GROUP STUDY QUESTIONS The Seven Part 6 ... amazonaws com
GROUP STUDY QUESTIONS The Seven Part 6: Philadelphia (Rev. 3: 7-13) Jesus gives a description of who He is to this church in v7. He says three aspects about His character to this church that directly speaks to the open door of opportunity He places before them in v8. • • •
What does it mean to you that Jesus is the Holy One? What does it mean to you that Jesus is the True One? What does it mean to you that He is the One who holds the keys of David (the One with all authority)?
How do you think those three aspects of His character could help this small, not so powerful church to step through the open door He has placed before them? He says He knows they have little strength and they are weak, but there are two things about them that He loves: they have kept His Word and they have not denied His name. What does that mean to you? Because they have kept His Word and not denied His name, He has placed before them an open door that no man can shut. Even though they have little strength because they are sincere in their desire to live according to His Word (and obviously don't do that perfectly), He is inviting them to more. He clearly desires to use weak Christians if they are sincere. Why do you think so many sincere Christians have a hard time believing God would really want to use them in their weakness? Read I Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Acts 16:6. Clearly one of the ways God leads us is by opening and closing doors. If God is opening a door of opportunity for us to serve Him in some way, what do you think He wants us to do? How do you discern if it's an open door from God? Is it possible one of the ways we can know it's an open door from God, is if our heart is deeply moved or stirred to step into some area of service? Or if our heart is moved to reach out to someone? And after our heart is moved in that area there is a genuine opportunity to do it? If so, why do we sometimes struggle to trust our hearts? Think about your life for a moment. Are there any present doors of opportunity the Lord is opening for you? If so (and if you have the courage) share them with the group and at the end pray for each other.
The Lord told this church that He knew their deeds, yet He gives them NO corrections! So, clearly the deeds He sees are good! Why do we so often tend to think the Lord is mostly focused on what we do wrong instead of what we do right? Read SOS 4:9 as though it's the Lord speaking to you - that one glance of YOUR eyes and one jewel of YOUR necklace (acts of obedience) make His heart beat faster. How does that impact you? What do you think Jesus means in v9 when He tells them He will make those of the Synagogue of Satan come and bow before this church and they will know that He has loved them? How does it make you feel to know that the scales will be balanced in the end and that every wrong will be righted by Jesus? Read v10. What do you think that meant to them? What does it mean to you? In v11 He says He is coming soon, so He encourages them to hold onto what they have so that no one will take their crown. I think this is Him telling us to keep doing what we are doing for Him with right hearts so that we can receive great rewards at the Final Judgment. How does it motivate you to know that Jesus wants to reward you in that day for all you do for Him while you are here? Read v12. These are all promises about the life they will live forever and we will live forever. How does knowing the eternal beauty that awaits you strengthen you in the now? V13 is the same call to every church…He who has ears let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. What does it mean to have ears to hear?
What does it mean to you that Jesus is the Holy One? What does it mean to you that Jesus is the True One? What does it mean to you that He is the One who holds the keys of David (the One with all authority)?
How do you think those three aspects of His character could help this small, not so powerful church to step through the open door He has placed before them? He says He knows they have little strength and they are weak, but there are two things about them that He loves: they have kept His Word and they have not denied His name. What does that mean to you? Because they have kept His Word and not denied His name, He has placed before them an open door that no man can shut. Even though they have little strength because they are sincere in their desire to live according to His Word (and obviously don't do that perfectly), He is inviting them to more. He clearly desires to use weak Christians if they are sincere. Why do you think so many sincere Christians have a hard time believing God would really want to use them in their weakness? Read I Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Acts 16:6. Clearly one of the ways God leads us is by opening and closing doors. If God is opening a door of opportunity for us to serve Him in some way, what do you think He wants us to do? How do you discern if it's an open door from God? Is it possible one of the ways we can know it's an open door from God, is if our heart is deeply moved or stirred to step into some area of service? Or if our heart is moved to reach out to someone? And after our heart is moved in that area there is a genuine opportunity to do it? If so, why do we sometimes struggle to trust our hearts? Think about your life for a moment. Are there any present doors of opportunity the Lord is opening for you? If so (and if you have the courage) share them with the group and at the end pray for each other.
The Lord told this church that He knew their deeds, yet He gives them NO corrections! So, clearly the deeds He sees are good! Why do we so often tend to think the Lord is mostly focused on what we do wrong instead of what we do right? Read SOS 4:9 as though it's the Lord speaking to you - that one glance of YOUR eyes and one jewel of YOUR necklace (acts of obedience) make His heart beat faster. How does that impact you? What do you think Jesus means in v9 when He tells them He will make those of the Synagogue of Satan come and bow before this church and they will know that He has loved them? How does it make you feel to know that the scales will be balanced in the end and that every wrong will be righted by Jesus? Read v10. What do you think that meant to them? What does it mean to you? In v11 He says He is coming soon, so He encourages them to hold onto what they have so that no one will take their crown. I think this is Him telling us to keep doing what we are doing for Him with right hearts so that we can receive great rewards at the Final Judgment. How does it motivate you to know that Jesus wants to reward you in that day for all you do for Him while you are here? Read v12. These are all promises about the life they will live forever and we will live forever. How does knowing the eternal beauty that awaits you strengthen you in the now? V13 is the same call to every church…He who has ears let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. What does it mean to have ears to hear?
