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Revelation: Blessed?

We are headed for an apocalypse. Science and religion both agree. So in the midst of what seems to be cursed, and all the voices claiming to have the answers, how do we find and know what is really BLESSED? God has John write the book of Revelation to answer the question of “BLESSED?”      #revelation #2022

STARTER

PRAY

Father, we bow before You to ask You to help us have an eternal perspective on blessings. As we go through the book of Revelation, help us to understand that we will not know the times or seasons You have set by Your own authority, but we are commanded to be Your witnesses as you were the faithful witness. (Acts 1:8, Revelation 1:5). Help us to LISTEN and REPENT and trust You to be the VICTOR in our lives. Amen.

STUDY QUESTIONS

"LISTEN & REPENT…VICTOR”

As you read through Revelation, remember that John has been serving God faithfully for decades in the midst of persecution, death, and blessing as others choose to follow Jesus. He has watched faithful people, including his fellow apostles, be killed for claiming and proclaiming Jesus. John has been exiled to an island (Patmos) full of criminals and sick people because of his faithfulness to Jesus. John is writing down what he is seeing and trying to use his limited vocabulary to describe things no earthly language can fully describe. Revelation is meant to be a blessing of both literal and symbolic meaning. It is meant to call us to the blessing of surrender to a God of pure love, justice, and sovereignty. This book is given for us to LISTEN and REPENT so that we and others can see that true blessing is found in our ultimate VICTOR Jesus.

READ Acts 1:6-8

As we go through the book of Revelation, each week we read Acts 1:6-8 as a reminder of Jesus last words to His followers before he left the earth. Why do you think we have made this a priority?

READ Revelation 1:10-4:1

  1. John saw this vision while simply walking in the Spirit, doing normal “Lord’s day” (church) stuff.
    1. Why do you think that detail is mentioned? (1:10)
  2. Do you tend to picture Jesus the way He is described in the passage we read? (1:12-18) Why? Why not?
  3. God says judgement, discipline, and victory begin in His house and among His children first. *(1 Peter 4:17-18, Proverbs 3:12, Hebrews 12:6)* So, God starts with 7 letters to 7 church families. (7 always represents completeness in the Bible and here it represents all information to all church families).
    1. How is God starting with His own house very significant and often very different in practice than human families and church families in culture today?
    2. How do you think God starting the LISTEN, REPENT and VICTOR process in His house **reflects the gospel plan of salvation from the foundation of the earth through Jesus, the Son of God?
  4. God has John write 7 letters to 7 churches to represent everything all churches need to do to LISTEN, REPENT and understand VICTORY. Go through each of the 7 churches and quickly list:
    1. How have they LISTENED, REPENTED, and found VICTORY? How have they not LISTENED, REPENTED, or found VICTORY? How do we see their VICTORIES and struggles play out in believers and churches today
    2. 7 Churches: Ephesus Smyrna Pergamum Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia Laodicea
  5. Most of us would never be willing to write letters like these calling people and specific churches out to LISTEN, REPENT and see the VICTOR.
    1. Why? Why not?
    2. What does it say about us if we are unwilling to do it or do it maliciously?
    3. How should we do it?
  6. How is our willingness and ability to LISTEN, REPENT and see the VICTOR linked to the Holy Spirit in these passages? (“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”)
  7. The scriptures, including the book of Revelation, are clear. We do not and can not save ourselves. Only Yahweh saves us (Jesus=Yeshua=Yahweh saves). All we can do is LISTEN, REPENT, and surrender to God’s work in our hearts to make Jesus the VICTOR over and over and over again until He returns for us or returns for all eternity.
    1. Why is this the most important thing to remember as we study Revelation?
  8. God has John lays some pretty heavy stuff on these churches. Later, when John is released as a very old man from his imprisonment, church history tells us that he went back to serve the church in Ephesus for the rest of his life.
    1. How is his example one we should look to model and follow instead of the church hopping and shopping we see in today’s culture among believers and pastors?

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