Discerning Authority - E2

In this message, Pastor Sarah Lowenberg explores Jesus’ teaching on fasting, garments, and wineskins, revealing that He has the authority to bring something completely new. The disciples of John ask why Jesus’ followers don’t fast like others, and Jesus responds with vivid images: a joyful wedding feast, an unshrunk patch on an old garment, and new wine poured into new wineskins. Through these illustrations, Pastor Sarah reminds us that Jesus didn’t come to patch up old habits or make life a little more bearable. He came to transform us from the inside out. The presence of Jesus brings joy, His Spirit cannot be contained by rigid old patterns, and His authority means He makes us new—clothed in His grace, filled with His Spirit, and rebuilt on a solid foundation. If you’ve been asking Jesus to “patch up” parts of your life, this sermon invites you to release the old and receive the new, trusting Him to do far more than repair—He will transform. Scripture: Matthew 9:14–17