February 27, 2021

Dear Road Church Friends,

One of the final few sayings of Jesus recorded by John in the Book of Revelation is, “Look! I am making all things new.” That is a good description of what Jesus was constantly doing during his ministry. He compared his teaching to “new wine” which could only be contained in new wine skins. That gives us something to ponder since we are the skins who are meant to be filled with his new teaching. Jesus was always challenging his disciples to avoid becoming belligerent and inflexible, set in their old ways, like the Pharisees.

The scripture reading for my Sunday message is Mark 2:13-22, where Jesus leads his disciples into new paths of spirituality informed by the love of God. He dines with social outcasts, and refuses to participate in public prayers and fasting done for their own sake.

Lent is a season reminding us that Jesus is still leading us into new spiritual paths, filling us with the new wine of his teaching. He is making us new too, so we are able to handle the truth of God’s powerful love for everyone. The sermon title for this Sunday is “Follow Me”.

SCRIPTURE

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Levi sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to him, “Why do you eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them, “It’s not the healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus said, “It makes no sense for wedding guests to mourn and fast at the groom’s wedding party. But if the groom is killed, all his friends will fast on the day of his funeral.

“No one uses a piece of new cloth to patch up an old cloak; because when the new patch shrinks a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; because when the wine ferments the old brittle skins will burst, and the wine is lost. New wine must be stored in new wineskins.”

PRAYER

Lord, the newness of this day calls me to an untried way;

Let me gladly take the road, give me strength to bear my load,

Thou my guide and helper be—I will travel through with Thee.

Henry van Dyke

Blessings to all,

Pastor Norm

The Road Church service on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kQkq6Cxu2rs