You Have Nothing To Be Ashamed About

Paul declares, I am not ashamed of the gospel, and the headline lands like bold print in a world that thinks Jesus is too bizarre to take seriously. Rome prized power and polish, but the crucified and risen Jewish Messiah looked like shame on shame. He was born under suspicion and died stripped bare, wearing only his own blood. Yet Paul insists the gospel is God’s power unto salvation, and that kind of power does not ride the trends. It raises the dead, not reputations. It changes the person, not just the mood.

The Spirit sets the terms for miracles, signs, and wonders. People cannot schedule them, manufacture them, or sell them. Their purpose in Scripture was to let folk see the strong hand of God when witnesses were few. Now the testimony of transformed lives does that heavy lifting, and faith, not spectacle, births real belief. The greatest miracle is still the old life giving way to the new creation. If nothing has shifted from then till now, redemption has not yet gone to work.

What Paul knew kept him preaching when the stones flew. He knew the gospel carries divine power. The word is dynamis, like dynamite, but holy. In the gospel, God shows his power most clearly, because the Son emptied himself, bridged the gap, and put God’s image and likeness back in reach. Christ in the Father, the Father in Christ, Christ in his people, and his people in him. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. The mouth gets cleaned up. The feet walk new roads. The attitude turns on a Damascus light.

The gospel also carries a divine purpose and a divine plan. Purpose: salvation that rescues, preserves, delivers, and redirects a whole life, not just its ending. Plan: to everyone who believes. No subscription fees. No man-made hoops. According to your faith. Faith shows itself in works because belief moves the hands and the feet. And when that power lands, it does not quit. Weariness may come, but resignation is not the fruit of the Spirit. Labor in the Lord is never in vain. So the call stands: trust this gospel for salvation, share it with boldness, and stop being ashamed of what God is not ashamed to own. Let everything in the church stay gospel centered. Bring God home. Do not date him. Give him the keys to every room.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The gospel is God’s power The gospel does not borrow strength from culture or personality; it carries God’s own dynamis. In it, God exposes and overrules ungodliness, not by polishing sinners but by recreating them. Power shows up clearest where Christ crucified and risen is proclaimed. That is why Paul stakes his life on it. [15:53]
• 2. Faith, not miracles, births belief Signs point, but they do not produce the sight to see what they point to. The Spirit may grant wonders, yet saving trust comes by hearing and believing the gospel. Testimony now functions as witness, and faith receives what spectacle cannot secure. Belief is the miracle beneath all miracles. [11:41]
• 3. Salvation carries purpose and plan God did not reboot the world; he rescued it with intent. Salvation preserves, delivers, and redirects both destiny and daily life, and it comes to everyone who believes. That simplicity offends pride but sets captives free, because grace refuses paywalls and fine print. Faith is the only door, and Christ is on the other side. [20:03]
• 4. God’s power does not quit Holy strength may get tired feet, but it does not drop the assignment. If the power on offer makes a person walk away from obedience, that power did not come from God. True grace makes perseverance possible and fills labor with meaning even when applause is gone. The cross-powered life keeps going. [33:54]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:14] - Series headline and Romans 1:16–17
• [01:14] - You have nothing to be ashamed about
• [03:11] - Paul’s bold headline: not ashamed
• [04:11] - The scandal of Jesus’ shame
• [07:26] - The Spirit governs miracles
• [10:38] - Why miracles, signs, and wonders
• [11:24] - Faith over spectacle
• [12:49] - Paul’s suffering and resolve
• [15:24] - Power defined: dynamis like dynamite
• [16:44] - Incarnation and the image of God
• [18:52] - New creation and real change
• [20:03] - Salvation’s purpose: rescue and renewal
• [25:17] - What transformation looks like over time
• [26:19] - The plan: to everyone who believes
• [28:44] - According to your faith
• [30:34] - Three searching questions
• [31:23] - The same Jesus at work today
• [33:31] - Test the claim of power
• [34:42] - Keep the church gospel centered
• [36:46] - Don’t date God, bring him home
• [37:54] - Prayer for boldness and closing amen

1. According to Romans 1:16, what two key qualities does Paul attribute to the gospel?
2. The sermon emphasizes that the gospel’s power is not dependent on cultural trends or human effort. How does the passage describe the scope of this power?
3. The transcript mentions that miracles are governed by the Holy Spirit, not human control ([07:43]). How does this align with the idea that "faith, not spectacle, births real belief"?
4. What specific examples of transformation (e.g., speech, actions, attitudes) are highlighted in the sermon as evidence of a "new creation"?

1. Why might Paul specifically emphasize not being ashamed of the gospel in a cultural context like Rome, which valued power and prestige?
2. The sermon states, "The greatest miracle is the old life giving way to the new creation" ([11:24]). How does this redefine common assumptions about what a "miracle" looks like?
3. Romans 1:16 says salvation is "to everyone who believes." How does this simplicity challenge systems that add human requirements to the gospel?
4. The transcript warns against "weariness" but insists God’s power "does not quit" ([33:54]). How does this tension between human weakness and divine strength shape perseverance in faith?

1. In what situations or relationships do you feel most tempted to downplay or hide your faith? What practical step could you take to boldly embrace the gospel in those moments?
2. The sermon claims, "If nothing has shifted from then till now, redemption has not yet gone to work" ([12:49]). What specific change in your habits, speech, or priorities would signal to others that you’re a "new creation"?
3. How can you rely on God’s power (not your own effort) this week in an area where you feel spiritually weary or discouraged?
4. The transcript urges believers to "give [God] the keys to every room" in their lives ([36:46]). What "room" (e.g., finances, relationships, fears) have you been hesitant to fully surrender?
5. The gospel’s power is described as "dynamite" that reshapes lives. Who in your life needs to hear this message, and how could you share it with boldness this month?