"More Power Through You"

Mark 2:21-22 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins." NKJV

The Church has been guilty of making the methods sacred and not the principles. We worship what man has created versus what God has created. I talked to a Pastor of one of the fastest growing Churches in America recently and when I tried to get him to tell me what they were doing that is causing their amazing growth (the secret), he told me the willingness to change and stay unpredictable. He went on to tell me that they are constantly changing their methods and way of doing things to keep it fresh and edgy. Ed Young said recently that when you become predictable you begin to disconnect from the people you lead. For some Church has become the most predictable hour of the week.

In the text we see that words new wine and new wineskin. The word new is not the same here. The word new in front of wineskin deals with quality. It would be the difference between a 2009 Lexus, and a 1985 Pinto. There is no comparison. The Lexus is far greater than the Pinto.

The word new in front of wine deals with quantity. When a 2009 Lexus is put on the lot, it is new but there are thousands of Lexus's just like it. It is new in quantity. We have focused in Church on the level of anointing of the preacher or person, or how great the anointing is in a particular Church service. We finish the service on a number 7 level (1-10). We then return after a long week of adversity, routines, and distractions, and we start the service off at level 2. We find ourselves never seeing exponential increase and every week we start again. This is not God's idea. What would happen if we could build each week on what God did last week. City, look out.

We should be building from one level to another seeing a continual increase of power and increase. What is the cause of this? We focus on the wine and not the wine skins. We define holiness as what we wear, what we do, how religious we are. Holiness is simply becoming like Christ. Jesus is telling us that God's desire is to pour out greater a quantity (dosage, measurement) of power but we are focused on the wrong thing. It is not that we need to run to a Benny Hinn meeting or that we need to have the next greatest preacher, or that we need to up the tempo of the music, or adopt the latest fad from a conference. Jesus is saying if you want more power, allow God to change you. We must refuse to keep coming to a Church conference, revival meeting to have a new experience only to go home to put it in an old habit or lifestyle. We attempt to put a new thing in an old thing. God is not impressed with you falling on the floor or you feeling something in a service (goosebumps). The real issue is when you get up off the floor will you still struggle with the same habit, go home and act like a cussing sailor. Will you be changed? Will your life change and will others know it?

My prayer is changing from Lord, give me... Or do this... No, it is Lord change me! Change the wineskin! Why? If God changes me, then God's power will increase in my life, and my needs will be met, my unsaved friends will see Jesus, there will be an increase of God's power flowing through my life. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Seek to become more Christlike and you will see His power flowing through you. If you believe in me (become like me) then not only will you do what I have done but greater works will you do also (John 14:12). Those that know their God shall be strong and do great exploits (Dan. 11:32).

Pastors, stop worshipping your man made programs. The word of God (logos) reveals God's character. We see in God's character that we are to make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). So we come up with the concept of Sunday School. Years later we are attempting to do the same thing, when the word Sunday School is not even in the bible. The principle is sacred but the methods change. It may be cell groups, tracks, bible study... Be open to change, try new things. The power is not in the programs it is in you. Be willing to let God change the wineskin, so that He can pour out new levels of wine. I say, God I don't care how you do it, just do it!

Blessings,
Craig