Here’s the crux of the whole deal- Jesus is telling his disciples that the OT way isn’t going to work since messiah has arrived
You can’t mix OT rituals with NT grace. You can’t expect that the two will work together
Jesus says- I’m here there’s no point in these guys fasting, when I’m gone then they can fast
He’s all in all saying- I’m doing something new here- totally new because you can’t put something new on something old and used and expect it to have the same results
If you want to have great results You need new garments and new wineskins
You have to have a fresh start
The Old law had become ruined. It wasn’t accomplishing its purpose
God knew this- but he needed to let it run its course to prepare people to accept the messiah
But if they hadn’t been through the Old covenant, they couldn’t appreciate the new covenant
So Jesus says- lets start new- Lets start with the new garments. Lets start with the new wineskins
Fasting is an old religious ritual and you can’t mix old religious rituals with the new covenant and expect them to have the same results
Fasting used to be a REQUIREMENT- its still good- but now we CHOOSE to fast- we aren’t FORCED to fast to please God
Its actually MORE powerful when you CHOOSE to do something that isn’t a REQUIREMENT
So how do we fix something that is ruined
Realize the old isn’t working-
Now lets agree to this- Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Jesus was all about the Law. It was written by God and established by him.
God created the law so that we could have an understanding of our Sin and our need for a savior
Rom 3:19-20 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Without the law, we wouldn’t know what we should or shouldn’t do-
Here’s the problem though- The law didn’t change hearts, the law didn’t establish righteousness (a right heart turned towards God) it was inadequate
The Old Covenant wasn’t producing righteousness, God had to come and live in us
Romans 3: 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all[h]who believe. For there is no difference;
God always had it in his plan to send the savior- the law was part of the process
The old covenant wasn’t working and was replaced by the New Covenant
New– Hebrews 8:13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
What does it mean to you?
Sometimes you have to realize what you’re doing isn’t working
Disclaimer- (Always have to have a disclaimer) I’m not talking about your marriage. Whenever people listen to preaching, they are constantly looking for validation for their predetermined course of action “pastor said my marriage isn’t working, find a new one” That’s NOT what I’m saying.
You’re not going to go find a new kid because your parenting style isn’t working, “Well, lets get rid of this one because we failed in our approach” NO- You GET A NEW APPROACH
One of the worst things people do is keep doing the same thing and expecting new results
ILLUS- I was talking to someone about their finances a few years ago- Financial peace U- “Love my job, and I make what I make” (Unwilling to change) then don’t complain about your debt- She also smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day (cheapest pack $4 $280 a month over 3K a year)
How bad do you want to grow spiritually? How bad to want to experience the great things of God?
More and more I want to see the Kingdom grow. The satisfaction of what the world provides isn’t enough
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
This is a mind shift- you have to do a spiritual inventory, look at what you’re doing and admit- This isn’t working. Its lost its usefulness and needs to move on
What does it mean to you?
Embrace the bridegroom! Center your life around him!
Keeping focused on the things of God in this world isn’t an easy task
Its so much easier to embrace worry, anxiety, pain, depression, addiction, activities, etc
You want to know how to embrace the savior? Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
If there is something in your life that is ruined- spend some time with the bridegroom. Embrace him-
Its an all emcompassing endeavor. Its what you watch, listen to who you spend your time with. How you spend your money. What you do with your TIME
I was sick this week. Do you know whats on TV in the middle of day? Maury- you can get sucked into that thing! It is his, it isn’t his, will you marry me.
We love to pick on people who watch it- Because we’re so much more High Brow- Did you hear about Russell and Ciara? Did you see on the Bachelor?
Can you believe what Clinton said? What Trump said? Did you know so and so didn’t put their hand on their heart?
Forget those people- lets talk about you- how are YOU doing? Hows YOUR marriage? You put your hand over heart, but where’s your HEART?
The easiest diversion away from the bridegroom is embracing the WORLD
Embrace HIS world! Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Embrace the bridegroom!
3.Don’t try to fix something that is ruined- let it be made NEW by JESUS
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Now this scripture is specifically regarding the new and old covenant, but the word picture here is clear- you’re doing it wrong if you sew something new on something old. You’re doing it wrong if you’re trying to use an apparatus to make something if its ‘one time use’ has been used
Here’s the deal- We can do what we can do to try and fix stuff in our lives, but often times, its OUR attempts and OUR plans and OUR procedures.
Instead of using OUR plans, it would be better to use HIS plans
Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. SURE- written to Isaiah- but it applies to understanding God’s character
“the Lord works in mysterious ways” is NOT in the Bible- but truthfully, you can never comprehend why he does what he does, or how he does it.
You live, by dying. You gain by giving. You find yourself by losing yourself. You gain love by giving love. You become the greatest by becoming the least. You become first by becoming last.
What does it mean to you?
Go to God- lay your nasty broken ruined whatever and have him do what he will with it
Jesus made it clear- get a new garment. Get a new wineskin, and GOD is the one who can do it!
Lam 3:22-24 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”
Give it over to him! Lay it down! Quit trying to fix it and let HIM fix it!
Matt 11: 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Spiritually- you have to lay down what you’re trying to fix and GIVE IT TO HIM
Figure out what you’re trying to fix that was ruined and GIVE IT TO HIM
You might find that God fixes your stuff- but you ALSO might find that he fixes YOU in the process
Spiritual life no good? Try reading your Bible, praying and getting around God’s people
Marriage no good? Go to the marriage small group. Partner up with a marriage that is working
Finances no Good? Put your wallet on a diet and start tithing
Health no good? Change your diet and increase your activity level
Live under grace
I saved the best for last on this one- The number one way that you fix something that is ruined? The new covenant
That’s what Jesus is alluding to in this- the NEW covenant
Hebrews 8 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says:“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—
We now live under this new covenant
Romans 8:1-4
The New Covenant is living by the SPIRIT not by the FLESH.
There is NO Condemnation for those who are in Christ- we do not have to offer up sacrifices anymore- we don’t have to observe religious ordinances anymore
The new covenant is a covenant of GRACE and FORGIVENESS
