Where exactly is heaven, and what might it look like, if, as the poet wrote, the aeroplanes did not find God up there? The sermon takes us into the throne room described by the aged John: the colours of precious stones, thunder, four living creatures and twenty-four elders casting down their crowns (Revelation 4). That majesty is set beside the two simplest words of the prayer many of us learned as children: Our Father. Listen and see how the holy God, Maker of all things, became a Father to you.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- John describes a throne room full of colourful precious stones, a rainbow, lightning and thunder (Revelation 4:1-11). What does this picture tell us about God, and how is it different from the popular, all-white image of heaven?
- What might it have meant to the first readers, familiar with the splendour of imperial courts, that the 24 elders throw their golden crowns before God's throne?
- The living creatures cry out without ceasing: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. Which of these attributes of God speaks to you most today, and why?
- The sermon points to the contrast in the words: Our Father in heaven. How do you hold together the closeness of a Father and reverence for the holy Creator who is far beyond us?
- The speaker described Victoria Falls, a sight that left him speechless with awe. What experience of beauty or greatness helps you grasp what it means to stand before the Creator himself?
- What crowns of your own, such as achievements, status or reasons for pride, do you want to lay down before God this week, and what could that look like in practice?
