Paul Meets A Celebrity
Children's sermon
The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons
Matthew To Revelation
Object: none
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever met a celebrity? (let them answer) A celebrity would be someone who is well known because of a talent he has or because he is a government official, or because he is rich. Movie stars, baseball and football players, presidents and kings, and owners of large companies are usually celebrities. When we meet people like this we usually feel different from when we meet other people like ourselves. They seem so powerful or beautiful that we act differently from the way we do with our family or friends. Sometimes we talk differently and we try to impress them with the things that we know about them or things that they are interested in doing. It is easy for us to change into a different person from what we really are.
Paul had a chance to be like a changed person. As you know, there were a lot of people who wanted Paul imprisoned and some who wanted him killed. They did not like the things he taught about Jesus because he was changing people's minds. Many of the men and women who were Jews and many who were Gentiles were beginning to believe in Jesus, and they were being baptized and made Christians. So the people who did not like what Paul said had him arrested and asked for him to be put to death. He was arrested and put in prison.
A few days later he was brought to court and heard by the Roman governor, who was the most powerful person in all of Israel. Now you would think that a person would act a little differently when he met the most powerful person in his land. Not Paul. He spoke right out and told the Roman governor, Festus, how he had become a Christian. He also told Festus why the Jewish authorities were against him. Festus did not understand the arguments between Paul and the Jewish authorities, but he was sure that whatever Paul did was not bad enough to be killed. He did not know what to do, but Paul demanded that he have a chance to speak to the Emperor Caesar who was the most powerful man in the world. Festus agreed that he should have the chance that he asked for.
The next day the Jewish king, Agrippa, who was appointed by Caesar, came to the home of Festus, the Roman governor. Festus told King Agrippa about Paul, and Agrippa said that he wanted to meet and hear Paul. Festus was glad, and he made arrangements for Paul to be brought back to court the next day. When Paul arrived at court and was introduced to King Agrippa by Governor Festus, Paul was delighted. He could hardly wait to tell Agrippa about all that he believed. He preached about Jesus and how Jesus did everything that the prophets had said that the Son of God would do when he was born into the world. It was a wonderful sermon.
Agrippa was overwhelmed. He knew that Paul expected him to believe. He could hardly keep up with Paul's enthusiasm. Finally he broke in and told Paul to stop. Agrippa said, "You want to make me a Christian in a few moments." Paul told him that he wished that everyone could be as happy as he was except for the chains and being a prisoner. Paul felt that Jesus was the answer for everyone. It did not make any difference if you were rich or poor, king or peasant, famous or not famous. That's still true: Jesus is the answer for everyone.
Governor Festus and King Agrippa could not get over Paul and the way that he believed. They did agree that he had done nothing wrong and that he should not be kept in prison. But since Paul had insisted on having his side told to the emperor, and since he was a Roman citizen, there was nothing that they could do but send him to Rome. Paul was glad for the opportunity to speak to Caesar and could hardly wait to go.
Maybe the next time you are asked to stand or be near someone famous, you will remember that Paul did not try to be someone different. He was the same to the governor and the king that he was to the people in the street. Paul was a man of God and a brother to every person.
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever met a celebrity? (let them answer) A celebrity would be someone who is well known because of a talent he has or because he is a government official, or because he is rich. Movie stars, baseball and football players, presidents and kings, and owners of large companies are usually celebrities. When we meet people like this we usually feel different from when we meet other people like ourselves. They seem so powerful or beautiful that we act differently from the way we do with our family or friends. Sometimes we talk differently and we try to impress them with the things that we know about them or things that they are interested in doing. It is easy for us to change into a different person from what we really are.
Paul had a chance to be like a changed person. As you know, there were a lot of people who wanted Paul imprisoned and some who wanted him killed. They did not like the things he taught about Jesus because he was changing people's minds. Many of the men and women who were Jews and many who were Gentiles were beginning to believe in Jesus, and they were being baptized and made Christians. So the people who did not like what Paul said had him arrested and asked for him to be put to death. He was arrested and put in prison.
A few days later he was brought to court and heard by the Roman governor, who was the most powerful person in all of Israel. Now you would think that a person would act a little differently when he met the most powerful person in his land. Not Paul. He spoke right out and told the Roman governor, Festus, how he had become a Christian. He also told Festus why the Jewish authorities were against him. Festus did not understand the arguments between Paul and the Jewish authorities, but he was sure that whatever Paul did was not bad enough to be killed. He did not know what to do, but Paul demanded that he have a chance to speak to the Emperor Caesar who was the most powerful man in the world. Festus agreed that he should have the chance that he asked for.
The next day the Jewish king, Agrippa, who was appointed by Caesar, came to the home of Festus, the Roman governor. Festus told King Agrippa about Paul, and Agrippa said that he wanted to meet and hear Paul. Festus was glad, and he made arrangements for Paul to be brought back to court the next day. When Paul arrived at court and was introduced to King Agrippa by Governor Festus, Paul was delighted. He could hardly wait to tell Agrippa about all that he believed. He preached about Jesus and how Jesus did everything that the prophets had said that the Son of God would do when he was born into the world. It was a wonderful sermon.
Agrippa was overwhelmed. He knew that Paul expected him to believe. He could hardly keep up with Paul's enthusiasm. Finally he broke in and told Paul to stop. Agrippa said, "You want to make me a Christian in a few moments." Paul told him that he wished that everyone could be as happy as he was except for the chains and being a prisoner. Paul felt that Jesus was the answer for everyone. It did not make any difference if you were rich or poor, king or peasant, famous or not famous. That's still true: Jesus is the answer for everyone.
Governor Festus and King Agrippa could not get over Paul and the way that he believed. They did agree that he had done nothing wrong and that he should not be kept in prison. But since Paul had insisted on having his side told to the emperor, and since he was a Roman citizen, there was nothing that they could do but send him to Rome. Paul was glad for the opportunity to speak to Caesar and could hardly wait to go.
Maybe the next time you are asked to stand or be near someone famous, you will remember that Paul did not try to be someone different. He was the same to the governor and the king that he was to the people in the street. Paul was a man of God and a brother to every person.
