Sermon Recap

This Sunday, Pastor Jon Tyson continued our Fall sermon series, Formed, with a teaching on how the act of confessing Jesus is Lord and believing in His resurrection in our hearts forms the foundation of salvation for Christians. Pastor Jon unpacked the heart of the Gospel story and its profound implications for our lives today. The term "gospel" was borrowed from the Romans, who used it to announce good news after a military victory. In the Christian sense, the Gospel is both news and good: it’s an announcement of hope that humanity cannot discover on its own, but must be told.

The Gospel tells the story of God’s overflowing love, demonstrated through creation, where humans were made in His image to reflect His glory. However, humanity’s rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden, influenced by satanic temptation, introduced sin into the world, breaking the divine relationship, and resulting in shame, conflict, and a fractured identity. This separation affected not only our relationship with God but also our individual dignity, our communities, and our stewardship of the world. Pastor Jon described us in this fallen state as "glorious ruins" — still bearing traces of God’s image, but deeply marred by sin.

After the Fall, God immediately set His rescue plan of salvation into motion. We can trace His plan of salvation through history, from Eve, to Abraham, to the people of Israel, to David, all the way to Jesus Himself coming as the Messiah. Pastor Jon explained that Jesus is the true Seed, true Founder, true Son, true King, and true Atonement for humanity’s sin. On the cross, Jesus did for mankind what we could never do for ourselves. Through His sacrifice, Jesus became our Redemption, our Rescuer, our Reconciler, our Healer, and the One who triumphs over our deserved death. Through His resurrection, Jesus was raised to glory, and made a way for us to join Him in new life. This is the transforming power of the Gospel, which frees us from sin and shame and fills us with purpose. The Gospel reconnects us with the God we were made for, explains the beauty and brokenness of the human story, deals with the deep problems of sin that we cannot solve ourselves, and gives us hope for the future.

The proper response to the Gospel is repenting from sin, putting faith in Christ, and participating in a restored relationship with God to experience a life filled with His joy and power. Salvation forms us internally, through sanctification and imitation of Jesus, and externally, through orientation and participation in life. Our salvation allows us to be formed in Christ's image, and live our lives in a way that brings the Kingdom of God into this world.

If you missed this talk, you can watch it here today.

Discussion Questions

Connect

1. As we enter into our third gathering together, what are some group values you see have formed (or are forming)? How can we commit ourselves to these?

Character

Ask someone to read Romans 10:9-13 aloud. Then, ask the following questions:

1. What words, images, or phrases stand out to you in this passage?

2. How is the Gospel presented as good news in this passage?

Consider

1. If someone asked you what they must do to be saved, how would you answer? How comfortable do you feel sharing the Gospel in your day-to-day life?

2. Is there any part of the Gospel that challenges you? How can we live unashamed of the Gospel? (Romans 1:16)

3. Was there a moment in your own life when the Gospel became real?

Cover

Read aloud the following summary of the Gospel that Pastor Jon presented. Then, spend time together meditating on its truth and praying for courage and joy to share this Good News with boldness.

"The Gospel is the good news that God our Father, the Creator, out of His great love for us, has come to rescue us from sin, Satan, death, and hell, and to renew all things, in and through the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, to establish His kingdom, through His people, in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is for God's great glory, and our profound joy."