Hell on Earth – Cell Plan

Opening

Icebreaker: What’s your favourite movie genre and why?

Worship

How was your bible reading in the last 2 weeks, share something from your readings with the group!

Word

Revelation 9 NIV

The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. ² When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. ³ And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree,but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. ⁶ During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

⁷ The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. ⁸ Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. ⁹ They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. ¹¹ They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddonand in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

¹² The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

¹³ The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. ¹⁴ It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” ¹⁵ And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.¹⁶ The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.

¹⁷ The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. ¹⁸ A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. ¹⁹ The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

²⁰ The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. ²¹ Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Discussion

Sermon Review

• Core theme: 
  • Pain is not meaningless, it’s an opportunity to experience Grace
  • Spiritual battles demands spiritual response in prayer
  • For those who refuse to repent, have patience because God
• Main Takeaway: In the face of coming judgment and present suffering, Christians must turn to repentance, prayer, and urgent love for those who do not yet know Christ.
• Sermon Review questions:
  • What is Jesus’ response to suffering?
  • How is God’s sovereignty displayed in the passage?
• Discussion Questions:
  • Introductory
    • Prayer Life Check in: How is everyone’s prayer life been? Answered prayers? current prayer items?
  • Exploratory (4-6 people)
    • Reality of Present Suffering: Has pain ever caused you to reflect, change, or return to God in ways comfort never did?
  • In Depth (2/3 people)
    • Spiritual Warfare: What practical steps can you take this week to engage in “spiritual warfare” through prayer
    • Outreach: Pray and reach out to someone who may be far from God or experiencing present suffering?

Witness

• Annual Christmas Event:
  • December 19th, 6-9pm
  • RSVP at: https://gcgcny.link/rsvp
  • Serve at: https://gcgcny.link/volunteer
• Urbana: Are you a young adult interested in missions and discovering God’s plan and purpose for you? Join the team going to Urbana this year and reach out to Pastor Santos for more details!
• Help Needed for Adult Zone:
  • Administration – Help organize zone wide information
  • Cell Planners – help review sermons and create biweekly cell plans!
• Bible Reading:
  • This year, we will be going through a 2 year bible reading plan together. Access to plan at gcgcny.link/readbible. Use this to share regularly in your cell about what you’re hearing from God.
  • More details to come via Sunday announcements
• Prayer and Outreach
  • New Outreach Chat to invite others along when you are looking to do something with friends
  • Establish prayer partner rotations