JESUS TOOK MY SINS AWAY

2 clean white t-shirts container of mud - not too watery Last week, we saw how sin separates us from God. Now that would seem like pretty bad news, wouldn’t it? But I told you - today we would hear some really, really great news. I am going to need a volunteer to help me today. Xx, could you please come up? Ask xx to stand next to you. let me put on this nice clean t-shirt. Now imagine with me that this t-shirt is me. When God created people, he said they were "VERY GOOD"! Wonderful - the best! But something happened - sin. But sadly, it wasn't just Adam and Eve who sinned. The bible tells us all have sinned. But what does that really mean? And how could God forgive me? When I do things wrong, when I sin, it’s like this shirt getting really dirty (Smear some mud on the shirt). So let’s say one day I am mad at my sister, and I push her. That means...(smear mud). Another day, my mom and dad want to take me to see some friends. But I don’t want to go. And so I decide I’m going to stamp my feet and say “no! No! No!”. ...this means...(smear mud). And every day I do things that are wrong. Okay, so one day I think - boy, look at me! I’m not as good as I thought. In fact, I’m a mess. I’m a sinner. And so I decide I’d better get cleaned up. So I take part of the shirt, and I rub it on the dirty spots, but...what happens? Ugh. It only made it worse. Okay, that didn’t work. Maybe I can just push the dirt around and maybe that will make all the dirt go away? Boy, this isn’t working. I don't think I can get rid of this sin no matter what I do. But wait. I want you to look over here at our nice volunteer, xx. XX, I want you to imagine that he/she is Jesus. Now Jesus is wonderful in so many ways, but one important way he’s wonderful is that he never, never sinned. Never! And so I’m going to ask xx to put on a new t-shirt, a clean t-shirt - to help us see that Jesus is perfect - sinless. So here I am with my dirty shirt, and I can’t really do anything about it. And there is Jesus in his clean shirt. Boys and girls, we can’t get rid of our sins. But God found a way for our sins to be forgiven, and this is how God does it. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, this is what God does. He takes away your sins (take off your shirt) and he gives you Jesus’ goodness (have xx take off the shirt, and put it on you). But that's not all. When Jesus died on the cross, Jesus took all of your sins, my sins, and the sins of the whole world on himself (Jesus puts on shirt). He became sin for us because he loves us. Wow! Do you understand what just happened? Can someone tell me? (Ask 1 or 2 kids to retell). I’m not just a cleaned up person, am I? I’m brand new. And this is our Here’s our treasure verse for today: I Cor. 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come.