Noe Garcia, pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church, boldly preached the gospel and its evidence in John McCain’s life at the senator’s memorial service Thursday.
“You see, Sen. McCain professed Christianity, and here’s the hope in what Sen. McCain believed: He knew Romans 3:23— For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’—[and] he knew Romans 6:23—’That the wages of sin was death but the gift of God was eternal life through his son Jesus Christ,'” Garcia told the attendees.
Though Garcia never met McCain, the pastor says he often saw the senator at Sunday-morning services.
Ahead of the funeral, Garcia said:
To be honest, I have to separate the flesh from the spiritual. I have to intimately listen to the voice of God instead of thinking, This is Senator McCain’s funeral, and all these people are watching. Who’s watching? Who’s sitting in the congregation? I can’t let that divert me from approaching it as I would any funeral.
Every funeral service is a gospel opportunity. I never assume that everyone at a funeral service is a believer in Christ, and this will be no different. While obviously it’s on a different scale, the gospel has to remain the central focus.
Watch the video to see Garcia’s full message.
