Sermon Synopsis
This sermon explains the core message of the gospel: that Christ died for sinners and rose again to bring salvation. Through personal testimony, Scripture, and the illustration of the Wordless Book, it emphasizes humanity’s sin, God’s mercy, and the necessity of repentance and faith. The message confronts pride as a barrier and urges listeners to seek God earnestly. It concludes with a direct invitation to respond in faith, highlighting the urgency and eternal significance of that decision.
Please note: This transcript is provided as close to verbatim record of the sermon.
The Gospel and the Empty Tomb
Opening Prayer
Good evening all, and welcome. Shall we pray?
Our God and our Father, we thank You for today. We thank You that You have sent Your Son to die on the cross, and that He rose again on the third day, that we can be reconciled back to You. We thank You that we are able to see You when we pass on from this earth.
We also pray that Your Word will go forth, illuminate minds, and touch the hearts of those unbelievers who are here, that they may also repent and believe in the gospel.
We pray all this in Jesus’ most precious name. Amen.
What Is the Gospel?
Have you ever wondered, what is the gospel?
Many of us have gone to many gospel meetings. But what exactly is the gospel?
Let us turn to 1 Corinthians 15:3–4:
That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
that He was buried,
and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
Christ died for our sins.
We are all sinners. We are born sinners.
Christ, the sinless man—the perfect sacrifice—is the only person who could take away our sins. And He rose again, so we have the hope—the glorious hope—that we will see God face to face one day because of His resurrection.
All of us as Christians will also be taken up and be in heaven with Him.
A Personal Journey: From Interest to Understanding
Our church has organized many mission trips over the years. I, for one, was never interested in mission trips.
In December 2012, some 13 years back, our church organized a mission trip to Nepal. I like mountains—I call myself a mountain person. I wanted to see Mount Everest, and that was the main reason I signed up—not to preach the gospel.
The second reason I went was because I wanted to know whether, after I retire, mission work might be something the Lord wants me to do.
While in Nepal, we were taught how to share the gospel using the Wordless Book. It has five colors:
In the slides that follow, I use three colors: black, red, and white:
The Empty Tomb
Let us now consider the passage that was read earlier—“The Empty Tomb.”
When the women went into the tomb, they did not find the body of Christ. He was not there.
And I like how it is phrased:
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen.”
Why do you seek the living among the dead?
What Are You Seeking?
What have you been seeking lately?
Would you consider, this evening, seeking the living God?
Seeking Answers
When I was young, I was seeking answers to many questions.
I was fascinated by the sky, the stars, the Milky Way, the universe. I bought many astronomy books and read them, wondering where all these things came from.
At Christmas 1984, 40 years ago, my wife gave me a Bible.
Like most people, when you receive a book, you turn to the first page and begin reading. And the first verse I read was Genesis 1:1:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Very simple language—but hugely profound. It answered many of my questions.
God created everything. He created not just the heavens and the earth—He created us in His image, in His likeness.
Sin and Separation
God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden. He also created Eve from Adam’s rib as a helper.
God told Adam:
“You may eat of any tree, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For when you eat of it, you will surely die.”
But the serpent came and tempted Eve. She ate the fruit and gave it to Adam, and he ate as well.
Their eyes were opened. They realized they were naked. They made coverings and hid.
Like children who do wrong, they hid in fear.
And what did God do?
God came looking for them and asked:
“Where are you?”
This is the first question recorded in the Bible.
Where Are You?
In a similar way today, God asks:
Where are you?
God is holy, and sin must be punished. Adam and Eve were sent out of the garden. But before they left, God made garments for them and clothed them.
God is righteous and holy—but He is also merciful and loving.
Jesus Seeks the Lost
Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ came into this world seeking people.
“The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
This is seen in the story of Zacchaeus—a chief tax collector, wealthy, yet a sinner. He climbed a tree to see Jesus.
But Jesus called him by name and said He would go to his house.
And Jesus said:
“Today salvation has come to this house.”
I say to you today: salvation has come.
Seek First the Kingdom
We are often anxious about:
But Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
The Bible my wife gave me had this very verse written in it.
At that time, I was not a believer. She encouraged me to read the Bible and attend gospel meetings so that I might be convicted of my sin.
God also promises in Matthew 7:7:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
If you seek God earnestly, you will find Him.
The Barrier of Pride
Why are there still many outside God’s kingdom?
Each of us has our own reasons. For me, one of the biggest obstacles was pride.
We think we are good enough. We think we do not need God.
But pride is a barrier. We need humility to come to God.
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
In Luke 18, we see the Pharisee and the tax collector.
The Pharisee prayed proudly:
“God, I thank You that I am not like other men…”
He trusted in his own righteousness.
But the tax collector stood far off and prayed:
“God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
When you acknowledge that you are a sinner, you can be saved.
Christ did not come to save the righteous, but sinners.
Repent and Believe
We are all born sinners. We need God.
Salvation means eternal life with God.
Mark 1:15 says:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Today is the day of salvation.
An Urgent Appeal
In 2 Corinthians 5:20:
“We are ambassadors for Christ… we implore you… be reconciled to God.”
The word implore means to plead earnestly—even to beg.
Why such urgency?
Because without repentance, there is eternal separation from God.
We do not want those we love to perish. When we die, we take nothing with us—except the people we have reached.
The Invitation
Revelation 3:20 says:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”
Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart.
Will you open the door?
Romans 10:9 says:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart… you will be saved.”
We must confess to be saved.
A Personal Decision
What will your response be?
Will you be like the Pharisee—self-righteous?
Or like the tax collector—humble and repentant?
I attended many gospel meetings after receiving the Bible in 1984.
One I remember clearly was a meeting by Billy Graham. There were thousands present. I felt God calling—but I resisted.
I regret that, because I could have experienced God’s blessings earlier.
Tonight, you must decide.
A Prayer of Response
If you choose to repent and believe, you may pray:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sin and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
Closing Exhortation
As we sing, “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God,” let us reflect prayerfully.
Make it your priority to seek God’s kingdom first.