Jesus' Angels

Sermon topic:  The God who chases us. He seeks us. He wants us in the kingdom. He doesn't give up on us.

Synopsis: A once esteemed Adventist is so badly hurt by church members he leaves the organisation and, becoming so disillusioned, throws away his faith altogether. Jesus, always chasing the lost, coordinates three angels to preach their messages, and ultimately have him choose to turn his eyes back on Jesus, who is there to receive him immediately. 

 

ANGEL 1:  Well, hello there!!

ANGEL 2:  Oh hi, guys!

ANGEL 3:  We’ll this is looking like an intriguing mission, to need all three of us!

 

ANGEL 1:  Yeah, I wonder what it’s going to be

ANGEL 2:  Find out shortly, I guess.

ANGEL 3:  So, what have you two be up to? Haven’t seen either of you in a millennium!

 

ANGEL 1:  Well, yesterday I had a mission holding back a mud slide, until the village was cleared.

ANGEL 2:  Oh, that’s a messy one!

ANGEL 3:  Good thing your clothing’s made of light!

 

ANGEL 1:  Ohhhhh yeah.

ANGEL 2:  How about you?

ANGEL 3:  Oh, just general traffic light duty for me yesterday, keeping things to a close shave.

 

ANGEL 1:  And how about you?

ANGEL 2:  I’ve just finished a stint on heaven’s worship team actually, playing drums.

ANGEL 3:  Oh! No wonder you’ve been sent back to earth!

[Jesus enters right of stage]

Jesus: Good morning, angels!

3 ANGELS: Good morning, Jesus!

JESUS: I'm sorry to pull you all into another mission so soon, but we've got a case that just can't wait.

{norm slide shows} Meet Norm. He’s a life-long Seventh-day Adventist, previously involved in his church, and avid reader of Record magazine.

Seperation from God but Jesus saves! [Childrens Story Object Lesson]

An object lesson children's story on the theme of 1 John 2:1 "But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." 

Teaching how sin separates us from God and it is practically impossible to live perfectly since leaving the garden of Eden and the tree of life. But we are in trouble because we need connection to God to live - but wait.... Jesus to the rescue!

Kids come up for a children challenge

Who knows what this is? [hold up quoits pole]

Today this represents the Tree of Life, or God who gives us life 

This ring [hold up quoit ring] represents your life. In order to live you need to connect to God. 

-- 

Everyone line up in front of this tree of life. [put stand on one extreme side of the stage]

We're going to take turns trying to put this ring, that represents your life, on the stand.

Let's go [the kids are so close they can literally place the ring on without missing.]

There we go, when humans were living in the Garden of Eden they were so close to God it was easy to connect with him. 

Power Up Puppets [5-act puppet play about powering up ones christian walk]

~Act 1 ~ Tuesday ~

STEVIE: All right, have you got your full armour on?

DAVE:  Yep.

STEVIE: Ok, let's get this dragon. And try not to get killed this time.

DAVE:  Wait, wait… I Just need some more chips…

STEVIE: Oh yeah, better powerup!

[chips crunch]

STEVIE: Ok I'll count to three and I'll distract the dragon and you shoot it.

DAVE:  Let’s do it!

STEVIE: OK. 1….2…. THREE!!

DAVE:  Hey, wait up! I thought you meant after three!

STEVIE: It’s above you, Shoot it, shoot it!

DAVE:  I can’t see it.

STEVIE: Oh, it’s got me.

DAVE:  Augh nuts. Me to!

STEVIE: Oh man. That was over quick. This is so hard.

DAVE:  We need to powerup our armour more I reckon.

STEVIE: Yeah, or eat more chips…

DAVE:  Don’t mind if I do. I gotta go home. More Minecraft tomorrow?

STEVIE: Yeah, we should mine for more diamonds, so we can power up our amour to maximum.

DAVE:  Sound’s good, can’t wait. See you at school. We can talk strategy at lunch time.

STEVIE: See ya, Dave.

DAVE:  By!

[Dave leaves, Fiona enters]

FIONA:  Hey Stevie, Can I borrow your headphones?

STEVIE: No. You’ll just break them.

FIONA:  NO I WONT!

STEVIE: Fiona, you break everything! It’s like it’s all you know how to do.

FIONA:  No I don’t

STEVIE: Well use YOUR headphones then!

FIONA:  I can’t.

STEVIE: Why not?

FIONA:  Because… I broke them.

Joseph Forgives [a modern day script of Joseph forgiving his brothers]

Narrator: competent and clear
Joe: Most general lines
Dad: one line
Brothers (and/or sisters) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6:  have lines.
Extras:  Can be added for participation as brothers or sisters.
~

NARRATOR: There once was a family in New Zealand that had many children.

[family walks in one at a time, spaced out a little between each other as they enter the room, taking turns saying hello as they enter.]

ALL: Hello, hello hello, hello….

NARRATOR: This big family had a sheep skin business. They made all sorts of things from sheep skin.

1.    I make sheep skin jackets
2.    I make sheep skin pants
3.    I make sheep skin hats
4.    I make sheep skin shoes
5.    I make sheep skin scarves
6.    I make sheep skin swimmers

NARRATOR: There was one brother that didn’t make anything, but he had lots of ideas that he loved to share with his family.

JOE: Hey guys, what about sheep skin letterbox?

The Comforter [Easter script]

An Easter themed drama, for 4. The Roman Centurion is visiting a counselor on Sunday morning - feeling guilty about killing the Son of God. 

[Two office chairs are on stage. Counsellor “Flavius” walks in yawning and with a cup of coffee. Secretus follows soon after with a clipboard to hand to the Counsellor]

Secretus: Your 8 o’clock is here [Hands clipboard to Counsellor]

Counsellor:  Thanks, send them in. [Yawns, sips coffee cup]

[Maximus comes in]

Counsellor:  Hi Maximus … Take a seat.  So how can I help you, on this … [not overly impressed] early… Sunday…. Morning?

Maximus: [stunned] I’m very stressed.... I haven't slept in two days.

Counsellor:  So, what's happened?

Maximus:  I’ve just killed someone.

Counsellor: [slight pause] Oh! … OK! …  But that’s part of your job, right? … I mean … You’ve been involved as a Roman Centurion in killing many people before this, but you’ve never been overly troubled before, have you? 

Maximus:  No! No! … this is different! … I’ve...  I've killed the Son of God.

Spread the Word - [4-act script]

A 4-act serial drama for young kids - with a farm theme, and Jesus parables, and encouraging kids to share Jesus with their friends.

CAST:

Walter: - Doubter, directionally challenged, likes to point at what he sees.

Alex: - Open minded, joker, LOVES cats.

Chris: - Lead character, an enthusiastic sharing Christian.

Libby:  - Sweet, inquisitive, helpful. Has Wooden box of lettuce.

Eliza: - Strong skeptic from upbringing, but comes around. Has basket of big carrots

A Bird puppeteer: dressed in white (light colours) with black raven ‘puppet’
(cardboard cut-out with flappy wings, if not a puppet)