God-Dependent Faith

Introduction

Monotone computer dictation.

God created a kingdom, and he is the King, but he made human beings to represent him in that kingdom. Adam and Eve rejected this call, which led to sin and death.

But God promised to defeat the Serpent through the seed of the woman, who is also the seed of Abraham. Through Abraham’s family and specifically Judah’s royal seed, David, the covenant blessings would come to the world.

Because all people were guilty and deserved death, the sacrifice of the Mosaic law revealed more clearly their need for a substitute-the suffering servant. Through the servant and the work of the Spirit, God would establish a new covenant and give lasting life to his people in the new heavens and new earth.

Jesus is the One through whom all of these promises find fulfillment, first in his sacrificial death as a necessary and just payment for sin and then in his victorious resurrection and reign as King.

This great story will find its culmination when the redeemed from every tribe, tongue, and nation gather in the new creation to live with God forever.

Dynamic and Enthusiastic Reading

God created a kingdom, and he is the King, but he made human beings to represent him in that kingdom. Adam and Eve rejected this call, which led to sin and death.

But God promised to defeat the Serpent through the seed of the woman, who is also the seed of Abraham. Through Abraham’s family and specifically Judah’s royal seed, David, the covenant blessings would come to the world.

Because all people were guilty and deserved death, the sacrifice of the Mosaic law revealed more clearly their need for a substitute-the suffering servant. Through the servant and the work of the Spirit, God would establish a new covenant and give lasting life to his people in the new heavens and new earth.

Jesus is the One through whom all of these promises find fulfillment, first in his sacrificial death as a necessary and just payment for sin and then in his victorious resurrection and reign as King.

This great story will find its culmination when the redeemed from every tribe, tongue, and nation gather in the new creation to live with God forever.

Which telling of the gospel was more compelling???

The first reading can symbolize old, empty, man-made religion.

The second reading symbolizes new, life-giving, true religion in a relationship with Jesus.

One is an example of a man-dependent faith built on pride.

The other is an example of God-dependent faith built on humility.

In both readings, the story and information are the same, but the heart is different. . . one consists of dead religion. . . the other consists of vibrant faith.

Like the first reading of the Gospel. . . The Pharisees and religious leaders knew the Old Testament by heart. . . yet, they missed the point. They mis-understood and mis-applied the law. . . and they even added additional laws to it.

They thought by obeying the law, they could prove their righteousness and faithfulness to God and earn his favor. . . and they held others to their own standards.

They had a man-dependent faith consisting of old, empty, religion and instead of using the laws of God to love him and others, they used God’s laws to love and exalt themselves.

FCF: Like the Pharisees, I think we also can fall into this trap of having a faith that depends upon ourselves rather than God.

Like the pharisees, we can recite the gospel by heart, but our lives sound more like a computer dictation of empty religion instead of a person who has been transformed and has a relationship with Christ.

Like the Pharisees, we can also add extra requirements to God’s word of what we think a Christian should look like and become so legalistic that we completely misunderstand the point of the Scriptures.

In Mark 2:18-3:6, Jesus corrected the pharisees old and false interpretation of the law and replaced it with the new. . . and we need this same correction tonight.

Key Point: A God-Dependent faith in the new teachings of Jesus brings transformation.

To paint the context. . . last week and this week’s text fit into five controversies the Pharisees had against Jesus that raised five questions. .

Who can forgive sins but God alone? (2:7)

Why do you eat with tax collectors and sinners? (2:16)

Why do your disciples not fast? (2:18)

Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath? (2:24)

Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or harm? (3:4)

If you look at Mark 3:6, the end of these five controversies led to the Pharisees plotting with the Herodians on how they would kill Jesus.

There are two ways that a God-dependent faith in Jesus’ new teaching brings transformation. . .

First, in Mark 2:18-22, Jesus’ new covenant teaching transforms fasting into feasting.

Second, in Mark 2:23-3:6, Jesus’ new covenant teaching transforms restrictions of the Sabbath into refreshment and restoration.

Tonight, I want to focus on that first point of fasting and see how we must have a God-dependent faith to put the new wine of Jesus into fresh wineskins.

Mark 2:18–22 ESV

18 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?” 19 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. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 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.”

A God-Dependent Faith in the New Teachings of Jesus Transforms Fasting into Feasting.

Verse 18 begins immediately following the party Jesus was enjoying at Matthew’s house where the sinners and tax collectors were eating with him.

In contrast to the party, Mark tells us that John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.

To understand Jesus’ new teaching, we must understand what fasting originally meant in the Old Testament and why John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.

Old Covenant Teaching.

Fasting was an act of self-denial that was designed to turn away God’s wrath and seek his grace and mercy.

There were three types of fasting in the Old Testament. .

Normal: No intake of food for a time, but still drinking liquids.

Partial: a restricted diet, while allowing for some food.

Absolute: No eating food or drinking of any liquids.

Fasting is associated with mourning, sorrow, and repentance over sin and involved prayer.

Fasting represented a dependence on God to show the person mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. . . it was a sign of submission to God.

In the Old Testament, fasting was never done with joy or hope but only sorrow because the person had no guarantee that God would be gracious to forgive them.

Fasting was also done in longing for the Messiah to come (John’s disciples).

Only one fast is commanded in the Old Testament. . . on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29-31).

Other fasts were practiced that were associated with repentance and confession (1 Sam. 7:6), mourning (1 Sam. 31:12), and danger (Ezra 8:21-23), but these were not Biblically commanded.

After the exile, there were four other annual fasts began to be observed (Zech. 8:19).

Pharisees’ Teaching.

In general, the OT principle of fasting was often abused.

Instead of it signifying self-denial and dependence on God, it become an externalized empty ritual to present false pretenses of holiness and self-righteousness.

God condemns this form of fasting in Isaiah 58:1-10 and says even though Israel fasts, God would not hear their prayers.

In common Jewish thought Fasting was practiced by the Pharisees and other religious leaders. . .

To manipulate God to give them power over demons.

To earn God’s favor and forgiveness from their own holiness.

To convince God that they were worthy of a gift to be given.

To prompt God to show mercy to the nation.

To pridefully humiliate oneself before others to exalt oneself above people because they are more “holy” than others.

Instead of fasting once a year, the Pharisees added multiple days that people should fast.

The Pharisees fasted from food and water on Mondays and Thursdays every week. . . and taught that if you want to be holy, close to God, and live a righteous life. . . you must fast like them.

The Pharisees were constantly in a state of mourning and sorrow and they communicated that obedience to God consisted not of joy but of sadness.

True spirituality was only experienced by making oneself uncomfortable. . . you must do the things you don’t want to do and you refrain from doing the things you want to do.

For the Pharisees, faithfulness to God consisted of a life of mourning, sorrow, and misery.

Clearly, the pharisees were going beyond the law of God in both instances of fasting and the Sabbath and implementing their man-made standards and restrictions.

They were depending on themselves instead of God.

Even though they knew the law. . . they completely missed the point. . . for the law was given to love God and to love others. . . but instead, they used the law to love and exalt themselves at other’s expense.

Are we guilty of this as well? Is it our goal to bless and help others. . . or to tie others down with burdens too hard to lift and not move a finger to help them?

Are we constantly on the lookout to point out what others are doing wrong to criticize and condemn them or do we look for the good in others to encourage and uplift them?

Are there any rituals that we are practicing in order to be seen by others or to earn God’s favor?

Walking an isle at an event.

Raising hands during a song.

Being on a praise team or leadership team.

Coming to church.

Refraining from certain things.

Jesus’ New Covenant Teaching.

Jesus was not against fasting, for he himself fasted 40 days before he was tempted by the devil.

Jesus’ fast was associated with dependence upon God.

But, Jesus was against the type of fasting the Pharisees practiced.

He condemned this type of self-righteous man-made religion.

Matthew 6:16–18 ESV

16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Pharisees were fasting for all the wrong reasons. They had completely missed the point that fasting was supposed to be about exhibiting a humble and God-dependent faith, not a prideful man-dependent faith.

This is why when Jesus is asked why his disciples don’t fast in v. 18-19, he says there is no reason to fast while the bridegroom is present!

Fasting is about longing for God’s presence and forgiveness, but if Jesus, being God, has now arrived, why would his disciples now fast?

Jewish context of a wedding party (week of a feast)

It would be like the groomsman of a wedding party mourning and fasting at the wedding reception when it was a time of celebration in the presence of the bride and groom.

But, in verse 20, Jesus does say there will be a time when the bridegroom is taken away and then his disciples will fast.

In this statement, Jesus alludes to his impending death, when the bridegroom will be violently taken away from the party.

So Jesus does not condemn fasting, he still expects his disciples to fast. . . but not in the old empty religion of the Pharisees.

In v. 21-22, He says his new covenant teaching must replace the old by giving two examples of a cloth and wineskins.

Both stories communicate the same truth: you cannot use the new to patch up the old. . . because the new cloth/wineskins are constantly expanding.

Explain what happens with wineskins.

We cannot put the new teaching of Jesus into the old, it will only lead to destruction and ruin.

Hebrews 8:13 ESV

13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Jesus’ new teaching transforms fasting into feasting. . because, Jesus, the bridegroom, has come.

Think about it. . . the voluntary fasting of Judaism was completely incompatible with the Kingdom of God that is now here in the coming of Jesus. . .

Why fast out of fear of demons or to have power over demons when the one who can bind satan and cast out demons has now arrived?

Why fast to try and earn gifts from God, when Jesus, God’s greatest gift is now here?

Why fast to atone for sins and prompt God to show mercy to attain forgiveness when the lamb of God who will give his life to take away the sins of the world has come?

In contrast to being “in the wedding party,” we are the bride of Christ! How much more should we rejoice??

But, since the Bridegroom has been taken away, we fast in God-dependent faith as we long for his return. . . but we fast in joy because we know he is coming again.

We fast with satisfaction because we have the fullness of his Spirit dwelling inside of us.

We fast with delight because we have full access to feast off the bread of life.

Even as we may mourn over our sins through fasting, we now mourn with confident hope, because we know our sin has been paid for in Christ.

We don’t fast to earn God’s favor, to be forgiven, or to prove our holiness because all these things have already been granted to us in Christ.

So now, we fast, not as a duty, but as a delight. . . to long for his return, to serve and enjoy God, to feast off Christ and his goodness.

As we feast off God through the new teaching of Jesus, we will grow in our God-dependent faith.

Response

But fasting and later, the Sabbath, are just pictures and shadows. . . but as Colossians 2:17 tells us, their substance is Christ.

Jesus’ whole point in all of this is that You can’t mix the new in with the old.

You can’t put new wine in old wineskins.

The new wine is the gospel of Jesus. . . the wineskins are our lives.

Like new wine, the the gospel of Jesus Christ is expanding and all consuming.

It overtakes our priorities, our desires, our pride, our customs, our prejudices and transforms them.

But just as new wine cannot fit into old wineskins. . . the gospel of Jesus Christ cannot be mixed with our life of sin and man-dependent religion.

We need new wineskins of a new life to be able to contain the gospel of Jesus Christ that is new wine. . . we need transformation.

This can only happen through repenting and letting go of the old, man-dependent faith and fully embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ through a God-dependent faith.

Have you experienced this?

Is your life an old wineskin that cannot handle the new wine of Jesus or is it a fresh and flexible wineskin that is filled with the new wine of Jesus.

For those who are in Christ and have been transformed by the gospel. . . have you allowed the sour and old wine of man-made religion and legalism to fill your life?

Is your life characterized by mourning, sorrow, and empty rituals, or the joyful, vibrant, and life giving new wine of Jesus?

What kind of wine do people taste when they are around you? Something that makes them sick or something that brings them healing?