Good tenants pay what is due
Children's sermon
Object:
an apple
Good morning! What do I have here? (Show the apple and let
them answer.) Yes, this is an apple and it came from an apple
orchard. Now, let's pretend that you want to go into business
raising apples, but you don't own an orchard, and you don't own
any land on which to plant apple trees. How are you going to get
into the apple business? (Let them try to answer. They probably
won't have any idea.)
One way you could do it is to be a
sharecropper. You would agree to take care of somebody else's
orchard and do all the work in raising the apples in that
orchard. Then, when the apples were harvested, you would give the
owner a share of the apples and sell the rest. Do you think that
would be fair? (Let them answer.)
Jesus once told a story about some sharecroppers who agreed
to do that, but when it came time to give the owner his share,
they wouldn't do it. Instead, they beat up the guy who came to
collect the owner's share and threw him out of the orchard. When
the owner sent his own son to collect his share, these
sharecroppers killed the son! What do you think the owner ought
to do with those people? (Let them answer.) When Jesus told this
story, he was really talking about Israel. The people there were
God's chosen people, and He had given them their land. But, the
people beat up the prophets that God sent to them, and when Jesus
came to them, they killed him. Because they rejected God and
didn't give Him what they should, they were no longer God's
special people. God made all the people who believed in Jesus His
special people, and He expects them to do what He wants them to
do.
Who are God's special people today? (Let them answer.) Yes,
we are God's special people because we believe in His Son and we
try to give God what we should. We all try to obey God and
remember that all that we have is really His. We treat His
messengers with respect and we love His Son, Jesus. Let's thank
God for making us His special people.
Dear God: Thank You for making us Your special people. Help us to
be good tenants that always pay what is due to You, the real
owner of all that we have. Amen.
them answer.) Yes, this is an apple and it came from an apple
orchard. Now, let's pretend that you want to go into business
raising apples, but you don't own an orchard, and you don't own
any land on which to plant apple trees. How are you going to get
into the apple business? (Let them try to answer. They probably
won't have any idea.)
One way you could do it is to be a
sharecropper. You would agree to take care of somebody else's
orchard and do all the work in raising the apples in that
orchard. Then, when the apples were harvested, you would give the
owner a share of the apples and sell the rest. Do you think that
would be fair? (Let them answer.)
Jesus once told a story about some sharecroppers who agreed
to do that, but when it came time to give the owner his share,
they wouldn't do it. Instead, they beat up the guy who came to
collect the owner's share and threw him out of the orchard. When
the owner sent his own son to collect his share, these
sharecroppers killed the son! What do you think the owner ought
to do with those people? (Let them answer.) When Jesus told this
story, he was really talking about Israel. The people there were
God's chosen people, and He had given them their land. But, the
people beat up the prophets that God sent to them, and when Jesus
came to them, they killed him. Because they rejected God and
didn't give Him what they should, they were no longer God's
special people. God made all the people who believed in Jesus His
special people, and He expects them to do what He wants them to
do.
Who are God's special people today? (Let them answer.) Yes,
we are God's special people because we believe in His Son and we
try to give God what we should. We all try to obey God and
remember that all that we have is really His. We treat His
messengers with respect and we love His Son, Jesus. Let's thank
God for making us His special people.
Dear God: Thank You for making us Your special people. Help us to
be good tenants that always pay what is due to You, the real
owner of all that we have. Amen.
