JESUS CALLS US TO COME (AND GO)
Scripture: Matthew 4:18-22 (NLT)
Season/Sunday: Any
Focus: Jesus’ invitation to us as his disciples is an invitation into a relationship in order that we may see who he is and seek to be like him. Just as he invited those first disciples to come into a partnership, so he still calls and invites us to come to him today. Of course, eventually in the Gospel narrative Jesus also tells the disciples to go. That might not feel like a relational gesture, but he has a reason for it; and even as he tells them to go, he promises to be with them.
Experience: The children and the leader will move around the sanctuary to experience “coming” and “going.”
Arrangements: None are needed, but be sure you use the words come and go often and with lots of emphasis!
Leader: | I would like to invite the children to come and join me in the front of the sanctuary. I am so glad you could come and join me. Now that we are all settled in, I would like you all to get up and go to the back of the sanctuary (direct them to a specific spot, for example, the back doors, the center aisle, or near the last pew). |
Children: | (Move to spot indicated.) |
Leader: | You did a great job following instructions, but now you are so far away from me. Maybe I just need to come to where you are so we will be together (move to join children). Now that we are all together, come with me to the front of the sanctuary, and let’s sit down there. |
Children: | This is a lot of exercise! |
Leader: | (As you reassemble) Today our Bible story tells about a time when Jesus invited some people to come and follow him. The men were busy doing their work as fishermen, catching fish to sell in the markets. Jesus said to them, “ ‘Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ And they left their nets at once and went with him. A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind” (Matthew 4:19-22 NLT, emphasis added). When I told you to come to the front of the church, we were very close. When I told you to go, did it seem as if we were close? |
Children: | No! |
Leader: | When I came to join you in the back of the church, were we close? |
Children: | Yes! |
Leader: | So we might say that when we are invited to come, it is time to be close, like what Jesus did with Simon, Andrew, James, and John in our story today. Jesus invited them to come, and they got to be close with Jesus. When you invite friends to come to your house to play, you get to be close to them. When people invite you to come to eat, you get to be close to them. But Jesus invited the fishermen to come be with him, and they learned wonderful things and got to know Jesus. They learned that Jesus was the Son of God and how Jesus loved and cared for people and that coming to him meant they should care for and love people like he did. That happened because they came when he invited them to come. Did you know that Jesus still calls us to come? What happens when we come to Jesus? |
Children: | We get close to him! |
Leader: | That’s right! When we come to Jesus and we feel ourselves in his presence, we get a little closer to him and want to be like him. And then, Jesus also asks us to go, to go out into the world, to go to people who need our help, to go and share the good news of Jesus’ love and how God wants people to come and be like Jesus too. And it’s also good news that no matter if we are coming or going, Jesus is with us! Let’s have a prayer and ask Jesus to help us come to him every day and become more like him every day. (Prayer) |
Paula Hoffman
(The Abingdon Children’s Sermon Library, vol. 1, ed. Brant D. Baker © 2006 by Abingdon Press. Adapted and used by permission.)