Children's Church - The Word Grows
Who Are These in White Robes?
Matthew 5:1-12 & Revelations 7:9-17
Matthew 5:1-12
Jesus saw the crowds who were there. He went up on a hill and sat down. His followers came to him. Jesus taught the people and said: “Those people who know they have great spiritual needs are happy. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Those who are sad now are happy. God will comfort them. Those who are humble are happy. The earth will belong to them. Those who want to do right more than anything else are happy. God will fully satisfy them. Those who give mercy to others are happy. Mercy will be given to them. Those who are pure in their thinking are happy. They will be with God. Those who work to bring peace are happy. God will call them his sons. Those who are treated badly for doing good are happy. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. “People will say bad things about you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do these things to you, you are happy. Rejoice and be glad. You have a great reward waiting for you in heaven.
Revelation 7:9-17
After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
and from the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows. Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Paul’s Arrest and Preaching in Rome
Acts 26:1-32; 28:11-16, 30-31
Paul went before the King and told them his story about his time as a Jewish leader about how he saw Jesus and became a believer and follower. Paul told them all the truth about Jesus. While Paul was saying these things to defend himself, Festus said loudly, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Too much study has driven you crazy!” Paul said, “Most Excellent Festus, I am not crazy. My words are true. They are not words of a foolish man. King Agrippa knows about these things. I can speak freely to him. I know that he has heard about all these things. They did not happen off in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe what the prophets wrote? I know you believe!“ King Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian in such a short time?” Paul said, “Whether it’s a short or a long time, I pray to God that not only you but every person listening to me today would be saved and be like me-except for these chains I have!” Then King Agrippa, Governor Festus, Bernice, and all the people sitting with them stood up and left the room. They were talking to each other. They said, “There is no reason why this man should die or be put in jail.” And Agrippa said the Festus, “We could let this man go free, but he has asked Caesar to hear his case. “Paul did not go free, but stayed a prisoner. He was guarded in a house alone. But, it didn’t stop him from teaching about Jesus. Paul stayed two full years in his own rented house. He welcomed all people who came and visited him. He preached about the kingdom of God and talked about the Lord Jesus Christ. He was very bold, and no one stopped him.
Paul’s Mission to the West
Acts 16:11-40; 20:17-22
Once, while we were going to the place for prayer, a servant girl met us. She had a special spirit in her. She earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. This girl followed Paul and us. She said loudly, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how you can be saved!” She kept this up for many days. This bothered Paul, so he turned and said to the spirit, “By the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!” Immediately, the spirit came out. The owners of the servant girl saw this. These men knew that now they could not use her to make money. So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the city rulers in the marketplace. Here they brought Paul and Silas to the Roman rulers and said, “These men are Jews and are making trouble in our city. They are teaching things that are not right for us as Romans to do.” The crowd joined the attack against them. The Roman officers tore the clothes of Paul and Silas and had them beaten with rods again and again. After being severely beaten, Paul and Silas were thrown into jail. The jailer was ordered to guard them carefully. When he heard this order, he put them far inside the jail. He pinned down their feet between large blocks of wood. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was a big earthquake. It was so strong that it shook the foundation of the jail. Then all the doors of the jail broke open. All the prisoners were freed from their chains. The jailer woke up and saw that the jail doors were open. He thought that the prisoners had already escaped. So he got his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted, “Don’t hurt yourself! We are all here!” The jailer told someone to bring a light. Then he ran inside. Shaking with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” They said to him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and all the people in your house.” So Paul and Silas told the message of the Lord to the jailer and all the people in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Then he and all his people were baptized immediately. After this the jailer took Paul and Silas home and gave them food. He and his family were very happy because they now believed in God. The next morning, the Roman officers sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let these men go free!” The jailer said to Paul, “The officers have sent an order to let you go free. You can leave now. Go in peace.”
Paul’s Mission to the Gentiles
Acts 13:1-5; 14:1-7, 21-28
In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual to the Jewish synagogue. They spoke so well that a great many Jews and Greeks believed. But some of the Jews who did not believe excited the non-Jewish people and turned them against the believers. But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Iconium a long time and spoke bravely for the Lord. The Lord showed that their message about his grace was true by giving them the power to work miracles and signs. But some of the people in the city agreed with the Jews. Others believed the apostles. So the city was divided.
Some non-Jewish people, some Jews, and some of their rulers wanted to harm Paul and Barnabas by killing them with stones. When Paul and Barnabas learned about this, they went to Lystra and Derbe, cities in Lycaonia, and to the areas around those cities. They announced the Good News there, too.
Paul and Barnabas told the Good News in Derbe and many became followers. Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. In those cities they made the followers of Jesus stronger. They helped them to stay in the faith. They said, “We must suffer many things to enter God’s kingdom.” They chose elders for each church, by praying and giving up eating. These elders were men who had trusted the Lord. So Paul and Barnabas put them in the Lord’s care.
Then they went through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. They preached the message in Perga, and then they went down to Attalia. And from there they sailed away to Antioch. This is where the believers had put them into God’s care and had sent them out to do this work. And now they had finished the work.
When they arrived in Antioch, they gathered the church together. Paul and Barnabas told them all about what God had done with them. They told how God had made it possible for the non-Jews to believe! And they stayed there a long time with the followers.
Saul’s Conversion
Acts 9:1-19, 26-31
In Jerusalem Saul was still trying to frighten the followers of the Lord by saying he would kill them. So he went to the high priest and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Saul wanted the high priest to give him the authority to find people in Damascus who were followers of Christ’s Way. If he found any there, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem. So Saul went to Damascus. As he came near the city, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Saul fell to the ground. He heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you doing things against me?” Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice answered, “I am Jesus. I am the One you are trying to hurt. Get up now and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there, but they said nothing. They heard the voice, but they saw no one. Saul got up from the ground. He opened his eyes, but he could not see. So the men with Saul took his hand and led him into Damascus. For three days Saul could not see, and he did not eat or drink. There was a follower of Jesus in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision, “Ananias!” Ananias answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight Street. Find the house of Judas. Ask for a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. He is there now, praying. Saul has seen a vision. In it a man named Ananias comes to him and lays his hands on him. Then he sees again.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and the terrible things he did to your people in Jerusalem. Now he has come here to Damascus. The leading priests have given him the power to arrest everyone who worships you.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen Saul for an important work. He must tell about me to non-Jews, to kings, and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” So Ananias went to the house of Judas. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw on the road on your way here. He sent me so that you can see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something that looked like fish scales fell from Saul’s eyes. He was able to see again! Then Saul got up and was baptized. After eating some food, his strength returned.
And so Saul stayed with the followers. He went everywhere in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of Jesus. He would often talk and argue with the Jews who spoke Greek. But they were trying to kill him. When the brothers learned about this, they took Saul to Caesarea. From there they sent him to Tarsus. The church everywhere in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the group became stronger. The believers showed that they respected the Lord by the way they lived. Because of this, the group of believers grew larger and larger.
Philip the Evangelist
Acts 8:4-8, 26-40
And everywhere the believers were scattered, they told people the Good News. Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached about the Christ. The people there heard Philip and saw the miracles he was doing. They all listened carefully to the things he said. Many of these people had evil spirits in them. But Philip made the evil spirits leave them. The spirits made a loud noise when they came out. There were also many weak and crippled people there. Philip healed them, too. So, the people in that city were very happy. An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. The angel said, “Get ready and go south. Go to the road that leads down to Gaza from Jerusalem—the desert road.” So, Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch. He was an important officer in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. He was responsible for taking care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and now he was on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot and reading from the book of Isaiah, the prophet. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” So, Philip ran toward the chariot. He heard the man reading from Isaiah, the prophet. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He answered, “How can I understand? I need someone to explain it to me!” Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with him. The verse of Scripture that he was reading was this:
“He was like a sheep being led to be killed.
He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut.
He said nothing.
He was shamed and was treated unfairly.
He died without children to continue his family.
His life on earth has ended.” Isaiah 53:7-8
The officer said to Philip, “Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about? Is he talking about himself or about someone else?” Philip began to speak. He started with this same Scripture and told the man the Good News about Jesus. While they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The officer said, “Look! Here is water! What is stopping me from being baptized?” [Philip answered, “If you believe with all your heart, you can.” The officer said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] Then, the officer commanded the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the officer went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away; the officer never saw him again. The officer continued on his way home, full of joy.
Stephen Martyrdom
Acts 6:1-15 & 7:54-60
More and more people were believing in Jesus. So many people, that the apostles needed more leaders to help serve and teach the new believers. Stephen, a man of great faith and full of the Holy Spirit, was one of these new leaders. Stephen was richly blessed by God. God gave him the power to do great miracles and signs among the people.
But some Jews were against him. They all came and argued with Stephen.
But the Spirit was helping him to speak with wisdom. His words were so strong that they could not argue with him. So they paid some men to say, “We heard him say things against Moses and against God!”
This upset the people, the Jewish elders, and the teachers of the law. They came to Stephen, grabbed him and brought him to a meeting of the Jewish leaders. They brought in some men to tell lies about Stephen. They said, “This man is always saying things against this holy place and the law of Moses. We heard him say that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place. He also said that Jesus will change the things that Moses told us to do.” All the people in the meeting were watching Stephen closely. His face looked like the face of an angel.
When the leaders heard Stephen saying all these things, they became very angry. They were so mad that they were grinding their teeth at Stephen. But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God. He saw Jesus standing at God’s right side. He said, “Look! I see heaven open. And I see the Son of Man standing at God’s right side!”
Then they all shouted loudly. They covered their ears with their hands and all ran at Stephen. They took him out of the city and threw stones at him until he was dead. The men who told lies against Stephen left their coats with a young man named Saul. While they were throwing stones, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” He fell on his knees and cried in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” After Stephen said this, he died.
The Spirit Comes
John 16:7-15
But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’