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This Weekend: Begin sermon series on the parables.
New and Old Wineskins
Sermon Title: "21st Century Wineskins"
Luke 5:33-39
To counter the inward, exlusive religion of the Parisees, Jesus told the parable of the old and new winskins. Old wineskins, made of goat skin, where brittle. If new wine, that was not yet fermented, was placed in old wineskins, the exanding wine would burst the skins. New wine was placed in new wineskins. The outward focused faith that Jesus lived and taught would not fit into the old legalistic wineskins that the Pharisees promoted.
For 2000 years, the church has struggled with the need to discover the new wineskins appropriate for the faith of the day. During the last 8 years of retirement, I have been consulting with churches, taught at Garrett Sminary, mentored pastors and led workshops on revitalizing declinning churches. In most churches, I have discovered a culture that either adopts to the culture around watering down the Gospel or tries to create an isolated exlusive culture separated from the world. The sermon this week will focus on four "new wineskins" needed in growing, spirit filled, 21st Century churches.
Pastor Emeritus, Dick Jones
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