Sermon Tone Analysis

'background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Open DoorsRev.

3:20

Rev. 3:8-10a

 

*Introduction:*

I have for your consideration “Two Doors.”

·         Both of them have been set before you by an Omnip, Onis, Omnipre CREATOR God,

·         At the 1st door, God stands outside and knocks.

If */you choose to open/*, */He will come in./*

·         If you have opened the 1st door, God sets before you a 2nd door.

This one *God opens and invites* */you to come in./*

*I.

**The Door of Salvation:*

/Please open your copy of God’s Word to:  (Rev 3:20) // Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me./

The text is to be understood that this offer is applicable to all persons and to all the methods by which the Savior seeks to come into the heart of the sinner.

*ILLUSTRATION:*  Muslem convert in Uganda

·         While in Uganda some time ago, my wife and I and our team were ministering on a highschool campus

·         Young man approached my wife wanting one of the QT’s we were passing out.

·         He gave her his testimony.

o    Heard the message

o    Holy Spirit convicted his heart

o    God knocked on his hearts door and he had to make a choice whether or not to go through that open door.

After much consideration, he choose to receive God’s wonderful gift of salvation.

o    This was not an easy choice for him to make for you see he was Muslem and his family were commtted Muslems.

o    His choice had conesquences: 

·         1st Bible

·         2nd Bible

·         3rd Bible – looking for a 4th.

o    Said, *“/they can kill my body but they cannot kill my soul./“*

* *

*Simple Questions*

*A.   **Who created the door for him to open and go through?*

1.

It was God.

Before the foundations of the worlds were made, God had his plan of redemption.

·         John 1:12; Acts 4:12; Acts 16:31;

2.     Fact is that God has created a open door .

We choose whether to open and invite Christ into our lives.

*B.

**Why him?*

Why was it possible for this sinner, this Muslem – denier of the faith, to have access to the very God of the Universe?

1.

Because God loves him.

·      */1Ti 2:4  /**/Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

/**/  2Pe 3:9  /**/The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance/*

2.     It is amazing to know that God knows everything about me and still loves me.

In fact it is not vain to say that He even likes me.

*C.

**What did it mean for him to open the door?*

This is a cause and affect situation.

1.

When he opened the door, eternally, his sins were forgiven.

Postionanally, He now is a child of God.

All that belongs to Christ, now, as an heir, is his!  */John 1:12/*

2.     But there were consequences:  He paid with unmerciful beatings and loss.

*D.   **Who can open this door?*

1.     Whosoevers of this world.

Which to him was great news.

2.     */Rom 10:13 . . .

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord,  /*

3.

And to us also.

For, all sins are forgiven forever!

Rom.

8 . .

.*/There is therefore no condemnation . .

/*. Right?

 

*How many of you, when God knocked on your heart’s door, asked Christ into your life?

Are your Sins forgiven?

Do you know you have heaven for all eternity?

Are you Glad?*

 

*THERE IS A SECOND DOOR . . .

.*

 

 

*II.

**Door of Service*

 

We often fail to even recognize that God has set before us another door.

If we do, we are* quick to deny and are comfortable to ignore /its’ existence./*

We are quick to open the 1st door and do not want to deny its existence.

If we did, it would mean hell for us for all eternity.

But did it ever accrue to us while we welcomed the first and deny the second that it is God that made the second one also?

* *

*Please open your copy of God’s Word to:* */Rev 3:8/**/ I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

(9) Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have/**/ loved thee.

(10a) Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, /*

* *

*A.   **Who created this open door?*

1.

Not opened by:  Programs  or Man's initiative

a.     ~*by looking to the world for its signals, the modern day church is suffering from an identity crisis of monumental proportions.

b.

There are countless isms, scisms , emerging types and methods that have been created to reach out to the lost.

·   */One emerging church organization decided to evalute where they were after 20 years of ministry.

The report reveals that most of what they have been doing for these many years and what they have taught millions of others to do is not producing solid disciples of Jesus Christ.

Numbers yes, but not disciples.

In their own words “it was a FALIURE.

“/*

c.     /With our programs and by our own initiatives . . .

/We are not "making it happen."

·   The missionaries are reaching about 2 million lost every year.

·   Compare the 2 million with the 65 million increases in world population.

It looks frustrating.

·   The latest estimate from the United Nations tells us there is a net gain of 178,200 in the world population during every 24-hour period.

What hope of converting the world in this dispensation is there?

·   If it were possible to add 178,200 people to the church every 24 hours, there still would be as many un-churched people in the world as ever.

—Christian Victory

d.

With *four babies being born every second and twice as many being born then die,* all this adds up to a world population of 6.5 billion – MISSION IMPOSSIBLE if it is left up to open the doors of opportunities that would give this world a clear hearing of the Gospel.

*BUT NOTE, IT IS .* . . .

e.     *Christ opened the door.*

He owns it.

~*Ultimately, God must be the driving force.

He brings His glorious presence and all-sufficient power */(OMINIPOTENCE, OMINPRESENCE AND OMNISCIENCE/*) to bear upon the door.

*a.