Are You On God's List?

Charles W. Holt

Community of Grace Church

Vinton, LA

Email: cholt@gt.rr.com

ARE YOU ON GOD’S LIST?

Scripture Text: Revelation 20:12-15. Supplemented with Luke 10:17-20; Daniel 12:1; Exodus 32:31-33a; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5, 13:8, 17:8.

INTRODUCTION:

You may not be aware that God has a list. It is the most important list that can be found in heaven or on earth. I cannot emphasize how important this list is and how extremely important it is for us to know with certainty if our name is on that list. My purpose in today’s message is to provide you with the latest information about God’s list, what it is, and how one gets their name on that list.

We will all agree that it is important for our names to be on certain lists. There are good lists and there are bad lists. Everyone wants his or her name on a good list. I hope that this will be the case when I tell you about the best list of all – God’s list.

How many of you have heard of the “Do not call” list?

How many of you asked that your name be placed on the “Do not call” list?

As you know, this list was created because telemarketers who for the most part would call at a most inappropriate time to try to sell some product or service were overwhelming people throughout America. Some were unrelenting. Some were rude. Most were overbearing. To most of us these telemarketing calls were an intrusion, a pesky nuisance. We welcomed the chance to get our name on a list that would penalize them if they called. I am told that since the list has been created the number of such calls has been drastically reduced.

A telemarketer’s list is a bad list to be on.

A “Do not call” list is a good list to be on.

When someone has a grudge against one who has offended or hurt him or her in some fashion we may hear the offended party say about the offender, “He (or she) is on my list.” In other words they are going to remember what was done and maybe even seek to retaliate. In an even more serious sense mobsters or members of the Mafia may put people of their “hit list.” A Mafia “hit list” was a death sentence.

I was once on the Dean’s list in college. That was good because it meant that I made good grades.

One of the lists we don’t like is the waiting list. Only because we want instant gratification and we don’t want to have to wait to get what we want. Some know what it is to be on an organ transplant waiting list to get a kidney or perhaps for a heart transplant.

Whether actively or passively in some way, some form, fashion, and for some good or bad reason we all have our names on a list somewhere. Your name is written down on some record either in a book or perhaps a computer. Your name is recorded at the Court House, in a Social Security file in Washington, DC or the local driver’s license bureau. Your name may even appear on a church record when you were baptized or otherwise joined a church. You became a member when your name was written down.

It’s interesting that the Bible has much to say about another official record where we may (or may not) find our name written down. I am talking about a record in Heaven. There is a book of names in Heaven. I am talking about a list of names that God Himself writes down as He oversees each entry in His book. This is the reason for my question, “Is Your Name On God’s List.” Meaning, is your name written down in God’s book?

Let me provide some Scripture background that will validate and authenticate the question I have asked. There are more than just a few passages of Scripture that relate to my question.

The first I have chosen is not the best but it is interesting because of the events that make up the story where this verse is found. Jesus had sent out 70 of His disciples on a mission of preaching and teaching that included the ability to work miracles. When they returned from their very successful ministry tour they were overjoyed. Luke tells us:

“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:17-20 KJV).