The Pursuit

Truth #36 Christ will Return Again, in Victory

Truth #37 Every Person Will Give an Account to God

Truth #38 Hell is the Eternal Home for Those who Reject God

Truth #39 Heaven is Prepared for The Redeemed

Truth #40 There Will be a New Heaven and a new Earth

Gather with your Pursuit Group and have the following discussion:

»  Take turns reciting this Week’s memory verse: Revelation 21:1-2

»  Are you eager for the return of Jesus? Why or why not?

»  How does knowing the war is already won help you choose peace in the middle of your current battle? Or does it?

»  Are you personally able to live in perpetual peace about the day of judgment? Why or why not?

»  What is the most difficult part of the concept of eternal punishment for you to get your arms around?

»  If it is not about the deeds we have done, why are our deeds being recorded in God’s books? (hint: see Truth #13)

»  Is the idea of Hell difficult for you? Why or why not?

»  Who ends up in Hell?

»  Why is it possible to know for certain that your eternal destiny is Heaven?

»  What do you most anticipate about Heaven? What will be the best part?

»  If you get to ask God one question when you first arrive in Heaven, what will you ask?

»  What is the most beautiful place on earth you’ve ever been? Where is one place you’ve never been that you would you like to visit?

»  What is one thing you hope will be true about your experience in Heaven?

»  How has the Pursuit gone for you? How would you summarize your experience?

»  Check out the Next Steps page and share what you plan to do next.

»  Share prayer requests and current life issues with one another.

»  Pray for each other.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

» What is the most beautiful place on earth that you have ever seen? What does it reveal about God?

» What is one thing you hope will be true about your experience in Heaven?

» “We will be like Him for we will see Him as He is” - let your imagination play with that scene for a minute or two. Thank God for this blessed Hope.

» Practice the memory verse.

QUOTE

“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. . . . If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

- C. S. Lewis

SCRIPTURE

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, owing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”

- Revelation 22:1-5

DEVOTIONAL

What John saw in Revelation 21 was not the first heaven and earth, where we now live. That was gone. Creation itself, which has been suffering the torment of sin and evil with us, gets to enjoy a dramatic makeover too. Romans 8 says the entirety of creation was subjected to futility after the fall of man, and has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth until now. It is debated whether this new heaven and new earth will be a renovation of the old, or a replacement of it, but whatever path God chooses, it will be brand new.

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Romans 1 teaches that creation reveals God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power, and divine nature, and makes them clearly seen. We all identify with that when we spend time on Mt Rainier, or on Hurricane Ridge overlooking the ocean, or a million other places on earth - we see and sense the grandeur of God.

Just wait till He gets going!

This is the crescendo of the redemptive story. It will be a new creation that reveals even more about God. The Bible says our eyes have not seen nor have our minds conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. This new creation will be beautiful, we will be beautiful, and all things will be beautifully new. We will receive a new body and a new name, sing a new song, drink new wine, and live in the new Jerusalem. It is the first time that we will, in a state of immortality, be in the very presence of God, face to face. Sin and death will be no more and we will be a community completely free of evil, sin, death, and darkness. What a glorious, glorious day, that will be!

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! That is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure.”

- 1 John 3:1-3

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

»  What do you anticipate most about Heaven? What will be the best part?

»  If you get to ask God one question when you first arrive, what will you ask?

»  What is one question you have about Heaven? Ask God and listen for an answer.

»  Practice the memory verse.

QUOTE

“Joy is the serious business of Heaven.”

- C. S. Lewis

SCRIPTURE

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the
sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

- Revelation 21:1-4

DEVOTIONAL

Jesus promised that He was going to heaven to prepare a place for us and that, once prepared, He would return to take us there Himself. Heaven is the environment and the experience that our souls achingly long for. In our spiritual DNA is the memory of the Paradise of Eden and our soul can find no rest until it finds its rest in God.

Read again the description given to John in Revelation 21: “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” My favorite part? “God himself will be with them.” Wow!

Heaven is the place where we will enjoy the Presence of God without filter or limit. There will be no need of the sun, moon, or stars, for the glory of God will light up the sky. No death, sorrow, mourning, or pain. It will be life exactly how God intended it. Our mortal bodies will put on immortality, and we will enjoy both the Presence of God, and the absence of evil, forever!

Forget about images of angels on clouds, playing harps. Don’t think of heaven as an eternal church worship service. As one of my all-time favorite songs says, “One of these days, I’m gonna see the hands that took the nails for me. One of these days, I’m gonna hold the key to the mansion built for me. One of these days I’m gonna walk the streets of gold that were paved for me. One of these days I’m gonna see my Savior face-to-face. One of these days.” I just can’t wait!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

»  Is the idea of eternal punishment for sin difficult for you? Why or why not?

»  Who ends up in Hell?

»  Why is it possible to know that your eternal destiny is heaven?

»  Practice the memory verse.

QUOTE

“Those who go to Heaven ride on a pass and enter into blessings that they never earned, but all who go to hell pay their own way.”
- John R. Rice

SCRIPTURE

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
- Jesus, Matthew 25:46

DEVOTIONAL

The reality of Hell is the most difficult and controversial of all Christian beliefs. Even those who are fully devoted to Jesus struggle to imagine an eternal destiny of damnation for any, having tasted the kindness and mercy of God for themselves. How can the God who loves the entire world possibly send a large portion of the world into an eternal Hell?

This line of reasoning focuses accusingly on the character of God, and not at all on the character of the condemned. Personally, I have little trouble embracing the idea of punishment for injustice. I more struggle to understand why God does not damn us all. The shocker is not that some people will end up in Hell, it is that not everyone will. His gracious invitation to eternal life is extended to all, for the Son of man did not come into the world to condemn it, but that, through Him, the world might be saved. (John 3:17)

What exactly is Hell? It is a place completely void of the Presence and goodness of God, where no one bows to His authority or embraces His grace. Anywhere this reality exists, there will certainly be weeping and gnashing of teeth, and the only way to end up there is to reject God: reject His authority, reject His gracious suffering for your sin, and refuse to bow your knee to His rule.

You only end up in Hell if you exercise the free will God graciously allotted to you by choosing to have nothing to do with Him. In other words, if you end up in Hell it is because that is precisely what you chose - a place without the rule of God. You will have gotten what your self-absorbed sins deserved and your rebellious heart desired.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

»  Are you personally able to live in perpetual peace about the day of judgment? Why or why not?

»  What is the most difficult part of the concept of eternal judgment for you to get your arms around? Why?

»  If it is not about the deeds we have done, why are our deeds recorded in the books? (hint: see Truth #13)

»  Practice the memory verse.

QUOTE

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
- Jesus

SCRIPTURE

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

- Revelation 20:12

DEVOTIONAL

Jesus was clear: there will come a day when God will judge the living and the dead and will separate them for heaven and for hell. Matthew 25, as only one example, is an entire chapter on the certainty of that day of judgment. As terrifying as that sounds, and it absolutely is, He was also clear that you can be ready for it now and live in a state of readiness with joy and peace.

See, the final judgment will not be based on your deeds, but on your wardrobe.

In Matthew 22, Jesus told a parable where a King prepared a wedding feast for His Son and invited all of His guests. However, when it was time for the banquet, they all had lame excuses and declined to attend; their busy lives were more important to them than the King’s Son. The King made a new plan to ll the banquet so His Son would be honored: “So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”

Once the hall was full, the King noticed that there was one wedding guest who was not wearing wedding clothes. He erupted in outrage and asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (This was a description Jesus frequently used for Hell.)

What qualifies you for Heaven is not your deeds. On that basis, everyone is hopeless and deserves death. What qualifies you for Heaven is being clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, by faith in His sacrifice and resurrection. To be clothed with Christ, being otherwise naked in your sin and shame without merit. Jesus is making it clear that His Kingdom makes room for everyone, but that proper attire is required.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

»  Are you eager for the return of Jesus? Why or why not?

»  How does knowing that the outcome of the war is already determined help you choose peace in the middle of your current battle?

»  Read Revelation 22:1-14 and thank God for what is coming soon.

»  Practice the memory verse.

QUOTE

“When He returns is not as important as the fact that we are ready for Him when He does return.”
A. W. Tozer

SCRIPTURE

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
John 14:1-3

DEVOTIONAL

When Jesus ascended, He proved that He rules over death and now occupies His throne of authority over everything. He defeated death for everyone so that we need never again give way to fear. We live in confidence because our King has won the war and will soon return to complete His victory over evil. Just as the defining battle of a conflict may be won long before the final victory, so too do we live in the victory of Christ while still awaiting the resolution of the war.

The second coming of Jesus initiates the final conflict and opens the next chapter of the God-story. His throne will be established on the earth for 1,000 years, and then, in an epic battle, the powers of Hell will be soundly defeated, exiled to Hell forever. It all begins with those who have died in Christ being caught up in the air together with those who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52)

His second coming will be literal, physical, and visible. The Bible emphasizes that it will happen suddenly without warning and that believers should remain in a state of continual readiness. (Philippians 4:5; Hebrews 10:37; James 5:8, 9; Revelation 22:10)

While there is great debate about the details of how this will all unfold, one thing is crystal clear: if we are in Christ, we win! In fact, the war is already won, so we wait in eager anticipation for His return and the consummation of our new future. In the meantime, we are to “live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:12-13)

WEEK 8 INTRODUCTION

The Garden of Eden is a glimpse into what God had in mind when He created the world. There was beauty and balance in creation; man, planet, and beast lived in harmony; humans enjoyed intimacy with God and with one another. There was work and purpose for man as he bore the image of God in dominion over creation.

But the garden became contaminated, and the rest of history is the story of God’s response to paradise lost. Jesus, whose crucifixion was established before the foundations of the world, will bring a dramatic ending to the story with a decisive victory, a final judgement day, and the introduction of a new heaven and new earth. Paradise will be restored, and God will be glorified forever, as His redeemed ones live their destiny in their eternal home, while those who reject God will suffer His absence forever in theirs.

WEEK 8 MEMORY VERSE

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Truth #31 We are the Called-Out Ones

Truth #32 We are the People of God’s Presence

Truth #33 We are Citizens of God’s Kingdom

Truth #34 We are a Prophetic Voice to the Culture

Truth #35 We Serve One Objective - The Glory of God

Gather with your Pursuit Group and have the following discussion:

»  Take turns reciting this Week’s memory verse: Ephesians 3:10-11

»  What is the Church?

»  How can we practice being the Church in our world?

»  If Jesus spent a week, physically beside you, how would you use Him?

»  When you quiet your mind and ask God to speak to you, what happens? Any success?

»  Why is repentance the first step into the Kingdom of God?

»  How does God’s Kingdom invade our world today? How can you participate in this invasion? (list at least 5 ways)

»  What do you most want out of life? (be honest, simple, and specific)

»  How would seeking God’s Kingdom first affect that list?

»  To what extent do you really believe that if you seek God’s Kingdom first, everything you need will be taken care of?

»  How can your life serve as a prophetic voice for God? (Prophetic = to express God’s heart in a particular moment for that moment)

»  Pick one role you have in life: How could you do that role in a way that better glorifies God?

»  Share prayer requests and current life issues with one another.

»  Pray for each other.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

»  What is your purpose in life?

»  Reflect on your various roles (child, spouse, parent, worker, friend, neighbor, etc). Think of how to fulfill your purpose in at least two of those roles.

»  Decide today that you will live for one primary objective - the glory of God.

»  Practice the memory verse.

QUOTE

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

- Brennan Manning

SCRIPTURE

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

- Luke 4:18-19

DEVOTIONAL

All of creation - the heavens, the galaxies, the land and sea, and all that dwell in them - we all exist for one purpose: the Glory of God. When a created thing functions in the way it was designed, it is a beautiful thing. Conversely, when a created thing attempts to function in a way for which it was not designed, it is at best awkward, and at worst disastrous. Everything wrong in the world is the fruit of man’s ignorance, rebellion, and refusal to submit to his Sovereign Designer.

But God’s glory cannot be stopped! It is the glory of God to satisfy the demands of justice and extend mercy to the rebel, both through the sacrifice of Himself. Then we, who are the redeemed people of God, return to fulfill our original purpose - the Glory of God. We do so by joining Jesus in the redemptive work of drawing rebels back to God, and righting the wrongs we have created. We do this through the Spirit of God who has been given to us. He anoints us to proclaim God’s goodness.

What is the primary work of the anointed? To proclaim good news to the poor and the prisoner; to restore sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the favor of God for the redeemed. This is the glory of God - to forgive, to restore, and to set free. We take the same mindset as Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.” (Philippians 2:6-7)

We are a Kingdom of servants, willing to give our all so that our King may be glorified. The Spirit of our King works in us to be made into the likeness of our King so we can serve the mission of our King, for the glory of our King. This is our single purpose and the pathway to our greatest pleasure.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

»  What is the greatest cause of atheism in the world today?

»  How effectively are you living your life as a prophetic voice to the world?

»  How can your life speak for God today?

»  Practice the memory verse.

QUOTE

“If your Gospel isn’t touching others, it hasn’t touched you!”

- Curry R. Blake

SCRIPTURE

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world.”

- Romans 12:2

DEVOTIONAL

God has always longed for a people for Himself - His people - who walk with Him, trust Him fully, and live in His Kingdom. In both the Old and New Testaments, God established covenants in order to form a people for Himself, who are distinguished from all other people on the earth. What distinguishes them is both their obedience to the One True God, and their living in full engagement with His mission in the world. That mission is to have His glory cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

God’s people distinguish themselves by living like no one else. They find their life by losing it. They become the greatest by becoming the servant of all. They love their enemies, and pray for those who persecute them. They love one another with a love that publicly proclaims their connection to God. They live in, and for, a Kingdom that the world cannot see. It is this covenant life that empowers them to experience joy, peace, provision, and true human fulfillment like no one else.

Their culture, values, unity, and compassion make them a prophetic voice for God. Theirs is a counter-culture designed to be both their source of God’s favor and their prophetic witness to a lost world. They care for the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the vulnerable. They carry God’s burden for the elimination of injustice, and they sacrifice joyfully for others who could never repay them.

Like an unstoppable force that meets an immovable object, the kingdoms collide, and the people of God find themselves on the outs with their modern culture. While this collision often ends in hostility toward God’s people, they respond with grace, seeking the prosperity of the nation in which they are in exile. They share in the sufferings of Jesus that they may also share in His resurrection.