Working Together
Children's sermon
The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons
Matthew To Revelation
Object: none
Good morning, boys and girls. Has anyone ever told you that one of the best ways to learn about another person is to work with him? (let them answer) If no one has ever told you that, I want you to know that it is true. It is the same as playing together. Sometimes you may see someone who really looks good to you, but you find that he is hard to get along with when you play together. Sometimes you meet someone who looks just awful to you, but when you play with him you really get to know each other and you like him very much.
This was the situation with Paul. Paul had been living in the great city of Athens, teaching about Jesus when he found that it was time to move on to another place. That was the way a missionary had to live in the time of Paul. There were very few people who were missionaries, so those few had to move around often. Paul went to another Greek town by the name of Corinth.
Now Paul didn't have a salary, and he was not a rich man. He had to work for a living as well as teach about Jesus. That meant that Paul did something else besides preach. Paul was a tentmaker. He made tents for people to use as houses or for when they traveled and camped out under the stars. But Paul did not have his own business because he traveled from town to town. That meant that Paul usually worked for someone in the town he was living in while preaching.
On one such occasion he worked for some tentmakers by the name of Priscilla and Aquila. Priscilla and her husband Aquila had been told to leave Rome because they were Jewish. The Emperor Caesar had commanded that all of the Jews to either leave Rome or be killed. Priscilla and Aquila moved to Corinth and set up their business of tentmaking.
It must have been a pretty good business because Priscilla and Aquila were busy enough to hire Paul when he came to town. When you work with someone, you get to know him, and that was the way it was with Paul and the people he worked for making tents. When Paul was not making tents, he was teaching about Jesus in the Jewish synagogue. Many of the Jews in Corinth listened to every word that he said, including Priscilla and Aquila. It was not too long before both Aquila and Priscilla became Christians.
It wasn't easy. Many of the Jews hated what Paul was teaching and they said so. Some of them went so far as to insult Paul and they even tried to hurt him. Paul soon found out that he could no longer live with Priscilla and Aquila for fear that they would be punished because he was working for them and living with them. Paul moved to another house and began to teach to the people who were not Jewish, the Gentiles. He taught them for as long as he could until the Jews became so angry over his teaching that they threatened to kill him. Finally Paul knew that it was time for him to move on to another town. But before he left, he said good--bye to all of the new Christians and urged them to stick together.
When Paul left for the country of Syria, he did not leave alone. As the people were waving good--bye to Paul, they saw another couple standing on the deck with him. That's right, it was Priscilla and Aquila who had given up their business to be missionaries with Paul. When you work with someone you get to know that person. If you like what you learn about the person, he or she becomes your friend for life. That is what happened to Paul and his tentmaking friends, Priscilla and Aquila. They were not only partners in business, but also friends in Christ.
You and I can learn a lot from playing and working together, but the most important thing that we can learn is to be close friends, and to share the Lord Jesus with each other.
Good morning, boys and girls. Has anyone ever told you that one of the best ways to learn about another person is to work with him? (let them answer) If no one has ever told you that, I want you to know that it is true. It is the same as playing together. Sometimes you may see someone who really looks good to you, but you find that he is hard to get along with when you play together. Sometimes you meet someone who looks just awful to you, but when you play with him you really get to know each other and you like him very much.
This was the situation with Paul. Paul had been living in the great city of Athens, teaching about Jesus when he found that it was time to move on to another place. That was the way a missionary had to live in the time of Paul. There were very few people who were missionaries, so those few had to move around often. Paul went to another Greek town by the name of Corinth.
Now Paul didn't have a salary, and he was not a rich man. He had to work for a living as well as teach about Jesus. That meant that Paul did something else besides preach. Paul was a tentmaker. He made tents for people to use as houses or for when they traveled and camped out under the stars. But Paul did not have his own business because he traveled from town to town. That meant that Paul usually worked for someone in the town he was living in while preaching.
On one such occasion he worked for some tentmakers by the name of Priscilla and Aquila. Priscilla and her husband Aquila had been told to leave Rome because they were Jewish. The Emperor Caesar had commanded that all of the Jews to either leave Rome or be killed. Priscilla and Aquila moved to Corinth and set up their business of tentmaking.
It must have been a pretty good business because Priscilla and Aquila were busy enough to hire Paul when he came to town. When you work with someone, you get to know him, and that was the way it was with Paul and the people he worked for making tents. When Paul was not making tents, he was teaching about Jesus in the Jewish synagogue. Many of the Jews in Corinth listened to every word that he said, including Priscilla and Aquila. It was not too long before both Aquila and Priscilla became Christians.
It wasn't easy. Many of the Jews hated what Paul was teaching and they said so. Some of them went so far as to insult Paul and they even tried to hurt him. Paul soon found out that he could no longer live with Priscilla and Aquila for fear that they would be punished because he was working for them and living with them. Paul moved to another house and began to teach to the people who were not Jewish, the Gentiles. He taught them for as long as he could until the Jews became so angry over his teaching that they threatened to kill him. Finally Paul knew that it was time for him to move on to another town. But before he left, he said good--bye to all of the new Christians and urged them to stick together.
When Paul left for the country of Syria, he did not leave alone. As the people were waving good--bye to Paul, they saw another couple standing on the deck with him. That's right, it was Priscilla and Aquila who had given up their business to be missionaries with Paul. When you work with someone you get to know that person. If you like what you learn about the person, he or she becomes your friend for life. That is what happened to Paul and his tentmaking friends, Priscilla and Aquila. They were not only partners in business, but also friends in Christ.
You and I can learn a lot from playing and working together, but the most important thing that we can learn is to be close friends, and to share the Lord Jesus with each other.
