Warnings

© Jane Hulme 2018 Short Talk (SHT124) Warnings! Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: SHORT TALK: “Warnings!” To encourage people to take notice of and act upon warnings; especially those given by Jesus. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Warnings, Deception Mark 13:1-8 Year B – The 2nd Sunday before Advent You will need a picture of a lighthouse that you can print out or project (See Appendix). .................................................................................................................. Who can tell me what this picture is of? (Show picture and receive responses)  That’s right. It is a picture of a lighthouse. Who can tell me what a lighthouse does? (Receive responses)  A lighthouse shines a bright light, warning boats that can see it that there are dangerous rocks around that they need to avoid. If a boat decides to ignore the warning that the lighthouse gives, what could happen to it? (Receive responses)  The boat could hit the rocks, break up and sink.  If that happened all the goods on board would be lost and possibly the sailors as well.  So listening to warnings is a good thing isn’t it? All through our lives we will be given warnings about things that are dangerous for us and we need to listen to those warnings.  It is often the people who love us the most, like our parents, who give us those warnings. So when we are very little, our parents may warn us not to touch hot things or we will get burned,  or they will warn us not to eat certain things or we will be sick. As we get older they may warn us not to watch certain programmes on television or we will get nightmares,  or not to go on certain websites that will be dangerous for our safety. © Jane Hulme 2018 2 As adults we may get a warning from our computers that we haven’t backed them up recently and we are in danger of losing all our work,  or we may get a warning from the tax office that we need to fill out a tax return form or we will get a fine. Having been given a warning, we not only need to listen to that warning, but we also need to act upon it,  like the boat that takes notice of the warning that a lighthouse gives it, and steers a course away from the rocks. Jesus is a bit like a spiritual lighthouse. In fact He called Himself “The light of the world.” (John 8:12)  He has also given warnings that we can find in our Bibles. One day He warned His disciples saying: “Watch out that no one deceives you.” (Mark 13:5)  That warning is important for us too......“Watch out that no one deceives you.”  But what does that mean? The word “deceive” means being misled by someone lying to us or being tricked or conned.  So Jesus was saying to His disciples and to us that we need to watch out for people who will lie to us and who will try to turn us away from Him and His ways. So one of the things some people may say to us is that there is no such person as Jesus.  They are lying aren’t they? Another thing some people may say to us is that it doesn’t matter to Jesus how we behave.  They are lying aren’t they? Still another thing that some people may say to us is that God doesn’t answer our prayers.  They are lying aren’t they? Jesus told us that some people would even claim to be Him! (Mark 13:6)  They are lying aren’t they? If we listen to the lies that these people tell us and act upon them, then our spiritual lives will be damaged;  a bit like a boat hitting the rocks when there isn’t a lighthouse shining its light to show the hidden danger. But if we listen to Jesus’ warning that there will be people who will lie to us;  and act upon Jesus’ warning by taking no notice of what they say,  then we will be like a boat seeing the light that can sail in safety. © Jane Hulme 2018 3 Appendix – Picture of Lighthouse 4 © Jane Hulme 2018