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Critical Mass - Matthew 18:15-20

3/31/2020

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The following E-Devotion will serve as our E-Sermon as well. It was shared this weekend by Pastor Andy Kinsey at Grace Church. The sermon was also “live” on Youtube and is now posted on Andy Kinsey’s Facebook page and Grace United Methodist Church’s Facebook page. The sermons are also posted on the website of Grace United Methodist Church at www.franklingrace.org/sermons.html.

Prayer of Preparation

O Lord, open our hearts and stimulate our minds by the presence of your Spirit: speak to us your Word in Christ: Amen.

Message
Before I begin to share a few words, I thought I would communicate a vision I had the other day. Many of you told us that you had watched the service last week in your pajamas with a cup of coffee. That’s great! I am so glad we have the opportunity to share in this way.

However, on the first weekend we are back, whenever that will be, I had the vision that many of you would come to worship in pajamas with coffee in hand!

It is a crazy vision I know: One big pajama party! But wherever you are now, and whatever you have in your hand, or whatever you are wearing – please know we are glad you are with us. I simply ask that you not get too comfortable, not simply during the rest of our time together this morning, but, as we have shared on other occasions, for the long haul. We will need to find creative but intentional ways of carrying out our ministry in the days ahead.

To be sure, we will do so via technology, but we will also need to remember how we minister to others the “old fashion way” via phone calls, emails, letters, cards, notes.    

In this way, the month of April will not only bring spring showers, but faithful ways of caring for one another on the one hand while being a faithful presence in this community on the other. Probably in ways that we had not anticipated! 

So keep connecting with people you know. Simply call them. Write them. This is a time of seed-planting; it is a time of creativity.

Sermon Series
I make that comment with the whole notion of God’s providence in mind: I don’t think we could have picked a more appropriate passage several months ago for our sermon series on the purpose and identity of our congregation than the one I just read to you from Matthew’s Gospel.

Jesus’ words of “where two or three gather together” could not be more important during this time of social distancing, when we are not to gather in large groups. That is to say, Jesus’ words here are very helpful at a time like this, to remember how we as followers of Christ are part of a micro-church movement, where persons gather in his name and hold each other accountable, forgiving each other and being reconciled.

Perhaps you may have heard of mega-churches, where more than a thousand people gather to worship; well, here, in this passage, Jesus has a vision of a micro-church, where only takes two or three persons gather to make a kingdom difference. 

Typically, of course, we gather face-to-face. We can touch and see one another. But now we gather online, perhaps via Zoom, or Google Hangout, or Facebook. Or perhaps we are connecting to our loved-ones and friends online, or as we are doing as church, now coming through the internet. 

Think of how Jake and Angela are utilizing different social media platforms to stay connected. Or think of how Amber Whitman is using Facebook to share with the children of our preschool. These small gatherings and connections online will have a ripple-effect.

I know that it was good last week for Peggy and me to gather online with all our kids through Google Hangout. It was a way for us to connect. 

But consider for a moment your own circle of influence of family and friends during this time: with whom are you connecting? Remember: if there is a name that comes to your mind, find a way to connect: You don’t need committee approval.

Jesus’ Idea of Critical Mass    
After all, it only takes a critical mass of people to bring about the kind of change that we seek to bring about.
By critical mass here, I mean what many in physics call a chain reaction, or what happens when the atom splits, to begin a bigger “chain reaction,” or with respect to group dynamics when a certain number of people can produce a particular result; there is a critical mass to bring about the change.

Think of what we are hearing about how we all need to do our part to “flatten the curve.” It is going to take a critical mass to flatten the outbreak of Covid-19, so that the healthcare system in this country can function in a way that treats persons who have the virus. Without a critical mass of persons to help in this effort, the curve will spike in a way that puts more and more people at risk. A critical mass is necessary, and, in this case, it needs to be big! 

How odd it may sound, then, to consider what Jesus is saying about critical mass: What constitutes a critical mass in Jesus’ mind is this principle of “wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst” (18:20).

Two or three people! Don’t we need more?     Perhaps a big bureaucracy? Another committee? A long-range plan? More church consultants? Jesus’ idea of a critical mass is when two or three people gather together, invoking his presence and then moving with the Spirit in mission.

Note the part about Christ’s presence: without Christ’s presence, we could gather with ten-thousand people and it wouldn’t matter. We could even have layers upon layers of organization and nothing could happen. For example, think of how we so easily lay bureaucracy upon more bureaucracy, or how we duplicate and create more organization than we need to create, making it more difficult.

This is why we need to understand partnerships and networks. If one group can do the work, then great: let’s help them. Or if another group can do something special, great! Then let’s help them. After all, in Jesus’ way of operating, it only takes two or three people to make an impact in the wider community anyway!


I sometimes think we have forgotten Jesus’ instruction here that there are occasions when smaller is better: remember that Jesus only picked twelve people at first. He then added women and another seventy. It was a critical mass.

Remember the early church following Pentecost started small groups (Acts 2:42-45) and then met in homes (Acts 20:20). The Methodist Movement started small by meeting in bands and classes and erecting small chapels and food pantries and clinics, not cathedrals.

These examples remind us that Jesus had a micro-vision of God’s kingdom, where every person, every small group, has a role to play, in the ministry of the body of Christ.

Jesus’ Original Concern

And yet, I wonder sometimes if we have made it too difficult, and what I mean by that is understanding Jesus’ original concern here: yes, we have created huge organizations to carry out Jesus’ mission; and there are all kinds of agencies and churches doing great work. And that’s wonderful. 

And yet, we need to consider that Jesus’ instructions are really about reconciliation and forgiveness: that if we have problems in a relationship, or if we need to address a matter, we need to do so in a way that is simple by going to persons directly. And then if that doesn’t work, we gather other witnesses; and when we do that, we pray for Christ’s presence.

This is what is to take place for the health and wellbeing of the community, so that the virus of alienation and despair won’t spread.  


It is truly an amazing teaching: to be a Matthew 18 Christian is to be a person whose actions are geared toward reconciliation and forgiveness and building up the work of the whole body. 

But more: Jesus’ words also remind us of something so much deeper: that when we speak of God’s presence with us, or Christ’s work for us, or the Spirit’s activity in us – we need to understand also how Christ is between us.

Between us! Among us. Yes, Christ is with us and for us and in us, but even when we are apart Christ is between us, in how we act together.


And not just Grace Church, but with all those who are working to combat this virus – in our hospitals and healthcare facilities, in our schools (as David Clendening shared), in our places of work, in assisted living facilities, in other congregations, in our government. There is a critical mass working together. 


How may we serve as part of that critical mass, knowing how it goes together, with two or three gathered here, and two or three gathered there?


No matter where we are, no matter who we are, God is not only with us, but also between us, no matter the distance.


Closing Invitation

This week I had the funeral of a member of this church: Lorene Harrell. Lorene and Wally Harrell joined this congregation about five years ago, and they have been wonderful members.

On Wednesday, we celebrated Lorene’s life. To say the least, it was different; it was small, with less than eight people. It was a group that practiced social distancing, with all of us scattered throughout the funeral home. We did not touch each other. I have not presided over such a gathering. 


And yet, Christ was with us, if not between us; Christ was for us, if not among us, just as Christ had been with Lorene throughout her life.


As we gathered, we affirmed that promise despite our circumstances; and we affirmed Christ’s presence, regardless the situation. Just as the saints have been doing since day one of the church; just as we are seeking to do now – critical mass and all! 


Amen.
Pastor Andy Kinsey


​
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Who Do You Say I Am? - Matthew 16:13-20

3/24/2020

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These are chaotic times.  These are anxious times. These are unsettled times.  There are moments of fear. There are moments of fluctuating information.  There are moments of wondering what tomorrow will bring.  

I don’t think any of us gathered today, imagined the kind of pressure felt around the world due to the Coronavirus.  It is a pressure weighted with uncertainty, conflicting information, distorted views, opposing responses, and confusing data.  It is a pressure that has many people scared, even paralyzed with anxiety and fear. Others are angry and shaking their fists looking for someone to blame.  Some are overwhelmed and simply trying to figure out what to do day to day, hour by hour. Others are still in a state of shock wondering how it could possibly be happening or how can it be this bad?  And in just the last few days, there are those pockets of people trying to spread joy from their car windows and front porches. 

There are defining moments in human history; moments that change us forever. World War II, Vietnam, acts of terror like 9/11, The Great Depression, the Spanish flu pandemic, the polio epidemic, and now the impact of Covid19.  People around the world will never be the same. 

We are in unprecedented territory.  Governor Holcomb stated it this way, “These are times that try our souls.”  And that is why, now more than ever we need to be community. We need to be church.  We need to know who we are and stay grounded in Jesus.    

Over the last four weeks, we have trekked the path of Lent seeking  the answer to the question, “who we are as individuals and as a church.”  Little did we know when we planned this series, we would find ourselves in a pandemic and need to cling to our identity in Christ and as a church in ways we hadn’t thought of.  

  Now it is going to seem a little backdoor, but this week, we explore the answer to the identity question by responding to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”     

Jesus had been with the disciples for three years.  They had traveled many miles together, walked many dusty roads, witnessed many miracles, and heard many teachings. They saw with their own eyes what Jesus was about, what he was capable of, how he treated people, taught people, changed people, challenged people, and loved people. 

AND YET they struggled to answer Jesus’ question “Who do you say I am?” and know Jesus as the Son of God. (Matthew 16:15)  They still wrestled to grasp the kind of suffering and death Jesus told them he had to endure. And what they would endure as his followers once he was gone. (Matthew 16:21)  They could not comprehend God’s purpose made manifest in Jesus.  

Who do you say that I am?  It is the key question, I believe, to knowing our identity - to knowing who we are.  Jesus turns to us, like he did to his disciples, looks us in the eye, and asks: READ TEXT / Matt. 16:13-20

Before we address the question and their response, It is significant to note the location of Jesus and his disciples when this question is asked.  Jesus had taken his disciples about a two day walk away from where they were. Anytime Jesus takes his followers away, or for a time apart, we need to pay attention. 

They went to the districts or areas of Caesarea Philippi.  This was a place outside of the domain of Herod Antipas, who was the ruler of Galilee and within the area of Philip the Tetrarch.  The population was mainly non-Jewish and therefore, Jesus would have a little peace and quiet to teach his followers. 

His time was short; his days in the flesh were numbered.  He needed to know if there was anyone in his closest circle, who knew what he was doing.  Who he truly was and what he was about. He needed to know because they were the ones who would carry on with his message and teaching.

There were few districts with more religious associations than Caesarea Philipi. Here was an area scattered with temples of the ancient Syrian Baal worship.  It was an area where the breath of ancient religion and idol worship was in everything and everywhere. 

Not only Syrian gods but there was also a deep cavern that was thought to be the birthplace of the great god Pan, the god of nature.  The legends of the gods of Greece gathered around Caesarea Philippi. Finally there was a great temple of white marble built to the godhead of Caesar.  It had been built by Herod of the Great.  

So here is Jesus, a homeless, penniless Galilaen carpenter, with twelve very ordinary people around him.  Furthermore, at that moment the orthodox jews / Pharisees and religious leaders in and around Jerusalem were actually plotting and planning to destroy him as a dangerous heretic. 

Jesus stands in an area littered with the temples of the Syrian gods; in a place where the ancient Greek gods looked down; in a place where the history of Israel crowded in upon the minds of men; where the white marble splendour of the home of Caesar- worship dominated the landscape and compelled the eye.  

It represented all the unknowns, uncertainty, and unrest that his disciples would face.   It symbolized all the things they had no control over; messages and teachings that opposed theirs, and situations or circumstances they never thought they would encounter. 
I wonder people of God, are we in such a place now?  

There of all places, with the backdrop I just described, Jesus stands before his followers and asks his question.  By doing so, he finds out there is at least one who knows he is the Son of God, AND he gives them a way to know who they are. 

When Jesus asked his followers, who do you say that I am, he was asking do you get it yet?  Are you with me? Do you realize what all this means? If so, what does your life say about who I am?  In other words, how does your life answer the question?  

What does your attitude under stress say about who I am?  What does your response to pressure say about who I am? What does your response to the unrest, uncertainty, and unknown around you say about who I am? 

Who is Jesus when we are afraid?
Who is Jesus when we are isolated from one another the way that we are?
Who is Jesus when we face wave after wave of conflicting information?
Who is Jesus in the midst of Covid19? 

Knowing the answer to who Jesus is is what provides us comfort in a time of discomfort.  It provides a way when there seems to be no way. It is the assurance and peace we need in times of uncertainty and chaos.  

What does all this have to do with our identity?  The answer to who we say Jesus is is revealed in the living out of our days.  It is exposed in how we respond to one another and circumstances around us, and how we stay connected without being physically together. 

Jesus’ identity is revealed in us and in turn our identity is found in Jesus. 


Jesus is the smile shared through the window or on facebook live to a loved one or friend.

Jesus is the box of food delivered through the car window at the local food pantry.

Jesus is Soups On carry-out style.

Jesus is our children’s director offering worship online for our kids and families, our youth director setting up youth group online. 

Jesus is the church at worship, no matter what that worship might look like.

Jesus is the willingness of those not at risk to get groceries and medicine for those who are.

In these uncertain and unprecedented times, in this moment, the answer to Jesus’ question, “who do you say that I am?” is found in you.  

Yes Jesus is the son of God.  Yes Jesus is Savior and Lord, Redeemer and friend.  Yes Jesus is the one in whom we trust. AND Jesus is you and me, and all of us serving together, bringing the spirit of hope, comfort, assurance, grace and peace to life for those around us.  

If we have to do that over the internet, with facebook, or instagram, we will.  If we have to do it with gloves or a mask on and repetitive use of hand sanitizer, we will.  Even if we have to do it while being socially distant, we will. Because, that is who Jesus is therefore that is who we are. 

Jesus’ identity is revealed in us and in turn our identity is found in Jesus. 
Do not lose hope, church.  Do not lose hope, people of God.  Do not lose hope Franklin, Indiana.  Hang in there students and teachers. Hang in there parents and local workers.  Know that you are not alone and together we will be who we are; the hands, the feet and the presence of Jesus.   AMEN

Pastor Jenothy Irvine


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Recognition Matters - Matthew 20:24-39

3/17/2020

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​The following E-Devotion will serve as our E-Sermon as well. It was shared this weekend by Pastor Andy Kinsey at Grace Church. The sermon was also “live” on Facebook and is now posted on Andy Kinsey’s page and Grace United Methodist Church’s page. The sermons are also posted on the website of Grace United Methodist Church at www.franklingrace.org/sermons.html.  

Message
When I was growing up, I can remember my Grandmother sharing with me that “God knew how many hairs were on my head.” At the time, I had thick brown hair, and I was pretty sure God didn’t care: Why would God go through the trouble of counting the hair on my head? (Today, of course, I am much thinner on top, and I am glad God knows!)
         
I believe that what my Grandmother was saying, and what I have come to realize over the years, is that God does know who I am. God is somehow present to me more than I am present to myself. God cares for me beyond what I can comprehend, even to the point of knowing the hairs on my head!
         
Now to those without hair, I also believe God cares and knows who you are. God knows every bald type as well!
         
But in all seriousness, when Jesus says to his disciples that “the hairs on our had are all counted,” he is actually saying something very important. Indeed, in light of the present health crisis, which we are now facing, Jesus’ words today could not be more appropriate: The God who knows every hair on our head is the God who is going to be with us when we go through difficult times. The God who counts every hair is the God who cares.  

Jesus’ Teaching
To be sure, in their original context, Jesus words were geared toward twelve very anxious disciples, as Jesus tells them, in so many words, what they are likely going to face when they go into the world to teach the gospel (Mt. 28:16-20). Jesus pretty much says to them that what he as their Master will face – hostility and rejection, even death, they are going to face (Mt. 10:25). In fact, at this point in Jesus’ ministry, he has already received threats on his life (Mt. 10:16).
         
But Jesus’ little missionary message to his disciples is also about something more, and it is a message we need to hear more than ever: three times in five verses Jesus shares not to fear when they go and serve him (Mt. 10:26, 28, 31). And the reason they should not fear is because God’s purposes have been revealed: that is to say, God is up to good in the world, despite what evil or danger there is (Mt. 10:26-27). God’s purposes will prevail (Rom. 8:28). 

​That’s one reason the disciples should not fear: God is up to good.
The other reason the disciples do not need to fear is because God is a God who cares. God is a God who recognizes us and knows us, even to the point of knowing the hairs on our heads, even to the point of knowing about sparrows that fall to the ground (Mt. 10:28-29). God knows us from head to toe. God acknowledges those who acknowledge him (Mt. 10:32).
          Now such a confession does not mean that God will prevent us from falling or from facing danger. Rather, it means that God recognizes us when others don’t seem to care and when others may abandon us on Christ’s mission. That’s central to what Jesus is saying: God recognizes us when others don’t seem to care or when others may abandon us on the mission.
Reflection on Current Situation
          Now, in light of what is happening in our country and around the world at this moment, such words, I hope, are words to ponder and receive with assurance, but also with a sense of challenge. And here is what I mean: I believe it was Franklin D. Roosevelt who said that, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” To some extent that is true. Fear can paralyze us. Fear can stop us in our tracks. 
But who among us can turn off fear like a water facet. Fear is a complicated emotion, on many levels. Fear can lead us to do the heroic, but it can lead us into isolation and paralysis. Fear can build walls, especially when we need to be building bridges.
Therefore, when Jesus is speaking to his disciples about the challenges they are going to encounter, he is saying something very important, and he is actually saying something very important about fear: The logic goes something like this: there is something worse than the fear of physical death; and there is something worse than the fear of public speaking, or the fear of the unknown; and it is the fear of that no one cares for you, or the fear that you don’t matter, or that you have been unnoticed or forgotten. Such a fear is worse than death: it is a bear born of neglect. 
Hence, Jesus’ teaching that we matter, and that God knows us and recognizes us, even to the point of knowing the hairs on our heads. This is what Jesus is saying: God recognizes us and cares for us, even now. 
Because if I have a concern about what could very much happen over the next few weeks or months, it is that the most vulnerable people in our society will be forgotten or not recognized – persons who are elderly and socially isolated already, persons who are food insecure, persons who may lose their jobs, persons who are from other countries who are now being scapegoated, families that do not know what to do with children who are not in school. 
How will we need to pay attention to what may happen to them? Because God is paying attention and God knows! And if God does, how will we?
If you have not read the article on Friday by David Brooks in the New York Times about our present pandemic, I would encourage you to do so, for what a pandemic can do, says Brooks, is a hold up a mirror to us and reveal to us what kind of society we truly are; it will reveal to us who are true leaders are; and if his analysis is correct, and I think it is, from the way past pandemics have gone, what we may see may not necessarily be good, as a lack of compassion can (and often has) become quite real: The virus will not simply expose a health crisis but a spiritual crisis.
And what I want us to focus on is how we will find ways to keep our souls, our spirits, in tack, and find meaningful and wise ways to stay connected: For the worst kind of death that can come upon us is not physical death, but spiritual and moral death – the kind of death that can occur when we isolate and distance ourselves from others, all in an effort to stay safe, yes, but also with unforeseen social consequences. 
I think David Brooks is on to something. Pay attention to what kind of people we could become: a pandemic can kill compassion too. Hopefully, it won’t. Hopefully, we will grow and care together. It is why the real pandemic needs to be a pandemic of kindness as well, even now.
It is an insight that I believe overlaps with what we have been sharing over the last few weeks about the kind of church God is calling us to be: that we are called to care for each other, yes, on the one hand, but also find ways to make a difference in the lives of others, on the other. Let me explain.
First, on Friday, the phone rang off the hook about our Soup’s On Ministry. Persons were concerned that we were going to cancel. I understand. People are afraid. But what I realized during those calls was that there are folks who need a place where they can count on food and where they have some sense of belonging. How may we continue to find helpful ways of providing food and/or a place for persons who are food-insecure, all the while considering health safety? That’s a question I ask. 
Second, in a conversation on Friday with Dr. Clendening, the superintendent of schools in Franklin, I learned what it is going to take to make sure children in this community are fed over the next three weeks, and even months. There are plans in place to help. However, it is going to require money and, possibly, persons who can distribute food supplements in and around the community.
How may we assist on both counts?
Because what I want to stress during this time, and what I sense is really at the bottom of these matters is recognition: If God knows the hairs on our head, if God watches the sparrow, then God surely recognizes the least of these our brothers and sisters (Mt. 25:38). And if God does, then surely God’s own followers are charged to recognize such persons as well (Mt. 25:18-39)!
How may we stay connected and care for each other? 
Yes, we will probably have to live-stream or record our messages in the weeks ahead via Youtube and Facebook. We can do that. And we will have to figure out ways of staying in touch with the congregation via different methods of communication. We can do that. But we are also going to need persons to check on others in this church and in the community: we will need persons who can make phone calls and send emails and cards and pray with others. We will need persons to assist and serve, maybe in ways we have not anticipated. 
To be sure, these are not big things, but they all add up. Check on the people close to you – even if they get several phone calls, check on them.
For people are afraid. There is a spiral of panic. And people in the midst of all this “stuff” need to know that they matter, that they belong. That’s the challenging part of our current climate.
Therefore, as we go into a time of prayer, may we realize that what God is seeking is really, at bottom, a matter of recognition: Of being a church that is recognizing others. Of noticing what is happening. Of paying attention. Of discerning where the Holy Spirit is leading and doing what we may need to do – to stay safe, yes, but also to listen to what the Lord is saying: that the God who recognizes us and knows us is the God who cares for us and for others deeply – even to the point of knowing the hairs on our heads. Amen!

 
 
            

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Who Are You and Why Are You Here? - Matthew 5:13-20

3/10/2020

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To be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.  To be light that brings out the God-colors in the world. Oh, to be that kind of a believer in today’s world!  Plain and simple that is the answer to the questions of who we are and why, as followers of Jesus, we are here.  

You are the salt of the earth.  This is what and who you are. Too often, we’re afraid that we’re not salty enough, we need to do more, prepare more, expect more, and when we focus on that, we’re essentially making this all about ourselves instead of Jesus.  Whatever Jesus actually had in mind when he said “you are the salt of the earth” we know that salt as an element has no value to itself. It’s not about making salt better salt. The value of salt is in its application to other things - to other people.  Jesus calls us salt because we who claim to believe in and follow Jesus are meant to make life better for others, not harder.  We are called to enhance life for others not make it bitter for them. We are to preserve life for others not stifle, destroy or defeat who they are. 

What do righteous people look like?  They look like light - flashlights, lamplight, candlelight, spotlights, floodlights, and more.  It is who we are as individuals but more so as a body of believers. “We all shine like the stars but together we blaze like the sun.”  

Like salt, light does not exist for its own benefit, but for the benefit of everything and everyone it illuminates.  Light provides warmth, energy, and security in the darkness around us.  Light encourages life and growth. That is what we are to do as followers of Jesus.  Our righteousness as followers of Jesus is about doing whatever we can to be lights to each other and to the world; the people, situations, events, circumstances and moments around us.  We are to be open and honest instead of hiding in the dark. We are to offer other people warmth and encouragement instead of being cold, disconnected, and discouraging. We are to light the way not dictate the way.

It doesn’t mean we turn our backs on the religious law, traditions, or turn our back on our religious heritage and God’s law.  It does mean we ask ourselves what is the purpose of God's law - what is the essence of those laws, traditions, and heritage? Is it to demoralize, judge, and marginalize others or is it to establish community, order and fellowship in a safe and meaningful way?  Is it to be judge and jury - criticizing and convicting? Or does it mean we are to love mercy, show kindness, and walk humbly with God? As followers, we are to revere the laws of Moses and religious traditions,, but more importantly, and what Jesus was trying to say and model, is we are to recognize and live out the principles embedded within it. 

The power of the season of Lent is that it challenges us to reflect on our identity - as individuals and as a church.  Like Jesus establishing, owning, and proclaiming his identity in the desert, we too must come to understand at our deepest level who we are and why we are here.  I pray God’s Holy Spirit will continue to show us the answer.

AMEN
​Pastor Jenothy Irvine



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Tempted to Stray - Matthew 4:1-11

3/3/2020

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​During the season of Lent, questions of identity come to the fore. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the church has always insisted on beginning the Lenten journey in the Wilderness, with Jesus’s forty-days of fasting and testing: at the heart of Jesus’s time in the wilderness is the question of Jesus’ identity and purpose: Who is Jesus really, and what is he going to do? Or, to put it a little differently: what kind of Son of God is Jesus going to be? 
​
That’s really the question: it is not whether Jesus is God’s Son, the question is what kind of God’s Son Jesus is going to be. Even the devil knows Jesus is God’s Son. But the devil also wants to know if Jesus is going to take the easy route or the hard route to being the Messiah, the Son of God.

Jesus’ identity is really at the core of the temptation story, as he goes into the wilderness to take an “exam,” if you will, like no other exam, to find out what kind of mission he is going to fulfill and what missions he will not.

As we move into the Lenten season, what kind of exam might we take? What mission is God wanting us to fulfill? Who are we as God’s people?

These are questions as old as Adam and Eve in the Garden or the people of Israel in the wilderness: who are we and to whom do we belong? It is easy to forget, but Lent is a time when we can return and remember. It is a time when we can count the costs and follow Jesus.

Pastor Andy Kinsey
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Grace United Methodist Church
1300 E Adams Dr,
Franklin, IN 46131

Phone: 317-736-7962
grace@franklingrace.org

Weekend  Worship Services
Saturday: 5:30pm 
Sunday: 9:00am & 11:00am

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