Our Names Are Written In Heaven

OUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN:

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: LUKE 10:20

’Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather REJOICE, BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN DOWN IN HEAVEN.’

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INTRODUCTION:

AS CHRISTIANS, WE HAVE SO MANY REASONS TO REJOICE, YET IT SEEMS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE WHO PROFESS JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVOUR, REALLY SEEM TO LACK THE JOY OF THE LORD. I PRAY THAT THIS SERMON REMIND US ALL OF A REASON TO REJOICE AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD AND THAT WE HAVE A HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP THAT IS FAR GREATER THAN ANYTHING IN THIS EARTHLY LIFE.

THROUGH THE LORD’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION, HE HAS PROVIDED SO MANY REASONS FOR YOU AND I TO REJOICE.

WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDED VICTORY OVER SATAN, THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS AND OVER ALL KINDS OF EVIL DEMONIC SPIRITS. WHEN ADAM AND EVE TRANSGRESSED AGAINST GOD AND HIS COMMANDMENT, PUNISHMENT WAS PRONOUNCED UPON ADAM, AND HIS WIFE, EVE. BUT PUNISHMENT WAS ALSO PRONOUNCED UPON SATAN, THE SERPENT. THE VERY FIRST PROPHECY OF THE COMING MESSAIH, THE SON OF GOD, WAS GIVEN IN GENESIS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 15. THERE GOD PROCLAIMED THAT A RIGHTEOUS SEED WOULD BE BORN INTO THIS WORLD AND HE WOULD IN TIME, "CRUSH THE HEAD" OF THE SERPENT. AT CALVARY THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS DONE. OUR DIVINE DELIVERER, JESUS CHrIST,"CRUSHED THE HEAD" OF THE "PRINCE OF DARKNESS" WHEN He GAVE HIS LIFE UPON THE CRUEL rUGGED CROSS OF CALVARY.

GOING FROM THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, GENESIS, TO THE VERY LAST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, REVELATION, WE FIND THIS REFERENCE; REVELATION 20:10 ’THE DEVIL THAT DECIEVED THEM WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, AND THERE HE SHALL BE TORMENTED FOR EVER AND EVER.’ CHILD OF GOD, HERE IS REASON FOR US TO REJOICE! JESUS CHRIST HAS CONQUERED THE GREATEST ENEMY WE HAVE EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH.

STOP AND THINK FOR A MOMENT OF COUNTLESS MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY SATAN.

IN JOHN CHAPTER #10, JESUS TOLD US THAT SATAN IS A MURDERER AND A THIEF WHO HAS COME INTO THE WORLD TO KILL, STEAL AND DESTROY. I DON’T KNOW YOU OR THE THINGS THAT SATAN HAS DECIEVED YOU INTO DOING. I CAN ONLY SPEAK OF MYSELF. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO LEAD ME INTO AREAS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN MUCH HEARTACHE AND SORROW. YOU ARE PROBABLY NO DIFFERENT THAN I AM, HE HAS ALSO DONE THE SAME TO YOU.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT SINS OR HABITS AND VICES THAT MAY HAVE A BINDING HOLD ON YOU AT THIS MOMENT --- HOWEVER I DO KNOW THAT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST --- YOU AND I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE POWER OVER SATAN AND OVER EVERY YOKE OF BONDAGE. "WHOM JESUS SETS FREE IS FREE! YES, FREE INDEED!" I JOHN CHAPTER 3, ’FOR THIS PURPOSE THE SON OF GOD WAS MANIFESTED, THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.’ WHAT A GLORIOUS MESSAGE OF GOOD NEWS WE HAVE TO BOTH PERSOANALLY EXPERIENCE AND TO SHARE WITH OTHERS.

CALVARY WAS A CRUCIAL BLOW TO SATAN’S POWERS. BUT THEN JUST THREE DAYS LATER, WHEN JESUS ROSE FROM THE GRAVE, HE CONQUERED DEATH, HELL AND THE GRAVE! SO THERE IS NEVER A REASON FOR ANYONE OF US TO LIVE A DEFEATED SPIRITUAL LIFE. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN POWER OVER EVERY UNCLEAN SPIRIT. NOW THINK ABOUT THIS AND BEGIN TO REJOICE. SATAN’S GOAL WAS TO SEND YOU INTO HELL WITH HIM. HE REALIZES HE IS ETERNALLY DOOMED TO HELL, BUT AS AN ACT AGAINST GOD HE WANTS YOU TO GO ALSO. BUT WHEN YOU WERE BORN AGAIN, AT THAT VERY MOMENT IN TIME, YOUR NAME WAS WRITTEN IN HEAVEN, RECORDED IN THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE. THINK ABOUT HOW ANGRY THAT MADE THE DEVIL.

JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES THAT THEY WERE TO "REJOICE BECAUSE THEIR NAMES WERE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN." THAT IS OUR BOASTING! THAT IS OUR TESTIMONY! BUT EVEN IN THIS, JESUS RECEIVES ALL THE CREDIT AND ALL THE GLORY. ISN’T THE LOVE OF JESUS SOMETHING WONDERFUL? WHEN JESUS WAS HANGING UPON THE CRUEL CROSS, SUFFERING MORE THAN YOU AND I WILL EVER BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND, THERE WAS ONE THING THAT KEPT HIM UPON THE CROSS. HE WANTED TO TAKE ALL THOSE THAT PLACED THEIR TRUST IN HIM TO A BETTER PLACE WHEN THIS EARTHLY LIFE IS OVER. THE ONLY WAY HE COULD DO THAT WAS TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS.

JESUS COULD HAVE SUMMONED 10,000 ANGELS AND THEY WOULD HAVE REMOVED HIM FROM HIS FATE. I’M SURE THE THOUGHT CROSSED HIS MIND FOR THE SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT HE WAS ’IN ALL POINTS, TEMPTED LIKE YOU AND I, YET HE DID NOT YEILD TO THE TEMPTATIONS. WITH THE PAIN SHOOTING THROUGH EVERY NERVE AND FIBER OF HIS BODY THERE WAS A GOAL JESUS KEPT IN MIND. HE WANTED TO CONQUER THE STING OF DEATH.