New Wineskins
Matthew 9:16-17…who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. 17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”
These verses have spoken a LOT to me over the last few days! And I believe they can speak to all of us as we continue to grow the vision of UpRising Church.
First, to be a dynamic, creative, cutting edge and contemporary church that helps connect disconnected people to God, we MUST be about the NEW “cloth/wine/wineskins”.
There are some, especially those who come from a lifelong church/religious background, who have embraced the “wineskins” they are in…the traditional/religious practices, even beliefs, of the past. Then, they try to venture out to be about the “new wine”, trying to embrace the contemporary, emerging, post-modern church. But, they don’t throw away the old wineskins…they try pouring the new wine into the old, and it doesn’t work. It manifests itself in those saying things like, “well, the way our old church did it…”, or “I grew up believing…”, etc. It causes pressure, and will eventually burst. They not only get themselves messed up, but everyone else around them.
This happened to me when I planted my first church. It was a lesson well learned! I found out really fast you can’t take people who hold to traditions of the past, and the beliefs these traditions have created, and have a successful “new wineskin” church.
Before you think I’m talking about ignoring the Word of God – ABSOLUTELY NOT!! I’m talking about not ADDING TO the Word things that man has created over the years, and today believe “religiously”.
So, at the UC, all of us from myself all the way throughout the entire partnership should throw away our old wineskins, and stop trying to patch old cloth with new, and embrace the work God is calling us to do today to reach this culture for Jesus.
We must examine a lot more closely the life of Jesus…what HE did to reach the disconnected of His culture. He turned water into wine, walked on water, healed the blind/disabled/sick, serving over 5,000 fish ‘n chips all from one little boy’s Happy Meal…all causing people to really talk about Him the next morning around the well!
He was creative…preaching from a mountain, a boat, in homes…he wasn’t stuck in tradition.
Today, we do things that don’t compromise the Word, but will cause people to talk about us around the water cooler the next day! We have fun! We have given away movie tickets, iPods, TV’s, Starbucks gift cards and so much more. And this Sunday, we’re giving away an iPhone!
“Why use gimmicks?” I’ll answer that with this…why did people accuse Jesus of using gimmicks (miracles) in His day? He did it, and we do it, for one reason…to help connect disconnected people to God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ – period. If what we give away draws someone for no other reason but to try to win a prize, they WILL hear the Word!!
It’s this “out of the box” thinking that upsets the “old wineskins” – the “religious”. Folks, we’re NOT about religion, we’re about relationships. It’s a relationship with Jesus first, and with one another.
On Sunday, October 14th, we’ll begin a new message series called, “Religion Bites”. And, if I could be really honest…it should have been called, “Religion Sucks”. Because we believe “religion” has done more to send people to hell than anything else.
How can I say that? Why not join us on 10/14 to find out more!
Right now, I’m searching for the “old wineskins” in every area of my life and throwing them out!! How ‘bout you?
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