Be filled with joy
Children's sermon
Object:
a box with papers of different-sized question marks drawn on them
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be
pitied. (v. 19)
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever received a really sad letter? (let them answer) Every once in a while, a person I am visiting will read me a very sad letter and they will read the words between tears. It is hard to receive a sad letter because the person is usually far away and they are sharing bad news. Do you know what bad news is? (let them answer) One of the things about bad news is that there is not a lot you can say to help someone be happy.
Paul had one of those kinds of days when he was writing to the people in Corinth and he was kind of discouraged with the way they were living outside of the church. The only thing that Paul could think about was asking questions. (show them your box of question marks, and pass them out so that everyone has at least one) I am sure you know those kinds of questions. Every time I ask a sad question, I want someone to raise his or her question mark.
"Is your Mom pretty upset with the way we left the room and the broken vase?" "Did you get a bad grade on your spelling test today?" "Did you find your baseball glove that you left on the playground?" "Who walked in the flowers and trampled them all down?" "Did you eat everything on your plate, or did you try some of everything?" "Where have you been, I have been looking all over for you?" "Those were clean clothes five minutes ago, where have you been?"
Those are the questions we do not like to hear because it usually means bad news or someone is in trouble. Once in a while I hear these questions being asked and I look at people like you and you are pitiful. Your heads are down, your hands are over your ears, and you are trying to pretend that you are not there.
Saint Paul said that sometimes people who said that they believed in Jesus and his resurrection were now running around asking questions and pretending that they never knew the love of Jesus. Paul said that the people who did not believe were so sad. One day, they worshiped the god of the sun, the next time they worshiped a statue, and another time they tried to worship gold. It was pitiful. They acted like they did not know what to believe or how to believe in God. The people were pitiful.
Paul told them all that Jesus was resurrected from the grave and that Jesus lived in the heavens at the right arm of God. This is something to rejoice about and be glad. God is alive and he loves us and he wants for each of us to believe with all of our hearts, souls, and minds. Our God is a God of hope, not pitiful questions.
The next time you see someone so pitiful tell them to look up and believe in God and that their life will be filled with joy. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever received a really sad letter? (let them answer) Every once in a while, a person I am visiting will read me a very sad letter and they will read the words between tears. It is hard to receive a sad letter because the person is usually far away and they are sharing bad news. Do you know what bad news is? (let them answer) One of the things about bad news is that there is not a lot you can say to help someone be happy.
Paul had one of those kinds of days when he was writing to the people in Corinth and he was kind of discouraged with the way they were living outside of the church. The only thing that Paul could think about was asking questions. (show them your box of question marks, and pass them out so that everyone has at least one) I am sure you know those kinds of questions. Every time I ask a sad question, I want someone to raise his or her question mark.
"Is your Mom pretty upset with the way we left the room and the broken vase?" "Did you get a bad grade on your spelling test today?" "Did you find your baseball glove that you left on the playground?" "Who walked in the flowers and trampled them all down?" "Did you eat everything on your plate, or did you try some of everything?" "Where have you been, I have been looking all over for you?" "Those were clean clothes five minutes ago, where have you been?"
Those are the questions we do not like to hear because it usually means bad news or someone is in trouble. Once in a while I hear these questions being asked and I look at people like you and you are pitiful. Your heads are down, your hands are over your ears, and you are trying to pretend that you are not there.
Saint Paul said that sometimes people who said that they believed in Jesus and his resurrection were now running around asking questions and pretending that they never knew the love of Jesus. Paul said that the people who did not believe were so sad. One day, they worshiped the god of the sun, the next time they worshiped a statue, and another time they tried to worship gold. It was pitiful. They acted like they did not know what to believe or how to believe in God. The people were pitiful.
Paul told them all that Jesus was resurrected from the grave and that Jesus lived in the heavens at the right arm of God. This is something to rejoice about and be glad. God is alive and he loves us and he wants for each of us to believe with all of our hearts, souls, and minds. Our God is a God of hope, not pitiful questions.
The next time you see someone so pitiful tell them to look up and believe in God and that their life will be filled with joy. Amen.
