Revelation: A New Hope (Week 3)
In this series, we’ll explore Revelation through three lenses: the past—its Jewish roots and symbolism; the present—the context of its original audience; and the future—the timeless truth it speaks to the Church today.
For our Revelation Resources page, click here.
Warm-Up: Share a story from your life about neglecting something you shouldn’t have neglected. What happened as a result? Or, talk about a time you have been “stuck” in some way.
In his sermon, Pete connected the neglected love of Ephesus from Revelation to a passage from another of John’s letters. Read the letter to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-6, followed by 1 John 4:7-12.
1. How does the passage from 1 John show love as an action taken within community? Where else in scripture do we see the love expressed as something to be done in community?
2. Why do you think we often take love out of this communal context and individualize it as something just between us and God?
Read what Jesus says to Sardis in Revelation 3:1-3.
3. Pete connects this to a passage in Obadiah, about the same city known for their pride. How has pride been a stumbling block to your faith? How can we allow the reading of scripture to humble us instead?
4. Speaking of humilty, what are some challenges you’ve faced during this study of Revelation?
Read Revelation 3:14-16, about lukewarm Laodicea.
5. Pete points out that Laodicea, located between a hot spring and a cold spring, would know that both hot and cold water have a purpose, but that lukewarm water does not. What purpose should our faith serve? What happens if our faith is without a purpose?
6. Which church do you personally identify with most (dead or asleep like Sardis, lacking in love like Ephesus, or lukewarm like Laodicea)?
7. Which one do you think the larger Church (in our community, or even nation) is closest to?
8. If Jesus wrote a letter to the Church today like He did to the seven churches in Revelation, what do you think He would affirm, challenge, or call us to become?
(*Video available after Sunday services)
