Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Worship (June 21, 2026)

Jesus calls his disciples into a faith that is not always comfortable, not always quiet, and not built around protecting a safe little corner. The picture of welcome starts with a couch at grandma’s house, a clean home, the best food, the best drinks, and, for Lutherans especially, coffee that almost feels like the third sacrament. Hospitality becomes more than being nice; hospitality becomes a little bit of heaven in a cold and weary place.

The coffee maker at Metagoshi shows what sacrificial welcome can look like. The argument over spending real money on the best coffee turns into a picture of grace prevailing. The best cup offered to every person walking through the door becomes a small but real sign that Jesus calls his people to put the best foot forward, even when it costs something.

Jesus speaks to disciples who have real reasons to be afraid. The disciples know rejection, ridicule, opposition, locked rooms, and the shadow of the cross. Jesus does not pretend those things are not real. Jesus says, again and again, “Do not be afraid,” because God knows his people completely, even down to the hairs on their heads, and God has not left them.

Faith is not just private. Faith is personal, yes, but faith is also an invitation into relationship. The gospel is living and breathing, moving outward, calling the church to love, serve, tell people a little bit about the God it knows, stand with the vulnerable, speak truth with compassion, and welcome the excluded with something as simple and holy as a fresh cup of coffee.

The sword Jesus names is not permission for violence. The sword is the disruption that happens when God’s kingdom runs against the values of the world. The gospel moves people away from prejudice, injustice, selfishness, and systems that harm others. That kind of truth can rock the boat, because true peace is not the false peace that ignores suffering.

The cross is not every inconvenience. The cross is the cost of faithful discipleship, the sacrifice that comes when love requires forgiveness, advocacy, service, and faithfulness under misunderstanding. The church does not carry the cross to earn God’s love. The church carries the cross because grace comes first, discipleship follows, and the world still needs a little bit of hope, sometimes in a seed, sometimes in a cup of coffee.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Hospitality costs more than comfort The best cup of coffee becomes a small picture of costly welcome. Hospitality is not just opening a door when everything is easy, clean, and convenient. Jesus calls his people to offer care that carries weight, even when grace has to win a battle over fear, money, or control. [26:45]
• 2. Fear meets God’s complete knowing Jesus does not shame the disciples for being afraid. Jesus names fear honestly, then places that fear under the promise that God knows them fully and has not left them. Courage does not come from pretending danger is small; courage comes from belonging securely to God before any conflict begins. [30:48]
• 3. Faith moves outward in love Faith is personal, but it is never merely private. The gospel keeps moving outward, into speech, service, welcome, justice, and care for the vulnerable. A cross worn on Sunday means little if the life beneath it refuses to become good news for a hurting neighbor. [33:35]
• 4. The cross follows grace first The cross is not random annoyance or everyday inconvenience. The cross is the real cost that love bears for neighbors, especially when forgiveness, advocacy, and service would be easier to avoid. God’s love is not earned by carrying the cross; the cross is carried because God’s love has already been given.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [24:21] - Grandma’s Couch And Real Welcome
• [25:04] - Metagoshi And The Best Coffee
• [26:45] - Grace Prevails Over The Coffee Maker
• [28:11] - Jesus Prepares Uncomfortable Disciples
• [29:48] - Do Not Be Afraid
• [31:37] - Faith As Trust In God’s Grace
• [33:06] - Faith Is More Than Private
• [34:31] - Loving The Vulnerable Out Loud
• [36:09] - The Sword Is Not Violence
• [37:39] - Costly Discipleship And Bonhoeffer
• [38:44] - Taking Up The Cross
• [40:34] - Grace Comes First, Discipleship Follows
• [41:35] - Coffee, Seeds, And Hope

1. In Matthew 10:26-31, Jesus repeats “do not be afraid” three times. What specific reasons does He give to counter fear?
2. The sermon described a costly coffee maker as a symbol of hospitality. How does this example connect to Jesus’ teaching about sacrificial welcome? [26:45]
3. What does Jesus mean by saying He came to bring a “sword” (v. 34), and how does the sermon clarify this metaphor? [36:09]

1. Why might Jesus link acknowledging Him publicly (v. 32-33) to the idea of costly discipleship (e.g., division in families, taking up the cross)?
2. The sermon says, “Hospitality costs more than comfort.” How does offering “the best coffee” reflect the gospel’s call to prioritize others over convenience or control? [26:45]
3. Jesus says God knows even the hairs on our heads (v. 30). How does this truth dismantle fear of rejection or failure in living out faith outwardly?

1. When have you experienced or witnessed a “costly welcome” (like the coffee maker example) that required sacrifice? What made it meaningful? [26:45]
2. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid” because God knows you completely. Where do you most need to trust His care instead of fearing others’ opinions or outcomes?
3. The cross is described as “the cost of faithful discipleship.” What forgiveness, advocacy, or service feels costly to you right now? How could you lean on grace to step into it? [40:11]
4. Think of a relationship or situation where living out your faith might “rock the boat.” What small, tangible step could you take to speak truth or show love there?
5. The sermon says faith is “an invitation into relationship.” Who in your life needs to hear “a little bit about the God you know,” and how could you start that conversation? [33:35]