Session Extras

Year 1

Called: Session 5
Called to Be Citizens of God's Kingdom

“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”
—Revelation 21:1-4 (The apostle John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia)

Digging Deeper:

• Consider praying the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13) periodically throughout this week. Each day, focus your prayers on one particular aspect of God’s kingdom: the world, your community, your church, and your life. Praise God for the ways you see his kingdom “in your midst,” and pray for ways in which the kingdom has yet to come in that area.

• Read how you can embrace your call in the book When There’s No Burning Bush: Following Your Passions to Discover God’s Call by Gary Morsch and Eddy Hall.

• To read more about the kingdom of God and citizenship in that kingdom, check out two short online articles from the e-magazine Reformed Perspectives. (For more in-depth reading, see the leader’s section for this session.)

• “What is the Kingdom of God?” by Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr.

• “Kingdom of God: the Marks of Citizenship” by W. Tullian Tchividjian.

For Leaders:

• For an introduction to New Testament teachings on the kingdom of God, see Darrell Bock’s article “The Kingdom of God in New Testament Theology: The Battle, The Christ, The Spirit-Bearer, and Returning Son of Man”.

• We live in the “time between the times”: We affirm the reality that Jesus’ coming instituted the kingdom of God on earth in a very real way, and we also affirm the reality that this kingdom has yet to come in all its fullness when Jesus returns at the end of the age. In what ways do you glimpse God’s kingdom come now? In what ways to you see the reality that the kingdom has yet to come? How might your longing for all things to be as God wants them to be influence your prayers?

• If your group represents a diverse range of faith backgrounds, discussing the kingdom of God together may provide occasion for diverse views of eschatology, the end of the world, to surface. As a leader, you may want to come prepared with a basic understanding of several different ways that Christians have understood the Bible with regard to Christ’s kingdom and return.

• See a chart “Three Millennial Views”—Postmillennialism, Amillennialism, Premillennialism—that details differences and points of agreement between Christians in understanding the Bible’s teaching on the end times.

• For a timeline depiction of differing views, see these “Eschatology Charts” prepared by Mark VanderPol.

Submit your ideas!

Do you have suggestions for this particular session? Something that was especially meaningful for you or your group? Extra reading you’d like to suggest? Help others get the most out of this session. Send your ideas to editors@FaithAliveResources.org and we’ll consider adding them here!