Wesley Word – May 11, 2022
To go along with service on: Sunday, May 15th
Experiencing Grace
- Contemporary Song: All Things New (New Song)
- Traditional Hymn: #706 Soon and Very Soon
Exploring Truth
Do You Want All Things New?
Revelation 21:1-6
The ultimate hope of the Christian faith is that Jesus is coming again to establish his new, perfect, and eternal Kingdom on earth. We have God’s promise of a new heaven and a new earth, that He will make all things new. On the surface of, this is great news. It is a fresh start, a cosmic “do-over,” with no more pain and no more tears.
However, eschatology, or the doctrine of last things, which covers Jesus’ return, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the eternal kingdom, is the most anxiety-producing area of our faith, and it should not be. After all, this is great news.
I think the reason it produces so much anxiety is partly because it also deals with concepts like the Tribulation and the Antichrist, scary stuff indeed. Confusion about various end-time views also adds to the anxiety. We do not have space to get into the various views here. If you want a little more information on eschatology and the four views of the end times, you can check out this article. (https://www.logos.com/grow/what-is-eschatology/)
Ultimately, I think the main reason eschatology makes us anxious is that we do not like change, even good change. The bottom line is that most of us like things just the way they are. The promise of all things made new just does not seem to capture our imagination the way it did for the first readers of John’s Revelation. Those first Christians were, for the most part, impoverished, oppressed, suffering, and in danger, simply because of their faith. We, American Christians, by contrast, are, for the most part, prosperous, powerful, safe, and comfortable. It is true that Christianity is becoming increasingly less popular in America and the days of our status as a privileged religion may be coming to an end. However, in studying the history of the church, the church was strongest and grew fastest under persecution, so perhaps an end to our comfortable status might be the best thing that ever happened to us.
Do we long for a new heaven and a new earth, or are we too comfortable in the current one? Do we want all things new?
Question for Reflection/Discussion:
- Are you too comfortable in this world? Do you want all things to be new?
New Testament in a Year: https://wesleyonline.org/biblereading/
- May 11 John 6:43-71
- May 12 John 7:1-30
- May 13 John 7:31-53
- May 14 John 8:1-20
- May 15 John 8:21-30
- May 16 John 8:31-59
- May 17 John 9:1-41
- May 18 John 10:1-21
Expressing Love: Family/Mission Activity
We Can Only Imagine: Before calling everyone together, draw a picture of a beautiful place your family has been (the ocean, a hiking trail, a river, etc.). Make sure the place you draw you also have an actual picture of (if you don’t have a picture you took, you may be able to find one online if it’s well-known).
When you call everyone together, ask what they think your picture is of (if you draw like me, they’ll be stumped!). Tell them and then ask if the picture does a good job showing how beautiful the place actually was. Then show them the picture of the place. Does that do a better job showing the beauty of the place?
Ask your family what they think heaven will be like (golden gates, no crying, no death, Jesus on throne,etc.). The Bible tells us heaven is where all things will be made new and perfect. The glory of heaven has been described to us, but we will never understand just how brilliant it is until we go there ourselves. Just like the picture I drew and even the photograph I showed of the place of beauty, it kind of describes it, but the true beauty isn’t understood until you are there. You may choose to listen to the song I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me to imagine more of the glory waiting for us in heaven.
Announcements
- May 18, 11 am: Last Early Bird WOW-Porch Pots-Click here for more information!
- Sunday, May 22, 10:00 am in Fellowship Hall: Farewell Reception for Sonia & Chris Baker Family
- VBS, July 11-14, register here.
- Music Camp, July 18-22, register here.