New Wine in Old Wine Skins
This morning our men finished Luke 5. We had most of our regulars back for a very thought provoking study of Jesus' answer to the fasting question and His parable about the new wine. I believe our time had a powerful impact on the men, and we are all determined to apply these truths to our lives.
The fasting was pretty easy to understand. We fast to spend time with the Lord and to hear from Him. Jesus' disciples did not need to fast because they were right there with Him. Now, we fast because He is gone back to Heaven, and we need the extra focus fasting brings, so we can find God's will in certain situations. It must not be a ritual, and it must not be for outward show. It is a personal commitment of time, while denying ourselves to seek Him.
However, most of our time was spent on the issue of the new wine. Jesus and His New Covenant is the new wine in the parable, the new cloth, too. The old wine skins are the Old Covenant and the way they tried to keep the Law through the traditions, not just God's Word. Jesus is making the point that He is powerful, and His way can't be contained in the old practices. His way is new and fresh. If we try to keep it in the old framework, it will cause stress and even a tearing. In other words Christianity is a powerful relationship with Jesus unlike anything that has ever been known on this earth. Therefore, we must not try to make it fit into the old worldview.
I liked one of the applications the men brought up this morning. When a person comes to Christ and begins that relationship, he can't keep his old way of life in the world. That will cause a terrible tension, even an explosion. The power of God must break out, so we need to go on to the new ways, and change our lifestyle to fit our new life in Christ. The other way won't work. How many people have we seen over the years who tried to live on both sides of the fence spiritually, one foot in the world and one foot in the spiritual realm? It creates a terrible tension and stress. It can't be done. Something has to give, so a big break will come at some point. I pray that we will not try to do that, but we will move on with Jesus to the totally new ways that are flexible enough to let His power show through us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 7-8 and Ephesians 2.
The fasting was pretty easy to understand. We fast to spend time with the Lord and to hear from Him. Jesus' disciples did not need to fast because they were right there with Him. Now, we fast because He is gone back to Heaven, and we need the extra focus fasting brings, so we can find God's will in certain situations. It must not be a ritual, and it must not be for outward show. It is a personal commitment of time, while denying ourselves to seek Him.
However, most of our time was spent on the issue of the new wine. Jesus and His New Covenant is the new wine in the parable, the new cloth, too. The old wine skins are the Old Covenant and the way they tried to keep the Law through the traditions, not just God's Word. Jesus is making the point that He is powerful, and His way can't be contained in the old practices. His way is new and fresh. If we try to keep it in the old framework, it will cause stress and even a tearing. In other words Christianity is a powerful relationship with Jesus unlike anything that has ever been known on this earth. Therefore, we must not try to make it fit into the old worldview.
I liked one of the applications the men brought up this morning. When a person comes to Christ and begins that relationship, he can't keep his old way of life in the world. That will cause a terrible tension, even an explosion. The power of God must break out, so we need to go on to the new ways, and change our lifestyle to fit our new life in Christ. The other way won't work. How many people have we seen over the years who tried to live on both sides of the fence spiritually, one foot in the world and one foot in the spiritual realm? It creates a terrible tension and stress. It can't be done. Something has to give, so a big break will come at some point. I pray that we will not try to do that, but we will move on with Jesus to the totally new ways that are flexible enough to let His power show through us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 7-8 and Ephesians 2.