I. EXORDIUM:
Have you imagined getting unlimited rewards here on earth? I doubt you'll receive it.
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To enumerate the rewards of those who are willing to hear, we must listen to the Spirit, and understand what GOD is saying to us.
IV. TEXT:
Revelation 2:7 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
V. THESIS:
What the churches (us) can receive as rewards if we are victorious because we are willing to hear, listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to us.
VI. TITLE:
Anyone who is willing
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: Apostle John, known as the Apostle of Love
B. Place: Island of Patmos
C. Background: There are 7 churches with different personalities but if we analyze it carefully, it all pertains to "Anyone" who believes, who are willing to hear, listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to us in these last days. Only first 5 churche's rewards are enumerated. We can receive these rewards if we belong to "anyone", based on Greek word, meaning to prevail, to subdue, to conquer, if you can do this, then the rewards are yours.
VIII. MAIN BODY:
A. Requirements of getting the rewards:
1. Willingness to hear (Romans 10:17)
Romans 10:17 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
Hearing is not for GOD or the minister to benefit from it but ourselves because our faith comes from it.
2. Listening to the Spirit (1 John 4:6)
1 John 4:6 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
Don't listen to men, but if you have the ear for the Spirit, you can discern what man is saying if it's based on the Spirit.
3. Understand what the Spirit is saying (1 Corinthians 14:15-16)
1 Corinthians 14:15-16 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.
For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying?
Only the Spirit gives understanding because utterance came from the Spirit. Don't start your day with only human understanding, in fact, you need to eradicate it, for the things of GOD can't be understand if you're in the natural but be on the Spirit's side who gives both utterance, and understanding.
B. Rewards:
Let GOD's Words say what it means, and mean what it says.
1. We will eat from the tree of life in the paradise of GOD (Rev. 2:7)
Revelation 2:7 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
2. We will not be hurt by the second death. (Rev 2:11)
Revelation 2:11 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.
3. We will eat the hidden manna in heaven. We will receive a white stone. (Rev 2:17)
Revelation 2:17 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.
4. We will receive authority over all the nations, same authority with our LORD (Rev 2:26)
Revelation 2:26 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations.
5. We will become GOD's pillars in GOD's temple. We will bear GOD's name. We will be citizens of New Jerusalem (Rev 3:12)
Revelation 3:12 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.
IX. CONCLUSION:
What the churches (us) can receive as rewards if we are victorious because we are willing to hear, listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to us.
