The Book of Life

Introduction

I want to invite you to please go ahead and get out your Bible this morning and turn over into your New Testament to the book of Philippians. Will you please turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4? Philippians chapter 4. I’m going to be reading a few verses out of Philippians 4 in just a moment. As you turn to Philippians chapter 4, I just want to say it’s so good to see all of you here. I realize we have so many visitors among us on this Lord’s Day. That is a blessing. And I want to, before I get into the lesson, remind the South Bumby church family of a couple of very important announcements. And the first thing I want to point out is I want to remind the congregation of what’s going to be going on.

There’s a, let’s see here, Janelle, we got that slide up there on July, thank you, July 9th through the 11th. July 9th through the 11th. We have our vacation Bible school coming up. And I want you to go ahead, the elders want you to go ahead and make sure that’s on your calendar. It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity. For three days, we’re going to be here studying from the Word of God, teaching our kids, teaching our young people and parents. We really need your support. We need you to please do your best if you’re able to get your kids here. There are going to be classes for kids and adults. It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity to grow in the Word of God together.

July the 9th through the 11th is coming up. It’s going to be here before we know it. Also, I want to remind you of what’s going on today at 2 30. We’re having our parables of Jesus class and the big classroom in the Annex. And we’ve been having good attendance at this class. We want to keep that up. And today we’re actually going to be studying two parables that are connected to each other. One in Luke chapter 11, one in Luke chapter 18. And so if you’re able to join us in that study at 2:30, please come back after you get lunch. Come back and let’s grow in the Word of God together. And then another announcement I want to make, there’s not a slide for it, but next Sunday at 3 o’clock, there’s going to be a singing here, our fifth Sunday singing.

It’s going to be a great opportunity for Christians to come together to sing praises to God. And so please put that on your calendar as well and support that effort. We have wonderful song leaders, and it’s going to be a wonderful opportunity to sing praises to God together. Well, as we transition now into our lesson, I want to begin this lesson by asking you a question, and you don’t have to answer this question out loud. But my question is do you by any chance know what is said to be the largest library in all the world? Do you know what’s said to be the largest library in all the world? The largest library in all the world is actually said to be located right here in our country, the United States of America.

It’s actually said to be located in our nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. It is the world-famous Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is 226 years old. It holds about 40 million books written in 460 languages. It features about 850 miles of shelving, 74 million manuscripts, more than 8 million pieces of music, nearly 6 million maps, and about 17 million photographs. It also acquires sometimes 15,000 new items. Every single day, and of those items, about 11,000 of them are actually added to the library. It is truly one of the great wonders of our country and of our world as a whole. So many millions and millions and millions of books are found in this library. But let me tell you about one book that you won’t find in this library.

Brothers and sisters, the one book that you won’t find in this library is one that you can’t find anywhere on this planet. That means you can’t get access to at the Library of Congress. Or at Borns and Noble or Amazon or Books A Million or at any public library here in Orlando. You can’t find it anywhere in the city or state or country or world because this is a book that belongs to God and God alone. This is a book that belongs to Jesus and Jesus alone. This is a book that Jesus Himself writes in all the time. And so let me just ask you do you know which book I’m talking about this morning? Brothers and sisters, the book that I am talking about this morning is referred to in the Bible as the book of life.

1. The Book of Life Is a Book of Names

The book of life. Have you ever heard of the book of life before? If so, how familiar are you with this book? How much do you really know about the contents of this book? If you don’t mind this morning the study from God’s Word, I want to talk with you about the book of life, and I want to share with you the relevance it has to our lives. And let’s just begin by first pointing this out. Let’s first begin by pointing out how when it comes to the book of life, one of the things the Bible tells us is the book of life is a book of names. It is a book of names. Specifically, it is a book that contains the names of God’s people.

It contains the names of people who serve God and love God and have been forgiven by God. Are you in Philippians chapter 4? Look at verse number 2. In Philippians chapter 4 and in verse number 2, the apostle Paul says, I urge Eodia and I urge Sentiche to live in harmony in the Lord. Now just stop right there for just a second. Remember, this letter would have been read publicly in the assembly in the Philippian church. And Paul here calls out two sisters, Yodia and Sentiche. They’re not getting along with each other. They’re at odds with each other. They’re probably fussing and fighting with each other. They don’t like each other. And Paul tells them, you need to stop that. You need to stop that nonsense.

You need to learn to live in harmony in the Lord. Work together in harmony in the Lord. That’s what Paul says to these sisters here. And then he goes on to say in verse number three, indeed, true companion. I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.

In this case, it contained the names of people like Eodiah and Sentike and Clement and other fellow workers with Paul and the cause of the gospel. You put that with what Jesus says in Luke the 10th chapter. Look at Luke chapter 10. That’s where our scripture reading came from. And look at verse number 19. In Luke chapter 10 and verse number 19, Jesus told his people, Behold, I’ve given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. Notice how Jesus says that there is some writing being done in heaven. Jesus says that in heaven there are some names being written down.

2. It’s a Book of Life, Not Death

There are names of individuals being recorded. Where are they being recorded? They’re being recorded in the book of life. The book of life is a book of names. It’s a book that contains the names of God’s people, the names of those who serve God and love God and have been forgiven. But now only do we need to point this out, a second thing we need to emphasize about the book of life is it’s a book of life. It’s not a book of death. No, it’s a book of life. Those who are in this book have spiritual life. Go to your Bible to the book of Revelation, chapter 20. In Revelation chapter 20. We’ve been talking about the return of Jesus and how when the Lord comes back, the dead are going to be raised, and the judgment day is going to take place.

And here we see, we see what’s going to happen to those who are thrown into the lake of fire, those who are thrown into hell. In Revelation 20, verse number 15. It says, And if anyone’s name was not found written and the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. If you’re not in the book of life on the judgment day, that means you’re in the book of death. Spiritual death. You’re going to be thrown into the lake of fire. That’s talking about hell. Look at the next chapter, chapter 21 and verse 27, when it talks about those who are going to be able to go to heaven. In chapter 21 and verse 27, it says that nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying shall ever come into it.

That’s not going to be in heaven. But only those whose names are written and the lamb’s book of life. Notice how here the book of life is not just called the book of life, but it’s also called the Lamb’s book of life. Why is it called that? Well it’s called the Lamb’s book of life because it belongs to the lamb. It’s only made possible because of the lamb. Those who have their names in this book are only able to be there because of the lamb’s sacrifice on the cross. In fact, the title of Lamb here is the dominant title for Jesus throughout this book, the book of Revelation. It is used to refer to Jesus 29 times in the book of Revelation alone. That’s an addition.

The passages like Isaiah 53, verse 7, where Jesus is referred to as a lamb led to the slaughter. And John 1 and verse 29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus, and he says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And 1 Peter 1 in verse 19. When Peter says, as Christians, we’ve been redeemed with precious blood as of a lamb, unblemished, spotless, the blood of Christ. Throughout the Bible, Jesus is portrayed as a sacrificial lamb. And those whose names are in the book of life are only there because of him. They are there because of his redemptive work at the cross. They are there because they believe what the gospel says about him, and they’ve repented of their sins and they’ve confessed him as Lord.

They are there because they’ve had their sins washed away by his blood by being immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins. The people in this book, whose names are in this book, they’ve obeyed Acts 238. Where Peter told those Jews on Pentecost to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. People in this book have done what Acts 22 and verse 16 says. When the Bible says, when the Bible says that Saul of Tarsus was told to arise and be baptized, having your sins washed away, calling on the name of the Lord. The people in this book have obeyed what you find in Romans chapter 6. Look at Romans chapter 6. Because in Romans 6, the apostle Paul is writing to Christians, Christians in Rome.

And he says in Romans chapter 6 and verse number 3, in verse 3, or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death. Therefore, we’ve been buried with him through baptism into death, so that Christ was raised from the dead of the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. The people who have their names in the book of life, they’ve obeyed these verses.

That is baptized into a relationship with Christ. They’ve been baptized into his death. That’s important because the blood of Jesus was shed at his death. It was shed when he was on the cross, and when we’re baptized, we come into contact with that blood that washed away our sins. They’ve been baptized so they can die to sin, so they can be buried with Christ and raised, resurrected spiritually to obtain new spiritual life. The people in this book have followed heaven’s prescription. They have followed God’s prescription to experience the fullness of his grace and his forgiveness, and as a result, they get to be part of what the Hebrew writer says in Hebrews chapter 12. Looking carefully at the language of the text. Because in Hebrews 12, in verse number 22, he’s talking to the people of God.

He’s talking to Christians, and he says, But you have come, not your going. Not one day you’re going to get there. No, the Hebrew writer says here, you have come. Past tense to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem and to myriads of angels. What is he talking about? Keep reading. To the general assembly and the church, and the church of the firstborn, that’s Jesus, who are what? Enrolled in heaven. And to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect. Notice are those who are part of the Lord’s church. Those who are part of the Lord’s congregation or general assembly have their names enrolled in heaven. They have their names written down in the Lamb’s book of life.

3. The Book of Life Brings Joy

They’re on a path to receive what Jesus died to give them. The book of life is a book of names, the names of God’s people. And it’s a book of life, a book where the people whose names are in there, they have spiritual life, access to it. And maybe that helps us understand better the next thing we need to know about this book, and that is the book of life is a book that brings joy. It’s a book of joy. It’s a book of joy because it brings joy to those who have their names in the book. Where is that in the Bible? Go back to Philippians. Look at chapter 4 again. Philippians chapter 4. Let’s go back to verse number 3, please. Philippians chapter 4 and verse 3.

Paul says here, I indeed true companion. I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life, verse 4. Rejoice in the Lord always again. I will say, rejoice. Notice how after telling these Christians that their names have been recorded in the book of life, Paul then tells them to rejoice. He tells them to celebrate, to be to be happy. I don’t believe it’s by accident that Paul is doing that. I don’t believe it’s by accident that Paul is telling these Christians to have joy right after mentioning the book of life. In fact, consider again what Jesus says in Luke 10.

Go back to Luke chapter 10. I read a couple of minutes ago or a few minutes ago, verses 19 and 20, but let’s get the whole context here. Let’s read the whole context. Because you go back, because you go back to Luke 10 and verse 17. Luke 10 and verse 17 says, the 70. And here we’re talking about disciples, disciples of Jesus. The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. And he said to them, I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I’ve given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.

Now, so often when reading this text, the thing that throws a lot of people off, the part that a lot of people have questions about is verse number 18, when Jesus says, I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. People wonder what is that talking about. Is that talking about the origin of Satan? Is that telling us that Satan is some kind of fallen angel, that God kicked Satan out of heaven. Is that what this verse is talking about? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. That has nothing to do with the context. This verse has nothing to do with the origin of Satan. Instead, in the context of this of this verse, of these verses, we need to pay close attention to what’s going on. Notice how in the context, Jesus has just sent out, he just sent out 70 of his disciples to preach the gospel, verse 17.

He has just sent them out to proclaim his word and perform miracles by the power of God, and once they return to him, they give him a report of their work, and after they give a report, he then gives them a report.

What does that mean? That means that while they were away doing the work of God, while they were away preaching and doing miracles, he saw Satan getting whipped. He saw Satan being defeated. He saw Satan suffering some terrible blows to his cause, the kingdom of Satan, the cause of Satan was suffering terribly because these disciples were out doing the work of God. They were preaching, they were working miracles. In fact, when it came to the miracles they performed, when it came to them being able to cast demons out of people or even handle deadly animals, Jesus tells his people, don’t you rejoice about that? Jesus said, Don’t you celebrate that? Don’t you get caught up in all that? Instead, stay focused on the big picture. What’s the big picture?

Well, according to Jesus, the big picture was because they were servants of his, because they were his people, because they were out doing his work and putting their trust in him, their names have been recorded in heaven. Their names have been written down and inscribed in the mind of God. Jesus tells them that if you want to celebrate something, celebrate that. Celebrate that even above having the ability to perform miracles.

Celebrate that you have your name in this book. The question is, what about you? What about me? What about us? If we are children of God, if we’re Christians, and I know I’m talking to an audience of people who, for the most part, are Christians, does our names being recorded in this book right now give us a lot of joy? Does it make us happy? Is this something that we find ourselves celebrating all the time? Do you remember the first time you had your name put into the book of life? I remember mine. I remember the first time I had my name put in this book. In fact, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 19 years old. I was a sophomore in college, living with my grandparents in East Texas, and when I got up that morning, I knew I had to do it.

I knew I wanted to do it. I knew I wanted to become a Christian. I wanted to be baptized. I wanted to be baptized for the remission of my sins so I could become part of the Lord’s family and receive forgiveness. I remember feeling that way when I woke up that faithful Sunday morning. And even though nobody else in my household wanted to go to church with me that morning, I got up and I went. I went all by myself. And if this so happened, Genice and her family, we were not even dating at the time. We didn’t even know each other very well. Her and her family happened to be visiting that particular Sunday. We would actually start dating from then on after that. That’s another story.

But her and her family were visiting that Sunday. And I came in and I listened to the preacher preach, and after the invitation song concluded, I stood up in front of a congregation of about 40 or 50 people, and I said, I want to become a Christian. I want to be baptized. I want to be baptized for the forgiveness of my sins so I can be part of the Lord’s church. And since this church that we were worshiping with was actually meeting in a hotel room, they didn’t have a building yet. They’re meeting in a hotel. They seemed pretty ill prepared for me wanting to get baptized that day. In fact, I’m going to tell y’all something. They didn’t even have any clothes for me to get baptized in.

I actually had to get into my 1991 Pontiac Grand Dam and drive back to my grandparents’ house to get some clothes. And I could remember during that drive all the way back to my grandparents’ house. I remember I remember being scared to death because I was thinking, what am I getting a wreck before I can get back and get baptized. I was terrified that I wouldn’t make it back. But God obviously blessed me to make it back. And the preacher baptized me. He actually baptized me in a jacuzzi. And I can remember how after he did that, I still remember the feeling that I had.

4. Our Names Can Be Removed

matter if gas prices continue to rise or if the stock market tanks or if we face turmoil in our relationships or if we even lose somebody we love to death no matter what we go through in this life in the big scheme of life we still have a lot to be thankful for we still have a lot of reason to be happy and rejoice because as Christians that means that our names are in the book of life the book of life brings joy because our names are in it. But let me also point out that even though our names may currently be in this book that doesn’t mean they can’t be removed. That doesn’t mean they can’t be taken out and this is something we learn in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Look in your Bible at Exodus chapter 32 Exodus chapter 32 in the context here this is after Israel gets involved in idolatry. Do you remember the golden calf? Moses is away on the mountain Israel makes a golden calf they get involved in idolatry and makes God very angry. He wants to wipe them out. And in Exodus chapter 32 in verse 31 in verse 31 it says then Moses returned to the Lord and said Alas this people has committed a great sin and they have made a false God of gold for themselves but now if you will forgive their sin and if not please blot me out from your book which you have written Moses knows about this book. The Lord said to Moses whoever has sinned against me I will blot him out of my book.

Going all the way back to the days of Moses God says that there were going to be some people he blotted out of his book. Specifically, there were going to be some people, some names of these Israelites who were going to be blotted out because they were practicing sin. Their names got to go now. And not only do we find this in the Old Testament, look now at the book of Revelation, Revelation chapter 3. Listen to what Jesus said to the church at Sardis. Because we find this concept, this idea being taught to us as early as Exodus 32, but it’s also towards the close of the Bible. Because as Jesus talks to the church at Sardis, a church that was spiritually asleep, they needed to wake up.

Jesus said in Revelation 3 and in verse number 4, in verse 4, but you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, their spiritual garments, and they will walk with me in wife, for they are worthy. Verse 5, he who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not erase. I will not blot his name from the book of life. And I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. You see what Jesus says there? Notice how, according to Jesus, just because our names may currently be in the book of life, that doesn’t mean they can’t be taken out. That doesn’t mean they can’t be blotted out. That doesn’t mean they can’t be removed. They’re not written down in permanent ink, instead, they’re written down in a spiritual pencil.

That means they can be erased. They can be blotted out, they can be removed if we don’t remain faithful to God. And that right there completely blows away the doctrine of one saved, always saved, doesn’t it? I mean, you’re familiar with the doctrine of one saved always saved, right? You’re familiar with this doctrine that suggests that once you get saved, there’s nothing you can do to lose your salvation. You can live a totally rebellious life, you can curse God, curse Jesus, spit on the Bible, commit adultery, murder, steal from people, and don’t repent of those things, and you’ll still go to heaven. You’ll still be saved. Your ticket to heaven has been punched, and there’s nothing you can do to change it. That is essentially what the doctrine of once saved, always saved suggests.

5. This Book’s Gonna Be Open on the Judgment Day

But notice that’s not what Jesus suggests. Jesus says we can lose our salvation. We can have our names removed from the record that is found in heaven. We can’t have our names blotted out from the book of life if we don’t continue living by the Lord’s standard. Our names can be removed. And that brings us to the final thing we need to say about this book, and that is we’re gonna have to deal with it on the judgment day. This book’s gonna be open on the judgment day. Go back to Revelation 20 again, please. Revelation 20, look at verse number 12. This is what I believe is a judgment day scene. So you got the Lord returning, resurrection taking place of all the dead, the judgment day.

And look at what the Bible says is gonna happen on the judgment day. Revelation 20, verse 12. John says, I saw the dead, the great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged from the things written in the books according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, a lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Here we have a judgment day scene. We see that on the judgment day, all the dead, every person will stand before the Lord. We’re all going to stand before the Lord to be judged, and once we do that, some books are going to be opened. So books are going to be open on that day. And the first books that are going to be open are the books we’re going to be judged by. I believe those are probably referring to whatever covenant we lived under. In our case, we’re not going to be judged by the old covenant. We’re not going to be judged by that law that was given to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. Instead, we’re going to be judged by the gospel. We’re going to be judged by the new covenant.

We’re going to be judged by the New Testament law that has been given through Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said that.

And if our names are not found in that book, then brothers and sisters, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble. In fact, we’re going to be in the worst kind of trouble. Instead of being able to enter into heaven to be with God, our Father, we’re gonna be going in the opposite direction. We’re going to be cast into the lake of fire. We’re gonna experience the second death.

Conclusion

Only those who have their names in the book of life are going to be allowed to enter into heaven on the judgment day. And so a question we need to ask right now is your name found in this book. Is your name right now found in the book of life? I submit to you that we all know. We all know whether our names are found in this book. I know this about myself, you know this about yourself. We all know if our names are part of this heavenly enrollment. We know what we believe about Jesus right now. We know if we believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead. We know if we’ve repented, we know if we’ve confessed Him as Lord, we know if we’ve been baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, we know if we truly love Jesus.

And if we’re truly serving Jesus, and if we’re truly trying to live for Jesus outside of these walls, we know if we’re trying to constantly develop hearts that please him and glorify him, and if we truly love our brethren, we know right now. If our names are found in this book, and my friends, if you sit there, and I say this in love, if you sit there and realize right now that your name is not found in this book, you need to do something about that today. You need to do something about that before you leave this building today. You need to make it your top priority to not leave here before your name is recorded in the Lamb’s book of life. You need to understand that it is important, more important that your name be found in this book than any other than any other place on this planet.

It is more important that your name be found in this book than on a high school or college diploma. It is more important that your name be found in this book than in a Facebook search engine, or on some star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, or on the back of a football, basketball, baseball jersey, or even on some great memorial in Washington, DC? You see, you can go to heaven without your name being found on any of that stuff. But you can’t go to heaven without your name being found in this book. And so is your name found in the book of life? If it is, then let me ask you this final question. Are you doing what’s necessary to make sure it stays there?

I ask you that question because remember what Jesus said. Jesus says our names can be removed. Our names can be erased, they can be blotted out. Just because our names are there today doesn’t automatically mean they’re going to be there on the judgment day. And so are you doing what God requires to keep your name in this book? Are you constantly pressing forward and trying to grow in Christ? Are you constantly striving to increase in your Bible knowledge and increase your spiritual maturity? Are you constantly striving to live a pure and holy and sober minded kind of life? Are you being faithful to your spouse? Are you honoring your spouse? Are you trying to raise your kids to serve God? Are you trying to live an honest and ethical and moral life?

Are you constantly striving to live by the divine pattern of the scriptures? Are you constantly striving to be a lover of truth? Do you really love the truth? Are you a promoter of truth? Are you the kind of person who’s willing to stick with the truth and teach the truth and live the truth, even when your family members and your friends oppose it? Even if they decide to live lives that are clear, that are in clear opposition to it. I submit that how we answer these questions is critical to determining if our names stay in this book. And God wants our names to stay in this book. In fact, that’s exactly why Jesus left the glories of heaven to come to this earth and die. Jesus left the glories of heaven to come to this garbage dump we call earth to suffer and die on a cross so that every single one of us can have a chance to have our names in the book of life.

He’s done his part when it comes to this, but we got to do our part. We got to serve him, we got to love him, we got to keep his commandments. Only then can we live with the confidence of knowing that when he comes back and the books are open, everything’s going to be okay.

And if there’s anyone here this morning who needs to get their name in the book of life for the first time through faith, repentance, and baptism, or maybe you need to get your name in the book again because you’ve fallen away from living a sinful life. If there’s anyone here who needs help with those things, we’ll be more than happy to help you right here and right now as we stand and we sing together.