Sermon Tone Analysis

February 22, 2012

By John Barnett

Read, print, and listen to this resource on our website www.DiscoverTheBook.org

Today we are looking back at where we’ve been.

Much like getting home from a trip and spending time looking at the pictures that you took while traveling.

We have invested the past year, looking at the only part of God’s Word dictated by Christ, for the express purpose of: being sent to His Church, being read by His Church, and being obeyed by His Church.

There is no part of the Bible so clear, so personal, and so direct: as these three chapters.

What exactly did we find in Revelation?

We found that:

*Christ Actually Posted a Picture*

Jesus has posted a picture in the “ultimate FaceBook” of: His Word.

His family and friends are all who claim to be believers in Him.

The responses to His posting will determine who are “really” His Family (those who are related to Him by the new birth); and who are just “friends” (those who are not related by birth, but act like they are, and talk about Him).

So this passage helps us differentiate between the two groups.

• Christ’s Genuine Family: those who personally and actually know Him, and are related to Him by the new birth.

Jesus calls this group those who “do His will” (Mat.

7:24-25).

• Those who are just online “friends”: those who don’t personally know Him; but only know Him from pictures and second hand info from others who talk about Him.

Jesus calls this group those who “call Him Lord, Lord, but won’t do His will” (Mat.

7:24-25).

Back to the picture.

These three chapters are unlike any others.

The posting Jesus made 2,000 years ago is a picture of Him, walking through His Church.

It is a panoramic shot of all the ages of His Church:

• From Pentecost when the Church was born, through all the ages of trials, triumphs, and tribulations; and

• All the way up to the Rapture when He takes the Church out of the world so that He can resume His plan for His Chosen People of Promise, the Jews.

Revelation, doesn’t make sense unless you understand that the turning point in the Book is: the absence of the Church on Earth, from chapter 4 onward.

That is why the Church is challenged to read these words, and promised a special blessing if they do so.

The last book of the Bible makes all the other books fit.

There are so many parts of the Old Testament that don’t seem to make sense.

The Scriptures very plainly talk of a:

• Long lasting earthly kingdom;

• With Jesus ruling over a time of global peace;

• A time of universal prosperity on this place we call Earth;

• A time of world-wide admiration for the nation of Israel.

That seems like Jewish mythology, or a children’s fairy-tale, but not like anything possible.

Because there are hundreds of verses across a dozen books of Scripture that say those strange things to our ears, it makes many conclude they can’t mean what they say.

The vast majority of Christ’s Church for centuries have concluded that much of what is written by the Old Testament prophets: is enigmatic, strange-sounding, and best left alone, or re-interpreted to mean something much different that what they said.

But, the truth of Revelation 1-3 is that:

*Revelation is the Simplest Book*

The Book of Revelation is one of the simplest books of the Bible to understand: if you believe what the rest of the Bible has already said.

Revelation just shows God carrying out all the promises He has already made in the Old and New Testaments.

A simple plan unfolds across the pages of this final inspired book of God’s Scriptures, His personal, written revelation to His people.

Here is an outline you need to remember.

This is what God sent as a gift to every member of Christ’s Church:

• Revelation 1-3 portrays Christ on Earth with His Church.

• Revelation 4-5 portrays Christ in Heaven with His Church.

• Revelation 6-19 portrays Christ working with Israel on Earth.

• Revelation 20 portrays Christ setting up the Kingdom He promised: to Abraham’s physical descendants, for the purpose of fulfilling all the vast number of promises God made in His Word, to Israel.

• Revelation 21-22 portrays Christ inviting all the redeemed, of all the ages, to join Him living the banquet of delight conistently promised from Genesis through Revelation, in a city called Heaven & New Jerusalem that merges the Old Testament and New Testament people of God into ONE family of God.

That is the plan God has, that He wrote about, and that He gave to us.

That plan is simple and wonderful, and that plan is ours from God.

In Revelation 1-3, Jesus sent us a message, He posted a picture of His church and tags those in the picture who please Him, and tags those who don’t.

The key is the challenge:

*Who Can Hear His Voice*

Jesus attached a simple challenge:/ “If you hear what I am saying DO something about it.”/

This portrays an element of salvation: true believers hear and respond to Christ’s voice.

Remember back in the Gospel by John?

Jesus said in John 10, that there are only two types of people: His sheep and the sheep that are not His.

The key that differentiates the two groups is in their hearing.

Jesus said: My sheep hear my voice, I know them, they FOLLOW Me.

Simple.

Jesus made everything complexingly-simple.

Simple statements.

Simple truths.

Complex results.

So where do you see yourself in the picture?

Believers hear Christ's voice and respond to what He shows them.

*First, has Christ been crowded out of first place in your life?*

Revelation 2:1,4-5 (NKJV)/ “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent."/

Their hearts got slowly filled with other things so that Jesus no longer held the position of first place in their hearts, in their schedules, in their concentration; and all that signaled that He was no longer their supreme love.

• Believers respond by repenting of anything that constricts the priority of Christ’s supremacy in their heart and life.

*Second, have you started to fear persecution?*

Revelation 2:8,10 (NKJV)/ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.

Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.

Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."/

• Believers respond by repenting of any fear in their heart.

*Third, are you slacking off in resisting the worldliness Christ hates?*

Revelation 2:12,14,16 (NKJV) /“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth."/

They have the symptoms of friendship with the world, and had blended right into the activities, entertainments, and habits of the lost world around them and were no longer distinctively Christlike.

• Believers respond by repenting of any friendship with the world that displeases God, and instead seek to draw near to God.

*Fourth, have you forgotten to fear Christ's chastening?*

Revelation 2:18, 20-24 (NKJV) /“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.

22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.

23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts.

And I will give to each one of you according to your works."/

They were tolerating sinful teachers and wicked teachings, and had allowed the infectious disease of false doctrines and practices to permeate Christ's Body the Church.

• Believers respond by repenting of listening to and following any false teachers or false teachings, and return to listening to and obeying God's Word instead.

*Fifth, are you examing yourself (I Cor.

13:5) to see if you’re really saved?*

Revelation 3:1-3 (NKJV) /“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent."/

They appeared dead at the moment, and no longer looked alive in Christ, their minds no longer appeared filled with new life from Christ, they were walking corpses acting, thinking, walking like all those dead in tresspasses and sin around them.

• Believers respond by repenting of just going through the motions of acting like Christians, and instead remind themselves to allow His powerful grace to work within them.

*Sixth, are you seeking to please Christ each day in every part of your life?*

Revelation 3:7-8, 11 (NKJV) /“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works.

See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

11 Behold, I am coming quickly!

Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown."/