Children’s Sermon

Matthew 2:13-23

Learning to be Safe

By Lois Parker Edstrom

OBJECTS SUGGESTED:

Picture of Mr. Yuk sticker

Why is it important for you to follow your parents’ directions and do what they ask you to do? Yes, they have more experience and want what is best for you.

Do you think a baby knows about electricity and what would happen if they stuck something in an electrical outlet? Babies don’t have the experience to know those things. They need to be protected by their parents.

How about running out into the street without looking? Small children don’t know about the dangers of doing that, but parents do and they want to protect their children.

Are you familiar with Mr. Yuk? When you see a Mr. Yuk sticker what does that mean?

Yes, don’t touch and definitely don’t eat or drink something that has Mr. Yuk on the container. Your parents put Mr. Yuk stickers on things that are poisonous and could harm you.

When you learn to follow your parents’ directions and do what they ask you to do, you are obedient. You have learned that there are dangers and you trust your parents to teach you ways to be safe. This is the way we become more grown up and responsible.

There is a good example of an obedient man in the Bible. When Jesus was a baby, an angel came to Joseph in a dream. The angel told Joseph, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you.” God knew that King Herod wanted to harm the baby, Jesus.

Joseph didn’t ask any questions. “He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt.” Joseph was obedient to God.

Being obedient to God is similar to being obedient to your parents. We must trust that He knows what is best for us and wants to protect us from harm.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible.

Copyright 2007, Richard Niell Donovan