Following Jesus: Into something new
Passage: Matthew 9:14-17 and Isaiah 43:18-19 Preacher: Mark Kingston
Just imagine. What if God really did show up here in Gibsons? What if He began doing something new - Alive. Holy. Unexpected. Would you join in? Or would it challenge your expectations? Would it mess with your comfort zone, your idea of how faith should feel?
Because that’s the tension this passage throws us into.
Jesus is confronted by a simple question: “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do?” On the surface, it’s about spiritual discipline. But underneath, it’s a challenge to the way Jesus is doing things. And Jesus responds with this stunning idea: You don’t fast when the bridegroom is here. The time for longing and waiting is over - because God is here. Right here. Right now. And you’re missing Him.
That’s the first warning: You can miss what God is doing - because you’re not looking for it.
Then Jesus gives us two more images: New cloth on old garments. New wine in old wineskins. Why? Because if you try to fit the new into the old, it tears. It bursts. It spills. The wine is God’s Spirit - His living, moving presence. The wineskin? That’s how we carry it. Our traditions, our systems, our church structures... Even our personal preferences.
Here’s the risk: We fall in love with the wineskin - and forget the wine. We cling to what used to work, how things used to feel, what used to be full of life. But God is always doing something new. And the old containers? They were good. They mattered. But they might not hold what He’s doing next.
Think of the Jesus People movement. The Welsh revivals. Even our own church history - The planting of Calvary, the energy of the youth group in the 90s. Those were vintage wines. But they were for their time. God isn’t recycling old moves. He’s fermenting something fresh.
Just like when in Spring 1973, Rev. Norman Archer stood behind the pulpit at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Victoria. A normal Sunday evening service. Nothing dramatic. Until the Spirit of God came and He couldn’t move. Neither could the congregation. Silence fell. Then prayer. Then tears. No one left for hours.
That moment became a movement. For six months, the Spirit kept showing up. Many younger people gave their lives to Christ. Hundreds were baptized. No hype. No strategy. Just God. And when it ended, it ended like a sunset. Not with sadness - but with awe. That’s what happens when new wine comes - And the people are willing to stretch.
So let me speak to three groups in our church:
To our older saints: You’ve carried this church. You’ve endured storms. You’ve seen God move. We need you now more than ever. Not to preserve the past - But to bless the future.
To the middle-aged (I’m one of you): We’re busy. Stretched. Sometimes tired. But we still have strength. We carry memory and momentum. Let’s not check out. Let’s check in - fully.
And to our young people: You’re not just the church of tomorrow. You’re the church of today. You bring honesty. Energy. Wonder. We need that. God is ready to pour His Spirit into your lives - now.
This is not just about wineskins and wine. It’s about being ready - together. Because when God pours out new wine, it’s for everyone. And the question isn’t whether He’ll move. It’s whether we’ll notice. Whether we’ll say yes. Whether we’ll stretch.
So now, take a breath. Be still. Open your heart. And let this be your prayer: Spirit of the Living God - fall afresh on me.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Where have you seen God move in the past – in your life or in our church – and how has that shaped what you expect from Him today? (Is it possible that what once helped you now holds you back?)
What might “new wine” look like in your life right now? (Is God trying to stir something – a fresh conviction, a bold invitation, a change in direction – and are you noticing it?)
Are there any “old wineskins” in your thinking, habits, or faith practice that might be too rigid to hold what God wants to do next? (What’s hard to let go of – and what might become possible if you did?)
What might it look like for you to get ready for the new thing God wants to do? (Are there old attitudes or assumptions you need to confess? Do you need to ask God to soften your heart, stir your hunger, or help you truly seek Him again? What would it look like to say: “Lord, do something new in me—and do it here”?)
If Jesus walked into your home, your workplace, or this church today and said, “I’m doing something new – will you join me?”—how would you respond? (Be honest. What excites you? What scares you? What would need to shift inside you?)
