Sunday Worship Service October 26, 2025

Prelude
Call to Worship Psalm 40:5 (NIV)
Hymn JBC #650 Serve the Lord with gladness
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 146 Thou didst leave Thy throne
The Lord’s Supper
Offering
Scripture Acts 8:1~25
Prayer
Sermon “Mission in Samaria”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 549 Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish
Doxology JBC # 674
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements


Today’s bible passage begins with the sentence [And Saul approved of their killing him]
　The Stephen that was killed refers to Stephen who was told to be the first martyr in Christianity.
In the book of Acts chap. 7 prior to today’s passage was depicted a scene where Stephen was interrogated at the Jewish Supreme Court with the suspicion of blasphemy.
Stephen did not defend himself but by speaking the story of God that was conveyed in the bible, he confronted those that accused him and tried to proclaim the news about the True God.
　Eventually, however, Stephen was killed through sentence of stoning by the people that were consumed by anger.
We heard in the worship message last week that Stephen’s last words were [Lord, do not hold this sin against them] (chap. 7: 60)

Saul who was written to have consented the killing of Stephen at that time was a zealous Jewish person. He detested and severely persecuted those who proclaimed and believed the man called Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord.
Later, Saul is named Paul. Paul having encountered the resurrected Jesus Christ, was dramatically transformed, had a major transformation from Christ’s persecutor to becoming a zealous evangelist of Christ.
The bible clearly mentions that, that Paul consented to Stephen’s killing.
Through it, the bible teaches that no human being is perfectly pure, righteous and has never committed a sin.
Starting with Paul, the bible never depicts any human being a heroic figure.
The bible consistently tells the truth that all people have weakness, imperfections and bear a sin that he himself can never wash away.

To carry such weakness and imperfections that we bear, and to forgive our sins, one Man who is perfectly pure, Jesus Christ the Son of God came to the world.
And the bible tells that Jesus has completed our salvation on the cross.
Saul (Paul) was listening nearby as Stephen faced those that stoned him and cried with a loud voice, [Lord, do not hold this sin against them]
We can only imagine what thought was going through Saul’s mind as he listened to Stephen’s voice since it is not written in the bible.
Perhaps, Saul may have been touched by those Stephen’s words (cry). Or maybe, he was just stubbornly nurturing his hatred for Stephen.
Stephen’s cry [Lord, do not hold this sin against them] is also the words of cry that Jesus prays to the heavenly Father God about us even now.
Let us keep in mind and be grateful that Jesus prays for us and carries our sins, and once again be determined to continue listening to God’s Word and live in obedience to Him.

It is written in today’s passage (latter half of chap. 8:1) [On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria]
Was it due to Stephen’s punishment. A great persecution broke out in the church of Jerusalem (a gathering of Christ believers)
[All except the apostles] were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. I don’t know the reason why the apostles (central figures of Christ’s disciples) stayed in Jerusalem。
Jerusalem is the place where Jesus was crucified and killed, on top of that, it was the place where the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples.
Jerusalem was a place to be considered the central area of faith. Therefore, though many Christians were scattered to various places, the apostles being the core (leaders of faith) may have continued to stay at that central place of faith.

The apostles may have continued to stay in Jerusalem as a place where those who were scattered could eventually return.
Even our present church carries the role and responsibility as a central area of faith where we can come back.
It is not us that protect the church; it is God who protects and guides it.
As we hope relying on God, let us treasure the place of faith that is given to us, the church which is the place where the family of faith gather.
Reading from verse 4 onward, the people were scattered due to persecution, however, they walked around [ while proclaiming the gospel]
The people were scattered because of persecution, but as a result, that matter served as an opportunity to convey the gospel of Christ even to distant regions and nations.
According to verse 5, a man named Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ.
The fact that Philip went to the city of Samaria, there proclaimed Christ, and as the crowd saw the signs he performed, they listened to him, was a surprising matter.
It’s because to the Jews, the region of Samaria was the former kingdom of North Israel, overthrown by the Assyrian Empire and a region of mixed heritage with the Gentiles that have migrated there.

　To the Jews that value racial purity, the people of Samaria having mixed race with the Gentiles were object of contempt.
Triggered by persecution, the news about Jesus Christ being made known to the region where the people of Samaria who were at odds against the Jews lived was also one of God’s mysterious divine works.
In verse 9 onward, a man named Simon appears. This man was one who [proclaimed himself a great man, amazing the people of Samaria using sorcery]
I don’t know what this thing called “sorcery” was like.
In any case, that sorcery was like something that captivated the heart, astonished people, moreover, the people gave him (Simon) their attention.

To Simon, the fact that [he can perform sorcery] seemed to be a basis for him to think [I am a great man]
And the people were captivated by the amazing sorcery that he performed more than Simon’s personality himself or his inner being.
In other words, could it be that Simon was unable to build a deep personal feelings relationship with the people.
In that sense, I think we can say that Simon who could only connect with others through external condition called sorcery and knew his own value only through that matter was a pitiable person before God.
The people of Samaria believed Philip who proclaimed the gospel about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.

If we look at verses 12～13、probably many people believed and were baptized.
And it is written that Simon also believed and was baptized, followed Philip everywhere and was astonished as he saw the signs and miracles (driving away evil spirit, healing diseases) done by Philip.
Let’s look at verse 14 onward.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.
The apostles in Jerusalem sent the two, Peter and John to Samaria as representatives maybe to ascertain that even the people of Samaria believed God.
Peter and John came down to Samaria and prayed for the people that they “might receive the Holy Spirit”. (v.15)

　Let me read verses 16～17.
16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

I’m not clearly sure about what it means by [the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus]
That is, so to speak, could it be that basing on a single piece of knowledge “the name of the Lord Jesus”, the people of Samaria were baptized depending on one’s thoughts, but still haven’t sincerely changed heart or repented to God by the leading of the Holy Spirit (God’s Spirit).
Therefore, desiring that they may have the faith to believe the Lord Jesus, faith to entrust oneself to the Holy Spirit (God’s Spirit) with sincere change of heart, Peter and John placed their hands on them and prayed.

　As written (verse 17), then the people received the Holy Spirit.
Simon was watching that situation. And guess what, when he saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said [Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit]
Let’s look at Peter’s first words on that matter.
[May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!]
Simon thought he could buy the ability to give the Holy Spirit (the ability to astonish people) in exchange for what he has, so called money.
However, the gift that God gives is not something that is received in exchange for something we have.
　God has already given us numerous wonderful gifts, all for free. To know God is for us to realize that matter.
What we have gained on our own, everything that we possess and others (even if we think so) are nothing at all.
Simon must have been completely consumed by the thought that “he can buy anything with money” or “he can only obtain something by offering up something he has as payment for it”.

　I was made to think that even we now have the way of thinking as Simon.
God says (through Peter’s words) to such Simon and to us.
[The things that you have, what you have in your hands are all gifts, free gifts from Me, the Lord God], [You have nothing of your own, nothing you've earned yourselves.]
God says [Live believing God who gives all things, believe the leading of the Holy Spirit, be thankful and rely on Him]
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the message that God has paid all the price and sacrifice by Himself for our salvation.
　Such message is that Jesus was crucified.
Let us acknowledge with the eyes of faith that we receive all things, the fact that we abundantly receive good things as gifts and let us walk the blessed days guided by the Holy Spirit.