February 28, 2010
Unveiled-Week 1
Posted by Communications
UNVEILED: JESUS IN REVELATION // Week 1
Learn. Who is the Lord?
// Revelation 1 – 2
Main Idea: We are worshipping God as our hope in times of trouble, our strong fortress in times of suffering. We do this, not because we just need something to hold onto, but because Jesus is Lord. He is the only thing we can hold onto. The overarching message of the apocalypse is this: Jesus is Lord. Anyone who denies this and thinks that they, themselves, are Lord, can either live in the true reality of Jesus’ lordship—or they can go to hell. Jesus doesn’t desire that they do, but they could.
What: Jesus is Lord.
So What: No matter how your life looks right now, the greatest thing you can do with it is surrender it to the Lord.
Now what: Who or what wars for your attention? Figure out how to lay it on the altar.
Discuss…
1. Take a look at your google calendar, your outlook calendar, or your iCal. Think back on what you did today, this week, this month. What does this say about the things that are most important to you?
2. Do any of these things, at times, seem more important or urgent than your submission to Jesus, your pursuit of him, and your call to bring the good news of him to others?
3. What seems like it’s the lord of your time right now?
4. Does serving these little “lords” benefit you? How, and for how long?
5. How might serving Jesus as Lord, first and foremost, affect you? How might it affect these other things that compete for your time and attention?
6. How can you surrender these things to God—that is, understand and act out of the knowledge that these things are less important than Jesus.
LENT
Lent is the season on the liturgical calendar that precedes Easter and has historically been used by the church to prepare for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. One of the common elements of Lenten “celebration” has been the practice of fasting.
There is no biblical command to fast a certain amount of days or from a certain sort of thing. There are just examples of Godly people doing it, including but not limited to, God Himself in the person of Jesus.
When we fast, we intentionally focus on God as the center. We strip away non-necessities on which we’ve become unconsciously dependent to lean into what is necessary. We take away things that often provide easy escapes so we can remember what it means to seek refuge. And you don’t have to fast from food—it’s the removal of any norm in your life to concentrate more fully on God. (Like Facebook, sweets, TV, etc…)
Here’s the one thing about this… if you don’t feel led to fast as you pray about fasting, don’t do it. Let God lead you. He will if you ask Him.
Pray…
This week, pray that God would reveal to you a distraction that he would have you surrender for this season. (If Lent has already begun when you are reading this, you should still pray this prayer and fast from something during Lent, even though it already started. Missing the deadline won’t keep you from reaping the benefits of starting now.)
Get a journal. It can be a small journal. Even if you don’t like journaling. If you’ve chosen to surrender a distraction during this Lenten season, journal about your experience—every day if you can. Obedience precedes epiphany—and God will be faithful to stretch you and reveal truth to you through your surrender. This will help you to remember his truth, and look back to it when you need to be reminded.
