Idols
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
A wooden cow in a cardboard box.
"We're going to talk about the second of the ten commandments today. Does anyone know which one that is?" As the silence following my question grows, I coach the children.
"We talked about the first one last week, remember? It is 'You shall have no other gods.' Now, can you remember the second one?"
"Don't make graven images," Charles offers.
"That's right," I affirm. " 'Don't make graven images.' Another way to say that is 'don't make idols.' God gave that commandment because God wants us to worship and trust only God, not something we have made ourselves.
"But sometimes, particularly sometimes when we are lost or afraid, it's hard to remember that. A long time ago, the Israelites had the same problem. They had escaped from Egypt and followed Moses and his brother Aaron into the wilderness.
"At a place called Mount Sinai, Moses left the people to go climb the mountain and talk to God. But he was gone such a very long time, the Israelites began to fear that Moses wasn't coming back. Furthermore, they had never actually seen God and they were beginning to think God wasn't real or that God had abandoned them.
"Finally, they got so afraid, they went to Moses' brother, Aaron. They said, 'We're afraid out here in the wilderness without Moses and God. We want you to make us some gods to worship.'
"Now Aaron knew as well as any of them that God had expressly forbidden the creation or worship of idols. But Aaron wanted to please the people. So, he decided to do what they asked, even though he knew it wasn't right.
"Aaron told the people to gather up all of their jewelry and bring it to him. When they had done so, Aaron put it all in a big pot and melted it. Then he poured the liquid gold into a mold and made a statue of a calf.
"The people were very pleased and had a huge celebration. They thanked Aaron and worshiped the golden calf, saying it was the god who had brought them out of Egypt!
"Needless to say, this made God very angry. After everything God had done for them to get them out of Egypt, they were worshiping and praising this statue, this idol, this golden calf Aaron had made for them!
At this point I open the cardboard box that has been in front of the children all this time, and lift out a wooden cow.
"This cow is not made out of gold; it's not even metal. But it should help us figure a few things out," I suggest.
"Let's take a close look at it. It has eyes, doesn't it?" The children nod affirmatively.
"Can it see?"
"No!" they respond.
"It's just a piece of wood!" Tommy adds.
"That's right," I agree. "Okay ... I see it has a nose. Can it smell?"
"No," the children answer as one voice.
"Well, it has legs ... Can it walk?"
"Of course not!" Jennifer says with an edge of impatience.
"The legs don't even move," Robert protests.
"Yes, you're right. Let's see ... It has a mouth. Can it speak?"
By this time most of the children are enjoying these obviously absurd questions because there is little doubt of the correct response, which they offer with great vigor: "NO!"
"Well, what about all of you?" I ask, changing the focus of their attention. "You all have eyes. Can you see?"
"YES!" comes the loud affirmative chorus.
"And you have ears. Can you hear?"
"YES!" they answer with greater volume.
"And you have noses. Can you smell?"
"YES!" This time their answer is mixed with numerous giggles.
"And it's obvious that you not only have mouths, but you can talk -- because you keep answering my questions. So, what is the difference between you and this wooden cow?"
"We're alive!" Patrick responds with assurance.
"Oh! So you are," I agree, "and this wooden cow is not. Do you think God made this cow?"
"No," several children answer.
"Well then, who did?"
"A person," John replies.
"Yes," I continue, "a person did make it. And that's why there is such a big difference between it and all of you. Because GOD made you, AND gave you life. Only God can create and give life.
"The problem with idols is they are not alive. They cannot hear us or see us or touch us or understand us or love us. But God, the creator and giver of life, is very much able to do all of those things -- and does.
"It is the spirit God has placed within you that makes you alive. It is the spirit within you that makes it possible for you to have relationships with other people and with God. You can't have a relationship with an idol like this cow because it has no spirit with which to respond to yours.
"Sometimes, when we are afraid, we will do really silly things. That's what the Israelites did in the wilderness when they made and worshiped the golden calf. They put their trust in an idol that could not possibly help them in their need because it wasn't alive, it had no spirit.
"To keep us from doing that, God gave us the second commandment -- so we will remember to put our trust, our faith, where it belongs -- in God. God made us, and only God deserves our deepest devotion, our worship, our trusting faith."
"We talked about the first one last week, remember? It is 'You shall have no other gods.' Now, can you remember the second one?"
"Don't make graven images," Charles offers.
"That's right," I affirm. " 'Don't make graven images.' Another way to say that is 'don't make idols.' God gave that commandment because God wants us to worship and trust only God, not something we have made ourselves.
"But sometimes, particularly sometimes when we are lost or afraid, it's hard to remember that. A long time ago, the Israelites had the same problem. They had escaped from Egypt and followed Moses and his brother Aaron into the wilderness.
"At a place called Mount Sinai, Moses left the people to go climb the mountain and talk to God. But he was gone such a very long time, the Israelites began to fear that Moses wasn't coming back. Furthermore, they had never actually seen God and they were beginning to think God wasn't real or that God had abandoned them.
"Finally, they got so afraid, they went to Moses' brother, Aaron. They said, 'We're afraid out here in the wilderness without Moses and God. We want you to make us some gods to worship.'
"Now Aaron knew as well as any of them that God had expressly forbidden the creation or worship of idols. But Aaron wanted to please the people. So, he decided to do what they asked, even though he knew it wasn't right.
"Aaron told the people to gather up all of their jewelry and bring it to him. When they had done so, Aaron put it all in a big pot and melted it. Then he poured the liquid gold into a mold and made a statue of a calf.
"The people were very pleased and had a huge celebration. They thanked Aaron and worshiped the golden calf, saying it was the god who had brought them out of Egypt!
"Needless to say, this made God very angry. After everything God had done for them to get them out of Egypt, they were worshiping and praising this statue, this idol, this golden calf Aaron had made for them!
At this point I open the cardboard box that has been in front of the children all this time, and lift out a wooden cow.
"This cow is not made out of gold; it's not even metal. But it should help us figure a few things out," I suggest.
"Let's take a close look at it. It has eyes, doesn't it?" The children nod affirmatively.
"Can it see?"
"No!" they respond.
"It's just a piece of wood!" Tommy adds.
"That's right," I agree. "Okay ... I see it has a nose. Can it smell?"
"No," the children answer as one voice.
"Well, it has legs ... Can it walk?"
"Of course not!" Jennifer says with an edge of impatience.
"The legs don't even move," Robert protests.
"Yes, you're right. Let's see ... It has a mouth. Can it speak?"
By this time most of the children are enjoying these obviously absurd questions because there is little doubt of the correct response, which they offer with great vigor: "NO!"
"Well, what about all of you?" I ask, changing the focus of their attention. "You all have eyes. Can you see?"
"YES!" comes the loud affirmative chorus.
"And you have ears. Can you hear?"
"YES!" they answer with greater volume.
"And you have noses. Can you smell?"
"YES!" This time their answer is mixed with numerous giggles.
"And it's obvious that you not only have mouths, but you can talk -- because you keep answering my questions. So, what is the difference between you and this wooden cow?"
"We're alive!" Patrick responds with assurance.
"Oh! So you are," I agree, "and this wooden cow is not. Do you think God made this cow?"
"No," several children answer.
"Well then, who did?"
"A person," John replies.
"Yes," I continue, "a person did make it. And that's why there is such a big difference between it and all of you. Because GOD made you, AND gave you life. Only God can create and give life.
"The problem with idols is they are not alive. They cannot hear us or see us or touch us or understand us or love us. But God, the creator and giver of life, is very much able to do all of those things -- and does.
"It is the spirit God has placed within you that makes you alive. It is the spirit within you that makes it possible for you to have relationships with other people and with God. You can't have a relationship with an idol like this cow because it has no spirit with which to respond to yours.
"Sometimes, when we are afraid, we will do really silly things. That's what the Israelites did in the wilderness when they made and worshiped the golden calf. They put their trust in an idol that could not possibly help them in their need because it wasn't alive, it had no spirit.
"To keep us from doing that, God gave us the second commandment -- so we will remember to put our trust, our faith, where it belongs -- in God. God made us, and only God deserves our deepest devotion, our worship, our trusting faith."
