Emmanuel330: WEEK 37 - New Way: new wine into new wineskins (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Today's Reading: Matthew 9:14-17

**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.

Please click this link to Matthew 9:14-17

English(ESV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew 9&version=NIV
Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew 9&version=CUV

Bible Study

Jesus was being challenged by the disciples of John the Baptist of why his disciples did not fast. There were quite a number of obligations that the Jews had to follow, like fasting in this passage.

Well, Jesus has his own time table and own way of doing things. Do you think other people understand? No, that's why even the disciples of John the Baptist wanted to question him.

Bishop N.T. Wright says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright):

The times were indeed changing. God's new world was being born, and from now on everything would be different. The question for us is whether we are living in that new world ourselves, or whether we keep sneaking back to the old one where we feel more at home.

N.T. Wright. Matthew for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville,KY:Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.103.

Do you understand that following Jesus is like pouring new wine into new wineskins? What is the new wine? What is the new wineskins?

The answer is already in the previous two passages. Just like the paralytic and Matthew, they are the new wine, being resurrected by Jesus. They could not stay in the old system with those teachers of the law, the Pharisees because that was the old wineskins. They needed to follow Jesus as their Lord giving them new way, new being, new doing and new standard. Yes, we as new wine needs to be pour into the new wineskins.

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

The topic I received from Jesus today is :

New way: New wine into new wineskins

What I got from Jesus today is a check point of two things:
1. Are you the new wine
Have you been resurrected by Jesus? If you have, then you are the new wine.

2. Are you in the new wineskins
What kind of church are you in? Is your church a kind of new wineskins or an old wineskins? Do you know the difference? Well, if you are the new wine, then you should have a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus. Then, you should be able to get the answer from Jesus yourself whether your church is the new wineskins or the old wineskins. Why don't you pray about that?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Lead us to experience a continuous renewal that we can become the new wine and that we can be able to enter into your preparation into new wineskins. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Questions for group discussion

New Way: new wine into new wineskins

新方法: 新酒新皮袋

Passage: Matthew 9:14-17

Questions for group leaders

1. Read Matthew 9:14-17 again now. Do you understand that following Jesus is like pouring new wine into new wineskins? What is the new wine? What are the new wineskins?

2. Are you the new wine?

3. Are you in the new wineskins? How so?

4. What kind of church are you in? Is your church a kind of new wineskins or an old wineskins? Do you know the difference?

 5. If you are the new wine, then you should have a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus so that you can receive his new way of doing things. Do you have that kind of relationship with Jesus?

6. What is your highlight in today’s session?

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