On 9 Apr 2007, the second most senior clergyman in the Church of England has warned that his church has become distracted by homosexuality. Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York said the "endless debate" on gay issues such as the ordination of openly gay priests was causing the Church of England to fail to spread God's word. In an interview published in today's Daily Mail, Dr Sentamu said: "The Church has not been very good at clearly spelling out what the message of Jesus is about." "We have been indulging in a lot of debates which I don't think really have much to do sometimes with the Christian faith," he added.

What is "following Christ?". Can we be doing a lot of religious activities in the name of following Christ, yet at the end be engaged in our lifestyle that don't really have much to do with the heart of the Christian Faith. I came from an evangelical and Charismatic background. In my previous churches, they were zealous to love God and committed to action to do God's will. Their motto was Col 2:6-7, Jesus first in everything, commitment first to the church, cell group and ministry, determined to strengthen their faith by attending bible colleges and seminars. All these things by themselves were good, but you know the results of these were not thankfulness, but it became a very heavy burden upon the people.

In the youth group that I attended many years ago, we had 6 meetings on a normal week, - the cell group meeting, the public meeting, the leaders meeting, Saturday Prayer meeting, the Church Celebration, and lastly the Bible Studies. Is this what is means to follow Christ? Is this what Jesus meant when He spoke to Peter and said "Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men". The world outside does not see any of this, they perceived that Christianity is nothing more than a money making machine and not a fishing business.

At the end God sees our heart not necessarily the may works that we do.

Our verse for today is (Luke 5:37 NKJV) "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.

Is it possible that the Church as a whole has not been following Christ in the biblical manner? What is the result of Christian Discipleship in Singapore amongst the churches? Do the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk, or the dead raised from death. No non of these, you see a church whose following Christ is marked by a preoccupation with condemning gays as clearly seen by the recent position of NCCS on the Penal Codes. Perhaps they have not been following Christ biblically. In Luke 5:33, the Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?" In essence, the religious authorities were asking, we have all these rules, laws, commandments and activities that you must do to consider yourself religious and fulfill the requirements to be righteous before God? How come your group acts like sinners! Jesus did not reply to them directly, but asked whether anyone puts the new wine into old wine skin.

How do we produce wine - the Grapes are crushed in a wine press. Likewise, Jesus Christ was crushed on our behalf. What does the new wine represents? the new wine is Jesus Christ - His death and resurrection for our sins. It is the blood of Christ poured out for us. At the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus drank the cup of condemnation and suffering that we through drinking the new wine need not go through ourselves the judgment and punishment for our sins of breaking God's law. This is too simplistic some of us may argue. God's ways are simple but require hope and faith to trust God.

The bible says in (1 Cor 13:13 NIV)  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

In 1 Cor 13:13, Paul came to the conclusion that at the end that following Christ is grounded in three foundation - 1) Faith in the finished work of the Cross that it is more than sufficient to justify us for the sins we have done, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and the only way to God 2) Hope in the second coming of Jesus Christ that He may bring us back to be with Him in Heaven, and 3) to love others and be conscious of God's love everyday in our lives.

In (Mat 11:28-30 NKJV) Jesus made an amazing statement - "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Are you tired today? If yes, then a new heart made of the New Wine Skin is for you. What does the Wine Skin represents? The Wine Skin is a container and it represents our heart. Animal skins were used to make containers for various kinds of liquids: water, milk, wine. The New Wine Skin represents a heart conscious of God's love and redemptive grace. It is a heart that is able to contain the love of God and be at rest in the completed work of Jesus at the Cross. In essence, our heart is opened to receive all the benefits that Christ death bestowed upon us at the cross. We do not need to struggle, to work hard to follow the Law, but just to rest.

The Old Wine Skin represents the heart of the Pharisees, self righteous, always condemning people, hypocritical, like those who condemn Gays using the law selectively but they themselves not following the whole law. The Jews tried for three thousand years to follow the Mosaic Covenant, the same law that Churches in Singapore says we should follow. The Law led the Jews no where, it only amplified their sins and highlight the need for a Messiah. At the end, they killed the Messiah God sent them, an innocent man, totally sinless they crucified! But are we any different? As the problem lays deep in our heart of humanity, Jesus offers to change our rigid hearts made of old wine skin, to a new softer heart, No longer do we come under the heavy burden of following the law and the condemnation of failing to follow it but instead conscious of God's love in Christ.

The bible says in (Luke 5:39 NKJV)  "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"

We humans changed very little. Jesus Christ came to offer us a better covenant but we kept on insisting on the Old. It is so hard to rest and not to do anything. We are so afraid that without the law, we will be lawless so we mixed Law and Grace, we mixed a heart that is conscious of sins and need to abide by the Law, and mixed it with unmerited Grace. As a result, we are ignorant on the work of God's grace in our lives. The Christian churches in Singapore are so afraid of becoming lawless that they insist on following the law, and became anti-gay champions. If our faith is a biblical faith, then the opposite of abiding by the Law is not lawlessness, but faith in embracing and trusting that in God's grace, we may be a new creation, changed inwardly within our hearts to be more and more like Jesus, from glory to glory by having our eyes focusing on Christ, conscious of His redeeming grace and knowing that we are still loved and accepted in Christ, fall as we may and will in the future."

The bible says in (Acts 15:28, 29 NKJV)  For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

The early Christians were Jewish based and a result they had a hard time to convert from being Law minded to simple faith in Christ. It is the same argument we have over and over again between many churches in Singapore. The early church leaders finally came to a conclusion that the law and the burden of following it is not necessary. They retained only few rules - to refrain from eating blood or food offered to idol and from sexual immorality. Why, because we partake now in communion, the new food, Christ Body, and drink Christ blood, and we are joined to Christ by identifying with His death.


In summary following Christ, the New Wine Skin way, is about Faith, Love, and Hope trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ and not burdened by the Law and moving with the Holy Spirit.

(John 3:8 NKJV)  "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

On the surface, this appears too simple but in practice it is far more difficult. No longer do you have a certain fixed do and don't but what is right is based on following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Just like the wind, you would not know what happens next, where the wind of the Holy Spirit will lead us.

Let me share with you a story. Last year, I went to Johor. During the trip, at a Christian Bookstore, I met a Transgender at the counter. He asked me which Church I was from? I did not tell Him because I had no time to share with Him that God accepts Him just as He was, straight or gay. I was rushing back to Singapore to see a movie and that was far more important to me at that time rather than creating a drama at the Christian bookshop. Then later in Singapore, I met an old friend of over 20 years. He was a cell group leader and to me clearly gay. But He was with His straight Church friends and I had no time. When he asked me which church that I am now attending, there was only silence. Telling Him would destroy my cover, forced me out of the closest to all my friends. If I had shared, He probably would be in this church now but I dared not. I cried that night for I had no time to follow Christ. But I remembered that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. That gave me the motivation to continue following Christ. Following Christ is a journey of inner change of the heart to be molded to be more and more like Christ as you follow Him. You will never be the same again.


Many of us today are tired, lonely, and hurt by the rejection that we have endured by well meaning Christians who have come against us because we are gay or lesbians or transgender. Many Christians in the mainstream churches, in the name of following Christ have hurt us greatly and we would like to have nothing to do with religion. Our lives are but a broken journey. But God keeps calling us back doesn't He even though we are a far off. Something beautiful, something good. All our confusions, He understood. All we have to offer Him was brokenness and pain and He will make something beautiful out of our lives. I bring to you today, rest, for Christ has done all the work at Calvary. Rest says the Lord of Host and be still and know that I am God of heavens and earth. Christ offers us a new heart made of New Wine Skin, a heart that is at rest whilst following the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit.

I would like to make an altar call. Does everyone have one of these bookmarks - this represents your heart. As we sing the last song, "I will run to you", I want you to lift it up to God. Open it, open it wide - receive the new wine from God - receive His fullness, His rest, His comfort, and purpose for your life.

Your eye is on the sparrow
And Your hand, it comforts me
From the ends of the Earth to the depth of my heart
Let Your mercy and strength be seen

You call me to Your purpose
As angels understand
For Your glory, may You draw all men
As Your love and grace demand

And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the spirit of God
Yes I will run the race
'Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace

Let us pray. Father God we present our hearts to you today, a heart of faith and hope and love. We thank you for your grace today. Show us O Lord day by day to walk without condemnation, to walk by your Holy Spirit and with Wisdom to bring your Gospel of Hope to the Gay community. Let us raise our hearts to God. Come Holy Spirit fill us anew, fill us with your love, your peace, your comfort. Give us a new heart that we may truly follow you.