Childrens Sermon Service

Hi everyone! Happy New Year! (Let them respond.)

Isn’t it exciting to start a brand new year? (Let them respond.) Especially after last year, huh? Wow, that was quite a year, wasn’t it? (Let them respond.) Last year started out like other years, but then the virus came, and that sure change things, didn’t it? (Let them respond.) It has really been a hard year for people everywhere. We had to be really careful where we went, and what we did. And what about school? (Let them respond.) Right, we started the year going to school, and then we couldn’t go, and then we did go, and then we couldn’t go again. And it is really sad because we know a lot of people got really sick, and a lot of people died, and that made it pretty scary sometimes didn’t it? (Let them respond.) Yeah, really scary.We were just really lucky to have so many wonderful nurses and doctors and the other people who have worked so hard to take care of those people who got sick. And I’m just really glad we are here today so we can start a new year together.

It looks like the new year is still going to be hard, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) The virus is still here and people are still getting sick, so we still have to be very careful don’t we? (Let them respond.) We don’t know what we’ll do about school, or when we will be able to do other things we used to do, so even though we have a new year it looks like it is still going to be kind of frustrating doesn’t it? And it is still kind of scary, isn’t it? (Let them respond.)

I’ve heard a lot of people talk about all the hard and scary things happening and wondering why God doesn’t do something about them. I have heard people say, “Where is God? Why isn’t God here to help us?” Have you ever wondered that? (Let them respond.)

Well, you know, I heard something that Jesus said one day that makes me feel a little better about that and makes me feel better about the new year, too. And, it makes it a lot less scary for me.

One day Jesus told the people that some of them had been doing the things God wanted them to do and some of them had not been doing those things. The people were confused and said, “well, which ones of us are doing what God wants us to do and which ones of us aren’t?” Jesus said that sometimes when God had come to visit them God was hungry, and some of them fed God but others didn’t. And he said that sometimes when God came to visit them God was thirsty, and some of them gave God a drink but others didn’t. And he said that other times God came to visit them but was sick, and some of them took God inside their house to get help, but others didn’t do that either.

Now the people were really confused. They said, “Now, wait a minute. When did we ever see God? If God ever came to our house and was hungry, or thirsty, or sick, we would have cooked a big banquet, made a big pitcher of iced tea, and gone down to the drugstore to get whatever God needed. So, you just tell us when we saw God and we did not help?”

You know, I’ll bet that if God ever came to your house and was hungry, or thirsty, or sick, you would do something wouldn’t you? (Let them respond.) Yeah. But have you ever seen God come to your house? The people Jesus was talking to were sure they had never seen God come to their houses.

Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. Anytime you did not do those things for anyone else around you, you did not do them for me.”

Jesus told them that anytime someone had come to them and was hungry, or thirsty, or sick, it was just like God had come to them. And if they refused to help that person, no matter who they thought that person was, it was like they refused to help God. God was right there, but they just did not recognize that it was God at all.

(Hold up calendar, flip through the pages.)

You know, that story makes me think about two things as we start a new year. We have all of these days and weeks ahead of this year. We know some of them will be hard since the virus is still here, don’t we?  (Let them respond.) But Jesus remind us that God will be right here on every one of those days, even if we don’t see anyone that looks like God. It might be someone needing something, or someone helping someone, but God will be with us every day of the new year. We will never be alone.

And the other thing the story reminds me about is that God is right there with every person I meet every day. I might not see God there, and they might not look or act like God is with them, but I want to remember to treat that person just like I would treat God, no matter what they look like, or where they are from.

So, no matter how tough this new year might be, I’m going to try and remember that God is right here with me and is with every person I meet every day. Do you think you can try to remember that too? (Let them respond.) That is awesome!

Let’s say a prayer to ask God to help us remember just how special everyone around us is and ask God to help us remember that when we take care of each other, we are caring of God.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember to care of the people around us just like Jesus cares for us. Amen.