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43

Looking for a city whose builder is God

Revelation 22: 11-21

  • Session: 43
  • Week: 7
  • Day: 1
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Introduction

In this session, Revelation 22: 11-21, we focus on understanding people’s responses and reactions to the invitation given. Those who choose to be vile should continue; those who choose to be righteous should continue. God honors our choices and will. We also understand the threefold promises concerning the river of the waters of life, the tree of life, and his soon coming. A challenge in the book of Hebrews was that Abraham was looking for a city with an eternal foundation. Jesus presents this city to those looking for it and those who are thirsty for it.

Objectives

By the end of this session, the learner will have:

  • Understood the final crystal-clear picture of the anticipated heavenly Home by analyzing the new Created heaven and earth, the city or the new community, the throne, the river, the water in the river, the tree of life along the river and people’s responses in thirsting and drinking the water and hungering for the fruit 🍓🍉🍊 from the tree 🎄🌴🎄 of life.
  • Appreciated Jesus’ promise of His coming, His invitation to His Bride, and His warning ⚠ to those who reject the invitation and his promise.

Outline

  • Seeing the future through the lenses of Alpha and Omega
  • Anticipate his soon coming
  • The river of life revealed
  • The throne of the soon-coming King
  • Worship, the criterion of being allowed into the city

Group Study Time

Revelation 22: 11-21

Connecting

  • Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
  • Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
  • Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
  • Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.

Comprehending

  • Read Rev 22: 7, 12-13. 20, What do you understand by Jesus’ promise, I am coming soon “? Why is he coming? How soon is he coming? What has prevented his coming? How is he coming? What is your response to this Grand promise?
  • Read Rev 22: 11, 14-16. What sobering Truth about people’s will is revealed here? What is the invitation and warning ⚠ given by the Lamb 🐑? Who will be allowed into the city? Why? Who will be disallowed into the city? Why?
  • Read Rev 22: 17-21. The Lamb repeats three times, I am coming soon! What is the Spirit’s and the Bride’s Response (what to say, what to do, and what to be)
  • What is revealed about the tree of life 22: 2, 14 and the river of water of life 22: 1-2.

Committing

  • Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
  • List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
  • Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
  • Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
    • Sin to confess
    • Promise to claim
    • Attitude to change
    • Command to keep
    • Error to change
    • Prayer to make
    • Example to copy
    • Truth to obey and
    • Something praiseworthy

Communicating

  • Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
  • Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
  • Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.

Post Lesson Teaching Summary

Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!

Looking for a city whose builder is God

Revelation 22: 11-21

Revelation 22:11-21

Context

  • Revelation 22:11-21 concludes the Book of Revelation, focusing on humanity’s response to the invitation to enter the New Jerusalem, the city built by God, and the urgency of Jesus’ imminent return.
  • It emphasizes free will, divine promises, and the call to prepare for the eternal city while warning against altering the prophecy.

Responding to the Invitation of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:11-21)

  • Human Free Will: God allows people to choose their path: the wicked may continue in evil, the vile in vileness, but the righteous and holy are urged to persist in godliness, reflecting the freedom to respond to God’s invitation.
  • Jesus’ Imminent Return: Jesus declares three times, “I am coming soon,” emphasizing urgency and certainty. He brings rewards based on deeds, identifying Himself as the Alpha and Omega, the Root and Offspring of David, and the Bright Morning Star.
  • Invitation to the City: The Spirit and the bride (New Jerusalem) invite all who are thirsty to take the free gift of the water of life, echoing the promise of eternal communion with God in the city.
  • Call to Obedience: Blessed are those who wash their robes, gaining access to the tree of life and entry through the city’s gates. The unrighteous—practitioners of magic, immorality, murder, idolatry, and falsehood—are excluded, destined for the lake of fire.
  • Preserving the Prophecy: A stern warning is given: adding to the scroll brings plagues, while removing words forfeits a share in the tree of life and the holy city. The prophecy must remain intact as God’s true word.
  • Final Prayer: Jesus’ testimony, “Yes, I am coming soon,” prompts the response, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus,” with a blessing of His grace upon His people, urging readiness for His return.
  • Pilgrimage to the City: Speaker 1 frames believers as pilgrims, like Abraham, seeking the city whose builder is God, urging a proper response to the divine invitation through faith and obedience.

Application

  • Choose to live righteously, responding to Jesus’ invitation with faith and obedience. Prepare for His soon return by ensuring your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life, embracing the free gift of the water of life, and preserving the truth of God’s word.
Close

How to use these studies

These lessons are designed as short, 25-minute studies based on Bible truths, and meant for self-learning or small group study. The study sets systematically cover different books of the Bible. 

Each lesson follows a simple structure:

  • Introduction (Including the outline and objectives)
  • Step 1: Connecting
  • Step 2: Comprehending
  • Step 3: Committing
  • Step 4: Communicating

These sections include questions to help you reflect on the bible passage and how it applies to your life. 

Use these lessons to disciple others by journeying together over time and allowing God’s word to penetrate your heart and bring transforming change to your life. As a leader, pray for wisdom in leading and for modelling the truths in your own life.

Sharing offline

  • Mobile Friendly PDF
  • Print Friendly PDF
  • Full Study PDF

Each lesson has three buttons allowing you to download a easily saveable and shareable PDF version of the study. You can choose either a Mobile-friendly PDF version, and Print-friendly PDF version, or a print version of the Full Study PDF (for example all the lessons in the current book of the Bible).

These are free and can be easily copied and shared from one person to another!

Gathering a Small Group

Start small to build a safe space for sharing and growth.

  • Pray first: Ask God to show you 3-6 people who need encouragement in faith, like family, neighbors, or fellow believers facing hardship.
  • Invite personally: Meet one-on-one, explain how the lessons are designed to help people grow in their faith and knowledge of God and his Word.
  • Keep it simple: Meet in a home or quiet spot; no need for fancy setup – just willing hearts.
  • Aim for consistency: Suggest weekly meetings, but be flexible for busy lives or safety concerns in persecuted areas.

Trust helps everyone open up, reflect, and apply truths without fear.

  • Start with sharing: In the first meeting, share simple stories of your own faith struggles to show vulnerability.
  • Set ground rules: Agree to listen without judging, keep stories private, and focus on encouraging each other.
  • Build bonds: Begin each session with a short prayer or song inviting God to be present with you.
  • Be patient: Trust grows over time – encourage quiet members gently, and celebrate small steps of honesty.

Good preparation makes the lesson flow and helps discipleship.

  • Read ahead: Study the lesson before; pray over the Bible passage and think how it fits your group’s challenges.
  • Adapt for the group: Use simple words; if literacy is low, read aloud slowly and explain questions or stories.
  • Gather basics: Have a Bible (in your language) and paper for notes.
  • Reflect personally: Ask yourself the study questions first – lead from your own growth and experience.
  • Pray: Pray for your group members.

Guide the group through the lesson structure to encourage discovery and commitment.

  • Step 1 – Connecting: Start the group meeting by praying together. Thank God for his Word and ask for open hearts to receive it. Read the Bible passage together (Read it aloud twice; ask someone to repeat in their words.)
  • Step 2: Comprehending: Use the provided questions to help you grapple with the truth of the Bible passage.
  • Step 3 – Committing: Consider how the passage might apply to your lives and what simple steps of obedience you can commit to. The goal of these studies if life-change! Not just knowledge!
  • Step 4 – Communicating:  Think of who you can share the truths you have learned with.
  • Close with Prayer: Let group members pray short prayers of thanks or commitment. Pray for one another.

For many of the lessons, there is a short summary teaching voice-note at the end of the lesson (together with a text summary). This is designed to be a recap and reminder of the key lessons you should have learned through the lesson. 

As a leader, you might like to use these summary teaching resources to help you in preparation for leading your group, though ideally not before you have spent time prayerfully reflecting on the passage.

This is an ongoing discipleship journey aiming to transform lives and help people to live victorious Christian lives. Focus on growth, not just finishing lessons.

  • Meet regularly: Join together at least once a week. Review past actions at each start to build accountability.
  • Encourage reflection: Between meetings, urge personal time with the lesson – read, pray, and try complete commitments made.
  • Support one another: If your group members are facing challenges, use lessons to pray together and share burdens; become “agents of change” by helping others in your community.
  • Multiply groups: As trust grows, encourage members to start their own small groups with family or friends.
  • Keep it short: Stick to 15 – 25 minutes per lesson to fit busy, challenging lives.
  • Handle challenges: If fear or hardship arise, encourage members by always pointing back to God’s love. 
  • Stay safe: In persecuted areas, meet discreetly; focus on heart change over big displays.
  • Celebrate progress: Note how people have grown in faith; allow time for sharing testimonies of what God has done. Take note of what you pray for, and give thanks when God answers prayer.

Final encouragement

Leading these lessons is serving like Jesus – humble, loving, and truthful. As you journey together, God will build growing faith into each person’s life. Pray often, and watch lives transform!

If you would like to share stories of faith from your own communities, please get in touch with us!