New Wineskins

August 4th 2024

Series: N/A

Sermon Title: New Wine skins

Topic: How we are to honor the past but not be fearful of the fresh move of God coming.

Key Passages: Matthew 9: 16-17

Topic: Trust, Future

Sermon Blurb: In today’s message, we will come to understand that we need to embrace not only the things we know well but also the things we do not know well.

Pastor Derek – 15 minutes before service…

Intro who you are…

Encourage people to meet someone new…

Give logistics for the day…

Encourage them to download our app to get the sermon notes and words to the songs.

Let them know we are starting in about 10 minutes…

Pastor Keith intro –

Intro who you are…

Campus you lead…

What excites you about your campus…

Encourage them to download our app to get the sermon notes and words to the songs.

Get the crowd engaged…

Intro worship…

Pray out of worship…

Intro PA…Joke on if people forgot who he was since he has been gone for a month….

Sermon:

Hello church!

Family Moment –

It is SOOOO good to be back with you all today!

I have been away for the last month on my sabbatical with my family and it has been so great!

It is just crazy to me that we came to West Michigan just seven years ago to go after this church plant, called back then Grace Chapel, that is now Family Church…

It is crazy to think just 7 years ago we were just one location, with one service with under 200 people in attendance.

And today we have 4 campuses!

3 in West Michigan.

1 in El Salvador.

And maybe one day soon…one in Manistee!!!! And they are all here today!!!

That we have an incredible work in Brazil drilling wells for indigenous people to help us bring them the living water of Jesus.

That we have a massive ministry in Kenya:

Feeding & Educating THOUSANDS of students every day!

Where we build medical buildings to bring medical care to people with no access to it.

Where we have planted 12+ churches.

Where we do so many things!

We love you all so much and are so thankful that God allows us to build His Kingdom alongside you all!

And speaking of Kenya….Last week we were in Kenya working alongside our mission work called Helping Kenya Kids.

It was a great time…..ADD STORY

MAYBE INTERVIEW WITH SAMSON…..

Celebrate salvation / re-dedications / baptisms ADD AMOUNT THIS YEAR…..

PAUSE

On a day like today, I know we have a TON of guests.

And if you are a guest today, we are SO HAPPY you are here!

I want to encourage you, if you are new, to stop by one of our welcome tents today….

PAUSE

At Family Church, we have been in a series to help us understand who the Holy Spirit is.

I invite you to come to any campus next Sunday and jump into that study.

Today, I think we have a fun message for all of you.

Let me give you a little background on how this message came to be….

A very Godly woman called me, and we talked about one of the things many people struggle with in church…..

Does anyone want to guess what that is????

CHANGE

Let’s do this.

Raise your hand for me if you like new stuff, if you like change…..

Ok raise your hand for me if you want things to stay the same.

See…..we have people on both ends….

PAUSE

I have come to find that for some people change is REALLY easy…..and for some people it is REALLY hard…

This is something I had to learn the hard way because I am one of those people who embrace change…..

It is not hard for me…..

Maybe because of the way God wired me…

Or maybe because of the life experiences…

PAUSE

So, I got to talking with this amazing woman of God who does not like change, and she started talking to me about what God was doing in her.

And yes, she said I could share this story if I didn’t share her name!

She started telling me about Matthew 9 and the journey God took her through…. things she had been thinking about, praying about, reading about and it was so wonderful to hear how God was speaking to her.

This seasoned Christian woman told me she thought what God was doing inside her might help others.

She could see God was breaking down her the fear of change by studying the life of Jesus; maybe she got a little inspiration of the past few years studying Jesus’ life.

She thought it could shift some people from FEAR to FREEDOM.

And so much more.

PAUSE

And then in the same period of time…

A great man in the church sent me an excerpt from a book he read about Matthew chapter 9.

This excerpt was talked about how Jesus approached change.

PAUSE

So, in a short period of time, God drew me to Matthew 9 twice through others in the church!

And let me pause here….

I LOVE it when you call, visit me, or email me and tell me what God is doing in your life…..

It is so encouraging…..

So please do it way more often!!!

PAUSE

So, will you open your Bibles with me to

Matthew 9:16-17

If you do not have your Bible with you…

Again, go to any app store and type in “Familychurch.app” as one word and we will pop up.

You can download our app and then just click on “Sermon Notes” on the this week tab and you will have it all there.

PAUSE

We are going to walk through this passage, and I want us all to think about it in relation to our church, your life, and your walk with God.

Let’s read this passage.

Matthew 9 starting at verse 16

16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.

17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.

No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Let’s pause right there…..

PAUSE

I grew up with great parents.

I grew up in great churches.

I grew up immersed in a typical Christian subculture: heavy emphasis on morality, somewhat dogmatic, linear, and so on.

I was taught right and wrong.

I knew what honored God and what did not.

But let me be honest….

What I did or did NOT do for a LARGE part of my life it was NOT based on my relationship with Jesus.

When I was a Teenager, college student, or even an adult working in a regular job…..

I did NOT look at much from the standpoint of whether this will hurt my relationship with God or not.

For a LOT of my life, I didn’t use the Bible, or my relationship with God, as the lens for why I did or did NOT do things.

What I did or did not do was, for the most part, based on what I got out of the deal OR FEAR of what would happen if someone found out I did something wrong…..

Honestly, I would base my decisions on whether my behavior would be acceptable to those around me.

PAUSE

And let’s be real today….

I know there are plenty of you still in same boat today!!!!

PAUSE

I noticed something when I went to college, and I went to a Christian College.

I noticed that most students did not strive to place God FIRST in college.

When I would go to MSU to see my high school friends, I really saw people actively trying to do anything but walk with God…..

I have said this before….

But if you study trends in our country, you will find that the MAJORITY of kids growing up in church today will leave the church after they move out of their parents’ house….

And the scarier part is that of those that walk away versus those that return is a tiny percentage….

And typically, that return is triggered by getting married and having kids…..

Coming back to church is triggered by the thought:

“Oh, my kids should be raised with good values, and they come back.”

Notice I said, “So their kids will be raised with good values,” not they need to be raised with a relationship with Jesus.

Because that is not what people say to me when we talk about why they returned.

And you do not have to take my word for it.

PAUSE

Barna Group is the leading church research agency out there. And listen to what one study they did found…. “approximately 70 percent of American youth drop out of church between the age of 18 and 22. The Barna Group estimates that 80 percent of those reared in the church will be "disengaged" by the time they are 29.”

80 percent. GONE!!!!

No interest in being in a relationship with Jesus.

Does that make anyone else, but me, pause?

PAUSE

If you have ever wondered why we do things differently around here at Family Church…

This is why!

We do NOT want to see our kids, grandkids, walk away!

We want them to grow up LOVING the church!

I want our kids to grow up WANTING their kids to experience an awesome church!!!

PAUSE

Hence why we do events like this every year!!!

PAUSE

It is time to let the old wineskins go and trust the new wineskins God is giving us!

And I know just saying that….gets some of you really excited….

And I know saying that gets some of you really concerned….

And the majority of you didn’t give it two seconds of thought.

Let me read the passage again.

Matthew 9: 16-17

16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.

17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.

No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Luke added a little more to what Jesus taught here and Luke said this in

Luke 5:38-39

38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

Jesus acknowledges that anyone who drinks the old wine,

Anyone that knows the old way of doing thigs

Anyone who does will NOT want the new stuff.

PAUSE

Think about what Jesus said from this perspective….

People love the old wine because it is BETTER…..

People love the way we have always done ministry because of the new forms/skins/ways that are just starting right now…

And we are NOT use to them yet….

PAUSE

BUT do NOT miss what Jesus says….

Jesus said we cannot refuse making new wine because the old is superior in flavor….

NO!!!

Jesus says we drink the old, but carefully preserve the new…

Why????

Because the reality is that the old will be exhausted and gone one day!

And the new, however harsh it seems today, will get better with age……

And one day might actually be BETTER or SUPERIOR in flavor to what we have now!!!!

PAUSE

And remember….Jesus is not teaching a lesson about wine!!!!

Jesus is talking about life & ministry…..

This is NOT about wine….

It is about church traditions…..

PAUSE

NO ONE desires fresh new wine, just like NO ONE loves new forms of ministry on day one…..

Like how no one sings a new song because they don’t know how it goes yet….and it sounds strange…..but over time…..that changes…..

It might be strange….

But we must be wise and not destroy something just because it does not seem as rich as something we are used to…..

PAUSE

Don’t miss what this passage says….

Younger generation…..

We are called to honor those who came before us.

Those who built this incredible church by the vision God gave them.

Younger generation you cannot just throw out all tradition because you don’t like it.

Teens….College Students…..you are called to honor your forefathers by taking their ministry to the next place God is leading!!!!

PAUSE

And older generation…..

We are called to help the next generation go to the place God has called them to go, which might be different from where he called us!!!!!!!!

PAUSE

And at the same time.

Older generation……

We are called to follow the fresh new move of the Holy Spirit and not resist God moving in a new way.

To not get so caught up in tradition that it hinders the present move of God.

PAUSE

Balance is critical….and we can learn balance by leaning on the Holy Spirit..

PAUSE

Let me ask you all a question….

How many of you know a person that has stopped going to church?

Can you raise your hands for me?

Ok now raise your hand if they left because the church or a person failed them….

The problem is NOT God…it is imperfect people….

PAUSE

Think about Jesus…..

Who wouldn’t love a guy who healed the sick, encourage kids to be kids, silenced the religious elite and ate and drank with regular people?

Jesus remained politically neutral his whole life DESPITE the fact that the church culture of that day expected their savior to bring political freedom.

Jesus never, even once, gave in to the powerful and prominent people of the church or culture.

Jesus was called a drunkard and a fool because of the people he hung out with.

Jesus then gave the future of his church into the hands of the most unlikely people ever!

And because Jesus was not afraid to think outside the box you are sitting in this room!

Those people that so many would struggle to even consider letting be a deacon….

Changed the known world….

Because God used some new wineskins….

New wineskins…that looked messy.

New wineskins…that did not look like how the ministry had always been done…

New wineskins….that brought change….

New wineskins…..that did not align with how they viewed church leaders growing up……

And change is hard….but this change led to you and me sitting in the grandstands of a fairgrounds today…..

LONG PAUSE

Church…….People……Christians and non-Christians, are starving for a real relationship with Jesus!

People are starving – spiritually and physically – and this world needs some Good News……

Good News is finding a safe place to struggle, to doubt, to ask hard questions.

Good news is food when you’re hungry.

Good news is warm, kind, genuine love extended, no strings attached.

Good news is clean water,

Good news is medicine for your sick baby,

Good news is education,

Good news is community.

Good news is simply Jesus and His backwards, upside-down ways.

PAUSE

Our church has an audacious vision to disciple every generation.

For me, and the church I lead, we won’t sit idly by enjoying our advantages of our American life; while the world suffers.

We will build relationships and utilize our God-given gifts… because I believe we are the start of a movement that transforms hearts and leaves a tangible impact on the world.

We’re dreaming big!!!

PAUSE

Let me explain something about wine….

My little brother is a Sommelier….

Which means he is a professional wine taster…

He got all kinds of education around how wine is made…from seed….to grape…to barrel….to bottle….to your table.

Anyone who drinks wine knows old wine is better than new wine.

Wine gets better with age.

Just like everything the church has ever done gets better with age.

Just like church tradition gets richer with age.

Old wine, old traditions are a VERY good thing!

People pay more money for old wine than they do for new wine…plain and simple…..

But see, Jesus is telling us something here…… let's read verse 17 again

17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.

No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

There is a reality….in wine….in life….in church….

You cannot force new wine….new lives…new ministry trends….into the same old wine skin….

If you try and do that, there is only one outcome….you waste everything.

The wineskin bursts and the wine is lost…

But as this passage says….if we are not to set in our old wineskin ways….

If we allow the new wine to be made….

If we allow the new wine to be placed in new wineskins….

What happens….what does the word of God say the end of that verse???? LOOK in the Bible what does Jesus say happens???

Both are persevered…

PAUSE

Let me bring this directly to our church.

First….. this is NOT our church.

This is God’s church.

This is NOT our ministry.

This is God’s ministry.

We all have to realize that God does not minister the same way from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.

The way God spoke to his people changed, easy example….

God spoke through prophets, kings, bushes and so on in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, He spoke through Himself, Jesus.

The way God communicated changed throughout history!

PAUSE

In the Old Testament, people worshiped God out on a desert plain as a Cloud and Pillar of Fire.

Then in Tents

Then in a Temple

Then, when Jesus came, the Holy Spirit was given to live inside us!

God changed where we worshiped throughout history.

PAUSE

Even when the early church started….it was for Jew’s only….

Until God forced change and the message to be taken to non-Jewish people.

Even the early church tried to just stay where Jesus left them…

Until God forced change and the message was taken out of Jerusalem.

PAUSE

We are not going to be a church that is reluctant to follow God to the new wineskins!

We are going to be a people that crave the good wine from years gone by, but at the same time, we will be a people eager to find new wineskins.

We will be a people who seek NEW forms of ministry!

We are going to stretch!!!

We are going to embrace the fresh moves of God!!

Let me say that again

We are going to be a people that crave the good wine from years gone by; but at the same time we will be a people eager to find new wine skins

We will be a people who seek NEW forms of ministry!

We are going to stretch!!!

We are going to embrace fresh moves of God!!

PAUSE

And this church is a place where we can come with our questions, concerns, problems, CRAZY dreams of a fresh new ministry, and our BIG dreams….

This church is a safe place to wrestle it all out in the name of Jesus and for His kingdom.

PAUSE

With gratitude beyond our ability to articulate.... we accept the mantle from the brave, obedient, God fearing generations that came before us…and we rise up.

And we echo one of my favorite prophets…..Isaiah, and we are going to declare this together….

Isaiah 6:8, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

God is crying out in our modern world asking…..

WHO SHALL I SEND…

God is crying out asking who will actually step out and follow him….

God is crying out and asking who will stop walking ahead of him and start walking beside him….

And the question today is….will you respond like Isaiah or not?

PAUSE

Church….

I have no idea what God has ahead for Family Church…

But what I do know is this…

As we have CHOOSEN to embrace NEW wineskins at Family Church…

It has been hard…

But it has been awesome!

It has been life-transforming for so many people!!!

I mean, since we started here 7 years ago we have seen: ADD SALVATIONS

ADD REDEDICATIONS

ADD BAPTISMS

I love this church so much..….

I love you all so much!!!!

I hope we can throw our arms around each other and agree that the kingdom of God is the focus here at Family Church…..

Doing life with people is messy…

Because God made us all very different and that is GOOD!!!!

And we all need to realize that different opinions are ok!

Let’s choose to wrap each other in grace, because one day we’ll both discover we got some parts right and other parts wrong!!

One day we will realize it is only Jesus’ mercy that is going to be enough for us all.

Let’s keep our focus on God’s kingdom….and let God lead…..

And we can always remember…not matter what we think about what is going on now…..that the best is what church?

Yet to come….

Let’s Pray…..

Pastor Erik –

Pray & Salvation call

Intro who you are…

Campus, you lead…

What excites you about your campus…

Get the crowd engaged…

Intro worship…

Pastor Bob –

Intro who you are…

Encourage people to meet someone new…

Give logistics for the day…

Let them know we will go back into worship shortlyare starting in about 10 minutes…