Change the World – Part 1

We are ordinary people, but we can change the world with God and for God.

I have a fascination with superheroes…not just that I like watching them on the big screen or reading about them…no, my fascination is deeper…I want to be one. I want to be a superhero…like really bad. But…there’s a problem…I’m not a superhero. I am super!…but super ordinary. I think that the reason I so want to be a superhero is because I’m often so overwhelmed with my ordinariness BUT, what I LOVE about God and what I LOVE about the Scriptures is that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

In the Bible, there is not a single person that changed the world that is not ordinary. (Moses, Abraham, Elijah, Daniel, the disciples, Paul) But these are some of the superheroes of the faith. In the Bible, God used a lot lesser known people to change the world. (Barnabas, Ananias, Rahab, Gideon, Judah, Tamar, Aaron, Tabitha and many others) These are people we often overlook in the Scriptures, but because of these people, the world has been changed.

Tonight we’re starting a series, looking at some of these people…these ordinary people that God used in extraordinary ways…to change the world.

(We need to start at the beginning though…before we can change the world, we must deeply understand something…)

1. The World Needs Changing.

God created an absolutely perfect world (Gen. 1-2). God created, God created, God created…and it was good…That perfection…that goodness didn’t last long though. Adam and Eve sinned, and it fractured this perfect world (Gen. 3). From this point on, not only were Adam and Eve messed up…not only has all creation been messed up…but we are messed up to…broken from that goodness and perfection…longing to get the goodness and perfection back.

Rom. 8:19-23 – 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

So, this world and everything in it drastically needs changing! But how can we change the world?! It has been this way for a VERY long time! We change the world when we bring it a little closer to God’s original design. We don’t change it all at once. We change the world one world at a time…one life at a time.

(But this is still a big hard thing…and I know we change the world one world at a time…but HOW CAN I DO THAT?!)

2. We can change the world WITH God.

I want us to read some mind-exploding verses

1 Cor. 3:9 – For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

2 Cor. 5:21-6:1 – 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

1 Thess. 3:2 – and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker[a] in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith

Think about what this means for a second. We…fallen, ordinary people…are co-workers with God…perfect, holy, and powerful. We…people…ordinary people…are co-workers with God…the Creator and Sustainer of all things. If you are a Christian, this is who you are working with and beside.

John 1:3 – All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

All things were made through Him. Think of the power that goes along with that! No wonder we can boldly proclaim Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

But, changing the