Feasting, Fasting and Our Faith | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series)

Why don't we go right into the word of God together?

Mark chapter 2 Gospel of Mark, chapter 2.

Mark 2 · chapter mention Mark 2 · chapter mention

Again, if you're joining us for the first time, we're so glad

you can be with us. As a church, we are going

through the gospel of Mark and we are just week after week

beholding, the glory of Jesus and it has personally been one

of the most sanctifying experiences as a Christian just

to just see Jesus to focus week after week time devoted to

behold his infinite Beauty mercy and goodness has been enriching

and I hope it's been the same for you.

And prayerfully, we will see that as we begin in verse 18,

you have your Bibles, meet me in verse 18 and a familiar passage

will read it, and then pray the word of God says now, John's

disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.

And people came and said to him, why do John's disciples and The

Disciples of the Pharisees fast. But your disciples do not fast.

And Jesus said to them, can the wedding guests fast while the

bridegroom is with them, as long as they have the bridegroom with

them, they cannot fast the days will come.

When the bridegroom is taken away from them.

And then, they will fast in that day.

No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.

If he does the patch tears away from it and the new from the old

and a worst air is made, And no one puts new wine into Old

wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst

the skins and the wine is destroyed and so are the skins,

but new wine is for fresh wineskins.

Lord, this is your word. We recognize it as the Eternal

Word. We need your help to understand

it. We humble ourselves as our

brother prayed and we ask for Mercy Mercy upon the revelation.

We need to be more like your son and to know him.

Intimately, Lord, our hearts are so quick to be hard so easily,

distracted. So Swift to look for other

cisterns to drink from in order to be gratified.

But Lord, in this place today. We even from the beginning of

this time before your word confess that you alone

satisfied. And we ask that this word would

only help us no deeper satisfaction in Jesus Christ.

Lori confessed that apart from the assistance of the holy

spirit. This will be a dead meeting.

This word will not have its way in us and we will leave the same

way we came in, but oh Lord, you have given us the gift of the

Holy Spirit. And we asked for him and you

said, if evil men know how to give good gifts to their

children, how much more will your father in heaven?

Give the Holy Spirit to those, who ask, thank you.

That we are sealed with him, but Lord, we want to be filled with

him. That is our cry, this afternoon

and may you even overwhelm the one who does not have that

desire and taste and see that the Lord is good.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

You and I are continue to comb through the Book of Mark were

walking through it carefully. And our meditation before us in

this tax, evolves around a question that was asked by an

identified people, but an observant people at the same

time. It's only when you and I go to

Matthew and Luke that we are told who exactly Mark terms.

As people are the ones who came to bring this inquiry to him.

And we've see that in Matthew, it was actually John's the

Sciples? Who asked this question?

And when you go to Luke, he implies that it was the

Pharisees and The Disciples of the Pharisees who approached

Jesus themselves. That's not a contradiction.

The simple conclusion. Is this is that there is a

coalition. There is some kind of a

partnership here that these two schools of thought spiritually

speaking though, they differed on many things.

Apparently, shared the same concern about Jesus and his

ministry and it It had to do with the apparent, lack of the

discipline of fasting. And so they come before him and

they just plainly and choir, and we can use this text for the

rest of the afternoon to guide us into a teaching about the

relationship between the spiritual practices fasting

known as fasting, and us as followers of Jesus Christ.

But we're not going to do that. That's not going to be the heart

of the matter. And the reason why it's not

going to be the heart of the matter is, when you, when you

see Jesus answer, he touches on principles about fasting, but he

seeks to address, Underlying issue behind the question.

There is something deeper and more significant that needs to

be clarified, and that's what the Lord does.

She takes advantage of this confrontation so that he can

provide clarity about a principle that goes beyond just

fasting. And what we're supposed to do

with that specific practice, and the way we're going to go about

this, the best way, we're going to handle this taxes, not to

have different points, and thoughts behind those points.

But to just follow the flow of art, pause and draw some some

observations, but ultimately come to where Jesus wants us to

come to his, his thrusting point that penetrates A problem that

is common today. So we look at Verse 18 now,

John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.

And people as we know John's disciples and the Pharisees and

that could include even just the general crowd said to him.

Why did John's disciples and The Disciples of the Pharisees fast,

but your disciples do not fast. That seems like a very random

question but it's not random because we know from last week

that Jesus and his disciples were invited as guests into the

Home of a converted tax collector by the name of Levi

and Luke tells us that Levi held a great feast.

It was a celebration, it was a banquet and Jesus was there and

the crowd that was there obviously brought the attention

to the Pharisees to recognize this and even criticized Jesus

because of it. The criticism was what how is

this holy man, eating with tax collectors and Sinners.

And so we have to understand that that is the backdrop.

The Pharisees knew very well that Jesus just finished a great

feast and so they criticize them because of the associations

within that home. But what's amazing is now they

go from criticizing Jesus about eating with certain people to

Jesus eating period. Why do you eat all the time?

Why don't you take a break? Why don't you abstain from food?

Why do you find yourself always in the homes of people with the

most undeserving kind of people. And what's amazing here is that,

you know, if the gift of encouragement is having the

ability to find the good in someone and the good in

something, then the curse of criticisms that you can find the

bad and everything. And some people just have that

gift. I wouldn't call it a gift, but

they seem to think it's a gift. And they seem to shoot off with

much ammo about how things are not like this or things like

that, or things should not be this way.

But the general crowd in Jesus, they made many observations that

obviously, disturb them. And one of those observations

was the, the day-to-day involvement that Jesus had in

casual social activities, you found them at weddings.

You found him at dinner parties and this obviously shook them.

And it took them further because of the people, he sat and ate

with his contacts, his Entourage, his willingness to be

with people, with questionable reputations, but the very thing

that we adore about our Lord was a scornful thing to them, and we

even see Jesus, quoting the masses, at one point in a way to

rebuke their critical spirit. And, you know, the scripture,

but let me read it to you. In Matthew 11, 18, Jesus said

for John came neither. They're eating or drinking and

they say, he has a demon. The son of man came eating and

drinking and they say, look at him, a glutton and a drunkard, a

friend of tax collectors and sinners.

Yet, wisdom is justified by her Deeds.

So you had these Pharisees who didn't like John's aesthetic way

of life, or at least use that to criticize him and then they

looked at Jesus and didn't like his casual approach and

approachability either. And Jesus says, you're just not

happy with anything, are you? And it's amazing because people

who reject, the truth will come up with so many excuses for the

reason why they reject it, no matter how its presented, who

it's presented by, no matter how much you put Grace into it.

Or if you emphasize on fear, they will always stiff arm and

pull back and say, well, this is the reason that I don't want to

submit to Jesus Christ but I love my Lord in this tax because

my Lord teaches me and teaches you that when it comes to

serving him, one of the things that you have to adopt very

early The refusal to be moved by the opinions of men, because

there are some that no matter what you do, no matter what you

do to cater, they will find a way to reject you and reject

your ministry. So, how about do this and set

yourself free live before God and God Alone.

Live before his face. Yes, be free from legitimate

criticisms but be like your master and be like the

Forerunner John who are unmoved by the very things that sought

to move them. And we see here that Jesus

answers very clearly. Of why he does not adopt their

idea of fasting back in mark. Why are they so agitated?

Why are they so flustered by the fact that he's feasting more

than he's fasting? Well, this is, this is a

teaching moment so you can have to focus in a little bit and

then as we go on, in this message is going to turn very

quickly into a preaching segment in the Old Testament.

It was not uncommon to see different instances of people,

abstaining from food for a predetermined amount of time for

the purpose of a spiritual go. Or god-centered motivation.

And it was often the case that fasting was a mournful response

to personal or national tragedy was one of the greatest

expressions of grief and lamentation.

But more than that, it was also a pre-emptive practice.

So yet people who fasted because they wanted to demonstrate

humility before God with the hope that judgment or his wrath

would be replaced with mercy and Grace.

And then there are other examples where fasting was a way

of removing daily distractions so that you can put a greater

focus on God in your pursuit of him.

And so was often accompanied by serious and long-term prayer.

But with all the examples of fasting that we see in our Old

Testament, the Mosaic law only gives us one clear command.

In the word of God by God, concerning fasting, only one out

of all Books in the Old Testament, have all the laws.

There is only one that is designed to encourage the people

to fast. And that is on one specific day.

The day of atonement and Leviticus chapter 16 when that

Leviticus 16 · chapter mention

great sacrifice would be made for the sins of Israel.

Once a year that was the time. If you look at live it as living

and 16 where the nation was to afflict themselves and now

actually means to fast to abstain from food as a

demonstration of Brokenness and penitence because of their sin.

Once a year, every other example or demonstration of fasting in

the Old Testament, It was voluntary. but when you come to

the time of Jesus, Fasting became a different thing, it

developed into something much more.

And that is seen by Jesus, giving a hint to that and

another teaching. And I want you to see it very

quickly and Luke chapter 18 and Luke 18, you see what was the

Luke 18 · chapter mention

common practice of The Devout in Jesus day and this will bring us

two more understanding of what's behind this question.

Luke 18 verse 11. He's teaching about self

Luke 18:11

righteousness and true justification and he gives an

example about a Pharisee and a sinner praying in the temple.

And he says, in verse 11, the Pharisee standing by himself

prayed. Thus God, I thank you that I am

not like other men, extortioners unjust adulterers or even like

this tax collector verse 12, I fast twice a week.

I give tithes of all that I get. so, the Pharisees For many many

years who have added much tradition to the Jewish law.

Came to a point where fasting was not reserved for a single

day. Nor was it an emergency response

to see God for deliverance, for some circumstance?

That is urgent. It was a lifestyle.

It was a lifestyle. It was something that he did,

weekly multiple times a week. It was voluntary, but regularly

done, Jesus has no problem with that necessarily.

He had a problem with according to Matthew 6 was the motivation

and the goal behind their fasting.

You remember right to be seen by men.

But what's amazing is when you take this truth and you partner

with the question that they asked back in Mark chapter 2,

Mark 2 · chapter mention

what you have is a question that is actually an accusation.

It's cloaked behind a question, but it's really a way of

confronting Jesus, because fasting was not only a common

practice among the supposed spiritual.

And Jesus, day fasting actually became a standard to measure

someone's piety. In other words, The credibility

of Jesus's Ministry was under investigation because there was

an apparent lack of this fasting lifestyle, which was a ritual

created by the Pharisees in order to promote promote their

own saintliness before others. And this is for our instruction

is a knot. You and I may have personal

convictions as we follow Jesus Christ.

The New Testament is clear. Something might be on your

conscience. That might not be on a Brothers

conscious or sisters conscious and this is a nudge to us to be

careful not to project our personal convictions on someone

else to measure whether or not, they are truly spiritual.

Because that happens all the time.

We will make the same mistake as the, as these Pharisees Because

unless something is black and white in the Bible, you and I

must restrain ourselves to making judgments upon others.

Because guess what, those people that you might be judging for

things that are not even biblical, might even have a

closer walk to Jesus than you. And so, be careful.

Be careful. My brother, be careful.

My sister. Somebody is not more spiritual

including a pastor because they wear a suit behind the pulpit.

Bad guys. Wear suits to, you know that

right? And just because somebody

doesn't hold to or read from or preach from your preferred or

what you believe to be. The only Bible translation that

God has reserved and protected and don't judge that person.

We have every right to judge with righteous judgement but

these Pharisees now are taking what they thought was the one of

the signs of true spiritual maturity and Holiness.

And now they're using that as a lens Upon Jesus and his, his

disciples dangerous move. And we see here that Jesus

responds, but before he responds to this, knowing why they're

saying, what they're saying. Have you ever wondered why

John's disciples are asking this?

I mean we're talking about John. The Baptist says that John's

disciples and the Pharisees are fasting.

Luke tells us that John's disciples also asked and so they

had a custom of fasting themselves And it could be that

up to this point, they were mourning because their leader,

John the Baptist was what in jail, he was imprisoned and so

they are clearly broken. And they perhaps even seeking

God for his Liberation or it could be that they like the

Pharisees. But for different reasons, had a

fasting lifestyle as those who are involved with John's

Ministry. Because John's Ministry was of

serious repentance. Of serious reform of turning

away, radically from your sin and from your tradition.

And so it makes sense for them to be continually fasting as a

physical demonstration and symbol of repentance and being

examples to a watching crowd. But it makes you wonder to like

John's disciples then it some of them didn't get a.

Do you realize, who you're speaking to do, you realize who

you're criticizing? Do you realize who you're

approaching? It's amazing.

It's amazing. What we are capable of even

though you might be sitting under, amazing preaching, John

was one of the greatest preachers ever and still some of

his disciples didn't fully get. It may God help us, may God help

us. Let's go to Jesus response, and

Jesus said to them. In verse 19 can the wedding

guests fast while the bridegroom is with them.

As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they

cannot fast. Brilliant response,

Unapologetic. You don't always have to

apologize to people who criticize you.

Especially, if it's a legitimate.

What he's saying is I'm not against fasting, but you do

realize Pharisees, you do, realize John's disciples, you do

realize other inquires that there is an appropriate time to

fast and there is an inappropriate time to fast.

And this was very difficult for the Pharisees to disagree with.

And the reason why I'm going to say Pharisees from this time on

because Jesus is main problem was with the Pharisees.

Very hard for him to free to find any rebuke concerning,

John's disciples. Even the Pharisees would find it

very difficult to disagree with Jesus because culturally it

would be very strange if not extremely rude to be in a state

of mourning and abstaining from food during a wedding.

When that wedding was a time of Celebration and great joy, which

included food and drink And so, Jesus almost immediately

Wednesday argument, but he wants to continue.

And I'm so glad to know that Jesus is definition of true

spirituality is not being perpetually somber and stiff all

the time. That's not true spirituality.

But what the Lord is saying here is even more significant than

then just the obvious day-to-day life and how you should conduct

yourself socially. when he says, That the wedding guests cannot

fast while the bridegroom is with them, he's saying that the

wedding guests are his disciples, and that he is the

bridegroom. And why this is so important is

because he's saying something about himself that only a

careful student of the Old Testament would understand.

If you read from Genesis to Malachi, you will notice that

there is no imagery. That is tied between the product

predicted and prophesied savior and a bridegroom, you won't find

it. The one who is going to be sent

to bring Salvation to Israel. He yeah, he would be a prophet

servant. Sure, King.

So many places bridegroom, very hard to find a reference to the

Messiah being a bridegroom. But you read from Genesis to

Malachi and you look for a reference of God, being a

husband and God being a bridegroom.

Then you have something. Do you see where I'm going with

this? Turn to Isaiah 54, verse 5.

Isaiah 54:5

Here is one of the most explicit statements that God himself.

Calls himself a husband. And the metaphor of God's

relationship with Israel as a husband with a wife, is not just

an idea. But look at one of the strongest

statements that God himself makes an Isaiah 54 verse 5.

Isaiah 54:5

For your maker capital M, is your husband.

The Lord of hosts is his name. And the Holy One of Israel is

your Redeemer, the god of the whole earth.

He is called. This is so obvious.

So clear, and so strong. Because when you go not just

here, Jeremiah Ezekiel Hosea, this picture only continues.

It's so obvious. It's difficult to divorce.

The imagery between God as a bridegroom.

And the nation of Israel, being his bride.

And it's also difficult to believe that Jesus was not

conveying. The same thing about himself

when he refers to himself as a bridegroom.

But it didn't click with the Pharisees.

They didn't see it the same way that the disciples didn't

understand what Jesus implied when he would be taken away from

them as the bridegroom, they didn't register for them either.

But this is what he is exactly communicating.

I am the bridegroom of your people.

I'm the husband spiritually, speaking of this nation, and if

he's saying that, then he's also saying this.

If your maker is your husband, then Jesus is also the Lord of

hosts. He's also the Holy One of

Israel. He's also their redeemer.

He's also the god of the whole Earth.

And so people said, well, we can't really use this to say

that Jesus is fulfilling some Messianic prophecy.

No, greater he is using this to claim deity.

I am your husband. Well, the only husband we have

according to the scriptures as God.

Exactly. That's the point that he's

trying to make and the lack of reaction just shows how they

were lacking understanding of what Jesus was saying.

But before we move on, I want you to see something else in

Isaiah, go to 60 2 verse 5, Isaiah 62 verse 5.

Isaiah 62:5

What do we read here? Says for as a Young Man, marries

a young woman. So, shall your son's marry you?

And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride.

So shall your God Rejoice over you.

Here's what's so amazing. When you compare that with what

he says in mark, what he says in Mark, let me remind you is that

the wedding guests cannot fast when the bridegroom is with them

and Essence because the Messiah has arrived and his presence in

the midst of them is a time of Celebration.

They cannot be in a state of mourning.

They also will be in a state of Joy at his arrival.

He is bringing his kingdom. The one that we've been waiting

for has finally arrived. And so the joy in March, Is on

the side of the Disciples of the true followers of Jesus Christ.

The ones who believe that he is the one who is Anointed by God

and the Fulfillment of all that has been predicted.

And so we should understand that as these disciples are

rejoicing, that is good. But when you come to Isaiah, we

read that. It's not a one-dimensional joy.

Because in Isaiah 62, we read the bridegroom, Will Rejoice

over them the same way, the bridegroom rejoices over his

bride. So shall your God Rejoice over

you. I understand what's being said

here, when you and I get to heaven, we are not going to

encounter a stoic statue, like, deity when you.

And I arrived there with great excitement, and Glee and Bliss

because we have been finally redeemed.

We are going to meet someone who also is rejoicing at our arrival

who also will be celebrating that we are now finally United

with them who also will have excitement and an explosion of

adoration for those that he has purchased with his blood.

It's a shared Mutual happiness. It is not only coming from us

because we're undeserved Sinners who received his grace.

He also saw our God, also will look and see that when a sinner

repents yes, they will rejoice in heaven but when we arrived,

he also like a bridegroom on his wedding day will be filled and

thrilled. She has finally arrived.

It's kind of hard for many people to picture about God, God

being excited. God being filled with, with Joy,

about Sinners being saved. Absolutely.

I hope that's how you see God. I hope that's how you perceive

God, because the scripture paints him in such a way.

Let me prove it to you in another way.

Let me ask you this question and don't answer it out loud.

What happens? According to the New Testament,

by the words of Jesus. What happens in heaven, when one

sinner repents, The common answer is this, the Angels

Rejoice correct, all the Angels, then there's thousands and there

are millions erupt with praise with one sinner repents.

But is that what the Bible says? Is that what the Bible says?

We have to read our Bibles very carefully.

Go to Luke chapter, 15, and verse 10.

The parable of the lost coin when the woman loses a coin and

finds it. Jesus concludes by telling us

what happens when a Lost Sinner is found.

And I believe the ESV communicates, it clearer than

any other translation though. The other translations I believe

are implying the same thing, Luke 15:10.

Luke 15:10

Just so I tell you there is Joy where before the angels of God

over one sinner who repents? There is Joy before that who

stands before the angels. Who did the angel stand before?

God, the essence of heaven. So the joy actually communicated

here is coming from the one who is before the Angels, namely God

himself and the angels are witnessing this joy that God.

The Holy One is actually thrilled to see when one Sinner

repents and then they share in that joy.

And if you if that conflicted with your Sunday school

understanding of this, just just peel back and go to Luke 15

early on, with the 99 and The Shepherd of the lost one, and

you'll see that the shepherd rejoices when he finds that

sheep, it's God himself who rejoices he is the one who is

actually And thronged with our salvation and he will be when we

see him face to face. So let's go back to verse 20 of

Mark. For he continues by saying the

days in verse 20 will come when the bridegroom is taken away

from them. And then, they will fasten that

day. He's not opposed to it.

He just saying the timing is not now.

The timing is not now but there is coming a time and this is

very unnatural where the bridegroom.

Imagine the bridegroom at a wedding is forcefully taken away

from the wedding. So there's something strange

there and this is a clear reference to his crucifixion to

his arrest and to his death when that happens and the physical

presence of Jesus is removed from my disciples, then out of

Sorrow naturally, they will not be able to eat and they will

Born, because of the absence of their Master.

That's when they're going too fast, you got it wrong.

It's coming. But it's not coming.

Now, now, I see something there because this is not a rule, but

it's a principle. And this is not going to be a

teaching about how Christians should fast when they should

fast for what purpose they should fast.

But if I see a purpose of fasting in the Christians life,

it's tucked in this verse not a rule, a preset, a principal and

this is it the same way that the disciples because Of their

sadness of the presence of Jesus being removed from the presents

that they loved and enjoyed and cherished Believers in the New

Covenant. I can also as an expression of

worship fast refrain from food in order to communicate a

longing for the presence of Jesus Christ.

A yearning in an aching. With the bride who says come

Lord. Jesus.

But even in this life to say, oh Lord, I'm going to choose to

step away from the distractions that come with daily preparation

of my lunch, for example, and the time that I would use to eat

that lunch to instead come before you and say, I hunger the

same way. I'm hungry, physically, I hunger

for your fellowship. I long to know you.

Would you make yourself known? Would you come near with my eyes

be open? Lord, please, I need You I need

you and I believe that is a legitimate reason to fast as

New. Covenant Believers as an act of

devotion as an act of worship as a way of saying, just because

there's already so many things, pulling away my time and pulling

me away from Jesus. I'm going to separate greater

time to do what the disciples that in essence to express my

longing for him. And my desire for him to be

closer. and up to this point, Jesus is just revealing how out

of touch the Pharisees are Because that's what tradition

does. That's what legalism does.

When you're supposed to be celebrating, your actually

feasting when you're supposed to be agreeing, you're actually

complaining when you're actually supposed to be agreeing your

opposing like you're literally living in opposite ends of the

spectrum. They didn't get it.

The Messiah is here. The bridegroom is here.

God has arrived in your midst. He took on flesh to rescue you

and you can't see it. You can't understand what's

Happening Here. It's amazing how much you can

clothe yourself with religiosity.

It's amazing how much you can actually impress people with

your spirituality supposed spirituality and not even

understand, basic Christian truth.

Just like these Pharisees. I Think Jesus could have ended

here. But Jesus is much more wise than

I am. He could have stopped it right

here but instead he takes advantage of the moment to tune

out each a larger truth. Here's we're going into

preaching mode. He's going to teach a much more

important truth that applies to the broad realm of religion, and

he's going to do this by taking twin Parables that are

essentially saying the same thing and is going to drive the

Central Point home. You've heard it before.

No one verse 21 shows a piece of unshrunk cloth.

On an old garment and then in verse 22 and no one puts new

wine into Old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst

the Skins. What is Jesus trying to say?

He's taking daily practical things, and he is proposing

something instrumental and profound in the same way that

you can't take an old piece or a new piece of cloth and try to

show a hole in an old garment without damage happening.

And the same way you can't take new wine and put it in a

container of animal skins. And think that as it ferments

that it's going to be able to hold instead.

It will burst, my message is in direct conflict with your

man-made faulty salvation by works based system.

It doesn't work. Incompatible.

What he's trying to say is I I came here not to try to patch up

something that's already established.

I came here not to be added to something that you believe to be

true. My salvation that is offered by

Grace's is not reconcilable with your understanding of how one,

attains righteousness Jesus and man-made religion cannot mix.

They cannot work together. They cannot function when the

Lord came. He came to reform, he came to

bring about a new covenant, something that no other thing

can work with something that no other thing.

Can contain something that is altogether new and therefore

requires a total surrender to it, a total submission to it.

And this is exactly what he's getting to this idea of fasting

as a way of measuring. Someone's spirituality is just

one symptom of a greater problem.

And what Jesus Is Telling these Pharisees early on is this isn't

going to work if this is how you think.

We're not going to go anywhere because what I'm presenting to

you. Overcomes all that you believe

to be true. You can't attach him.

You can add him. And if every other religion out

there wants to try to coexist with their Doctrine, let the

words of Jesus be clear. My message is exclusive.

It stands alone. You can't be in partnership with

anything else do men. May try though.

Maybe that they may have bumper stickers coexist, though.

They're trying to figure out ways to bring all these

different schools of thought and spiritual thoughts together.

Jesus is clear. It doesn't work.

Doesn't work with mine. The ceremonial self-righteous

rituals of the Pharisees could not contain what Jesus is

bringing to them. And I want to tell you today,

that if you're a person that comes from a traditional

background, Tradition isn't wrong.

But if that tradition trumps the word of God, it's very wrong and

this message is for you. because over the years, it's been

amazing to see and witness people who wear crosses who go

to church buildings but are so seeped and ingrained in

Tradition. And Jesus gave the same

teaching, the same parables in a different gospel but he adds one

thing in Luke, that is so insightful.

And if you're a person in here that struggles with Tradition

and rituals and ceremonies. And you can't come to terms with

what Jesus preaches and teaches. Because it conflicts with that.

Listen to what Jesus says. I want you to see it for

yourself and Luke chapter 5 verse 39.

Luke 5:39

He adds one phrase. And when I saw this, I thought

that's it like that's it that that makes so much sense.

I get it the conversations with people from different branches

of traditional Christianity. For example or anybody who comes

from a Works base kind of religion.

I get what Jesus is saying that it makes total sense.

Look at verse 38 just for the context but new wine must be put

into fresh wine skins and no one after drinking old wine design.

Is new for he says, the old is good.

That's profound. Many are no different today.

They're so ingrained, In their empty, Hollow religion.

There are so fascinated and familiar with what has been

passed down from their cultural generations.

And past father's, bringing down teachings, from fathers down to

Father's down to the present time.

And because of that fascination of the historicity of whatever

practice you're involved with and the familiarity because it's

so close to your ethnicity and your upbringing.

It's just so hard to let it go. It tastes good.

You enjoy it. You're comfortable with it.

And so here's the Gospel of Jesus Christ that comes in it,

crashes into your world. And it brings a message of

freedom. It calls you to embrace Grace

and not Grace with works and it calls you to obedience to what

he says needs to happen in his church.

And what he says needs to happen at baptism and what he says

communion is and he says what it means to be truly spiritual and

what life is, and what and then now you're saying, but but the

old wine tastes so good. I don't want to let it go.

Then drink it. Drink it.

And be intoxicated with it. Nobody's forcing you. but what

Jesus is saying is you can't have both You can't have both

it's one or the other. You can't have this old wine

skin. Literally cannot hold what?

I am giving in the new wine of the New Covenant, the joy and

me, the freedom of me, the salvation by grace by faith

alone in me, you can't have both.

So choose Choose and many unfortunately Jesus predicted

the attitude and the convictions of the Pharisees moving forward,

they will stick with the old. I'm going to stick with it.

And so if you ever wondered, why is it my relative?

Why isn't my friend? They can't seem to shake it off.

It's because they enjoy it. It's just simple as that.

There's nothing profound about. They just really enjoy.

They, they love it. And when something new comes

along, namely in Jesus Christ, no matter what it offers, they

will stick with what they want. Even if it offers salvation It's

a sad reality. But Jesus is very honest with

his commentary because the reality is Works based religion.

It's very satisfying to the flesh.

It feels good. It's my effort in there.

It's my participation that gains God's favor.

It's the external that that I want.

And this wine is not for you. I'm sorry.

It's not for you. Jesus extends it to you, but you

can't have both, you can't have both.

I was meditating on this last night and no one after drinking

old wine, desires, new for he says, the old is good.

And I realized you this is incredible that the principle of

Jesus being the new that can attach to the old being the new

that cannot be contained in the old does not just apply to

religion. The principle goes beyond that.

Listen, very carefully. I say this in love and I'm going

to say it's seriously because I realized what kind of

Temptations and distractions can happen in a setting like this.

So you will see me smile. At the end of the service, I

will shake your hand and can be, are you the same guy that was up

there? I am the same guy.

This applies. Not just to the rigid old

weathered wineskins, that cannot hold the freedom in the grace of

Jesus Christ. It applies to life all together.

What I mean by that? The same way, Jesus cannot be

attached, cannot be contained in a religious system that

contradicts the foundational truths of his gospel.

Christianity will never work for you if you just add Jesus to

your life. I read this and I thought this

makes sense. I get it at least to a degree.

I understand it, I can see it. Now, why there's so many

professing Believers that are so Bound in sin?

Why they do not have the joy of the Holy Spirit living in them?

Why is it that they're so caught up in the world and the

entertainment of this world and the riches of this world Old and

the values of this world and the deceptive narratives of this

world, I get it in part. Why?

It is and it all goes back to a moment where you added Jesus to

your life. That doesn't work.

No wonder it's not working for you because you did it wrong to

begin with. You try to add Jesus.

You try to include Jesus. You invited Jesus into a

compartment of your life. No wonder.

It doesn't work. No wonder you're not going

anywhere. No wonder you're the same person

that you were before. You said some supposed prayer

because you were pressured to say a prayer of Salvation.

When there is new true repentance I was taking And that

prayer. No wonder it makes sense.

Doesn't it? The masses have done exactly

what Jesus said would never work.

You added Jesus. You didn't surrender to him.

So so take the wine skin as a picture of your life.

Your old life cannot hold the truth and the person of Jesus,

you have to get a why new wineskin altogether.

And that's what he does. He removes the Heart of Stone

from your flesh and replaces it with a heart of Flesh.

He brings to life, the spirit that was debt in you because of

sin. And now, it comes up into an

awakened state, where it can relate to God and know, God, and

enjoy God and surrender to God. But that, that stuff, that's

Supernatural transaction. That happens.

Outside does not work. If you just add him, did you

just add them? Did you just add them?

You know, you know, For 19 years of my life.

Jesus was a patch on the Garment of my existence And if that's

the same for you, then you will never know all the blessings

that Christ purchase for you. You will never know it.

So, the honest question, you have to ask yourself today, even

though it's been years where you've worn this garment where

Jesus is just a piece of it. Did I did I, did I say, Lord,

take it all away from me and just do what you need to do in

me or did I say? Lord, you can you can you hear?

Yeah, I guess I can fit you in my Sunday mornings.

You can come in my Sunday mornings.

It won't work. And you'll stay stuck in that

place of defeat. And you'll never know the joy of

the holy spirit will never know Victory power strength.

You'll never know his Supernatural presence.

You'll never know his leading. You'll never know his, you'll

never know it because you just added him.

And didn't give yourself over to him, completely.

And do you know why? Some people don't surrender the

same way? The Pharisees would not give up

their religious Traditions. You think that your life would

just Jesus added to? It is good.

It tastes good. I like it like this, you telling

me that I can have this, And this.

Now, if you have this, you can't have this.

And whatever you think is Jesus in your life is a facade.

It's fake. It's powerless, it's Hollow, it

doesn't change anything in you and it's because you just added

him. And what Jesus is saying to

these Pharisees, he's saying to you.

You can't add me. You can't.

So me into your life, you can't attach me.

You have to die. And let me take over.

You have to come to. Surrender and saying, Lord, all

that I am is yours. 100% of my existence is now submitted to

your lordship that's when you will know the new wine flowing

into your heart. And he's waiting for you, you

know what's amazing? He says and no one after

drinking old wine desires, new for he says the oldest good fine

if it's good then keep it enjoy it.

Like what he says in Ecclesiastes young men, I'm

paraphrasing at the end of chapter 11.

If you want to live and do whatever your heart desires,

then do it, but take this into account, you will be judged for

it. So go do it.

Jesus didn't say, I'm going to grab you by the throat.

Open your mouth and shove the new wine in you if you want a

drink it, But know this you can't have that old wine in the

new wine in me. And so with all this being said,

this is what Jesus is really wanted to drive his point.

It really answers all these issues with the traditionalist

that confront Jesus. It's just, and he's trying to

tell them ahead of time because they're going to come with many

more questions in the future. But he just wanted to nip it at

the bud. You cannot reconcile your way of

thinking and my way of doing this, And so, here's my call,

many calls, but here's my simple call may we all be convinced

today that Jesus was not added to our lives, but that he's the

Lord of it. Lord, we ask that that would be

true in this place. And if there's even one person

in here, who is not convinced, Who is not convinced.

That you of reformed them completely.

You have transformed them from head to toe that their hearts

are completely given over to you.

Then may today be the day. Where they confess and admit, I

don't want him to just be part. I want him to be the hole.

And so Lord, we thank you. That your message and your truth

is exclusive. We thank you that it stands

alone. Nothing can compare to the

gospel. Nothing can come close to you

what you have done and what you offer Islam cannot offer.

Catholicism cannot offer. Mormonism cannot offer.

Jehovah Witnesses cannot offer. Thank you.

That salvation is a gift and that we are free and stand

righteous because of the blood of the Lamb that was shed for

us. And we just ask Lord that in

this place. People would not be able to say,

you know, I'm good. But that there would be the

spirit inspired craving for the new wine, which is found in

Jesus. That's our prayer, in our cry,

and your name, we pray. Amen.