Objective:
To share the basic gospel message. Help us realize that we all deserve death but God loved us so much that he sent his only son (Jesus) to take our place so that we might live.
Scripture Basis:
John 15:13, Rom 6:23, John 3:16, Rev 19:6
Ref Materials:
Video "Secret Ambition" by Michael Smith
(on the Video album "Two x 4")
The Back Door:
There once was great king who ruled a vast kingdom. Now the king was very powerful and all of his subjects feared him greatly. They all knew that the king ruled fairly but severely punished disobedience. To go against the king meant certain death. Now the king had a son and being the only son of the king he was also very rich and possessed everything he wanted. However despite all his riches the son did lack one thing. You see be the son of the king, he had lots of servants but no one to share his friendship, time or possessions with.
Now from time to time the king and his son would take a ride through the kingdom. They did this on their horses and when they did they would take some of their mounted guards with them. On one these trips as they rode near a village, the son noticed a group of young people playing in a field. The son immediately wished he could join them playing but as they approached, the group of youth stopped their games, quietly bowed to the king and then turned and ran away. At this the sons face dropped with disappointment and his father the king noticed it.
When they got home, the King went to his son and asked what was troubling him. The son replied " I am rich and blessed he said, yet I wish I had some friends to share it with. Friends I could be close to spend time with and love but everyone seems to be afraid of me.
The King the asked, How important is this to you? Very, said the son, I often think would give all I have just to have friends. At this the King thought a moment. Then he said, come with me. He led the son down to the stable where the servants kept the horses. Here he spoke for a minute to the head stable keeper and then turned to the son.
Son, he said, as long as you are known to our subjects as the Kings Son, they will do everything you ask. If you ask to play in one of their games they will agree, if you ask one to come have dinner with you he will accept, but all this will be for one reason, because you are the son of the king and because they fear my power. If you wish them to be your friend because they want to, you must become as one of them. Are you willing to do this for friendship?. The Son thought for a minute and then with a joyful grin said Yes!
The king then instructed the son. First take off your rich clothing and put on the clothes of the stable boys. The son did so and said Ok I'm ready now - lets go, but the king did not move. Instead he said "For the next 3 years you will work here in the stable. Here you will not start to look like them but also to act like them. And with that the king left. The son was shocked," 3 years here first!" he said. Yet despite his disappointment he set to work executing the chores given him by the stable master. During the next 3 years the son worked hard. His hands grew callused and he learned what is was like to be tired and dirty and hungry. And each day while he worked he longed for the day to come when he could go and join those subjects who become his friends.
After three years the king returned and took him from the stable. He gave him a new set of cloths that looked much like those the poorest of his subjects wore and took him to a field a great distance from the palace. There he sent him off on his journey to find friendship. As he said goodbye, he gave the son one final instruction. When you have made friends and wish to return, come back to this field and light a signal fire here and I will return for you. Then the King left.
Once alone, the son set out walking and by nightfall he found a village. There he found a place to stay yet since he had no money he slept in then barn with animals. The next day, he found some young men working in a field and asked if he could join them. They agreed and bean to work along side them. Over the next 3 years the son worked and lived in this village and just as he had hoped he made friends, many friends. He worked with them, he played with them and he cried with them and as he did he became close to many.
Now the time came for his birthday and he decided to have a party with his new friends. Tomorrow he though would be a special day for at his party he could announce to all his friends who he was and take them back to the palace for the best party he could imagine. That day the son ran all day long back to the field where he had started his journey and their lit the signal fire his father as his father had instructed him 3 years before. As he laid in bed that night he thought Now at last, I have made many friends. I have found love and friendship all offered freely for me!. I am so excited, for now I can tell them who I am and take them out of this poverty . As the son fell asleep that night he was full of joy.
The next day, the son called all his friends together for the announcement. There were and over a hundred of them in the village courtyard having a really great time when suddenly a great mounted party of riders, arrived. It was the procession of the king. All the sons friends suddenly became very quiet. Some of then quietly left, other pulled back from the procession and hid themselves in the buildings. Other watched in fear as the horses and riders of the kings guard filled the courtyard. As they watched the king dismounted and walked up to their friend. The king embraced their friend and spoke something to him. What was happening they thought ?
Then the son got up and stood on the backs of 2 of the horses. All fell silent as he spoke even the horses. The son said. "My friends, I am the son of the King, the Prince. He went on to let all his friends know that they had been chosen to go with him and live as his guest in the palace of the king. Yet as he spoke, he noticed the faces of his friends were all full of fear. Many were quietly slipping away. He turned to look at his closest friends and even their faces had turned white and they were backing away from him.
Seeing this he turned to his father the King and cried "Why is this?, Father, Why do they still fear us?. The King motioned to the captain of his guard and the captain came forward and held out an opened book out to the son. The son took it and began to read. The book held a list of names and as he read them he recognized then as the names of each of his friends. Beside each name was crime against the king and beside each a date. Beside each date was a sentence. In every case the sentence was death. As the son read name after name, crime after crime, tears came to his eyes . Now the awful truth became clear, these people fear us because they knew they had broken the kings laws and now that we are here they are under the sentence of death. The son was filled with grief.
The son now turned quietly to the father .. Father he said, I have found great joy in the friendship of these, is there no way they can be spared? The father saw the sons grief and his own heart was torn. My son he said, "We cannot break our own laws for they are our word. The penalty for disobedience must be paid. The only way they can be spared is someone pays their penalty for them. But since everyone of them has broken the law there is no one who can take another's place. The son thought for a moment and then asked, Father, Can I take their sentences? Yes the father said, but not for all, only for those who believe that what you do is for them.
With that, the son once again mounted the 2 horses, in a loud voice he said, my friends , you are all under the penalty of death, yet I love you and my father has given me permission to take your sentence that you might live. When this was done, at the Kings instruction the captain of the guard took the son, bound him and there in the middle of the courtyard put him to death. The King did not speak again but quietly watched his son die. The Kings guard then took the sons body and placed in on horse and the kings procession left the courtyard.
Now the friends of the son were in shock at what
they had seen. They also spent quite many days trying to understand
the last words he had said. No one even saw the king out riding
again and in time most of the friends forgot what had happened.
But a few of the sons closer friends never forgot the sacrifice
this friend had made for them.
Gospel Presentation
Read John 15:13 …
The Bible tells us that their is no Greater love
than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. This
story about the kings son is just that . a story., but there is
someone who did his life that each one of you might live. You
see there really is a God - the Creator and he sent his one and
only son - Jesus Christ, to earth to give his life for you. The
Bible tells us that everyone of us has broken God rules
Read Rom 6:23 .. For the wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But God loved us so much that he decided to take
our punishment on himself
Read John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that
he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life.
Now lets watch a short video that tells what really
happened when Jesus came to earth 2000 years ago.
Key Message: (Video)
- Show Song Video "Secret Ambition" by
Michael Smith (on the Video album "Two x 4")
Some say Jesus was a great teacher, others say he was a prophet and other say he was just a another man who thought he was God. The Bible tells us that Jesus was Gods Only Son and he came to die that you might live forever. However the best part of this real story is that is has the best ending anyone could
imagine. You see Jesus did not stay dead. God raised
him from the dead and restored him to life and he is right now
preparing a place for those who believe he died for them.
In John 14:1-3 we read ..
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust
in God ; trust also in me.2 In my Father's house are many rooms;
if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may
be where I am."
An the next time he comes .. it will not be as a
child and it will not be to die but to reign.
Rev 19:1-6 says .
I saw heaven standing open and there before me
was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With
justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire,
and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him
that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped
in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven
were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine
linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with
which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with
an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of
the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has
this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
The most important decision you will ever make is
to believe in the name of Jesus Christ . Will you make it today?