Lukewarm Revelation It's Your Move Road Work and Trek Groups Gather in the gym.  Needed: Video Camera and a way to play it back to a large audience VIDEO GOSSIP During common meal set up a video camera in a private room to record each youth making a statement. The statement will be what was whispered to them as the previous participant leaves. The statement is whispered only once, and the person on camera must attempt to repeat what she/he heard. This is just like sharing gossip in a circle, only you get to see how the message deteriorates with each person. There will be a drastic change from the original message to the final one, illustrating the point. The Statement: Two witnesses have said, "Seven scoopes are better than three and a half" at least a dozen times.   Which Way Are We Moving Work Zone & High Way Begin with a large group&ldots;  Finish common meal and as many recordings as possible then move to Fellowship Hall for welcome, & introductions, ask for someone to make the announcements. (See if anyone knows what's going on?) Show the movie and how the statement became distorted. Say: Right or wrong, hot or cold, yes or no, what's in between is maybe and lukewarm. Revelation is about choice and consequences. It leaves no room for more than two options. It is a very clear "if, Then" statement. Last week, we learned that Revelation's message was repeated in several ways.    Why do you think that is?    If you could have heard our recorded message several ways do you think it would have helped you repeat it correctly?    What do you think the main message of Revelation is?   Break into Journey Groups   Moving In Road Work & High Way Break into smaller groups Say: Lukewarm represents something in the middle, a kind of easy way out. On a hot day a cold drink is what is sooo refreshing and sometimes it's the hot drink that's needed in the dead of winter. Winter or summer a lukewarm drink will do, but your drink could be much better. Is Lukewarm a metaphor for the way you treat your faith journey? Read: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Rev. 3:15-16) Ask:    On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your relationship with God?    One to ten, how much effort do you think you are putting in to your faith journey?   Moving on Work Zone & High Way Stay in smaller groups Needed: Numbers hand-out Say: More information means easier decisions. So, here's a closer look at the numbers in the Book of Revelation. Pass out the "By the Numbers" sheet and discuss each one briefly. By the Numbers Two - The symbol for adequate witness 11:3 Three - The symbol for completeness 1:4-5; 16:19 One third - The symbol for incompleteness 8:7; 9:15; 12:4 Four - The symbol for anything that concerns the earth (the earth regarded as a square with four corners) 20:8; 4:6; 7:1; 9:14 Five - The symbol for smallness. 9:5 Six - The symbol for evil, six falling short of seven - the symbol of perfection; also six heathen nations were deposed by Israel 13:18 Seven - The symbol for perfection, perfect unity in diversity; e.g., the seven colors of the rainbow, the seven days of the week 1:4; 1:12; 4:5; 5:1; 5:6; 12:3; 13:1 Three and one half' always refers to the Gospel Age. It has both vagueness about it befitting a period whose duration no-one may know, but enough precision to suggest that it is fixed in the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. It is referred to as ... 1,260 days when it concerns the Church 11:3; 12:6 42 months when it concerns God's enemies 11:2; 13:5 A time and times and half a time' when oppression is in view 12:14 Ten - Ten is to reach the limit (it is as many fingers as you may count on) 17:122:10 1,000 - Is the intensification of the meaning of 10. 7,000 - Is the intensification of the meaning of ten along with the meaning of 7. 11:13 Twelve - The symbol of the Church (twelve patriarchs and twelve apostles ) Note repetition of 12 in 21:9-27. Twenty-four (12 x 2) symbolizes the continuous Church of God through both Old and New Testament ages 4:4 144,000 - The intensification of twelve and ten, both squared, so signifying the whole People of God, a great multitude of whom not one is lost or missing.To square a number is to intensify the meaning of the symbol. 7:14; 14:1 etc. 10,000 x 10,000 - The symbol for innumerable. The highest number Greek notation could represent was 99,999,999   Moving up Work Zone Stay in smaller groups A Sticky Situation Needed: Marshmallows, toothpicks, and straws Creatively divide into two teams. The idea here is for each team to move marshmallows in a relay race. The course can be as complicated or assimple as needed. First move the marshmallow from the table using only a toothpick in your mouth and carry it as quickly as possible to another table, depositing it on the table toothpick included. If it falls on the floor at any point it must be picked up using only the toothpick, mouth and elbow if needed. First to stick and move the marshmallow with every member wins. Looking at the Heavens  Next race: pick up the marshmallow from the table using only a straw in your mouth on the "Spikes" (Players may use their elbow if needed to keep the mallow from moving). The straw is not allowed to stick in the marshmallow. The toothpick should act as a good device to slide into the straw and keep the marshmallow balance at the top. The carrying position will be head tilted back, straw in the mouth marshmallow setting on top of the straw for the ride. It should be carried as quickly as possible to another table, and deposited on the table. If it falls on the floor at any point it must be picked up using only the toothpick in the marshmallow, the straw in the mouth and elbow if needed.   Moving up High Way Stay in smaller groups One Step in the Wrong Direction Say: Numbers are simply numbers and give some significance to our over all understanding. Looking at Revelation as a guide for your life is a good place to start, but should not be a source of fear. The best way to lead a life without "Trumpets or Bowls" is to not act on temptations that can lead to more problems (one trumpet after another). As an example let's look at 2 Samuel 11:1-27. 2Sa 11:1  -In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle, David sent Jo'ab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2Sa 11:2  -It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking upon the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 2Sa 11:3  -And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathshe'ba, the daughter of Eli'am, the wife of Uri'ah the Hittite?" 2Sa 11:4  -So David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 2Sa 11:5  -And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, "I am with child." 2Sa 11:6  -So David sent word to Jo'ab, "Send me Uri'ah the Hittite." And Jo'ab sent Uri'ah to David. 2Sa 11:7  -When Uri'ah came to him, David asked how Jo'ab was doing, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. 2Sa 11:8  -Then David said to Uri'ah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." And Uri'ah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. 2Sa 11:9  -But Uri'ah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 2Sa 11:10  -When they told David, "Uri'ah did not go down to his house," David said to Uri'ah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?" 2Sa 11:11  -Uri'ah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths; and my lord Jo'ab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing." 2Sa 11:12  -Then David said to Uri'ah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." So Uri'ah remained in Jerusalem that day, and the next. 2Sa 11:13  -And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. 2Sa 11:14  -In the morning David wrote a letter to Jo'ab, and sent it by the hand of Uri'ah. 2Sa 11:15  -In the letter he wrote, "Set Uri'ah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die." 2Sa 11:16  -And as Jo'ab was besieging the city, he assigned Uri'ah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. 2Sa 11:17  -And the men of the city came out and fought with Jo'ab; and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uri'ah the Hittite was slain also. 2Sa 11:18  -Then Jo'ab sent and told David all the news about the fighting; 2Sa 11:19  -and he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king, 2Sa 11:20  -then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 2Sa 11:21  -Who killed Abim'elech the son of Jerub'besheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, 'Your servant Uri'ah the Hittite is dead also.'" 2Sa 11:22  -So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Jo'ab had sent him to tell. 2Sa 11:23  -The messenger said to David, "The men gained an advantage over us, and came out against us in the field; but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. 2Sa 11:24  -Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall; some of the king's servants are dead; and your servant Uri'ah the Hittite is dead also." 2Sa 11:25  -David said to the messenger, "Thus shall you say to Jo'ab, 'Do not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now another; strengthen your attack upon the city, and overthrow it.' And encourage him." 2Sa 11:26  -When the wife of Uri'ah heard that Uri'ah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. 2Sa 11:27  -And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.   In a brief Summary, David awoke from a nap and went for a walk. While out, he saw a beautiful woman bathing. Being overwhelmed by her beauty, he sent for her and when she arrived at the palace, they slept together. Later, when she realized she was pregnant, she sent a message to inform David.  Immediately, David sent word to Uriah to come home from war and hang out at the Palace. When Uriah arrived, David asked about how the war was progressing and them told him to go home and relax. Uriah did not return home; he stayed outside of the palace because he just didn't feel right going home to wine and dine and sleep with his wife while the others were out fighting and sleeping in tents. David attempted 3 times to get him to go home to his wife and failed. So, David sent him back to the war and instructed Joab to put Uriah in the front of the battle and then withdraw so that he would be killed. It was done; David played it off and after a short time sent for the new widow and mother of his child to be one of his wives at the palace. The Lord was very displeased with what David had done. Today, we struggle with so many things. We are confused by what is right and wrong and what is light and dark. When tempted by evil, don't be fooled by thinking that you can get by with it; just swear once, just one lie, just one pass out game, Just one... There is no such thing as just one when it comes to evil. That one dangerous game will turn into, well it's only one more, and that one lie will turn into a whole story of lies to cover up for the first lie you thought would be so innocent. Don't get caught up in the justification of your bad judgment and allow just one. Ask:    What was David's first mistake? (He focused on his own desires and gave in to them.)    What did David do to resist temptation? (Nothing, He took steps closer to trouble.)    What did David do to cover up his sin? (He lied and tried to deceive others.)    Did David eventually commit murder because of temptation?    Did the consequences of David's bad choices affect more than just him?    Did David have any hope for salvation after all those lies and deceptions?    What was David's punishment for all of the evil he caused?    How does this story relate to the Book of Revelation?   Moving out Work Zone  Come together as one Work Zone group Armageddon Wink Um Start with a circle of seated girls and have the boys stand behind the girls with one boy having an open seat in front of them. The one with the open seat tries to wink or blink at a girl to signal her to try to reach the chair of the winker with out being tagged by the boy behind her. Start with regular wink-um and progress to Armageddon wink-um. This time the ones standing behind the seated may follow their "pray" across the circle trying to tag them until they touch the winker. Play a few rounds then switch boys to the seats and have the girls behind them. Before you start the second round ask the following question: Ask:    How is this game like the Book of Revelation? Wait for some answers then play again. This time add a second winker with an open seat. Then move to three open seats. Ask:     How is this like the trumpets of Revelation?   Moving out High Way Come together as a large High Way group Armageddon Wink Um Start with a circle of seated girls and have the boys stand behind the girls with one boy having an open seat in front of them. The one with the open seat tries to wink or blink at a girl to signal her to try to reach the chair of the winker with out being tagged by the boy behind her. Start with regular wink-um and progress to Armageddon wink-um. This time the ones standing behind the seated may follow their "pray" across the circle trying to tag them until they touch the winker. Play a few rounds. Ask:    How is this game like the Book of Revelation? (You're trying to reach your destination but evil follows. You get to keep trying until you succeed.)    If we added Angels in the center of the circle to protect the players, what part of revelation would that represent? (After the sixth seal was opened and more destruction was released, four angels stopped the torment in order for Christians to be identified.) Now switch boys to the seats and have the girls behind them. Play again (no angels). Add a second winker with an open seat. Then move to three open seats. Ask:     How is this like the trumpets or bowls of Revelation?    Were you tempted to cheat and modify the game to make your roll easier or to your own advantage?    Were you tempted not to try because it was too difficult? Say: If you were playing the game and not trying or playing the game the easiest way for you, it could be said that you were "lukewarm." If this game represented your Christian life and you were just sitting and not trying how close to God do you think you would be? If you were looking for the easy way to play or a way to give yourself an unfair advantage, do you think God would be pleased? God wants you to play the game, he wants you to succeed, and he wants you to escape temptation. Each day is practice. Each day is a lesson. Some days you will fail, but if you tried and didn't cheat, it was a good day, a God day, and a day you grew closed to Him.    Come back together in the FLC   Closing Work Zone & High Way The Leader Closes:Don't be lukewarm! Remember allowing one temptation to win may result in more than what you expected. A small bad choice can grow and take control of your life and others lives. Don't give in to your human desires and keep away from tempting situations. King David was a chosen man of God and had done many things through the power of the Lord. Even with his calling and his reputation as a Christian man, he could still be caught up in temptation and entangled in the things of the flesh, and the here and now. Today, going to church or being a great Christian and having been that way for years doesn't make you immune to temptations. Even when you have been in church all of your life, never let your guard down. Evil is prowling around like a lion looking for the weak and tired. It will look for ways to separate you from God. By studying the rest of King David's life, you'll find that he did get his life straight again. He managed to be hot when it was cold out and cold when a refreshing drink was needed. Even though he had times in his life where he was lukewarm, his faith and love of God gave him the confidence that God will always accept us back when we call His name.   UMYF Benediction to close. Funny Numbers Handout 666 Biblical Number of the Beast DCLXVI Roman Numeral of the Beast 999 Number of the Australian Beast 333 Number of the Semi-Beast 66 Number of the Downsized Beast 6, uh..., I forget Number of the Blond Beast 666.0000 Number of the High Precision Beast 0.666 Number of the Millibeast X / 666 Beast Common Denominator -666 Opposite of the Beast 25.8069758... Square Root of the Beast 443556 Square of the Beast 1010011010 Binary Number of the Beast 00666 Zip Code of the Beast 666@hell.org E-mail Address of the Beast www.666.com Website of the Beast  1-666-666-6666 Phone & FAX Number of the Beast 1-888-666-6666 Toll Free Number of the Beast 1-900-666-6666 Live Beasts, available now!  One-on-one pacts!Only $6.66 per minute!  [Must by over 18] 666-66-6666 Social Security Number of the Beast 66.6% Tax Rate of the Beast $666/hr Billing Rate of the Beast's Lawyer $665.95 Retail Price of the Beast $699.25 Price of the Beast plus 5% State Sales Tax $656.66 Wal-Mart Price of the Beast $646.66 Next week's Wal-Mart Price of the Beast $55.50 Monthly Payments for Beast, in 12 easy installments Phillips 666 Gasoline of the Beast Route 666 Highway of the Beast 666 mph Speed Limit on the Beast's Highway 666 Minutes Weekly News Show about the Beast 666o F Oven Temperature for Cooking "Roast Beast" 666 mg Recommended Minimum Daily Requirement of Beast Windows 666 Bill Gates' Personal Beast Operating System IAM 666 License Plate Number of the Beast Formula 666 All Purpose Cleaner of the Beast WD-666 Spray Lubricant of the Beast   More Interesting Numbers 666 is equal to the sum of its digits plus the cubes of its digits:  666 = 6 + 6 + 6 + 6³ + 6³ + 6³.    The sum of the squares of the first 7 primes is 666:  666 = 2² + 3² + 5² + 7² + 11² + 13² + 17²    The sum of the first 144 (= (6+6)·(6+6)) digits of pi is 666.