Youth Sermon: The Plague Was Cut Short

Introduction

Hey guys, what's up? I'm stoked to see all of you here today! We're going to dive into something really cool today. Grab your Bibles and flip to the book of Ezra. Keep it handy, we're going to need it.

You know how everything's been kinda crazy lately, right? Schools closed, hanging out with friends got limited, and we've all been stuck at home. It's been tough, hasn't it? But guess what? We're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Things are slowly getting back to normal. But it's going to take some time to get back to where we were.

We're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Things are slowly getting back to normal.

The Book of Chronicles

Now, let's talk about this book, Chronicles. It's like a history book, but way cooler. It's got lessons for us, especially for times like these. So, here's the backstory. A long time ago, the people of Israel were taken away from their homes and had to live in refugee camps for 70 years. But then, they got a chance to go back home and rebuild their lives.

Two guys, Nehemiah and Ezra, were in charge of this massive project. Nehemiah was all about rebuilding the physical stuff, like walls and buildings. But Ezra? He was all about rebuilding people's hearts and minds with God's Word.

Chronicles is like a replay of Israel's history, but with a twist. It focuses on the lessons they learned from their choices and actions. Ezra wrote this book to encourage people who were feeling down and out. They were coming back to a place that had been wrecked by their ancestors. God had allowed them to go through tough times to teach them lessons, and now He was bringing them back to put those lessons into action.

1 Chronicles 21

Now, let's jump into 1 Chronicles 21. [Read passage] Here's the deal. We've all messed up, right? Even King David, who was a big deal in Israel, messed up big time. He did something he knew was wrong, but he did it anyway.

In this story, David decides to count all the people in his kingdom. Sounds harmless, right? But his motive was all wrong. He wanted to show off how great he was. And God wasn't happy about it.

David's right-hand man, Joab, tried to talk him out of it, but David didn't listen. So, God sent a plague on Israel. David realized he messed up and admitted it to God. He took responsibility for his actions and asked for God's forgiveness.

God gave David three choices for punishment: three years of famine, three months of war, or three days of plague. David chose the plague, trusting God more than people. The plague started, and people died. David knew he was to blame and begged God to spare the innocent.

To make things right, God told David to set up an altar on a certain piece of land. David not only did that, but he also bought the land, paid for the animals and wood, and offered sacrifices. Here's the lesson for us. When we mess up, we need to admit it, take responsibility, and do what we can to make it right. And when we do, we should go above and beyond, just like David did.

Conclusion

Now, let's bring this home. Imagine you borrowed your friend's skateboard and accidentally broke it. You could just say sorry and give it back, right? But what if you went a step further? What if you saved up your money and bought them a new one? That's what going above and beyond looks like.

As we start getting back to normal, let's remember this lesson. Let's be the kind of people who admit when we're wrong, make things right, and go above and beyond to show love to others. Let's pray. God, help us to be like David. Help us to admit when we're wrong, make things right, and go above and beyond to show love to others. Amen.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. Can you share a time when you had to admit a mistake and make amends? How did it feel?

2. Why do you think it's important to go beyond a simple apology when we've done wrong?

3. How can we show extravagant love to those around us, even when it's difficult?

4. What are some ways we can make amends when we've hurt someone?

5. How can we apply the lessons from King David's story in our daily lives?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: The Cost of Love
• Group Activity: Making Amends
• Youth Challenge: The Extravagant Love Challenge