This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Last Rights", 11/27/2016

THE LAST RIGHTS

Revelation 22:12-21

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

V:12 "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done."

A. Jesus said " Behold"  it is in the imperative form, meaning it is important that

     we pay attention.

     1. The word "quickly" has as one of it's meaning, it will be a surprise.

         a. He will not announce the time of His second coming, but Jesus is coming.

         b. No one knows the time of His coming but the Father.

 B. Jesus second coming will have a purpose.

     1. He will judge the living and the dead.

     2. He will reward all mankind individually, according to what was done while living

         on this earth.

     3. Everyone is responsible for his/her own actions.

     4. What we do now, is a setup for the judgment that Jesus will render  in heaven.

LIKE THE FATHER, THE SON HAS NO BEGINNING OR ENDING

V:13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

 A. We can take word "first" in a number of ways:

      1. Jesus was first born of the Father.

      2. Jesus was first born of the dead.

      3. He was first with the Word.

B. Jesus is eternal, He has no beginning or ending.

     1. Jesus always was.

     2. Jesus always will be.

     3. Jesus is the beginning of everything we know.

     4. Jesus is the end of everything we will know.

     5. Everything and everyone you and I know has a beginning and has an ending.

     6. It is beyond human understanding to know eternity past or eternity future.

     7. What has been revealed about Jesus is supernatural.

THE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE

V:14. " Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. "

A. The washing of robes must be the washing of our sins through our faith in the blood

      of Jesus.

     1. We are made clean through the our faith in Jesus Christ.

     2. The right to the tree of life is granted immediately upon our faith in Jesus.

B. The new Jerusalem, now revealed in the text is the place Jesus said He would

     prepare for us.   John 14:3

    1. The city will have 12 gates open to all people, from the four corners of the world

         that confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.

    2. The unrighteous have a place prepared for them which is the eternal hell.

THOSE EXCLUDED FROM HEAVEN

V:15. " Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying."

A. The word "outside" refers to  eternal separation from God.

    1. God identifies those people who will not be included in the Lamb's book of life.

    2. The dogs are those who turn against their owner. The owner is God.

B. All people who oppose the Word of God are listed as those who will not enter into

    the New Jerusalem.

   1. Those who practice magic are excluded from the tree of life.

   2. Those who are immoral are excluded.

   3. Those who worship idol gods are excluded.

   4. Those who show no regard for the life of others are excluded.

   5. Those who pervert the truth are excluded from the tree of life.

THE IDENITY OF JESUS

V:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

A. Jesus uses His messengers to bring us a Word from Him.

    1. Jesus is the root of all mankind, yet subjected himself to be a descendant from Jesse.

    2. Jesus is a descendant from David, Jesse's son.

    3. Jesus consider David as man after His heart.

    4. David was a servant and King of Israel.

    5. Jesus said I did not come to be served, but to serve.

    6. Jesus is the King of all believers, the new Israel.

B. Jesus is the bright morning star.

    1. Jesus is the light of the world.

    2. Jesus is the new morning for all believers. He is start of every day.

    3. Jesus is the star of our lives.

    4. Jesus is our focus.

    5. We can look to sky and see the glory of God.

THE INVITATION TO THE TREE OF LIFE

V:17. " The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost."

A. All believers have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

    1. We have the job to invites others to come and join the body of Christ.

    2. We should inform nonbelievers that once accepting Christ as their person

         Savior, He becomes their protector and provider.

    3. Christ takes on the role of the husband of our lives.

    4. No man can match Christ in the complete responsibility as husband.

B. The gift of eternal life is without any cost.

     1. It not about us, but Christ love for us.

     2. Our responsibility is to accept His love and all His benefits without doubt.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISTORTING THE GOSPEL

V:18-19. " I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;

19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. "

A. The Bible is the authority and is not subject to man's opinion.

    1. There is a danger of intentionally misinterpreting the scripture.

    2. We cannot add any words to the scripture to it make agreeable to our ideas.

    3. We should not leave out portions of the scripture to fit our way of thinking.

    5. The Word is truth and does not depend on our beliefs or actions.

B. Those who disbelieve the scripture and those who knowingly distort the scripture are

     not part of the body of Christ.

    1. Those who knowingly distort the scripture will add hardships to their lives.

    2. Heaven or hell is a choice that we knowingly make.

    3. Belief in the Word is a personal choice.  Rejecting the Word is a choice.

FINAL WORDS

V:20-21. " He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen."

A.  Jesus is the author of the Word.

    1.  He gives everyone a chance to make a decision regarding Heaven before He

         returns for His Church.

    2. He is coming back to judge the living and the dead; believe it or not.

B. Believers are chosen by God to believe.

    1. Unbelievers are left in their state of unbelief.

    2. God is sovereign and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

    3. It is by the grace of God that we have a place in heaven. 

 THANK GOD FOR HIS GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway

Houston, Texas 77010

For more lessons follow me on facebook and visit my blogs

www.revmmitchell,com   and goodnewsrevmitc,blogspot.com

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Our New Eternal Home", 11/20/2016

OUR NEW ETERNAL HOME

Revelation 22:1-7

THE WATER OF LIFE

1. "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb."

A. There are several ways of interpreting this verse, but I prefer  Jameson Fausset and

     Brown's.

     1. The crystal clear water of life could represent the full Gospel grace flowing from

         the throne of God.

     2. While we now receive God's Grace daily, it is hindered by the sin that exist in

         our lives.

         a. It is my belief, that we now receive only a small portion of the blessings that God

             has stored for us because of our unbelief and disobedience.

         b. Since we are influence by the flesh, our lives are more difficult than it could be

             because we are not completely right before God.

 B. The river of the water of life could also represent the Holy Spirit.

     1. Learning to yield to the guidance and the direction of the Holy Spirit is a continuous

          spiritual growth process.

     2. In the New city of Jerusalem, we will be completed consumed in the spirit.

         1. The river may represent an infinite abundance of life.

         2. Life in the New Jerusalem will be everlasting.

     3. The phrase "clear as crystal" may be the infinite righteousness of God that all the

          redeemed will possess.  

  

THE TREE OF LIFE

V:2. " Down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."

A. In the New Jerusalem, there will be only one path and that is the path of righteousness.

     1. This path/ street has its' beginning at the throne of God.

     2. It is in the center because God will be the center of our eternal existence.

     3. The constant flowing river of life has on each side a tree of life.

          a. In the Garden of Eden, there  was a tree of life which Adam was prevented from

              eating after his sin.

          b. I suggest that if Adam had eaten from the tree of life after his sin, that

              there would be no chance of redemption for man.

B. The tree of life may represent the eternal life that all believers written in the

     Lamb's book of Life will receive.

   1. The promise of eternal life is received when we accept Jesus as our personal Savior.

   2. Believers are living in the hope of eternal life in the eternal Jerusalem.

   3. God's plan of redemption will be the complete and permanent state of purity in

       His New Jerusalem.

   4. We must keep in mind that the New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ is the

        spirits of all God's redeemed.

    5. It is only by God's Grace that we are His redeemed.

C. Twelve is one of God divine numbers that  is used through out the Bible.

    1. There were twelve tribes of Israel.

    2. Jesus chose 12 disciples.

    3. There are 12 months in the year.

    4. Twelve may represent the all sufficiency of the Lord.

    4. Each believer in the church of Jesus Christ is equipped with gifts to produce

        fruit.

    5.We are expected to produce fruit through out our Christian life.

    6. In heaven the fruit  will be produced by the Lord without any effort on our part.

    7. The fruit from the tree could represent the infinite provisions of the Lord throughout

         our eternal lives with Him.

  D. According to the text, the leaves on the fruit tree are for healing.

     1. We know in the eternal kingdom there will be no death, no sickness and no sorrow.

     2. We know that our final state will be one of eternal blessings.

     3. Therefore, I suggest that leaves represent the state of complete and perfect health

          that will exist throughout eternity.  

THE SERVANTS OF THE LAMB  

V:3. " No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in  

        the city, and his servants will serve him."

 A. After Adam sinned, human life was cursed and the ground of the earth was also

      cursed.

      1. Old things will pass away and a new sinless environment will exist in eternity.

      2. The "old" are all the evil and evil consequences that result from man's sins.

           a. Trials, tribulations, sorrows  and death to name a few,

           b. Hate, jealousy, envy, backbiting and all disobedient behavior.

  B. In the presence of God, there will be no sin or any capability to sin.

     1. In this present Church Age, all sin is covered by the blood of Jesus.  1 Peter 1:18-19

     2. There is no righteousness in us, but all righteousness is imputed to us by our

         faith in Jesus.

     3. Jesus now sits a the right hand of the Father making continuous intercessions for us.

C. In the New Jerusalem there will be no atoning of sin, because it will not exist.

    1. Those who enter the New Jerusalem will have been washed by the lambs blood into

        eternal purity.

    2. We will be like angels, serving God with continuous non stop praise and worship.

         Matt 12:25

THE FACE OF GOD

V:4. " They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads."

 A. Presently, no man has seen God at anytime.

     1. In the New Jerusalem, all God's saints will see His face.

     2. We will see God in all His Glory.

B. The Good News is, God takes ownership of all believers.

    1. We will be His brand, because we will have His name on our forehead.

    2. The labels inside our clothes identifies the maker.

    3. In the New Jerusalem the maker of us is God the Father.

THE LIGHT OF THE LORD

V:5. " There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."

A. This New Jerusalem will be nothing like our current earth.

    1. In God creative process described in Genesis, God created the sun to rule the day

        and the moon and the stars to rule the night.

    2. When I think about this, it appears that Go made an allowance for man

         to corrupt himself.

    3. In God's creative plan was man's corruption and man's redemption.

       a. The night is the time when the righteous man rest.

       b. The night is the time when the sinful man carry out his evil plans.

 B. Since there will be no sun and no moon,  then all the planets will have been

      destroyed.

    1. The new heaven and the new earth will have it light from God Himself.

    2. Since God's light will be universal in the new heaven and the new earth,

        there will not be any rotation like our current planetary system.

    3. Jesus is the light of world and will be the light in the new heaven and the

        new earth.

 C. The new heaven and the new earth will be permanent and we will reign with

       the Lord forever.

         

THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD

V:6. " The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."

A. Throughout the Bible, God uses angels as His messengers.

     1. From time to time, God uses his angels to reveal parts of His plan of redemption

         to us.

     2. The Word from the Lord through men and through angels are true.

     3. The Word of  the Lord is the authority and never changes.

     4. You can count on the Word to be true.

B. There are seventeen books of prophecy in the Old Testament.

     1. God is the Lord of all of the prophets and directed their writings.

     2. Their spirits were tuned to God's Spirit.

     3. The Prophets proclaim the Word of God  to His people.

     4. God's revelation was revealed to us through His prophets.

     5. This establishes the authority of the Old Testament.

C. In this Book of Revelation, God revealed more of the details about the

     end times that were first revealed in the Old Testament.

     1. The Book of Revelation is final book of the Bible written by Saint John.

     2. God revealed to John the final details of His New Heaven and New earth.

     3. The word "soon" must be taken in the context that a day is as a thousands years

          to the Lord.

     4. Soon could be today or thousands of years from now.

     5. What we do know is these events will take place and we must  be ready to

          meet the Lord at any moment. 

THE PROMISE OF A SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

V:7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in

        this book."  

 A. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.

      1.  Since the Word of God is true, we must accept it by faith.

      2.  Our human minds cannot understand the thoughts of a infinite God.

 B. We must accept the Word of God as true.

     1. We have the evidence in our lives that the Word of God is true.

     2. We must act on God's Word out of obedience.

     3. Our minds cannot conceive the beauty and the glory of the New Jerusalem.

     4. We know because of Word, that we have a home in the New Jerusalem.

     5. We know because we were chosen before the foundation of the World,

          that we are blessed.   1 Peter 1:20

THANK GOD FOR OUR ETERNAL HOME WITH HIM

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway

Houston, Texas 77010

For more of my lessons, vist me on Facebook and my blogs

"www.revmmitchell.com" and "goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com"

     

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Victory Celebration", 11/13/2016

THE VICTORY CELEBRATION

Revelation 21:9-14,  22-27

A VIEW OF THE BRIDE

V:9-10. " And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, "

A. The Lord will at times, use visions to explain the meaning of the scriptures.

     1. God will at times, use angels to bring a message to us.   Heb  13:2

     2. God uses angels to carry out His plan.

B. We are Spirit beings.

   1. God communicates with us in the Spirit.

   2. God is Spirit. They that worship Him must do so in Spirit and truth.

   3. When you meditate on the Word, God will make it plain to you.

   4. When you meditate on the Word, you get close to God.

C. The Word of God takes you high above worldly problems.

   1. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways.

   2. God communicates with us on a level that we can understand.

       a. The lamb is Jesus Christ.

       b. The bridegroom is Jesus Christ.

       c. The Wife is the Church.

       d. The symbol of the wife is Jerusalem.

       e. The name Jerusalem means city of peace.

       f. In heaven, there will be in a complete state of peace.

       g. Our final dwelling place will be a city of peace.

       h. Jesus said " I go to prepare a place for you".

THE BEAUTY OF THE BRIDE

V:11-12. " Having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.  It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel."

A. The Church, which is all believers, will be transformed into the Glory of God.

    1. We will be considered a precious stone to the Father carved into His Glory.

    2. The crystal clear jasper may describe our complete transparence.

    3. There will be nothing hidden.

    4. The clarity of the stone represents the final product.

         a. Innocence

         b. Purity

         c. Truth

B. The walls will form a 1500 mile square

    1. The walls are 200 miles thick

    2. The walls are 1500 miles high

    3. The city has unlimited capacity

    4. The perfect square represents perfect harmony in the new Jerusalem

        a. Perfect peace

        c. Perfect joy

        d. Perfect love

C. The city is described with 12 gates which represents the 12 tribes of Israel.

    1. The foundation of Christian religion began with the 12 tribes of Israel

    2. There will be three gates on the east side, Three gates on the west side, three gates

         on the north side and three gates on the south side.

    3. The station of the 12 tribes of Israel around the Tabernacle constructed in the desert

        was symbolic of  this.

    4. The gates are open to all nations and all languages.

    5. None of the chosen are turned away

    6. Believers come to Christ from all parts of the earth.      

THE ENTRY WAY INTO THE BRIDAL CHAMBER

V:13-14. " There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

A. The twelve apostle of Jesus are given special recognition.

     1. The original disciples chosen by Jesus is the foundation of the Church

     2. Jesus said to Peter, "upon this rock I will build my Church."

     3. Jesus is the corner stone of the Church.

     4. The apostles sacrifice themselves for the sake of the Gospel.

B.  All believer are the building blocks of the Church.

     1. Believers are chosen from all parts of the world. east, west north and south.

     2. The great commission given to the Church is to preach the Gospel to the

          ends of the earth.

    3. All believers have their names recorded in the Lamb's book of Life.

THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD

V:22. " And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple."

A. The new Jerusalem will not be composed of physical buildings.

    1. The temple will be the God head, God the Father, God the Son and God the

        Holy Spirit.

    2. Since we will be spirit beings like angels, we will have no need for a physical

        place of worship.  Matt 22 :30

 B. Man has a body made of dust, a spirit and a sole.     Gen 2:7

     1. At death the spirit leave the corrupted body and returns to the Lord.   Ecc  12:7

     2. The Spirit will be housed in an incorruptible body at the second coming of Jesus.

         1 Cor 15:42

THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LORD

V:23-24. " And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. "

A. Jesus is the light of the world.

   1. The Word of Jesus is a light to our path.   Psalms 119:105

   2. A man without a relationship with Jesus, walks in darkness.

B. In the New Heaven and New Earth, the light from the Lord will

    illuminate our environment.

   1. The moon will not be necessary because there will be no night and

        no death.

   2. We will live forever in the Glory of the Lord.

THE FINAL STATE OF BLESSINGS

V:25-27. " And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed;  and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;

and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."

A. The Word describes the night time as a time of rest.

     1. The Word also describes the night time as death.

     2. In the New Heaven and the New Earth there will only be eternal life.

     3. The New Heaven and the New Earth will be day time forever.

     4. All believers are joined forever with the bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

     5. There will be no more pain, sorrow or death.

B.  Our only full time assignment will be to praise and worship the Lord.

     1. We will be forever in the glory of the Lord.

     2. We will be forever in His joy.

C. Satan the great harlot and all his demons will be bound in the burning fire forever.

    1. There will be no sinful influence.

    2. There will be no desire to sin.

        a. All believers are new creations in Christ.

        b. Without the flesh, there will only be the influence God's righteousness.

    3. We will be changed completely into the image of Christ.

    4. We will be transformed into the image and likeness of the God Head

        forever.

        a. God will redeem all believers to the original state that existed in the Garden

            of Eden.  Gen 1:27 

THANK GOD FOR OUR PLACE IN HEAVEN.

 Rev. M. Mitchell

 Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway

Houston, Texas 77010

For more lessons visit my face book page and my blogs

"www.revmmitchell.com" and "goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com"