sacrifice to give me this gift. It was time to trade the old for the new.
I still wonder sometimes about where that old car is and whether I could get it back. I was attached to it and in many ways still am. I know, in a small way, what it meant to the traditionalist who were comfortable in their old ways to be challenged to a new way of thinking and doing things in their quest for God.
2. Jesus came show them the difference between being religious and being spiritual.
Religion - 1. The beliefs, attitudes, emotions, behavior, etc. constituting man’s relationship with the powers and principles of then universe, especially with a deity or deities; also any particular system of such beliefs, attitudes, etc.. Latin religio < re - back + ligere - to bind >
Spiritual - 1. Of, pertaining to, having the nature of, or consisting of spirit as distinguished from matter.. 3. Of, or pertaining to God, or to the soul, as acted upon by the Holy Spirit, holy, pure.
3. The most reluctant people to accept new wine (spiritual attitudes) are those who are drunk on the old wine (religious traditions).
Religion is performance based and man-centered dedicated to good views: If I do the right religious exercises, God will accept me because of my works
Christianity is faith based and Christ-centered committed to the good news: If I become like Christ and develop His mindset, I will do the right things because I am His workmanship.
4. Jesus came to provide the world with a new way of thinking and the disciples of John and the traditionalists were disturbed in the way in which Jesus did things.
5. Jesus came to give life that was brand new and it disturbed those who thought the old was fine as it was, thank you very much.
Jesus’ life on earth began with the stretching of old wineskins with new wine and the old whiners didn’t pay much attention then.
The old came crashing headlong with the new when challenged their conventional thinking was brought to a festering head by three episodes culminated by a question on fasting. . Mark 2:18 "John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, "Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus was having many conflicts with the religious establishment - This section of Mark is the center of a series of five stories of conflict and controversy that began with the opening of chapter 2. They are arranged topically and in a parallel construction that serves to highlight the importance of the central story, not in any sort of historical order. Our text this morning comes at the end of three episodes of conflict in the life of Jesus
A - Healing a paralytic (2:1-12)
Here, Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins and made a bunch of people mad. Only God can forgive sins.
Who do you think you are, Jesus? Poor Theology - Missed the point of the miracle - God’s credentials.
B - Controversy over ritual law (2:13-17)
Jesus hung-out with tax collectors and sinners, and that made all the religious people mad.
Don’t you know who they are? Poor Anthropology - Missed the point of evangelism - human potentials.
C - Controversy over fasting and the parable of putting new wine in old wineskins (2:18-22)
Jesus never pushed for his disciples to fast during his ministry, and that made all the religious zealots mad!
Don’t you know what the rules are? - Missed the point of holiness - God essentials.
D - Controversy over Sabbath laws (2:23-28)
E - Healing a man’s hand on the Sabbath (3:1-6)
6. When Jesus went against everything religious people believed in, He did it to show them what God had revealed and how they had just missed the point.
Jesus was always stretching wineskins with new wine..
The old whiners couldn’t take the strain and burst open with anger.
7. Jesus came to give the world of discouraged people; weary of the burdens of life and loaded down with the weight of unforgiven sin, a true picture of who God really is.
A relationship with God is greater than religious traditions.
A relationship with God is greater than preconceived notions of holiness.
A relationship with God is greater than your national origin.
8. The old whine took all of the joy out of what God intended to be celebration of life and a relationship with Him. John 10:10
9. These two parables sandwiched in between these five controversies serve to show how Jesus decided to extend the celebration of his coming Kingdom to those who least expected or deserved it even if it produced opposition by the religious establishment.
10. Jesus was always stretching wineskins with new wine and to illustrate His point Jesus used three images that are centered around a banquet celebration.
I. God’s Kingdom Is Like A Wedding - 2:19,20
19 And Jesus said to them, "While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 "But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
The Wedding Story: Jesus compared His teachings to His disciples to a wedding celebration. John the Baptist had described himself as the "best man" and Jesus as the "groom" John 3:29. Jesus expanded John’s metaphor and called His disciples "children of the bride chamber" which was a contemporary Jewish expression for wedding guests. Religion had become so burdensome not because of God’s actual teachings but because of the rabbinical rules and rituals. There’s a time for fasting but not when you’re at a wedding.
Stretch Point 1: God had only called for a required fast at the day of atonement and the religious rules and rituals accompanying there now required fasts sucked the joy out of life and were against the true spirit of God’s laws.
Stretch Point 2: Even the Disciples of John the Baptist had got caught up in the traditional rules and had missed the point and Jesus wanted them to see that the rabbinical rituals were incompatible with the true precepts of the Scriptures.
Stretch Point 3: There is a time for fasting and mourning but not when the Messiah is here and bringing the joy of salvation and deliverance.
II. God’s Kingdom Is Like A Suit of New Clothes - 2:21
21 "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.
New Cloth Story – If you put a new patch on old cloth it shrinks when washed. You don’t patch a hole with a new patch but create a "hole" new problem for when the patch shrinks on old cloth it tears a bigger hole. Jesus said that He wasn’t coming to just put a patch in the garment of traditional Judaism to cover the holes they had created with their going beyond the teachings of God with their traditions and rituals; Jesus was bringing them a brand new outfit that would wear for eternity!
Patch Point 1: Jesus is not into patchwork. He doesn’t want to "patch-up" your old lifestyle or just be used as a temporary patch. He wants to give you a brand new lifestyle! Besides, you can’t patch sinfulness. It must be dealt with at the core. You can’t just wear some Jesus on your old self, you have to put Him on. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Galatians 3:26,27
Patch Point 2: If you are going to follow Jesus, He expects to be your whole wardrobe, not just a patch. Jesus came to cleanse our hearts and to outfit us in a whole new lifestyle wardrobe that would testify of His great grace. The theological term is regeneration, a new creation. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17
Patch Point 3: The old garments must be laid aside and the garments of Christ must be worn. Jesus came to call sinners. It is only the self-righteous who shunned Jesus, for Jesus came to forgive sinners and to have fellowship with them. You cannot be too sinful for God to save, or to holy not to need His salvation.
"But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him -- a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful " Colossians 3:8-15
III. God’s Kingdom Is Like New Wine - 2:21
22 "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins."
Wine Story - Wine was the most common drink for people in Palestine. They didn’t have bottling plants nor did they have refrigeration like we have today. It didn’t readily spoil because it developed and alcohol content as it fermented that killed bacteria. They used leak-resistant animal skins that would expand and stretch along with the new wine as it fermented. These wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, usually a goat hide tied at the legs and the neck. After the flesh and bones were removed from the inside of the goat the skin was tanned over wood fires. Then the openings were sewn shut, the neck of the skin was used for the spout, and unfermented grape juice was poured in. Afterwards the neck was sewn shut and the fermentation process began. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched and somewhat dried out, would result in the bursting of the wineskins. Old wineskins become brittle and rigid with age; when new wine is put in these, gases build up - produce pressure and Kaboom! You’ve ruined your wine and your wineskin and maybe your new clothes.
Stretch Point 1: The presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. Jesus could not patch or pour His new ministry into old traditions and rituals. Judaism had become inflexible due to the accumulation of centuries of non-biblical traditions. Jesus could not be confined within these traditions because He didn’t come to reform their traditions but to fulfill or complete the Scriptures. God’s way was something so radically new that many missed the point of His coming.
Stretch Point 2: Jesus, Himself would be the ultimate sacrifice for sin, so the sacrificial system would no longer be necessary. The Pharisees liked the old way better. They didn’t want to let loose of their old way. Ever met anybody like that? "18 The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
Stretch Point 3 God has a new thing He wants to do. I suspect there’s some "new wine" God wants to pour out into the "old wineskins" here at Lone Oak Church. We must be willing to make the changes and stretch with the old/new ideas of Scripture and trade in the traditions and rituals we’ve added to the pure Gospel.. It’s time for us to trade-in our come-fort for His challenges to reach out to others and encourage each other. I believe Jesus would like for us to experience some new wine and be new wine in our community. Here’s what you can do today to release the new wine.
"4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.... 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all... 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. 19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10:4,10,18-25
Conclusion:
1. Roy Gustafson in an article called Contrasts says "Religion is man’s quest for God; the Gospel is the Saviour God seeking the lost"
2. Stretch Point 1: We the people of Lone Oak need to be submitted to the Lordship of Christ. The Lordship of Jesus Christ cannot be poured into the old skin of our settled ways, a narrow world view, our prejudices about people, or our plans for the future. Jesus wants all of your life. When you give over your will you give Him all.
3. Stretch Point 2: We the people of Lone Oak need to be restored to spiritual health. The load of sin accumulates and life gets heavy and church attendance sometimes is a burden rather than a joy. Each of us need to get our obedience up to date. I know and you know what you need to do in order to make it right with God.
4. Stretch Point 3: We the people of Lone Oak need to be responsive to His call to ministry. God has given us the responsibility of ministering to our community; a call to seek the Kingdom of God first; a call to a personal relationship with Him through Jesus; a call to a life of service, purpose and compassion; a call to prepare people for a new life because a new is world coming; a call to authentic Christianity – not religiosity. We have to call people to be committed to Christ himself whether anyone else is or not. We have a call to bring ourselves and others into life-changing, a lifelong, relationship with Jesus not the church. Lone Oak Church is not the destination, but a means by which people can find a living, growing relationship with their Lord which will lead to the destination >" The Fullness of Christ.<
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift... 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." Ephesians 4:1-7; 11-16
5. Stretch Point 4: Jesus did not come to establish a new world religion but to establish an intimate life-giving relationship with God who is Love incarnate and a network of people who genuinely love one another.. Religion attempts to "domesticate the dynamic of faith into human accomplishable standards" Lloyd Olgive - Life Without Limits. Page 55.
Genuine Christianity has a great deal of power and activity associated with it. It exploded out of the boundaries of Israel and continues to cross all kinds of cultural, ethnic, and political boundaries. It cannot be contained. Neither can its practice be limited to a set of commandments or traditional values or rituals. The Holy Spirit comes into our life and indwells every obedient believer. He convicts us of sin and righteousness and a judgment to come that guides us through life helping us to make applications from the Bible that apply to our particular situation. And having been fermented (filled) with the Holy Spirit, we are stretched but not broken and we will have the best of both worlds, abundant full life here and an everlasting joyous life in the hereafter.
"14 For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." Ephesians 5:14-21
