The Nations in the New Creation - Revelation
Read the summary of the Sunday sermon: Revelation shows that God's mission is not merely the salvation of individuals but the restoration of all creation under Christ. The nations are redeemed, not erased; cultural diversity remains as people from every tribe, language, and nation worship together before the Lamb. The nations bring their glory and honour into the New Jerusalem, showing that the beauty, creativity, and distinctiveness of redeemed cultures become offerings to God. The nations are also healed, as the divisions, hostility, and brokenness that have marked human history are finally removed through Christ's reign. As a result of this reality, believers are called to participate in God’s mission now, becoming a foretaste of the unified and restored humanity that will one day fill God's renewed creation.
Read: Revelation 21:1-4, 21:22-27, and 22:1-5
Discussion Questions:
Take some time to consider the picture of the new creation given in Revelation 21-22. Which aspect of this image gives you the most hope? Is there anything about this future reality that confuses you?
Rev. 21:3 tells us that in the new creation, God will dwell with humanity, just as he did in the Garden of Eden. Why is the presence of God so central to the renewal of all things? Is the presence of God your focus when you think about heaven/the new creation?
Revelation 22:17 says “let the one who is thirsty come,” calling people to receive the good news of Jesus. How should this invitation inform the way we communicate the offer of the gospel?
One of the final words of Jesus in the book of Revelation is “I am coming soon.” How should this urgency affect the way we engage with God’s mission, both locally and globally?
Revelation 22:2 says that the tree of life in the centre of the New Jerusalem is given “for the healing of the nations.” How should this picture propel us to take the good news of Jesus to the nations?
What practical steps can we take to live as people of God’s global renewal here and now?
Prayer: Take some time to thank praise God for his promised restoration of his creation of all things. Ask him that you would play a part in this restoration, whether through actively going to the nations or by being involved in sending people there.
