The chosen people
Children's sermon
Object:
a paint swatch packet or box of crayons
Good morning, boys and girls. Today I want to talk about choice. Do you know what the word "choice" means? (let them answer) Very good answers! Every day we have to make choices. We make a choice of what kind of cereal to eat. We choose what clothes we wear. We choose the books we read or the television shows we watch. We make a choice to either play outside or inside. We make a lot of choices.
Today I am going to ask you to choose your favorite color. I brought along with me a swatch from a paint store. When you buy a can of paint, you have all of these choices. I am going to walk around and ask each one of you to choose your favorite color. You can only pick one. (walk to each child, have them choose a color and announce the color) That's wonderful, we didn't all choose the same color did we? (let them answer)
Having a choice is very important. A long time ago, God made an important choice. He chose one nation of people to be his people. They were to be his teachers, prophets, and preachers. They were to tell the rest of the world about how God worked, made law, blessed nations, and loved them. Do you know who he chose? (let them answer) You are close. He chose a nation of Hebrew people, the followers of Abraham who later became know as the Israelites. Have you ever heard of the nation of Israel? (let them answer)
It was really more than a choice. The Bible teaches us that God adopted the Israelites. Do you know what it means to be adopted? (let them answer) When parents adopt children, they promise the world that they will raise the child and share all that they have with their child. God said that all of the people of Israel were his children. He adopted them.
Today we may call them the Jewish people. Jewish people live all over the world today. Are they still the chosen people of God? (let them answer) They are, but now they share the honor with all who believe in Jesus.
You and I are also chosen by God through our baptism and we also belong to God. So this is something we share with our Jewish friends. They are chosen and we are chosen and we all belong to the same Father.
The next time you have to make a choice perhaps you will think about how God chose a people thousands of years ago and then shares that promise with you and me when we are baptized.
Today I am going to ask you to choose your favorite color. I brought along with me a swatch from a paint store. When you buy a can of paint, you have all of these choices. I am going to walk around and ask each one of you to choose your favorite color. You can only pick one. (walk to each child, have them choose a color and announce the color) That's wonderful, we didn't all choose the same color did we? (let them answer)
Having a choice is very important. A long time ago, God made an important choice. He chose one nation of people to be his people. They were to be his teachers, prophets, and preachers. They were to tell the rest of the world about how God worked, made law, blessed nations, and loved them. Do you know who he chose? (let them answer) You are close. He chose a nation of Hebrew people, the followers of Abraham who later became know as the Israelites. Have you ever heard of the nation of Israel? (let them answer)
It was really more than a choice. The Bible teaches us that God adopted the Israelites. Do you know what it means to be adopted? (let them answer) When parents adopt children, they promise the world that they will raise the child and share all that they have with their child. God said that all of the people of Israel were his children. He adopted them.
Today we may call them the Jewish people. Jewish people live all over the world today. Are they still the chosen people of God? (let them answer) They are, but now they share the honor with all who believe in Jesus.
You and I are also chosen by God through our baptism and we also belong to God. So this is something we share with our Jewish friends. They are chosen and we are chosen and we all belong to the same Father.
The next time you have to make a choice perhaps you will think about how God chose a people thousands of years ago and then shares that promise with you and me when we are baptized.
