Text: Luke 5:33-39
Title: Are we doing the right things?
Introduction
This month we are going to be talking about the best way we can reach out to our community in 2010.
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
A Challenging verse:
Here is the challenge- Will we do the good deeds that bring the greatest praise to God in 2010?
So to get us started we are going to look today at Luke 5:33-39
"They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking." (v33)
1.“Jesus why are you doing what nobody else is doing?”
You’re eating and drinking – nobody else is doing that!
2. Jesus why are you not doing what everyone else is doing?
Everyone else is fasting and praying- why are you not doing what everyone else is doing?
3.We’re fasting and praying with the rest of the saints but you Jesus are eating and drinking with sinners!
How is Jesus going to answer this charge?
What would you answer if someone asked you the question…
What in the world are you doing that for?
As a church it would be far easier to do what every other church is doing but what if God gave us an idea that nobody else is doing!
What will Jesus answer be? Why are you into drinking and eating when everyone else is into fasting and praying?
Is his answer going to be; “I’m just not into fasting and praying anymore!”
There are some Christian’s who would love this to be Jesus’ answer because they are not into fasting and praying themselves
Somehow that’s not going to be Jesus’ answer because…
We know Jesus was passionate about praying and fasting. He just happened to do it in secret!
So why was Jesus not doing what everyone else was doing? And why was Jesus doing what no one else was doing?
V34-35 tells us what Jesus answer is.
34 Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."
The reason I’m not doing what everyone else is doing is -because of the times we’re living in.
And the reason I’m doing what no one else is doing is for the very same reason - because of the times we’re living in.
Unlike you I always do what is best and right for the times we live in
Fasting and praying is going to be the best thing to do later but eating and drinking with sinners is the best thing to do now!
Question Do we know what is best for the times we are living in?
Do we know what God wants us to be doing right now in our time?
Do we know what God wants to do to reach our community?
As we look at what we are doing as a church - Are we doing what is best for the times we’re living in?
How can we find out what is best for the times we live in?
Might the answer be right in front of our eyes?
Might the answer be by prayer and fasting!
Did God not say; “Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened to you.”
And did not God not also say; “you have not because you ask not.”
And did God not say to those who fast in secret; “your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:18
By praying and fasting God will tell us the best things to do for the times we live in.
Now it’s a whole lot easier to copy what other churches are doing? That would eliminate the need for prayer and fasting!
To challenge us not to take the easy way out Jesus tells a parable
36 He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And 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. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'"
A parable is an earthly story with a hidden spiritual meaning
This parable has 3 parts to it.
First -Jesus talks about a new garment and a torn old garment
He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.”
What is the spiritual application?
If our methods don’t match the needs that are out there then we have to change our methods…
What method did Jesus say was being used to repair the old garment?
Was it a good method? Why not?
Traditionally – what is the most popular method churches use to reach their community?
Traditionally if an unbeliever is to connect with a church they must come to church first.
But Jesus says to us If an unbeliever is to connect with a church the church must first go to them.
Great commission: “Go into all the world…”
You can’t ask an unbeliever to change their ways in order to connect with the church. Instead the church has to change its ways in order to connect with the unbeliever.
Which brings us to the second part of the parable
In the second part of the parable Jesus talks about old wineskins and new wineskin
37 And 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. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.
Most pastors are going to have a hard time with this one
Spiritual application
God is not obligated to bless methods that are no longer effective!
When God is ready to pour out a blessing he looks for an effective method to pour his blessing into.
The truth is an ineffective method ruins the blessing of God
Myth: if we are just faithful God will bless anything we do.
In the roundtable discussions we want to come up with effective methods in order to make the most of God’s blessings.
One blessing God has given us all is spiritual gifts and talents.
What is the most effective ways to reach an unbeliever, a town…
We don’t want to drop God’s blessing.
Could God be giving you an effective way to reach unbelievers.
Finally in Part 3 of the parable Jesus speaks about old wine and new wine
39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'"
Spiritual application: We don’t like to embrace new methods
The truth is we tend to get stuck in the old way of doing things.
By nature we don’t like to do new things. We don’t like to change. Change is hard. Change is scary. Change is fearful.
Conclusion
Are you stuck in your spiritual walk with God? Would you like to drink and eat of the blessings of God? Are you tired of the same old stuff? Would you like to be part of a great move of God in the time we live in? Are you willing to pay the price? Are you willing to pray and fast to see a great revival come to our church and our community?
