Wineskins

"Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
Matthew 9:17

Jesus taught the religious people of his day the truth above. It brings some interesting questions for us to answer. Jesus was telling the people that they could not box up the new teachings of the Messiah and package them with the old religious law. Although Jesus certainly respected the religious laws, he also came to bring a new era. Many of the things he taught were opposed vehemently by the religious leaders. The question I propose today is: What does this mean to us as modern day Christians?
    I have honestly presented myself with the following scenario and attempted to answer the question associated with it: Let's say that I am living in the days when Jesus was actively ministering in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. I am a Jew, I follow the laws as best I can, I attend the temple services regularly, and have been raised in the traditions of the law. When confronted with Jesus and his teaching, I would be forced to make a decision to follow him or stay in the traditional religion I knew so well. And so, the question I would have to answer is; Would I follow Jesus? In the past, I struggled to honestly answer this. Now, I know that I would follow him.
    New wine required new wineskins. In order to enter into the things God is doing in people, in the church, and in the world, we must be willing to submit to him and accept the new things the Holy Spirit is leading us in. This is not a license to enter into cult activity or create a new 'religion' of our own. It is a call for willingness and obedience. I believe it is worth examining ourselves to check our hearts for God. Are we believing God for greater things, but not accepting what he says because of religion? If so, we must be willing to submit to God.
    I am not professing something that will lead us astray. I am presenting us with the truth of what Jesus taught. I don't want to miss the great things God has for me. It's time to check our lives, our commitment to God, and our willingness to follow him.