Grapes
An object lesson for children (or adults) using a bunch of grapes.
· Thick Skinned
· Soft inside - A bit like us
· Come in all different
shapes, sizes & colours – just like people
· They were used in Jesus day,
(like in ours) for eating and for making wine.
· It’s sometimes hard to
imagine what life in Christ’s day must have been like – but they had some
things back then just like we have today.
o
Back then they
had lovely things like snakes, spiders, cockroaches,
but I thought grapes would be a better example.
· Mentioned in the Bible
o
What we see
today is the same as in the Bible, Jesus told parables about grapes
o
Heb 13:8 Tells
us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today and forever
o
When you look
at your grape, you can think that the grape you are looking at now could have
come from the same plant’s ancestors as the grapes that Jesus ate and spoke
about, did.
· Grapes connected to the vine
o
Grow in bunches
called clusters – Christians grow better in bunches or clusters as well – we
need to come to church to meet with other Christians to prepare us for the
following week when we are out in the world.
o As long as grapes stay connected to the vine they will grow and Stay alive – but when they are picked they no longer have the vine to feed them so
they will soon wither up & die.
o Spiritually we are
like these grapes, as long as we come to church,
worship Jesus, pray and meet with other Christians, we are like the grapes on the vine we are being fed by God on His Word to keep our minds on good things, on
the things of God
o
John 15:1-6
o 15:1 "I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener. (Jesus is saying, He is the vine and we are the branches – we are connected to him) 2 He lops off every branch that doesn't produce (How do we produce fruit – by telling our friends about Jesus - by asking them to come to church – that’s not the only way but it is one way) . And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops (Have you ever felt God pruning you – you have done something bad, or said something bad, and you have felt this thing inside that says AH! AH! that was naughty – say sorry – that is one of God’s ways of pruning you – cutting off the bad stuff so that you can produce more good things instead of bad things). 3 He has already tended you by pruning you back for greater strength and usefulness by means of the commands I gave you. 4 Take care to live in me, and let me live in you. For a branch can't produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from me. (Even children need to learn to listen to what God is saying to us, and to do things the way he wants us to – I had to learn to do that when I was a child and I still have to do it today, even though I have children of my own) 5 "Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can't do a thing. 6 If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned. 7 But if you stay in me and obey my commands, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! (This means ask God for help in telling your friends about Him, ask Him what to say to invite your friends to chruch if you are having trouble trying to ask them ) 8 My true disciples produce bountiful harvests. This brings great glory to my Father. When our friends come to church with us it brings glory to God as well as giving your friends a chance to have Jesus as their Lord and saviour – and there is nothing nicer than seeing your friends come to Christ – So if we look at our grapes and think – these are the same as Jesus had in his day – and people were turning to Jesus to be their Lord and Saviour then, we have our grapes today and we can see people coming to Jesus to be their Lord and Saviour now as well, through us asking them and telling them what Christ means to us.
And so the final thing now
is to EAT OUR GRAPES, AND, REMEMBER CHRIST IS ALIVE TODAY JUST AS HE WAS THEN,
and watches over us now, and wants us to talk to him and stay connected to him
like grapes to the grapevine.
Amen!
Ps Michael Pilkington
25/03/01 for Sun Kidz 31/03/01
