Death and Resurrection

GET A FOAM BOARD AND DRAW THE TIMELINE! (Print and tape?)

ALSO NEED TO INSERT REFS AND REVIEW/PRINT/ETC.

INTRO

Dramatic story about cat in trash. (Thing that lurk in the dark.)

vs. Come in the house, the neighbors darn cat tore trash all over the yard again.

PROTIP: The Bible is Story (Every law Moses gave is part of the story, every teaching Paul wrote is part of the story, every prophesy uttered or vision recorded is part of the story).

DEVELOP SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

The simplicity (quickly point to timeline to show beginnings and ends).

Two Resurrections

Two Deaths

The symbols

Death

“Physical death symbolizes an ultimate spiritual death.” REPEAT

Death - timeline

What is the 1st? (spanning the entire time from fall to consummation)

20:5, by implication ALL people die the 1st physical death, but only those faithful to Jesus are resurrected during the thousand years, escaping the 2nd death.

What is the 2nd?

When death ceases.

Final and ultimate. (The dragon released for a time in order to enter again into the pit/lake a fire, but this time forever.)

When did death enter the world? When does death cease? (NOTE: The 2nd/LAST Death)

Resurrection

What is the 1st?

20:4-6 - Those who come to life and reign with Christ

Those who were raised when the dragon was bound.

When do we reign? - NOW! (Ephesians 2:6, “He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus.” — We are already seated with Jesus in eternity—resurrected.)

How have we already been ressurected? John 3:3, “Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Isn’t this what resurrection is? dying and coming again to life?

(cf. 2 Cor 5:17, new creation/made new). Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The first resurrection is your new life in Christ that is a real and spiritual life NOW. REPEAT/RESTATE

What is the 2nd?

The second resurrection is the Final and ultimate, resurrection that happens at the end. REPEAT

Next 3 weeks, RE 21-22

1000 years (Demonstrate this briefly)

OT, ‘take 1000 men,’ ‘plundered 1000 gold coins,’ ‘he had 1000 donkeys,’ etc.

Exodus 20:5-6 - ‘God shows faithful love to 1000 generations of those who love him.’

Job 9:3 - Job says, ‘If you want to take God to court you wouldn’t be able to accuse him once in 1000 situations.’

1 Kings 19:18, “I have preserved 7,000 men who have not bowed to Baal.” Paul references this in Romans 11:2 to say that God is preserving a ‘remnant’ of people to worship him. — not literally 7,000 to Paul.

NT “about 5000 sat down,” “about 4000 were fed,” “about 3000 saved” - the translators use of about tells us what they believe the intention is.

2 Peter 3:8, “Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.”

The 1,000 is a figure that means ‘a long time,’ or an immeasurable amount of time.

DISCERN FUTURE THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Life now—binding of the dragon

Philosophical meanderings about a figurative binding of the dragon. (Retell a bit of the story and unpack what it means for us that the dragon is bound during this time.)

Power of the Holy Spirit

The simplicity of the Gospel is a message about sinners receiving forgiveness from sins. The book of Revelation beckons us to look deeper and see that the Gospel has a myopic as well as large-scale purpose.

The Gospel is for freedom from sins consequences. (not necessarily their temporal effect)

The Gospel is for freedom from sins grasp on you. (explain)

The Gospel is for freedom from sins grasp on humanity.

Explain how we should think about this in light of the dragon’s binding and ultimate destruction.

Great Commission (to save people, but also to save humanity)

Called to Conquer (through the proclamation of the Gospel)

Coming of the 2nd death

There is a warning because those who are faithful to Jesus escape the 2nd, ultimate death. Who are they? In the passage:

Have power (in the Spirit)

Live righteously (a life free[ing] from sin)

Proclaim the goodness and glory of Christ

The 2nd and ultimate death is supposed to make you think, ‘I sure hope I don’t have to suffer the 2nd death.’

The way you know if you’re in:

Do I have the Spirit?

Has Jesus changed my heart towards sin?

Do I know Jesus? Do I proclaim Jesus?

DISRUPT WHAT IS WITH WHAT COULD BE—Looking Out

What if we stopped looking at the world as though we were being persecuted by the Dragon/the devil? How could this change the way you live? How could this change your personal mission as a Christian? We often act like our job is to merely live peaceful lives and try to survive.

I think there is more to life than escaping sin.

What would change in your life if you chose to think about the message of Jesus as if it were an offensive weapon for conquering evil in the world around us?

Isn’t this the story of the Bible?

Is the story ‘be nice and good so you can be saved’?

Or is the story about conquering evil at its root, in the hearts of humankind and in the spiritual realm?

The book of Revelation should move you to think about religion as the latter—a solution, not JUST to your personal problems, but a solution to the core spiritual issues of all human existence. REPEAT IN PART -->>

The book of Revelation should move you to think about religion as a solution to the core spiritual issues of all human existence. REPEAT

What if we — literally us at Sonrise Church — start to look at this community (93552, especially at this time) differently.

Tell this story:

The dragon used to rule this land that we call Palmdale, 93552.

A great battle was waged 2000 years ago and their king, the dragon was bound in chains and locked in prison.

But, no one told this Kingdom that their kingdom had fallen. So they continued to follow their old master and their old law.

No one told them…

What will happen to this Kingdom on the day that the King comes to meet his people?

What will he think of them continuing to follow the old master—the dragon? — The King fought for their freedom from the dragon and yet they still follow him as King.

And more so, what will he think about all of the messengers he sent to this kingdom to proclaim to them freedom from the Dragon?

It’s one thing for the people not to obey their new master, to have loyalty to the dragon.

But, where is your loyalty if you won’t go?

Jonah was sent and he ran from God, finding himself in a world of trouble.

You have been sent? Who will you tell that the king of this world has fallen and there is a new, most merciful, gracious, and wonderful King whose name is Jesus?

NEXT 3 Weeks, looking at the 2nd resurrection, the nature of eternal hope.

Check the website for locations; moving to house churches for the winter, watch for communication in email, text, and BAND.