The Helper Has Come

Short Talk (SHT098) The Helper has come! © Jane Hulme 2018 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: To teach that at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came and filled the disciples; helping them with the mission that Jesus had entrusted them with. 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. Pentecost, Holy Spirit, Mission John 15.26-27, 16:4b-15 Year B – Pentecost You need the following for each member of the congregation: i) a chocolate “heart1” wrapped in red foil ii) a small card that says on it, “God loves you!” with the following words written underneath: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1John 4:9) SHORT TALK: “The Helper has come!” ........................................................................................................................ How many of you have ever needed help with something? (Receive responses)  What have you needed help with? (Receive responses)  Who helped you? (Receive responses) Today on this Pentecost Sunday I have a message from God to deliver to everyone.  It is a message from God’s heart. Now it would take me quite a long time to deliver God’s message to every member of this congregation so I need some helpers please. (Receive a number of helpers appropriate to your congregation) Please could you make sure that every person is given one of these (Show volunteers the cards) and one of these (Show volunteers the heart chocolates) See how quickly you can deliver the message. (Volunteers deliver the cards and chocolates to every member of the congregation)  Thank you very much for your help.  I couldn’t have done that without you. You should all now have received the message from God’s heart, recorded in 1John chapter 4 verse 9, that He loves you and that He has shown you His love by sending Jesus into the world to be your Saviour.  Receive that delicious message as you enjoy eating your chocolate! 1 You can purchase chocolate “hearts” in red foil from ebay by putting “Heart Shaped Foiled Solid Milk Chocolate Hearts” into the search bar. © Jane Hulme 2018 2 Imagine now if we had enough chocolate hearts and cards to deliver one each to every single member of our town/city/village.  If I tried on my own to deliver them one at a time, it would probably take me a very long time wouldn’t it?  However if I had enough help, we could probably deliver them quite quickly. Before Jesus left earth to be with His Father in heaven, He told His disciples that they were to “give away” the message of God’s love. They were to give it away not simply to the people living in Jerusalem, who were the people living nearby,  but to all the people living in the rest of the country of Israel,  and to all the people living in the rest of the world.  Jesus gave the disciples a very big task didn’t he? How could the disciples possibly do that?  They couldn’t without help could they?  And so Jesus promised to send them a special helper once He had left them. This special helper is called the Holy Spirit,  who is actually the third person of the Trinity;  God Himself. On the first Pentecost the Holy Spirit was given to each one of the disciples. As the Holy Spirit filled them, the disciples were given the power and the ability to “give away” the message of God’s love.  Many people believed what they said and became followers of Jesus too;  3000 on that first day alone. Today Jesus still sends us, His followers, out into our families, our communities, our schools, our work places and our country to “give away” the message of God’s love;  and we, like the disciples are given the same wonderful helper, the Holy Spirit to help us. Let’s thank God that He gives us the help that we need to share the wonderful message of His love. © Jane Hulme 2018 3