New Wineskins and Civic Engagement

“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. ²² And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Mark 2:21-22

I have heard more than my fair share of sermons on new wine and the accompanying wineskins. The words of Jesus are found in all of the synoptic gospels, so obviously the writers (inspired by the Holy Spirit) considered this teaching to be important. The tricky part, as it sometimes can be with numerous Scriptures, is how such passages are to be applied.

Jesus was first and foremost zeroing in on the inability of His message and mission to simply be an “add-on” to what religion was doing in that day. He was also teaching the substance of His message and mission could conceivably “blow up” the structures and institutions which administered or “housed” the religion of His day. It really is a great passage on the sin of syncretism or the inability to blend or merge different religions or worldviews into an effective or comprehensive whole. It’s like oil and water. No matter how many times you want them to mix after shaking the bottle, they will eventually separate from each other. So it is with orthodox Christianity. You can attempt to blend it with other religions, worldviews, and philosophies, but the outcome will be explosive (and that is not in the best sense of the word).

That said, there is another layer of possible instruction we can receive from this text with regards to the nature of structures, programs, and administration. To put it simply, as Christ’s gospel activity goes forth through the ages (new wine), it is highly possible that the structures and programs we coalesce around as believers to participate in His mission (wineskins) may actually need to change. What “worked” and was effective with regards to Christ’s mission in the middle ages, might not be as effective in the modern age. In fact, let’s just be honest, at the speed of change we are currently experiencing in the 21^st century, what may have been effective 10 years ago with regards to the mission, may not be effective today.

I want to be clear at this point. Jesus never said the cloth changed or the wine changed. He said what was holding this wine might need to change. The Gospel is eternal and unchangeable. The methods, structures, programs, and organizations are expendable.

I am not suggesting biblical ecclesiology is tossed aside. What the Bible teaches as a God-ordained structure or method, we must certainly retain. However, what is simply man’s idea needs to be held very loosely lest we get caught in the explosion.

I preface my remarks with this short devotional because these verses have been most challenging to me in the area of civic reformation. For those of you familiar with me, the ministry, and this blog site, you will need no explanation to my application. For those reading for the first time, I would succinctly put it like this…

I believe the Lord is calling people to an important mission field (civil government) which has been neglected for some time and He is unveiling a new wineskin (structure/organization) which will house the new wine (Gospel/Biblical Worldview) to engage this important arena. I want to suggest to the reader, that the Church at large has distanced itself from politics and the process of influencing public policy because it has not understood Christ’s mandate nor its call to this arena. There are numerous reasons as to why that reality exists, but the one which is germane to this blog is because the Church has seen “old wineskins” at work and recognizes some of its ineffectiveness. My exhortation is for the Church to consider a “new wineskin” for involvement which will unleash the power of the Gospel in this mission field.

Let’s start with one major shift of our vocabulary. How about we begin to call civic government a “mission field” rather than the “political arena”? Just a small change in our vocabulary shifts the whole discussion of involvement from political activity to Gospel assignment. Suddenly, instead of political calculations, triangulation, and partisan compromise; there is a Kingdom mandate of evangelism, discipleship, and the glory of God. A Christian’s involvement in civic matters cannot simply (or only) be about raw political power and forced compliance to our worldview, but rather an opportunity to preach the Gospel, disciple believers, and providing space for the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the transformation which the politicians, both political parties, and institutions desperately need.

For example, in my two decades of civic involvement as a biblical worldview pastor, I came to the recent awareness (sadly on my part) that there are basically 5 groups of people involved in civil government.

1. Those who are unsaved and are hostile to the Gospel and Biblical Worldview.
2. Those who are unsaved but are open to discussion and genuinely inquisitive.
3. Those who are culturally religious but by their fruits they have never received the Lord.
4. Those who are genuinely saved but are significantly compartmentalized in the application of their faith in civic matters.
5. Those who are genuinely saved and understand (generally) the application of their faith to the civic arena.

As you consider those 5 groups of people, consider also how closely those groups align themselves with any traditional mission area of the world. If, let’s say, a couple presented themselves for a foreign missions assignment and their local church adopted them and “sent them” to labor in that nation. That couple would, in all likelihood, be working with those same 5 groups of people in our modern world. The investment of time and treasure in that “field” with Gospel activity would be considered appropriate for ANY and ALL Christian churches. I cannot think of any pastor or Christian leader who would contend with the mandate of missions. It is an imperative according to the Great Commission.

My first “new wineskin” consideration for those who are reading this blog is simply this…

Can you change your vocabulary to see civic reformation as it pertains to government as a MISSION FIELD and not political involvement? Can you imagine sending “civic” missionaries into this field to do the work of the Great Commission? I want to suggest that civil government has been a neglected mission field for the Church. I want to suggest that one of the glaring omissions of most churches outreach efforts and budgets is the mandate to this mission field of government.

Please let this final point be a point of meditation…

True and lasting transformation will not happen through the ballot box (although I am passionately committed to the vital need of Christians voting), but rather through the power of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. Pushing a button on an election machine has its place, but it’s not the Great Commission. Empowering a politician to a civic position has its place, but sharing the Gospel with a politician will transform him (or her) for eternity.

Drain the swamp? Fine.

Transform the swamp into a mountain of the Lord? Better.

A new wineskin is emerging.

It starts by changing our vocabulary.