I John 5:11-13
Revelation 20:11-15
Topic: Are you in the book?
There is a book that has taken this world by storm. This particular book has been used by the young and the restless, and by the beautiful and the bold. It has been used by the rich and the poor, and by all people of nationalities and ethnicities. This book even has been used by corporations, churches, fraternities, sororities, universities, and colleges. This book also been used by celebrities, politicians, famous athletes, actors, actresses, rap stars, singers, and last but not least, it also has been used by some pastors, evangelists, and ministers. Now you are probably asking yourself, what book am I referring to that has taken this world by storm?
The book that I am referring today to is called, “Facebook”.
Yes, it seems like everyone nowadays is on this social network called Facebook, a place that is on the internet where you can contact and communicate with your friends, communicate with love ones, or with your relatives. Facebook is a place where you meet new friends, post philosophical or Christian statements, advertise your social, community or church events. Facebook seems to be a popular thing to be on nowadays. But one should use some caution when on Facebook. One should use discretion and not invite everybody to be your friend, or to be a fan of something on Facebook because not everybody needs to be your friend on Facebook, and you dont need to be a fan of everything that is posted on Facebook. One should use discretion about allowing every posting to be posted on their Facebook wall because there are some postings that are not appropriate be on your Facebook page. One should not put all their business up on Facebook, because not everybody needs to know your telephone number, or your home address because you got some crazy folk out there and you don’t need to be attracting some certain negative elements into your life. Also on Facebook, you should not be positing inappropriate comments on your or someone else's page. Nor should be posting any sexual suggestive comments, or posting threatening comments to bully someone on your or someone else's page because those type of comments can get you in whole lot trouble with the law if someone reports you to the police. Also on Facebook, you should not put any type of pornographic pictures up on there too. That can get you in lot of trouble too. That can get you suspended from school, arrested, fired from your job, not get hired, or not get admitted into some colleges or universities. In other words, if you going to be on Facebook, make sure you do things decent and in order. Let your page be a positive page. Let it be something that it would not be embarrassing for your parents to look at. Or something that the church or your pastor would not be ashamed of. This is also include Myspace, Twitter, or any other social network that is out there.
Now some of you are probably asking, “What does I John 5:11-13 Revelations 20:11-15 has to do with Facebook? Well, I am glad that you asked that question.
The reason why I tagged I John 5:11-13 and Revelation 20: 11-15 with Facebook because this past week during the City Wide Revival here at Second Baptist, I was talking someone and a question came up during the conversation. And the question was, “Are you in the book?” meaning "Are you on Facebook"? And I told the person yes. But the question,“Are you in the book?" stuck with me for awhile and it made me to be mindful of another book that is far more important than Facebook. This particular book that I am talking about right now is not found in stores, nor on the internet. But rather this book is found in heaven. It is a book that you would want to be written in it because if you are not written in it, according to the Word of God, you would be cast into the Lake of Fire, where it burns forever eternally. The book that I am talking about that is far more important than being on Facebook is called the Book of Life because Revelation 20:15 says, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
So the question is being asked, Are you in the book, meaning is you found written in the Book of life in heaven?
You can have at 1,000 friends or a 1,000 fans on Facebook, but if you are not written in the Book of Life in heaven, you are on your way to be cast into the Lake of Fire. The bible says in Matthew 16:26 says, What profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his soul?
So the question is being asked? How do I get written into the Book of Life in Heaven?
Well, let me share with you first what will not get you written in the Book of Life in heaven.
1.Church membership will not get you written in the Book of Life in Heaven
2.Doing church work will not get you written in the Book of Life in Heaven
3.Singing in the choir, working on the Usher Board, being a Deacon on the Deacon Board, Teaching a class in Sunday School, Dancing or Miming on the praise team, and sitting on the pulpit as a preacher will not get you written in the Book of Life in Heaven.
Yes, it is a good thing to go to church. do good work in the church and in the community.
Also, it is a good thing to be someone who has a good reputation in the church and in the community.
It is good that you are someone who don’t do drugs, who don’t get drunk on alcohol, and that you are not in gangs, you don’t cut up in school, you never been to jail, you don’t sleep with every person you see.
Yes, it is a good thing to be a good person, but just being a good person will not get you written in the Book of Life for Isaiah 64:6 says that "our own righteousness is nothing but a filthy rag before the Lord."
You see, it is easy to look at somebody else who is doing bad things and say, he or she name will not be written in the Book of life. It is easy to look at the drug dealer and say his name is not written in the Book of Life. It is easy to look at the pimp and the prostitute and say he and she will not be written in the Book of Life. But yet you can be a upstanding individual in the church and community and still not be written in the book of life because it is not about good works that will get you into heaven, but by his grace that you will be getting into heaven; for in Ephesians 2:8-9, it says, "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not by works lest any man should boast. "
So the question is still being asked: How do I get written in the Book of Life?
Well, to know how to get written in the Book of Life in heaven, we
must refer to the Word of God and see what it says.
To get written in the Book of Life, Jesus says in John 3:3, that in order to be able to enter into the Kingdom of God, you must be BORN AGAIN.
To get written in the Book of Life, the Apostle Paul says in Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED"
In other words, you must:
1.Repent of your sins( Luke 13:3)
2.Acknowledge that you are sinner(Romans 3:23; 6:23)
3.Confess and believe the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.(Romans 10:9-13, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8-9)
Now another question is being asked: How can I be sure that my name is written in the book of Life?
I John 5:11-13 says, "And this record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
In other words, If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior , you are written in the Book of Life, and you have eternal life. But you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you are not written in the Book of Life, and if you die without Christ in your life, you will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
But you may say, "Rev. McCall, I have truly messed up. I have been such a terrible and bad boy and a bad girl, or I have been such a terrible bad man and a bad woman. I have done everything wrong under the sun. I don’t think that I will ever be written in the Book of Life."
But you don’t have to fell that way. Your name can still be written in the book of life in heaven. The reason why I know your name can still be written in the book of Life in heaven despite of the mess you have done because Abraham, a man who is considered the Father of the Faithful. He was a man who lied, but yet he is written in the book of life.
Moses, who led the children of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness. He was a man who murdered another man and buried the man in the sand, but yet he is written in the book of life.
David, the most successful king of all Israel. He was a man who committed adultery, but yet he is written in the Book of Life in Heaven.
The Samaritian woman at the well, who had been married five times, and was shacking up with the sixth man in her life, but she is written in the Book of Life in Heaven.
Peter, one of Jesus' 12 disciples who denied Jesus three times, but yet he is written in the Book of Life in Heaven.
Paul, the greatest missionary there ever was, a man who wrote almost have of the books in the New Testament, a man who planted churches in various places and nation. Before he got saved, he persecuted the church and was killing Christians everywhere, but yet he is written in the Book of Life in Heaven.
The thief that was crucified on the cross next to Jesus, the one who had asked Jesus to Remember Him when was coming into his Kingdom. Even though he had done wrong in his life, but because this particular thief took the time out to recognize that he was sinner undone and needed forgiveness of his sin, and he took the time to see Jesus Christ while on the cross as the Savior and Lord; when he asked Jesus to remember Him, right then and there, his name was written in the BOOK OF LIFE for Jesus told the thief that "this day you shall be with me in Paradise because when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, your sins are forgive, you become a new person in Christ, you receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you receive salvation and eternal life.
AND YOUR NAME CAN BE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE IF YOU ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR!
SO THE QUESTION IS, ARE YOU IN THE BOOK? IS YOUR NAME WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE IN HEAVEN? IF NOT, YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW. IS IT MORE IMPORTANT TO BE ON FACEBOOK OR YOU WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE? YOU SEE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING ON FACEBOOK. BUT GUESS WHAT? FACEBOOK CAN BE SHUT DOWN AND DONE AWAY WITH! BUT YOU CAN NEVER SHUT DOWN THE BOOK OF LIFE IN HEAVEN BECAUSE THAT BOOK IS IN THE HANDS OF JESUS AND THE BOOK OF LIFE IN HEAVEN WILL NEVER FADE AWAY!
