Going down! Going up!
Children's sermon
Object:
a pretend elevator ride
Good morning, boys and girls. Everyone here this morning has
taken an elevator ride before, right? (Let them answer.) Have you
ever gotten on an elevator that was going down, (point down) and
you wanted to go up, (point up) so you went down (point down) to
go up (point up)? That's what we are going to do this morning.
Only our elevator is an imaginary one.
(Ask the students to stand up. You are the elevator operator. Open the elevator door and ask the children to get in. Ask them which direction they are going -- the answer is "up." Tell them you are going down, but that they may get on to go down first, and then go up. Then take the elevator down, and finally go back up. Let them out, and then ask that they sit in their places. Finish the story.)
All right, everyone out and you may sit down again. We took an elevator ride down to go up because that's what Jesus did. Jesus is God's son. Even so, Jesus came down to earth as a baby. While he was down on earth he humbled himself. He died on the cross for all of us. He did this so that God could send him "up" and give him the name above every name. Because Jesus came down to go up, the Bible says that "every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord."
The next time you are on an elevator that is going down, and you want to go up, remember that is what Jesus did. He came down to earth as God's son. He remained "down" when he died on the cross. Only then did he go up. God gave him the name that is above us all - Jesus Christ is Lord. Thank you for going on my elevator ride this morning.
(Ask the students to stand up. You are the elevator operator. Open the elevator door and ask the children to get in. Ask them which direction they are going -- the answer is "up." Tell them you are going down, but that they may get on to go down first, and then go up. Then take the elevator down, and finally go back up. Let them out, and then ask that they sit in their places. Finish the story.)
All right, everyone out and you may sit down again. We took an elevator ride down to go up because that's what Jesus did. Jesus is God's son. Even so, Jesus came down to earth as a baby. While he was down on earth he humbled himself. He died on the cross for all of us. He did this so that God could send him "up" and give him the name above every name. Because Jesus came down to go up, the Bible says that "every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord."
The next time you are on an elevator that is going down, and you want to go up, remember that is what Jesus did. He came down to earth as God's son. He remained "down" when he died on the cross. Only then did he go up. God gave him the name that is above us all - Jesus Christ is Lord. Thank you for going on my elevator ride this morning.
