Sermon Tone Analysis

February 22,2012

By John Barnett

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

Jesus changes His the tone of His Voice as we open to Revelation 3:20.

After seven rebukes to the most disobedient church of the seven, Laodicea is hearing something amazing.

Jesus makes them an offer that is unbelievable.

Jesus invites anyone who wants to spend time with Him, face-to-face, and one-on-one, to join Him for the most refreshing meal of the day: the unhurried evening meal that every laboring person longed for after a hard day’s work; and every rich person looked forward to as the best time of the day.

Jesus inserts Himself into what those living in the 1st Century would consider the best time of their day; and in that time, Jesus Christ offers Himself.

This is one of the truly great invitations from God, in all of God's Word.

Jesus here invites anyone who will respond to the incredible event of time with Him.

But first, as we consider this invitation, we need to remember some of:

*The Great Invitations Of God’s Word*

The invitations of God’s Word are all amazing.

Many of them are enough to take a lifetime of exploration.

Listen to just a few:

The great Gospel call of Isaiah 55:1 (NKJV) /“Ho!

Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price."/

The verse that Charles Haddon Spurgeon heard and responded to in the invitation, the day he ws saved in Isaiah 45:22 (NKJV)/ “ Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth!

For I am God, and there is no other."/

The great promise of so many in the modern missions movement, from Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) /"‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’"/

Perhaps Christ's greatest Gospel call in Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV) /"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”/

Jesus makes an offer to anyone searching for truth in John 7:17 (NKJV) /"If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority."/

Jesus defines the work of salvation in John 7:37-38 (NKJV) /"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”/

Those six are amazing invitations, but as we take the time to unpack the one in our verse today, we will see that it is the greatest of them all.

Here in Revelation 3:20 Jesus makes the very greatest of all invitations for us as believers.

Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)/" Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."/

As we look at this invitation, we need to put Revelation 3:20 in context: this verse comes almost at the end of three of the greatest chapters about Jesus Christ in the whole Bible.

If you think for a moment, we have just walked for months through Revelation chapters 1-3.

We have found that there are more Names of Christ, more Titles of Christ, and more attributions or acsriptions of glory to Christ in Revelation, than any book in the Bible except the Psalms.

Pause and remember with me:

*Who this Invitation Is From*

The invitation for dinner in Revelation 3:20 comes from the Highest One who could ever be imagined.

In our lifetimes we may meet some very amazing people.

But the rich, the famous, and the human rulers of this world do not compare to the One who speaks to us today.

Listen as we just skim through some of the dozens of Names of our God, revealed in this Book of Revelation.

For those of you who love to study and get details, all of these Names are in the notes that are uploaded each week with the audio and video copy of this message.

*Our Great God’s Great & Mighty Names*

In Revelation our Lord is revealed through no less than 56 unique and varied Names as:

1.

The One Who is, Who was, and Who is to Come 1:4, 8; 11:17; 16:5

2. Jesus Christ Faithful Witness 1:5

3. The First Born from the Dead 1:5

4. The Prince of the Kings of Earth 1:5

5.

The Alpha & Omega 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13

6.

The Beginning & End: 1:8; 21:6; 22:13

7. The Almighty 1:8

8.

The First & Last: 1:11,17; 2:8; 22:13

9.

I am He who lives, was dead 1:18

10.

I am Alive Forevermore 1:18

11.

He who holds the seven stars (messengers 1:20) in His Right Hand 2:1

12.

He who walks in the midst of the seven lamp stands (churches 1:20) 2:1

13.

The First & Last who was dead and came to life 2:2

14.

He who has the sharp two edged sword (Word of God) 2:12

15.

The Son of God with Eyes like a Flame of Fire 2:18

16.

The Son of God with Feet like Fine Brass 2:18

17.

He who has the Seven Spirits of God (1:4) 3:1

18.

He who Has the Seven Stars (messengers 1:20) 3:1

19.

The One who can Blot Names from the Book of Life 3:5

20.

The One who can Confess names before the Father & His Angels 3:5

21.

He who is Holy 3:7

22.

He who is True 3:7

23.

He who has the Key of David 3:7

24.

He who Opens, and no one shuts & shuts, and no one opens 3:7

25.

The One who can make us pillars in the Temple of God 3:12

26.

The One who can write on us the Name of God & the Name of the “City of My God” New Jerusalem 3:12

27.

The One who can write on us “My New Name” 3:12

28.

The Amen 3:14

29.

The Faithful & True Witness 3:14

30.

The Beginning of Creation Of God 3:14

31.

The Lord God Almighty 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22,23

32.

The Lion Of Tribe Judah 5:5

33.

The Root Of David 5:5

34.

The Slain Lamb 5:6

35.

The Lamb 5:8; 21:22; 22:3

36.

The Lord Holy & True 6:10

37.

The Living God 7:2

38.

The God of The Earth 11:4

39.

The God of Heaven 11:13; 16:11

40.

His Christ 11:15; 12:10

41.

The Child Who was to rule all nations 12:4,5

42.

The Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the world 13:8

43.

The King of Saints 15:3

44.

God Almighty 16:14

45.

Lord of Lords 17:14; 19:16

46.

King of Kings 17:14; 19:16

47.

Lord God 18:8

48.

Lord our God 19:1

49.

Lord God Omnipotent 19:6

50.

The Faithful & True 19:11

51.

The Word Of God 19:13

52.

Almighty God 19:15

53.

Him Who sits on the Great White Throne 20:11

54.

The Lord God of the Holy Prophets 22:6

55.

The Root & the Offspring of David 22:16

56.

The Bright & Morning Star 22:16

That Great, Almighty, Living, Omnipotent, Lamb that was slain for you and for me: has sent an invitation.