Junior and/or Earliteen Sabbath School October 11, 2008

This Quarter the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering is going to the Northern Asia-Pacific Division Information adapted from Adventist Mission, Youth and Adult Magazine and the SDA Encyclopedia. Mongolia China North Korea

This quarter the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will be used to help: build a dormitory for Adventist students in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia build a dormitory for Adventist students in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia fund Chinese-language television and Internet broadcasts from Taiwan fund Chinese-language television and Internet broadcasts from Taiwan plant a Chinese-language church in the heart of Tokyo, Japan plant a Chinese-language church in the heart of Tokyo, Japan

Adventist work in what would become the Northern Asia-Pacific Division began as early as In that year, Abram La Rue, a pioneer self-supporting missionary, went to China and Hong Kong to serve. During that time he made several trips to Japan and distributed literature. By 1890 there were Sabbath keepers in Japan. Northern Asia-Pacific Division History

In 1904 a Korean was walking along a street in Kobe, Japan, when he read a sign that said “The Seventh-day Sabbath Jesus Second Coming Church.” As a Protestant, he was intrigued and began studying with the church’s evangelist. He then brought a fellow Korean to the study sessions. The second man returned to Korea and shared what he had learned with another man on the trip back to Korea. Soon 35 Sabbath keepers worshipped in Pusan, Korea.

In 1907 a Chinese Adventist colporteur, T. S. Yang, traveled to Taiwan to begin work there. The work spread slowly, and by 1943 there were only 14 Adventist members on the island.

During World War II many Adventist church leaders and members in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan were imprisoned and some were even executed because of their beliefs. Church property was confiscated.

Church work was reestablished after World War II. Interest in Christianity was high in some areas of the Far East, and church growth led to several church conference and division reorganizations in the area during the last five decades of the twentieth century.

The Northern Asia-Pacific Division consists of China, Japan, Mongolia, North and South Korea, and Taiwan. With 1.5 billion people, roughly a quarter of the world’s population, the Northern Asia-Pacific Division is the most populous division in the world. The Northern Asia-Pacific Division Today

Believers in Japan, in Taiwan and in Mongolia want to share Jesus’ love with their neighbors, but they need your help. Please be generous with your offering this Thirteenth Sabbath. Let’s do our part to share God’s love with our family members in the Northern Asia-Pacific Division.

Collect Offering

Exploring God’s World In this section we study one of the countries in the division where our Thirteenth Sabbath offering is going.

Today we are going to learn about Japan.

Where is Japan

Japan’s Flag

Time for the Mission Story We are taking the good news to the entire world. Read the Mission Story on pages 6 and 7 of the Fourth Quarter Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine while slowly progressing through the next 3 slides.

The name of the person in the story is “Tsoogi.”

This story is from Mongolia.

The title of the story is “Out of the Cold.”

Lesson Study Time

Aliens Among Us Let’s read about the:

Do you keep a journal? Many believe that Luke kept one. Like any good journalist, he would have interviewed lots of people.

Today we continue listening to what Luke might have heard from another person who served Paul.

P O W E R T E X T Acts 15:11, NIV

“We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

We serve God when we love and accept others as He does. P O W E R P O I N T

I couldn’t understand why they were all arguing. I thought anyone could accept and follow Jesus.

Paul’s chief servant explained to me that’s what Paul was trying to get across to the councilmen.

He said that the Jews thought that the new converts had to become Jews first and follow their customs.

I strained to hear the conversation. It sounded as if they were finally agreeing on something.

“I think Paul and Barnabas should go to Jerusalem and talk to the apostles there,” someone said.

“Let’s find out what their opinion is about this.”

“That’s a good idea, but I want some local elders to go too,” another replied. “I want to make sure we’re getting an honest report.”

“Does everyone agree?” asked Paul. “Yes,” everyone said together. “Good, we’ll leave as soon as possible,” Paul said. “We need to get this straightened out quickly.”

We traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria so Paul could encourage Christians along the way. In Jerusalem, the believers met us at the city gate.

When Paul told them the reason for our visit, everyone agreed that a special meeting needed to be called. They set the time for several days later.

I was surprised at how many people had come to hear Paul and Barnabas.

But I also knew that there were lots of people with their own ideas about Gentiles accepting Christ. They would all want to have their own say during the meeting.

Paul and Barnabas opened the meeting by telling of their first missionary journey.

They told about some of the miraculous things God had done. Paul told about being stoned in Lystra and left for dead.

He saved the most important information for last—the large number of Gentiles who were eager to accept the message of Jesus and His death for them.

“A group that came to Antioch from Jerusalem has begun to cause some problems,” Paul reported.

“They have started to teach and demand that our Gentile Christian brothers and sisters must first become Jews. I believe this is wrong.”

Just as I thought it would, murmuring arose from the group.

“How can you take that kind of position?” demanded one of the leaders. “These Gentiles must submit to becoming Jews and promise they’ll obey the laws of Moses before they can follow Jesus.”

“Yes, he’s right,” a number of other voices chorused.

“We disagree,” another said. “God accepts everyone who accepts His Son. The important thing is that the Gentiles hear the message of Jesus and accept it.”

The discussion went back and forth for a long time. Finally, motioning for silence, Peter, one of the apostles, stood up.

“Brothers, about 10 years ago I took the gospel to Cornelius and his family who were Gentiles.”

“They became believers, and God showed He accepted them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did at Pentecost.”

“It didn’t make any difference to God who they were. God accepts people from all nations.”

“As He does, He shows what customs need to be put away. He doesn’t require them to accept all the customs of Israel.”

“Remember, many of our customs gave people a false security about their salvation. We know we are saved by Jesus’ death. It’s the same for these people, too.”

When Peter finished speaking, no one had anything more to say.

Everyone listened as Paul and Barnabas told the rest of the miraculous and exciting things God had done among the Gentiles during their journeys.

Finally James rose to speak. He seemed to be the one in charge of this meeting.

“Brothers, listen to me,” he began. “Peter has described to us how God has chosen people for His kingdom not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles.”

“In fact, God told us in Scripture that He would do this. It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

The argument was over. The Holy Spirit had brought everyone to agreement. The next step, they decided, was to elect people to take the good word back to the Gentile believers.

Exodus 22:21, NIV Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Let’s read some of God’s instructions about strangers, or aliens, together, out loud. (Someone keep their Bible open to each of these texts as we read them, for later discussion.)

Leviticus 19:10, 33, 34, NIV 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. 33 When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. 34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 24:22, NIV You are to have the same law for the alien and the native- born. I am the LORD your God.

Psalm 146:9, NIV The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

What’s an alien? – discuss. What’s another word for alien? – give some examples. (For the sake of our discussion, we’re talking about humans!)

What special instructions did God give the Israelites about aliens? Why do you think He gave those instructions to them?

Which of these instructions still apply to us? Who are aliens in our community?

How does it make you feel knowing that God loves and accepts everyone?

How will knowing this change the way you treat your classmates, neighbors, and others?

We serve God when we love and accept others as He does.

Important Information PowerPoints® art copyrighted © 2003 by the Review and Herald® Publishing Association. Text and illustrations from Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine is copyright © by the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. Scriptures quoted from NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1980, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. ClickArt Infinity by Broderbund, © 1999 TLC Multimedia Inc.

You will want to have a hard copy of the Mission Story ready to read during the Mission Story section. You can find the story on pages 6 and 7 of the Fourth Quarter Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. The title of the story is “Out of the Cold.” You can go to the website and find the link titled “Publications” to download the Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. You will want to have a hard copy of the Mission Story ready to read during the Mission Story section. You can find the story on pages 6 and 7 of the Fourth Quarter Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. The title of the story is “Out of the Cold.” You can go to the website and find the link titled “Publications” to download the Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. Notes to Teachers

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Copyright Grants Pass Seventh-day Adventist School Art and graphics copyrighted by the General Conference and the Review and Herald® are included on slides 41, 46, 48-50, 55-57, 61, and Images and artwork are copyrighted by the Pacific Press Publishing Assoc., Review and Herald Publishing Assoc., It Is Written and others. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Copyright Notices