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weekly sermon 12-28-08 Time For New!
We have just completed the Christmas holiday. During this holiday season I truly hope we stopped to think about the reason for the season, the birth of our Saviour, Christ Jesus.
As we end this year, we look forward to a new beginning with a new year. Our new year should start with the reflection of the first new thing we thought about just before the end of the past year. I am talking about the birth of a new baby that would grow to become the King of kings. From here we move on to new things and happenings in our own lives. Some of us make resolutions for the new year. Usually the new year's resolution would include something in our lives that we would like to stop doing or lose. The items in our new resolution are more than likely things we regret doing or things we want to get out of our lives. We are looking to take the old away and bring in the new to our lives.
I wanted us to look at a few things in the Bible concerning the word new. The word "new" occurs in the Bible 150 times in 131 different verses. The thing I really want us to look at is the newness of mankind.
First I want us to look at a parable that Jesus talked about concerning new. Turn with me if you will to Luke 5:36-39, "And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was [taken] out of the new agreeth not with the old. (37)And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. (38)But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. (39)No man also having drunk old [wine] straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better."
What is being said in this parable? First we see that it states that no man puts a new patch of garment on an old cloth. We should never put a new patch on an old cloth because we have now cut up new cloth just to try to save an old piece of cloth. The new patch will not mesh with the old because the old cloth does not have enough stability to hold onto the new patch. If you have ever tried sewing an old piece of cloth you would have noticed that the old cloth had become loose and the cloth was thin and would not hold onto the thread as it should. So now you have destroyed a new piece of cloth by using it and never helped the old cloth that you were attempting to save. Next we see that no man puts new wine into old bottles. What does this actually mean? Christ has been called, in the Bible, the new wine. Jesus is saying here that He does not put himself into an old bottle, us being the bottle. Does this mean a person up in age can not find Christ as their Saviour? Not at all and we will talk about this in the next paragraph. Notice that it says that if new wine is put into old wine bottles then the bottle will burst and be destroyed. Notice here the word destroyed. If we are, like I stated, the bottles and we are filled with new wine and remain old bottles then we will be destroyed. This means that since we did not become new with the wine that was put in us, we will pay for our sins with death, hence being destroyed. It states that new wine must be put into new bottles. Again, if we are taking this to be us, as the bottles, then we see that for us to be preserved, we must become new with the new wine that is in us. Lastly notice that no man that has been drinking old wine will immediately want new wine because he says the old is better. If you have ever attempted to talk to a lost person about Jesus then you will have seen that those who are lost do not just come running to you wanting to get to know Christ. These folks are following Satan and are having fun doing it. This is why it states that they say the old is better. Sin is tempting and this temptation to the lost means they can do what they want when they want. To get a lost soul to turn from sin and turn toward Christ means this person will have to become a new person or else they will not be truly saved. The lost want to follow Satan and this is the reason it states the "old is better". If we truly want to be a child of Christ, then we must take the new wine, or Holy Spirit, and change our lives that we may be considered new bottles or new man.
What does it take for a man to become new? When a man is already old, what makes this person become new? There is one particular verse that deals with a man becoming new. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." We can see by this passage of scripture that even though we are old in flesh, once we come to Christ, we become a new creature. Our outward physical appearance does not change. There is not a physical sign where others would be able to notice that one has become a new creature. The reason there is no appearance is because the new change one goes through is on the inside and not the outside. The only way one would be able to tell that another has become a new creature is through the outward action of the new creature. Once someone has become a new creature then they will talk, think, and act different from before. They will turn from the old wine (Satan) and will express themselves as new creatures living for Christ. This is the way that you will know that a man has truly turned away from the old and become a new person.
Let us look now at how we show our outward appearances so that all will know we are become new. Turn with me to Ephesians 4:24-25, "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (25)Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." We are now created in righteousness and holiness but are still with our family and friends. We are to express to our family and friends of our new found Saviour and what He has done for us. When we speak to others concerning Christ we are to be open and always tell the truth about what we know. It states that there is no reason to lie to one another because we are all one big family. It says we are members one of another, meaning we are all family and seldom does one lie to their own family. We should be excited about our newness and shout it to the neighbors giving them the truth. If we want to give anything great to anyone, give them the truth. Look for the truth in John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." As we can see, Jesus is the truth and no ones comes to His Father except by way of Jesus Christ. If there was any other way to get to God then Jesus' death would have been all in vain.
What happened when Jesus died? Turn with me to Hebrews 10:20, "By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;" The crucifixion of Jesus made a new way for us to be able to come to God. Prior to the death and resurrection of Christ, the only way to get to God was to live the life of God the way He described in the laws. Seeing that man would stumble from time to time, God devised a plan created His own self as man and died to save our souls from the sins of stumbling.
As we turn away from our old lives and become new through the blood of Christ, we see that Jesus now requires things from us. We see that there are new laws we are to live by. The one thing that Jesus stressed that He wanted from us was "love". Turn with me to John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." As you can see, Jesus talked about a "new" commandment, loving one another. This does not say, love one another until they upset you, or hurt you, or offend you, or even hate you. This says love one another as CHRIST loved us.
Let us embrace this new year with a resolution that we will put all old things behind us, become new creatures, tell our family, friends, and neighbors about this old story that brings a new beginning, the story of Jesus and how He saves souls. Let us study often to learn more about Christ and His new laws for our new minds and love each other as He loves us. How much does He love us? He gave His life so that we could live and live more abundantly.
If you have never put the old things behind you and laid down your old flesh to become a new creature living in the saving grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and would like to know how, then all you would have to do is say a simple prayer with me.
Say this simple prayer with me, Dear Lord, I want you to be the Lord over my life, forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.
If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.
With Love in Christ, Pastor Stone
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