God Is Doing A New Thing
Matthew 9:14-17
March 06, 2005
Matthew 9:14 (NLT)
One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?"
A Question of Fasting
Fasting was a regular practice for the faithful Jew
– Commanded by the law – Leviticus 16:31
Leviticus 16:31 (NLT)
It will be a Sabbath day of total rest, and you will spend the day in fasting. This is a permanent law for you.
A Question of Fasting
Fasting was a regular practice for the faithful Jew
– Commanded by the law
2 Purposes for fasting
– Mourning for sin
– Preparation for the Messiah’s coming
Matthew 9:15 (NLT)
Jesus responded, "Should the wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Someday he will be taken from them, and then they will fast.
The New Covenant
The law brought condemnation
– Revealed how far men fall short of God’s standard
– Romans 7:10
Jesus brought life
Romans 7:10 (NLT)
So the good law, which was supposed to show me the way of life, instead gave me the death penalty.
The New Covenant
The law brought condemnation
– Revealed how far men fall short of God’s standard
Jesus brought life
– Abundant life
– John 10:10
John 10:10 (NLT)
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
The New Covenant
The law brought condemnation
– Revealed how far men fall short of God’s standard
Jesus brought life
– Abundant life
– John 10:10
Jesus is the promised Messiah
– John 20:31
John 20:31 (NLT)
But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life.
Matthew 9:16 (NLT)
And who would patch an old garment with unshrunk cloth? For the patch shrinks and pulls away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger hole than before.
Bondo And Duct Tape
Bondo and Duct Tape
Jesus had not come to patch up the old religious system
– Rules
– Traditions
Jesus was bringing something new
– Salvation by grace not by adherence to the Law
– Romans 8:3
Romans 8:3 (NLT)
The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
Matthew 9:17 (NLT)
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. That way both the wine and the wineskins are preserved."
The New Wine of The Gospel
Jesus came to offer salvation and the forgiveness of sins to all people
– John 3:16
John 3:16-17 (NLT)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
The New Wine of The Gospel
Jesus came to offer salvation and the forgiveness of sins to all people
– John 3:16
This new message did not fit into the old system
The “Fresh” Gospel
The message of Christ must be accepted and applied in every generation
The gospel remains unchanged, but the methodology changes
– 1 Corinthians 9:20-22
1 Corinthians 9:20-22 (NLT)
When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with those who follow the Jewish laws, I do the same, even though I am not subject to the law, so that I can bring them to Christ. [21] When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way, I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
[22] When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ.
The “Fresh” Gospel
The message of Christ must be accepted and applied in every generation
The gospel remains unchanged, but the methodology changes
– 1 Corinthians 9:20-22
New Wineskins
Multimedia
Internet
Drama
Sports Camps
Block Parties
Coffee Houses
Targeted Congregations
**Powerpoint available upon request
