Grace South Bay

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Compromising, Part One," from Revelation 2:12-17.

8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

 

1.     When you are facing suffering, are you quicker to blame others or yourself?  Is finding blame helpful?

2.     Do you believe Jesus can use suffering in your life for good, that it can be a good kind of test?

3.     Do you believe Jesus bounds your suffering? Is that encouraging or helpful?

4.     Have you ever experienced Jesus meeting you in pain or suffering? How did it happen?

5.     Do you find life incoherent without an afterlife and final judgement? Are you living that way?

6.     Are future, eternal rewards motivating for you right now? How so, or not?

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Complacent, Part Two," from Revelation 3:14-22.

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Complacent, Part One," from Revelation 3:1-6.

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

 8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

1.     What closed doors are you facing right now?

2.     Have you ever faced a closed door for Jesus?

3.     Are you quick to run to Jesus when you are suffering or in pain? Why or why not?

4.     Do you ever take Jesus’ open door for granted? How/when?

5.     Have closed doors ever led to open doors of ministry for you?

6.     Is it any consolation to you that your suffering can be used for mission and ministry? Are you willing to look for those open doors in the midst of suffering?

This conversation is based on the sermon titled, "The Cold," from Revelation 2:1-7.

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

 19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

1.     Do you find yourself living along different value systems based on your context (e.g. business vs. personal)?

2.     Every church probably errs in one direction or another, emphasizing faith over works or works over faith. Which way do you often find yourself leaning?

3.     In what ways is Jesus tolerant? In what ways is he intolerant?

4.     Can you identify any parts or implications of the gospel that you ‘tune out’?

5.     Why is the beginning of the solution to hypocrisy repentance, rather than just being more consistent?

6.     The hope of resurrection is that our bodies and hearts will be perfectly aligned with God. Is that something that you find yourself longing for? How can the resurrection become a greater reality in your life?

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

 13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

1.What do you experience as pressures to compromise your values in Silicon Valley?
2.Do you feel resigned to anything about our culture?  How does that impact your life and your relationship with Jesus?
3.In what ways is our humanity attacked and diminished in our culture? 
4.Do you believe Satan exists? Does it make sense to you that evil spiritual forces are behind the things pressuring us to compromise or degrade our humanity?
5.What would holding fast to Jesus look like for you?

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

1.     Where in your life do you feel most independent, most self-assured, least needy?  Do you experience God showing up there?

2.     Do you generally find yourself wanting to be more or less independent?

3.     What do you think of the idea that the currency God accepts is need?

4.     Are you willing to ask God to make you more dependent and needy?

5.     In what places in your life are you resisting opening the door to Jesus?  Why are you scared or resistant to doing that?