Burying Yesterday: Embrace New Wineskins and Revival

God’s heart for healing comes through plain and strong: hurting people are everywhere, and the Lord wants His people to notice them. The ache of a rolled ankle and a knee that would not quit hurting opened up compassion for limping people, sick people, and folks sitting in waiting rooms with boots on. The call to pray for the sick is not an extra thing off to the side. The Lord’s heart really is to heal, and a church that goes after healing is paying attention to something deep in Him.

The New Testament expectation of Jesus returning soon presses believers into anticipation. The Lord let those early apostles write with urgency because He wants a people living ready, not just planning careers, retirement, family, and normal future stuff. The return of Christ may happen in a lifetime, or death may bring a believer to Him first, but the point stays the same: Christ is preparing a people for His coming and for the last day move of God.

The history of revival carries both wonder and warning. The Jesus Movement, the charismatic renewal, the prophetic movement, Toronto, Brownsville, youth revival, and other mighty moves of God show that the river can really flow. People will stand in Florida heat all day when God is truly moving. But the dry place also has a gift in it. John 17 says eternal life is knowing God, and that friendship with the Lord has to be found when the river is rushing and also when the days are not beautiful.

The graveyard image names the danger. Past revivals, past wounds, bad decisions, betrayals, lost seasons, and old grief can become graves that get dressed up and visited over and over. The Lord’s question, “Okay. What do you wanna do now?” breaks the spell of living at the grave. Romans 8 calls the old do-it-yourself life something that needs “a decent burial,” and resurrection life sounds like a child saying, “What’s next, Papa?”

The angels at Jesus’ tomb ask the real question: “Why are you looking for the living one in the cemetery?” The living Christ is not found by camping out at what was. Healthy grief visits the cemetery and leaves. Grave tending stays there and lets death start leaking into the rest of life. The Spirit calls for broken agreements with small mindedness, unbelief, old words, and worn-out wineskins, because God still has storehouses of revival, healing, miracles, and new wine for a people willing to move on with Him.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Grave tending steals resurrection energy. The graveyard image gives a name to the habit of returning again and again to what died. Old moves of God, old wounds, and old failures can all become places where the soul keeps spending energy that belongs to the present voice of God. The living Christ is not found by decorating yesterday, but by leaving the cemetery when the visit is over. [24:43]
• 2. Dry places can deepen friendship. A dry season does not mean God has stopped being present. The hidden work of dryness can strip away dependence on outward momentum and bring the soul into a real knowing of the Lord. John 17 names eternal life as knowing Him, and that kind of knowing must hold when the river is flowing and when the land feels empty. [10:18]
• 3. Resurrection asks, “What’s next, Papa?” Romans 8 turns life with God away from timid grave tending and toward childlike expectancy. The question is not endless regret over what happened, but a fresh readiness for what the Father is doing now. A believer can learn from mistakes without building a house beside them. [21:59]
• 4. New wine needs renewed wineskins. The Holy Spirit does not pour new wine into old patterns just to destroy both the wine and the container. A church, a person, and a season may all need reshaping before the next outpouring can be carried well. The Lord’s concern for the wineskin is mercy, because He wants the new thing to last and bless the world. [33:22]
• 5. Words must stop empowering mountains. Careless words spoken in discouragement can agree with smallness, shame, and unbelief. Jesus’ word about speaking to the mountain places real responsibility in the mouth of the one facing it. Other people can help, but the mountain tied to a person’s authority must hear that person renounce the lie and command it to move.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:14] - A Painful Injury and Compassion for Healing
• [03:09] - Living Ready for Christ’s Return
• [05:26] - Remembering Past Moves of God
• [09:43] - Finding God in Dry Places
• [13:51] - A Graveyard Moment with the Lord
• [16:19] - Spiritual Graveyards in the Heart
• [19:09] - The Father Asks, “What Now?”
• [21:59] - Romans 8 and a Decent Burial
• [24:04] - Why Look for Life in a Cemetery?
• [30:12] - Healthy Grief and Moving On
• [32:51] - New Wine and Renewed Wineskins
• [35:23] - Breaking Agreement with Grave Tending
• [40:05] - Renouncing Old Words and Speaking to Mountains
• [42:15] - Quiet Souls, Biblical Theology, and Fresh Filling

1. In Romans 8:15, Paul contrasts a "spirit of slavery" with the "Spirit of adoption." What imagery does the sermon use to describe a life stuck in the past versus one marked by resurrection expectancy?
2. The angels at Jesus’ tomb ask, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" (Luke 24:5). How does the sermon connect this question to the danger of "grave tending"? [24:43]
3. John 17:3 defines eternal life as knowing God. What examples does the sermon give about deepening this relationship even in "dry" seasons? [10:18]
4. The sermon mentions Jesus’ teaching about new wine and wineskins (Matthew 9:17). What practical warning does it highlight about clinging to old patterns? [33:22]

1. Romans 8 urges believers to put the "old life" to death. Why might holding onto past failures or revivals hinder someone from living in the "adventurously expectant" way described in the sermon? [21:59]
2. The angels’ question in Luke 24:5 implies that Jesus’ resurrection changes how we relate to loss. How does "healthy grief" differ from "grave tending," and why is this distinction vital for spiritual growth?
3. The sermon argues that dry seasons can deepen friendship with God. How might a lack of outward spiritual "momentum" actually strengthen someone’s reliance on God’s presence? [12:38]
4. Jesus’ warning about old wineskins (Matthew 9:17) suggests renewal is necessary for new moves of God. What might "old wineskins" look like in a church or individual’s life today?

1. The sermon warns against "decorating graves" of past hurts or regrets. What is one area of your life where you’ve been "visiting the cemetery" instead of asking, "What’s next, Papa?" How can you take a step toward closure this week? [21:59]
2. In Mark 11:23, Jesus says we must speak directly to our "mountains." Is there a lie, failure, or negative word you’ve agreed with (e.g., "I’ll never change") that you need to renounce aloud today? [41:18]
3. Eternal life is knowing God, not just experiencing spiritual highs. What practical habit could you start (or stop) to cultivate friendship with Him in seasons that feel "dry" or ordinary? [12:07]
4. The sermon says new wine requires renewed wineskins. What old mindset, routine, or ministry approach might God be asking you to surrender to make room for His "new thing"?
5. Grave tending often involves rehearsing past pain. Who could you forgive or release this week to break agreement with "death leaking into life"? [36:54]
6. The Holy Spirit is called a "river" in the sermon. What would it look like to prioritize His presence over programs or familiarity in your daily choices?