Heal the World

We have examined the need for the Gospel using the song titles and lyrics from Michael Jackson for the month of June. At first we saw that the human race were created for a purpose in the image of God. God intended for us to have dominion over his creation, that was week 1’s sermon “We Are the World”. In week 2 we understood that while God created the human race as special creatures in His image having dominion over creation, Adam & Eve chose to allow creation to have dominion over them. When this happened God it severed our relationship with God. In week 2 we learned that the Smooth Criminal will use US to defeat US! In week 2 we learned how sin works and what it does to us and our relationship with God. When it comes to sin the Smooth Criminal has an accomplice and it is ALWAYS US! As Paul would explain later in the book of Ephesians were dead in our sinful state, without God we could do nothing about our eternal salvation. We had no hope…

There's a place in your heart And I know that it is love And this place could be much Brighter than tomorrow And if you really try You'll find there's no need to cry In this place you'll feel There's no hurt or sorrow

There are ways to get there If you care enough for the living Make a little space Make a better place

Heal the world Make it a better place For you and for me And the entire human race There are people dying If you care enough for the living Make it a better place For you and for me

In week 3 the lesson is titled Heal the World after the song Michael Jackson wrote and released on his 8th album in 1991. This song portrays a beautiful message of people taking action to care about people who are in NEED! It is a call to action and Michael Jackson put his money where his mouth was by using the song for charity and creating a foundation from it. But as Christians we are in a very favorable and privileged position. God has given us a gift that we did not have to work for. He freely gave us a gift that we did not deserve. And the one who paid for the gift gained nothing but pain, humiliation, and betrayal. Jesus gave his life for us on the cross at cavalry. A sinful people who caused Jesus to die, we Christians sit on the high seat of privilege. And if we accept and act on that gift and do nothing with it, shame on us! We have to take the Good News (Gospel) that we believed and obeyed and use it to HEAL THE WORLD!

1 Corinthians 15:1–11 CSB

1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 CSB

1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

1 Corinthians 15:1–3 CSB

1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

V3- Most important- The Gospel is of FIRST importance. Because

It is that which saved

That which saves

and that which will save

What does the word Gospel mean?

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Gospel

Word derived from the Anglo-Saxon godspell denoting “glad tidings” or “good news.”

The Gospel is a 3 part News Story

Christ died for our sins.

He was buried.

He rose on the third day.

And the news was verified by many others!

This Gospel or Good News is thus because it saved Paul, it saved you (Christians), & and it can HEAL THE WORLD!

1 Corinthians 15:5–9 CSB

5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

1 cor 15 5-

What Paul has to say is so important to the Gospel message here.

He understands that he is nothing.

V9

Least- Pertaining to being of the lowest status

Apostles- Special messengers of Jesus Christ

Worthy- Adequate, worthy, enough, QUALIFIED

Persecute- to systematically organize a program to oppress and harass people.

Paul knows that in this world that if he had crossed any person the way that he did God he wouldn’t have gotten a chance to do it again. He understood that if he took the lives of another man’s children, that that father would not then turn around and love him. But thank God that our God created us in HIS image and not the other way around!

We must remember that we did not earn the Good News.

1 Corinthians 15:10 CSB

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Paul states that the kindness of God made him who he is! A saved child of God who used to be a hell raiser!

I thank God Paul wasn’t afraid to share scars & scripture...

I thank God that Paul wasn’t just a receiver...

Anyone who has ever done a group project in school or work has dealt with receivers. A group of people are given a task to work on. Everyone in the end will receive credit for the work of the group even if they did not put in equal work! It seems as though there’s always that one person who is in the group who does little to no work. They sit back and watch others work just knowing that they will receive the benefits. And we have some and some of us have been those lazy folks in the church! Willing to receive the kindness of God yet unwilling to show it to others! Unwilling to be what you were created to be! God does not sit idly by while the world suffers! He doesn’t watch as the world is wounded by sin! We have the capacity to heal and won’t!

The proper response to grace is total commitment!

1 Corinthians 15:11 CSB

11 Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.

It does not matter the messenger only the message!

Heal The World!

IT IS THE ANSWER TO SIN!