Themes in Revelation: Patient Endurance

Week 13, Wednesday: Overcoming in the Household of Faith
We need strong, healthy, growing churches to help us in our calling to overcome with Jesus. But even in John’s day the churches were struggling. It’s the same in our day as well. Churches in every age exist within the tribulation of the world, and a good bit of that sin, rebellion, and disobedience “washes over the decks” of churches, threatening to sink them.

Those who are called to overcome in Jesus will not sit idly by while this happens.

Read Revelation 2, 3

Meditate on the following passages from Revelation
1.      In a single sentence, summarize, as best you can, the troubles facing the churches in Revelation 2 and 3. To what might we compare these in our day?

2.      Jesus clearly is not pleased when His churches are being overcome by the world. Summarize the warnings Jesus makes to those believers and churches that fail to overcome in Him? What might that look like in our day?  

3.      At the same time, Jesus holds out glorious promises to those who do overcome. Summarize these, as we see them in Revelation 2 and 3. What might these look like in our day?

4.      What would you look for as indicators that your church was beginning to be overcome by the world rather than to “ride forth” as an overcoming community with Jesus?

5.      What is your role as a member of your local church in seeking to help your church be an overcoming church? What does the example of Jesus suggest about how to approach this challenge (Note: To whom did Jesus send these letters?)? Are you prepared to take up this part of your calling to overcome?

My Reflection
What are the greatest obstacles standing in the way of your church becoming a more consistent overcomer?

The Glory of God
How would your church be different if it were consistently overcoming for Christ? What would you expect to be your church’s impact on your community if it were more consistent in overcoming the world?

Glory to Glory
Talk with a pastor or church leader about your church’s calling to be an overcoming congregation in your community. Share what you’ve been learning from Revelation about “overcoming” or “conquering” in the Kingdom, tribulation, and patient endurance for Christ. Ask what you can do to help your church become a consistently overcoming congregation.

Memorize
Recite your memory verse aloud: John 16.33. Share it with a Christian friend, and use this as an opportunity to share what you are learning about “conquering and to conquer” in Jesus.

Closing Prayer
Bring back our captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 126.4-6

T. M. Moore

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The book of Revelation is the culminating episode in the story of God’s covenant. To learn more about that covenant, and to discover the way it integrates all of Scripture into the Gospel of Jesus Christ, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, by clicking here.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.