Teaching 1 Peter 4:1-11

[This is our second last session on 1 Peter]

3-5s

Theme: Copy Jesus by loving one another as we wait for Him to come back

Intro:

Copy me – tell the children that one leader is a follower of Jesus and one isn’t. They are to copy the follower and ignore the other leader. Do some basic repetitive actions such as patting your head, jumping up and down, etc. The other leader tries to put them off.

Bible story:

[There are no obvious story elements in the passage this week, so we will base it around application]

Who can remember who wrote the letter we’re looking at this term? Peter

This is Kevin the Christian [bring out figure/picture or puppet] and he is in the same class at school as Norman the Non-Christian [bring out another figure/picture or puppet]. Now Norman has been laughing at Kevin because he’s a follower of Jesus.

There are all sorts of things that Norman does because doesn’t know Jesus and the forgiveness Jesus brings. So Norman doesn’t do what the teacher asks him to do, he shouts back at his mum, he makes lots of other things more important than God like football and watching TV.

This was just like the people in Peter’s day who didn’t follow Jesus. But Peter says to the Christians, ‘Don’t worry, one day people like Norman will have to stand before God. And God will say to them, “Why have you lived like this?” And it will be horrible on that day for them!’ Read v4-5 (NCV)

Now Norman keeps trying to get Kevin to do what he’s doing. But Peter says, ‘No, don’t be like that. Instead copy Jesus!’

Jesus is the person we’re to copy. Read 4v1 (NCV). Peter says that because you’re suffering, because you’re being laughed at for following Jesus, that shows you that you’re a Christian, you’ve been forgiven, and so sin isn’t your boss anymore. Jesus is. So live like Him.

So how should Kevin copy Jesus. [Have an outline of a body] Well, Peter tells us how. Let’s listen:

Read v7 – How should we copy Jesus?  We should be in control of what we do and pray [Stick on a picture of hands praying] Does this describe you?

Read v8 – How should we copy Jesus? Love. [Stick on a heart]. That’s a sort of love that doesn’t blame other people when they’ve done something wrong against you and so make the situation worse.

Read v9 – How should we copy Jesus? Open your homes [Stick on a picture of a house]. So we should look after people by having them round for meals and to play.

Read v10 – How should we copy Jesus? Serving [Stick a picture of a waiter on the outline] That means we make what other people need more important than what we need. [Give some good examples] How good are you at that?

Read v11 – How should we copy Jesus? Speaking about Jesus and using your abilities for others. [Stick on a picture of a tongue] So we are to encourage each other by reminding them of Jesus, talking about Jesus. And if we have a special ability, we’re to use that to help other people. [Give examples from your own life].

If we do this then people will see how brilliant Jesus is!

Pray

Activity

·        Stick on the pictures from the story onto a smaller outline

Songs

Follow follow, Stick with Jesus, No more tears (All from A Very, very Big God)

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5-11s

Theme: Copy Jesus by loving one another as we wait for Him to come back

Intro:

Follow on – have them in a line. The person at the front starts doing an action, the others need to copy. If they don’t, they’re out.

Mirror – Put them in pairs facing each other. One is the mirror and needs to copy what the other is doing.

Bible Teaching:

Recap – what have we been looking at? What can you tell me about the letter?

Remember, we’re aliens and strangers. We don’t belong here, we belong to Jesus.

Introduce Kevin the Christian and Norman the Non-Christian (Hang labels around their necks). They are in the same class at school, but Norman has been laughing at Kevin for being a Christian. Have any of you had that?

Norman lives differently because he doesn’t know Jesus and the forgiveness Jesus brings. What sort of things might Norman do? What sorts of things have you seen you’re non-Christian friends doing? [Take sensible suggestions and add a few]

Norman laughs at Kevin for not doing these things too. But here’s what Peter has to say to Kevin to encourage him:

Read v4-5. Norman is going to meet God one day and God will ask Norman why he’s lived the way he has.

And do you know what, because everyone will have to do that, we tell them about Jesus in the hope that they might know Jesus’ forgiveness too, because it’s not going to be very nice for Norman on that day, if he carries on as he is!

So what should Kevin do?

Read v1-2. He should copy Jesus. He’s part of Jesus’ kingdom, the fact that he’s being laughed at for being a Christian shows him that. This means that sin isn’t his boss anymore, but Jesus is. So give up the old sinful ways.

How do we copy Jesus? [At this point Norman can sit down]

Read v7. How do we copy Jesus? Control yourselves and pray. Attach picture of hands praying to Kevin. How good are you at doing this?

Read v8. How should we copy Jesus? Love. Stick a heart on Kevin. It’s a love that doesn’t make things worse if someone has sinned against us, it’s a love that forgives. How good are you at doing this?

Read v9. How are we to copy Jesus? Hospitality. Stick on a picture of a house. How good are you at doing this?

Read v10. How are we to copy Jesus? Serving. Stick on a picture of a waiter. How good are you at doing this?

Read v11. How are we to copy Jesus? Speaking. Stick on a picture of a tongue. How good are you at encouraging each other to follow Jesus?

Pray for specific things from above.

Sticking pictures from above on a body or funsheet

Pray for the suffering church (use Release Advent Calendar)

Spares – shadows: have a torch and shine at one child. All the other children need to stay in the shadow as it moves. Purpose – copying Jesus.

Teaching 1 Peter 3v8 to 22

3-5s

Theme: Like Noah we should do good things for those who don’t like us for following Jesus

Aim: That they learn to act kindly when people treat them badly for following Jesus

You will need an Ark and assorted people and animals

Intro:

What would you do if…someone takes your toy? Someone calls you a horrible name? Another child hits you?

Bible:

Remember, Peter is writing this letter to followers of Jesus. This week, he tells them a very old story about a man named Noah.

[main point: God is patiently waiting for those who say no to Him]

This is Noah [show the person]. Have any of you heard of Noah? [take answers]

All the people around Noah were being really bad, not trusting God and saying horrible things about God. But God didn’t send a big flood for a long time because He was waiting, He was patient, wanting those people to turn back to Him.

God is the same today. There are lots of people who don’t love and trust God, but He’s patiently waiting for them to turn back to Him.

[main point: God’s people will be treated badly like Noah]

So God told Noah to build a big boat. Noah was in the middle of the desert, there hadn’t been rain in ages and he was nowhere near a sea or river. The people laughed at Noah, ‘You and your stupid god! What are you doing?’ And they made faces and were really horrible to him. And when Noah started putting animals on board, well…[put on animals]

And, do you know, people will laugh at us for trusting God and believing in Jesus. They may say horrible things to us. They may do horrible things to us. They may call us names and laugh at Jesus.

[main point: We should treat people well even when they do this]

What do we do when people laugh at us for following Jesus or do horrible things? It’s right to tell a teacher or mum or dad. But should we call them names back when they call us names? No, Peter says we should say something loving to them. Should we hit them back when they hit us? No, Peter says we should do something lovely for them.

Listen to Peter – read v8-9, 15-17.

This is exactly what Jesus did, we should copy Him – read v18

[main point: one day everyone will see how great Jesus is]

Back to Noah. He’s built his boat and all the animals are in, but people are still laughing at him. What happened next?

The rains came and the floods rose – and people realised too late that Noah was right. And that Noah’s God really is God.

There will be a day when everyone sees that Jesus is the King – read v22

[conclusion – even when people treat us badly we should treat them well]

So when someone in your class says something horrible to you about following Jesus, what should you do?

When someone does something horrible to you because you’re a Christian, what should you do?

Pray

Activities:

• Gospel bracelets – Green (God made the world), Black (Sin came into the world), Red (Blood of Jesus), White (makes us clean again), Yellow (we will be in heaven forever) – learning to give an answer
• Noah picture – stick on people laughing at him

Songs

• Stick with Jesus, Follow, Follow and No More Tears (from A Very, Very Big God)

5-11s

Theme: Like Noah we should do good things for those who don’t like us for following Jesus

Aim: That they learn to act kindly when people treat them badly for following Jesus

Intro:

Talk about Jesus – some of the braver members stand up front and tell everyone what they know about Jesus. While they are doing this everyone else throws scrunched up paper at them.

Bible Teaching:

What do you do if: [Give a variety of not very nice things people sometimes do]?

Today, Peter is going to tell us that we should respond by blessing them, by doing something nice for them. The kindest thing we can do is to tell them about Jesus, but sometimes we don’t get that opportunity, so we do what we can to do them good.

Peter uses a very familiar story to teach them: the story of Noah

Just like in Noah’s day there were lots of people who didn’t love and trust God

[Have a Noah, and some other characters]

God told Noah that he was to build a big boat called an Ark [give Noah a hard hat and a hammer]

Noah was miles from the sea and living in a place with very little rain. The people around Noah thought he was really silly and laughed at him. [the Bible doesn’t say this, but this seems to be Peter’s point] This was just how Christians were being treated in Peter’s day.

Now Noah could have turned round and smacked them all with his hammer. But he didn’t. He carried on building. The Christians in Peter’s day could have fought back. But Peter said not to. Instead he said this:

[Have Peter read v8-14]

And the best way that the Christians could bless those who were horrible to them was to talk about Jesus [read v15-16]

Why? Well because one day God will send judgement and that will be horrible for those who say ‘No’ to Jesus. So for Noah, eventually the rains came and everyone saw too late that Noah was right and it was horrible for them. So too for people in Peter’s day and ours.

But for Noah, well he was rescued. And so too for us. We will go and be with Jesus forever. [Peter reads v21b and 22]

So while we wait for that day we are to do good even to those who treat us really badly for following Jesus. And the best way we can do good is by telling them about Jesus.

Apply – go back to example given at the beginning. How should they respond from what Peter says?

Table time

Make Gospel bracelets – Green (God made the world), Black (Sin came into the world), Red (Blood of Jesus), White (makes us clean again), Yellow (we will be in heaven forever) – learning to give an answer

Prayer

Pray for countries where Christians are suffering