Good News

Aaron Rios | Garden City Church | April 20, 2025

Will You Follow Him?
This Easter—Resurrection Sunday—God is drawing us into something deeper than tradition, deeper than religion. He’s calling us to discipleship.
The question Jesus poses today is piercing and unavoidable:
Will you follow Him?
Not simply affiliate with a church.
Not just pray when you're desperate.
But will you surrender your life, take up your cross, and pursue Him with everything you've got?
This is more than an invitation—it's a summons. And if you're wondering why this matters so much, stay with me.
First, we need to understand the Gospel—the good news that changes everything.

The Gospel: A Narrow Road
The Gospel isn't one option among many—it’s the only path to life.
Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

This Gospel is powerful because it rescues us from eternal separation from God.
It's not advice. It's not a suggestion. It’s good news because without it, we are hopelessly lost.
Romans 1:16 (NIV)

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..."

Why We Need Good News
We were created for life with God. Yet every one of us has sinned—missed the mark of God's perfect standard—and the cost of that sin is steep:
Romans 6:23 (NIV)

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Sin isn't just "bad behavior." It's a terminal diagnosis.
And no one is exempt:
Romans 3:23 (ESV)

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

1 John 1:8 (ESV)

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

Every act of pride, every flash of anger, every seed of bitterness... they all stack up before a holy God.

What God Did About It
Here’s the breathtaking part: God didn’t leave us to die in our guilt. He came for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

"For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

Imagine standing guilty in court, awaiting sentencing—and then someone steps forward and takes your place.
Justice is served. Mercy is given. That’s what Jesus did.
Mercy. Grace. Resurrection.
When we were dead in our sin, God acted:
Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."

Salvation isn't something you earn. It's a gift you receive by faith. A gift sealed by an empty tomb.
1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Easter isn't just a religious holiday—it's a declaration that death has been defeated!
The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher - Your eternity—your forever—hangs in the balance.
The end of the story has already been written:
Revelation 21:3-5 (NIV)

"God’s dwelling place is now among the people... ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!'"

But those who reject Christ will experience a separation from God that never ends.
Hebrews 9:27 (NIV)

"Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."

There is no reincarnation. No second chance beyond the grave.
The decision you make about Jesus in this life determines your eternity.
The Only Way
Jesus is not one option among many. He is the only way.
John 14:6 (NIV)

"Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’"

The world says there are many paths.
Jesus says there is only One—and He paid for it with His blood.

Your Invitation
Today, whether you’re hearing this message for the first time or the thousandth, one question remains:
Have you surrendered?
Not, "Are you religious?"
Not, "Have you been a good person?"
But—have you humbled yourself before Jesus, confessed your sin, repented, and asked Him to make you new?
Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

"If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Today, you can cross from death to life.
Today, you can be forgiven.
Today, you can follow the One who conquered the grave—and find the life you were created for.

Will you follow Him?
The cross is heavy—but the grave is empty. This is the Good News.