Lent: Week 2

LENT GATHERING 2025

Week 2: Revelation Study - "7 Pastoral-Prophetic Messages to the 7 Churches"
Brandon Berg

MESSAGE SCRIPTURE:

Revelation 1-3

The purpose of Revelation

“It’s intention is to give hope to people in trying and/or tempting times so that they will remain faithful to their covenant commitment to God. In other words, the purpose of the book of Revelation is to persuade its hearers and readers, both ancient and contemporary , to remain faithful to God in spite of past, present, or possible future suffering- whatever form that suffering might take, and whatever source it may have- simply for being faithful… covenant faithfulness is possible because of Jesus, and worthwhile because of the glorious future God has in store for us and for the entire created order.” -Michael Gorman, Reading Revelation Responsibly

“…the book is about the future, it presents not a detailed prediction of future events but a more basic and significant message concerning the sovereignty of God and the consummation of God’s plan of salvation… the Apocolypse was not written to satifsfy human curiosity about end-time matters.” Donald Hagner, The New Testament

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Which of the seven churches do you identify most with and why?
2. In your experience, what are the most prominent forms of cultural accommodation in the Christian churches today?
3. Is there a challenge Jesus gave to the seven churches that you sense he may be giving you to as well?