Change is tough. Change is tough on just about everyone at some point in time. So let me pose the question, why would anyone want to change? They wouldn't unless....what they were doing wasn't working. People are reluctant to change, it goes against our very nature. Churches are resistant to change, because they are filled with people. If I believe something that I have been taught all my life and a person comes along and shows me in the Bible that I am clearly believing a false idea or man made doctrine...what should I follow? My old teachings or what the Bible says? You have probably heard the definition of crazy is "someone who does something over and over expecting a different result." Why do we consider this person to be crazy? They continue to keep doing what they logically know will not work but expecting it to. Jesus alludes to this often in the Bible, especially in instances where He encounters the Pharisees. The problem with the Pharisees and people like them is two-fold. #1- They can't realize that what they are doing is not working because they are spiritually blind. #2- Even when faced with blatantly bold evidence they refuse to admit their blindness due to pride or rationalization.
Jesus is questioned....Luke 5:27 - 39
Jesus calls a tax collector [hate Jews in the society] named Levi to follow Him. He arises, leaves all and does. Levi then gives Him a feast in His own house. At the Feast were a great number of tax collectors and others. The scribes and Pharisees [religious leaders] complained against His disciples, saying "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
The Pharisees here are already showing signs of blindness. They know there is a Messiah coming, whom they are eagerly awaiting. However they do not recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. They also are blind to the fact that God came to save all people, even the lowly, the poor, the downcast, the sinners of the world. The Pharisee in his mind would have thought that he all in all was a pretty valuable tool for God. They were the elite, they taught God's law, they kept the law to perfection [at least they thought] They had no room in their mind about what God could want or do with people like this.
Pharisees show further blindness...
33 Then they said to Him, “Why doc" the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”34 And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”
The Pharisees are upset about the fact that the disciples of Jesus are not fasting like the disciples of John or they themselves do. If you read into the underlying motive here though you will see resentment. They resent that they have to follow these rules and the Jesus and His crew are doing as they please. Since they resent the law, they deep down have a resentment for God Himself. Religious people always have a resentment towards God because of the law, they see God as a set of rules to be obeyed. Religious people will also try and bring other people into their misery, because misery loves company. If we have to should they not have to as well? Jesus says many times over in the scriptures though "If you love me you will keep my commands." So I am not discounting obedience, the point is why do you obey? Do you you love God so much that you want to obey, does your passion for Him cause you to want to do this or do you resent doing it because you know you should? Religious people have an external cause for obedience, but once the external pressure is taken away they have no more reason to obey, this type of obedience is bondage. John 8:36 says Therefore if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. Jesus and His disciples were free, mentally, the heavy burden the Pharisees felt did not apply to them. Are you free?
The parable of new wine skins....
36 Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved." 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately " desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better."
Jesus tells a pretty confusing parable, especially to the modern day person. Wine in that day was kept in an animal skin that had been sewn together. Once you put the wine into a wine skin the wine would then ferment and expand. The CO2 would expand so much that the wine skins would literally be stretched to the limit. Once the animal skin and collagen protein that had allowed this to happen had been stretched to the limit it would no longer be able to do this again. Therefore if you wanted to put new wine into an old wine skin what would happen? The wine would begin its natural process of fermentation therefore expanding, upon expanding the old wine skin would no longer be able to hold the wine because it had already grown stiff, hard, and stretched. The only thing left that could happen is that the old wine skins would burst at the seams due to the force of the expansion. Thus new wine must be put into new wine skins.
What does this all mean....
Is Jesus teaching us through this parable how to store our wine? How to start our own brewery? Not at all, He is making a comparison. Your heart is the wine skin, however the question is ...is it a new wine skin [heart] or old wine skin? Jesus was teaching His disciples, the scribes and Pharisees, and all the people a completely different doctrine that what they had always known. The disciples had new hearts that were able to receive the new wine [teachings] of Jesus. The Pharisees had hard hearts, [old wine skins] that refused to accept these new teachings. Their hearts had no room for the teachings of God.
What new teachings....
Jesus gives what is probably known as one of the most well known sermons ever. The sermon on the mount. Jesus says "You have heard it said...." referring to the Old Testament Laws, but then goes on to say "But I say to you...." Jesus is saying the O.T laws are gone, I give to you a new commandment. The old testament teaches an eye for an eye, Jesus teaches turn the other cheek. The old testament teaches do not commit murder, Jesus teaches don't even hate your brother or you are guilty of murder. The O.T teaches do not commit adultery, Jesus teaches don't even look at a woman lustfully. The laws had been in place for 1400 years, they were tradition, they ingrained in the minds of the Jews, they were absolute. Therefore, for Jesus to come along and edit these in the minds of the Pharisees would have been blasphemous. Their old hardened wine skinned hearts could not hold the expansion of the new teachings Jesus brought to the world.
The new teaching that broke the camels back....
The new teachings Jesus had given definitely upset the Pharisees but one in particular really made the seams of their old wine skin hearts burst. Jesus was teaching John 14:6 that He was the way, the truth, and the life and that no man could come to the Father except through Him. This confused them greatly because they knew Jesus, they knew Him as a boy, they knew His parents, they knew His trade, they knew where He was from. They thought God would send the Messiah as a ruler, conqueror, a revolutionary to overthrow Roman oppression. Jesus also claimed that He was the Son of God, that whoever believed in Him would have everlasting life. Jesus even forgave sins and in their minds only God could do that. Jesus put Himself on equal footing with God. This revelation of God in the flesh was too much for their hard hearts, they refused to believe this could be true.
They didn't understand....
The Pharisees thought that the system God had set up 1400 years ago through Abraham was working. The Pharisees were thinking that they had satisfactorily followed all of Gods commands, that they were righteous in Gods sight. Jesus was preaching a message of repentance and salvation. They offered the blood of an animal for their sins, they followed God's law in their mind to perfection. What did we need a savior from sin for? Jesus came so that His blood would be the final sacrifice. They didn't understand that the system was not working, God ordained a new system, not just for the Jews but for the entire world. They didn't understand that the human heart was what was so corrupt because they put so much emphasis on outward appearance and works. They didn't understand that their works were like filthy rags.
The Pharisees ....all about the laws [rules]
The Pharisees were interested mainly in the law. Jesus points this out in Matthew 23
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe," that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’
What are these heavy burdens Jesus speaks about? Heavy burdens are the rules and laws that the Hebrews had to abide by according to their religion. However the Pharisees had in many cases went over and above what the law actually stated and added their own statutes to the law. Jesus said they The law said the Sabbath was the Lords day and to keep it Holy, that you could labor six days but must rest on the seventh [Sabbath]. The Pharisees made the regulation that a person could only walk a certain number of steps on the Sabbath and if you walked over that number of steps you were guilty of breaking the Sabbath. We have a saying now that states "Home is where you hand your hat." Most people just consider this a sentimental saying meaning where ever you are that is where home is." This however actually came from this stipulation by the Pharisees, they decreed that if you had to walk to the Temple on the Sabbath and the Temple was over the required steps you could walk, then you could place a stake in the ground hang your hat, coat, etc.. on it, theoretically call that place home and you would be allowed to essentially start over with your step counting. Most of us read that and believe that this is absurd but there absurd. The Pharisees and Sadducees taught these man made doctrines of men to be the doctrines of God or at least to have equal footing with God's law.
So why say all this to talk about change?
God is always changing. I know, your first argument says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yes I agree 100% but this is talking about His character. Jesus' character does not change, morally He is always perfect, His judgement is always right, His salvation is always there. However the way He does things in and through His disciples does change? Jesus' did not always heal everyone is the Bible the same way. One man He spat on the ground, made mud and put it one his eyes and to another He said arise pick up your bed and walk. Could God be wanting to do something in your church but you be too stubborn and prideful to listen. Could God be wanting to do something in a completely different way than what you thought in order to bring Himself glory, to grow your church, to revitalize your church? 1 Corinthians 2:14 says:
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
God could be knocking on the door but spiritual blindness could be keep you from seeing. New wine must be put into a new wine skin. The Holy Spirit can only reveal to those who have a heart that is flexible, stretching, and willing to accept change.Granted not all change is from the Spirit of God, someone must have the spiritual discernment to know. 1 Corinthians 1: 18 -19
19 For it is written “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
The change that God wants to bring about may seem like foolishness, it may seem even crazy but since when did we have to understand to believe it. If we must first understand what God has in store for us we would never need to exercise FAITH and we would never see a miracle. We walk by faith and not by sight. Change in our churches and in our hearts may go against our tradition. Should we hold to our tradition because we think it works or should we let God take the hard heart out of us and be open to His Spirit moving in phenomenal ways.
What Phenomenal ways?
I'm not going to linger long on this point. There are mega churches out there that God's hand is all over. Unbelievable things are happening. When I say unbelievable, I mean when you first hear about what God is doing you ask yourself is that real, is that really true. The mega church debate is a another topic for another day. Many say that mega churches are so large because they compromise Gods word and I'm sure some do just like there is small country churches that do the same. Some say they don't preach repentance, faith alone, the gospel, that it is all lovey dovey lets all get along type sermons. Some say the preachers there just tell them what they want to hear? Could your preacher not be doing the same thing? Can you honestly say this if you have never been to one or never listened to a sermon from one? I know of three that don't compromise Gods word that you could at least lend an open ear to. The Summit Church in Raleigh NC, NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC, and The Lamb's Chapel in Haw River, NC. I challenge you listen to a sermon, or two, or a hundred and find out for yourself. I will post a link at the bottom to all three churches messages. All three churches also have a podcast you can download on your phone from the app store on your iphone.
Here's what I know...
God is doing unbelievably large miracles at the churches mentioned above. I also know that there are skeptics out there about the whole mega church movement. These churches were at least at some point in time willing to ask the question "are we going to keep doing the same old thing and expecting God to show up?" Or "are we willing to take new approach for what God has in store, could God do more than what He currently is if we got a new wine skin?" If you are not a believer in the mega church then you would not have liked the early church in the Bible. Within two chapters of the early church in Acts 8,000 people were added to the church...this is a mega church by definition. Acts 2:
A Vital Church Grows
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
If the Spirit of God is moving within a church there is growth, movement, miracles, lives being put back together, unity.
God Spirit is poured out again in Acts 3:
Peter and John Arrested
4 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
Does what you pray for match the measure of His sacrifice? God is not glorified by our small petitions but by our outrageous request. You may be thinking, how dare you say that God doesn't work in the small request, I agree but to a watching world they will say that we [humanly] did it through out own efforts. God is glorified by unbelievable, large scale, unthinkable miracles because it shows that only He could have done it.
The old is better...
Jesus makes a statement right at the end of this parable where He says
"39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately " desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better."
Jesus makes the point that people desire what is comfortable, what is known, what we are familiar with. The Pharisees loved their tradition, just like we do in many churches today. Could your old worn out traditions be holding you back from what God wants to do in you, in your church? The Pharisees traditions kept them from believing in the one true God that came in the flesh to open their blind eyes to their self righteousness. The old is better only if you have never tasted the new. You may be thinking, why change, what we have been doing for the last 50 years is working. I ask only that you ask the question " Is what we are doing really working?" I have been in churches that were dead as a door nail but most of them thought everything was wonderful. Read Revelations 3: 1-3 . God through His Spirit multiplied the early church in a matter of months, where the Spirit of God is at work there is growth, not only numerically but spiritually.
http://www.summitrdu.com/messages/
http://newspring.cc/
_
Jesus is questioned....Luke 5:27 - 39
Jesus calls a tax collector [hate Jews in the society] named Levi to follow Him. He arises, leaves all and does. Levi then gives Him a feast in His own house. At the Feast were a great number of tax collectors and others. The scribes and Pharisees [religious leaders] complained against His disciples, saying "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
The Pharisees here are already showing signs of blindness. They know there is a Messiah coming, whom they are eagerly awaiting. However they do not recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. They also are blind to the fact that God came to save all people, even the lowly, the poor, the downcast, the sinners of the world. The Pharisee in his mind would have thought that he all in all was a pretty valuable tool for God. They were the elite, they taught God's law, they kept the law to perfection [at least they thought] They had no room in their mind about what God could want or do with people like this.
Pharisees show further blindness...
33 Then they said to Him, “Why doc" the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”34 And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”
The Pharisees are upset about the fact that the disciples of Jesus are not fasting like the disciples of John or they themselves do. If you read into the underlying motive here though you will see resentment. They resent that they have to follow these rules and the Jesus and His crew are doing as they please. Since they resent the law, they deep down have a resentment for God Himself. Religious people always have a resentment towards God because of the law, they see God as a set of rules to be obeyed. Religious people will also try and bring other people into their misery, because misery loves company. If we have to should they not have to as well? Jesus says many times over in the scriptures though "If you love me you will keep my commands." So I am not discounting obedience, the point is why do you obey? Do you you love God so much that you want to obey, does your passion for Him cause you to want to do this or do you resent doing it because you know you should? Religious people have an external cause for obedience, but once the external pressure is taken away they have no more reason to obey, this type of obedience is bondage. John 8:36 says Therefore if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. Jesus and His disciples were free, mentally, the heavy burden the Pharisees felt did not apply to them. Are you free?
The parable of new wine skins....
36 Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved." 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately " desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better."
Jesus tells a pretty confusing parable, especially to the modern day person. Wine in that day was kept in an animal skin that had been sewn together. Once you put the wine into a wine skin the wine would then ferment and expand. The CO2 would expand so much that the wine skins would literally be stretched to the limit. Once the animal skin and collagen protein that had allowed this to happen had been stretched to the limit it would no longer be able to do this again. Therefore if you wanted to put new wine into an old wine skin what would happen? The wine would begin its natural process of fermentation therefore expanding, upon expanding the old wine skin would no longer be able to hold the wine because it had already grown stiff, hard, and stretched. The only thing left that could happen is that the old wine skins would burst at the seams due to the force of the expansion. Thus new wine must be put into new wine skins.
What does this all mean....
Is Jesus teaching us through this parable how to store our wine? How to start our own brewery? Not at all, He is making a comparison. Your heart is the wine skin, however the question is ...is it a new wine skin [heart] or old wine skin? Jesus was teaching His disciples, the scribes and Pharisees, and all the people a completely different doctrine that what they had always known. The disciples had new hearts that were able to receive the new wine [teachings] of Jesus. The Pharisees had hard hearts, [old wine skins] that refused to accept these new teachings. Their hearts had no room for the teachings of God.
What new teachings....
Jesus gives what is probably known as one of the most well known sermons ever. The sermon on the mount. Jesus says "You have heard it said...." referring to the Old Testament Laws, but then goes on to say "But I say to you...." Jesus is saying the O.T laws are gone, I give to you a new commandment. The old testament teaches an eye for an eye, Jesus teaches turn the other cheek. The old testament teaches do not commit murder, Jesus teaches don't even hate your brother or you are guilty of murder. The O.T teaches do not commit adultery, Jesus teaches don't even look at a woman lustfully. The laws had been in place for 1400 years, they were tradition, they ingrained in the minds of the Jews, they were absolute. Therefore, for Jesus to come along and edit these in the minds of the Pharisees would have been blasphemous. Their old hardened wine skinned hearts could not hold the expansion of the new teachings Jesus brought to the world.
The new teaching that broke the camels back....
The new teachings Jesus had given definitely upset the Pharisees but one in particular really made the seams of their old wine skin hearts burst. Jesus was teaching John 14:6 that He was the way, the truth, and the life and that no man could come to the Father except through Him. This confused them greatly because they knew Jesus, they knew Him as a boy, they knew His parents, they knew His trade, they knew where He was from. They thought God would send the Messiah as a ruler, conqueror, a revolutionary to overthrow Roman oppression. Jesus also claimed that He was the Son of God, that whoever believed in Him would have everlasting life. Jesus even forgave sins and in their minds only God could do that. Jesus put Himself on equal footing with God. This revelation of God in the flesh was too much for their hard hearts, they refused to believe this could be true.
They didn't understand....
The Pharisees thought that the system God had set up 1400 years ago through Abraham was working. The Pharisees were thinking that they had satisfactorily followed all of Gods commands, that they were righteous in Gods sight. Jesus was preaching a message of repentance and salvation. They offered the blood of an animal for their sins, they followed God's law in their mind to perfection. What did we need a savior from sin for? Jesus came so that His blood would be the final sacrifice. They didn't understand that the system was not working, God ordained a new system, not just for the Jews but for the entire world. They didn't understand that the human heart was what was so corrupt because they put so much emphasis on outward appearance and works. They didn't understand that their works were like filthy rags.
The Pharisees ....all about the laws [rules]
The Pharisees were interested mainly in the law. Jesus points this out in Matthew 23
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe," that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’
What are these heavy burdens Jesus speaks about? Heavy burdens are the rules and laws that the Hebrews had to abide by according to their religion. However the Pharisees had in many cases went over and above what the law actually stated and added their own statutes to the law. Jesus said they The law said the Sabbath was the Lords day and to keep it Holy, that you could labor six days but must rest on the seventh [Sabbath]. The Pharisees made the regulation that a person could only walk a certain number of steps on the Sabbath and if you walked over that number of steps you were guilty of breaking the Sabbath. We have a saying now that states "Home is where you hand your hat." Most people just consider this a sentimental saying meaning where ever you are that is where home is." This however actually came from this stipulation by the Pharisees, they decreed that if you had to walk to the Temple on the Sabbath and the Temple was over the required steps you could walk, then you could place a stake in the ground hang your hat, coat, etc.. on it, theoretically call that place home and you would be allowed to essentially start over with your step counting. Most of us read that and believe that this is absurd but there absurd. The Pharisees and Sadducees taught these man made doctrines of men to be the doctrines of God or at least to have equal footing with God's law.
So why say all this to talk about change?
God is always changing. I know, your first argument says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yes I agree 100% but this is talking about His character. Jesus' character does not change, morally He is always perfect, His judgement is always right, His salvation is always there. However the way He does things in and through His disciples does change? Jesus' did not always heal everyone is the Bible the same way. One man He spat on the ground, made mud and put it one his eyes and to another He said arise pick up your bed and walk. Could God be wanting to do something in your church but you be too stubborn and prideful to listen. Could God be wanting to do something in a completely different way than what you thought in order to bring Himself glory, to grow your church, to revitalize your church? 1 Corinthians 2:14 says:
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
God could be knocking on the door but spiritual blindness could be keep you from seeing. New wine must be put into a new wine skin. The Holy Spirit can only reveal to those who have a heart that is flexible, stretching, and willing to accept change.Granted not all change is from the Spirit of God, someone must have the spiritual discernment to know. 1 Corinthians 1: 18 -19
19 For it is written “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
The change that God wants to bring about may seem like foolishness, it may seem even crazy but since when did we have to understand to believe it. If we must first understand what God has in store for us we would never need to exercise FAITH and we would never see a miracle. We walk by faith and not by sight. Change in our churches and in our hearts may go against our tradition. Should we hold to our tradition because we think it works or should we let God take the hard heart out of us and be open to His Spirit moving in phenomenal ways.
What Phenomenal ways?
I'm not going to linger long on this point. There are mega churches out there that God's hand is all over. Unbelievable things are happening. When I say unbelievable, I mean when you first hear about what God is doing you ask yourself is that real, is that really true. The mega church debate is a another topic for another day. Many say that mega churches are so large because they compromise Gods word and I'm sure some do just like there is small country churches that do the same. Some say they don't preach repentance, faith alone, the gospel, that it is all lovey dovey lets all get along type sermons. Some say the preachers there just tell them what they want to hear? Could your preacher not be doing the same thing? Can you honestly say this if you have never been to one or never listened to a sermon from one? I know of three that don't compromise Gods word that you could at least lend an open ear to. The Summit Church in Raleigh NC, NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC, and The Lamb's Chapel in Haw River, NC. I challenge you listen to a sermon, or two, or a hundred and find out for yourself. I will post a link at the bottom to all three churches messages. All three churches also have a podcast you can download on your phone from the app store on your iphone.
Here's what I know...
God is doing unbelievably large miracles at the churches mentioned above. I also know that there are skeptics out there about the whole mega church movement. These churches were at least at some point in time willing to ask the question "are we going to keep doing the same old thing and expecting God to show up?" Or "are we willing to take new approach for what God has in store, could God do more than what He currently is if we got a new wine skin?" If you are not a believer in the mega church then you would not have liked the early church in the Bible. Within two chapters of the early church in Acts 8,000 people were added to the church...this is a mega church by definition. Acts 2:
A Vital Church Grows
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
If the Spirit of God is moving within a church there is growth, movement, miracles, lives being put back together, unity.
God Spirit is poured out again in Acts 3:
Peter and John Arrested
4 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
Does what you pray for match the measure of His sacrifice? God is not glorified by our small petitions but by our outrageous request. You may be thinking, how dare you say that God doesn't work in the small request, I agree but to a watching world they will say that we [humanly] did it through out own efforts. God is glorified by unbelievable, large scale, unthinkable miracles because it shows that only He could have done it.
The old is better...
Jesus makes a statement right at the end of this parable where He says
"39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately " desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better."
Jesus makes the point that people desire what is comfortable, what is known, what we are familiar with. The Pharisees loved their tradition, just like we do in many churches today. Could your old worn out traditions be holding you back from what God wants to do in you, in your church? The Pharisees traditions kept them from believing in the one true God that came in the flesh to open their blind eyes to their self righteousness. The old is better only if you have never tasted the new. You may be thinking, why change, what we have been doing for the last 50 years is working. I ask only that you ask the question " Is what we are doing really working?" I have been in churches that were dead as a door nail but most of them thought everything was wonderful. Read Revelations 3: 1-3 . God through His Spirit multiplied the early church in a matter of months, where the Spirit of God is at work there is growth, not only numerically but spiritually.
http://www.summitrdu.com/messages/
http://newspring.cc/
_