June 28, 2026 - “Even a Cup of Cold Water”

June 28, 2026-OVUMC 10:30 Spirited Traditional Worship

Pastor Justin Wells

The Scriptures are Matthew 10:40-42.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Topics. The nurture team sponsored a chili cook-off and game days. Ocean View has an ever-growing presence at the Oak Island Farmers Market every Monday during the summer. And again, my sincere thank you to representing the finance team for your continued support of the ovation of the ovation. Sorry, that was a product from my previous career. Of Ocean View United Methodist Church. And Sandy Kore, at least in the 830 service last Sunday, said it is an honor serving Jesus. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

And uh let's thank Teresa for a very uh excellent job. And not an easy job, but one we're grateful for her to do. Thank you. Um at this time, um, if you will, please, we will join together in our morning prayer. If you will, let us go to God in prayer. Join me now as we turn to God. Good morning, God. We adore you, O Lord. We lay our lives before you. We honor your majesty and lift up shouts of hallelujah to your holy name. We come to you this morning as people who have strayed from the path you have set before us. We have allowed our own selfish desires to interfere in our service to others. We've not always been kind. Forgive us, O Lord, when we are quick to judge, quick to assume, and quick to anger. Forgive us, O Lord, when we have used our words to hurt, to put down, or disrespect another. Forgive us, Lord, when we have been disrespectful of you and all that you have provided for us. We are so undeserving of your mercy and grace, and so very grateful that you offer it to us really in any case. Lord, help us to remember that this is your world and that if we will stop and listen, we will hear all nature sing and around us ring the music of the spheres, of rocks and trees, of skies and the beautiful sea your hands have brought to us. Help us to remember, Lord, that even though the wrong seems to be winning and very strong, you, O God, and only you are the sovereign ruler yet. You are the Lord the King. Let the heavens ring, let the earth be glad. Lord, we lift our hearts in gratitude for your love, mercy, and countless blessings. Guide our thoughts, words, and actions today. Help us to trust you with every step as we prepare for the week ahead. Bless our families, our friends, and all those who are in need today. Bring healing to the sick, comfort to those who are mourning, and hope and hope to the discouraged. And Lord, as we your people, we now lift up aloud the prayers that we have come into this place today on our hearts and minds. Hear our prayers, Lord. We know you need know the need, Lord, before we even voice them. But please be in and and work with and wrap your loving arms around all those that have been lifted loud. And now, Heavenly Father, we pray together the prayer. Your Son, Jesus, our Savior and Friend, taught us to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. At this time, uh, it is the time in our worship in which we receive our morning gifts and tithes. So if the ushers will please come forward, you can't do that. And Lord, we thank you for these gifts that have been given cheerfully this morning. We ask that you bless them and help us to find the way that you would have us to use them for the good of this community and this world. In thy precious name we pray. Amen. And if you will remain standing, we will continue now with our hymn, O Master, let me walk with thee. Hear these words. Whoever welcomes you welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. And whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous. And whoever gives even a cup of cold water, sounds good, doesn't it? To one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

SPEAKER_03 13:05

I don't wake the love of Jesus.

unknown 15:44

I will play in the lumber. I don't play in the love.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

I don't play in the blood of she'll cold water after that one. Let us pray. Open our hearts to the story of your love. Open our minds to the new ways of knowing you and open our doors to all know you. And may the words of your servant's mouth and the meditation of our heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our rock and everything. Amen. So a cup of cold water does not sound like much. It doesn't sound very impressive. It doesn't sound very dramatic. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing that would change the world. But nobody puts, gave someone a cup of cold water on their resume. Nobody starts a capital campaign around it. Nobody forms a committee and says, friends, after months of prayerful discernment, we believe the Lord is calling us to hydrate people. Although, to be fair, the church has formed committees for less. A cup of cold water is just simple. It's ordinary. It's easy to overlook. And Jesus says, even that matters. See, Matthew 10 is a sending chapter. Jesus is gathering his disciples and is sending them out into the world. Jesus gives them authority. Jesus gives them a mission. Jesus tells them to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. Very strong sounding. See, they're not going with wealth or status or control or even guaranteed approval. Because they are ordinary people carrying the message of an extraordinary God. Jesus sends ordinary people into ordinary places. He also sends them in a way that makes them dependent. See, they must give hospitality, but they must also receive it. See, they have to accept welcome, they have to trust the kindness of others. Mission is also about how we meet people, how we receive people. The disciples don't go out as heroes. They go out as witnesses. They carry the kingdom because Jesus has sent them. Because most of us don't feel impressive all the time. Some days we wonder what difference. And then Jesus points to something as ordinary as a short. Whoever welcomes you, welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. That's a big claim. Jesus ties the way people receive his disciples to the way they receive him. So to welcome Jesus is to welcome the Father, the One, the God who sent Him. So welcome is not just politeness. It is not just smiling at the door, being nice in the pew. Although these things are matter, and these things are nice to do. But welcome. Welcome is very spiritual because welcome reveals what we believe about God. We often can treat welcome like one of those soft skills of church life. Helpful, but not holy. But Jesus does not treat welcome as a side issue. That means the way we receive people matters. The way we receive the stranger, the child, the tire. Parent, the one hurt by the church, and the one unsure if there is a place for them. Because Jesus identifies himself with the vulnerable, with the overlooked, with the hungry, the stranger, and the least of these. This past week, Jana and I spent a week long time with a bunch of sixth through twelfth graders. Close to a little over 200 of them. Those who just graduated their first year of middle school. And those who just graduated high school and are looking to their future. Whether that means going to school or taking some time off and getting a job and then going back. See, they are the church. We are the church, they are the church, and their children are the future of the church. They're the ones who invite their friends to Sunday school, to youth group, to come to church on Sunday morning and sit with them in the pews. In the past week, since last Sunday, I have attended nine worship services. We worshiped all week. We praised God through song. We learned during this week what it is to have living worship. That means we don't just sit in the pew on Sunday mornings. We had a sign language group that got up and signed songs for us. We had a knitting group who knitted squares for our heavenly crafter group. Knitted squares and made this beautiful little item and then gave it to our residing preacher that we just wonderful little things and gifts. We had drama, we had praise band. There's just so much to do that is part of worship. We met in small groups of 12 to 14 children. And in my small group, I had a sixth grader. First year there, worse ADHD that I have seen in a long time. The boy couldn't sit still. But it was okay. The group, some of us were getting a little annoyed, but the others were just like, let him do it. It's keeping him fairly quiet. It's letting him get his energy out. Because literally, in the middle of talking about worship and this Bible scriptures that day, he's doing flips in the middle of the floor. But he was listening. He was paying attention because he would answer the questions. One day he just started spinning until he couldn't stand up no more and fell to the floor. And just laid there. But still answered questions. One day he grabbed several different stursts and made a hot dog. Made just a little bitty hot dog. Made the bun, made the hot dog, and put a little piece of mustard on top. I mean, detailed. But he listened. And we all listen in different ways, right? You'll see me some days when I'm not up here preaching, and if you don't catch me up there, I'm usually in this corner right over here, hiding. Because I like to hide in the corner, as Janna says. It's my safe spot. But at 8 o'clock, that's where I sit with my computer and my iPad, and I'm watching the technical side of the services that's streaming out, trying to catch anybody who says hello and try to say hello back, or if they have a prayer request, make sure that that gets lifted up during our prayer time. But I still sit over there and listen to the service. I sing. I sing, I read the liturgies, I listen to the message of Pastor Sang, all while I'm doing something. And sometimes we have to do that. Now, for some, those kinds of things are a distraction. And I understand that. Some of us have to sit still to be able to pay attention. But those like me, whose brain sometimes just wants to run 90 miles an hour, you gotta have something to do with your hands. Or something to quiet the mind so you can hear what's going on. Something else I also like about how this church worships is there was intentionality when this space was made. If you look in the middle of the sanctuary, we have two short pews. And then right across from those, we have a pew that doesn't have a side piece to it. That's for our people who can't necessarily get in and out easy or need a wheelchair or are using some kind of walking device. It gives them an easy place to sit. That was intentional when this space was made of looking to welcome those who need that. Because all too often I've seen the handicapped spaces be directly up front, which is really uncomfortable, or directly in the back, because that's the easiest place to put them. But when you welcome those who are different, those who need these assistance, and you put them right in the middle of your sanctuary, you are including them in the worship. You're making sure that they feel welcome, that they don't feel like they're on the edges. But that's just a little thing that was done when this sanctuary was built. That makes a big difference to so many people. So when we are talking about welcome, we are not talking about church marketing, the having the billboards and the signs and all of that stuff. We're talking about discipleship. The church welcomes because Christ welcomed us. The church welcomes because every person bears the image of God. The church welcomes because Jesus keeps showing up in people we did not expect. I mean, even access up here is accessible because we have a ramp to walk up. So that people can get to this table, can get to the choir, can get into this space that all too often is seen as a no-go-zone. This is the holy space that everyone is welcome in. This table is not our table. This is God's table. Who, by the way, has a beautiful dressing this morning, if you have not seen it. Come take a closer look after the service. It means welcome cannot be reduced to just a slogan. We love to have our little slogans, but that's not the full welcome. Welcome has to be a practice. Now we all know that things look really easy when they're on paper, when they're in theory, right? You know, we can say, hey, this is going to be easy to do, and then we get into that process and we go, oh, this isn't as easy as it looked. Welcome is easy in theory, but it is harder in flesh and blood. Especially when people interrupt our routine or remind us that God's kingdom is bigger than the circle that we have drawn. But that is exactly where Jesus meets us. Jesus says, when whoever welcomes you welcomes me. Jesus did not say whoever tolerates you. Jesus didn't say, not whoever lets you stand near the edge as long as you behave. Janet would tell you, I don't behave all the time. Come the choir and you'll see. No, Jesus welcomes. And to welcome someone is to make room. To welcome someone is to receive them with dignity. To welcome someone is to say, by our words and actions, you are not invisible. The theme for breakaway this year is You Have a Friend in Me, which is from Toy Story from Disney. And what a great concept. See, Clay, our pastor in residence, who is, by the way, the pastor down at Camp UMC in Shalot, talked about how the table is bigger than we can imagine. And that there always is a space, a chair open for one more. How do we grasp that concept? How do we imagine a table so large that there is always space for more? That is always abundantly filled for someone to receive. We live in a world where people are known by labels before they are known by names. And Jesus sends a church, not the building church, because we are the church. He sends the church that practices Christ-shaped welcome. And that is why something as simple as a cup of cold water matters. Because the cup is not just water, it is welcome made visible. Because Jesus chooses this ordinary image. He doesn't choose a grand miracle, not a sermon, not a large gift, not a public act that would draw attention. Just a cup of cold water that is handed to someone who needs it. That is the beauty of this image. It's simple, it's practical. And something almost anyone can do. You just have to notice that someone is thirsty. And that may be where mercy begins, because mercy begins when we notice people. It begins when we see the person right in front of us. It begins when we pay attention long enough to recognize a need. It begins when we refuse to walk past another person's weariness as if it has nothing to do with us. A cup of cold water is not complicated, but it is personal. It is very, very personal. Because to offer someone water, you have to come close enough to see them. See, I couldn't offer a cup of cold water to anybody in here from this spot. Because I don't have rubber arms. My arms don't grow in length. No, I have to get close enough to touch you. To feel your presence in my space. You have to recognize that the person is not a problem to avoid or a burden to manage, that they are a person to love. And Jesus says that matters. We often measure faithfulness by size because apparently, apparently, we are determined to turn the kingdom of God into a spreadsheet. Nothing against spreadsheets, nothing against those who love numbers and love to manipulate those numbers. And thank God for Teresa because she is a blessing to have because she can do it so well. And then she can report like she did this morning. We can see where the numbers add up. We can see how much money we spend in certain areas, but I hope you focused on the pictures. Because that's where Jesus was showing up. The blessings in the pictures that were behind the numbers. Jesus reminds us that God sees what can't always be counted. That's only part of our story. Because God sees the quiet visit, the phone call, the meal delivery, the prayer whispered over a hospital bed, and the one who listens without rushing to fix everything. God sees the small mercy, and in the kingdom of God, small mercy is never small. The book of Romans helps us go a little bit deeper because Matthew Jesus gives us this image. And in Romans, Paul helps us see the kind of life that makes mercy possible. Paul writes, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life. Paul is talking about lordship and asking, what rules you? What rules you? Paul says sin does not get to rule anymore. Fear, selfishness, bitterness, and the need to protect our own comfort at all costs do not get to rule anymore. Because we belong to God. And because we belong to God, our lives are offered differently. Paul says we are to present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness. Instruments. It means our lives are not neutral. Our words, our hands, our time, our habits, and our attention are always being offered somewhere. See, we can offer words to complaint and division, or we can offer words to encourage and to peace. We can offer our very hands to grasping and pushing away, or to serving and welcoming. That is what grace changes. Grace does not only forgive us, grace frees us. It frees us from the old masters that keep us turned inward. Grace frees us from indifference, frees us from the voice that says, That is not my problem. Grace frees us to love. That is the core of Wesleyanism. That is the core of Methodism. Grace is more than a pardon. Grace is power. Grace forgives us, heals us, changes us, and forms us in holy love. So when Paul says present yourselves to God, he is talking about a whole life offering. Our bodies, our choices, our relationships, our habits, our schedules, and small mercies. All of it can become an offering to God, and that is where Matthew and Romans meet. Jesus says a cup of cold water matters. Paul says your life has become an instrument of righteousness. So the cup is not just an act of kindness, it's a sign of life being offered to God. It's a sign that grace is doing something in us. It is a sign that we are not ruled by indifference, fear, or the need to look away. So maybe the question is not only who needs a cup of cold water. Maybe the question is also what am I offering my life to? If we are offering ourselves to fear, we will withhold mercy. If we're offering ourselves to comfort, we will avoid sacrifice. If we are offering ourselves to resentment, we will close the door. But if we are offering ourselves to God, then even our smallest acts can become signs of the kingdom. I always hate it when a pastor says, let's bring the sermon to a close and then 15 minutes later he's done. But let me wrap it up. The church is not a place where people come to receive comfort. The church is a people sent to become comfort. The church is not a place where people come to hear about mercy. The church is a people sent to practice mercy. The church is not just a place where people come to be welcome. The church is a people sent to become welcome in the world. This does not mean we can fix everything. We cannot heal every wound. We cannot answer every question, solve every crisis, or even carry every burden. We already have a Savior that does that. And his name is Jesus. So our calling is not to save the world. Our calling is to be faithful in the world that Jesus loves. Jesus doesn't say whoever solves every problem will not lose their reward. No, he says even a cup of cold water given in his name matters. So maybe faithfulness is closer than we think. Maybe it begins with the visitor who wonders where to sit. We know about that, right? Visitor comes in, sits in your spot, and you're like, where do I sit now? You feel awkward. It's like, where do I go? Where do I go? Where do I go? Maybe it's the child who needs to know church. It's the place where they are loved. That the grieving person who needs present, that the hungry neighbor comes. It's the place for the exhausted caregiver. It's even the place for the one hurt by the church and is brave enough. Brave enough to try again. The cup of cold water is not only about water, it's about mercy made visible. It is about grace becoming practical. It is about love taking shape in ordinary hands. And that is something every disciple can do. We can notice.

SPEAKER_03 46:37

You guys can sing outhing great home that seemed the rest like I was lost, but no one was not but now I see that told my heart to be a little bit more than a lot of the same thing. We'll be forever, we'll be forever. You are forever.

SPEAKER_01 50:14

Now become welcomed for someone else. You have been free by grace. Now offer your life as an instrument of mercy. You have received the love of God. Now carry that love into a thirsty world. Go offer what you have. Even a cup of cold water can be holy. And may the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house. Amen.