It's Time to Grow Up

Welcome to the radio ministry at Clearview church in Henderson Margo's to make Christ visible Clearview is a place of genuine worship with ministries for all age groups and all people. For more information, visit us at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson or visit us online@clearviewb.org now join us for this week's message by Pastor items. It's only been a handful of times that I've asked made this state before a message in the statement is this is probably one of the most important messages I've ever preached in my life. And today's message is one of those probably one of the most important ever. You'll see why in just a few moments. If you have your Bibles turn to Mark chapter 2, starting in verse 18. Let's all stand together for the reading of God's word and the message is called.

It's time to grow up. The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting then they came and said to him to Jesus. Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not fast. And Jesus said to them, can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them as long as they have the bridegroom with them.

They cannot fast but the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and then they will fast in those days many of y'all have kids and grandkids who are 1 to 2 years of age and have you ever watched them play. But shadows is cute. First time to discover their shadow and they start running or jumping's and you know you go back to your college days you start making all kinds of shadow puppets on the wall to impress them. It is so cute. It's so fun to watch the excitement in their eyes to discover shadow and they don't know what it is but it's so fun to watch him. No one of those same kids unless they have medical issues and developmental issues. What of those same kids become 20 and 30 years of age and still want to play with shadows.

What you do them.

You tell him to get up and go get a job, a man it's not cute anymore.

You see, most Christians, even though they are 10, 20, 30 years in their faith. There is still playing with spiritual shadows as if they are 1 to 2 years of age, spiritually speaking and defined and very cute is really exciting and the want anybody else to clap for them and they can't understand why you don't play with spiritual shadows why you don't get in this morning the message to them to us to all of us.

Is this move on to substance and the substance is Christ, stop playing with shadows in the message that we get a look at this morning we will see how the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees. They were shocked that Jesus was eating and drinking at Levi or Matthew's house with tax collectors and sinners instead of fasting like they were fasting and Jesus's reply was earth shattering and this morning were living in 2016. I believe his reply has just as much significance to Christians today as it was to those Jewish people back then and you will see that in just a few moments. Let me ask you questions I ask every week. Are you playing with shadows spiritually speaking. Are you fascinated with these trivial things instead of Christ. Are you growing up in Christ are you growing in biblical and spiritual maturity, or are you content with shadow puppet. Keep asking yourself that question because there is something deep here. Even if you're not playing with the shadows and you understand what that means.

In a few moments. Are you really focused on Christ, or is it about the external and here's another question that I hope everyone. If you can answer with truth with integrity and the question is this. Are you growing at all. You see, if you are not born again you cannot grow spiritually, you have to be born again and born again is when you receive Christ as your Savior at that moment spiritual life comes in and you begin to grow. If you've never had that moment of being born again you still dead in your trespasses and sins.

You may be a good person, a churchgoing person a giving person, a nice person but you're still an spiritually dead person so we can look at Jesus's response to the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees and understand what it means to grow up understand what it means to grow into Christ and the first thing is growth means it is time to celebrate, it makes sense. In a few moments. Listen again to those words of Jesus Christ.

Verse 19 and Jesus said to them, to those disciples of John and the Pharisees can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them as long as they have the bridegroom with them. They cannot fast now, before the coming of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prophets and people were fasting and morning and waiting for his coming. The atmosphere was very tense. Keep in mind, God had repeatedly discipline them.

In fact, he had taken them out of their land. The promised land into Babylon and then only by the grace of God.

He brought them back in. So the atmosphere was one of I hope you don't mess up again because this time I don't love God will bring us back so they would fast very scrupulously. That would keep all the rituals and sacrifices and traditions infected. That wasn't enough, they had added even more to make sure we we don't want to mess up the atmosphere was very tense and so what Jesus is saying to them as less than and he gives illustration of a wedding.

The bridegroom has come. Why are you so tense than many weddings.

As a pastor before the wedding. The. The atmosphere is very tense. You know, they would have food laid out finger food. Nobody wants to eat. I want to get sick. They have drinks and sweet tea and lemonade. Nobody wants to drink. I want to get all my time want to get on my suit and then you know if the bride and the groom are getting ready somewhere else. I would look out the window and not here yet where they had and then texting text text text text text want here that we also got left at Melbourne outlet.

Are you already artist quizzical where is the brush where this is a costly is going on.

Some people are sitting down. Why I'm just so nervous. Other people are pacing back and forth. I want to sit down with him in a wrinkle of my clothes as a pastor I've seen it all. I used to get tense when I was like a set entertainment he watching this like you always have the same kind of people. Different faces and I'm usually huddle up in the back over there if this is church or somewhere else. Somewhere on huddled up with the best man in the groomsmen's gas sick child and no matter how many rehearsals you do is the same question as tothe one that's just a regular music that I'm waiting for the grandmothers and the mother's music access to past it out and then it does not fail. Someone is bound to say I'm ready to get this over with, and usually is the groom.

I'm working to get this over with and obligate inside of your new book buddy then we make our way out actually push towards and walk out all the lights and Britney was standing here bride comes take care you take a ride is done when you get to the reception. Guess what, it's not tense anymore. It's all over. It's all over now it's excitement people are like where's the flu not always those relatives who come with a three place I'm taking it know you not take away bias for you. The piling things on a please I wish we had invited them drinks are spilling everywhere on the ties on their clothes. It's it's a sight to see.

And nobody whispers anymore. They keep talking loud over you.

It is loud and nobody is saying she what is Jesus saying here he is saying here. The groom has arrived. What you mean by fasting in morning and grieving in living in suspense. It is done does that remind you of many churches today that many Christians charge. Don't get too excited. Keep it down. Check your spiritual zippers. Make sure you're okay. What Jesus was saying to them is here I'm here.

Let the party begin in the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them was the groom is Jesus Christ. What they were doing was coming to him and saying should keep the town Jesus is my why the one you're waiting for I have arrived what you mean by being solemn. Unfortunately, many church services look more like a funeral service than a wedding celebration.

Would you agree with that and we take pride in that the welders jump in and and driving going on in church. I like the old fashion was very somber and reverent. Got nothing to the somber lesson in reverence because it has nothing to do with the holiness of God because under a bridge were saying and think she was married anymore. What's he doing with her. That's what's going on do you call that reference now. There's nothing about the holiness of God flows there is a place to fast. And Jesus says it. Listen to verse 20 was he say, but the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and then in those days they will fast. Not just the cross but also his ascension. We fasted it.

Don't wait but not in the sense that I hope God doesn't punish as I hope he doesn't take over the land from us hope the Messiah will still come nobody fast because there is sin in our hearts we fasted, we need to pray for someone we fast for our nation.

The purpose is different. It is celebratory.

It is full of excitement.

Why, because Jesus has already come until our worship team. I tell our ushers until all of them best I can.

Keep it exciting. That's what Jesus would want the folks.

I'm not suggesting that if you are an introvert that you need to be an extrovert, suggesting that if you have a mild personality that you need to be jumping up on the puce no but just through your individual personalities led the Holy Spirit bring joy bring celebration be happy be excited. Christ is risen today to ask you this morning.

Do people see a spirit of celebration and you are are you like the toddler who cries every time mommy leaves the room. Most churches and most Christians look like that and we are no exception.

Clearview is not I will redo it.

Right now I don't think so were okay maybe were getting there, but there is not a sense of celebration celebration does not mean chaos does not mean people doing crazy things and rolling on the floor at whatever celebration is a joy that comes from deep within the matter what's happening around me on the one thing my God is alive and he's paid for my sins and he's coming again. May I ask again this morning. Do people see that joy this see that excitement of Christ in you, because he has come, the groom has arrived. So growth means to celebrate with something else. Growth means there's not I want to go deep this morning. Please stay with me. There is a profound message here that I believe will change the way you think about not just church but also the Bible is time to stop mixing the old with the need to listen to what Jesus does. Here in verse 21 he says no one sews a piece of unstrung cloth on an old garment or else the new piece pulls away from the old and the tear is made worse, not Jesus is telling these disciples of John and the Pharisees that you can no longer bring the all laws and rituals and sacrificial system and makes them with the new life that he has brought and he uses the illustration of clothing garments to explain that when I was a little boy I remember I don't 05 was riding a bike or something us tore up my jeans right on the needs went to my grandmother and asked her if he no can you saw a patch on it. Nowadays people put patches even there is no tear. It's cool but it was she did. She went about the patch but then she soaked it in water for some time.

I think nowadays they have preshrunk patches and all that are bad. Then she bought this patch and soaked in water for couple does Marty think she did that because once it is washed that patch will shrink and if it shrinks it will pull the cloth in from every direction.

Not back in Jesus's day is the clothing were not as durable. So when it would pull. It would tear what is Jesus saying here. He's saying this, you cannot take a new cloth. The new life that he has brought the new head that he has brought with him and stitch it on some already shrunk cloth and expected to work. You cannot take the life he has brought and stitch it on the old way of life of Judaism and expected to work it will not work. It would tear it. There is no happy middle ground. There is no saving the Old Testament rituals and traditions and laws and fees. It will tear it you have to retirement if you love those pair of jeans too much.

Don't throw them away. Put them in the closet which you can wear them anymore. You can put that patch on it and still wear it because it would pull everything together and it may even tear it has to be retired by the what I'm talking about today is probably the most critical question in biblical studies, which is what to do with the Old Testament. Why is this important because there are Christians who get caught up in a lot of unnecessary distractions that have nothing to do with Christ or Christianity. For example, their people try to get into all kinds of Old Testament dietary law will send me a book breach of this is how this is the good way of eating.

I look at another way, because I love shrimp I love pork I love bacon is gotta go.

It'll work for me. Sorry folks, then some people get into all kinds of you know, various feasts and festivals and so those TV preachers they get up to Jerusalem and the getting from the wall or somewhere down there waving the palm branches. This is the euro something something that you believe and some Christians would lose more money in their pocket show up in the oh what is that what year of Jubilee we talking about is all over the feast is done what you're doing is you're taking this this patch that Jesus has brought in trying to fix up this old all is doing is tearing it away.

It is so hard to see people from all over America showing up trying to be Jewish is like the Jewish people go there something more there people who get caught up in looking for all kinds of patterns and symbols and my favorite secret codes in the Bible. The code somebody cracks it and then somebody gets on the TV show on Christian TV show and I cracked the code something myself can imagine God in heaven.

St. Gabriel Hyde that even more body make it so difficult that in 2016.

Unless you are, you know, working at NASA you can crack the code. That's why from this pulpit and I don't hear anything like that is called playing with shadows that's called playing with puzzles and little babies do. And the worst thing that is going on right now and I hope and pray to God that you're not getting involved in it because it's real and it's around there. This comes to me. Sometimes it is messing with Hebrew roots. Names can say Jesus Christ it's Yahweh you gotta go back to the roots.

And you gotta go back to this and that folks listen. It's a heresy.

Don't get caught up playing with shadows is very real.

People begin to change the way the dress and start dressing like people did back then some mania is very dangerous because some of these movements actually deny the Trinity.

Our faith is founded upon God being father-son spirit. Three. And yet one if you deny that I don't think you have anything left. What is Jesus saying here so powerful he is telling them you cannot take what I'm bringing and try to patch up this old you have to retirement it will tear it away. Please don't misunderstand the Old Testament as our foundation. I preach often from the Old Testament. As you know why because in the Old Testament you learn how God worked with individual people like Abraham and Sarah and Moses and David and Ruth and Esther how God worked with them in the Old Testament you learn about how God promised the coming of his son Christ and how he fulfilled all those promises in the Old Testament you learn about how God worked with his people Israel. The carriers of the Messiah and how and how he still has some promises to fulfill for them.

That's what you learn from the Old Testament is beautiful. This wonderful work was standing on this foundation but don't dig up the foundation and stare at it, you can go back to it and start living as if Christ never came so over move on.

What would Paul say to this lot. Tell you what Paul will say to this is what he says in Romans chapter 14 verse one received one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

For one, believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Do you have those kind of Christians you know what I'm going back to I'm going back to the pre-sin diet before the lamb was sure I'm going back to vegetables without more holy than you have nothing do with godliness. What was about to say they are weak, it doesn't say they are spiritually mature, there's another week. What religion did Paul come from Judaism.

Listen again to Colossians chapter 2 in verse 16, so that no one judge you in food orange wrinkle regarding your festival or a new moon or sabbaths which RA was the word shadow like a little toddler playing with shadows done with that the substances of Christ.

Listen to what the writer of Hebrews says. Hebrews chapter 10 for the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. It can do anything shadow cannot help you, but now listen, Paul says, or the writer of Hebrews says, for by one offering he has perfected for ever. Those who are being sanctified Jesus with one I love businesslike baseball one crack of the bad is like a buddy buddy and homerun games over celebrate.

People are still going out there try to play the game as I so how do we start again but is like a just and homerun is over, you want me ask you this morning are you trying to mix the old and the new you. Are you fascinated with the trivial. Instead of focusing on Christ. So growth means it's time to celebrate B seen in you.

Don't be like a little toddler cries when mommy leaves the room. Growth means stop mixing the old and the new move on from shadows to substance, but here's number three very important growth means it's time to change the containers listen to something else. Jesus sells tells the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees, he says, 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 that what is Jesus saying here.

I am not any soma layer and eat wine expert but fermentation makes the volume growth is it not you cannot take this new wine that hasn't been fermented and put it into a pouch that has already expanded to its limit and fill it up because now that wine is going to expand and what could happen to the container starburst the tear wine will spill what is Jesus saying here you cannot take what I have brought you and still funnel it through the Old Testament laws and rituals and rites and fastings and circumcision it will burst, stay with me in the Old Testament God did leave the door open a jar for the Gentiles to come in. Many came Queen of Sheba was one came through that a jar door. What did Jesus do he kick the door wide open. Anybody. Whoever you are, you no longer have to walk through all those rites and rituals and circumcisions to get to God, come as you are, but if you take this new just come as you are and try to force it through this all system it will burst you need a new system was the new system. The church folks it wasn't for this verse, I would still be in my sins, I will. You would be still, none of you could've come to God. Paul did not invent Christianity. He continued what Jesus started what happened when Jesus was on the cross. As he breathed his last curtain was torn, not from bottom to top, but from top to bottom. All he can come the old system could not hold that there is an application here for us. For me, for you for Clearview and the application is this as a church is still the gospel wine is still the truth which we don't witness this is not water or juice or or diesel. This is still the gospel but guess what we've done over here we change some things around.

We change the way we do things.

Why because the container has to change. You know why so many churches are struggling with good people in there. I believe it even Christians in the wild are struggling to go there trying to take that new wine and force it into the old wineskin and it's not working. The wine is going on the floor. Something has to change.

I'm not suggesting for a moment that we are the right ones and look at Clearview we do the New Testament Way no I would never, we have our traditions to resolve any outgoings or why we do what we do and it is not working is not worth it is get rid of it. We don't just tear down old walls either. Sometimes the traditions are put in place for a reason.

Keep it.

It's a good thing. So were not here just to be radical to start on everything does go to the pure essence now forget about that. Let the Holy Spirit guide you. Some traditions say, some don't.

It's okay. What is our goal was a moderate Clearview is very simple, making Christ visible with traditions without traditions at the end of the day. Do people know that Jesus Christ is the end-all let me ask you this morning. What is your faith built upon with Jesus approve of you will he say yes she belongs to me. Yes he is my disciple. Or would you more like fit with John the Baptist to John the Baptist was the forerunner he was the one saying he is coming, but he was still not there. That's why his disciples came and say why do we keep those things. But Jesus said well you guys are my friends. Okay, so yeah, you're okay.

He said no, none of your right I've come the old is gone, the new has arrived. Get with it. Thank you so much for joining us with this message. My encouragement to you would be to move from the shadows.

The substance in the substance is Christ.

For more information visit us online@clearviewbc.org and for today's sermon visit my blog@abbydonshaw.com