 Let us pray, kind of love it Father, thank you for the gift of Thawabath and also even as we begin this Samoan of God, we pray that you may help the children to understand. Amen. Well, well, well, if it isn't time for the children Samoan again, then I wonder what time it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and if it is not the teens again, I wonder who are we? Ha, ha, ha, and if it's not the boys and girls again, then I wonder who are they? And if it's not another storm again, then I wonder what could it be? Welcome dear children to another bright Samoan morning, another opportunity to worship our wonderful creator. May we begin by reminding you boys and girls that this, this is a period of fast. Dear children, we have the first church and the first Christian mataya, and now, and now for the first time the gospel of God officially goes to the Gentiles. Have you ever wondered how the gospel left Jerusalem to the rest of the world? Hint is by a storm. Ha, a storm you say? Hold that thought right there. Boys and girls, our topic today is Beyond Jerusalem. That's right, and our key text comes from the Book of Acts chapter 1, verses 8. And it says, And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and in the utmost part of the earth. Boys and girls, listen carefully and tell us if this sounds familiar. It is a Sunday morning, you are far away in the field. You are innocently playing with your friends when suddenly you notice the clouds begin to gather together, hugging themselves, covering the entire sky, the billows are tossing high. And as the clouds cover the entire sky, you notice it begins to become just a little darker, then a little more and more and more. Soon the sky is overshadowed with blackness. Suddenly the wind begins to blow slowly to the left and slowly to the right, then strongly, then mightily. Then you realize that the weather suddenly becomes unusually cold and you begin to have little bumps on your skin. You're a child of mama, so of course you continue playing until you realize there are flashes of light running across the sky followed by loud rumbling noises like those of a hungry lion. As Tom is raging, you stop playing and start looking for shelter. Something sharply hits your head. Then another, then another. Is someone throwing stones at me? You yell at your friends. No, it's the hails, comes the answer. Our boys and girls is what began to happen to the disciples. As soon as our dearest Stephen was killed, the disciples found themselves in the middle of a raging storm. Children, the name of the man who was making the life of God's followers so difficult was Saul, Saul of Tarsus. You see children, Saul had just recently been made a member of the Sanhedrin and with that authority, he increased his anger towards the children of Jehovah. So he went from house to house, from temple to temple, synagogue to synagogue, dragging God's children to the courts. Some were killed, others were taken to prison. Who here remembers Nicodemus? The powerful Nicodemus and his friend, Joseph of Armar there, they helped God's children a lot until they too faced persecution together with God's children. It was sad and very hard. And so one by one, God's children left Jerusalem. But tell me, where did they go? Judea, Samaria and to all the world. Now children, Judea was to the south of Jerusalem while Samaria was to the north. The rest of the world was, well, the rest of the world. And guess which people mostly lived in Judea and Samaria? That's right, the Gentiles. And that boys and girls is how the gospel first went to the Gentiles. But good people, I have a question. The priest and the rulers caused this tomb. But why did God allow it? Hmm, that's a fair question you ask. I mean God had all the power to stop this persecution. Why didn't he simply just stop it? Hmm, fair question on top of fair question you ask. You see children, when we could not save, when God built a church at Jerusalem, it became really successful. But he was unhappy because his children did not listen to his command. He had commanded them to go and speak the gospel to all the world. And so God allowed the raging storm to scatter them in Judea, Samaria and to the rest of the world. Did he know to get strength to resist the evil is by doing God's work and his business. It is hard to serve God if you're not reading his word, praying and staying connected to him. That's right, children. And so once again God's children would be in his business. This time, not just to the Jews, but to the Gentiles as well. And through them, they would learn the truth about the good news of salvation and healing through our Lord Jesus Christ. Enter stage right. A follower of Jesus called Philip. Philip had also run away from Jerusalem and was now in, guess where? Samaria, a city of the Gentiles. And come on, guys. The woman at the well, remember? Oh, yeah. The woman at the well. She was from Samaria. She went back to the city to tell the people about Jesus. The people were so welcoming. Philip taught the Word of God, and most of them believed it. Including, guess who? A magician. Her bitter enemies became close friends. Children, one day, as Peter and George were preaching in Samaria, an angel suddenly appeared to Philip. And the angel said to him, Philip, go down to Gaza. Use the desert road, for there is someone right there who needs Jesus today. Tell me, I pray, who is this person? Well, he is not your everyday John. He is a eunuch down from the land of Ethiopia. He's the finance minister for the government of Candice, the queen of Ethiopians. But most of all, he too can become a child of the most high God. Well, what is he doing here? If you must know, he came down to Jerusalem to worship. But now, Philip, you must hurry. Go down to the eunuch's chariot and stand next to it. Is that Isaiah you read? Yes. Do you understand what you're reading? But how can I? How can I let somebody explain it to me? Here, come and explain it to me. Aha, please read it out loudly. It's here, right here, in Isaiah 53 verse 7. It says, he was led like a ship to the slaughter, and as a lamp before he shared a silent. He did not speak a word. In his emulation, he was denied justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken here from earth. Hear that, Philip? Does it make any sense to you? I mean, who wanted to slaughter him? And why? I have many questions. You see children, God had given Philip a chance to share and explain Jesus with the eunuch, just as he gives you and me an opportunity all the time and every day to share Jesus with the people around us. So Philip told him. You see, sir, when we could not save ourselves, a savior came to earth to save us instead. But some people, most people, did not accept him as the Messiah. He died for our sins, and we killed him, so that you and I can have everlasting life. And so children, after that sharing, Philip and the eunuch came across a river. And at this river, the eunuch asked Philip to baptize him to which Philip happily did. And so boys and girls, there are many people in the world like me. We are right on the edge of the kingdom of God, and you can help us get in. That's true, children. God's angels will always guide you to people who wish to know the truth, like he did to me. If he does so, be good boys and girls and listen to God's voice. How do we listen to God's voice? Well, children, God may not speak to us through visions like he used to in the past with the prophets, but he still speaks to us through the instructions given by Jesus, which are in the Bible. So children, read your Bible and do what it says. Children, tell them to come to Jesus, bring the people back to Jesus, the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. Because boys and girls, the gospel of the kingdom needs to be preached to all the world, and then shall they end come. Children, don't wait for a raging storm to be in God's business. Things are very painful. And so you must work. Work for Jesus every day. Work for the night is coming. Work through the morning hours. Work while the dew is poppy. Work when springing flies. Work while the day grows brighter. Under the glowing sun, the night is coming when man's work is done. Let's pray. Can I have a lasting father? We thank you for this opportunity. We thank you for your children that have heard our sermon. May you bring them back, make sabbat to hear another sermon. May you be them, guide them, protect them, and give them. For it is in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us today as we learnt about our topic beyond Jerusalem. We pray that you'll join us again next sabbat as we learn about... Saul. Paul. But for now... Bye!