Sermon Tone Analysis

February 22,2012

By John Barnett

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One of the things I love about the Lord is that He always saves the best for last.

Unlike the world whose joys run out and fade, God’s path that shines brighter each day we walk iy (Pr.

4:18).

Just like when Jesus turned the water into wine, all the guests said that the best had been saved for the last.

Just like the promise to those who stay close to the Lord in Psalm 92, our God is the God who gives better and better joys so that those at the end surpass all others.

As we turn to Rev. 3:21-22 we find that once again, our God has saved the best for last.

Jesus ends His letters to the churches in these two verses; and there again He states an incredible, “best for last” promise.

The promise is given to those He calls overcomers.

Overcomers possess the life that God designed to belong to His children.

The promise in v. 21 is part of a string of seven precious promises, all to overcomers, and all at the end of each letter.

Each of us in Christ are reminded about what God has designed for us: real life, life that way God designed it to be.

As we look at v. 21 the most obvious question must be: “who exactly are these overcomers?”

In each of the six other letters (cf.

2:11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21) this promise is given to all true belivers.

It is not a promise to a special class of super-Christians, who attain a higher level of life; but as John has previously told us: it is a promise to all of us in Christ.

*All True Believers Are Overcomers*

Listen to the Apostle John as he wrote to the early church:

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4–5, NKJV).

All Christians, and every true believer is an overcomer.

In Christ, by God’s grace and power, we all have overcome the destroying, enslaving power of the world’s evil system.

Paul explained overcomers in Romans 12 as those who resist the world.

Romans 12:21 (NKJV) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Truly regenerated overcomers, are given seven precious promises: the privilege of eating from the tree of life (2:7), the crown of life (2:10), protection from the second death (2:11), the hidden manna (2:17), a white stone with a new name written on it (2:17), authority to rule the nations (2:26–27), the morning star (2:28), white garments, symbolizing purity and holiness (3:5), the honor of having Christ confess their names before God the Father and the holy angels in heaven (3:5), to be made a pillar in God’s temple (3:12), and to have written on them the name of God, of the new Jerusalem, and of Christ (3:12).

Jesus summarizes what He had already promised us, that is captured in His words written down in the Gospel by John.

Do you remember how often Jesus talked about “Life the Way God Designed it to Be”?

*Overcomers Possess Life the Way God Designed It to Be*

For a moment go back with me and listen to Jesus as He spoke in the Gospel by John about real life.

The lost who heard Him and did not receive Him, never understood or experienced life as Jesus described it, and God designed it.

Here is what eternal, endless, abundant life from above looks like in Christ's words:

John 1:43: A Life of Following Christ

John 3:36: A Life of Presently Possessing Eternal Life

John 4:13-14: A Life that Never runs dry or Goes empty

John 5:24: A Life that Never has to Fear a Bad Ending

John 6:57: A Life that Feeds on Christ

John 7:38: A Life that Becomes a Mighty Fountain of Endless Life

John 8:12, 36: A Life Never trapped in Darkness, but Freed

John 10:10, 28: A Life Abundant & Secure

So Jesus clearly states that He has come to give the life that God designed for us, that we turned from in Adam, and that He would purchase for us on the Cross.

That endless, abundant life is what all who come simply by faith can have endlessly at this moment.

Please listen as we hear the final words, of the final letter to the seven churches.

It is contains an amazing promise that is also applied by Jesus to each of us to hear and respond to this today.

Revelation 3:21-22 (NKJV) /"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”/

The last message Jesus has for us today is His wonderful plan.

He has spelled out what He wants us to be like.

He has detailed how He by His grace will enable us to live!

Today Jesus is here.

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to give so much.

Have you received what Jesus came to give every one of His own born again children?

There are seven wonderful promises we have as Christ's children, they are in these two chapters of Christ's personal epistles to His church.

They are:

*TRUE BELIEVERS:*

*GET AN ABUNDANT LIFE, LIKE GOD DESIGNED IT TO BE*

Revelation 2:7 (NKJV) /“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’/

• Endless Life: We have the infinite life in paradise, lost in the Garden, regained by faith in Christ’s sacrifice for our sins.

John 3:16 (NKJV) /"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."/

• Overflowing Life: A Life that overflows our inner being.

John 7:38 (NKJV) /"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”/

• An Abundant Life: The extraordinary life that only God gives.

John 10:10 (NKJV) /"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."/

[“abundantly” is translated from perissos: exceeding some number or measure or rank or need, over and above, more than is necessary, superadded, exceeding abundantly, supremely something further, more, much more than all, more plainly, superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon, pre-eminence, superiority, advantage, more eminent, more remarkable, more excellent]

*TRUE BELIEVERS:*

*POSSESS AN INDESTRUCTIBLE LIFE*

Revelation 2:11 (NKJV) /“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’/

• We are secure from any physical adversary.

John 10:28-29/"And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand."/

(NKJV)

• We are secure from any spiritual adversary: Romans 8:38-39 /"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."/

(NKJV)

*TRUE BELIEVERS:*

*ENJOY AN INEXAUSTIBLY SUPPLIED, FULLY SATISFIED LIVES*

Revelation 2:17 (NKJV)/“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.

And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’/

• Jesus promises that all our spiritual needs are met: John 6:35 /"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."/

(KJV)

• Jesus promises that all our spiritual desires are fulfilled: John 14:13-14 /"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."/

(NIV)

*TRUE BELIEVERS:*

*HAVE THE BEST FUTURE IMAGINABLE*

Revelation 2:26-29

• As true believers we have an inexpressible future.

Revelation 2:26-27 /“And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father;"/

• As true believers we have a bright and glorious future.

Revelation 2:28-29 /“and I will give him the morning star.

29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”/

We will reign with Christ over the earth.

I do not know what each of our specific duties will be, but we will have authority.

Speaking about those who will be in heaven, Revelation 22:5 says, “They shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever.”

What’s that?