Set Apart-- this past Sunday's sermon

      

Here is this past Sunday's sermon-- "Set Apart".  The recorded sermons from each church are at the bottom of the transcript.  As always, there are different things shared orally than what you will find in the written sermon.  Also, there are some different things shared at each church.  I try to remain open as I speak, so the illustrations and other things are often different.

“Set Apart”

Jeremiah 1:4-10 (CEB)

February 3, 2019 (4^th Sunday after Epiphany/Communion)

Flintstone UMC/Simpson UMC

Jeremiah 1:4-10 (CEB)

⁴ The Lord’s word came to me:

⁵ “Before I created you in the womb I knew you;
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I made you a prophet to the nations.”
⁶ “Ah, Lord God,” I said, “I don’t know how to speak
    because I’m only a child.”
⁷ The Lord responded,
    “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a child.’
        Where I send you, you must go;
        what I tell you, you must say.
⁸ Don’t be afraid of them,
    because I’m with you to rescue you,”
        declares the Lord.
⁹ Then the Lord stretched out his hand,
    touched my mouth, and said to me,
    “I’m putting my words in your mouth.
¹⁰ This very day I appoint you over nations and empires,
    to dig up and pull down,
    to destroy and demolish,
    to build and plant.”

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THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

THANKS BE TO GOD.                      

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Today’s title comes from verse 5, “before you were born I set you apart;”

Some versions, such as the NRSV say “consecrated” or sanctified.  If you look for the English “set apart” in a concordance, you will find other examples, but they are different Hebrew root words.  They are not the same word used here.  This is where knowing the language, knowing someone who knows the language, and/or trusting the research becomes important.  One word can have many meanings and we want to make sure we are as close to the original intention as possible, seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we interpret the text.

The word used here is from the Hebrew root word “qadash”, Strong #6942.  The meaning of the Hebrew term is ‘to set apart as Holy’.

Don’t worry.  My linguistic and teaching geek mode will stop there, but I did want to give you a little bit of a background on the word.  There are other root words that can mean ‘set apart’, but this is the one we find here.  If you do desire to dig deeper, you can use online resources such as blueletterbible.org or biblehub.com.

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/6942.htm

Let’s look at the passage now:

                                                                            

We see in verse 5 that Jeremiah was set apart as holy before he was born.  His name means “YHWH exalts” (Keeping Holy Time, 76) He was to be a prophet to the nations.  Notice Jeremiah’s response in verse 6. His initial response is to come back with an excuse, “I don’t know how to speak because I’m only a child.”

How old is Jeremiah here?  In my research, I wasn’t able to find an exact age.  All we see is that Jeremiah refers to himself as “a child”.   Is age really a factor? No matter his age, can we really turn down the Lord God when we are being asked to serve?  Rarely will we “feel” equipped to live into a calling God places on us.  We likely don’t have the experience. And, that’s probably a good thing because it helps us rely on the One who has called us and promises to be with us.

Yet, even when we are promised to not be left alone in whatever it is, we still at times turn down the Lord God’s offer to serve at times, don’t we? 

Okay, so I won’t put you on the spot.  You don’t have to answer.  I will.

I’ve turned down God.  I’ve said things such as: I’m too young, I’m female, I stutter, you know my life history, that’s a little too scary, that sounds too difficult, and when being called into seminary: really, God—don’t you think I’m getting a little too old to go back to school?  Those are just some of my excuses.

There have been many times that I’ve said “no” to God, initially. Often it has been because I didn’t fully understand what God was doing, that God could really be asking me to do whatever it was, or I was simply afraid.

I preached my first sermon in 1989, after having completed the 8 week Lay Speaker course.  Speaking wasn’t my thing.  Teaching wasn’t my thing.  There is some stuttering and dyslexia that get in the way at times.  When I was asked to preach for the first time, I would not have known that it would be my last Sunday on Long Island before I left for a new job teaching at Bryan College. The title of that first sermon?  “Are You Available?”

Though it hasn’t always been easy, I’ve tried to say yes to the Holy Spirit along the way—3 church staff positions; one of those being a paid one in a large church, lots of pulpit supply opportunities, church leadership roles, and then finally, the call to seminary.  I still pushed back the call into pastoral ministry.  I found ways to say “no” along the way.  Yet, the Holy Spirit was persistent and gracious, reminding me that I would not be alone on the journey.

What about you?  Have you said “no” along the way?

If so, we’re in good company.  Today’s passage shows us Jeremiah, but we can remember that Moses came back with some good “no” answers too. 

Who else said “no” to God?  Zechariah.  What happened to him?  He became mute because he didn’t believe the angel (Luke 1:19-20) until the time John was named (Luke 1:64)

Why?  It’s scary to step out in faith into something new, something different, something outside of our comfort zone.

It is our natural response to want to keep what we know, sometimes at all cost, even if it isn’t in our best interest.

How did the Lord respond to Jeremiah’s attempt to get out of being who he was called to be and to do what he was called to do?

Verses 7-10

 ⁷ The Lord responded,
    “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a child.’
        Where I send you, you must go;
        what I tell you, you must say.
⁸ Don’t be afraid of them,
    because I’m with you to rescue you,”
        declares the Lord.
⁹ Then the Lord stretched out his hand,
    touched my mouth, and said to me,
    “I’m putting my words in your mouth.
¹⁰ This very day I appoint you over nations and empires,
    to dig up and pull down,
    to destroy and demolish,
    to build and plant.”

The Lord assured Jeremiah that he would be with him, that he would put words in his mouth and that he was appointing him to do the things he was calling him to do and be.

We need reassurance from the Lord, too, don’t we? 

We need to know that the Lord is with us in our callings.

Do you remember last week’s passage from Luke, where Jesus read from the Isaiah scroll?  Jesus made it clear to everyone who he was and what his calling was.  He let them know he was set apart.

                    

Just as Jeremiah, Zechariah, Moses, Gideon, Isaiah and Jesus were called and set apart, so are you.

As we come to the table today, know that God loves you and wants you to receive the grace offered to you.  Whatever God is currently calling you to do, may you have the courage, strength, and boldness to say “yes”.

You are set apart to live into a calling only you can.  May you live out your calling in trust and obedience so that you fulfill the mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world.

Amen.

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Recorded sermon from Flintstone UMC

Recorded sermon from Simpson UMC