Who is number one?
Children's sermon
Object:
The number 1. Have enough large 1's to hand out to each of the children.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like arithmetic? (let them answer) This is very easy arithmetic. There is only one number. I am going to pass out this number, and I want everyone to take a good look at it and see if you can tell me what the number is that I am giving you. Please don't say anything until everyone has his or her number. (hand out the 1's) Now, everyone tell me what number you have in your hand. (let them answer) Tell me again. (let them answer -- a little louder) Does everyone have a "1"? Very good! This number 1 stands for something that is really important.
Saint Paul wrote a letter to the people of Ephesus and he told them that they should learn the number 1. He told the people that they had one body and one Spirit. He said that each one of them had one hope and that hope was in one Lord. He said also that each person had one faith and they should be baptized one time. He also said there was only one God. So the number 1 is very important.
Think about it: How many bodies do you have? (let them answer) None of you have two bodies, do you? A body has arms and legs and ears and eyes and a nose and hair and all of those parts, but there is only one body. Paul said you have only one spirit. Inside, outside, above, and under you there is only one spirit. Paul also said that we have one faith, which means the only Savior we believe in is Jesus Christ. We are baptized only one time and that makes us a part of the family of God. And Paul said there is only one God, and we have always known that there is only one God.
Sometimes people get it confused. They say that they are number 1. They think that they are so important that they come before Jesus, their faith, their love of God, and everything else. But Paul had it right. He said hold up that number 1 and believe that your body, spirit, hope, faith, Lord, and God are all number 1 and everything else is number 2 or 3 or maybe even 4 or 5.
When you go home, I would like for you to take your number 1 and put it someplace really important, like the refrigerator door or the mirror in your bedroom or in the window of your car, so that you will always know that God is number 1.
Saint Paul wrote a letter to the people of Ephesus and he told them that they should learn the number 1. He told the people that they had one body and one Spirit. He said that each one of them had one hope and that hope was in one Lord. He said also that each person had one faith and they should be baptized one time. He also said there was only one God. So the number 1 is very important.
Think about it: How many bodies do you have? (let them answer) None of you have two bodies, do you? A body has arms and legs and ears and eyes and a nose and hair and all of those parts, but there is only one body. Paul said you have only one spirit. Inside, outside, above, and under you there is only one spirit. Paul also said that we have one faith, which means the only Savior we believe in is Jesus Christ. We are baptized only one time and that makes us a part of the family of God. And Paul said there is only one God, and we have always known that there is only one God.
Sometimes people get it confused. They say that they are number 1. They think that they are so important that they come before Jesus, their faith, their love of God, and everything else. But Paul had it right. He said hold up that number 1 and believe that your body, spirit, hope, faith, Lord, and God are all number 1 and everything else is number 2 or 3 or maybe even 4 or 5.
When you go home, I would like for you to take your number 1 and put it someplace really important, like the refrigerator door or the mirror in your bedroom or in the window of your car, so that you will always know that God is number 1.
