New Wine Overflowing Starts from Repentance

New Wine Overflowing Starts from Repentance

Praise the Lord, it has been 20 years for our church. God reminds us directly that we must take off the old wineskins and enter a new cycle. God leads our church into renewal of many aspects including the worship session of the main services. During last Sunday services, it was our very first time to break the old model of worship. We allowed the Holy Spirit to freely lead us. Then the Living Water overflew and we were able to come before God and worship Him in truth.

Recently, C-Mo has assembled the worship leaders to share her opinions on worship. She encouraged all worship leaders to break through the set ideas. They should not just stick to the rundown. Instead, they should let the New Wine overflow. I was deeply moved hearing that and I thanked C-Mo for inviting me to the meeting. Moreover, I am grateful that C-Mo has challenged me on this. Placing high emphasis on rundown, I was very used to pre-arrange everything because then I felt secure. However, the work of the Holy Spirit was limited that way.

In my mind, the core of the service is the Word of God. In the past, I highly esteemed preaching. That’s why I allowed my sermon to go over time while shortening the time given to other parts. Hence, worship always finished in just 20 minutes. The worship leaders were used to keeping time as well as observing my reaction. However, the true worship should focus solely on God. Furthermore, worshipping God and the Word of God are one and not separated. I thank God for shedding light on my problems. I must take the lead to confess, repent and return. I myself must change first.

Worship is when the Spirit of Truth interacts with us. The Move of the Holy Spirit is just like what I have shared in the Morning Devotion recently – Ask and you shall receive. Worship is not a singing performance. Rather, worship is to lead all peoples to praise God on the Sabbath and listen to His Voice. Praise God that through the Ten Commandments, we are able to go deeper into the Truth. We understand that we shall prostrate before God and worship Him in spirit and in truth.

In 2014, the Mercy Seat began to be in use. Then, we received from God the four steps of New Wine Overflowing: Longing, Emptying, Filling and Overflowing. Seven years have passed. God reminds us once again that we must be the new wineskins in which the Holy Spirit may move. All these shall start from me confessing and repenting. Only then our church can follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and enter into corporate renewal. As I taught before, “one pastor repents, God’s presence fills the church”. May the Lord help me to be an authentic person and an authentic worshipper so that I may follow God authentically.【2021.08.22】