New Wine into New Wineskins

The sermon was from Matthew 9:1-17 entitled, “New Wine into New Wineskins”.

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng encouraged members to receive that unconditional grace and blessing of God to start off the New Year.  Even more than starting off the year “right” with New Year’s resolutions, it is about starting the New Year with righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ.

In the main passage, we see two other groups referenced.  Among the Jews, the Pharisees were the most lawful, knowing and doing everything right.  Also among the Jews, John the Baptist and his disciples were the group most pointed in the direction of the Gospel, since they had a repentful heart.  Yet, the Pharisees and John the Baptist’s disciples were still limited.  

They followed the Law or had a repentful heart out of obligation.  Their life of faith was always focused on not making a mistake and being perfect and right.  They always lived under the specter of fear instead of the freedom of love.  

How were the disciples of Jesus?  The Lord came and brought unconditional love.  Unconditional love means that there is no expectation of payback.  Being together with the Lord is not out of obligation, but like a wedding banquet – full of celebration, peace, and joy that only comes from Jesus Christ.  Maturity in love is realizing that I follow moral Law, not out of obligation to pay back the Lord, but simply because I love the Lord so by that love, I love Good and follow His Will.  

Jesus further explained that like a new cloth on an old garment, nor can new wine be put in old wineskin.  It means that this new way of unconditional love can’t fit under the old way of obligation and old way of Law can’t hold in this vitality of the Gospel.  The two can’t be mixed.  New wine needs to go into new wineskin.  Our church must be a new wineskin full of overflowing vitality and love of the Gospel within us.

If we walked the 2020 out of obligation and Law, let us start off 2021 by receiving the amazing grace that comes only from the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.  Through this, may our church be the place of the Kingdom.