Take It to the Maker

And the prayer that is said with faith will make the sick person well.  The Lord will heal him.  James 5:15

 Props: laptop computer

             When this computer was created, it was in perfect working order.  Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world.  Sometimes things go wrong.  And so it did with the computer.  It doesn’t run anymore.  I have to decide where to take it to be fixed.  I have two good choices:  I can take it to the repair shop or I can take it back to the person who put it together in the first place.  Which do you think is best?  (Allow children to respond).  The best choice is to take it to the person who put it together: the creator.  The repair shop will be able to fix it, but no one can do the job better than the creator.

            Sometimes when we get sick we go to the doctor.  That’s like taking the computer in to the repair shop.  Doctors can tell you what’s wrong and how to fix it and medicine can help you get better.  But the one who knows you best is your Creator: God.  No one or no medicine on earth can make you better like God can.  He created you so He knows everything about you.  Only He can bring true healing.

            Today we’re talking about healing.  God is able to heal.  Learn to trust Him to heal you today.       

The Cross

Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19

 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
       each of us has turned to his own way;
       and the LORD has laid on him
       the iniquity of us all.

For he bore the sin of many,
       and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:5, 6, 12b (NIV)

 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

 Throughout the lesson, a cross will be positioned in the front of the room.  For each lesson segment, small pieces of paper—labeled with specific sins, sicknesses and problems—will be nailed to the cross, representing Jesus taking those things upon himself for us. 

 Salvation

            Jesus was born without sin.  He lived His whole life and never sinned—not even once.  But like the verses we just read tell us, God’s plan was to put our sin on Him and have Him take the punishment that you and I deserve. 

            No one (except Jesus) has ever been completely honest 100% of the time.  That means all of us have lied.  (Hold up “dishonesty” paper and nail it to the cross).  But when Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment for our dishonesty.  If we ask God, He will forgive us for being dishonest because Jesus already took the punishment. 

            How many of you have ever been disobedient?  (Allow for response).  Jesus always obeyed His parents and those in authority over Him.  But He took the punishment for your disobedience. (Nail the “disobedience” paper to the cross).  That is why you can be forgiven when you disobey.       

            Continue along the same lines with 3 or 4 more specific sins, such as jealousy, unforgiveness and pride. 

            When Jesus was crucified, the soldiers drove nails into His hands and feet, and blood flowed out.  They drove a spear into His side, and blood and water flowed out.  It is by Jesus’ blood—the life that He gave—that we receive forgiveness. 

            Jesus already paid the price for your forgiveness.  If you know that you have sin in your life and have not been forgiven, you only need to ask God.  He is ready and willing to forgive you. 

 Healing

Jesus paid a huge price for our salvation, for the forgiveness of our sins.  But before He was crucified, He took a beating on His back.  The soldiers took a whip with pieces of leather and chips of bone in it, and used it to beat Jesus’ back.  They beat His back with the whip 39 times.  Each time, pieces of flesh were torn off of Him. 

Isaiah 53:5 says, “…by his wounds we are healed.”  Jesus suffered in His body so that we wouldn’t have to. 

Everyone knows what it feels like to be sick.  (Hold up papers with the names of sicknesses and nail them to the cross as you speak).  Jesus took a beating on His body so that you wouldn’t have to suffer with colds, allergies, headaches, cancer, heart disease or pain of any kind.  I don’t understand everything about healing—some people are healed right away and others aren’t—but I do know that Jesus paid the price for our healing.

If you are sick in your body, ask God to heal you, because Jesus already paid the price. 

That’s part of His work on the cross. 

 Wholeness

            Jesus purchased our salvation on the cross, He paid for the healing of our bodies, but He also made it possible for us to be made whole. 

            Everyone goes through problems in life.  Sometimes you may feel like the problems you have break your heart. (Hold up papers that name various problems, such as hurt feelings, feeling stupid or broken family.  Nail them to the cross as you speak).   Maybe someone called you a bad name and it hurt your feelings.  Or it could be that you aren’t doing well in school and you feel stupid.  Some of you know what it’s like to have your family break up.  The Bible says that Jesus took “the punishment that brought us peace” (Isaiah 53:5).  That means that when He was beaten and bruised, when His body was broken, He paid the price for us to have peace in our heart.  Even when everything else and everyone else around you is a mess, you can have perfect peace.  If you feel like life is falling apart, it won’t matter, because Jesus will hold you together.  He paid the price on the cross. 

            If you need peace in your heart, come to God today.  He will fill your life with His peace—Jesus paid the price.

The Whole Package

God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished … Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

 One of the kids receives a remote control in the mail.  He seems very confused until he reads the instructions that a larger package is waiting for him at the Post Office.  He then realizes that the package must be a remote control car. He is very excited and runs to the PO.  He returns home with the large package.  The gift is now complete. 

             God does some miracles a little bit at a time.  When you give your life to God, He begins working on you, changing you and making you more like Him.  As you allow Him to (He will never force you to change), He will take the areas in your life that need to change and work on them.  He will take out the mean self and replace it with His love.  He will take out the selfish areas and give you a servant’s heart that wants to help and serve others.  God will help you get rid of the bad attitudes and He will give you His love, joy and peace. 

            There is another way that God works a little at a time: sometimes He will heal you or work other miracles for you a little at a time.  This boy could have just shrugged his shoulders when he received a remote control, but he kept looking for the rest of the gift.  Sometimes when you pray to God, you might get part of an answer from Him and then stop praying.  You might get a little better or see a little change in your family.  But that doesn’t mean God is done working.  Keep praying and asking for the complete miracle.  He will do it. 

Don’t be satisfied with just part of a miracle.  Trust God to finish the work He started in your life.

Jesus Paid the Price

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.       Isaiah 53:5

Props: prescription bottles and medicine containers with oversized price tags attached

            Did you know that medicine can be expensive?  It can cost lots of money to get better.  (Display medicine bottles and containers).  Some medicines only cost a few dollars.  Many cost twenty or thirty dollars.  Others cost hundreds of dollars.  There are people who don’t have the money to buy medicine, so they have to stay sick or find someone to buy the medicine for them.

            Jesus met a woman one time who was very sick.  She had spent all her money on going to the doctor and buying medicine.  She had no more money to spend.  But she heard about Jesus and how He healed people, taking away their sicknesses.  So she went to Him believing that He could heal her, and He did. 

            Jesus paid the price for our healing when He died on the cross.  The price was very high:  He had to be beaten with whips until He was almost dead.  Because He did that, we can be healed.  We can go to God and ask for healing because Jesus already paid the price.  It’s like He stepped up in front of you at the pharmacy and paid for your medicine.   

            If you or someone you know is sick, remember that Jesus already paid the price for our healing.  It’s free because of Him.