In 2000, a new prison was opened by Prison Fellowship in Newton, Iowa, as an experiment not only in life-change but in culture-change. The prison's Christian staff set the tone, but the transformed inmates established the new culture. Christian prisoners, a minority at first, manifested a totally new sense of purpose—though many of them were "lifers," destined never to leave. One such prisoner told Chuck Colson, "I'm spending my life on a mission to win prisoners for Jesus."

As the inmates matured in their faith, they shared the Gospel with others. But, the change in the prisoners had the strongest effect. The prison was clean and orderly; disruption kept to a minimum, and healthy peer pressure encouraged the adaptation of new lifestyles by all.

Down through church history, the Gospel has changed lives, and changed lives have changed cultures.

The Link Between Gospel and Culture
The apostle Paul wrote that the Gospel is the "power of God to salvation for everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). But he also asked the critical questions for which answers are required if the power of the Gospel is going to be released: (1) How can men call on God to be saved if they haven't believed? (2) And how can they believe in Him if they haven't heard of Him? (3) And how can they hear without someone telling them? (4) And how can anyone proclaim the Gospel unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15)

By reversing the order of Paul's questions, here is how the Gospel is released in power to save individuals and transform cultures:

First: Christ and churches send preachers.
Second: Preachers preach.
Third: People hear.
Fourth: Hearers believe.
Fifth: Believers call.
Sixth: Those who call are saved.
Seventh: Those who are saved change their world.

If no one goes, no one preaches . . . no one hears . . . no one believes . . . no one calls . . . no one is saved . . . and nothing changes in our world.

It is clear from Jesus' Great Commission that the entire church is responsible for taking the Gospel throughout the world (Matthew 28:18-20). Paul painted a picture for his protégé Timothy when he told the young pastor to take what Paul had taught him and teach it to others so they could teach it to others (2 Timothy 2:2). The Gospel was to spread exponentially in an ever-widening movement, beginning in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8).

How the Gospel Spreads
Every Christian has a web (an oikos) of familial and social relationships. And by following its twists and turns, every Christian will encounter those who do not know the Gospel—but who need to.

Who is in your Oikos? A Greek oikos, or household, was not only a nuclear family but also relatives, close friends, and nearby servants' families. Our oikos includes those with whom we share kinship (blood or marital ties), interests (work, recreation, community), and proximity (neighbors, coworkers). Every Christian shares some space with people who have not heard the Gospel or seen it lived out in an authentic way.

Think of these three groups of people as being like major arteries off of which branch veins and capillaries that connect with people in your oikos. If you take a blank piece of paper and actually draw out these three networks, I believe you will be shocked to see how many people you interface with on a regular basis—and how many of them don’t yet know Christ as Savior and Lord.

Without fear of overstatement or presumption, I can tell you that these are the souls God wants you to reach for Him. If you don't reach them, who will? Who else has what they need—the Gospel—and has the relationships established that will grant them access?

Isn't it just like God to use the forgotten of society—prisoners in a normally spiritually-antagonistic environment—to show the rest of the church exactly how transformational the Gospel really can be? The prisoners in Newton, Iowa, are reaching their oikos. I hope they are praying for us that we will do the same!

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This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magazine. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of Turning Points.