Session 3 — 7 Letters to the 7 Churches January 24, 2021

I. The church exists to be light in a dark world. [Matthew 5:14-16]

II. The church consists of all people who have been redeemed by

God and adopted into His eternal family by faith in Messiah.

III.The church is expressed both locally and universally – with

Jesus being the Head of the body and the Chief Shepard.

IV.Jesus has total authority and is holding everything in His

mighty hand.

V. The letters Jesus wrote to the seven churches have never been

more relevant than they are today.

VI.God’s promises are only for the overcomer in Christ. [1 John

5:4-5]

VII.Each of us must ask God to give us ears to hear, but then we

must do what He says. [James 1:22-25]

Personal Application

➡ Pray for ears to hear and understand what the Spirit is saying

➡ Obey God’s commandments and do what He says!

➡ Read the letter to the church at Ephesus [2:1-7] out loud and

make personal notes.

Session 2

Vision of Jesus — January 17, 2021

I. God’s people must enter the kingdom of God through many

tribulations with patient endurance to the end. [Revelation 1:9]

II. Revelation was written for those who will endure tribulation in

general, and specifically for those who must endure the great

tribulation. [Revelation 1:9]

III.John’s vision reveals Jesus in all His power and great glory, as

the Son of Man who is coming on the clouds. [Revelation

1:12-16]

IV.Only Jesus Christ holds the keys to death and life! [Revelation

1:17-18]

V. The seven stars are the seven angels and the seven

lampstands represent the seven churches. [Revelation 1:20]

Personal Application

➡ Prepare for coming tribulation by fixing your eyes and setting

your hearts upon the coming Son of Man – the risen Lord Jesus

Christ – who has been given all authority in heaven and earth

and who holds the keys to death and life.

➡ Continue to go in His authority as His witnesses to the end of

the age!

Session 1 — Alpha and Omega —

January 10, 2021

I. We discover a heptadic thread running throughout the entire Bible, especially in the book of Revelation, where the number 7 is uniquely emphasized. [Revelation 1:4-8]

II. God’s eternal nature is revealed in the three tenses of salvation.

[Revelation 1:4-8]

III.John’s greeting to the seven churches reveal seven distinct titles of the Lord Jesus Christ. [Revelation 1:4-7]

IV.Jesus Christ is the Alpha as Creator and Omega as Judge, and the Central Figure in all of history as Redeemer! [Revelation 1:8]

Personal Application

➡ Marvel at the manifold works of God and give Him glory for who He is and what He has done!

➡ Worship the King Jesus Christ, who has loved us and set us free from sin and death.

➡ Repent and draw near to God today, seek Him while He may still be found, so that you will not shrink back in fear when He comes with the clouds in all power and glory!

Introduction to the Book of Revelation

The book of Revelation is the ___________ ____________ of Jesus Christ in all His glory and the ______________ _________________ of this present age with His triumphant return to earth. [Revelation 1:7]

While the Apostle John — the ____________ ________________ — was inspired by the Holy Spirit as the _____________ ______________ of the book, Jesus Christ is the _____________ _____________.

The book of Revelation was _______________ to John using _____________ ______________ and _____________ _____________ that already have been clearly established in Scripture. [Revelation 1:1-2]

Jesus provides the ______________ of the entire book, along with both a _____________ _______________ and _______________ _______________ to all who read it. [Revelation 1:3, 1:19, 22:18-19]

Personal Application

Begin praying daily for ears to hear and a spirit of wisdom and understanding.

Read at least one chapter aloud every day and take good notes.

Pray for opportunities to share the gospel amidst the uncertainty of our day.

Small Group Listening Guide — January 10, 2021

Read Revelation 1 Out Loud

Have you ever participated in an in-depth study of the book of Revelation before? What was your experience like?

What is your overall attitude about this study? Why?

What was the Apostle John’s relationship with Jesus like? Why is that significant?

How are we to approach the symbolic language and mysterious descriptions in the book of Revelation? How can we discover the literal meaning of these symbols?

What is the outline of the book, according to Revelation 1:19?

What is the unique blessing connected with this book? [see Revelation 1:3] Why is hearing the spoken word so essential? [see Romans 10:14-17]

What is the serious warning associated with this book? [see Revelation 22:18-19] How do we “add” or “take away” from Scripture?

A Kingdom that Cannot be Shaken — 

Hebrews 12:18-29

* The Exodus provides one of the most comprehensive prophetic profiles of the last days and the revelation of Jesus Christ. [Hebrews 12:18-21]

* God came down and revealed Himself on the holy mountain — Sinai — in power and glory. [Hebrews 12:18-21]

* The LORD will come down from heaven again to remove all the mountains out of their place and judge the earth with an all-consuming fire. [Hebrews 12:22-27]

* Only those in Christ who receive immortal bodies will be able to stand before God on that Day and inherit a kingdom that cannot be shaken. [Hebrews 12:27-29]

As We Go … 

Will you be able to stand when Christ comes as an all-consuming fire or will you shrink back in fear? Will you inherit God’s kingdom that cannot be shaken?

The Christmas Star and

the Sign of Immanuel

• From the beginning, God created the heavenly bodies to serve as prophetic signs. [Genesis 1:14-15]

• The magi were Gentile astrologers who were looking for the King of the Jews. [Matthew 2:1-4]

• The star of Bethlehem most likely involved both natural and supernatural phenomena around the time of Jesus’ birth. [Matthew 2:1-23]

• There certainly was an astronomical connection to the prophetic sign of the virgin birth. [Genesis 3:15, Matthew 1:20-25, Revelation 12:1-6]

• Cosmic signs will also accompany the second coming of Jesus and the Day of the LORD. [Matthew 24:27-31]

• Most importantly, we have been saved to shine like the stars forever — Amen! [Matthew 5:16]

As We Go …

May we seek the Son of God more diligently than the magi and may we shine bright as the stars against the ever darkening days ahead before the Lord returns!

Holding on to our Blessed Hope

Luke 2:22-35

• Simeon waited in HOPE for the

CONSOLATION of Israel —

so must we. [Luke 2:25-28]

• Simeon lived to see the promised

SALVATION of his God —

so can we. [Luke 2:29-33]

• Simeon understood that Jesus had

to bear the CROSS before He could

wear the CROWN — so must we.

[Luke 2:34-35]

As You Go …

Believe in the promises and the power of God, who loves us so much that He would give His only Son to die for us and prepare a place for us in His kingdom!

We are the Shepherds

The shepherds' story reflects

Point 1: Our unworthy condition

Point 2: The choice to obey the Lord’s commands

Point 3: The testifying of God’s goodness

Point 4: Giving glory of the Lord

God is Faithful to the End

1 Thessalonians 5:18-28

• Sanctification is a COOPERITIVE effort.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-28

• Our part simply is to be joyful, prayerful, thankful, and OBEDIENT to the end.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-28

• God’s part is to FINISH the work that He STARTED in us.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-28,

Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 2:8-10

• God’s promise is that we will be like JESUS in the end.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-28]

As We Go ...

Live every day like we are one step closer to the kingdom of God and the coming of our Lord Jesus!

How Daniel Did It

Daniel 1:8-

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:21-

Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.

• Don’t give in. Resist.

• Be Consistent.

• Don’t give up. Be persistent.