Scripture:

Revelation 21:1-8

Revelation 22

Key Verse:

the one who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! -Revelation 22:20 NRSV

• What excites you most about heaven?
• How does surrendering our lives to God on earth help to prepare us for eternity?

Going Deeper

Eventually, everything ends. The sermon ends, the service ends, the study ends, the group ends, the Bible ends, and eventually, every human life ends. The revelation John received had a lot to do with the end. Much of this revelation is confusing. Some of it is crystal clear. One author has said that the message of Revelation is, "God Wins."

In these final two chapters, John describes the experience of heaven where God's reign is not marred by sin or rejected by human decisions. It is a place of utter beauty and abundance. It was unlike anything John had ever seen and certainly a world away from the place John occupied in exile when he received this vision. John was on the island of Patmos, and he would have been able to look across the water and see the mainland where people he loved lived while he was being punished for his faith. Imagine the longing he must have felt to be reunited with those he loved. Rather than pictures of hsi friends and family, God gave him a vision of heaven, knowing that John could trust that all things were in God's hands until the great reunion took place on another distant shore. Decisions he had made for Christ had led him to this difficult circumstance, but still John trusted.

Portions of these chapters of the Revelation of John are often read in hospital rooms to the dying or at funerals to comfort the living. They give us a sense of God's power and the beauty of our destination when our journey with Christ is complete.

Notable Quotable

"Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love, and the future to God's providence." --Augustine 

Going Deeper Questions

• God doesn't want us to dwell on "the end," but simply wants us to be ready for it. With that understanding, how are you living with God's future plans in mind?
• How does John's picture of heaven draw you toward God? How does it impact the decisions you make in your life?

 

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excerpt from: 6 Decisions That Will Change Your Life by Tom Berlin Copyright © 2014 by Abingdon Press. Used with permission.

This is a six-week small group experience focusing on the six decisions:

• The Decision to Follow
• The Decision for a New Life
• The Decision to Mature
• The Decision to Respond 
• The Decision to Persevere
• The Decision to Surrender

Each week the leader's guide provides ice breakers, additional discussion questions related to the scriptures, the participant's workbook readings and the 4-5 minute video.