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
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