New Wineskins: by Bob Gladstone, King’s People
Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved (Jesus speaking in Matt 9:17, ESV).
God is pouring out new wine. His Spirit wants to exalt Christ and soak society in ways that are powerful and fresh, but that cannot be contained in the old forms of Western Christianity. Seasons have changed. It’s time for God’s people to prepare Him a fresh wineskin.
I believe there are three traits that characterize a new wineskin. First, it centers on God’s Kingdom rather than pet doctrines or Christian celebrities. This means Father God and King Jesus reign supreme in our affections, relationships, and prayers. His people then become His living temple – a house of prayer for all nations that launches its mission (Acts 13).
Devotion to God’s Kingdom also entails the power of the Spirit for signs, wonders, and miracles that restore hurting people and glorify Jesus. It demands a break from Christian traditions that – whether we are willing to admit it or not – have often taken precedence over God Himself. The Son of Man is still Lord of the Sabbath. Kingdom must replace all religion.
Second, a new wineskin calls the saints to “incarnate” the Kingdom wherever they live, work, and play. Just prior to Jesus’ statement about wineskins, the Pharisees criticized Him for eating with tax collectors and sinners. But that’s where the new wine was flowing! Jesus was providing it a fresh skin.
New wineskins are able to stretch to where people actually live rather than waste the flow of wine in the subtle mindset that Kingdom life is centrally located in a church building. Jesus served people in synagogues, fishing boats, beaches, banquets, and homes. So must the saints. They are the Kingdom organically and supernaturally within their spheres of influence.
Third, the new wineskin fashions God’s people into a genuine spiritual family. Restricting “church” to conference-type meetings instead of face-to-face relationships flowing in the Spirit stunts more growth and steals more gifts than we realize. The new wineskin does not depend on physical facilities, official church staffs, or leader-driven services. It is Jesus-driven, leader-served, and saints-empowered to share life, love, and the pursuit of God together in a way that powerfully builds the body by itself.
This enables saints to exercise their spiritual senses, mature into real salt and light, and invade their world with the living gospel. Let’s do this!