WEEK 11: KING'S INVITATION

WEEK 11: KING'S INVITATION!" #! Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24) Come to me all you who are weary and burdened... and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 NIV To read and discuss the parable of the Great Banquet To discuss Christ's invitation for all people to join his kingdom. To challenge kids to accept the invitation to be part of God's kingdom and to tell others of the invitation too. READ through the lesson and Bible story as early as possible. PRAY and ask the Holy Spirit to help you prepare and teach. CHOOSE the activities appropriate for your group. Plan ahead. GATHER MATERIALS for all classroom activities. Check supplies. SET UP EARLY. Students need your full attention when they arrive. Most of all ENJOY sharing the love of God with your students! (10-15 min) (20-25 min) (25-35 min) (15-30 min) PRE-OPENING ACTIVITY OPTIONS (Before class) ANNOUNCEMENTS SINGING How Much Can You Hold? balloons Mega Party When a King Comes Come to Me Kids this age love parties. They love to be invited. They hate to be overlooked. To kids this age an important invitation is often a reminder of their value to "the crowd." Those who are never invited feel inferior. Today's lesson will be a stretch for kids at both ends of the invitation spectrum. Those who love to invite only "special" friends will realize that God does not play favorites. He loves all people. And those who miss out on most of the cool parties will realize that they have an invitation to the greatest party of all held by the most awesome host ever: Jesus the King. Celebrate his invitation today! Mega Party Blanks pencils contest birthday and visitor items "Worship Rock 4" CD and player OBJECT LESSON A White Robe a white robe or white sheet BIBLE VERSE GAME (10 min) Matthew 11:28-29 Head Carry an erasable board three sets of Bible verse cards BIBLE STORY (15 min) The Great Banquet Bible notes white tablecloth candlesticks china silverware PRAYER (5 min) Pray for Nations etc. WORKSHEET OPTION Word Search Student Worksheets pencils pens CRAFT OPTION Wordless Invitation construction paper hearts scissors glue ribbon GAME OPTION Who's Covered? white handkerchiefs cassette music WORLD FOR KIDS OPTIONS T.J. Stewart Activity: Story Circle World for Kids Newsletter Prayer Map from Week 2 Native American artifact or blanket CLEAN UP Clean Up helping hands! (5 min) REVIEW ACTIVITY World for Kids Options see above NOTE: Refer to the appendices for student handouts Teaching Resources and Bible Verse masters. 1996 Sylvia Foth

Set up well before students arrive. Warmly welcome each one to your class. HOW MUCH CAN YOU HOLD? balloons Challenge students to take turns holding as many balloons as possible. How many can each person carry at one time? Who is the champion? How much of a load does God want us to carry? How do we know? What is his invitation about big burdens? MEGA PARTY Mega Party Planner blanks (Teaching Resources Week 11) pencils Divide students into pairs as they enter class. Invite these pairs to dream up an incredible party. Fill in the party blank with all sorts of great ideas for the best party ever. Share these ideas with each other before opening. Would you like to attend a party like this? Why? Officially welcome everyone especially visitors. Tell kids about the fun activities planned for today. Introduce the themes for today and this quarter. Make announcements and celebrate any birthdays. Do you know a Native American Christian? Would that person be willing to join your class as a guest and share his or her testimony and some facts about his or her tribal history? "Worship Rock 4" CD and player birthday and visitor items (optional) When a King Comes Come to Me Seek Ye First (a cappella) A WHITE ROBE a white robe or white sheet To show that just as a robe or sheet covers a person's clothing and blemishes Jesus "covers" our sin with his purity. Ask for one volunteer. Examine this person's clothing as a class. Notice color style lint specks missing buttons etc. Be sure to keep the discussion mostly positive regardless of whether the student is dressed well or not. Then ask the student to wear the sheet or robe. What happened to his or her clothing? It is still there but it can not be seen because it is covered by the robe. Explain that the Bible teaches that Jesus does something similar when he comes into a person's heart. The sin that was there before is covered by his purity and righteousness. God will not allow any person into his kingdom who is not wearing the kingdom garment: righteousness. Any person who believes in Jesus to be his or her Savior can be forgiven and cleaned of his or her sin. It is as if Jesus covers it all up like this giving believers permission to be part of his kingdom. Have you let him cover your heart with his purity? We must each decide. It is the only way to get into the kingdom party. Thank God for sending Jesus to invite us to be part of his kingdom forever. Ask him to help us understand more about his invitation today.! "# $ %%

an erasable board with verse written out 3 sets Bible Verse Flash Cards (Bible Verse Week 11) (Briefly discuss the verse together.) Come to me - Jesus came from heaven to give this invitation. He wanted people everywhere to be close to himself forever. all you - He wants every person on earth to come close to him not just a few. He does not just want the good looking good smelling good acting ones. He wants them all! who are weary and burdened - Every single person on earth has a burden a heavy package they carry with them in their hearts. It is called guilt. Sin causes them to be guilty and deserve God's judgment. How does sin make people tired? Tired of carrying guilt tired of having troubles with relationships because of sin tired of doing things their own way. and you will find rest for your souls - Jesus offers to take the burden of sin from people's lives. He died on the cross so that sin could be forgiven forever. We no longer have to carry guilt and sin. We can give the problem to Jesus. He takes it away from us and sets us free to rest and enjoy life with him as king. Instruct students to repeat the verse with volunteers removing one or two words after each repetition. Do this until all the cards are gone and kids repeat the verse from memory. Choose eraser volunteers in fun ways related to today's verse: Someone who names a nation Jesus invites to "come." Someone who can name a place to go for rest etc. HEAD CARRY Divide the class into three teams. Give each team a set of scrambled cards. Ask each team to choose one player to carry a set of cards on his or her head. These players race to be the first to carry all the cards around the room and back to their teammates who must put them together in the correct order. If the card set drops the player must start over. Are you carrying a load around in your heart? Who invites you to come and get some help from him? Bibles and your lesson notes white tablecloth candlesticks china silverware etc. (Read and think about this before class.) Luke 14:15-24 To read and discuss the parable of the Great Banquet To discuss Christ's invitation for all people to join his kingdom. To challenge kids to accept the invitation to be part of God's kingdom and to tell others of his invitation. (Define new words as necessary) banquet - a large fancy dinner given for many people yoke of oxen - a pair of working animals; a wooden collar or yoke held two animals together and attached them to a plow or other work equipment Help your students really understand the verse. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened... and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 NIV When does sin seem fun and easy? When does it cause trouble? How does God view all sin? The story outline is designed to help YOU make the story come alive for your students. Main points and discussion questions are highlighted in bold suggested Bible readings in bold italics. Choose how YOU will illustrate the Bible story (invite students to act it out use the items listed at left arrange felt pieces or create a chalkboard illustration). JUST DO SOMETHING!!! " #$

The Jews considered themselves privileged people. They had been given God's laws through Moses. They had been given the promise of blessing through Abraham. They knew God had chosen them to be his own people. But all through the ages God had also let many foreigners play key roles in Israel's history including several foreign women listed in the genealogy of Christ. In addition the promise to Abraham was that all people would be blessed through him. Jesus knew that God's plan from the beginning was to bring salvation to all the people of the world through the Jewish nation. Today's story illustrates it dramatically. Ask lots of questions challenging kids to THINK like... Have you ever been left off the invitation list for an important party? Why does this feel so bad? What can you do?!! Ask the students to help you set a large table in your classroom. Set it as properly as possible with silver dishes napkins etc. Why would someone set a table like this? Because they were planning to have a banquet for lots of people. Would you like to attend a banquet? Why or why not? Today's lesson tells a parable Jesus told regarding the banquet of all banquets. What did he want us to learn from this? A. Jesus was having dinner at a Pharisee's house. 1. Pharisees were the most important religious rulers in Jesus' time. 2. They loved to be important and act more religious than others. 3. They did not like Jesus. They watched him carefully trying to catch him doing something they thought was wrong. 4. Jesus was not afraid of them. He kept right on teaching about how to be humble before God. At a Pharisee's house he told a story. B. The story of the Great Banquet. 1. A man prepared a banquet and invited many guests. Would you want to go to a great banquet and get free awesome food? 2. When the banquet was ready he let the guests know it was time to come. But they did not come. 3. Why would they not come? (Read Luke 14:18-20) They had excuses. What excuses keep people from a party? 4. The master became angry. He ordered his servant to go to the streets and invite anyone he found to the banquet. He had room. 5. The servant forcefully urged the poor the crippled the lame and the blind to come. The master wanted his banquet hall to be full. How would you feel if the most important person you know came to your door and invited you to a mega party? Shocked! C. The Pharisees realized Jesus was teaching against them. 1. God was like the master of the banquet. He invited many people to come close to him especially the Jewish people his people. 2. When the time was ready for these people to join his kingdom (believe in Jesus and be saved) they did not want to come. They had many excuses for not following Jesus. 3. This was not pleasing to God. He ordered that everyone be invited regardless of where they were from what condition they were in or how good they looked. He wanted his kingdom full. 4. In another version of this story (Matthew 22:11-13) the master required every guest to simply wear a white robe. This was the only acceptable clothing for the banquet. It covered all the dirt rags and blemishes that people might have on them. Anyone without this covering would be thrown out even nice-looking people. 5. This was a reminder that people who want to be part of this banquet in God's kingdom must have faith in Christ to forgive their sin and make them clean and pure. Why would the Pharisees not want to believe in Jesus? They liked to decide their own rules. They did not want Jesus to be king of their hearts. They did not want to obey. Who did the master tell to go out and invite people to come to the banquet? His servant. If we believe in Jesus we can also help invite people to come to God. Who can you invite to Jesus? How many people does God want to be part of his kingdom? All the people of the world. He loves each one. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for each one.

PRAY FOR NATIONS Many people in other countries have not heard about Jesus yet. Pray that God will help these people come to know him through missionaries books literature or Christian friends and co-workers. Pray for several nations by name. Ask students to share requests they have today. Pray for requests. Close by thanking God for his invitation of salvation to everyone. Ask him to help each student accept his invitation and also tell others about it.!" If your class is large divide into small prayer groups for prayer assigning a student or teaching leader in each. Has every person in your classroom taken a turn praying? Or do the same kids volunteer week after week? Ask kids to stretch and try it even if they have been shy before. WORD SEARCH copies of Student Worksheet Week 11 pens pencils Guide students as they complete the worksheet. Discuss today's lesson. WORDLESS INVITATION two 2" construction paper hearts in each color (yellow black red white green) five 8" strings or ribbons scissors glue Gather materials. Make a sample. 1. Instruct each student to cut two matching hearts from each paper color. 2. Glue two same-colored hearts around one string end. Students will end up with five hearts at the end of five strings. 3. Tie all five loose string ends together into one large knot. Practice giving Jesus' invitation using the colors at right. WHO'S COVERED? white handkerchiefs or napkins for each student contemporary Christian cassette music Arrange the students in a large circle. Give every student except one a white cloth. Begin the music instructing students to pass the handkerchiefs around and around the circle. When the music stops students must quickly place a handkerchief on their heads. The student without a "white covering" is out. Continue play taking away one handkerchief after each round until one player is left with the last white covering. Are you covered by Jesus? Have you asked him to become your Savior and forgive your sin? He does not just want one or a few to join him in heaven; he wants everyone to come. Choose one or two activity options to match your kids and your time. Continue to teach and love your students as you enjoy these activities together. Reinforce the theme often. YELLOW (heaven) - God wants each person to come to live with him forever in heaven after they die. BLACK (sin) - With sin we cannot enter heaven. Sin keeps us from God. Every person has sin. RED (Jesus' blood) - Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins to be forgiven. He was God's Son and was perfect. He did this because he loved us. WHITE (forgiveness) - Jesus forgives those who ask him to and cleans their hearts of sin. They become clean and pure. He gives them the gift of eternal life. GREEN (growing) - When a person believes in Jesus as King they begin a lifetime of growing to love # $$ % '

The second weekend of each month replace one or more of your regular classroom activities with a World for Kids missionary activity. Enjoy thinking about God's love for all the people of the world. ACTIVITY: Story Circle a Native American artifact or blanket Turn lights low. Seat students in a large circle. Give each student a turn to hold or wear the artifact and tell the story of how they came to know Jesus. Or ask them to tell a parable in their own words. Native Americans love to tell interesting stories. But most cannot tell a story about meeting Jesus. None of the stories are as good as Jesus' were. His lead to eternal life. WORLD FOR KIDS STORY: T.J. Stewart World for Kids Newsletter (Week 11) Read the story together acting out exciting parts. WORKSHEET OPTION World for Kids Newsletter (Week 11) pencils Guide students to complete the pencil activities. PRAYER FOCUS: NATIVE AMERICANS Prayer Map from Week 2 One to two percent of the population in the United States is Native American. Long ago missionaries came to Indians and told them about Jesus. But they also mistreated them in many ways. This left many Native Americans bitter. They still need to hear about Jesus. Pray that God will help many Native Americans accept Jesus as their Savior and tell their own people about his wonderful kingdom invitation. (Also pray for reservations you notice on your prayer map.) Prepare to send kids home helping them gather papers coats Bibles etc. Send home Student Worksheet Week 11. Leave the room looking as neat as you found it. Ask kids to help. Give any last announcements or reminders. Let the kids know how much you enjoyed them today. Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! Revelation 19:9 IF YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME... (See above) Read and think about next week's lesson and Bible story early. Coordinate with other teachers and Children's Directors to gather and prepare unusual items. The end of the quarter is quickly approaching. Do you have any projects to complete? Did you want to share a special event with your kids? Make plans now.!! " ##

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KING'S INVITATION Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24) Come to me all you who are weary and burdened... and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 NIV 1. Jesus invites people from all the nations of the world to be part of his kingdom. Circle all the nations you find in the puzzle below. A R G E N T I N A Z X C Q A R I T K O R E A I H E C U A D O R M N Z S I I T I H A T U V G R R N C I A J M K S S L T A A U N I T E D S T A T E S B D B R X T I C N N L M A I M H I K A Q D S D K T A A F C A N A D A N M B C Z D O X N E D E W S WORD LIST Cuba Russia England Canada Mexico Zambia China Korea Ecuador Argentina India Israel Iraq Tahiti United States Sweden 2. Rewrite the King's invitation in your own words below: Sylvia Foth 1996 Fifth Sixth Grades LIFE OF CHRIST I (King of Hearts) STUDENT WORKSHEET WEEK 11

Fifth Sixth Grades Number 3 North America!"#$!"#$%! %# '!() *!+ * -#./ -#!0# 1 /*!2 "!$ % (! +! 0 # 2! 3 45 1 Sylvia Foth 1996 Fifth Sixth Grades LIFE OF CHRIST I (King of Hearts) Week 11

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (This story is based on the life and experiences of a real American boy. Someone just like him might live in your neighborhood.) # 6 3 7 6. 88 8 6 8 6 6!7 6 6 # / ' 6 6 6 97#6 7 : ) 4":"%5 ' 8) / *6'6 6 66 8 7 ; < 8'6'' ' $!'.'. 6 ' $ 8! 8 8 836 8. Sylvia Foth 1996 Fifth Sixth Grades LIFE OF CHRIST I (King of Hearts) Week 11