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Children’s Sermon

Children’s Sermon

Matthew 25:31-46

The Sheep And The Goats

November 26, 2023

Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Year A

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ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
[Hold up an extension cord] Can you tell me what this is? (an extension cord!)
And what does it do? (it helps bring power/electricity to a place where there is not power/electricity)
Do you mean you might use it for a lamp that’s too far away from an electric outlet? (yes, like a lamp)
And what happens if the extension cord isn’t long enough? (Then you get a longer extension cord…or you move the lamp)
But what if you can’t move the lamp and you don’t have a longer extension cord…can you just unplug the extension cord you already have from the wall and bring it over to the lamp? Wouldn’t that fix the problem? (NO! Because the extension cord has to be plugged in to be able to send the power)
Oh…I see…so THAT’S why none of my lamps at home work!

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

Well, it just so happens, that in today’s scripture story, Jesus tells a story that’s very similar to the idea of an extension cord.
But instead of extension cords, he’s talking about people, and instead of plugging those people into an electric outlet (which would be dangerous!), he’s talking about how the people can be plugged into God.
And when they are plugged in, Jesus says that those people are then better able to share God’s love, light, and power with the people around them – especially with people who are not doing so well.
Jesus calls those people who share God’s love, light, and power, “sheep,” in today’s scripture story.
Jesus then says there are other people who are supposed to be plugged into God but are not plugged in – like the extension cords at my house.
Jesus calls those people, “goats,” in today’s story.
Jesus says the goats are people who were not plugged into God and then do not share God’s love, light, and power with the people around them – even with people who were not doing so well.

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

One of the main things Jesus taught his disciples was how they could be extension cords that plugged into God and then brought God’s power and gifts to other people.
And, because what Jesus taught the disciples about plugging into God’s power are told in the Bible stories – that means we can read those stories and learn to do the same things that Jesus was teaching the disciples to do.
In other words, we can learn from the Jesus stories how to be extension cords for God.
As we learn how to plug into God’s power, light, and love – then we are also learning how to be God’s sheep who share God’s love, light, and power with those who aren’t yet close enough to God to be able to plug into God’s power, light, and love on their own.
That’s right! You, me – all of us – are meant to know and then extend God’s love, light, and power to others – just like Jesus did.

And that is the Good News for today. Let’s pray.

CLOSING Prayer

This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,

Thank you for Jesus…

…who teaches us…

…how to receive…

…your love, light, and power.

…so that we can extend…

…your love, light, and power to others.

Thank you and amen.

Originally posted November 2, 2014

Updated on October 29, 2023
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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Supplies: An electrical extension cord

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