OUT WITH THE OLD — IN WITH THE NEW

No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved, Matthew 9:16,17.

This statement made by the Lord was prompted from a question put to Him by the disciples of John who had asked Him why it was that His disciples did not fast while the disciples of John did.

Jesus stated in Luke 16:16, The law and the prophets {were} until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

John was the last spokesman for the Old Testament. The last voice of a system which was finding fulfillment in Jesus Christ. John represented the Old — Jesus represented the New.

· The OLD was being replaced by the NEW.

The message which Jesus brought was something which the world had never heard before. The officers who were sent to trap Jesus in His teaching, returned empty handed. John 7:46 informs us: The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

People witnessed something never before seen or known prior to the coming of Christ. Matthew 4:16 states: The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

John says: In him was life; and the life was the light of men, John 1:4.

Jesus Himself stated in John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

SIXTH DISPENSATION

God has evidently dealt with men through periods of time which have been termed Dispensations; or Ages.

1. Dispensation of Innocence — During the time spent in the Garden.

2. Dispensation of Conscience — During the time lasting up through the flood

3. Dispensation of Human Government — During that period of time between the flood and Abraham.

4. Dispensation of Promise — From Abraham to the giving of the Law.

5. Dispensation of the Law — From Sinai to Jesus Christ.

6. Dispensation of Grace. This is what Jesus Christ brought.

John 1:17 declares: For the law was given by Moses, {but} grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

This dispensation is the ultimate in the plan of God to this point in the affairs of mankind. This period in which we find ourselves living was what the Old Testament seers looked forward to. Jesus said that Abraham rejoiced to see His day. We are privileged to be living in the most exciting time that humanity has ever witnessed.

And we are privileged to be living in the most exciting period of this dispensation: WE ARE THE RAPTURE GENERATION!

· We will witness the returning of Jesus Christ.

· We will witness the catching away of the Church.

We will experience the wonderful change which will take place when the trump of God sounds forth calling us up to meet Him in the air.

From the signs about us we have every reason to expect the returning of Jesus for His church at any time.

LAW-GRACE

Under the Law people were limited in their experience and understanding of God. Under the law they could never know the fellowship with God that we are privileged to know today. The Law was filled with THOU SHALT NOT …

Under the law the command given when the Law was first given from Sinai was STAY AWAY…

Don’t touch the Mount. Don’t come near.

Under Grace we are invited to come near. We are encouraged to draw near. We are welcomed into the presence of the Lord. The words of Jesus Himself are words of invitation in Matthew 11:28,29: Come unto me, all {ye} that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

The last invitation we find in the Bible is one of welcome to Whosoever will. Listen to Revelation 22:17: And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

The old said stay away — the new says come and freely take.

The Old could never perfect, that’s what Hebrews says: Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope {did}; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, {and} not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Under the law the door was closed. Under grace the door to the storehouse is open.

Under the law if a son became unruly and rebellious, the law decreed that he should be brought before the elders of the city and taken and stoned to death.

Under grace we have the beautiful story of the prodigal son who disgraced his family by demanding his inheritance before he should receive, and then squandering it on riotous living, and then stooping to the level of feeding swine … But when he came to himself and decided to return to his father’s house, even to become a servant if necessary, just let me live back home. The father would not have it that way. He did not accept him back as a slave, but as a son. There was rejoicing because that one who had been lost was found. That one who had been dead was now alive.

Such is the description we have of grace.

· The old destroys — the new gives life.

SACRIFICES

Under the Old men brought animals as substitutionary sacrifices for themselves and their sins.

Under the NEW we bring ourselves and present our own bodies a living sacrifice unto the Lord.

Under the OLD the sacrifices offered by men could never eradicate sin from their life — merely cover it for another year. Ever rolling their sins before them, all the way to Calvary.

Under the NEW our sins are completely eradicated from our record and our life, never to be mentioned against us again.

Under the old a lamb was offered for man and his sins.

Under the new The Lamb, Jesus Christ, took our sins on his own body and bore them to Calvary for us.

Listen to the wonderful words of Paul in Romans 5:7,8: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

CONCLUSION

As we stand on this side of Calvary let us rejoice and thank god that we are privileged to be living during this period of time. Let us thank God that we have privilege to know what those of previous dispensations only dreamed about.

Let us also look back on 2019 with the thought in mind that we have been given another new year. A year in which we can do whatever we determine in our mind to do. This year can be a year of victory, or it can be a year of defeat — it is up to us and how we address this year.

We have not lived this year before. This is a brand-new year. There are no mistakes on this year.

There are no sins on this year.

Nor are there any victories on this year. There are no accomplishments on this year.

It is up to us now what we do with this year. If the Lord tarries His coming and we stand here next January looking at 2019, will we look back at this year with feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction?

Paul stated in Philippians 4:13; I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

What shall we then say to these things? If God {be} for us, who {can be} against us? Romans 8:31.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? {shall} tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 8:35–38.

May we go forth into this new year with renewed courage and determination.

· Courage to face the tasks of life.

· Courage to face the struggles we will be confronted with.

· Courage to fight the battles of life.

· Determination to never give up regardless of the odds.

· Determination to see the end of this race.

· Determination To live Victoriously.