A note from Pastor regarding his sermon:

One of the questions that confronted the early Christian Church concerned the status of Gentiles and their place in God’s plan of salvation. Jesus Christ was recognized to be the fulfillment of God’s promises to save His chosen people, the Israelites. But what of those outsiders, the non-Jewish people who had heard of Jesus Christ and had received faith in Christ from the Holy Spirit? Are they saved, too? And ought they follow the laws of the Jews in order to be confident in their salvation?

Our Old Testament and Gospel readings this week contain both a warning as well as a promise to those who hear the Word of God: Those who saw Jesus perform miracles or heard Him teach cannot be certain of their salvation just because they were in close proximity to Him. But many who have never seen Him face-to-face or heard His name as He lived among us here on earth may still have saving faith and the promise of everlasting life. Thanks be to God that we can be numbered among the multitudes that will come from the east and the west to join Christ in paradise!