10 Jun Discussion Guide: Revelation Week 1
Ice Breaker
One of the things we value within community is fun. In the midst of all the pressures life throws at us, it is our ability to laugh, play and celebrate together that reminds us we serve a good, loving, and resurrected Lord who stands above it all. So, we want to take the first few minutes of our time together to play, have fun, and celebrate the fact that we belong to Jesus.
Today’s Ice Breaker: Movin’ On Up
Each player starts with a stack of 25 red cups with one blue cup at the top of the stack. Start by moving the top blue cup to the bottom of the stack, and continue moving cups from the top to the bottom until the blue cup is back at the bottom of the stack again. 2-3 people per round of competition works well.
What You Will Need:
- Plastic Cups
Today’s Discussion
This week we begin our summer focus by taking a look at one of the most intriguing and controversial books in the whole canon of Scripture…The book of Revelation. No, we will not be trying to calculate when Jesus will return. And, no, we will not be trying to decipher what the mark of the beast really means. What we will be doing is looking at who Jesus reveals Himself to be and what Jesus reveals our future holds in the hopes that we can find the hope, encouragement, and faith that Christians have found in this book for nearly 2,000 years. In Revelation we encounter Jesus as the Alpha and the Omega, a fierce warrior, a slaughtered lamb, and we encounter ourselves as those very much in need of Him and His promises. So, buckle up and let’s get started with Revelation and trust God to give us a hope for the future…for today.
Discussion Questions
How would you define hope? And, what is something that has brought you hope at some point in your life?
pregunta
Revelation 1:5-8
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
What does Jesus’ claim to be the Alpha mean?
What are the implications on our world, and on our lives, if His claim is true?
What are the implications if His claim is not true?
Apocalipsis 1:5-8
Al que nos ama y nos libertó de nuestros pecados con Su sangre, e hizo de nosotros un reino, sacerdotes para Dios, Su Padre, a El sea la gloria y el dominio por los siglos de los siglos. Amén. E l viene con las nubes , y todo ojo Lo verá, aun los que Lo traspasaron; y todas las tribus (linajes y razas) de la tierra harán lamentación por El. Sí. Amén. “Yo soy el Alfa y la Omega,” dice el Señor Dios, “el que es y que era y que ha de venir, el Todopoderoso.”
preguntas
note
nota
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“The end of life is not to be happy, nor to achieve pleasure and avoid pain, but to do the will of God, come what may.”
“The cross may mean the death of your popularity. It may mean the death of your bridge to the White House. It may mean the death of a foundation grant. It may cut your budget down a little, but take up your cross and just bear it. And that is the way I have decided to go.”
The question was posed in this past Sunday’s sermon, “Is Jesus what you use to I the life you want, or is He the life you want?” Dr. King answered that question by giving his life for the rights of the oppressed. This is what Jesus being the Omega meant to him.
What does Jesus’ claim to be the Omega mean to you?
What are the implications on our world, and on our lives, if His claim is true?
What are the implications if His claim is not true?
How can we tell if Jesus is our Omega (our reason for living) or if something else is?
red sp
“quote so .
Preguntas?
The easiest way to tell if Jesus is your Omega, your reason for living, is to simply look at how you respond when life doesn’t go the way you want it go. When you don’t get that job, when that relationship comes to an end, when you can’t buy that car or outfit or iPhone, do you come undone? Do you feel insufficient? Do you feel like something has been taken from you that you are unable to live with out? If this is the direction your heart goes when life doesn’t go the way you want it to go then that’s a pretty good indicator that you are living for something, or someone, other than Jesus as your ultimate goal. When we have Jesus as our Omega point then we can proclaim like the Apostle Paul that, “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” We can echo his sentiment of being able to, “Do all things through Him who gives us strength.” When Christ is our Omega then everything else in life becomes a means by which, and through which, we can better know Him and make Him known.
nota
Revelation 1:12-18
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lamp stands, and in the midst of the lamp stands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
How might Jesus being our Alpha (purpose giver), Omega (ultimate pursuit) and judge, who walks with us in our present reality change the way we face our struggles and our successes today?
If Jesus has touched our lives in that kind of way, how, how can we now be the people through whom He touches the lives of others in that kind of way as well?
Apocalipsis 1:12-18
Entonces me volví para ver de quién era la voz que hablaba conmigo, y al volverme, vi siete candelabros de oro. En medio de los candelabros, vi a uno semejante al Hijo del Hombre, vestido con una túnica que Le llegaba hasta los pies y ceñido por el pecho con un cinto de oro. Su cabeza y Sus cabellos eran blancos como la blanca lana, como la nieve. Sus ojos eran como una llama de fuego. Sus pies se parecían al bronce bruñido cuando se le ha hecho refulgir en el horno, y Su voz como el ruido de muchas aguas. En Su mano derecha tenía siete estrellas, y de Su boca salía una espada aguda de dos filos. Su rostro era como el sol cuando brilla con toda su fuerza. Cuando Lo vi, caí como muerto a Sus pies. Y El puso Su mano derecha sobre mí, diciendo: “No temas, Yo soy el Primero y el Ultimo, y el que vive, y estuve muerto. Pero ahora estoy vivo por los siglos de los siglos, y tengo las llaves de la muerte y del Hades (región de los muertos).
preguntas
Closing Thoughts
Discipleship Groups
If you are not currently connected with one of our discipleship groups then make sure to come talk to us afterwards. Our discipleship groups are smaller, gender-based settings of 3-4 people who are meeting together and in communication throughout the weeks to encourage and support one another to pursue Christ in the personal life issues we all deal with. We have a number of them happening so if you’d like to connect with one then make sure to let us know.
Prayer
As we close our time together we want to make sure to take time to pray for, and encourage one another. Can we join you in praying for a family member, friend, or neighbor in whose life you are hoping to see God move in some way? Do you have any personal prayer needs?