Pathway Church
The Calm Before the Storm
Jeff McNicol
Locations & Times
Pathway Church ~ Chippewa Campus
239 Braun Rd, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, USA
Thursday 7:00 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
1. The prayers of God’s saints bring blessing
So pray!
So pray!
2. The intensity of God’s reply unleashes judgment
So repent!
So repent!
3. The display of God’s rule shows dominion
So trust!
So trust!
4. The extent of God’s judgment reveals grace
On the believing
On the unbelieving
So testify!
On the believing
On the unbelieving
So testify!
Discussion Questions:
READ: Revelation 8:1-13
1. Peter Leithart says that, “Silence is the prerequisite to hearing and hearing is central to the christian life. We walk by faith in the word of God that we hear rather than by sight. We are silent before Yahweh so that we can be invaded by his voice, so that his trumpet can sound in our ears. Silence is death and hope of resurrection. Silence is an audible prostration.” What might the almost half an hour of silence in heaven suggest to us is going on?
2. What do you think is happening when the prayers of the saints and the incense of the angels rise up together in union to the altar of God?
3. How might the silence in heaven suggest a posture of readiness by God to receive these prayers?
4. What are the saints praying for?
5. What do the scenes in these verses compel you to pray for?
6. How would you describe the heart of God in what you are reading?
7. What is God’s purposes in these judgements?
8. What role does the eagle play at the end of this chapter?
READ: Revelation 9:1-21
9. Who holds the keys to death and hades?
10. What is the significance of the key in verse 1?
11. Why do we see a consistent call back to the book of Exodus in Revelation and specifically here with the plagues?
12. What is the significance of the seal on someone’s forehead?
13. What does it look like to seek death and not be able to find it?
14. What do you think God wants to destroy?
15. Why is there all this destruction and who is responsible for it?
16. Does this word give you hope? Should it give you hope?
17. In the message we heard about how we are in the day of grace. Will there be a day that is not of grace and what will that look like?
READ: 1 John 4:17-18
18. How do we read Revelation in light of this passage?
19. How do we read Revelation in light of Jesus?
READ: Revelation 8:1-13
1. Peter Leithart says that, “Silence is the prerequisite to hearing and hearing is central to the christian life. We walk by faith in the word of God that we hear rather than by sight. We are silent before Yahweh so that we can be invaded by his voice, so that his trumpet can sound in our ears. Silence is death and hope of resurrection. Silence is an audible prostration.” What might the almost half an hour of silence in heaven suggest to us is going on?
2. What do you think is happening when the prayers of the saints and the incense of the angels rise up together in union to the altar of God?
3. How might the silence in heaven suggest a posture of readiness by God to receive these prayers?
4. What are the saints praying for?
5. What do the scenes in these verses compel you to pray for?
6. How would you describe the heart of God in what you are reading?
7. What is God’s purposes in these judgements?
8. What role does the eagle play at the end of this chapter?
READ: Revelation 9:1-21
9. Who holds the keys to death and hades?
10. What is the significance of the key in verse 1?
11. Why do we see a consistent call back to the book of Exodus in Revelation and specifically here with the plagues?
12. What is the significance of the seal on someone’s forehead?
13. What does it look like to seek death and not be able to find it?
14. What do you think God wants to destroy?
15. Why is there all this destruction and who is responsible for it?
16. Does this word give you hope? Should it give you hope?
17. In the message we heard about how we are in the day of grace. Will there be a day that is not of grace and what will that look like?
READ: 1 John 4:17-18
18. How do we read Revelation in light of this passage?
19. How do we read Revelation in light of Jesus?
