September 30th, Morning

I'm thinking about it. Just now. We got a nice coat cuz I could use a nice that'll do nicely. I think it'd be nice if we just said take a little bit little bit and it seems like a bit of a crazy idea that humans good at change. We're really not I'll sometimes we get so comfortable with the way things are sometimes we we get so used to the way things are the we find out hard to go with change hard to move on even though stuff is way past its sell-by date. But something new is happening today. Jesus is going to challenge us. He's going to say let go of the old. Is going to challenge us to let go of the old and embrace the new we're carrying on our journey through Luke's biography of Jesus of the Gospel of Luke and today becomes a bit of a strange section of imma come with me to Elite chapter 5 and verse 33 nail chapters of the big numbers in here. Luke Chapter 5 look for the Big 5 and verse 33 verse of the little numbers and if you got one of my blue Bibles that is Paige 1033 space 1033 in the air now that's going to come and read for us.

They said to him John's disciples often fast and free incisional and surgery the Disciples of the Pharisees the years go on eating and drinking Jesus answered, but the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them in those days. It will Fast he told them that Newton tears a pea size of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise they will have torn the new garment and the pots from the new will not match the old and no one forced me into Old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined new new wine into new wineskins and no one after drinking old wine once knew before they say the old is better. Thanks, Tina.

If you've been with us before you might remember we were up to in Jesus's story. So he started his active Ministry just a little bit back and most recently we've seen him at a huge party thrown by Levi one of the new fall out partying with a bunch of questionable characters. Will that really wines out the religious types and their their critics have plenty to say against Jesus but Jesus says, I have a problem that he's come for not people who think they're sorted and today's episode starts with this question about fasting and that is simply not eating not drinking as well fasting is and as you might imagine if it could be precipitated by this giant party is just been there plenty of eating drinking there now Mark tells the same story and marks telling of this story. We learn about the group's mention John's disciples and he's fast asleep by fasting at this time of the question. So perhaps it's a big Jewish Festival. And if so this big party, they just had Levi's big party that must be a real wind up if you're fasting and somebody else is busy. Living it up that must be really rubbing salt in the wound. Who does the question come from William Matthews telling of the same story. We can see John's disciples are some of the people asking this question. It was not necessary. Question. We can we can also Imagine like a lot of the stuff coming at Jesus's it's hostile in its nature. This is not necessarily. Only confused because Jesus does seem to specialize in confusing people. The question is how come Jesus's followers. How come his disciples can behave so differently from other religious groups from John's disciples and the Pharisees her differently from John's disciples that the people following John the Baptist dumb if your Willis of wall that we talked about that. He's Jesus is 4Runner and died his name for his weird e lifestyle. He like to hang out in the desert eating locusts and stuff like that and it seems like it seems like his disciples must have been big. What about John you can go back a little bit and Luke and read about John the Pharisees the other group that are mentioned here. Will there like the. De super religious ultra-low? I'll keep in touch if they do every I they crossed every T of keeping all of the Jewish laws of how you should behave and it doesn't have that much to say about fasting and if you read it through but it seems fast is not eating as become a really big part of what it means to be seriously Jewish question about fasting and this question is coming from people who fast before we can really think too much about this. I'm going to have to get my head around fast. Unless you're trying to get it down from you know, 11 * 210 * an awfully quick digging so fast to get out in the first place. Why would anyone give up meeting that is a question? I often ask myself. Why would anyone give up eating? What did they understand they were doing? What did they think it meant when they were fasting? What main thing the biggest picture you get? What fasting is is that it humbles us before got it says I'm little your big and says I'm powerless you're powerful. It says I need provision. You are the provider. So has this kind of sense of humbling us before God and we see that little bit and where it shows up in the Old Testament. That is the the pre Jesus chunk of the Bible in the beginning the most common thing that is done with fasting the most common thing you're saying when you fast is I'm sorry. So for example, the one day every could you was meant to fast as they stay cold the day of atonement and the day of atonement is just all about recognizing. We don't meet John standards does fasting associated with that or if you know your Bible maybe you remember King David Israel first King wiki fast when you get school out in a sin and he's facing its consequences. As time goes on it has a more specific meaning it becomes associated with seeking God's restoration for his people. After the Jewish people are defeated and they're forced into Exile by Babylon this new tradition the springs off of fasting on for days they fast on the day when they're Babylon appointed governor was killed that was the star of trouble. They start they they fast on the day when the seeds were set up around their city of Jerusalem a fast on the day when Jerusalem fell into the Babylonians and then when the temple was burned and the deal was done so far older faster than a connection to being pushed out of their place and asking for a restoration and even though that has been a bit of a restoration by this stage. There's been a bit late coming back if you know your Bible story under azra under Nehemiah, it seems he's fast and continue people looking for a bigger and a larger a more complete restoration. 22 census for fasting a good fasting for forgiveness fasting seeking restoration probably was behind the fasting of John's disciples what's behind the fasting of these fantasies even though some people that obviously just become an empty in an outward thing another way of being cool and religious you lie to me cuz I'm I'm cooling religious. I'm up for some people for some people it would been sincere with both these senses in mind then and you can see in that case why it wouldn't make sense to Jesus's disciples. They don't want to join in what why don't they want to join in with this? What are they thinking?

With that background, okay, we're positioned understand Jesus's response. He says can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with him? He might the friends of the bridegroom fast while he's with them just a fancy word for husband to be. Okay. And what is picturing is a wedding day and the groom is coming for his bride. He's surrounded by a group of friends is a happy time. That's a happy forever. And he's saying I'm a guy he saying is that time it's happening. The celebration is here. And if you were growing up in the land of the Bible in the words of the Bible you would use you would know this picture of husband and wife is used again and again about have dogs relates to his people. shows of how remarkable unbreakable is commitment to us is I should just have exclusive on commitment back to him is meant to be I showed the same. He's faithful I even when we are faithless and practice a whole book of the Bible that uses that picture the book of Isaiah if you want to read it. So when Jesus uses this word when he labels himself as the green when he says I am the one he's pulling in the whole picture of how God is ever faithful towards us and he'll come for his Brian to restore her despite everything. That's a time. That's a time for rejoicing that's not time for fasting and sorter. That's a time for rejoicing doesn't that make sense?

But more than that get this the specific things there fasting for my mother is for forgiveness and repentance whether it's for restoration, they both arrived. It's no longer till I'm too fast and seek for the neck hump. Jesus is come with forgiveness. If you've been with us for a few weeks you have seen on the cleanse leper that's a picture of forgiveness. You would have seen the forgiving paralytic that's a straight-up demonstration of forgiveness. You would have seen Jesus hanging out with that forgive them tax collector. Jesus is coming with restoration as well. If you've been with us you seen him announce what is here to do in his home synagogue you seen him saying? Hey Mom. I'm going other places to share this good news of the kingdom of God is here that's coming me. Just not time for fasting. But having said that this section of Luke is not really about fasting at its heart. The biggest thing in view is not eating or not eating. The big Point here is something new is happening. Something new is happening the time of waiting the time of preparation. That's done that's finished that's passing the time is now it's come things are different for Disciples of Jesus because the long from his Rescuers finally come to his people. And then she just gives background to pictures to reflect on Too Short Parables to look at those and see what we should be pulling out of that is what we got two things first and use it needs a patch that same familiar. I'm second. There's an old wineskin then what's a wineskin. It's like a a bag made out of skin that you store wine in Will It fermented that sounds really itchy but that's that's the way they did things back. Then you needed to stretch from the skin. So that has the wine fermented in the gas is released. It doesn't it doesn't explode. Any chemist worth his salt could tell you converting sugar alcohols gives off chemist. Carbon dioxide excellent bonus marks for you later about both of these old things an old Garmin an old wineskin. Well for starters, Jesus is not making a negative comment about the noise not saying is that was a lousy government. That was a rubbish code is not saying that these are things which were good for their time and they serve their purpose. We'll give it a time but they served their purpose. Now what he's talking about old things we can be pretty company's gone John's disciples in the Pharisees in view. There's something about those two, which is paralleled in that old in the old wineskin in the old diamond. Let's take these groups one at time. I hear it about John the Baptist much before you might associate the phrase preparing the way within that's what he was meant to do prepare the way back to the beginning of our series and we we spend some time getting to know John taking a closer. Look at what you was up to. This is a good way to summarize his role. In Luke 1:17, it says he's making ready a people prepared for the Lord. That's what the angel says about him before. He's born Luke 1:76, you'll go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him. That's what his father prophesize about his birth. So we can safely assume John's disciples felt they were picking up continuing the same mission of preparing the way they feel like they're preparing what's going on with them one of the essential their life with the law of Moses. The way on Jews were supposed to behave the rules and regulations that Define Jewish life. The pole one of Jesus's first followers would go on to tell the church in galatia. The Lord was really just preparation for something more really just preparation for what was going to fall in Galatians 3:24. He says the law was our Guardian until Christ came Jesus himself is later on going to tell us something similar is going to say he didn't come to abolish the law. He came to fulfill it became to complete it. Johnny's disciples are preparing the way the little actress on Guardian, but both of serve their purpose now Jesus is here is done. All the waiting is done. Now. The groom is here. The promise rescue were the Messiah scum. Old things John's preparation the lowest guardianship. They serve their purpose the ways prepared the loans fulfill something new is happening.

So we're two old things the serve their purpose the what else is going on in Jesus's Parable here. Take a moment to think about what he describes next in each case. I got an old coat that needs a patch of a perfectly good new codes with the logical thing to do. Put on the new type-r hot. Is it where the new tire is perfectly good, but he would cut up the new code to pass the old one. Will that silly? Oh, so you got some new one. You think it's going to be a corker great vintage coming up here. You would risk it by putting it in that old wineskin. The one that's not going to stretch is crusty. It's inflexible. I think there's a new one to handwrite. They both seem silly.

the way humans how humans we have to recognize that humans fundamentally don't like change. I would like the comfy well-worn routes of life would like the ways of doing things that were familiar with the ways that we're used to just don't want you to say we like them. But we certainly default to them without thinking change takes effort the second momentum to life. When you going in One Direction you sent to keep on going in that direction unless you sit out take a look around and decide to change the momentum in life. Has a plan for the two groups we've been talking about here. Well, the preparation and waiting is dumb, but it's hard for these people to give up the patterns of Life those parents realize that preparation.

The newest come the challenges for both groups to let go of the old embrace the new the danger for both groups as they try to mix it instead. And the one thing we can see for sure in Jesus's word pictures here is a mixing thousand work. Is really clear. The mixing doesn't work. And the first picture will the new Garmin has a hole in it. This is broken as the old one. The second picture is worse still both the old wineskins ruined and the new one is lost that Christianity doesn't mix. Well. Doesn't just fit as a patch a part of something else is not like a small new part. You can put into something Otis. It's a whole new thing. It can't be contained in something that has grown kind of hard and crusty.

That power and dynamism that doesn't fit in there to see what Jesus picture he's picturing mixing doesn't work. But to be honest that can feel a little abstract. Can't sit mixing doesn't work. Well, you're not John's disciples. Thank you note Pharisees. I even though we use that term that you're not fantasies in this sentence mixing wouldn't work for that once you are but whatever what's it got to do with?

Father thinking about this through this weekend. I just got a lot to do with a sexy. I think it's surprising the relevant despite what we might say. If you would call yourself a follower of Jesus here today, I think this single biggest application of this section of text is the mixing doesn't work and it's something we have to remember too much as you might think. We're not mixing two pipes underneath underneath. We really are. Underneath were more like these people reading about then. We don't like to admit what's really more like them than we imagined really UCR our default operating system are standard practice. I surprisingly similar the ruts in our thinking that we falling into they lead in similar directions to them fundamentally as people we get lost so much easier than we get Grace and one more comfortable that it's like a bit like a worn-out coat that we really used to sell an old ones can but one that we keep going back to him and let me explain what I mean. A lot of Life on Surface on the surface is just social conventions social contracts. I scratch your back. You scratch mine. Right, I perform X for you you perform like for me to hand over the cash. You give me the coffee. I do my homework while the teacher treats me well. I'll come to the office. I type of way all day you pay me life is made up of deals like this. I'll take out the bins for you. Will you cook for me? These deals are so everyday it becomes second nature to us to expect them time to think that everything and everything will be some scratching of my back and some scratching of yours the all the time we doing the balancing deals and that at its heart is low. I perform for God performs for me. I keep my side of the bargain and he keeps his side of the bargain. I'm diligent and showing up at church. A decent guy to others I even read my Bible and pray sometimes God. It's time to scratch my back. And conversely my prayers are squished the despair moments and pretty shabby towards my friends on I'm lazy about listening at church. Well, I was going to be pretty mad. That's what we think. That is low That's The Old Toad. That's the old wineskin. So what's the new one? The new one is what we called gospel and the gospel says something quite different. It says God loves you. So he gave Jesus to save you. Randolph There's no deal here. There's no performance. Is there back-scratching required in this one?

That sounds too. Good to be true. I'd soak answer to our everyday experience is so different from these rocks of life these patterns that we otherwise tend to fall into. So we end up mixing. Yeah sure. I believe that stuff. I'm I'm saved by Jesus Through what he's done and all patching place, but I mix it up. I'm also driven to perform and deliver for God still got like comfy chair on I-4 form. Here's a thought experiment you imagine this week ahead so you just dropped the ball on every single gun thing. So you just didn't check one single box of those good Christian boxes all week that wherever they might be for you write a message in that week. Will you fail absolutely everything that defines being a good Christian to you?

Were you thinking you are with God by the end of that sort of week? At least for thinking around the Northeast a fright or think you were in some form of trouble. It's hard to get a human heads around the idea that our standing with God is Not based on our performance. That's based on Jesus's performance. And that was an epic performance. That was perfect in every way.

Jesus went to see about me try and mix up the older than you and we don't get to enjoy the New Brighton Knoll plus gospel put me through things together.

I'm worse than that we break the old and we lose the new. That's what the picture says. It doesn't work. Either way. Lol plus gospel is ask broken by the law and I don't perform. I'm not good enough for God. And also losing sight of the Gospel always down for a set of the thankfulness and the joy rolls out of our lives.

That makes sense mixing doesn't word. Jesus says the old is done. The newest come mixing doesn't works. I want you this week to wash yourselves and try and notice each time you slip back into that comfy couch. That is when you feel like I am I am doing a deal with God right here. I've done pretty well. He owes me something trying to notice when that happens picture how how pathetic it is for us to imagine we could scratch cards back in any meaningful in any significant way.

But it's one more thing. I wanted to see in this passage really quickly. I want to bring it here that Jesus finishes with a warning finished at the beginning, isn't it? Does no one have to drink in the old wine. Once the new I say the old is better. No one after drinking the old one. Once the news they say the oldest Bachelor. If you look at the original language, the old is good or the old is good enough.

Don't be too easily satisfied it says. It's not addressing people who mix that one. It's not talking to people who mix old and new. It's a picture of somebody who won't even try than you. Gil's enough for them. The old is good enough for them.

What is that look like? I think probably a lot of people are generally religious feeling like I'm all right things. I think God must be alright with me.

Is that a picture of good enough old wine? So we're not willing to try the new.

But the problem with that is that things are worse than we like to believe we are much more wrong with God than that. We're not. All right smoke flights to all wrong with God. But things are also better than that. We're much more love. What have I gone who demands a level of performance from us with a God who gives his son's performance to us?

What is there people even in this room who have never tried the new wine? Under their people here think the old is good enough.

The newest so good. The newest so good. God has come to his people to rescue them. Great cost Jesus going to be taken away from his disciples that says even In this passage is going to be taken away that's referring to where he will die for us. Process why is illustrating with wine, right? You'll go on in the picture of communion to make wine refer to his blood poured out for us. Pause comment with creation not just to Rescue Bots to renew it. That's what I've been seeing so far in Luke's gospel.

Things back to where they should be again. Something new is happening. Does it change? Four more broken than we'd like to believe that will more love than we are believe either so taste and see.

Taste and see that God is good. Let me pray. I never got some questions for you to chat about.

paragon help us not to get mixed up. Thank you for the preparation. Thanks for the ways in which that preparation is complete now. Jesus is come.

Celebration Time Is Here Come to be with your people come to rescue your people.

Please keep us from drifting back into old ways of thinking. Thank you that you're pleased with us anyway. In everything on a can of Jesus.

I pray for any others in this room. You never even tasted the goodness of that gospel. He's my day Reach Out. I even today. And taste and see that you're good. Lord help us to you wrap my head around these things. But have an impact on our lives. I want to change our hearts and I'll behavior I'm in.