We Are All About God’s Grace for God’s People

THIS MONTH AT CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH

Matthew 10:40 – “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

Over the last few weeks as we have been dwelling in Matthew 9 & 10 and have been focusing on the call and cost of following Jesus, the call and cost of discipleship. These passages of Holy Writ challenge our priorities, our most cherished relationships, and calls to account those who are called by the name of Jesus, those who are Christians. Under girding all this, we must remember, is grace. If we don’t remember Matthew 5 and the blessings and promises bestowed on us first by Jesus, these verses on discipleship are going to sound like “have to’s” instead of “want to’s” and “get to’s.” In fact, we see Jesus’ genius shine through at the end of this extended section on discipleship – concluding in chapter 11 (what we focus on next week) – where He reminds us of those very promises: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest…For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

So again this week and next week – just like the last three weeks – is all about discipleship, all about following Jesus. It is no mistake we focus on these passages after the Easter season. Like crops growing in the late Spring and early Summer (the crops that aren’t inches underwater at least – so much rain this last month!) so too is the Church called to grow in our faith. It is expected by our Lord and Savior that we grow. The particular areas of growth this week are about receiving the Word of God from the people the Lord has called into the ministry and welcoming/supporting those very “the little ones,” even if its as small as a cup of water. There’s a direct connection from Jesus to His apostles and to His ministers of the Word. These ministers of the Word also need support. We who receive the Word of the Lord from His chosen ministers who speak in Christ’s stead are called to gladly, joyfully, and sacrificially give to support the ministry since, as Jesus reminds us elsewhere, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

This is a good text for summer preaching where we are reminded that the Church of God certainly runs on prayer, but the Church’s main priority is to preach with conviction and authority “the good news of the kingdom” (Matthew 9:35) and that takes buy-in from the people of God since the minister of the Lord has already bought-in to a life of sacrifice for the kingdom of Jesus Christ. People of God, may your heart be with that very kingdom and that same Jesus and may your treasure – whether it is a gift of a cup of water or a generous offering of financial support – flow to where your heart is (Matthew 6:21) and give joyfully to support the good news of the kingdom.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Chris

PS: If you’d like to make a summer time gift to Christ the King, you’re more than welcome to here – Thanks so much in advance and thanks so much already for your sacrificial giving throughout the year!

This week at Christ the King
Wednesday, June 28th– 9 AM Quilting
9:30 AM Bible Study: Ezekiel 10-17
Thursday, June 29th – 10 AM Coffee Clutch w/ the Staff
Thursday Theology – 11:30 AM “Surprised by Hope” DVD Discussion
6:15 PM Church Council
Saturday, July 1st – 5 PM Worship w/ Holy Communion
Sunday, July 2nd – 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
9:30 AM Coffee Fellowship Time
10:30 AM Worship w/ Holy Communion
***Have a most  blessed Fourth of July!!!

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Worship
Weekend Worship is at
5 p.m. on Saturdays
and
10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
Communion is celebrated at every service and a staffed nursery is available during the 10:30 worship

Youth Faith Formation
(Confirmation)
(Sunday School)
Every Sunday from
9:00 – 10:15 am

Office:
Christ the King Lutheran Church
1230 N. 18th St.
Escanaba, Michigan
Phone: 906-786-7400