Today, we turn to Luke Chapter 5, where the theme is that the Gospel is something new. Why is it new? Because it introduces a crucial spiritual principle: new wine in new wineskins! Some say there is nothing new under the sun, lacking this concept of new wine and new wineskins. But our generation, like those before, is constantly being renewed. For instance, the arrival of Jesus was unexpected, and his actions were beyond human comprehension.

He also told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the skins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” (Luke 5:36-39)

Our God is a God of creation, a God who does new things. Why have Christians become so foolish? They think old things are always better. They may dislike a ten-year-old phone, but they prefer aged wine. They would happily drink a bottle of Moutai from 1970. Give me a bottle of Moutai, and I cannot tell the difference between good and bad. Even a fake would taste the same to me.

It is said that many Moutai bottles on the market are counterfeit, and I don't know how to distinguish the real from the fake. Yet, some find the real one tastier, which is odd. I enjoy sweet wine, though it is considered cheap. Once, I bought an expensive bottle that tasted bitter and astringent, but it was praised as fine, aged wine.

Christians must recognise that Jesus' arrival is a new thing, one that cannot be understood with old logic. Applying old logic to this new event is like patching an old garment with new fabric – it creates a mess. This Gospel is new; trying to blend the Old Testament with Jesus is challenging.

Background of Luke

Luke served alongside Paul and, during his time in Rome, wrote to Theophilus. The Gospel of Luke was likely written while Paul was being taken to Rome. After reaching Jerusalem, Paul delivered donations to the local church. However, the Pharisees arrested him due to his letter to the Galatians, which offended many of them.

The Pharisees and Paul did not see eye to eye. They insisted on adhering to the Mosaic Law, while Paul emphasised faith. His letter to the Galatians was blunt, challenging their principles. Despite Paul's donations, they were unappreciative and imprisoned him. Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles during Paul's years in prison and eventual transfer to Rome.

The first four chapters of Luke cover the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the fifth explains that this Gospel is something new. The Christian faith, a complete theological system, is based on everything that comes from the mouth of God. Thus, this new thing does not align with the old Judaism, especially the Pharisees. Today, the Christian faith is periodically renewed or restored. Yet, each renewal or restoration faces strong opposition from old establishments.

The Pharisees' Old Ideas Cannot Reconcile with the New

The Pharisees, with their old ideas, did not understand the new things and new doctrines brought by Jesus Christ. They insisted on their interpretations, like patching an old garment with new fabric, which is unsuitable and ruins the new garment. How foolish!

Many concepts in Chinese Mingding Destiny clash with today's mainstream Christian beliefs. Whether what I propose is new wine, or what others propose is, is a matter of perspective. Trying to patch old theological systems with elements of Chinese Mingding Destiny is very difficult.

Some value their traditions due to years of accumulation, becoming bound by them. Even if these traditions contradict the Bible, they reject the Bible, which is strange. Take speaking in tongues, for example. Many still oppose it, negatively viewing Pentecostalism. If you ask them if healing is good, they say yes. But because it is Pentecostal and does not align with their beliefs, they reject it.

Peter Sees the New and Leaves Everything to Follow Jesus

Similar events happened during Jesus' time, causing great confusion. People’s reactions were fascinating. In the first verse of Chapter 5, Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd pressed around him to hear the word of God. After teaching, Jesus set an example, saying to Simon Peter, Put out into deep water. Peter was puzzled, thinking: We have toiled all night and caught nothing. Is this outsider teaching me how to fish? Fine, I will try, but if we catch nothing, I’ll have words with you.

Peter cast the net and caught so many fish that the net almost broke. He signalled his companions for help, and they filled two boats with fish. Peter recognised that this was a new thing and that his attitude had been poor. He said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Peter, John, and James were disciples of John the Baptist, seeking the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Messiah, meaning the Redeemer. Simon Peter, having heard Jesus, hesitated. How can what you say be true? But after catching so many fish as Jesus instructed, he realised that this was the master they had been waiting for.

You might say Peter was fortunate, but if you were Peter and had never seen this before, how would you react? Would you say, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”? Or would you be indifferent, attributing it to chance? Peter's reaction is intriguing: he left everything to follow Jesus, who said, “From now on you will fish for people.” So, what is fishing? We are to win people!

Peter had an open mind, thinking, What I received before was little; I am just a fisherman. This mindset is excellent, unlike the Pharisees who used their knowledge to resist Jesus. Peter, James, and John left everything to follow Jesus, unafraid of making a mistake. Yet, today's Christians become confused when someone can pray for their healing. A sister of ours in Hong Kong prayed for healing for Christians with leg and back pain, and they were healed, but they looked at her blankly, wondering if she was a Pentecostal. I find this baffling – have they lost their minds?

Dismantling the Old System, Building the New

If we see something that does not align with what we have learned, what should we do? Remember, do not patch old things with new, but remove all the old. People buy renovated pre-owned homes, but after a few years, the renovations look old and do not meet our standards. When I buy a house, I strip it down to the bare bones and rebuild it. If you buy a used house with a damaged old cabinet, would you buy a new cabinet and use its parts to fix the old one? That would be foolish.

I want to tell everyone that to receive something new, you must tear down the old. New wine must be put into new wineskins. Taking a piece from Chinese Mingding Destiny cannot fit into your old understandings. I am simply conveying that Chinese Mingding Destiny is a new thing. Examine the scriptures and compare them with what you have learned. I do not want you to accept it blindly but to explore and discover if it is true.

Today, we must return to the teachings of the Apostle Paul, to Hebrews, Romans, Ephesians, and Galatians. Faced with the new, Peter left everything! We cannot have both; we must leave everything! If Peter had said, “I need to discuss this with my wife,” he would have been in trouble. She might have said, Is this marriage over? I'm divorcing you! Peter left everything, including his boat and fish, just for Jesus!

Leaving everything is an attitude. Luke describes a crucial attitude: leaving everything! We must discard and dismantle all the old to follow Jesus. We should not bring the Mosaic Law into the New Testament, such as laying hands on cattle for sacrifice, pouring blood on the altar, and burning the liver and fat beside the tabernacle. God destroyed his temple to prevent us from repeating those sacrifices of the Old Testament.

If we cling to old logic while trying to live a new life, we cannot be disciples of Jesus Christ. When we see something new, do we patch it onto the old, or do we tear down the old and bring in the new? Building always involves tearing down the old before constructing the new. No one tears down the new to fix the old.

This New Thing is a Treasure

Jesus is not short of money. He told Peter to fish, and they caught so many – surely, that is money. If someone believes in the Lord but lacks money, they probably don’t understand. I urge you to consider whether you treat the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a treasure. This treasure must manifest great power in earthen vessels, that the power of Jesus Christ’s resurrection may be revealed! Are you willing to give up what you value, to leave everything to gain Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ, the treasure, is beyond our imagination. A man with leprosy came to Jesus, and Jesus cleansed him! Leprosy cleansed so easily? After years of costly medical treatment, Jesus healed him with a word. Do you believe this? Some do not, but I do. I discard whatever contradicts Jesus.

What is our reaction when we encounter something new? The Pharisees foolishly believed, failing to rescue a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath because it would violate the Sabbath. By the time they rescued it, the sheep was dead, and they feared touching the carcass would make them unclean. They were so foolishly religious that they lost common sense. They knew to keep the Sabbath but not that their actions were actually violating it.

Jesus healed a hunchback and a man who had been lame from birth on the Sabbath, and they accused Jesus of violating the Sabbath. Was healing the sick not a good thing? Why did the Pharisees see it as bad? Many Christians today have lost their minds, such as arguing that wearing masks during the pandemic affects breathing and detracts from God's image – two completely unrelated things. Their thinking is so rigid that it is appalling.

A group of people lowered a paralysed man through the roof, and Jesus, seeing their faith, said, “Your sins are forgiven.” The teachers of the law and the Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy. They simply did not believe, because they held wrong logic. They selectively believed Jesus’ words. Actually, it is easier for Jesus to forgive sins than to heal and make someone walk.

They saw what Jesus did and knew it was new, and Christians should frequently experience miracles. I am amazed that many opposed praying for the sick during my church-building process, telling people to see a doctor instead. They saw me as a monster for doing new things, and they thought they were normal, much like the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. They thought they were orthodox, but the Bible says otherwise.

If someone has an old, rigid system of logic, they will be unable to receive the new. To receive the new, one must dismantle the old. You cannot paste relativity onto Newtonian physics; relativity is much more advanced. Today, we must accept new things. Christians often become rigid in their faith, and to an extreme degree. If we see a paralysed person walk, we must dismantle our faulty systems and accept the new, rather than say it is impossible!

A Canadian couple had a child who continued to wet the bed despite being older, which was stressful and upsetting. They had been Christians for many years, but the pastor and church leaders told them to see a doctor. After joining our church some time ago, the child’s bedwetting problem has mostly been resolved. How? Because we did faith right; Jesus Christ is the greatest doctor. But these things are hard to communicate to some Christians, because erroneous beliefs are deeply ingrained, making it impossible to reconcile. Even accepting the healing of bedwetting or speaking in tongues is difficult, and this remains true today.

Jesus told professional fishermen to cast their nets, and they hauled in many fish – this is the new thing. Having seen this, will you follow Jesus? Jesus cleansed the leper – this is the new thing. Having seen this, will you follow Jesus? Seeing these new things, do we decide to leave everything and follow Jesus?

Living a God-Centered Life Means Forsaking All

There was a tax collector named Levi. Tax collectors earned a lot of money. Levi sat at the tax booth constantly asking people to pay taxes. People hated them. They collected taxes every day, just like insurance brokers, taking commissions, the more they collected, the more they earned. Jesus said to him, Follow me, and without hesitation, he forsook all and followed Jesus.

Why would Levi choose to forsake everything to follow Jesus? I think his inner reaction was, Wow! This is a treasure. If we believe in Jesus but do not regard him as a treasure, ignoring such a great salvation, how can we escape punishment? So, Levi forsook everything to follow God. Levi was relatively wealthy, a rich man in that area. He invited many tax collectors to celebrate, celebrating his following Jesus. What's there to celebrate? Jesus doesn't pay him a salary. In the tax collector's heart, there was a deep longing to follow the Messiah (Savior). He was sure that this was a remarkable thing, much better than collecting taxes.

But many people were very confused, How can this Jesus be with sinners? Because they considered tax collectors as sinners. The scribes and Pharisees did not regard them as good people either. Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors? Jesus said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. If you think you need to repent, you can receive this salvation; if you think you don't have any problems, then believe as you see fit!

Those Who Live a Small Life Will Forsake God

I will tell a story about Lot and Abraham. Abraham took Lot and his family and went to the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, there was a famine. Abraham took Lot down to Egypt. After arriving in Egypt, Abraham made a lot of money. Because people love money in their hearts, Lot felt uneasy on the way back. Lot thought, How can I live just following Abraham like this? Moving tents every few days, no toilet, nothing... Moving and camping all day long, this life is too tiring! I can't follow this old man anymore! But Lot didn't think about it, he possessed so many properties because of his uncle. Therefore, Lot, who was deceived by money, was determined to leave Abraham.

Just at that moment, Lot's herdsmen quarreled with Abraham's herdsmen. Lot told Abraham that he wanted to leave. Abraham was a remarkable person. He said, If you go south, I will go north; if you go east, I will go west. We will not interfere with each other. Lot saw the Jordan River plain, it was just like the garden of the Lord. Lot thought, This is the life I yearn for! Of course, Lot also believed in the Lord and warned his daughters not to have relationships while dating. He also thought he was a righteous person, but he slowly moved to the city of Sodom. A person who only wants to live a comfortable life, a person without Mingding Destiny, cannot believe in the Lord well.

We have studied so many chapters of the Old Testament in the 《Bible》, why did God allow Israel and Judah to be destroyed? Because the people there just wanted to live a comfortable life, but God wanted them to live a God-centered life. But they said, What can we do? As a result, they drank their own urine, ate their own feces when they fled, and boiled their daughters and sons to eat as meat. It was terrible!

Why was it so terrible? Because the curse was very deep. You want to live a good life, but you can't! Today, should we be Christians like Lot or Christians like Abraham? If we are Christians like Abraham, we will look down on worldly life. Although it is tiring, moving tents, building altars, and sacrificing, traversing this land... I will never live a small life, I will never be a Christian like Lot.

If I were a Christian like Lot, I would also believe in the Lord, I would also obey God's words, but I couldn't believe like Abraham. I had to go to the city of Sodom. I still have Mingding Destiny. I won't let my daughters have relationships when they are dating. I will uphold some of God's words. I will honor God and receive God's angels. I am still very good, I still have Mingding Destiny. As a result, Lot was taken captive, and Abraham rescued him. Then he experienced the great fire from heaven, all his property was gone. Finally, he took his two daughters and fled to the mountains, with only a pot of wine, and fathered cursed descendants with his daughters. We must be careful, a person who loses Mingding Destiny may very well take Lot's path.

Forsake the Old Logic System and Become New Wine in New Wineskins

We must have this kind of determination to forsake all and follow God! Some brothers and sisters say, I should become a preacher at this age. In fact, the most important thing is whether we can forsake all, which is not easy. If there are still many wrong, worldly logic systems in us, how can you follow Jesus Christ? If you follow Jesus with a worldly logic system, you will have many confusions. People cannot put new wine into old wineskins, it will break and spoil.

If we mix believing in Jesus, seeing what Jesus did, with the logic system we originally had, wanting to live a comfortable life, wanting to love the world, and wanting to love Jesus, how is that possible? Today, the gospel we believe in is a new thing. We must become a new person, and we must abandon the old logic system in us. Only in this way can we be in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ who does new things. Why do many Christians not see God's deeds, and they are not like Jesus? Because they tear off a piece of the gospel of Jesus Christ and stick it on their old clothes, just like Lot.

Do you say that Lot doesn't have a bit of a Christian appearance? He has a little bit, but he still insists on his own logic system, but he just tears off a little bit of the gospel of Jesus Christ to use as a fig leaf. If a person tears off a piece of new clothes and sticks it on your old clothes, will it fit? Not only will it not fit, but it will also be very uncomfortable and ugly. Only a fool would do this.

Today, let us begin to change ourselves and completely make ourselves new wine in new wineskins. We really need to re-examine ourselves. Those who are close to me have seen what I have done, but they just don't understand. They still think that people live by money. If people live by money, they actually live under curse. Even if I give him all my money, he is still living under curse and will still not be rich.

I am someone who has forsaken all my things to follow Jesus. I am determined to tear down everything in me to follow God! Will someone like me become Abraham? Yes! In the end, Lot was so poor that he only had a pot of wine and two daughters left, but Abraham became richer and richer in that barren land. Abraham never regarded the affairs of this life as his life goals. His goal in life was to seize God. God is everything to me! I am willing to pay any price for my God, even if God wants my only son Isaac, I will give him to God, because that is the best choice!

Our brothers and sisters begin to re-establish our resolve, completely tearing down the old logic system within us. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a new thing. If it conflicts with the concepts within us, which one do you want? Don't mix the two together. Mixing the two together is called a hybrid, which is the harlot, fornication, and prostitute mentioned in the 《Bible》. The Israelites wanted to live a comfortable life, wanted to believe in the Lord, wanted to get the benefits of the kingdom of heaven, and wanted to get the benefits of the world. They were sitting on two boats. What is that if not adultery?

Today, after listening to my sharing, are you willing to re-examine yourself? If you are willing, let us begin to keep that new garment, don't tear it, throw away that old garment and put on a new garment; throw away that old wineskin, replace it with a new wineskin, fill it with new wine, become a new creation, become a person after God's own heart. Let us be able to forsake all to follow God, follow Jesus like Levi, Jacob, Peter, and John.I tell you, obtaining a treasure like Jesus Christ is our blessing for a lifetime!

May God bless everyone!