Primary Texts: 1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Romans 1:16–17; Mark 1:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17
Supporting Texts: Acts 9; Luke 19:1–10; John 4; Acts 16:25–34; John 21; Acts 2
- What is the Gospel?
The word “gospel” simply means good news.
The gospel is an announcement:
God has acted in Jesus Christ to save sinners and reconcile us to Himself.
Paul summarizes it in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4:
• Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures
• He was buried
• He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures
That is the heart of the gospel: Jesus Christ crucified and risen.
And because Jesus is alive, the gospel comes with a call and a promise.
Jesus preached it in Mark 1:15:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
So the gospel calls us to do something:
• Repent (turn from sin, turn from self-rule)
• Believe (trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior)
And the gospel promises:
• Forgiveness
• Reconciliation with God
• New life
• A new heart
• A new direction
• A living hope
That’s why Paul says in Romans 1:16:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”
The Gospel is a power that changes a human being from the inside out.
2) The Gospel Changed New Testament Lives
A) Saul of Tarsus: From persecutor to preacher (Acts 9)
Before Jesus met him, Saul was convinced he was serving God by destroying Christians.
He had zeal, education, confidence, and control.
He breathed threats. He hunted believers. He approved of their suffering.
Then on the road to Damascus, Jesus confronted him.
In one moment Saul learned something that shattered his entire worldview:
Jesus is alive. Jesus is Lord. And Saul has been fighting against God.
The gospel did not simply “improve” Saul.
It completely redirected him.
After he believed, Saul became Paul—
the very man who once tried to erase the name of Jesus became a preacher of the name of Jesus.
The gospel changed Saul’s identity and his mission.
Some of us need to hear this:
God is not intimidated by your past.
The gospel has the power to take a life that was used for harm and turn it into a life used for healing.
B) Peter: From failure and fear to courage and shepherding (Luke 22; John 21; Acts 2)
Peter loved Jesus, but he also trusted his own strength.
He promised loyalty. He spoke big.
Then pressure came—and Peter denied Jesus.
That’s a painful moment. Some of you know that kind of pain.
You promised God you would change. You meant it.
Then you fell again. You failed again.
And you wondered, “Is there still a place for me?”
Here is the gospel:
The risen Christ didn’t cancel Peter.
Jesus restored Peter.
In John 21, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love Me?”
And with every answer, Jesus gives Peter a calling: “Feed My sheep.”
Then in Acts 2, the same Peter who once trembled now stands and preaches Christ publicly.
What changed?
Not Peter’s personality.
Not Peter’s natural courage.
What changed was this: Peter knew Jesus had died and risen for him, and Jesus had forgiven him.
The gospel changes shame into worship.
The gospel changes cowardice into courage.
The gospel changes a failure into a shepherd.
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C) Zacchaeus: From greedy gain to joyful generosity (Luke 19:1–10)
Zacchaeus was rich and hated.
He didn’t become rich by being kind.
He became rich by taking advantage of people.
Then Jesus came through town.
Zacchaeus climbed a tree.
And Jesus looked up and called him by name.
Never miss the beauty of that moment.
Jesus didn’t wait for Zacchaeus to become respectable.
Jesus didn’t wait for Zacchaeus to fix himself.
Jesus went straight to him.
“Zacchaeus, come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
And when salvation came to that home, Zacchaeus stood up and said,
“Half my goods I give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone, I restore it fourfold.”
The gospel reached his heart, and then it touched his money.
Because when Jesus becomes Lord, He becomes Lord of everything.
The gospel breaks the grip of greed and teaches the heart to give.
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D) The Samaritan Woman: From shame and hiding to witness and joy (John 4)
This woman came to the well alone.
She carried a story that made her avoid people.
She expected judgment. She expected rejection.
But Jesus met her with truth and mercy.
He named her life without crushing her.
He offered her living water.
And what did she do after that encounter?
She ran back to her town—the same place she tried to avoid—
and she said, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.”
The gospel does this:
It turns a silent person into a witness.
It turns a hidden life into a bold life.
It turns shame into testimony.
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E) The Philippian Jailer: From despair to rejoicing (Acts 16:25–34)
Paul and Silas were beaten and chained.
They prayed. They sang hymns.
Then an earthquake opened the doors.
The jailer panicked because he thought he had lost everything.
He was ready to take his own life.
But Paul shouted: “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
Then came the question:
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they answered:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
That night the jailer washed their wounds.
He welcomed them into his home.
He believed, and his household rejoiced.
The gospel turns despair into hope.
The gospel turns a hardened man into a tender man.
The gospel turns a household into a worshiping family.
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3) The Gospel Still Changes Lives Today
Sometimes people think, “That was Bible times. That was then.”
Church, the gospel is not ancient history.
It is present power.
Let me give you three contemporary examples.
A) Lee Strobel: From skeptic to believer
Lee Strobel was an atheist and a journalist trained to investigate.
When his wife became a Christian, he set out to disprove the faith.
He interviewed scholars. He examined evidence. He tested claims.
And the more he investigated, the more he realized the gospel was not a weak story.
He saw that Jesus is real, the resurrection is credible, and Christianity stands on truth.
He came to faith—not because he stopped thinking—
but because he saw that Jesus could not be dismissed.
The gospel changes the mind, yes.
But it also changes the heart.
Some of you are thinkers.
You want reasons. You want clarity. You want answers.
The gospel can handle your questions.
Jesus is not afraid of honest investigation.
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B) Chuck Colson: From power and scandal to prison ministry
Chuck Colson lived in the halls of power and fell into disgrace.
He served time. He lost reputation. He faced consequences.
Then Christ met him.
And instead of spending the rest of his life chasing a comeback story,
he devoted his life to prisoners—people society forgets.
He helped build prison ministry that served inmates and their families.
That’s what the gospel does:
It gives a person a new definition of greatness.
It replaces the hunger for status with the call to serve.
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C) Nicky Cruz: From violence to a messenger of hope
Nicky Cruz was known for gang life and brutality.
Anger shaped him. Violence defined him.
Then the gospel reached him through a believer who refused to hate him.
That love broke through his hardness.
Cruz surrendered to Christ and became a preacher and evangelist.
The gospel can reach the violent.
The gospel can heal the wounded.
The gospel can restore the broken.
If God can change a gang leader, God can change anyone.
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4) What Does “The Gospel Changes Everything” Mean for Us?
Now let’s bring it home.
A) The gospel changes your standing with God
Romans 5:1 says,
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Some of you live with constant spiritual anxiety.
You feel like God is always disappointed.
You feel like you’re one mistake away from rejection.
The gospel says:
If you are in Christ, you have peace with God.
You are forgiven. You are accepted. You are reconciled.
Not because you performed well this week.
Because Jesus is enough.
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B) The gospel changes your identity
In Christ, you are not defined by your worst moment.
Not defined by your family history.
Not defined by your addiction.
Not defined by your shame.
Not defined by your past.
You are a new creation.
You belong to God.
You are loved.
You are called.
And when identity changes, behavior follows.
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C) The gospel changes your direction
When Jesus becomes Lord, life takes a new direction.
• How you speak changes.
• How you treat people changes.
• How you handle money changes.
• How you respond under pressure changes.
• How you view your future changes.
The gospel doesn’t make you perfect overnight.
But it makes you new, and it makes you grow.
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D) The gospel changes your hope, even in suffering and death
Because Jesus rose, your story doesn’t end in the grave.
When you face sickness, the gospel gives you hope.
When you face loss, the gospel gives you comfort.
When you face death, the gospel gives you confidence.
To be a Christian is to live with a living hope.
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5) An Invitation: Receive the Gospel Again
Now I want to speak to three groups of people in the room.
1) If you have never believed the gospel
You may respect Jesus, but you have never surrendered to Him.
Today Jesus invites you:
Repent and believe.
Turn from sin.
Trust Christ.
Let Him forgive you and make you new.
2) If you believed once, but you drifted
You are not here by accident.
The Lord is calling you back.
Like the father in the story of the prodigal son, God welcomes repentant hearts.
Come home. Return to Christ.
3) If you are a believer but you feel stuck
You love the Lord, but you feel like you’re not changing.
Hear me:
The same gospel that saved you is the gospel that sanctifies you.
Bring your stuck places to Jesus.
Bring your habits to Jesus.
Bring your wounds to Jesus.
Bring your family to Jesus.
The gospel changes everything, and it is still at work.
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Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for the gospel of Jesus Christ—His death for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection in power.
Thank You that the gospel is not just information, but Your power to save and transform.
Lord, for anyone who has not yet believed, give them faith today.
For those who have drifted, draw them back with Your mercy.
For those who are weary and stuck, renew their hope and strengthen their steps.
Jesus, be Lord over every part of our lives—our hearts, our homes, our relationships, our finances, our habits, our future.
Let the gospel change everything in us, so it can touch everything around us.
We surrender to You again today.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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