"The Power to Save"

At that time, Jesus said, "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do" ~ Matthew 11:25-26

In these verses, Jesus declares the heart of the Father, who has made the gospel message available and understandable to ALL people. It's not that it's actually hidden from the wise and educated, but that their worldly "wisdom" has become a stumbling block to them. They refuse to accept that this poor carpenter's son who is performing miracles could really be the One who came to save them, the One prophesied about to their ancestors. He didn't fit the mold of what they expected. But they weren't the only ones who didn't get it. Many still today can't believe that a crucified and resurrected Savior is their only way to heaven, so they reject the gospel in favor of trying to earn their own way to God, and believe God will accept them for trying hard. Those who are ready to accept that they are miserable sinners apart from God's grace through Jesus, no matter how unwise and uneducated they may be, receive salvation. This week at Friendship, we will begin our new series through Paul's letter to the Romans with a message titled "The Power to Save". We'll look at the gospel as the power of God to not only save us, but to help us work out our salvation each day. This will be a great set-up for the rest of the series through Romans, so we urge you to join us and start 2024 off the right way!