A Second Choice
Children's sermon
The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons
Matthew To Revelation
Object: symbol of Matthias
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know what it is like to be second choice? I mean, how many of you know what it is like to never be the first one chosen. There is always someone else who comes ahead of you, and it doesn't make any difference if it is a game, a friend, or getting something to eat, you always end up with your second choice. It is probably is not that bad, but it seems like it sometimes.
I have a story to tell you today about a man who was a second choice but it turned out pretty well for him. His name was Matthias, and he lived at the same time that Jesus and his apostles lived. Matthias began to follow Jesus when Jesus first started to preach and teach, and very early he was called a follower of Jesus. Matthias knew Peter, James, and John, and all of the other disciples who were called apostles, but he wasn't one of them. When Jesus had private meetings with his disciples, Matthias was not invited. He was not one of the disciples to pass out the little's boy's bread and fish when Jesus fed a big crowd, nor did he go with Jesus and the disciples to the wedding at Cana. There were a lot of things Jesus did not ask Matthias to do, but Matthias still believed in Jesus.
When Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, many of the apostles ran and hid in a room where no one could find them. They felt unsafe and feared that if they were caught, the Roman soldiers would do the same to them that they did to Jesus. Matthias was very close to the disciples and knew how they felt. He also knew that Judas, one of the 12, had betrayed Jesus and then was so ashamed that he took his own life and died. That meant that there were only 11 apostles left. Matthias helped the disciples while they were in that upper room hiding from the soldiers by bringing them news and food and delivering messages.
One day, the Spirit of God swept down onto Jerusalem and forced the disciples out of hiding and onto the streets. The Spirit of God spoke boldly and gave the disciples new courage to go back to work for Jesus. It was amazing how unafraid they were when they felt the presence of God.
This was just the beginning. The apostles of Jesus held a meeting and decided that they must go not only back to work, but they also decided where they must work and what each disciple was going to do. One of the first things they had to do was find a replacement for Judas. This person, they decided, had to be someone who had seen a lot of the wonderful things that Jesus had done. They had the names of two people who fit that description. Both were good men. One of the names they presented was Justus and the other was Matthias. Matthias hoped and prayed that when the choice was made, he would be the one chosen.
The two names were written on paper and put in a jar. Then when everyone was quiet Peter reached into the jar and pulled out the name. Peter looked around the room and said in a big voice, "Matthias is the one to serve the Lord."
What a relief! Now he knew why he had not been chosen before. God had a special time and place for Matthias and this was it. He had a hard job to do, for taking the place of a man who betrayed Jesus was not easy, but Matthias knew that he could do it. All of his life he had prepared for his one moment, and he would not fail.
That is the way it is with us. Some of us feel that we will never be chosen first. It is always someone else. Sometimes we even feel that God has forgotten about people like you and me, but he hasn't. There is a time when God will need you, and he will choose what that time will be. But stick around and do what is asked, even if it means to help others do the big job. Some day your chance will come, just as it did for Matthias. They you will be glad that you waited.
Matthias was a second choice but what a choice it was. Matthias was a disciple of Jesus. He was second choice but he was glad he waited.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know what it is like to be second choice? I mean, how many of you know what it is like to never be the first one chosen. There is always someone else who comes ahead of you, and it doesn't make any difference if it is a game, a friend, or getting something to eat, you always end up with your second choice. It is probably is not that bad, but it seems like it sometimes.
I have a story to tell you today about a man who was a second choice but it turned out pretty well for him. His name was Matthias, and he lived at the same time that Jesus and his apostles lived. Matthias began to follow Jesus when Jesus first started to preach and teach, and very early he was called a follower of Jesus. Matthias knew Peter, James, and John, and all of the other disciples who were called apostles, but he wasn't one of them. When Jesus had private meetings with his disciples, Matthias was not invited. He was not one of the disciples to pass out the little's boy's bread and fish when Jesus fed a big crowd, nor did he go with Jesus and the disciples to the wedding at Cana. There were a lot of things Jesus did not ask Matthias to do, but Matthias still believed in Jesus.
When Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, many of the apostles ran and hid in a room where no one could find them. They felt unsafe and feared that if they were caught, the Roman soldiers would do the same to them that they did to Jesus. Matthias was very close to the disciples and knew how they felt. He also knew that Judas, one of the 12, had betrayed Jesus and then was so ashamed that he took his own life and died. That meant that there were only 11 apostles left. Matthias helped the disciples while they were in that upper room hiding from the soldiers by bringing them news and food and delivering messages.
One day, the Spirit of God swept down onto Jerusalem and forced the disciples out of hiding and onto the streets. The Spirit of God spoke boldly and gave the disciples new courage to go back to work for Jesus. It was amazing how unafraid they were when they felt the presence of God.
This was just the beginning. The apostles of Jesus held a meeting and decided that they must go not only back to work, but they also decided where they must work and what each disciple was going to do. One of the first things they had to do was find a replacement for Judas. This person, they decided, had to be someone who had seen a lot of the wonderful things that Jesus had done. They had the names of two people who fit that description. Both were good men. One of the names they presented was Justus and the other was Matthias. Matthias hoped and prayed that when the choice was made, he would be the one chosen.
The two names were written on paper and put in a jar. Then when everyone was quiet Peter reached into the jar and pulled out the name. Peter looked around the room and said in a big voice, "Matthias is the one to serve the Lord."
What a relief! Now he knew why he had not been chosen before. God had a special time and place for Matthias and this was it. He had a hard job to do, for taking the place of a man who betrayed Jesus was not easy, but Matthias knew that he could do it. All of his life he had prepared for his one moment, and he would not fail.
That is the way it is with us. Some of us feel that we will never be chosen first. It is always someone else. Sometimes we even feel that God has forgotten about people like you and me, but he hasn't. There is a time when God will need you, and he will choose what that time will be. But stick around and do what is asked, even if it means to help others do the big job. Some day your chance will come, just as it did for Matthias. They you will be glad that you waited.
Matthias was a second choice but what a choice it was. Matthias was a disciple of Jesus. He was second choice but he was glad he waited.
