
Prepare your heart for our Sunday Morning Gathering by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together.
You will find tangible suggestions for putting scripture to action in your personal life and in our corporate body, links to the songs we will sing, and lyrics for you to prepare for our corporate singing.
Sermon Text for Sunday: Revelation 8:1-12
Critically Think
- Read Revelation 8:1-12 through three times in succession. Then close your Bible and attempt to list the events in sequence and in detail as best as you can from memory. Go back and check. What did you miss? What did you get right? What details stood out to you as primary and noteworthy?
- In light of what we have seen regarding seals 1-6 (chapter 6) and the interlude (chapter 7), should our interpretation of Revelation 8:1-12 be driven by a symbolic/allegorical approach, or a literal one?
- Read Habakkuk 2:20; Zephaniah 1:7-8; Zechariah 2:13. What is the function of silence in terms of God’s acts of judgment? How do these Old Testament texts bring light to this period of silence in Revelation 8:1?
- Trumpets are the most-referenced musical instrument in Scripture, and were used in ceremonial processions, for announcing the new year, and in order to assemble Israel for war, journeys, and special feasts. In light of Joel 2:1 and Zephaniah 1:14-16, what is the purpose of trumpets in Revelation 8?
- Review the first six seals (Revelation 6). How is the opening of the seventh seal the same as and different than the first six?
Prayerfully Meditate
- Summarize the main idea of Revelation 8:1-12 in 21 words or less.
- The passive voice is used in 8:2 (were given), 8:3 (was given), 8:7 (were thrown), 8:8 (was thrown), and 8:12 (were struck). In light of the use of the passive voice (the “divine passive”) throughout the Bible, what does this suggest about the ultimate source/causation of these events?
- In 8:4, the prayers of the saints rise up before God. How is this different from what we last saw in reference to the prayers of the saints in the fifth seal of Revelation 6:9-11? How does this shape our understanding of petition and God’s response?
- From Revelation 6 through 8:12, what do the seal and trumpet judgments reveal about the nature of God?
- Why is it important that the contents of God’s seal, trumpet, and later bowl judgments are known to us?
Intentionally Act
- How should Revelation 8:1-12 reassure us?
- In what ways should this passage cause us to act?
- In what ways should this passage push us to change the posture of our attitudes and emotions?
- How should Revelation 8:1-12 impact our private devotion to God? Our corporate worship? Our evangelism?
- Click the links below to find the lyrics and recordings of the songs planned for our gathering this Sunday; practice the songs, study the lyrics and sing together.
- Pray for those leading our corporate gathering this week and for the Holy Spirit’s work as the Word of God is further explained and applied: Dawson Bryant: music; Rob Stouffer: elder prayer & scripture reading; Bret Capranica: teaching.
Songs for Sunday
Morning Gathering
- Praise to the Lord the Almighty (sheetmusic)
- Glorious Christ (sheetmusic)
- Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy (sheetmusic)
- Have Mercy on Me (sheetmusic)
- Our Only Hope Is You (sheetmusic)
Evening Gathering
Lyrics
Lyrics Morning Gathering - ... by Summit Woods Baptist Church