Sermon Tone Analysis

-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 Omnipresent, Omniscience, Omnipresent CREATOR God,

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

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

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

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

We choose whether to enter or not./*

*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.*/

 

*ILLUSTRATION:*  Muslim convert in Uganda

·         While in Uganda some time ago, my wife and I and our team were ministering on a high school 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 Muslim and his family were committed Muslims.

o   His choice had consequences: 

·         1st Bible

·         2nd Bible

·         3rd Bible – looking for a 4th.

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

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*May I ask some simple, elementary questions?*

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*A.   **Who created the door for him to invite Christ to enter?*

1.     *It was God.*

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

·         */Joh 1:12  /**/But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:/*

·         */Act 4:12  /**/Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved./*

·         */Act 16:31  /**/And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house./*

2.     Every second of every day God is knocking on humanities door.

*/2Co 5:19/**/  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

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3.     Fact is that God has created the open door .

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

*B.

**Why him?*

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

a.     *Because God loves him.*

·      */John 3:16  For God so loved the world . . . .

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

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·      */ 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/*

b.    *Because, that is God’s design.*

·         */(Col 1:20)  /**/And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven./*

·         */(Rom 5:9/**/)  /**/Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him/*

·         */(Eph 1:7)  /**/In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;/*

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.

Many believers will live out their full three score and ten and never ever know the full meaning and depth of that love.

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

This is a cause and affect situation.

*1.    *Before he opened the door, he reasoned many things, amongst them

a.

Is there really a God?

b.    Do I trust Him enough to believe that there is a eternal heaven waiting for me?

c.

Is this the only way to know and have eternal fellowship with God?

*2.    *When he opened the door,

a.     Eternally, his sins were forgiven.

b.

His standing with God, he now is a child of God. 

c.

All that belongs to Christ, now, as an heir, is his! 

·         */Joh 1:12/**/  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:/*

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

*4.

*If time permitted, I could walk you around the world and tell you of countless hundreds that are suffering greatly, even unto death for their faith in Christ.

a.   */Foxes book of Martyrs/* is being played out in many parts of the world.

*D.   **Who can open this door?*

1.

The */whosoever of this world./*

(Which to our Ugandan friend, was great news.)

·        */(Act 2:21)  /**/And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved./*

·        */(Act 10:43)  /**/To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins./*

·        */(Rom 10:11)  /**/For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed./*

*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?*

* If your child would come to and say, “Christ is knocking @ my heart.”

Would you say,

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To Young

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Just what is in heaven – really??

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I Fear for you

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How do you know it is God that is knocking?

We would not respond this way!!

We would with great joy do everything we possibly could to encourage that to happen.

* Best Teacher, Best supporter, Best cheerleader

 

*THERE IS A SECOND DOOR . . .

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*II.

**Door of Service*

 

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

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*/If we do acknowledge it,/* 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.

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

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

/THE DOOR OF SERVICE.*

*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.