Sunday, April 02, 2006

Jeremiah: A new covenant promised • April 2, 2006

Jeremiah 31:31-34;Psalm 51:1-12; Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NRSV)
31The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt--a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
A few weeks ago, we read from Exodus 20 – The Ten Commandments. Exodus 20 is in many ways the capstone of the Israelites great journey out of Egypt. The Lord spoke to Moses, passing along not only what we now call the ten commandments, but a whole host of laws and rules and regulations for living. Just take a quick scan through Exodus 21 through Exodus 23 and you’ll see what He had to say in great detail about servants, personal injury to others, protection of property and restitution for stealing, social responsibility (covering such things as seducing a virgin, taking advantage of a widow or orphan, lending money), laws of justice and mercy, Sabbath laws, and annual festivals. And this covenant was sealed in Exodus 24 when Moses took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people and they responded “We will do everything the Lord has said, we will obey.” Exodus 24:7 And Moses climbs back up Mount Sinai, and enters a cloud, is called by the Lord, and stays for 40 days and 40 nights getting instructions for building all the necessary priestly things for upholding the covenant.

And this covenant of laws between God and his people was tough. If someone in your family screwed up, you were in trouble for at least four generations. Sure, if you could keep all the commandments you had it made – loved by God for a thousand generations. Quite the incentive . . . but you know, I doubt anybody quite made it.

So, by Jeremiah’s time, God must have been pretty frustrated. Hey, I told you what to do, you wrote it all down. All you had to do was follow all the rules and you’d be blessed for a thousand generations. But it wasn’t enough. The Israelites were just like the rest of us – imperfect flawed humans who, hard as we try, can’t seem to keep from slipping up somewhere along the line. So God spoke to Jeremiah and shared some really good news. There will come a time when I will make a new covenant with my people and I will put my law within them and write it upon their hearts. I will be their God and they shall be my people. My people shall ALL know me, from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.

This is the new covenant you always hear about, the covenant in which we live. Jeremiah and crew could only look forward to the new covenant, but for us, this covenant is here. We have the wonderful opportunity to make a fresh start and establish a permanent, personal relationship with God. A week from now, we will start to retell those powerful events of Christ’s death and resurrection. Remember, come Easter, that it is the New Covenant that was born through those acts. We each can know God because God is in each of us, written on our hearts. And we know the deal is done because God sealed the deal when Christ died on the cross, forgiving all sin and remembering it no more.

A personal relationship with God, independent of all others, doesn’t matter what your father or mother did, your uncle, your granddad. For that matter, it doesn’t even matter what YOU’VE ever done in the past. Forgiven and loved. It is a wonderful feeling. Bask in that glow for a moment.

I’d like to conclude with a remark by John Wesley, which he made while reflecting on what Jeremiah had to say about the law or old covenant versus the gospel or new covenant. He said the prophet’s design is here to express the difference between the law and the gospel. The first shows duty, while the latter brings the grace of regeneration, by which the heart is changed, and enabled for duty.

Michael R. Martin – April 2, 2006
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

Friday, March 03, 2006

Invitation to the Observance of Lenten Discipline

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
the early Christians observed with great devotion
the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection,
and it became the custom of the Church that before the Easter celebration
there should be a forty-day season of spiritual preparation.
During this season converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism.
It was also a time when persons who had committed serious sins
and had separated themselves from the community of faith
were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness,
and restored to participation in the life of the Church.
In this way the whole congregation was reminded
of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ
and the need we all have to renew our faith.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church,
to observe a holy Lent:
by self-examination and repentance;
by prayer, fasting, and self-denial;
and by reading and meditating on God's Holy Word.

Invitation to the Observance of Lenten Discipline' in the Ash Wednesday liturgy. This text is public domain and comes from the Book of Common Prayer.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Intentional Faith • February 19, 2006

Isaiah 43:18-25; Psalm 41; 2 Corinthians 1:18-22; Mark 2:1-12


Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

When last we left Jesus, he had just healed a man with leprosy, who ran about shouting about it. As a result, Jesus couldn’t enter a town publicly. He stayed out in the secluded places and people came to him from everywhere. We continue now with Mark Chapter 2.

Mark 2:1-12 (NIV) • Jesus Heals a Paralytic
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralytic, 11 "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
Once again we have recounted a dramatic act of faith taken by one to reach the merciful healing touch of Jesus. And Jesus, and Mark in the retelling, uses this miracle, to demonstrate that Jesus is more than just a healer. For the first time in Mark, Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. And before Jesus instructs the paraplegic to take up his mat and walk, he does something far more significant and NOT overlooked by the religious scholars among the crowd. Jesus forgives the man’s sins. What blasphemy is this? Only GOD can forgive sin? Here we have Jesus putting it all on the line right from the start. People were already starting to notice, resulting in growing throngs of worshipers, seekers, crowds. And others were beginning to notice, too. The religious scholars and keepers of the laws. Jesus was at the least, a blasphemer – a person who speaks disrespectfully of sacred things, sacrilegious – perhaps much more, a growing threat to rule and order.

I could construct a message for you about how we should all be like the men who cared the paraplegic to Jesus when we come across someone who has fallen, but I think that’s just a little to contrived. I know it is nice when the message relates to our daily lives. But sometimes the power of the Scripture is just the Power of the Scripture. Here’s all I want you to think about today’s reading: If you take anything away anything at all, its to be intentional about your faith. What the heck do I mean by that? Certainly Jesus was nothing if not intentional about His faith. It was all he was and in all he did, didn’t matter when, didn’t matter where, didn’t matter the consequences, when he was out in front of the crowds and when he was alone His Father. So, be intentional about YOUR faith. Make it so much a part of you that it is never left behind, never an afterthought, in good times, hard times, in the quiet moments, at all times.

Michael R. Martin – February 19, 2006
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Jesus Heals a Leper • February 12, 2006

2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Mark 1:40-45

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Mark 1:40-45 (NKJV)
40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." 41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction."
We continue with the Gospel of Mark. It's not often that the Lectionary year focuses on Mark's gospel so I'm taking this opportunity. It is believed that Mark's was the first of the gospels to be written and Mark is no nonsense and action-oriented in his approach. Rather than writing to reach the Jews -- covering Jesus' geneology or predictions of his coming in any great length, Mark writes for the common person to simply prove Jesus is the Messiah. Mark records more of Jesus' miracles than sermons. Jesus is clearly a man of power and action, not just words. Jesus did miracles to convince the people who he was and to teach the disciples his true identity as God.

Omitting the birth of Jesus, Mark begins with John the Baptist's preaching. Mark moves quickly: Jesus is baptized and tempted in the desert, he calls is first disciples, he drives an evil spirit out of one who is possessed, heals many, and retreats to pray in solitude. Jesus travels throughout Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons -- all this and we are still in Chapter 1.

The Gospel according to Mark begins with these words:
Mark 1:2-4 (NIV)
2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"-- 3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Remember these words from Mark 1:8? “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

In Jesus' day, leprosy was an awful, incurable disease. Actually, a wide variety of skin diseases were called leprosy. Leprosy itself was a disease characterized by degeneration of nerves and tissue, accompanied with disfiguring comtractions and skin lesions, often with the resultant loss of extremities. Lepers were removed from society and there were strict laws prescribing their life of isolation and how they were to proceed to reenter society should their leprosy go into remission. The Old Testament Leviticus devotes two whole chapters to these laws (Leviticus 13-14) and its worthwhile reading to get some comprehension of the background to today's story.

I see this tale as a bit of a turning point in Jesus' minitstry. Prior to this moment, Jesus was freely preaching in the cities and synagogues, but after this, his act of touching a leper had made him unclean by the Law, unwelcome in the city, and his ministry moved to the hillsides and outskirts of towns and cities.

Imagine the man’s hunger for healing, the faith in Jesus, that he should break all rules of cleanliness and society. It reminds me of the later miracle when Jesus heals the bleeding woman who cries out if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. I wonder from where does the leper’s faith come? By this time, word of Jesus must have been spreading like wildfire, like crazy rumors. A man, calls himself a prophet, healing with a touch. And so, the leper came. You often hear the verse about how Jesus cares for the sparrows of the field, how much more he must care for us. Personally, I see the stories of the leper and the woman as more indicative of Jesus' love and compassion. Frankly, I think the sparrows can pretty much fend for themselves. But if Jesus could care and heal ones so troubled, so unclean, simply because of their faith, would he not do the same for you? Can you be less deserving?

Michael R. Martin – February 12, 2006
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

portions from Life Application Bible Notes

Saturday, January 21, 2006

What's Your Calling? • January 22, 2006

Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:5-12; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY
Mark 1:14-20 (NRSV)
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
This is where it all began. This is where the rubber meets the road. It all started right here, man. Wow! In just a few short weeks, we’ve scripturally covered Jesus’ immaculate conception, birth, baptism, epiphany. And Jesus’ first words in Mark “The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent, and believe in the good news!” (NRSV)

Jews of Jesus' day understood exactly what Jesus meant when he proclaimed the time is fulfilled. The Greek word used for time, kairos, refers to a particular time period with its beginning marked by an extremely important event. This placed Jesus' coming in the center of God's plan for revelation and redemption. The Old Testament prophets often spoke of the future kingdom, ruled by a descendant of King David, that would be established on earth and exist for eternity. Thus when Jesus spoke of the "time" and the presence of the kingdom of God, the Jews understood him to mean that the Messiah had come to "fulfill" or inaugurate his long-awaited kingdom. Jesus reassured them that God was in sovereign control. He had begun to act in a new and decisive way. The most critical time had come. The door to God's great future had been flung open.

Jesus began his ministry with the very word people had heard John the Baptist say: Repent. The message is the same today. Becoming a follower of Christ means turning away from our self-centeredness and "self" control and turning our lives over to Christ's direction and control. Repentance has two sides—turning away from sin and believing in the good news. One without the other is kind of like half a sandwich (not a sandwich cut in half but one half or the other). The Good News, the gospel, means that Jesus, the promised Messiah, has come to usher in a new age of God's dealings with his people.

I've been thinking about a calling lately. You know, as in “what’s your calling?” When we are young, grownups are always asking us what we want to be when we grow up. Not many of us really know. Maybe in the Midwest, farmers children know they are going to be farmers. But we grow up and live life, experience many things, changes. And what we are doing and who we are at 20 is not who we are at 40 or 60 or whatever age you are now. If you were to define your calling today, how different would it be from when you were first starting out. Personally, I see it as quite different in perspective alone, if nothing else. My youthful interests were music, science, nature. Over the years these interests have pervaded what I do in both work and enjoyment. At one time, perhaps not too too long ago, I might have said my calling was to roll at least some of these interests into a career, helping folks around the country clean up lakes and maybe even getting some satisfaction in the process.

But that perspective thing I mentioned before, that’s what is different. When Jesus called to Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John “Come, follow me” he did not promise to teach them all the secrets of the universe if they would follow him. He did not promise them good health, or wealth and prosperity. But Jesus did promise to teach them how to be good disciples. “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” I’ve finally begun to truly see that this here – my relationship with Christ, my ministry and service, such as it is – is my center, my purpose, my calling, and everything else revolves around this, feeds into this. Take some time today and reflect upon your calling. What you do, what you enjoy – where does Christ fit in?

A new year, a new birth, a new beginning. . . so much promise. We will prosper as a church if we remember – Christ first, in all things. We are called as Christians to be disciples – to not only try and BE like Christ, but to DO for Christ -- to reach out, to do more, try something new, maybe even stretch beyond our comfort zone. . . Ephesians 2:10 comes to mind: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (NIV).

And don’t forget to take care of yourself
  • Pray daily – talk with God often
  • Read the Bible daily – the Bible is God’s inspired Word.
  • Learn to depend on the Holy Spirit, your counselor. As the Bible says, the Holy Spirit will teach you, guide you, & strengthen you in your times of need
  • Live one day at a time: The Bible says we are not to be anxious about what might happen tomorrow (see Matthew 6:33-34). The Bible also promises that, "Your strength will equal your days" (Deuteronomy 33:25, NIV). In other words, God's grace will be sufficient to meet the challenges of each new day.
Michael R. Martin – January 22, 2006
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM