sunday august 23, 2026

Fruitland United Methodist Church
August 23, 2026

*(Please stand if you are comfortably able.)

Prelude: “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” by John Hughes

Welcoming the Light of Christ and inviting the neighborhood to worship.
Welcome and Announcements Leona & Jorge

Call to Worship- Based on Psalm 124 Leona W.
Leader: If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
People: Where would we be?
Leader: When the waters threatened to overwhelm us, when fear
surrounded us, and when the powers of this world seemed too strong,
People: The Lord was on our side
Leader: The snare has been broken, and we have escaped,
People: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and
earth.
Leader: We do not gather because we are powerful. We gather because
God is faithful.
People: We will trust in the Lord, whose love is stronger than fear and
whose power brings freedom and life.
Leader: Come, People of God, let us worship the Lord!
All: Thanks be to God! Amen.
*Passing The Peace Of Christ

*Opening Hymn: Morning has Broken UMC 145

 1st Scripture Reading: Exodus 18:2 -10  (Pew Bible pg. 115) Leona W.

Time with Children and Youth: Pastor Jorge

Community Expressions Pastor Jorge & Leona
     *Hymn: “Holy, Holy, Holy/ Santo, Santo, Santo” TFWS 2007
      Thanksgiving and Celebration.
      Prayers for healing and wholeness.
      Prayers for our community and the world. Let us pray.
      The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven...”

Invitation to Generosity Pastor Jorge

Offertory: “Prayer from Hansel and Gretel” by Engelbert Humperdinck
*Doxology: “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow . . .” UMH 95

*Prayer of Dedication: God of life and liberation, receive these
gifts and use them to bring hope, justice, and life. May our giving
reflect our trust in the power of your love. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-20 (Pew Bible pg. 15-24) Leona W.

Hymn: “You Are My Hiding Place” TFWS 2055

Sermon: “WHEN POWER IS AFRAID” Rev. Jorge Rodgriguez
Exodus 1:8–2:10; Matthew 16:13–20

There is a phrase at the beginning of the book of Exodus that seems like nothing more than
a historical detail: “Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.”

He did not know Joseph. He did not know his story. He did not remember that this
foreigner had helped save Egypt during the famine. He simply looked at the Hebrews and
saw a threat. They were different. They were foreigners. And Pharaoh was afraid. That is
one of the great ironies of this story: the most powerful man in Egypt was afraid of the
people who had no power. He had an army. He had laws. He had authority. And yet, he
was afraid.

And when power begins to rule through fear, it always needs someone to blame. First
came suspicion. Then oppression. Then violence. And finally came that terrible
command: “Every son that is born, throw him into the river.”

Imagine that. Fear became policy. Prejudice became law. And violence became
everyone’s responsibility. But there was something Pharaoh did not understand: not
everyone was willing to obey.

Two women appear in the story. Two midwives: Shiphrah and Puah. And there is
something remarkable here. Exodus does not tell us Pharaoh’s name. The most powerful
man in the empire remains anonymous. But we know the names of two midwives:
Shiphrah and Puah. Perhaps because God writes history differently. Empires remember
kings. God remembers those who protect life.

Pharaoh ordered them to kill the Hebrew boys. But they did not obey. Scripture says:“The
midwives feared God.” They had decided that Pharaoh was not the highest authority in
their lives. And when they had to choose between the power that produced death and the
God who gives life... they chose life.

So Pharaoh changed his strategy: “Throw them into the river.” The Nile was the source of
life for Egypt. And Pharaoh wanted to turn the river of life into a river of death. But a mother placed her child in a small basket in that very river. Miriam stood watching. And then Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket. She opened it. The baby cried. And Scripture says: “She had compassion on him.” An entire empire built on fear... and one woman
responded with compassion. Pharaoh said, “Let him die.” She said, “Let him live.”

And suddenly Shiphrah, Puah, Moses’ mother, Miriam, and Pharaoh’s daughter formed a
small conspiracy for life. Pharaoh had soldiers. They had compassion. Pharaoh had
decrees. They had courage. Pharaoh had power. They knew who they were. And in the
end... who won? The child who was supposed to die grew up in Pharaoh’sown household.
The river that was supposed to become his grave became the path to his salvation. And
one day that child would stand before power and say: “Let my people go.”

And then we come to the Gospel. Jesus asks his disciples: “Who do people say that I am?”
They give different answers. But Jesus is not taking an opinion poll. He looks directly at
them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answers: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the
living God.” And then something beautiful happens. Peter tells Jesus who Jesus is... and
Jesus tells Peter who Peter is: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.”

When we discover who Christ is... we begin to discover who we are. Our identity does not
come from Pharaoh. It does not come from empires. It does not come from those who
decide who has value and who does not. Our identity comes from Christ.And Jesus says:
“The gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” The church is not called to hide in fear. The
church is called to move toward the places where death seems to have the upper hand
and bring life. Where there is fear, bring hope. Where there is hatred, bring love. Where
someone is rejected, make room. Where the foreigner is treated as a threat, recognize a
brother, a sister.

That is what Shiphrah and Puah did. That is what Miriam did. That is what Pharaoh’s
daughter did. That is what Jesus did. And that is what the church is called to do.
Sometimes we think power means the ability to control, to command, to dominate, to
decide who gets in and who stays out. But Jesus shows us another kind of power: the
power to serve, the power to love, the power to protect, the power to say “no” to death and
“yes” to life.

And then Jesus gives us the keys to the Kingdom. Perhaps we have made a mistake when
we think we were given the keys to close doors. Maybe Jesus gave us the keys to open
them. To open doors for those who have been rejected, for those who are afraid, for those
searching for hope, for those who need to hear: “There is a place for you.”
Jesus is still asking us: “Who do you say that I am?” And our answer cannot remain
only in words. We can say, “You are the Christ.” “You are the Son of the living God.”
“You are our Lord.” But the world has every right to ask: “And what difference does
that make in the way you live?” Perhaps evangelism does not begin simply by telling
people who Jesus is. It begins by showing people who Jesus is.

When someone is hungry and we give them something to eat. When someone is afraid
and we walk beside them. When a foreigner is treated as a threat and we call them brother
or sister. When someone is rejected and we open the door. When a life is floating in the
river... and we reach out our hand. Then perhaps someone will ask, “Why do you do this?”
And we can answer: “Because I know someone.”

“I know Jesus.”

And because we know who Jesus is, we also know who we are. We are his people. We are
his church. We are a community called to choose life. Pharaoh thought he had the power.
But history remembers the midwives. Pharaoh wanted to turn the river into death. But God
caused a basket to float upon its waters. Pharaoh wanted to kill a child. But that child
became a liberator. Fear may have soldiers. Fear may have decrees. Fear may have
palaces. But fear will never have the last word. The last word belongs to the God of
life.And when the world asks, “Who defended the foreigner?” “Who opened the
door?”“Who stayed when everyone else walked away?” Perhaps someone will say,
“It was the church.”

But I hope that, looking a little deeper, they will say: “No... I think it was Christ.”

Christ living in us. Christ loving through us. Christ reaching out his hands through us.

Christ still rescuing lives by the river.
​
Because when we know who Jesus is, we know who we are. And when we know who
we are... we no longer have to live in fear of Pharaoh. Amen.
                                                     ~~~
Affirmation of Faith: We believe in God, whose power is not built on
fear, violence, or domination. We believe in Jesus Christ, who asks us,
“Who do you say that I am?” and calls us to follow him with courage
and faith. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who gives strength to ordinary
people to resist fear, speak truth, protect life, and work for justice. We
believe that the powers of this world do not have the final word.
We believe that Christ is building his church, and the gates of
Hades will not prevail against it. Therefore, we will not live in
fear. We will trust in God, stand with the vulnerable, and
proclaim with our lives that Jesus Christ is Lord. Amen.

*Closing Hymn: “Lord You Have Come to The Lakeshore” UMH 344

*Benediction: Go with courage. Protect life.
Speak truth. Love your neighbor.
Stand with those who are vulnerable.
And may the grace of Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit
be with you today and always.

*Song of Blessing: “We Are Marching in the Light of God”

Postlude: “Onward Christian Soldiers” by Arthur Sullivan

Pastor Jorge Rodriguez [email protected]