Old Covenant

Deuteronomy 9:11 (NIV84) At the end of the forty days and forty nights, the Lord gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

New Covenant

John 1:17 (NIV84) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Luke 22:19–22 (NIV84) 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus goes to the heart of the matter.

Mark 2:18–22 (NIV84) 18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” 19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. 21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Old Covenant-condition of the heart.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.                                Psalm 19:7-17 (NIV)

The New Covenant-remedy of the heart

Romans 13:8–10 (NIV84) 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 8:1–4 (NIV84) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

God’s law has always been for our good and to protect our relationship with Him and each other. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

The New Cloth, Old Cloth

Mark 2:21-22 (NIV) No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

Questions to discuss in Life Group or with your family and friends:

Passages to consider: Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39

1. How did God use the sermon to impact your thinking this week?

2. Read Mark 2:18-22 (read it 2-4 times) Who is Jesus talking to? What is he responding to?

3. How would wineskins be impacted by the wine aging process? A) What would Jesus be helping his hears understand through this story? (Think about what picture he painted in their mind through it.)

4. How has knowing and following Jesus changed how you view God, yourself and others, even what is important and valuable? A) How has it challenged what you think life is about and how life should be lived?

5. Read Ephesians 4:20-24 (25-5:1) What ‘old’ are you putting off? A) What ‘new’ are you putting on?

6. What is your response to what Jesus is saying in this week’s parable? With whom can you share the story or your response?