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You Can Be A Super Hero!

Here’s a talk I presented at Cypress Christian School Elementary Chapel.

1.You can be a Super Hero!  You just need the right supplies

  1. Volunteer
  2. Supplies
  3. Cape- Fabric Sheet
  4. Mask- Duct Tape, Cardboard
  5. Technology- Random things from around the house
  6. Secret headquarters- Cardboard Box
  7. Cool Vehicle- Kiddie Car or Bike
  8. Sidekick- Volunteer
  9. Mission- Words, Posterboard
  10. Theme Music- CD Player
  11. Nickname- Audience Participation
  12. Super-Power
  13. . Thanks- Sit Down

2.In the book of Judges, we meet some crazy superheroes-

  1. Othniel- Caleb’s younger brother
  2. Ehud- Left handed guy
  3. Shamgar- struck down 600 people with a big stick
  4. Deborah- she judged and sang songs
  5. Gideon- hid in a winepress, tested God with fleeces, trumpets
  6. Tola
  7. Jair- 30 sons
  8. Jepthah- mighty warrior
  9. Ibzan- 30 sons and 30 daughters
  10. Elon
  11. Abdon
  12. Samson- amazing strength in his hair

3.Even more, there are amazing people who did amazing things that could be considered superheroes

  1. Peter- walked on water with Jesus
  2. Stephen- told everyone about Jesus until he died
  3. Jesus- of course

4.You see there are a lot of heroes in the world

  1. Teachers- they have to deal with crazy students all the time J
  2. Firefighters- rush into burning buildings, forests, etc
  3. Doctors- they fight disease
  4. Police Officers- help people, try to bring justice
  5. Gardeners- tame wild plants, make things peaceful
  6. Waiters/Waitresses- they serve people all day long, every day
  7. Movers- use great strength and agility
  8. Artists- inspire people all around the world
  9. Salespeople- try to help supply people with what they need
  10. Plumbers- they fight gross enemies, like the toilet, and defeat the villains

5.A good definition of hero is someone who uses abilities to help others, even when it’s hard.

6.Everyone can be a hero, but not everyone can be a superhero.  A superhero is someone special.  To be a super hero you have to have a super power, whether it’s the bite of a radioactive spider, or the powers of an alien race, or even the powers of technology.

7.Anyone can be a hero.  Only certain people can be superheroes.  You can be a super hero, because you have a chance to connect to the greatest power of all- the power of God!

  1. The judges were special because they had God’s Spirit at work within them.  In fact, the first time the words “The Spirit of the Lord” show up is in the book of Judges.  Judges 3:9-11-. But when [the Israelites] cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.  So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
  2. The disciples also were able to do amazing miracles and become amazing leaders because of the Holy Spirit.  John 20:21-22- “ Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  This is a lot like Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia- how did he make the stone statues come back to life?  By breathing on them.  In fact, the word in the Bible for the Holy Spirit is the same word for breath and wind.  That’s why when the Holy Spirit finally comes upon everyone in the Book of Acts it says – Acts 2:1-3- “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”
  3. Of course, Jesus was able to do everything because he was and is the power of God.  But he showed us the importance of using powers to help others.  It says in Philippians 2:6-10- “Christ, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth”  Jesus could have sat in heaven forever, but he thought WE were worth saving.  It’s funny that we use the word saving for only a few things, at least when it comes to people.  We say that a firefighter saved someone from a building, or a lifeguard saved someone from drowning, or a superhero saved someone from a villain—and Jesus is the greatest firefighter, lifeguard, superhero who saved the world, every person of every time.  But just like a person in a burning building has to follow the firefighter out, or the drowning person has to let the lifeguard help them, or the victim has to trust the superhero, we have to let Jesus do what he must do.

8.But it’s not just these “AMAZING” people and Jesus who get to be super heroes.  We are supposed to be super heroes as well, using our abilities and the power of God to help others.

  1. Our abilities- God gives us each abilities, strengths, gifts- some of these are the gifts of the Spirit, and some of these are things he gave you when you were born and some of these are things you grew in and learned over time.  But just like a gift isn’t just for you, you’re supposed to give your gift to others, use it to help others
  2. The power of God- it’s like electronics.  Look at these cool electronics—blender, lights, tv, playstation—how much fun are they right now?  Not hardly any fun or of any use—but if I plug them into this power strip, then— BAM!  Just like that we have to plug into the power of God- It says in 2 Corinthians 4:7- “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  All of these electronics are pretty cool, but they are nothing unless they have power.  Like that, we are pretty cool, but we are complete when we have power to live life, grow, help others, change the world
  3. Help others- Now we can’t save people, we can’t take people to Heaven.  But we can take them to Jesus, introduce them to the greatest superhero of all.  It says in the Bible you can move mountains with just a little faith.  But that doesn’t mean you have to go outside and believe God can move the Rocky Mountains to Cypress and pray that it will happen—God will still do things according to His will—but it means that little things you do, in faith and in love, will change the world.  Mother Theresa, one of the greatest super heroes of the recent years, who gave her life to the poor people of India—she wrote, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love”  It’s true.  We can’t really help people, but with great love, great faith, great power from God, we can do small things and just like a small seed becomes a huge plant, God can take our small things and make them big things

9.So what is a code for super heroes? With great power comes great responsibility.  That is Spiderman’s Code.  And it is true for us.  If you had a million dollars, you should use it right, not waste it on buying 7 million silly bands.  That’d be… silly.  Just like that, if you have the power of God, who made EVERYTHING, there are some things you should do

  1. Help others- Put others first- Think of yourself after others—Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you—“ John 15:13- Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” And “1 John 3:16- This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”  A super hero is a super hero for other people.
  2. Don’t give up- Don’t be afraid—Don’t run away from conflict—“ Deuteronomy 31:8– The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” and “Matthew 28:40- And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  If you were fighting a villain but you had Superman by your side, you’d be able to keep fighting.
  3. Fight your enemy- Now your “enemies” in your life aren’t real enemies.  God says to pray for those enemies, to love them.  That’s because we are supposed to love everyone.  But we have an enemy.  The Enemy.  Evil.  The powers of Hell. Satan.  They will try to tear you down, deceive you, oppose you (that’s what Satan means- oppose), tell you you can’t do it, you’re no good- but you must not listen- Trust God.
  4. Remember who you are- You must trust your secret, true identity in Christ—and you have a super hero name that no one knows except God.  Remember God has given you gifts and abilities, strengths and weapons, a new name, a new identity when you follow Him.  If you know who you are, if you know Whose you are, then everything you do matters.  If you follow Jesus, everything you do is what God is doing.
  5. So let me salute you- You are all heroes, and if you follow Jesus and have the power of God in your life, you are a super hero.  Go out into the world and do small things- help your parents- befriend lonely people- tell others about Jesus- get better at music, sports, school, grow in your gifts- be a super hero for God.  Farewell!

 

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