New Wineskins, Part One
June 1, 2010
(Part One is reprinted below. It is the June Oasis cover article)
Mark 2:21-22 (Jesus said) "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."
New Wine at Olivet
Jesus spoke the above in response to complaints from the Pharisees. They felt that potential converts must obey all the religious obligations and the religious lifestyle that they had developed over the centuries. There are two problems with their approach. First, new Gentile believers are, by definition, not theologically mature believers. Secondly, the Pharisees’ lifestyle had become more about “the rules” than the heart. They wanted to keep all the old wineskins and force the new wine to fit in.
Notice what Jesus encourages: Keep making wine and keep putting it into wineskins.
Our staff and lay-leaders are examining all the programs, ministries, and the structure of Olivet. We are looking at the existing wineskins. Are we too rigid in some areas? We are looking to God to provide wisdom and discernment so that we do not become like the Pharisees in any of our ministries or programs.
Our Transition Team (T.T.) has been reading two books: “One Church –Four Generations” and “One Size Doesn’t Fit All”. Through these books Olivet is being challenged by Scripture to continue our efforts to teach and preach the Gospel and to make new disciples. The Lord may lead Olivet to replace some of our old wineskins with new ones, but that does not mean that the new wineskins will made in a completely different shape or style/method. But the illustration Jesus uses does discourage putting this new wine into any older wineskins that may have become too stiff or rigid.
Please pray for the T.T. as they try to make sure Olivet has enough flexibility in our hearts and church culture to accept new wine. And pray that God continues to bless us with opportunities to live the Gospel in such a way that the world will know that we are disciples of Jesus. Pastor Steve
