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The Place of God’s Kingdom in Primeval History

1. CONNECT

   10min
   In our last session, we saw how the Old and New Testaments both view God’s kingdom in a broad sense as complete and unchanging and in a narrow sense as incomplete and developing. This session looks into where God’s developing kingdom began. If you want to know how long a trip has been, you have to start measuring from where you started. This is certainly true when it comes to the development of God’s kingdom on earth. To understand how far God’s kingdom has come, we need to go back to where it started. Only then will we see how far Christ has already brought us and how far he will bring us one day.

2. Reflection

   Think about this question. “Where does God want his kingdom to be? In heaven or on earth? The answer isn’t as simple as it may seem at first. We all know that heaven is the glorious royal court of God. All believers want to go there when we die. So, why did Jesus teach us to pray for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven?” The answer of Scripture is clear. God determined for the earth to be the place of his kingdom.

3. Guiding Question

   What does the creation story tell us about God’s kingdom on earth?

4. WATCH

   15min

5. DISCUSS

   15min
   1. In what condition was the earth when it was first made? Why wasn’t God satisfied with its initial condition?
   2. In what condition was the earth when God rested on the first Sabbath? How does God’s Sabbath rest demonstrate that God was pleased with what he had done with the earth?
   3. How was the Garden of Eden different from the rest of the world? How do Genesis 1:28-30 and Genesis 2:15 demonstrate that the Garden of Eden served as the starting point for what God had planned for the rest of earth in the future?

6. APPLY

   15min
   1. Genesis 1:1–2:3 honors Israel’s God as the true royal and divine architect and builder who prepared the earth to become his magnificent kingdom one day. What does this mean for our future as believers in Christ?
   2. Read the description of the new creation at Christ’s return in Revelation 22:1-5. How does this passage show that, at Christ’s return, God’s kingdom on earth will resemble the Garden of Eden but be even more magnificent? What does this description mean to you personally?

7. CHALLENGE

   Write down four ways you have seen Christians neglect God’s kingdom purpose for creating the earth by overemphasizing the wonder of heaven. Finish with a time of prayer.