Allen Jackson - Breakthrough... New Wine - Part 2
You know, one of the things I get to do is try to help be engaged in creating a community of faith that welcomes people. And the most unhappy stories are the ones that usually make it to me and I’m always a bit amused. People say, «You know, I visited your church and no one spoke to me». I’m sure it could happen. You can probably put on headphones, dark glasses, a big floppy hat. Pull your collar up. Watch carefully and sneak between the gauntlet of people trying to say hello to you. Sit in the sanctuary and send up every nonverbal signal you can that I’m toxic and don’t touch me. I mean, I don’t doubt that that could happen, and so we will respond. But I think you’ve probably got to make an effort. I mean, you all are goofy friendly.
If I tell you to introduce yourself to your neighbor, I have to stop you four or five minutes later. You’re exchanging Christmas cookie recipes. Well, I see that affirmation in Elizabeth. She’s ministering to Mary. «The sound of your greeting when it reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished». «So you don’t think I’m crazy. You believe me. You think it’s really God. You’re not gonna look at me with side eyes and ask me about my character». «No. Zechariah, he had an appointment of his own. He didn’t say much about it, but he wrote me a note».
It’s a breakthrough. It’s breakthroughs and then Luke goes out of his way to say it’s about the Spirit of God. See, when the Spirit of God brings a breakthrough into your life, you’ll gain insight and understanding and awareness. Insight, you can see what’s not visible to most. Elizabeth sees Mary and she doesn’t see a young woman that’s pregnant and the timing’s awkward. She sees something that God is doing. She has insight, she has understanding, she can grasp God’s perspective before it’s apparent to most. She’s not gonna be the last to know. Some of you are proud of the fact that you own the seat of the skeptic. You’re looking for the weakness in every good report. You’re looking to throw the Christians under the bus first. You’ll defend the ungodly. You’ll stand with the immoral. You better stop.
We’re in a season of judgment, which means both the blessing of God and the discipline of God are moving around us. And if you’re a champion of resisting what God is doing because you’ve got some point of annoyance with the Christians, it’s a very slippery slope to stand on. Elizabeth didn’t take that pass. She didn’t say, «Come over and talk to me, child, I’m a little concerned. Joe called me». Awareness, a responsive belief. It’s faith in motion. It’s confidence of God’s involvement. I wanna be a part. I wanna go along. I wanna be engaged. You see, when God’s moving, it’s not so crystal clear that it’s God moving or what the outcome will be, or it wouldn’t require any faith.
Nobody in the Israelite community thought David could take Goliath or they would have gone with him. There would have been a whole troop of Israelite soldiers with David if they had thought he’d had a snowball’s chance of taking Goliath. The king said, «Take, here, take my armor». Do you understand the expression of cowardice in that? Saul, the Bible says, stood head and shoulders above all the other men in Israel. He was their most physically intimidating specimen. Trained in warfare, custom armor. And there’s a kid, a scrawny shepherd kid brought lunch to his brothers that said, «I’ll take on the enemy’s champion». And the king says, «Well, here, take my armor». And David said, «No, it doesn’t fit. I’ll go get a rock». And nobody was going with him.
See, that’s awareness. It’s an expression of faith. Goliath mocked him. «Who are you? You sent a boy? Am I a dog that you sent a boy»? Remember what David said? «Oh, you have defied the army of the Living God». Not the cowardly king back there in his tent. «You’ve defied the army of the Living God. And that God delivered a lion to me and a bear to me. He’s about to deliver you to me». And he charged, but nobody went with him. You see breakthroughs, insight, understanding, awareness, some of you are proud of the fact that you don’t cooperate. Repent.
The importance of community is difficult to overstate. I’m sure God would have sustained Mary if Elizabeth had not been an opportunity, but it certainly looks to me like God prepared Elizabeth to be there to be a voice in Mary’s life. And rather than be unhappy because somebody isn’t providing the voice you want, how about deciding to be the voice? Lead with your faith. There’s some rather unconventional wisdom. Same chapter, still in Luke 1. «When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son,» there’s a shock. «Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy».
That’s a biblical way of saying they’ve been gossiping about her for 9 months. «On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child,» that’s in accordance with the law of Moses. «They were gonna name him after his father Zechariah. Fully expected, but his mother spoke up and said, 'No, he used to be called John.' And they said, 'Well, there’s no one among your relatives who has that name.' Then they made signs to the father to find out what he would like to name the child,» 'cause clearly, Elizabeth has lost her mind. «He asked for a writing tablet and to everyone’s amazement, astonishment, he wrote, 'His name is John.' And immediately his mouth was opened».
I think Gabriel’s standing there smirking. «And his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea. People were talking about all these things and everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, 'What then is this child going to be? ' For the Lord’s hand was with him». In this case, the breakthrough is a complete reordering. It’s a shattering, if you will, of the status quo. Childless couple has a son. They don’t even bother. It’s almost a formality. We’re not asking. We know his name. Gonna name him after his father. And Elizabeth breaks and said, «No, we’re not». And they understand that’s inappropriate, it’s not correct, it’s not right, that’s not what’s done.
So they go to the guy that can’t talk and say, «What do you say about it»? And he writes down an answer in agreement with Elizabeth. And nobody understands. Where did we start? We started with new wine in new wine skins. It’s a breakthrough. So, are you ready for that? You see, we want God to solve our problems, to eliminate the suffering, to take away the speed bumps, to make it easier, to remove the dissent, whatever. But we don’t really intend for him to ask us to be different. Zechariah and Elizabeth gave the baby a new name. I’m gonna take a minute with that idea 'cause I think it’s very, very important. John is not just continuity. Oh, he shares genetic material with Elizabeth and Zachariah, but he’s not the same. He’s not just gonna take his turn as another in the priestly line, serving in the temple.
He’s not gonna wait for his rotation and maintain the status quo. He’s a force of disruption. He’s got a new name. He’s got a new name. He has godly parents, righteous parents, trustworthy parents, important parents. Parents uniquely prepared and equipped and qualified, sacrificial parents, many, many things, but John has a new name. Revelation chapter 2, it’s in your notes. It’s one of the messages to one of the churches in the book of Revelation. It says, «He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches». That phrase is repeated multiple times in Revelation. I think it’s so important. It’s possible to be in the church and not be able to hear. To not be listening. To not care. To be distracted. To be uninterested. To think it doesn’t matter. There’s no more messaging. I’m born again. Got nothing else to listen for. I got my ticket punched. I got the contract signed. I know where I’m headed. To him who has an ear.
Some of you remember David Eubank with Free Burma Rangers. I had just a really short note this week thanking me for the church and the value he felt when he was with you. And he said, «Pray for us. We have people on the ground in Syria right now». He said, «We can’t even communicate with 'em». He said, «There’s tension in Burma, there’s physical threats to the people». He said, «I’m concerned that the people on my team survive through Christmas». God’s moving in the earth. We gotta have an awareness that’s more about our shopping list or what we want. New wine, a new name. «Him who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it».
I have a suggestion. I believe there are some people to whom God would give a new name. He would write a new future. I’m not saying your future is bad. I’m not saying your family is bad. Zechariah and Elizabeth were not a bad family. There was just a new assignment for John, a new name. And he needed the blessing of his parents. In John chapter 1, Jesus is recruiting disciples. And Andrew has been recruited and «the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We’ve found the Messiah.'» I mean, that’s not like just, you know, we found the best hamburger in town. We found someplace where the lines are shorter. We found the Chick-fil-A you don’t have to wait. He said we have found the Messiah. «And he brought him to Jesus and Jesus looked at him and said, 'You are Simon the son of John, but you’ll be called Cephas.'»
Said you’ve been called Simon, but I’m giving you a new name, Peter. It’s not limited. It’s a pretty consistent pattern. In Genesis 17, God said to Abram, «You’ll no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham». You’re not gonna be called the exalted father, you’re gonna be the father of a multitude. You’re not just gonna be a good dad, you’re gonna be the father of a nation. «For I’ve made you the father of many nations». A new name. There are some people listening and I would submit to you that it’s time for a new name, a new response. Zechariah and Elizabeth, for the majority of their lives amongst their peers and their friends and their supporters and their advocates, had been called childless. And now they’re called parents, for all that that means.
May I ask you a question? And I don’t want you to respond outwardly, you may have to take a little time with it. What have you been called? And it doesn’t have to be a derogatory term. Maybe you’ve been called a brilliant business person. Maybe you’ve been called an accomplished mother or an educator. Maybe you’ve been called things less flattering. All sorts of pejorative, negative labels. What have you been called? And would you be interested in a new name from the Lord? Are you gonna do a little bit more like Zechariah going, wait a minute, I appreciate you, Gabe. Appreciate you made the trip all the way here. Maybe you haven’t noticed, I’m no kid. And we all have reasons why we will say no new names here. I’m good. I’m good. I’m good with God.
I’ve done the Bible reading 3 years in a row. I volunteer at Character Quest. All those sweaty little kids in the summertime. I eat camp food. I’m good. Or could you imagine that God might bring a breakthrough to you? The devil will tell you you failed too greatly or that you’re irrelevant. You’ve been overlooked so many times. God has not overlooked you. Or that you’ve been so ungodly that you’re just grateful to get to sit in the corner. Jesus didn’t shed his blood so you could sit in the corner. Luke 1, Zechariah, the dedication of John was filled with the Holy Spirit. There’s that phrase again, «And he prophesies: 'Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he’s come and redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us.'»
Horn of salvation is a Hebrew phrase. It means he’s raised up an expression of his strength. «He’s shown his strength for the salvation of his people in the house of his servant David. Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us». But you know, hatred for the purposes of God is not new. I hope you’re aware enough that when you step out of time and you step into the eternal kingdom of God and you bump into those who have preceded you in the language of Hebrews, those that have filled the arena where we’re sitting that have already run their race, they were all hated. That’s in Hebrews. Some of them were sawn in half, others hid in caves, others were hunted. So that if we roll in there say, wait a minute, we were 21st century Christians, they didn’t like us much. They will not look at you and go, «Well, bless your heart».
Well, they might. If they were Southerners. What we’re seeing is not unique. It’s our response that has lacked an awareness of the purposes of God. New wine. «From the hand of all who hate us to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our Father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies». Look at verse 70, «And you, my child,» he begins to prophesy about this infant. This new dad. «You’ll be called a prophet of the Most High. You’ll go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him. To give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. And because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death».
John’s gonna live his whole life in the land of Israel. And directed by the Spirit of God, Zechariah describes it as people living in darkness in the shadow of death. It’s a breakthrough. It’s the announcement of a whole new move with the Spirit of God. The people listening don’t grasp it. John’s a baby. We’re decades away from that being lived out. But God has given to Zechariah an awareness, an insight, an understanding. Again, it’s these breakthroughs and the Spirit of God. We’ve been way too resistant to the Holy Spirit. We start too many conversations by saying what we won’t do. Please don’t do that. There’s a supernatural component to these breakthroughs. In this case it’s an angelic announcement. It’s an assistance beyond themselves. It requires humility to say we have a problem.
Well, Elizabeth and Zechariah both have been filled with the Spirit. An awareness of God’s agenda beyond their personal aspirations. See, breakthroughs bring God’s plan forward more than our own. If we really tell the truth, it’s not so much that we want God’s purposes to get ramped up, we want ours. And when God brings a breakthrough, yes, we receive a benefit, but the purposes of God are extended. John’s birth clearly is about God’s purposes more than it’s a token of satisfaction for Elizabeth and Zechariah. He didn’t say we’re gonna have the best nursery. You’ll be the best student in the school. You’ll be an overachiever on the athletic teams. He said this child has been born for the purposes of God. Church, we are so far away from this.
We can at least begin to pray, God, let us see our children as expressions of your grace in our world, that you’ve given them to us for a purpose for your kingdom. Breakthroughs bringing God’s plans forward. A new name begins with a willingness to bear the name of Jesus. There’s no fresh start just so you can pursue your own way with a new vigor. You don’t get a new name just so you get another run at the hill to do it your way. You get a new name so you can pursue the purposes of God. It’s a new beginning to dare greatly for the kingdom of God. It’s a new beginning to stand firmly for what you know to be righteous. It’s a new beginning to enter the next phase of faithfulness. Moses had a breakthrough at a burning bush. He got sent back to the palace. Ugh. But he had another breakthrough. He got released from Egypt.
Then he went back to the desert, this time with a million friends. It’s a new beginning this time in God’s strength. It’s a new beginning, a new authority in place over your life. It’s a new beginning with a new awareness of God’s abiding presence. It’s a new beginning filled with gratitude that you have been included and accepted in the unfolding purposes of God. Would you like a new name? New wine, change. You pour the new wine in the old wine skin, everything will be lost. A new name.
I brought you a prayer. It’s a familiar prayer, but it’s a powerful prayer. Jesus taught us to pray this prayer. I want you to stand with me. We’re gonna read it together. Some of you will know it by heart. What we wanna do is give consent. We wanna give personal consent for the will of God to be expressed through us in this world. We wanna be more concerned about the kingdom of God than our own kingdom. We wanna ask for God’s help in delivering us from evil. We’re gonna ask God’s help that we could overcome temptation. We’ll give expression to our willingness to forgive so that we might be forgiven.
Folks, you can’t skip any one of these pieces and imagine you’ll get a new name. You can’t harbor unforgiveness and get a new name. You can’t imagine that you can provide. God will give you a name that’s bigger than your source of provision, otherwise it’s not a new name. It’s just watch me run faster. It’s an amazing prayer. It’s worth praying. Please don’t take it for granted. Don’t bypass it. Don’t think it’s just religious tradition. Jesus gave us this prayer to pray. You can have a new name. I’m telling you. Let’s pray it together:
Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven… Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those… who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and glory, amen.