Telling the truth
Children's sermon
Object:
a pair of winter gloves or mittens
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like to play in
the snow? (Let them answer.) I brought a pair of gloves with me.
When you are playing in the snow what can you do with gloves?
(Let them answer.) Have any of you ever made a snowman in the
snow? (Let them answer.) That's what I used these gloves for. I
want to tell you the story about some friends who made a snowman.
There was a group of friends. They were playing in the snow. They decided to make a big snowman. They worked very hard and constructed as big a snowman as they could. When they finished they were very proud of it. As they were looking at their finished product, another of their friends came along. He told them that their snowman looked good, but that it was leaning over. He told them that if they didn't fix it that it would fall over. The friends who made the snowman became angry when they heard this. They became so angry that they began to make snowballs. They threw the snowballs at their friend. They told their friend that he was crazy to say anything like that. They chased him away. Even so, he had told the truth. Their snowman was about to tip over.
This story reminds me of something that happened to Jesus, but it didn't involve building a snowman. Jesus was visiting his hometown. He visited his church there. While he was at worship he read the Bible. Everyone who sat listening to what Jesus read was sure that only God could do what they heard Jesus read about. But Jesus said that he himself would do it. Jesus' friends decided that Jesus must have thought that he was God. They all decided that he must be crazy. They became angry with Jesus. They were so angry that they chased him out of church. They chased him to a cliff. They were so angry that they were about to kill him! Jesus simply walked away from them. He was just like the boy and the snowman. He told his friends the truth but they didn't believe him.
The next time you are out in the snow building a snowman, remember Jesus. Jesus told the truth, but it made his friends angry. Jesus said that he is God's son. He came to earth to share God's love with all of us. Sometimes some people don't want to listen to what Jesus has to say. As Christians, however, we want to listen to what Jesus tells us.
There was a group of friends. They were playing in the snow. They decided to make a big snowman. They worked very hard and constructed as big a snowman as they could. When they finished they were very proud of it. As they were looking at their finished product, another of their friends came along. He told them that their snowman looked good, but that it was leaning over. He told them that if they didn't fix it that it would fall over. The friends who made the snowman became angry when they heard this. They became so angry that they began to make snowballs. They threw the snowballs at their friend. They told their friend that he was crazy to say anything like that. They chased him away. Even so, he had told the truth. Their snowman was about to tip over.
This story reminds me of something that happened to Jesus, but it didn't involve building a snowman. Jesus was visiting his hometown. He visited his church there. While he was at worship he read the Bible. Everyone who sat listening to what Jesus read was sure that only God could do what they heard Jesus read about. But Jesus said that he himself would do it. Jesus' friends decided that Jesus must have thought that he was God. They all decided that he must be crazy. They became angry with Jesus. They were so angry that they chased him out of church. They chased him to a cliff. They were so angry that they were about to kill him! Jesus simply walked away from them. He was just like the boy and the snowman. He told his friends the truth but they didn't believe him.
The next time you are out in the snow building a snowman, remember Jesus. Jesus told the truth, but it made his friends angry. Jesus said that he is God's son. He came to earth to share God's love with all of us. Sometimes some people don't want to listen to what Jesus has to say. As Christians, however, we want to listen to what Jesus tells us.
