Back home
Children's sermon
Object:
some very small finger sandwiches and very small cookies
And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow
welcomes sinners and eats with them." (v. 2)
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like to go out to eat? Where do you like to go? (let them answer) I also like to go there once in a while. Do you like to go out and eat all by yourself? (let them answer) Me, either! I always feel bad when I see someone eating by him or herself. When we read the Bible there is a lot about eating. Most of the time it talks about people eating together. I thought we might just have a little snack here this morning. I brought along some sandwiches and some cookies. It is easy to share our thinking when we are eating.
Do you like to eat with the right people? For instance, would you like to eat with a famous baseball player like Derek Jeter? What about going to the White House and having lunch with the president? Maybe it would be fun to be seen with a great rock singer or an astronaut. What do you think? (let them answer)
What would people think of you if you ate with a person that sold drugs or someone that many thought was a thief or criminal? Would they be proud to invite you over to their home for dinner? Jesus ate with people who good people thought were bad. It made them angry that a person who preached and taught about God would eat with sinners. Whenever this happened they looked over the wall or from an upstairs window to watch Jesus and hear what he said. He seemed to say the right things but he often spoke to people who were very suspicious.
When Jesus was leaving his lunch, good people began to talk about what other people were saying about him. Those people thought that Jesus was very wrong for being seen with sinners and eating with them. Jesus told them a story about how a sheep sometimes can get lost by going the wrong way and living without the care of the shepherd. The lost sheep is ashamed of what he did to get lost and is angry with himself and others. But a good shepherd does not want to lose even one of his sheep. He leaves all of the other sheep in a safe place and goes out to find even one lost sheep. When he finds the lost sheep, he is so happy that he lifts the sheep over his shoulders and gives him a free ride back to where the other sheep are staying. Then everyone rejoices and sings with great happiness that the lost sheep is found.
Jesus said the sinners are like lost sheep. It is the job of the Christian to bring them back home where they will know the love of the Lord and will be happy together. What a great story to tell us how much Jesus loves us. Even if we get lost and are living a bad life, Jesus will find us and bring us back to his home with God, the Father. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like to go out to eat? Where do you like to go? (let them answer) I also like to go there once in a while. Do you like to go out and eat all by yourself? (let them answer) Me, either! I always feel bad when I see someone eating by him or herself. When we read the Bible there is a lot about eating. Most of the time it talks about people eating together. I thought we might just have a little snack here this morning. I brought along some sandwiches and some cookies. It is easy to share our thinking when we are eating.
Do you like to eat with the right people? For instance, would you like to eat with a famous baseball player like Derek Jeter? What about going to the White House and having lunch with the president? Maybe it would be fun to be seen with a great rock singer or an astronaut. What do you think? (let them answer)
What would people think of you if you ate with a person that sold drugs or someone that many thought was a thief or criminal? Would they be proud to invite you over to their home for dinner? Jesus ate with people who good people thought were bad. It made them angry that a person who preached and taught about God would eat with sinners. Whenever this happened they looked over the wall or from an upstairs window to watch Jesus and hear what he said. He seemed to say the right things but he often spoke to people who were very suspicious.
When Jesus was leaving his lunch, good people began to talk about what other people were saying about him. Those people thought that Jesus was very wrong for being seen with sinners and eating with them. Jesus told them a story about how a sheep sometimes can get lost by going the wrong way and living without the care of the shepherd. The lost sheep is ashamed of what he did to get lost and is angry with himself and others. But a good shepherd does not want to lose even one of his sheep. He leaves all of the other sheep in a safe place and goes out to find even one lost sheep. When he finds the lost sheep, he is so happy that he lifts the sheep over his shoulders and gives him a free ride back to where the other sheep are staying. Then everyone rejoices and sings with great happiness that the lost sheep is found.
Jesus said the sinners are like lost sheep. It is the job of the Christian to bring them back home where they will know the love of the Lord and will be happy together. What a great story to tell us how much Jesus loves us. Even if we get lost and are living a bad life, Jesus will find us and bring us back to his home with God, the Father. Amen.
