THE CHURCH IN NEWYORK CITY

CHILDREN’S MEETING LESSON

DATE:December 10, 2017

SUBJECT: GOD’S CALLING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: In the Gospels—God’s Calling of the Paralytic Man

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26

AIM: To see that the Lord calls us to come to Him when we sin, and He will forgive us.

SUGGESTED MEMORY VERSES: Psalms 86:5 (For You, O Lord, are good and ready to forgive and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.); Psalms 103:2-3 (Bless Jehovah, O my soul; And do not forget all His benefits: He pardons all your iniquities; He heals all your diseases); 1 John 1:9 (If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)

SUGGESTED SONGS: 183 (When God Forgives, He Forgets); 9029 BSS Go, Jesus! Go!, Song 10 (Jesus Is Here); 9030 BSS Go, Jesus! Go!, Song 11 (A House Overcrowded); 1612 (Companions); 180 (If We Confess Our Sins); 3714 (Jesus Loves Even Me); 98 (Wide as the Ocean); 9226 BSSDavid, Song 26 (God Is Forgiving); 9111 BSS Acts, Song #11 (Repent Therefore – tune Battle Hymn)

CRAFT IDEAS: (1) Weave a mat using paper strips of different colors. Make it into a placemat or coaster. Laminate it or cover it with transparent contact paper. (2) Using oaktag or cardstock paper, recreate the scene in this story of the four friends lowering the bed through the roof using a strip of paper to move the bed up and down.

CONTENT: The Lord Jesus was in a house in the city of Capernaum, a city of Galilee located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is referred to as the Lord’s “own city” (Matt. 9:1). On one of the days He was teaching there, many people were gathered together, including Pharisees and scribes who had come out of every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. The house was very crowded; there was no more room anywhere, not even at the door. The Lord Jesus spoke the word to the many people gathered in the house.

Then four men brought a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed (or a mat, or a cot). They sought a way to carry him in and lay him before the Lord Jesus. And since they could not find a way to carry him in because of the crowd, they went up onto the housetop. They removed the roof and when they had dug through, they lowered the paralytic on the cot through the tiles into the midst, in front of Jesus. The Lord Jesus, observing this, saw their faith and said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”

Some of the scribes and Pharisees who were sitting there began to reason in their hearts, saying, “Why is this man speaking this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except One, God?” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven, or to say, Rise and take up your mat and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”, He said to the paralytic, “To you I say, Rise, take up your mat and go to your house.” And he rose up at once before them and immediately took up the mat upon which he was lying and went away to his house, glorifying God. And astonishment took hold of them all. They were all amazed and also glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this! We have seen extraordinary things today.” (Mark 2:12, Luke 5:26)

SUGGESTED APPLICATIONS TO CHOOSE FROM: Please pray and fellowship over which applications to cover. Please do not try to cover all the applications. It is sufficient to cover just one or two applications which are appropriate for the age group of the children you are serving.

  • The Lord Jesus has the authority, power and ability to forgive sins. The man’s paralysis was a result of his sins. The Lord Jesus had the authority and power to forgive his sins and to heal him. It was easier for the Lord to say, “Your sins are forgiven” than to say, “Rise, take up your mat and go to your house”, but He spoke and accomplished both. Only God is able to forgive sins and heal us! (Matt. 9:6; 1 Tim. 2:5). When we feel we have sinned, we should come to Him in faith, knowing that if we confess, He can and will forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9). When we have done something wrong, talked back to our parents or teachers, or have offended a friend or sibling, we should confess and apologize. In return, our parents, teachers, friends, and siblings will forgive us.
  • Our friends can help us. Like the paralytic’s friends, sometimes those around us can help us—our parents or siblings or teachers, or companions in the church, may encourage us to pray or to come to the meetings, or read the Bible. We should cooperate with them, knowing that they are trying to help us come to the Lord.
  • The paralytic’s friends had faith and believed the Lord could heal their friend. They were certain the Lord would be able to heal their friend. The Bible says that when the Lord saw the faith of the friends, He then healed the paralytic man. They had such great faith, and this faith helped their friend get healed!
  • The paralytic had very caring friends, and we can be a good friend too. The four friends wanted their paralyzed friend to be able to walk again and showed determination and good teamwork. When they couldn’t get into the crowded house, they made a great effort together and carried their friend to the roof, where they dug a hole through the roof! Their solution showed determination, problem solving skills and creativity. A good friend is willing to help his or her friends and “loves at all times” (Prov. 17:17). We may enjoy playing with our friends, but what about times when they don’t want to play the same game -- do we decide we don’t want to play with them anymore? What about when they are sick and cannot play? Do we send them a card to show that we still care for them? These are some things a good friend and companion can do.

Adapted from the Church in New York City Children’s Meeting Lessons: 1/8/95; 12/24/00; 12/24/06; 12/23/12

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20171210 God’s Calling NT - Paralytic