All Dirty!
Children's sermon
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Object:
A really dirty item (like dirty, muddy shoes, or a dirty shirt) placed in a big bag.
Who is brave today and wants to take out the item in my bag? I have to warn you that it isn't the cleanest thing. Maybe you would like some rubber gloves? Oh, how dirty the ____ (item you have in the bag) is/are. It needs a good cleaning or maybe a bath. Something can look so dirty that we often would rather just trash it. But if you just clean it up a little, it can be worth keeping.
Today, I want to talk to you about a spiritual bath. There lived a man named John the Baptist and people went to him being very dirty and sinful in their hearts and attitudes, just like us. It says in Matthew 3:6
Confessing their sins, they were baptized.
It is like they were unclean and they needed to be cleaned up. Many times we try to hide or cover up our sinful attitudes and actions but, in the end, it is so much better to confess them and recognize them.
Often we may think we are from a good family so how could we do anything wrong. That is what Jesus told the Pharisees and Sadducees. He said that just because they were related to Abraham -- a great guy, it did not make them innocent. So what does it really mean to confess our sins?
First of all it is important to recognize that sin keeps us from being close to God. So we should hate it and not want anything to do with it.
Secondly, we need to be quiet before God to hear his still small voice. For example, when you lie on your bed ask God to show you what is displeasing to him and what is making you dirty and not useful.
Thirdly, be quick and genuine to confess to God and sometime others as well like the people in our story that got baptized.
John baptized many people -- giving them a spiritual bath. That was just the beginning. Jesus had even more in store. Jesus would really clean people up and make them sparkle. He would give people the gift of the Holy Spirit to help them stay clean and have conviction to not sin in the first place.
How do we apply this to our lives?
When you take a shower or bath, think of how God wants to clean us as well on the inside, in our hearts. The coming of Jesus is such good news as we get to be cleaned up and no longer stay in our dirty, yucky ways.
Today, I want to talk to you about a spiritual bath. There lived a man named John the Baptist and people went to him being very dirty and sinful in their hearts and attitudes, just like us. It says in Matthew 3:6
Confessing their sins, they were baptized.
It is like they were unclean and they needed to be cleaned up. Many times we try to hide or cover up our sinful attitudes and actions but, in the end, it is so much better to confess them and recognize them.
Often we may think we are from a good family so how could we do anything wrong. That is what Jesus told the Pharisees and Sadducees. He said that just because they were related to Abraham -- a great guy, it did not make them innocent. So what does it really mean to confess our sins?
First of all it is important to recognize that sin keeps us from being close to God. So we should hate it and not want anything to do with it.
Secondly, we need to be quiet before God to hear his still small voice. For example, when you lie on your bed ask God to show you what is displeasing to him and what is making you dirty and not useful.
Thirdly, be quick and genuine to confess to God and sometime others as well like the people in our story that got baptized.
John baptized many people -- giving them a spiritual bath. That was just the beginning. Jesus had even more in store. Jesus would really clean people up and make them sparkle. He would give people the gift of the Holy Spirit to help them stay clean and have conviction to not sin in the first place.
How do we apply this to our lives?
When you take a shower or bath, think of how God wants to clean us as well on the inside, in our hearts. The coming of Jesus is such good news as we get to be cleaned up and no longer stay in our dirty, yucky ways.
