Last month, Dane Ortlund asked a group of pastors and biblical scholars to summarize the message of the Bible in one sentence and posted the answers at his blog. The purpose of this exercise, of course, was not to be comprehensive, but, as Dane wrote, “to refocus and recenter on the heart of the book that is the greatest earthly treasure to fallen human beings outside of God himself.”

Here’s what Dane collected from these faithful men:

Greg Beale: The OT storyline appears best to be summarized as: the historical story of God who progressively reestablishes his new creational kingdom out of chaos over a sinful people by his word and Spirit through promise, covenant, and redemption, resulting in worldwide commission to the faithful to extend that new creation rule and resulting in judgment for the unfaithful (defeat and exile), all of which issues into his glory; the NT storyline can be summarized as: Jesus’ life of covenantal obedience, trials, judgmental death for sinners, and especially resurrection by the Spirit has launched the fulfillment of the eschatological already-and-not-yet promised new creation reign, bestowed by grace through faith and resulting in worldwide commission to the faithful to extend this new creation rule and resulting in judgment for the unfaithful, unto God’s glory.

Dan Block: God was so covenantally committed to the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him may have eternal life!

Craig Blomberg: God is in the process of recreating the universe which has been corrupted by sin and has made it possible for all those and only those who follow Jesus to be a part of the magnificent, eternal community that will result.

Darrell Bock: The Bible tells how the loving Creator God restored a lost humanity and cosmos through reestablishing his rule through Jesus Christ and the provision of life to His honor.

Mark Dever: God has made promises to bring His people to Himself and He is fulfilling them all through Christ.

Kevin DeYoung: A holy God sends his righteous Son to die for unrighteous sinners so we can be holy and live happily with God forever.

Zack Eswine: Apprenticing with Jesus to become human again.

John Frame: God glorifies himself in the redemption of sinners.

Scott Hafemann: The Triune God is the beginning, middle, and end of everything, ‘for from him (as Creator) and through him (as Sustainer and Redeemer) and to him (as Judge) are all things’ (Rom 11:36).

David Helm: Jesus is the promised Savior-King.

Paul House: The movement in history from creation to new creation through the redemptive work of Father, Son, and Spirit who saves and changes corrupted people and places for his glory and their good.

Gordon Hugenberger: The message of the Bible in one sentence is that genuine truth, unlike every human philosophy, is far too luxuriant, too enthralling, too personal, too all-encompassing, too sovereign, and too life-changing to be reducible to one sentence (or, as Einstein once put it, the challenge is to ‘make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler’).

Kent Hughes: God is redeeming his creation by bringing it under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Andreas Kostenberger: ‘God so loved the world that the gave his one and only Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16).

Phil Long: God, who made us and everything else, loves us and gave himself for us that we might live forever with him as new creatures in a new creation—the news is good!

Sean Lucas: The message of the Bible is the transforming grace of God displayed preeminently in Jesus Christ.

Ray Ortlund: The Lover of our souls won’t let the romance die, but is rekindling it forever.

Grant Osborne: God created mankind in order to love them, but we all rejected his love, so God sent His Son to bear our sins on the cross in order that by believing in His sacrificial atonement, we might have life.

George Robertson: The Bible is the record of God’s promise of and deliverance through Jesus Christ.

Leland Ryken: The message of the Bible is twofold: to show how people can be saved from their sins through faith in Christ’s atonement AND how to live all of life as a follower of God.

Tom Schreiner: God reigns over all things for his glory, but we will only enjoy his saving reign in the new heavens and the new earth if we repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the crucified and risen Lord and who gave himself on the cross for our salvation.

Mark Seifrid: Verbum caro factum est.

Jay Sklar: The first sentence that comes to mind is that of my colleague Michael D. Williams, who describes the Bible’s story about the world as follows: God made it, we broke it, Jesus fixes it!

Erik Thoennes: The main message of the Bible is that the one true God is displaying his glory primarily in redeeming and restoring his fallen creation by fulfilling his covenant promises and commands through the glorious person and atoning work of Christ.

Doug Wilson: Scripture tells us the story of how a Garden is transformed into a Garden City, but only after a dragon had turned that Garden into a howling wilderness, a haunt of owls and jackals, which lasted until an appointed warrior came to slay the dragon, giving up his life in the process, but with his blood effecting the transformation of the wilderness into the Garden City.

Bob Yarbrough: He—God in Christ—shall reign forever and ever; so today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart but believing the good news take up your cross and follow Jesus.

Dane Ortlund is the Senior Editor in the Bible division at Crossway Books and writes daily at Strawberry-Rhubarb Theology.

In December’s e-Newsletter, Ryan published an article explaining DSC’s symbol. In case you missed it, we’re republishing it here on the blog. If you don’t receive the e-Newsletter but would like to, sign up using the Communication Card on Sunday’s bulletin or email info@desertspringschurch.org and indicate your interest. DSC’s e-Newsletter is published each month and sent to your email inbox.

Around the DSC facilities and in printed materials you’ve seen this symbol which represents something about our church’s name, its message, and its mission.

The word picture of springs in the desert is a rich one in Scripture. Three places in Isaiah (35:6-10; 43:19-21; 44:3-5) tell us that we’re a desperate, thirsty, and restless people because of the fall. But these passages also promise a day when life-giving springs will flow in the desert. Then there will be the quench and satisfaction for which we’ve longed and searched. Well, Jesus makes clear that that longed for day has come. He is that “living water” (see John 4 and John 7). He is both salvation and satisfaction.

That’s briefly why we’re called Desert Springs Church. And that word picture is also symbolized in a new-ish logo which you’ve seen on our bulletins, website, and, more recently, on our signage.

There are few things to notice about this symbol:

• The downward drop reminds us that Christ came down to us—we could not get to him. We were born not only thirsty, but senseless. We’ve tried broken cistern after broken cistern, but they hold no water (see Jer. 2). Our only hope is that the living water would come to us. And it did. He did!
• Our salvation and satisfaction comes to us only by the cross. From the cross he said “I thirst” and he died. By so doing, he made a way that we would drink and live.
• The concentric circles are like the ripples or rings that occur when a drop of water hits a watery surface. There is reverberation; it grows; the effects spread. That reminds us that the message of Christ’s saving satisfaction which flows from the cross has to spread in this world. And his plan is that it would spread through us.

Last week, Tony Reinke wrote a helpful post at C.J. Mahaney’s blog about sharing the gospel at Christmas. This is a worthy and timely read:

On Sunday morning, December 21, 1856, Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon to prepare his growing church for the coming Christmas season. He titled it “Going Home,” and the aim of the message was to encourage each member of his congregation to humbly, wisely, and appropriately find opportunities to share their personal testimony with family and friends.

Spurgeon had become the pastor of New Park Street Church in April 1854. At that time the church had 232 members. By Christmas of 1856 the membership had risen quickly to around 4,000. A large number of newly converted Christians needed to be prepared for their return home for Christmas.

Spurgeon’s sermon text was taken from the dramatic account of Jesus healing the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 5:1–20. Spurgeon focused his attention on Jesus’s commission to the man after he was healed: “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (v. 19).

After explaining the demoniac’s radical life-transformation by Christ and his commission to go home, Spurgeon commissioned his church to return home. In the remainder of the sermon Spurgeon develops several practical points:

• Christmas is suited for sharing the gospel with family and friends.
• Aim to share the story of God’s grace in your life.
• By sharing we edify believers.
• By sharing we reach lost friends and family.
• Be alert for one-on-one opportunities to share your story.
• Don’t expect this sharing to be easy.
• Overcome this fear by sharing to honor your Savior.
• Share your story with gratitude to God.
• Share your story with humility.
• Share your story truthfully—don’t embellish it.
• Tell your story seriously—don’t share it flippantly.
• Don’t neglect your personal devotions during Christmas.
• Rest upon the Holy Spirit’s help to share.
• Remember that this story you share over the holidays is the story that will be on your lips eternally.

This Sunday, Ryan preached from Acts 11-14 where we observe “a frenzy of missional activity.” These early Christians were busy sending, going, proclaiming, saving, forming, discipling, and communicating and rejoicing.

Here are ten reasons from Ryan’s sermon for Desert Springs Church to be busy planting churches.

1. Church planting is biblical – still
2. Church planting is a uniquely effective means of reaching the lost
3. Church planting is needed, even in America
4. Church planting is needed in our town
5. Church planting will help DSC be more missional in other ways
6. Church planting is, in some ways, an attempt at DSC “growing without growing”
7. Church planting fosters a broad-minded kingdom mentality
8. Church planting puts to use a growing number of equipped and potential leaders at DSC
9. God is doing something special with church planting in the US these days
10. As a former church plant, DSC should be pro-planting

In follow up to Sunday’s sermon, here are three resources to help you better understand and explain the gospel:

• Book: What Is The Gospel? by Greg Gilbert. We will have copies of this book available at the book stall this Sunday for $11.
• Short Video: John Piper answers the question, What is the Gospel?
• Web Gospel Presentation: Two Ways to Live, by Matthias Media