INTRODUCTION
How did 2014 fare for me? Last year was marred by sadness, not just for me but for many people as well, I presume. Last year was marred by three plane crashes, quite a number of people had to bid farewell to their Mom, Dad, brothers, and sisters, an increase in a number of dengue cases, accidents, natural disaster like flood, thunderstorm, and hurricane, the increasing number of people fallen ill and sick, the country experiencing racial and religious tension, education not getting better, economics is at a breaking point, and of course, I lost my wife to cancer.
Yes, last year was marred by a trail of sadness and sad events BUT I am not depressed to the point of despair, the circumstances should never break us or causes us to flee – instead, it should cause us to stop and ponder, stop and reflect – run to the Lord. As I was thinking along this line soon I began to see a light on the other side of the tunnel. The only next direction if everything keeps going down would be to go up. There will come a point where we will begin to move upwards again.
We have a choice to make – we can either continue to feel sad; moan and groan and feel sorry for this nation OR we can rise up from the ash heap of despair like Job and start believing God for a move upward for this year! I believe God wants to pour the new wine of His Spirit upon us, our families, and the church. We need to first believe.
We need to allow God to pour the new wine of his Spirit of power, love and a sound mind –
- We need the new wine of the Spirit to empower us to demonstrate His power to live a holy and righteous life, the unction of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate his power of redemption to the fallen world.
- We need the new wine of the Spirit to love God with everything that is within us, to love one another with an authentic love relationship, and to love the lost humanity – show kindness, love mercy and walk humbly before the Lord.
- We need the new wine of the Spirit to have a new mind of Christ, a renewed mind to understand and know God, his ways, and his missions.
BUT WHAT DID JESUS SAID ABOUT THE NEW WINE AND NEW WINESKIN? –
Matthew 9:17 - "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved."
Mark 2:22 - And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins."
Luke 5:37-38 - And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.
If we try to put new wine into old wineskins Jesus says we’re doomed to failure because “the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins” (Matthew 9:17).
Quote from one of the devotional that I read: “For you to become the person God wants you to be, you will have to abandon the old wineskins in your life so that God can pour himself into the wineskin of your new life-in-Christ. This may mean, for instance, that we cannot try to pour the new wine of “honesty at work” into an old wineskin of “cutting corners.” Otherwise, “both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.” We will have to change in order to be the person God wants you to be.”
Are we ready to make the changes? Do we feel the excitement of knowing God is right there with us, not just helping us change, but leading us to the change? What are some of the old wineskins we will need to discard as we face the New Year?
Can I suggest the following OLD WINESKINS that we need to discard as we face this New Year?
GREED
When More Is Not Enough
No matter what we gain out of greedy motives, we will never know true peace and joy in our achievements. Peace and joy come directly from the heart of God through the Holy Spirit. Peace and joy are the fruit of the pure and holy heart. When we plant holy seeds, we get holy fruit. Greed has no place here.
Example: Ahab’s greed - lusting after Naboth’s vineyard. Once he had the vineyard, he was still unhappy. His greed caused him to murder. He finally destroyed himself and his family.
Greed is a warped desire
The greedy person wants to have it all. The greedy person craves possessions and more possessions just for possessions’ sake. Desire is a gift from God. Life without desire is a dull and futile life. Without desire, life stops. Greed is a warped desire; refuses to be denied the thing it wants to possess. Godly desire is not troubled by the lack of that thing.
Greed cause irritability
The fundamental problem behind this irritation is greed -
1. Grumbled when asked for help
2. Feel imposed upon
3. Argue about who pays the most to care for aging parents.
Conquering Greed
2 Corinthians 6:4-10
1. Verses 4-5 - endurance in all sorts of distresses and discomfort
2. Verses 6-7 - alongside discomfort the manifestation of right attitude and motivation
3. Verses 8, 10 - holding up of a right attitude in the midst of discomfort, injustice and distresses. NOTE Verse 10 - “...as having nothing, yet possessing all things...”
Philippians 4:11-13 - Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
LAZINESS (SLOTH)
Hebrews 6:12 - “Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Today I want us to discard laziness (slothfulness) with regard to spiritual things – the transformational dynamic, relational dynamic and vocational dynamic of our Christian spirituality. And with faith and patience inherit our promises – “to give the nations as our inheritance….”
Just a cursory glance over the book of Proverbs and you will quickly see that the preacher has a lot to say about laziness. We pick up at least six characteristics of one who is lazy, complacent, and satisfied with self.
1. Procrastination – his tomorrow never comes. (6:9-11) - How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. There are people who would make lots of promises about getting things done tomorrow but tomorrow never comes.
2. Restlessness – he craves but gets nothing. (13:4) - His problem has nothing to do with desire but getting it done! In Proverbs 21:25-26 the wise preacher said that “the desire of the sluggard puts him to death, for his hands refuse to work; all day long he is craving, while the righteous gives and does not hold back.” The “craving” goes on “all day long” but little gets accomplished.
3. Destroy motivation and drive - takes a costly toll on others. (18:9) - A complacent person can destroy the spirit and the will to win in a game, and can destroy excitement and passion to win souls in a church! He is also contagious. If we spend enough time with complacent people we would soon become like them; while away as if the world is at standstill.
4. Usually defensive. (26:16) - The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a discreet answer. The favorite thing he does is to rationalize comments, cover-ups for slack, and will try to explain everything away. There is always an answer, an explanation. He lives in self-denial. He thinks the world moves around him; wise in his own eyes and can even try to explain away his fault and his lack and laziness!
5. A quitter. (12:27) – A slothful man does roast his prey, but the precious possession of a man is diligence. There is an absence of thoroughness; do things without completing it; slip-short, and shoddy. It’s like the saying “he likes to fish but not to clean them.” He loves to eat but don’t expect him to help with the dishes. He can add a room onto the house but get it painted is another story. He’d rather sleep than work; he’d rather focus on why something can’t be helped - then blamed the government for not caring blah…blah…blah!
6. Lives by excuses. (22:13) – The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I shall be slain in the streets!” The lions in the street are nothing more than a fertile imagination gone to seed. He can just come up with anything to try to get away and to give excuses for his lack, his inactivity, and his laziness. So there is a vast difference between contentment and complacency; it is not a case of throwing up our hands or fold up our arms and do nothing – a ‘don’t know, don’t care” attitude.
AIMLESSNESS
Psalm 101:1-4 - I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life—when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.
David’s Philosophy of Life – Statement of Faith. He chose not to live a life without purpose. Here we see him making FOUR RESOLUTIONS, four convictions. Conviction gives beliefs a backbone. David was not interested in some theological beliefs but concrete convictions. He is saying: “I am committed to this purpose…”
1. Consistency. Verse 1 - I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. “Love and Justice” – times of blessings and prosperity, and times of adversity, difficulty, and problems. For both of these experiences, David praised his God. He resolved in his heart he would be CONSISTENT in his praise no matter what his circumstances.
2. Integrity. Verse 2 - I will be careful to lead a blameless life—when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. Public integrity – “lead a blameless life”, private integrity – “conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart,” Another translation said: “- walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.”
3. Humility. Verse 3 - I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. David resolves to remove everything that might catch the affection of his heart and turn his gaze off the Lord. David resolves to avoid every unworthy aim and ambition. Pride is a senseless sin
4. Purity. Verse 4 - The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil. David resolves to be a man of purity – knowing no evil. Proverbs 11:19-21 - A pure life is actually a spiritual investment – the dividends being enjoyed by your children.
Is aimlessness one of the things that you can’t seem to shake? See if you can figure out why. Uncertain about your future? Disturbed over some mistakes? Select a person in history you admire because of his or her accomplishments. Check out the person’s biography, taking special notes of how the individual focused on his/her energy and direction. Make a few notes of your own. We are often stimulated, motivated by the person we admire. Strong leaders are usually readers of biographies.
(NOTE: The sections on Laziness & Aimlessness are adapted from Chuck Swindoll - Living Beyond the Daily Grind)
CONCLUSION
It is because I firmly believe that we are living in the last days and the work of God is still far from being over that we need to press on, to move forward – perhaps our younger generation in Malaysia might be the last generation of God’s Army that is needed to tenaciously form a beach-head for the power of God to be released in this land. Things are heating up, circumstances are not always favorable, evil and violence are on the rise in our nation, sin and degradation is alarming that if there is going to be any hope for this land it would have to be the power of the Spirit of God sweeping through this land to reform, transform, and set the people free. The Holy Spirit is seeking out young people whose hearts are willing in the day of His visitation (Psalm 110). Are you willing? Would you answer the call?
Sons and daughters of God – set your heart in order for the greatest move of the Lord where you can be a part of. Do not stay on the sideline. Do not be side-lined! I went to watch Hobbit recently and I saw something that was disturbing but true. In the midst of a great war - devastation, ruin, and death by the thousands there are still people clinging on to gold and possession!
It’s time for us to let go and let God! After 29 years of serving the Lord this scripture still prove true – “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (2 Cor. 4:8-10).
God is about to release His new wine of the Spirit BUT He needs new wineskins to contain it because old wineskins will break. Let us discard the extra baggage in our lives; put off the old man and put on the new man, lay aside the works of the flesh and desire instead the Word of God, leave Egypt (the world) enter into our promise land, come out of darkness of greed, slothfulness, and aimlessness and enjoy the marvelous light of God’s grace, truth and glory.
