Tonight was our second AWANA club meeting of the year. It was another great time with the kid's and adult helpers. We still had a few of our helpers out on vacation, but one of them returned from visiting family back east. It was great to see them back. It was my turn again to present an object lesson during Council Time. Last week I came wrapped up in lights and garland from taking down our holiday decorations. In keeping with that holiday theme brought in two belated Christmas presents - boxes.
One was a large beautifully wrapped box that was very appealing to the eye, the other box was poorly wrapped and look like it took a real beating during mail delivery. The appeal of one box over the other didn't escape my audience this night. I reminded them how irresistible certain gifts can be over other gifts especially during Christmas time. We wonder which gift is ours under the tree. We try to tell what's inside by shaking the gift. Is it heavy? Is it a big gift? When asked, a few of them even stated they sometimes they rip the corner of the wrapping paper to get a peek inside? But ultimately everyone agreed's that we can't know the value of a gift by the way its wrapped.
Oh, how the kids just couldn't wait to open the package to see the gift. With the assistance from one of the kid's we removed the wrapping paper from the beautifully gift first. After opening the box I removed a bunch of paper used for stuffing, then an bent candle snuffer, some strips of foam padding, a wilted carrot, shoggy green onions, followed by a couple of crushed emptied milk cartons. By this time the kids realized that although this gift looked good on the outside it was rotten on the inside with garbage.
I pointed out that the Bible talks about things looking good on the outside, but are sometimes rotten on the inside. Told them the story of how certain people in Biblical times would whitewash (paint) the outside of the graves of respected people who had died. Jesus told these people that their hearts were like these whitewash graves, beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside. Also I pointed out that in Matthew 15:1-20 certain people were confused about what was clean and unclean. Verse 19 was the focus of this story, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts"..."these are what make a man unclean". To simplify it I explain that the only way to tell a bad dog from a good dog, is not by the way it looks, but by the way it acts. It the same with people.
In Acts 2:38-41 the Apostle Peter pointed out to a crowd of people that it was their sins, collectively and individually, that put Christ to death on the cross. And the people asked with heavy hearts "what shall we do?" Peter told them to repent, be baptized in Christ name for the forgiveness of their sins. In so doing they would "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". Then going to Romans 6:23 we find that "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Although we are rotten on the inside God gives us his gift, if we but repent and believe Christ died for our sins.
Then opening the ugly beaten up gift we find to everyone's delight numerous little packets of sweet candy. I explained that the message of the Gospel is a lot like this beaten up gift. It may look un-attractive to most people but the true value can only be know if God reveals it to you. Once the truth is reveal about the cost of the gift (Christ) to save us, then this gift becomes the most valued possession we will ever receive. Ended our AWANA time passing out the sweet candy to everyone who desired a piece. Our prayer is that these truth take root and produce the first fruits of faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment