Big Idea: Because Jesus Christ is the king over all things..including sin and death..we should stop being afraid and confidently live our lives as God’s priests in this world.
Questions
How much fear and anxiety have you experienced in recent months?
In what ways has your experience of fear and anxiety been tied to the current political and economic situation? How satisfied are you with the current leaders in our world, nation, and community? How much do you yearn for powerful and effective leaders?
What issues were forefront in your mind in the recent presidential election? How confident were you that either one of the candidates had what it took to lead this country? When you think about the candidates - what personal characteristics of stuck out for you and which influenced your vote the most?
Under what circumstances do you find yourself most likely to support authority figures? Under what circumstances do you find yourself most likely to rebel against authority figures?
Read though Revelation 1:1-22 and pay attention to the images of Jesus Christ- which ones do you find most challenging? Confusing? Comforting?
A priest is one who called offer sacrifices at the altar, and who acted as mediator between men and God. The priests taught the people of Israel about sin, forgiveness and worship. Jesus was the true and better priest, indeed he is our great high priest who offered himself up as the perfect sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 4:12-16). What do you think about the fact that Jesus has made us a kingdom of priests? Does the kingship of Christ and the fact that he has made you a priest in God’s Kingdom make you less fearful and more confident? Why or why not?
How will you exercise your priesthood this week? In what ways can your service, worship, prayers, and praise of God draw others to acknowledge God’s greatness and and mercy?
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