5.20.2001 | NEW WINESKINS - Luke 5:36-39

Intro... this weekends Ironman, Marine boot camp vs. Ironman training. A new recruit has to be willing to be taught, learn everything from a new perspective….

Luke 5:36-39

Two examples of how the grace of Jesus cannot be contained within the old form of the law. John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Sums up well the importance of OT and NT.

The examples are obvious:

1. Why ruin a new garment to patch and old one? (Unless you’re a hippy from the sixties at Woodstock…) What Jesus brings is not a patch but a whole new garment.
2. Why risk pouring good, new wine into old wineskins that could burst?

New truth, revelations, things we learn from God must be poured into our own “new wineskins.”

If you are stuck in your old ways you won’t be ready to receive the new good stuff that God is giving you. Be soft, supple, good soil, ready to receive. Not dry, cracked and hard.

How do we remain a “new wineskin?”

vs. 39 - If we’re not careful we can get stuck in the mentality that the old ways really were better. It’s less work, less change. We get comfortable in our old bad habits.

We need to be ready to receive the new things that God is teaching us. It could be:

• Coming to faith in Christ the first time....
• Learning to read your bible and pray more.
• Attend church on a regular basis.
• Get involved in some deeper level than Sunday morning, i.e. a home fellowship.
• Learning to tithe, give back to God.
• Serve the church.
• Discovering new truths about God and finally applying them. Has God been saying something to you for awhile? Are you finally ready to hear and obey?
• Becoming a student of the Bible. Reading and studying it. Digging deep for personal application. Letting God grow and change you.

Thoughts on the Apostles Creed:

It is important that we understand, confess and practice these ancient words. This creed is a summary of the apostles teaching. Called the “Creed of creeds”. All the facts to core Xianity are listed. Three parts, representing the trinity. It is a statement of faith that we can all say together and agree on. Try to really think about the meaning when you say it.

Augustine: “A brief and grand regulator of true faith”

Martine Luther: “Christian truth could not possibly be put into a shorter and clearer statement.

John Calvin: “An admirable and true summary of the Xian faith.” It is the clearest and most basic understanding of the historic church regarding the core of historic orthodox Xianity.

Eph. 4:3-6 “Holy catholic church” = Christian church universal. The church literally means “those who have been called out.”

1 Peter 2:9, “Called out of darkness into God’s light.” The Creed helps stress church unity….thousands of churches could be saying this today…

2 Timothy 2:19 reminds us that we don’t know who is a Xian and who isn’t. And it’s not up to us to decide and therefore say, “You can take communion and you can’t.” By reading the Apostles Creed together and taking communion together, we avoid divisions in the body. Hopefully we’ve explained what a Christian is...

Despite the large # of denominations and independent local churches scattered around the world, we need to confess based on Eph. 4:3-6 that Christ has only one church.

Many churches have come to realize that what we have in common is far more precious and important that what divides us. There is a growing recognition that Xians are at liberty to disagree over certain matters, things that are not essential to the gospel, while taking a common stand on the essentials of the gospel.

Thoughts on Communion:

We are sometimes slow to go to God for forgiveness. We carry around our guilt for days, weeks, sometimes months. We don’t want to take forgiveness lightly or make it “cheap”.

Isaiah 30:18-19 the Lord is telling stubborn, unrepentant Israel that he “longs to be gracious to them”. It’s the same with us. God’ eagerness to forgive sin became most clear by Christ’s suffering on the cross Christ’s death was sufficient to pay the penalty for sin so he could offer forgiveness to everyone in the whole world.

1 John 2:2 “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins...and for the sins of the whole world.”

Heb. 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Confidence, not arrogance, freely, not cheaply. “In time of need” means without delay. Not just today, but anytime we are in need of God’s forgiveness, we can come to his throne with confidence and without delay.

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