Pastor Larry Sundin
Pastor Larry Sundin
As the Pastor of Rock Springs Church, one of my great privileges is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But one of the problems I continually encounter today is the lack of understanding of the Gospel. So, I’d like to clarify just what the Gospel is. The Gospel is first and foremost a message of good news. It’s not good advice. It is good news. It is good news that comes from God. And this good news is meant to be heard. But just what is this good news that God wants us to hear?
The good news is that God has made a way for people to be rescued from the “coming wrath” at the end of history. But this wrath is not an impersonal force—it is God’s righteous anger and justice toward sin. So, here’s the rub. In order for the good news to be good news, we must first understand the bad news. And the bad news is this: We don’t want anyone telling us how we should live, let alone God. So, we reject God, abandon His will, and do our own thing. And the Bible calls our rebellion against God for what it is: He calls it SIN.
And the result of our rebellion is separation from life with God. That’s why God often seems distant and why we often go through life trying to suppress our guilt, shame, and anger. That’s why we sometimes feel alone in this universe and why there’s an emptiness we cannot fill.
But the good news is that Jesus Christ came to reverse our rebellion and rescue us from the coming wrath. The good news is that Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves. His death for our sin made it possible for us to be forgiven of every sin and be reconciled to life with God. This was all God’s idea. Out of His love, He initiated a rescue mission where we could find mercy and be restored to a loving relationship with God as our Father.
Perhaps you’ve heard this good news before. Or maybe you’re reading about it for the very first time. Either way, what makes this good news so good, is that when you act on it—when you trust in what Jesus did for you—the burden of sin, guilt, and shame are lifted away once and for all. Jesus died for you to bring you back to God. And if you believe Jesus did this for you, you’ll not only be set free from the consequences of your sin, you’ll be made right with God. That’s the Gospel. That’s the good news. And that’s why Rock Springs Church is here at Robson Ranch. We want you to know that God has made a way for you to know the God who loves you. That’s why we’re not a Church that’s all about rules or stringent forms of behavior, but about the grace and mercy that’s found in Jesus. After all, this world’s full of enough bad news. Maybe it’s time you heard something good. And if that’s you, why not join us at 9 a.m. in the Ballroom this Sunday. I imagine God might just have something good in store for you!