Out With The Old, In With The New
Luke 5:33-39 ESV
33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”
Luke 5:33-35 ESV
33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.”
Fasting is about denying self and the desires of our flesh and it reflects our willingness to submit to God and His will.
The WORD is our WEAPON and fasting is our TRAINING for battle against the enemy and the desires of our flesh.
Matthew 13:10-11 ESV
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3 ESV
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
Luke 5:36-39 ESV
36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”
Galatians 3:23-25 ESV
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
Romans 7:6 ESV
6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Our new life in Christ was never meant to fix the old-it's meant to REPLACE IT!
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Talk It Over Questions
1.Read Luke 5:33-39 as a group. What do you believe is the meaning of this parable?
2.What is the purpose of spiritual disciplines? What is the purpose of fasting?
3.What does this parable say about the newness of Jesus’ ministry compared to the old practices of the law?
4.How can we be more open to God doing something new in our lives, even if it challenges our old ways or comfort zones?
5.Are there areas in your spiritual life where you are “clinging to old wineskins?” How can you become more receptive to change and growth?
Ask Your Kids
Luke 5:27-32
Big Idea: Everyone is invited to be a follower of Jesus.
1.What was Matthew doing when Jesus came to him?
2.What did he say to Matthew?
3.Why were the Pharisees upset?
