Celeste Contreras: Welcome to the Sandals Church podcast. My name is Celeste, and I am part of the team here at Sandals Church. We are so happy to have you join us today as we listen to this message with Vivi Diaz teaching from our gospel of Matthew series. If you've enjoyed our content, consider leaving us a rating to help this podcast reach more people. But for now, let's get into the message.
Vivi Diaz: Well, Sandals Church. My name is Vivi Diaz. I have gotten to call Sandals Church home. For the last eleven and a half years, I came down here when I moved here for college. I have met some of my closest friends.
I've gained a spiritual family. I'm in my twenties here. Okay? And I just love pastor Matt and Tammy. Man, they have had just a huge impact on my life.
So I'm excited to get to be here with you, and I really do feel honored. Well, in my eleven and a half years, the first eight and a half years I've spent it getting to serve on staff in youth ministry. So I know a ton of youth students, love you guys, and also young adults. Okay? So years of ministry, I had a parent call me, reach out and say, hey, Vivi, would love to get some time, would love to buy you coffee and chat.
And all I heard was, you wanna buy me coffee? Like, I'm not gonna think twice, you know? So I show up, we we plan it, we, you know, we meet up, and I show up blindsided because I'm not thinking twice. And within the first few moments, this parent goes, my son loves his group. He loves his leader, but he needs a new group.
There used to be a time where all the kids that don't care about anything were in that group. And then there was a time when the group was actually filled with kids that care. My son, he needs a new group because now he's in a group of kids that vape, with kids that talk about sex, with kids that smoke, smoke weed, all the above, with kids that are just talking about everything but God, and there's a kid that's even gay. My son needs a new group. And and as I sat and listened, sipping my free coffee, you know, we just talked.
And as we unpacked just this parent's son, what what came about was that, oh, your son, he doesn't need a new group. He just needs a new purpose in his group. Because what if what if God has positioned your son in this group so that he can reach the kid that vapes? So so that he can reach new depths of compassion because he's in a group of kids that think that God doesn't care about them and he gets to show them otherwise. Like what if he's positioned in this group because God does actually want him to reach a new place of maturity because he's not just missing the mission of God, but he's living it.
You know what? What if? And I just wanted to say to this parent, like, can't you see? Can't you see what what your son would be missing out on? And before anyone comes from this parent, number one, this is a great parent.
Okay. They care about their kids' faith. Mama bear, Papa bear, not here to expose them. But second, this is us. Whether it's been, whether it's now, whether it's to come, every single one of us, we're we face change and sometimes we feel it as opposition.
Except as Christians, we're creative and we were humble. So we say things like, God, I can't move there. I don't have peace yet. Like, I I just I just don't feel comfortable. I'm an introvert.
God, you forgot he made me. You know, like, I'm too extrovert. I'm too much. You know, but but church, what if what if on the other side of our excuses, really, God wants to position you? What if what if there's new people that he wants us to reach?
What if there's new depths that God wants us to experience about His love, about His goodness, about Himself? And what if, what if there's new places that God wants to wake up some old faith and turn it into something new and wake us up and come alive because God is not done with us yet. You know? And here's the thing. Here's the thing about the gospel.
And and just as long as we're still on this side of eternity, God's not done with you. No matter how done you think he is, he's not done with you. And and the power of the gospel, it's not just about the next thing. God has a new thing. And it often requires a new way.
And for Isaiah forty three nineteen puts it this way. It says, for I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun. Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I I will create rivers in dry wasteland. Church, why can't we see? You know, why can't we see? And it's often because of how we respond to change. And so today, we're gonna talk a ton about change.
And we're gonna look at a group of people that not only were on the cusp of change, but they were on the cusp of missing out. And we're gonna get to see how Jesus invites them, not just to do it like Nike and change, but he actually shows them how. So before we get in, I'd love if I could just pray over us and over this time before going into God's word. Let's pray. God, would you sow our minds, sow our hearts so that we can hear you loud and clear?
God, you have a message for every person here. Would we hear it? God, we love you and pray this in Jesus name. Amen. So one of the greatest changes in history is when Jesus came.
Is when Jesus came. And it because it was this whole journey before Jesus got there of people wanting the Messiah to come, people waiting on the Messiah. The people of Israel, man, they had kings, they had prophets, they had judges. And until that point, man, they were established in their religious practices. Like they had gotten good at the faith game.
You know, they they've had their traditions, even their rhythms. They probably had their seats in the temple too, just like us. And then Jesus came. And then Jesus came. And often, here's what's crazy about this passage.
Often, we're quick to know that when Jesus came, it was this journey of asking lost people to change. But what's so interesting is that this journey was even asking God's people to change. And we're the worst ones, if we're honest, because we get comfy. We got our seats, our service, our favorite speaker, you know. And so Matthew chapter nine is where we're gonna be in verse 14, if you guys could read it with me.
One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, why don't your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do? And to feel the weight of this, you need to know what's happened in the chapter up until this point. You see, because chapter nine, we we've watched Jesus calm the storm. We've watched him cast out demons, the end of chapter eight. Beginning of chapter nine, we see him make a paralyzed man walk.
We we see him invite Matthew to follow him as a disciple, eat with the tax collectors, and he's met with question. People kept questioning him. And here he is again, getting questioned. But this time, it's not about his people or his power, it's about his process. And one thing is clear about the religious leaders, they wanted the Messiah to come.
They just didn't want his method. And that's us. You know, God, I I want you to move in my life, but don't don't move me. Not out of my comfort zone, not in a new city, Not in a new role. God, I I want breakthrough, but I don't wanna break up with that person.
We love each other. You know? God, I'm all in. I'm all in. But I just I just don't wanna give you that one thing.
I just don't wanna give you that one healing. And listen to how Jesus answers this questioning. And I want you guys to lean in because you might miss it. Verse 15, Jesus replies, do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not.
But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. Classic Jesus answering the question with the question, you know. And and the reason he uses these wedding terms is because in the Old Testament, God was the bridegroom, and the people of Israel were the were were the bride. Okay? And and so what's interesting is when you look at this scene, just imagine, imagine going to a wedding and the bride the bride is waiting for the groom.
You know, people would be frustrated, people would be sad, people would be grieving. But Jesus is saying, listen, the reason and the reason you're not you're not fasting is because you're not waiting anymore. I'm here. I I'm the bridegroom and I'm here. And this was the change that Jesus was talking about.
But change is hard, isn't it? Especially unwanted change. You know, how how many of you guys hate change? Anyone hate change? I used to think that I was a person that loved change.
And then paper straws hit the scene, you know? I'm like, I went from drinking a vanilla, creamy cold brew to now chomping on a soggy straw. Not about it. But when I when I really get serious, Starbucks aside, and I take a look at just my life and look at some of the change, I can step back and think, yeah, even though that was hard, my life has turned out better. You know, how many of you guys can look back at your life?
Maybe a change that you didn't want, didn't understand, but it's better now. A a couple of changes that come to mind, a little triggering braces, You know? As an eighth grader, I thought this was like social death. Okay. And physical death, honestly.
But then you go through it and all of a sudden, bam, braces are off. You can bite an apple and look good while doing it. You know? Like braces. Another one, Man, I am that person that's like, remember password?
Absolutely not. The bots and the hackers and chat GBT are coming for me. So absolutely not. But now, I'm the person that when I go to a gas station, if they don't have tap to pay, I'm like, get me out of here. I'll risk it for the biscuit, you know?
I I it's better. And and I think we can all think about things. You know, think about a job in your life, maybe that you've had and and now you don't. A promotion. Think about relationships, a breakup, a new relationship, faith, habits, that they ended up turning out better.
And that you can look at it and say, man, I wouldn't be where I'm at today if that didn't happen. Well, this is what Jesus is priming them for. There's something better. But Jesus, he keeps going in. And this time, he's gonna give two examples.
And what we know about Jesus is that when he speaks in story, it often, no matter if it's a parable or whatever, it often has one clear simple meaning. So as we read, don't forget, Jesus is answering about the fasting. So verse 16, let's read. He he continues on. And Jesus, I'll read up here.
He says, besides who wouldn't patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, for the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the new wine and ruining the skins. Ruining the skins. And then it says, new wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.
Listen, so we have cloth and then we have the wine skins. And in all of this, you can't miss this. Jesus is saying, hey, I I know those practices worked and they were good, but is nothing compared to what I what I wanna do. See, because the new thing I have, it's not gonna fit in that system, that old system of Judaism. It's not gonna fit and I have something better.
Something that we see from the text is that change is the process that God uses to bring new. But this is the tension, isn't it? You know, we want God's power, but we don't always want his process. We don't always want his process. And part of that is because we know how painful change can be.
I recently moved into a new house, and it has a swimming pool. And if you know me, you know I've lived my best life. Okay? And, but nobody warns me that even though this was a good thing that I was moving into, man, I really have, like, grieved my old house because I've I've gone through a lot of change the last several years, and it's hurt. And this house has become, like, such a safe haven for me.
And so even though I was moving into something good, man, it's it's been hard. And and that's like a paper cut on the scale of pain. Some of us know pain in the form of loss. Some of us know pain in the form of sacrifice. But good change, bad change, whatever it is, it can be painful.
But at least we talk about it because here's what's crazy, is that nobody warns you, not just about change, but nobody warns you about how painful it can be when you don't change. Nobody warns you for that. Man, nobody warns you about getting made fun of for wearing ankle socks instead of quarter socks at the gym. Nobody warned me for that. You know, nobody warned me when in youth ministry, I'm talking and I'm like, hey, man, you did an awesome job.
And they're like, you mean I ate that up? Like, no. Nobody warns me for that. Think about the changes in your relationship that need to happen. And what if they never do?
What's that gonna do to your marriage? What's that gonna do to your friendships, to your job? Think about a bad diagnosis. I think we all know somebody that's going through some health things. What if it never changes?
With Jesus, what I love about him is he's not sugarcoating. He's saying, hey, there's no such thing as just coasting. Like, there's no such thing with the cloth. He's saying not only will it not work, but it's gonna ruin it, leaving it even worse than before. And then the wineskins.
Can I paint this picture for you guys? I didn't know the process of wineskins until this sermon, and now I'm ready to move to Napa and make wine. But get this. So you have this old wineskin. This is the old wineskin.
The people before this thought I was hoarding trash up here. But it's old wineskin. And man, like it has produced some fine wine in its day. Some of the first, some of the finest, some of the foundations for what is even to come. This old wine.
But then you have this new wine. And and you try to pour it in the old wineskin that's open. But that's a problem. That's a problem. And here's why.
Because wine skin and new wine skin was a key part in the process of making wine. You see, because the grapes, they'd get scattered in the field. They'd lay out in the sun. It would allow the sugar content in the wine to be able to increase. And then after that, the wine would need to sit so that it could then separate.
And then after that, the wine needs to sit and then begin to be strained. And once it's strained, then it is ready for the wine skin. So imagine this, the wine skin though it needs to be it needs to be flexible because part of the fermentation process is that the gas has to expand. It needs to be flexible. It needs to be malleable.
You have to be able to move it. So imagine you have your old wine skin and you have new wine and you try to put the new wine in the old wineskin. It's gonna burst as scripture says. And Jesus is telling them, this isn't just wineskin we're talking about. This is your heart.
I have something new for you, new wine, new hope, new healing, new freedom, new purpose. But but your heart, it's too rigid. It's too stiff. And it was good at one point. It's not bad, but I have something better.
Church, what what does your heart look like in the face of change? You know, is it is it hardened? Is it rigid? Is it maybe set in your ways? Listen, God has something so new for all of our souls, something better.
How many of you guys have ever traveled with friends? Okay. I love traveling with friends because you get to learn who people really are. And everybody has a role. Okay?
Everybody has a role. You got one friend that's the planner. They poop out spreadsheets. You know? They love it.
You you've got one person that's the floater. They maybe can plan, but they're more concerned about floating in a pool. You have the mom who's packing, like packing, snacks, drugs, Tylenol, all you have, sunscreen. Then you've got the swivel, the person that's on the trip to keep you alive. And then you have the personality hire.
You know, they're just there for good vibes. Well, two years ago, I got to go to New Zealand with some friends and experience all the Lord of the Rings things. So I'm gonna show you guys. Check this out. It like iconic.
Absolutely iconic. You can decide who was who, what our roles were. Well, is a once in a lifetime trip. Fan, we saved up a ton of money. We planned it way in advance.
Everybody was like, you gotta do Hobbiton. It's so cool. And everybody's saying that even Tammy Brown. Tammy Brown was like, it's the one thing we love the most, you know. So I'm like, we're on it.
We are on this. And by we, I mean our planner. She is on this. Okay. And so we had a whole day planned.
Whole day planned. And before the day, we even watched all three movies in a row. That's ours. That's a whole day. And we watched them in a row.
And then the day came. And here's one problem. Up until this trip, our planner friend, she'd never seen the Lord of the Rings. Guys, this isn't even our picture. This is not AI, but it's Photoshop.
Okay? That's not even our picture. The worst part too is that she planned something, just not the Lord of the Rings something. Okay? And so the next day after our false tour, we had a tour planned and we were fifteen minutes away from the actual Hobbiton.
But instead of being in the Shire with us and Gandalf, we had a cave tour planned. And it was us and glowworms. Okay? Like, of sipping on whatever with Gandalf, we were trying not to get slimed on by glowworms. Okay?
And the worst part is that we couldn't even be mad because our planner friend, she asked us. She's like, here are all the options. Check. I just I just want you guys to make sure it's what you want. And I mean, me, I'm like, I can plan, but like, she plans her outfits.
She's got this on lock, you know? And then our personality hire, this fool, he barely knew he he barely knew what airport we were leaving from, you know? So he's not changing his roles to check anything. Okay? And so we we went all the way to New Zealand, land of the Kiwis and Hobbits.
And the closest thing we saw to Hobbiton was this dirt road. This dirt road. Oh, man. Instead of just a quick check, a quick change of our roles, man, we we settled for this dirt road and it derailed our whole Lord of the Rings moment. But church, change is hard.
But we're not talking about a derailed moment. We're talking about derailed life, derailed purpose. Listen, when we don't change, this is this is what this text teaches us. When I don't change, I disrupt. I disrupt what God wants to do.
I disrupt what he wants to do in me. I disrupt what he wants to do through me, around me. And the type of new wine that Jesus has, it's new freedom. It's it's new purpose. It's new passion.
And and it man, if that kid at the very beginning needed a new purpose in a small group, don't you think we need some new sometimes? Man, I just wonder church. I wonder what's on the other side of change in this room, you know, in in our churches. I wonder that, man, like what kind of new purpose, new ministry, new ideas? Does God want a birth because of new wine?
But I also wonder what kind of disruption exists within the room that's holding us back from making room for new wine. Listen, God is ready to position us for the new. But many of us, we still prefer our old wineskins. And God invites us through change again and again and again. So how do we change?
You know, God often uses relationships to make us change. Early on in my relationship, I would have told you that it's changed me because it's detoxing me from a life of my own schedule, my own vacations, my own time, you know, my own decisions. And there were some points where even though this was so good, I was like, I don't know if I want things to change, if I'm being honest. And and as I sat with my community and just kind of really unpacked this, was like, man, I'm I'm having a hard time and and it's not him. And they were like, we know.
We know. You know? And I was like, okay. Thanks for being real. But I'm like, no, I it's not him.
He's great. I think it's just maybe the idea of marriage. And I had never thought of that up until that point. And the reason why is because I have loved being single. And it's not because of the my own path that I was living.
It's because I was and have been on this path that I have not been seeing or hearing about. This path where I can actually live my life to the fullest with or without a relationship. You know, and and I loved I loved just being able to see like, wow, my relationship status doesn't have to hold me back. Like, and God has so much wholeness for me even as a single person. Like, loved that.
And so when I sat with my community and we kinda unpacked this, you know, it wasn't that I actually had a hard time making room or something new for marriage. It it's that I had a hard time giving up the old. And many of us, it's it's not that we prefer old wineskins. It's just that we don't recognize the old wineskins we're in. And a lot of times it takes people.
A lot of times it does. But it will always require you to get real. And so this is something that we need to just embrace that I must get real about where I'm resisting change. You know, John's disciples, the reason they're asking Jesus who actually, who knows why they're asking all this stuff they're questioning, but it revealed something about him. And I I wanna ask you here today the the change that God might be inviting you into, that it feels like opposition.
What is what is it revealing about you? Because for the disciples, it revealed that they were stuck. They were stuck on a version of Jesus that they thought he needed to be. Act like, look like, do from. And and God had something different.
And before you're like, no, that's not me. Like, I'm not that type of person. Did you know it's harder to get you guys to come forward for prayer at the end of the service, and you need it, than it is to get a teenager to turn themselves in at summer camp for bringing a vape up to camp? There was one year I had like 12 vapes in my glove compartment. Okay.
It's driving on this side. Crazy, you know? And and it's because lost people aren't the ones resisting change, church people are. And Jesus is saying, I have something new, something better. You know, when I was 19, I lived in Argentina.
Made it real easy to not answer my mom's phone calls. You feel me? And and at that time though, in a real note, we didn't have a great relationship. So it really didn't make it easy and I was okay. Like I I was okay not talking to my parents, not really having this family dynamic because it was okay.
We all did the best that we can, like things are good now. And then one day my friend Zach, he comes up to me, sits down next to me and he's like, Vivi, what if God wants to do something different? And I'm like, Zach, what if you minded your business? You know? Like, what what if you caught the universal sign of a headphones for don't talk to me?
You know? And and here's the truth, I convinced myself that this is just who I am. This is just the way things were. This is what was done to me and I'm actually okay with it now. I'm okay.
I'm I'm it is what it is. But sometimes our resistance church, it's tucked away and hidden behind what we feel is justified. And we call it contentment, but in reality, it's complacency for something less, something dim than what God has. And it's corrupting the new thing that God actually has for us. Acts seven fifteen says this, you stiff necked people.
That's what it says. Your your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You you're just like your ancestors. You always resist the spirit. And he's saying this because they killed the ancestors because they resisted change.
And then they killed Jesus because they resisted change. For us, it's our sin that kills Jesus, but it's our resistance to change that kills the work of Jesus that he wants to do in and through you. Last weekend, I almost died. I was this close to workers' comp. I was I was this close.
I was standing outside watching people get dunked in baptism like a good Christian, you know. And all of a sudden, my shoe just gives out on me. Okay? And the sad part is that I wasn't wearing a high heel, so it's not like it snapped. The sad part is that the the sole of my shoe dislocated from the platform, almost dislocating my ankle.
Okay? And I feel pathetic because it's not a high heel, it didn't just snap. It means it had to be worn down. So I've been wearing this shoe with strings hanging out the street of the of the seams, but I'm like, I look cute. It's comfy.
Like, you know, I like it. And and so I kept wearing them. But then it got to this point where it's like, the problem isn't that they're ratchet. The problem is it's making injuries happen. Like I need to let these go.
And so I did because they were run down. But here's the truth. Church, a lot of us were living run down lives. And God has something new. He's saying with the wine skins, we need to be done with the old no matter how comfy, how cute, how much it worked back then.
I have something new and you've got to make room for it. So it means I must let go of the old. Ephesians four says it this way, throw off your sinful nature, yeet it, you know. And for us, wine skins, your wine skins are probably not shoes from Madewell. Maybe they are.
But for a lot of us, it's your preferences, your favorite song, where you sit, the day of the week that you wanna do group on. For others, it's your plans. You know, the number one thing that I see killing discipleship in the church is the calendar. I wasn't discipled at a Starbucks for three hours a week. I was discipled by a mom with a lot of little kids that during nap time we just fold laundry, fold laundry.
And and a lot of us it's like, man, I I want to make disciples. I it just doesn't fit my calendar. And for some of us, it's our past. Man, our past sin, that's still hidden. We just need to let it go.
It's our past fear. Like, I I would love that. It's just not me. I'm afraid. I got insecurity.
For some of us, it's it's our past pain. Man, how many of you believe that God can turn brokenness into something beautiful? But here's the problem. God made us to be builders of the kingdom of God. And yet most of us, because we wanna hold on to pain, the only thing we're building are idols of our past pain and hurts.
And while that's real and we do have wounds, it's never gonna get redeemed if we don't let it go. And some of us, it's it's our past like seeing God be faithful, you know, where maybe it was good. Maybe at a time you led a whole ministry at your old church or at Sandals when Matt had long hair like Vivi, you know. But what if he's got something else? Isaiah tells the people of Israel, but forget all that.
Forget all that. It is nothing compared to what I'm gonna do for I'm about to do something new. See, I've already begun. Do you not see it? Church, God sees things that we don't see.
You know, there was a time when Sandals Youth decided to go to all video. And if I'm being honest with you, I didn't love that change. I was I was struggling to see like, God, how are you gonna use this? God God, what are you gonna do through this? But God, he saw something new that I didn't see.
God saw a soul. God God saw the old wineskins of churches in America that were about to burst. Because three and a half months later, the world shut down and COVID happened and our church was ready. God saw something that I didn't see. Ephesians four twenty four tells us, but we need to put on the new nature.
New nature created to be like God, truly righteous, truly holy. And doesn't this get you curious that God has something new? Like, why is he making me wanna change? Doesn't it get you curious about the new thing he has? And and here's the thing, we might not always fully understand it, but we must always fully embrace it.
I must embrace what is new. And church, I just I just wonder what would it look like if we were really willing, really willing to make room for the new thing? Like last last week, we had a young adult worship night. All of our campuses came together and it was incredible. God was moving and it's 9PM, the things over.
And all of a sudden, this room filled with young adults start chanting, one more song, one more song. And all the young people are like, yeah, one more song. I'm sitting up there, still young, but I'm sitting up there and I'm like, it's 9PM, 9PM. Like I'm at the age where when you're like, Vivi, what are you doing tonight? I'm like, this, this is what I'm doing.
And so they're asking me, Vivi, can we please play one more song? Can we just keep going? Look at how God's moving. To be honest, church, I was like this. I was like, but it's 9PM.
But I gotta do this again tomorrow at youth group. But what if we break this stage? Because people were hopping on the stage. But but is what's even happening, is it authentic? Or are you guys just happy because you're dancing and you're not in the club?
Like, you know, I'm like, God is what is what's happening even real? And God was just like, Vivi, I I felt him start to speak to my heart. Vivi, just just push your arm down. Would you open it up? And would you open it up to see the things that I wanna do in this room?
And church, can I tell you what I saw? I saw revival. Man, I I saw revival. And it's amazing and inspiring because I watched a room filled of people not afraid to be beginners. I'm watching kids sing and kids being young adults sing, but they don't know the lyrics.
So they're like, no, you know. And I'm just like, yeah, you know. I'm watching kids do this at summer camp. I got to watch this middle school boy walk all the way from his seat up to the front of the stage, get prayed over, anointed, not afraid of what people were going to think of him. And the best part was he turned around and he didn't put his head down.
This kid just starts, do this down the aisle. No shame, no shame. Church, I need, I need that kind of boldness when I feel like I'm at the beginning to share the gospel when someone asks me what do I do for a living. Most of the time I'm like, why'd you gotta ask that question? You know, but I but I need this.
I I would need to not be afraid to be a beginner. And I even think, gosh, what would it look like to make room and be willing to be surprised? I'm watching young people invite people to church for the first time that they're like, they would never come. And I'm watching them come. I'm watching them be surprised.
And if I can be honest, church, I'm worried. I'm worried that we don't have enough old faith tapping into the new way that God has so that we can anchor a generation of young people that are hungry and thirsty for God's new wine and are craving are craving not just God's new wine, but they're craving to belong to a family. And and we've got people that are ready. We just don't have enough that are willing. And it's not just the young people guys.
Like I I'm seeing just a church that we have our church. And I think a lot of us are like, well, I'm an empty nester in my family now. And God's like, no, I want you to help me create a new family. And there's gonna be single people. There's gonna be widows.
There's gonna be students. There's gonna be all these people. There's gonna be people that we've asked to die to their sexuality to say yes to Jesus. But church, we can't ask people to walk away from their old lives if we're not willing to make room and let them walk into ours. So what does this mean?
It means we gotta change. I just I just believe. And I know that there's a lot of old things, old fear, old insecurity. Man, they don't they won't think I'm cool. What if we just let that go and actually embrace this new?
I wonder how God wants to wake you up. I I wonder how God wants to bring new life to your old faith. New purpose. I just I wonder and it gets me excited because when we make room for the new, this is how we can experience God's new wine. Listen, in my eight and a half years at Sandals, one of the things that I love most that also is so frustrating at times is that we're not afraid to change.
And I love this. I think about our East Valley campus who's in the studio today. And I I think about when they started. I think that was hard. There was a church that had to change their name, change their preferences, watch video, you know, so many things.
And I've watched this church let go of the old, maybe 20 ish people coming. And now they're a church so filled, they got a parking lot problem. Isn't that good? Listen, they've they've got a parking lot problem, which means we're becoming a problem for the enemy and God's not done. He's not done in you.
He's not done through you. He's not done around you. He's not done because we still have the ends of the earth. And so this is gonna take everybody. It's gonna take the old faith.
It's gonna take the new to faith. You're ready? Let go of the old doubts. You ready? It's gonna take the old.
It's gonna take the young. It's gonna take everybody because God has new wine for all of us and for our church. And so what do you need to let go of to really embrace this new thing and new way that God has for you? We're gonna end today, and I wanna ask you guys if I could just lead us in this time of just a guided prayer and just a guided listening to just hear from God. What am I letting what do I need to let go of?
So I'm gonna ask you here today to go ahead and close your fist like this. You don't have to hold them out. You just hold a mirror. But close your fist just as a symbol of the old wineskins you might be holding. And I'm gonna pray over us.
And as we do, just listen to just how the Holy Spirit will prompt us to maybe understand what I need to let go, but also maybe understand what he's trying to do new. So let's pray. Dear Lord Father, God, I pray the words of Isaiah forty three eighteen over us. That we would forget all that, even the good. And that we would believe that it is nothing compared to the new that you have for us.
God, would you help us see? So Lord, right now, would you help me see? Would you help us see? What am I gripping so tightly that maybe I've outgrown that you have new for? And God, would I let it go?
And so Lord, now as we open our palms and release what is old, Holy Spirit, would you guide us? Would you show us? Where do we need to begin to make room and embrace your new way? God, would you speak to us? What is it that we need to step into to be willing to be a beginner, willing to start over, will willing to make room for what you want to do.
God, would you help us see what you see? And would you help us let go and embrace the new? And Lord, I ask that in the name of Jesus, you would help us crave new wine and become people and a church that aren't afraid to change. Jesus, we love you. Amen.
Pastor Fredo Ramos: Man, what a word for us, from Vivi Diaz today on what it means to release the old and to be open and ready for the new thing that God wants to do. And as you prayed that prayer, we wanna encourage you just to have an imagination that is ready for God to work a new thing in your life wherever you might be and wherever you might be watching it. We get to see that each and every week as we meet people just like you who are watching all across the world. And so I wanna encourage you, if you've been blessed by this work here, would you consider supporting what God is doing? The new thing that God is doing here at Sandals Church.
To do that, you can go to sandalschurch.com/support. Grace and peace. We'll see you next week.
Morgan Teruel: Thank you so much for tuning in today. If you want more content from this series, we have the YouTube playlist linked in the description. And if you want more information about who we are and what we do, you can go to sandalschurch.com.