Walking With Jesus – Grace in a Fig Tree (Part VI – Lent)

Sermon Title: Walking With Jesus – Grace from a Fig Tree

Good News Statement: Jesus answers our actions

Preached: Sunday, April 6^th, 2025 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSVUE): Luke 13:6-9 Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Luke. During the Lenten and Easter Season, we are going to be walking with Jesus to the Cross, listening to his parables, deciphering his teachings, and experiencing our own resurrection. Our walk continues to by listening to the parable of the Fig Tree, which when taken down to its roots is reminding us that we have to remember our gift of grace. Our scripture reading is Luke Chapter Thirteen, Verses Six thru Nine. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life.

 

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

 

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. ⁷ So he said to the man working the vineyard, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ ⁸ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down.’”

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

The following Sermon Series will be drawn from the words of Biblical Scholar Charles R. Swindoll, who offers commentary and thoughts on the Gospel of Luke in his book ”Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke” published in 2012 by Zondervan Publications in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012.

 

 

Introduction:

In August of 1988, a Scottish duo known as the Proclaimers released a song that five years later reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The lead single from their second album, Sunshine on Leith¸ has been featured in several movies and television shows, is still played on the radio today, and is said that the band’s earnings from this one song are “five times more than the rest of their music catalogue combined.”[1] Needless to say, this 1988 song has become a “live staple”[2] for millions of people across the world. The name of this song is “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”

The song “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” according to Charlie Reid, the lead singer of the Proclaimers, “is a devotional thing about how far [a person] would walk for [someone they love].” The chorus is probably the most remembered of the song, and it goes like this, “But I would walk five hundred miles and I would walk five hundred more just to be the man who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door.” How far are you willing to walk for the person and people you love?

I was thinking about this song the other day as I was contemplating the Lent and Easter Season. Jesus walked everywhere, except when he was in a boat. He walked to Nazareth to Jerusalem every year with his parents to celebrate the Passover Meal; He walked from village to village and town to town preaching the good news; He walked all over the Galilean Region healing the sick, casting out demons, restoring sight to the blind, helping the deaf hear again, giving words to the mute, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, releasing captives, blessing the poor, and telling the paralyzed to stand up and walk. He walked by wells and places of gathering to forgive sins and to eat with Pharisees, Tax Collectors, and Unbelievers; He walked throughout the land inviting people to give up everything and to “follow him”; He walked in deserts, up mountains, into deserted places, and within the peacefulness of gardens to find restoration, isolation, and hope; and He walked, while carrying his cross, to his death on Calvary. Then three days later, He walked out of the tomb!

It is extremely evident that Jesus walked. He probably walked more than 500 miles! As a matter of fact, according to Ray Downing—a 3D illustrator and animator—“The Gospels give us a detailed accounting of these walks and destinations [within a region roughly the size of the state of New Jersey] and is [estimated] that during the three years of Jesus’ public ministry he walked approximately 3,125 miles.”[3] Besides walking to share the good news and to change the hearts and lives of many people, why did Jesus walk all those miles?

For the next several weeks, leading up to Easter, we are going to attempt to answer that question by walking with Jesus, from town to town as he takes his last step on Calvary but also takes his first step out of the tomb. And hopefully, as we walk with Jesus, it will become clear to why he walked all those miles and to why he invites us to continue to walk for him on this earth. Are you willing to walk 500 miles? Are you willing to put on those boots that are made for walking? Are you willing to walk for those you love and for the One who loves you?

 

Body:

It was December 1772, in Olney England. At the age of 47, John Newton, began the writing of a hymn that would grow increasingly more popular over the next 253 years. In his song, “Amazing Grace,” Newton writes about a grace that is immense; he writes about an amazing grace, one that saved him out of his wretchedness. By looking within the hymn “Amazing Grace,” one is able to understand a little bit about Newton’s personal conversion. Although every person’s conversion story is unique, there is something about this hymn that remains relatable to Christians everywhere. Newton discusses where he was when he found God, or rather, when God found him. He was a wretch. He was lost. He was blind in sin.

Newton grew up with both his mother and father, however, his mother died while his father was away at sea. Newton’s father remarried and the couple had another child. Following in his father’s footsteps, Newton began his life’s career by searching throughout the African coast for slaves to capture and eventually to sell for profit. On one journey, Newton and his crew encountered a storm that swept some of his men overboard and left others with the likelihood of drowning. With both hands fastened onto the wheel of the boat, Newton cried out to God saying, “Lord, have mercy on us.” After eleven hours of steering, the remainder of the crew found safety with the calming of the storm. From then on, Newton dated March 21^st as a day set aside for a time of humiliation, prayer, and praise.

According to geneva.edu (which is a hymnology website sponsored by Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania), “The song ‘Amazing Grace,’ although originating in England, appeared in the colonies later accompanied with a different tune, more commonly known as ‘New British.’” Abby Forton, the author of this particular blog on geneva.edu wrote, “This song grew in popularity, but not because it was a catchy tune, but because the words that Newton wrote related to every human being who encountered the saving grace of Jesus Christ.” This song touched many people at various stages of their spiritual walks. The song “Amazing Grace” is an account of one person’s conversion story almost 253 years ago, however no matter the amount of time that has gone by, the meaning in this hymn is truth for people all over the world: God’s amazing grace sets people free, even a “wretch like me.”

For most of us, we sing this song almost every other Sunday. This hymn has become a staple for the church. It’s practically in every Christian hymnal. Most of the people that know this hymn don’t even need to read its words because they have it memorized. If you have ever worshiped or sung songs at a nursing home before, the residents could possible sing “Amazing Grace” on the spot even though they couldn’t tell you what they did the day before or even what happened a few hours before you got there. The hymn “Amazing Grace” has become so famous because every person who hears it, reads it, or sings it, can relate to it. However, do we know how amazing God’s grace is? Do you know what grace is?

Today, we find ourselves learning about a fig tree. From this fig tree, Jesus teaches us a lesson about good and evil. Specifically, he reminds us to experience grace and to extend grace whenever we can because it’s through grace that we are saved. But before we can understand the meaning of our text, we must first understand what grace is. So, what is grace?

 

Movement One: What Is “Grace”?

How many of you have heard of the word “grace”? How many of you have ever said the word “grace”? How many of you have ever prayed, “Lord, send me or give me some grace in this situation”? How many of you could define the word “grace” right here, right now? We say the word “grace” a lot as followers of Christ, and we pray for grace, but do we fully understand what grace is?

A simple Google search for “What is Grace” will provide you with several definitions. For example, grace is “simple elegance or refinement of movement” as in “She moved through the water with effortless grace.” Additionally, grace is “courteous goodwill” as in “At least he has the grace to admit his debt to her.” Furthermore, grace is viewed as something that offers “honor or credit to someone” as in “I gave him some grace because he has been so busy lately.” These are okay definitions of grace, but I don’t believe they get to the heart of what John Newton wrote about. So, let’s dig a little deeper…

From a Christian perspective grace is anything you experience as life-giving and good, which you did not and could not work to get. That includes God’s love, which is offered to us simply and abundantly without asking for anything in return. Grace also includes everything that flows from the powerful and overwhelming love for us form Christ. According to the 2016 edition of The United Methodist Book of Discipline, “We assert that God’s grace is manifest in all creation even though suffering, violence, and evil are everywhere present.”[4] Grace abounds even in times of suffering and sorrow, and has the ability to bring us closer to God and to those around us. This notion of grace is probably why theologian R.C. Sproul shares that grace is the “unmerited favor of God.”[5] We are given grace not because of what we have done but because God shows favor upon us. Grace is the ongoing, benevolent act of God working in us, without which we can do nothing (John 15:5), and which is greater than sin (Romans 5:20). As a Christian, grace is that which shows we are favored by God, loved by God, and comforted by God.

Now from a theological perspective, we turn to the theology of John Wesley. Wesley, is the founder of the movement known as Methodism, and Methodism began in England during a time of great conflict within the church, and widespread mistrust of the church’s politics and corruption within it. In the midst of all that, Wesley and a small group of friends he went to Oxford with were moved by the grace of God, and decided to try to cultivate their relationship with God outside of traditional church restrictions. They began to read the Bible together, pray with one another, visit prisons, orphans, and the sick. They developed together a faith based on personal love of and devotion to God, accompanied by a love for others and devotion to acting for greater mercy and justice in the world.

They were so moved by what they found in this new way of living that they also worked to spread it—preaching in fields, singing songs in bars, breaking rules of all kinds in order to share boldly how grace had changed their lives. They essentially brought the words of Isaiah and Luke to life. Isaiah wrote in the opening chapter of his book, “learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). Luke later wrote something similar in his Gospel, when quoting Isaiah, ““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). In a nutshell, Wesley and his Oxford friends—including his brother Charles Wesley, a great hymnist—sought to “seek out and save the lost” (Luke 19:10) by living into the grace of God.

Through these experiences, Wesley developed an idea of God’s grace as being so big, so amazing, that it spills out into three parts. First there is what he called “prevenient grace,” or what we might call “preparing grace.” Those are the graces that are in every person simply by being created: we didn’t have to do anything to receive this grace. Therefore, you have had grace your entire life. Second, there is “justifying grace.” This is the grace that is at work when God enters our life like rushing water, changing our nature and our circumstances and what we can see in the world. Justifying grace forgives our sin and restores to us God’s favor, and it’s a personal transformation that “always expresses itself as faith working by love.”[6]  Third, and finally, there is “sanctifying grace.” Sanctifying grace draws us toward the gift of Christian perfection, which Wesley described as a “heart filled with the love of God and neighbor” and as “having the mind of Christ and walking as he walked.”[7] What does all this mean? It means that grace is continuously impacting our lives so that we may reach “Christian Perfection”: that moment when our sins are forgiven, when we truly have a heart filled with love of God and neighbor, and when we have become the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.

Theologically, grace has always been with us, it lives within us today, and it is continuously pushing us toward living like Christ and loving like God. Grace is what saves us. Grace is what gives us the chance to seek forgiveness. Grace is what helps us become whole and renewed. We need grace in our life. Without grace, we are nothing but the sound of a rusty gate blowing in the wind and never again able to latch onto a firm foundation. What is grace? It’s God’s gift to each of us so that we can live according to His image as we seek forgiveness and salvation.

 

Movement Two: Analysis of the Fig Tree… a Tree of Grace

This leads us to our text for today. We have an understanding of grace, but how does it appear in our text? Let me remind you of our scripture text. Luke 13:6-9 shares, “Then [Jesus] told this parable: A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the man working the vineyard, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down.’”

What is this parable about? According to Charles R. Swindoll, “This simple story explains why a good, all-powerful God allows evil to remain…for now.”[8] However, embedded in this story is an element of grace that is often overlooked. Swindoll explains this story in a unique way, and I wish to share it with you today.

Swindoll notes, “Let’s call the vineyard owner “Justice.” In order to enjoy figs from the fig tree, Justice reserved space for a fig tree, setting a side valuable real estate, good soil that could have been used to grow more grapes, which would have given the owner greater yield and a higher income. However, the owner chooses to risk yield and income by trying something new. A fig tree, native to the Mediterranean region and unlike most fruit trees, frequently bears fruit in its first season, with full production expected by the third year of cultivation. So it’s understandable that Justice, the vineyard owner, would consider cutting down the tree after three years of nonproduction. It was the logical thing to do.”[9] And we can relate: we have things, plants, etc. that after a certain amount of time are no longer useful: they are past their prime, an upgrade needs to be purchased, it’s time for something new. So, the logical thing to do with that thing is to get rid of it and replace it with something else. By getting rid of it, we are showing justice—doing good for that thing and for us.

The story continues: “Justice said to Grace, the vineyard worker, ‘Cut down the tree.’ Grace replied to Justice, ‘Let me give it a little extra nurturing this year; if it doesn’t respond, then cut it down.’”[10] I enjoy working outside: working in the flowerbeds, mowing, doing some small landscape projects, etc. However, and Emily can attest to this, I am not one to plant flowers, or shrubs, or anything I can’t pronounce. Unless told otherwise, I am the person that tends to mow over anything and spray whatever. If it doesn’t look like a flower then, watch out! If Emily plants something and it doesn’t bloom or the leaves turn brown, I am ready to get rid of it, while she is already thinking about how to give that plant a second chance.

I’m sure in your life, you have been ready to give up on something right away: it didn’t do what you wanted it to do, it wasn’t what you thought it would be, it appeared broken and useless, it didn’t have the impact you imagined, it didn’t work out the way you had planned, and the list could go on. In life, there is never a day in which we don’t want to get rid of something. If it doesn’t meet our expectations, or align with our beliefs, or bring us joy right then and there, or do what we want it to do, we don’t even consider giving it a second chance. However, what happens if instead of giving up on that thing, we did give it a second chance—we offered grace instead of disappointment?

In March of 2021, after the funeral of my Uncle Dale, I was given a plant. Again, I am not one to keep plants a live for very long. At first I kept it in the house: it did okay, but not great. So, when it got warm, I moved it outside: it did a little better—it grew taller, the leaves became a darker green, and it expanded. When it got colder, I moved it back indoors. Today, it sits in front of a window where it gets plenty of sunlight and is in an environment that doesn’t get too hot or too cold. I have kept this plant alive for four years now because I gave it chance—because I showed it grace instead of wanting to “cut it down.”

We find it easy to “cut things down” before giving them a chance. The owner of the vineyard was ready to cut down the fig tree because it lived for three years and that was the expected production life of the tree. But the vineyard worker saw something in the fig tree that the owner didn’t see. He saw that the fig tree had the potential to produce one more harvest, to exceed the odds. The worker gave the tree a chance; he gave it grace when others wanted to get rid of it. Grace, delayed Justice to give the tree a chance which is what God does in our life. Grace gives us the chance to seek repentance so that we can continue to produce fruit for God. Even when others say we can’t, we can because God is in our life.

What Jesus is trying to help the disciples and the crowds understand from this parable is that by God’s grace, we have the opportunity to remain alive. By God’s grace, we have the mental capacity to come to terms with what we are hearing and doing. By God’s grace, we can turn from sin—the wanting of cutting things down—and turn toward Christ—the one who can help us produce good fruit. By God’s grace, we are given time to renew our faith, grow our faith, and deploy our faith. By God’s grace, we have what is needed to make it through the storm. By God’s grace, our messes become messages, our trials become triumphs, and our fearfulness becomes faithfulness. By God’s grace, we find hope, salvation, and the love of Christ. By God’s grace, we have what it takes to build a life upon the rock. By God’s grace, we become the caregivers of all the fig trees that are in line of being cut down. By God’s grace, we have been given something amazing, a gift of salvation that can change our life and the church.

The Bible repeatedly calls grace a “gift.” Ephesians 2:8 states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” And Ephesians 4:7 asserts, “But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” This is an important analogy because it teaches us some key things about grace. First, anyone who has ever received a gift understands that a gift is much different from a loan, which requires repayment or return by the recipient. The fact that grace is a gift means that nothing is owed in return. God does not want our grace back: He gave it to us because He knew we would need it.

Second, there is no cost to the person who receives a gift. A gift is free to the recipient, although it is not free to the giver, who bears the expense. The gift of salvation costs us sinners nothing. But the price of such an extravagant gift came at a great cost for our Lord Jesus, who died in our place. Grace is free for us because Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice. Third, once a gift has been given, ownership of the gift has transferred and it is now ours to keep. There is permanence in a gift that does not exist with loans or advances. When a gift changes hands, the giver permanently relinquishes all rights. God’s grace is ours forever. God’s grace is ours to keep.

Fourth, in the giving of a gift, the giver voluntarily forfeits something they own, willingly losing what belongs to them so that the recipient will profit from it. The giver becomes poorer so the recipient can become richer. This generous and voluntary exchange from the giver to the recipient is visible in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Grace has made you rich, rich in faith. Finally, the Bible teaches that grace is completely unmerited. The gift and the act of giving have nothing at all to do with our merit or innate quality (Romans 4:4; 11:5–6; 2 Timothy 1:9–10). In fact, the Bible says quite clearly that we don’t deserve God’s salvation. Romans 5:8–10 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. . . . While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son.”

Grace does not stop once we are saved; God is gracious to us for the rest of our lives, working within and upon us. The Bible encourages us with many additional benefits that grace secures for every believer: Grace justifies us before a holy God (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:6; Titus 3:7); Grace provides us access to God to communicate and fellowship with Him (Ephesians 1:6; Hebrews 4:16); Grace wins for us a new relationship of intimacy with God (Exodus 33:17); Grace disciplines and trains us to live in a way that honors God (Titus 2:11–14; 2 Corinthians 8:7); Grace grants us immeasurable spiritual riches (Proverbs 10:22; Ephesians 2:7); Grace helps us in our every need (Hebrews 4:16); Grace is the reason behind our every deliverance (Psalm 44:3–8; Hebrews 4:16); and Grace preserves us and comforts, encourages, and strengthens us (2 Corinthians 13:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17; 2 Timothy 2:1). Grace is more than just a gift: it is a way of life.

Grace is actively and continually working in the lives of God’s people. Paul credited the success of his ministry not to his own substantial labors but to “the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Grace is the ongoing, benevolent act of God working in us, without which we can do nothing (John 15:5). Grace is greater than our sin (Romans 5:20), more abundant than we expect (1 Timothy 1:14), and too wonderful for words (2 Corinthians 9:15). As the recipients of God’s grace, Christians are to be gracious to others. Grace is given to us to serve others and to exercise our spiritual gifts for the building up of the church (Romans 12:6; Ephesians 3:2, 7; 4:7; 1 Peter 4:10) and the kingdom of God.[11]

Church, friends, you have been given the gift of a lifetime and you didn’t have to do anything to receive it. God has given you the gift of grace; and from this gift you are given the chance every day to live a new life, to seek salvation, to ask for forgiveness, to knock on the door of Christ’s heart, to be renewed and made new, to see your life through a different lens, to find ways to bear more spiritual fruit, and to continue to be the church that God needs all of us to be. God knew we were going to need something that would remind us that He will never forsake us or give up on us. God gave us something that allows us to have a second or third or fourth or millionth chance to live like Jesus Christ. Don’t cut it down, but continue to live into the grace of God.

 

Movement Three: By God’s Grace… Grace Will Win…

When you live into the grace of God, your life will be changed. You will realize that with grace sin doesn’t have the last word. Grace is just the beginning to victory! In a song released in 2015 by Christian artist Matthew West, we are reminded of grace victorious. He sang in the chorus to his song: “For the Prodigal Son, grace wins. For the woman at the well, grace wins. For the blind men and the beggar, grace wins. For always and forever, grace wins. For the lost out on the street, grace wins. For the worst part of you and me, grace wins. For the thief on the cross, grace wins. For a world that is lost, [grace wins].”[12]

For you, who may be hurting, grace wins. For you, who may be in pain and suffering and tired, grace wins. For you, who are battling some sort of storm, grace wins. For you, who are doubting, stressing, and worried, grace wins. For you, who are crying out for help, grace wins. For you, who are longing for a better relationship with Christ, grace wins. For you, who realize that your life is changing, grace wins. For you, who are mourning and grieving, grace wins. For you, who feel like being cut down is the best option, grace wins. For you, who don’t know which direction to go, grace wins. For you, who can’t keep plants alive, grace wins. For you, who feel as if life is against you, grace wins. For you, who know life is overwhelming, grace wins. For you, who are struggling, grace wins. For you, who see the light, grace wins. For you, who feel blessed, grace wins. Grace wins, Grace wins, Grace wins! When you realize that grace wins, your life will be changed and you will be able to do wonderful things. But you got to live into the God’s grace.

When commissioning the seventy to go share the good news to places that need to hear it, Jesus, in Luke 10, shares a list of grace-filled endeavors. Jesus says, “the harvest is great”: by grace we do the work knowing how big the job is. “The laborers are few”: by grace we do the work knowing that we have a key job. “Pray to the Lord of the harvest”: by grace we do the work with a lot of prayer. “Go your way”: by grace we are to actually go and do the work. “Like lambs among wolves”: by grace we do the work making ourselves vulnerable, letting God be our strength. “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me”: by grace we do the work remembering whom we represent. “The seventy returned with joy”: by grace we do the work expecting God to do more than we expect. And “Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit”: by grace we do the work knowing that Jesus has so much joy when we do His work.[13]

When we allow grace to win in our lives, we not only become better ourselves, but we become better at what Jesus needs us to do. If you want to grow your faith, then lean into God’s grace. If you want to have the strength to make it through the day, lean into God’s grace. If you have dreams, ideas, and visions for the church, lean into God’s grace. Let God’s grace change you and the church. If we don’t use the gift that God so freely gave us to help us seek repentance and salvation and to have a new life, then what is the point of accepting the gift of grace? God gave you His gift of grace, His unmerited gift of grace, so don’t waste it: use grace today and always.

 

Conclusion:                                                                                                   

To bring this message to a close, from a Google, theological, and Wesleyan perspective, grace is not just something we seek to define but rather is something that we choose to live out. Grace has been given to us by God as an unmerited gift that leads to repentance and salvation through our faith. Grace doesn’t encourage us to cut things down, but to give things a second chance. Grace motivates us to do the work of Christ while we are on this earth. Grace is powerful enough to conquer sin and grant us victory. And, above of all, as John Newton passionately expressed, grace is amazing because it can save a “wretch like me.”

God has given us grace because He knows we need it in our life. As we get closer to the death and resurrection of Christ, don’t forget about the grace that hung on the cross and walked out of the tomb. Many people wanted to “cut that grace down”, but nothing can cut down the grace that changes and saves lives, that conquers death and removes sins.  And that very grace lives inside of you! Grace wins, because Jesus wins! Be the fig tree that defies the odds and keeps spiritually producing for Christ, because that’s what grace would do. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…”

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Let us pray: Dear Jesus, we have received the gift of grace in our life. Help us to use this grace in ways that reflect your will for us and for your people. May this grace lead to our victory in you. In your precious name we pray, Amen.

 

Communion Liturgy:

 

Benediction: Repeat after me, “I Have Grace…”

Grace wins, Grace wins, Grace wins! Grace is certainly amazing! Let the free gift of grace change you, save you, and grant you a second chance at what Jesus is calling you to do. And remember to tell yourself, that you have grace!  May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth walking with Jesus to a new resurrection. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Gonna_Be_(500_Miles)

[2] “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” has become a live staple at the Proclaimers’ concerts. The duo played it at Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push at Murrayfield Stadium on 6 July 2005, the final concert of Live 8, to symbolize the conclusion of “The Long Walk to Justice”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Gonna_Be_(500_Miles)

[3] Ray Downing, “How Far Did Jesus Walk”, an online blog post published on February 21, 2023: https://www.raydowning.com/blog/2023/2/20/how-far-did-jesus-walk#:~:text=His%20journey%20was%20not%20a,he%20walked%20approximately%203%2C125%20miles.

[4] The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2016, The United Methodist Publishing House: Nashville, Tennessee, pg. 52, paragraph 102. “The goodness of creation is fulfilled in human beings, who are called to covenant partnership with God.”

[5] R.C. Sproul, “What is Grace?”, from the website Ligonier, published  November 18, 2021: https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/what-grace

[6] The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2016, The United Methodist Publishing House: Nashville, Tennessee, pg. 52, paragraph 102.

[7] The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2016, The United Methodist Publishing House: Nashville, Tennessee, pg. 53, paragraph 102.

[8] Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012, pg. 352.

[9] Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012, pg. 352.

[10] Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012, pg. 352.

[11] https://www.gotquestions.org/definition-of-grace.html

[12] Source: Musixmatch; Songwriters: Matthew West / Jeffrey Thomas Pardo / Anne Wilson; Grace Wins lyrics © Meaux Mercy Publishing, Atlas Holdings, Highly Combustible Music, House Of Story Music Publishing, Capitol Cmg Paragon, One77 Songs, Get Ur Seek On, Anthem Highly Combustible Music, Brenthood Music, Jacobs Story Music

[13] Carry neither: We do the work without reliance upon anything except the gospel and power of God.

Greet no one: We do the work not allowing social obligations to hinder our work.

Whatever house you enter: We do the work expecting that God will bring help and provision.

Eating and drinking such things as they give: We do the work not being hung up on minor points.

Heal the sick: We do the work looking to minister to the whole person with the power of God.

Say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you”: We do the work preaching that the King and His kingdom are here.

But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets: As we do the work, we don’t waste our time on those who are rejecting the gospel.