Why Jesus and not some other religion?

Things to bring:

- Drama script

- Empty boxes

- Books

Notices:

- Rock Solid

- Roman Evening

- Greg Smith

- Survey cards

Welcome baptism families

Welcome and Introduction

The Lord is here.

His Spirit is with us.

Song 435 Lord Jesus Christ

We ask God's forgiveness

God our Father, we come to you in sorrow for our sins.

For turning away from you, and ignoring your will for our lives;

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

For behaving just as we wish, without thinking of you;

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

For failing you by what we do, and think and say;

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

For letting ourselves be drawn away from you by temptations in the world about us;

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

For living as if we were ashamed to belong to your Son,

Father forgive us: save us and help us.

Absolution

May the God of love

bring us back to himself

forgive us our sins

and assure us of his eternal love

in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect

If you were to stop people in the street and ask them, "What is it that you most want in life?"; what do you think people would say?

Ask people, (the answer I'm looking for is "Happiness")

Drama: Where can I find happiness?

Talk:

That drama poses an important question, "Where can we find happiness?".

Happiness is something that people the world over are seeking, ...but few people seem to find it.

I was flicking through the channels of the TV one evening last week, and caught the end of a documentary about super models, (you may have seen it).

On it, these world famous models were talking about their lives.

Naomi Campbell, who's 27, said that she hoped that as she grew older the quality of her life would improve, because so far she'd had a pretty bad time.

And as other super models talked about their lives, not one of them seemed to be happy. ...so much for fame and fortune!

Many people have tried the other things mentioned in the sketch, thinking that they too would bring happiness:

- drink

- work

- fast cars

- drugs

- illicit affairs.

They all offer the promise of happiness, ...but most people who try them find that they're hollow and empty.

Jesus said that he came to bring us life in all it's fullness. ...But why should we listen to Jesus, and not to one of the many other religions in the world?

Can any of the children tell me the names of any other religions in the world?

Ask children to mention them.

- Hinduism

- Judaism

- Islam

- Buddhism

Why should we listen to Jesus, and not some other religion?

The answer lies in our Bible reading.

We've been thinking about happiness, ...but this reading describes what happened on the saddest day the world has ever known. ...The day that Jesus was killed.

It's early Friday morning, and Jesus is on trial before Pilate. And this is what happened...

Reading: John 19.4-16a

Song: 266 I cannot tell

Talk: Why Jesus, and not some other religion?

Do you like books?

My wife does, ...she's got hundreds of them, ...and there's nothing she likes better than spending a day looking round second-hand book shops. ...or going into town to have a browse round the library.

She likes books like this,

...pick a few.

I can't stand books like that, ...too many words! I'd much rather have a book like this,

...pick a few.

Can you imagine someone asking you to go to the library for them to get them a book, ...but when you ask what sort of book they want, they say "Any will do, ...there all the same!".

Yet that's what many people think that that's how you choose a religion.

We were thinking earlier about where you can find happiness. Well some people who've failed to find happiness in other areas of life, end up turning to religion. But they think that one religion is much the same as the next, ...and it doesn't matter which one you choose.

As they see it, there's lots of different religions on the shelves, ...and so you might as well pick any old one,

...pick up a book

...and if it doesn't work, well you can exchange it for another.

But is Christianity just one religion among many?

Well I think the key question is "Who do you want to worship?"

For a start the one we worship must be God.

There have been a great many religious leaders, but most of them would never have claimed to be God, or the Son of God.

Mohammed never claimed to be the Son of God.

(Remove a book).

Moses never claimed to be the Son of God.

(Remove a book).

Most of the others never claimed to be the Son of God.

(Remove a book).

Yet in our Bible reading we heard that:

"The crowd answered back, 'We have a law that says he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God'". (v7)

And the resurrection shows that he was right.

Secondly, the one we worship must be full of love.

No-one ever loved anyone as much as Jesus.

(Remove a book).

Pilate said to Jesus:

"Remember, I have the authority to set you free, and also to have you crucified." (v10)

Jesus didn't have to be crucified, ...he could easily have stopped it and been set free. But he went through with it because of his great love for you, and for me.

As someone once said, ...it wasn't the nails that held Jesus to the cross, but his love for the world.

Thirdly, the one we worship must be able to forgive us.

At the end of our reading we heard how Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. (v16)

The reason that Jesus went through with the suffering was so that we could be forgiven and re-united with God.

Only by Jesus taking the punishment that we deserved could we be forgiven.

And no other religious leader ever did that.

(Remove all books except one).

Only one book is left on the table, ...and only one person could offer everything we need so that our worship is not in vain.

Open book out to read a banner saying "Only Jesus".

Only Jesus is the Son of God.

Only Jesus was so full of love.

Only Jesus can forgive us our sins.

That's why Jesus said that he came to give us life in all it's fullness.

But that still doesn't mean that we can always expect a life full of happiness.

Being a Christian can be very difficult at times, ...Jesus told us that we are to take up our cross and follow him.

Also, being a Christian doesn't mean that we escape the various kinds of suffering in the world. Sometimes Christians face a great deal of suffering.

But knowing Jesus can bring us far greater fulfilment in life than anything else that the world can offer.

Songs: 375 Jesus, name above all names

795 You laid aside your majesty

Let us declare our faith in God:

We believe in God the Father,

from whom every family

in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,

who lives in our hearts through faith,

and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,

who strengthens us

with power from on high.

We believe in one God;

Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Prayers

The Lord's Prayer

Song 111 Dear Lord and Father of mankind

Blessing

We go out to serve the Lord:

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ. Amen.