The Kingdom of God among us - The Covenant Wrist Grip

 

January 11, 2026

Stetson Memorial UMC

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 17:20-21

 

<Finding God in the middle of our Pain>

Dear family in Christ, over the past few weeks, we have been surrounded by news of sickness and struggle. Some of our members have suffered falls and are recovering from hip surgeries; others are anxiously awaiting test results or battling chronic pain. Many of us have been hit by COVID, the flu, or severe colds. I personally missed being with you last week due to COVID, and I want to extend a special thanks to Sara and Ted for leading our service in my absence. Beyond our physical health, our hearts are heavy with news from our families, our town, and a world that feels increasingly broken. We are aching, anxious, and vulnerable. There is deep pain among us.

However, I have also seen that God is among us. I felt His presence clearly this past Thursday during our meeting with local pastors and town leadership. Together, our four churches are stepping up to host lunch gatherings for fire victims and their supporters, caring for both their mental and spiritual health. Even though our loss is great, the love of God—expressed through His people—is greater still. Today, we invite God’s presence into our painful world once again.

 

<A Tale of Two Agreements>

Have you ever seen the movie The Proposal? It’s a classic romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock. She plays a cold, high-powered editor who, to avoid deportation, forces her assistant into a "contract marriage." It starts as a cold, legal business deal. However, as the story unfolds, they truly fall in love, and that rigid contract transforms into a genuine, life-long marriage.

I confess, even though the endings are often predictable, I love this kind of romantic comedy! Sometimes I even search for these movies to watch with my daughter. Why do these stories resonate with us? Because they touch on a deep spiritual truth: the difference between a Contract and a Covenant. As we begin 2026 and dive into our series on the Kingdom of God, we must ask: What kind of relationship do we have with God? Is it a business deal or a sacred bond?

 

< Contract: The Handshake of Distrust>

On the surface, contracts and covenants look similar. Both involve two parties, a set of promises, and a shared goal. But underneath, they are worlds apart. Think of a Contract. A contract is built on mutual distrust. We sign legal documents because we don’t fully trust the other person to keep their word. It is a business relationship based on "if" and "then." "If you do this, then I will do that." "If you give me this much, I will give you that much." In a contract, love is conditional. It is a legal tether used to manage anxiety. If the agreement is broken, there is a penalty. There is a "fine" to pay. There are clear, cold consequences.

Imagine the "handshape" of a contract. It’s like a standard handshake—palm to palm. We stand as equals, but we are also cautious. We watch the other person's eyes, wondering if they will let go. Because the grip is shallow, it is easily broken when the first sign of trouble appears.

 

<Covenant: The Wrist-Grip of Grace>

Now, let us look at a Covenant. A covenant is built on complete responsibility and total trust. It is not conditional; it is a "Hessed" love—a steadfast, sacrificial love. A covenant says: “Regardless of what you do, I have committed myself to you."

This is not a legal protection; it is a relational commitment. It says, "I am wholly yours, and you are wholly mine." Unlike a contract, a covenant is sustained by the Faithful Giver. We see this in marriage and adoption.

In a marriage, even if one person falters, the relationship can be restored if there is forgiveness and a commitment to the bond. In adoption, a parent promises to take a child as their own. Even if that child wanders, rebels, or causes heartbreak, the legal and spiritual status of "family" never changes.

Imagine the "handshape" of a covenant. It is not a palm-to-palm handshake. In ancient times, a covenant was often symbolized by grasping each other’s wrists. Why the wrist? Because even if one person becomes weak and loses their grip, the other person is still holding on to the wrist. The relationship is maintained not by the strength of the weak, but by the faithfulness of the strong.

 

< The Jeremiah Promise: The New Covenant >

In the book of Jeremiah, God speaks about this shift. For centuries, during the time of the Old Covenant, the relationship felt like a contract to the people. God gave the Law through Moses on tablets of stone. He taught them what it meant to be set apart. But for a thousand years, humanity treated God like a business partner. They broke the "rules," suffered the consequences, cried for help, were forgiven, and then broke the rules again. It was a cycle of "breaking the handshake."

So, God says through Jeremiah: "I will make a New Covenant... I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts."(Jeremiah 31:31-34)

How do you win a heart? Not through a legal contract, but through Perfect Love. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our broken contracts. Through the blood of Jesus, a New Covenant was signed—not on stone, but on our hearts.

 

<The Kingdom of God among us>

When the Pharisees, who only understood the "Contract" of the Law, asked Jesus where the Kingdom of God was, He gave a startling answer: "The Kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed... for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you (within you)." (Luke 17:20-21).

Jesus was telling them that the Kingdom isn't just a place you go when you die. It is a reality you enter now by grasping the wrist of the Savior. Think of it like the wedding cake: The Kingdom of God is the whole cake, but here on earth, through Jesus, we get to reach out and taste a bit of the frosting. We get a "preview" of the joy that is to come. The Kingdom of God is not just a destination we reach after we die; it is God’s sovereign rule active here and now. It is where He reigns as King and lives among His people.

 

<From Contract to Covenant>

Many of us grew up with the simple slogan: “Believe in Jesus, go to heaven; reject Him, go to hell.” While true, it is incomplete. Faith built only on fear stops at the doorway of heaven; it never walks the road of discipleship.

God didn't create heaven just as an escape route from hell. From Eden, His deepest desire has been fellowship—to live and walk with us. Through Jesus, God opened the way not just for a future home, but for a transformed life today.

In a covenant, our relationship is secure because God’s love is unconditional. But while grace is free, it is never passive. We are saved by grace to grow in grace. When we stop praying or serving, we don't lose God’s love, but we do stop living fully in His Kingdom. Jesus didn’t just say, “Believe.” He said, “Follow me.”

As I prayed for our church’s direction in 2026, I was moved by this reality. That is why our theme is Luke 17:21: "The Kingdom of God among us." To experience this Kingdom, we must move beyond a "business contract" with God and embrace a Covenant.

We hold God’s covenantal hand through daily Scripture and prayer. We hold each other’s hands through small groups and service. And we extend that hand to the world through evangelism. I am so encouraged that many of you have already started this journey—some committing to 5 minutes of the New Testament daily, others to 15 minutes to read the whole Bible, and new faces joining our Thursday Bible Study. This is how we fulfill our mission to

"Be the disciples! Make the Disciples”

I ask you today to mark your commitment on the survey sheets. Our leadership and prayer teams will use these to intercede for you and cheer you on. There will be days when this journey feels heavy. You may feel God has let go, or you may feel hurt by others and want to let go of them. But remember the covenant grip: even when our strength fails and our hands slip, God does not hold us by the palm—He holds us by the wrist. His grip is based on His infinite love, not our perfect performance.

John Wesley began every year with the Covenant Prayer, reaffirming that God is Master and we are His people. Today, we do the same. After a moment of silence, as we pray, may you feel God grasping your wrist, and may we in turn grasp the wrists of one another in a sacred, unbreakable bond. Amen.

The Wesley Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,

Exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.  So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

Let it be ratified in heaven.  Amen.