Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are

"Preach The Word"

In The Book

Text: Rev. 21:23-27 especially v. 27.

Introduction:
John the apostle just described for us the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. It is the capital city of the eternal order of God. When it comes down there will be no more need of the sun or moon. There will be no night on the earth, and there will be no more seas or oceans. The 1500 mile square city will come down after God has renovated the heavens and the earth by fire.

Those who can enter the city are those whose names are, "Written in the Lamb's Book of Life" (v.27). Is you name in the Lamb's Book Of Life? Is it on God's royal register of the redeemed?

Heavenly books are mentioned at least 30 times in the Book of the Revelation. There are at least three heavenly books referred to in the Word of God:

1. The Book of Remembrance (Mal. 3:16).God took notice of the manner of life of the godly and wrote what he observed in a book, to reward in due time. Persians would take the names of those who deserved special recognition from the King, and wrote down the good things the person had done, so that he might be rewarded some time in the future by the King.

2. The Book of Life (Rev. 13:8; 20:12; 20:19). Rev. 3:5 simply promises that the overcomer's name (the saved person), will not have his name taken out of heaven's register.

David drew a difference between the Lamb's Book of Life and the Book of Life. (See Psm. 69:28). The Book of Life contains the names of those born.

3. The Lamb;s Book of Life (Rev. 21:27).
What could the difference be between the Book of Life and the Lamb's Book of Life? When the sinner dies and fails to receive the Lord Jesus as Savior, there is a good possibility that his name is taken off the register of the book that records all the names of everyone born into this world. On the other hand, the Lamb's Book of Life seems to be a more exclusive book. It has only the names of the saved written therein.

Let's think for a while about being in "The Book."

I. THE BOOKS
See Psm.90:9. The Psalmist says that every day that we live it is though we are writing a book, not with our hands but with our lives.

What kind of book are we writing?

A. A Complete Story
All of our lives are being recorded in heaven's books. Whether our deeds were good or bad, commendable or deplorable, they are all recorded. One day heaven will finish it's biography on your life. Then it will be placed on God's library shelves and will one day be opened.

There is no way that human biographers can know everything about the human beings they write about. There is a part of the story untold by human authors. What we have said, done, and thought will be recorded in the books. God's record will be complete.

B. A Condemning Story
See Rev. 20:12.
The Great White Throne Judgement will be a story of condemnation. That is the judgment of the lost.

Will the pages of your book be filled with sin from the front of the book to the close? Will you have to blush and hang your head down in shame?

The darkest blots in the book will be those times the sinner could have come to Christ and would not let Jesus into his heart.

C. A Cleansed Story
There is a debt of sin to be paid. Man could not do that for himself. In the place in God's book where my sins have been listed I believe in letters of red God has written; "Sins forgiven for my Son's sake."
Your story can be a cleansed story of blessing and mercy.

II. THE BOOK
If we are right with God, our sins have been forgiven, forgotten, cleansed and gone forever. God has put our sins in the sea of His forgetfulness and has put up a sign that says, "No Fishing."

We will not stand in judgment at the Great White Throne. Our names will be placed in a different book and we will stand at a judgment where no one is condemned. They are either rewarded or suffer loss. The quality of the Christian's works will be examined at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

"The Book" is the book of the redeemed, the "Lamb's Book of Life."

A. If your name is there you should be delighted.
Do you remember the first time your name appeared in the newspaper? You were thrilled to get that recognition. You thought you were really somebody.

If you are a child of God and if you could see into God's Lamb's Book tonight, you would find you name is there. You do not have to be in an earthly royal family, you are in the registry of the Lamb's Book.

B. If your name is there you should rejoice.
See Luke 10:20.
We cannot always rejoice in the economy, and in world conditions, but you can rejoice that your name is written down in heaven in the Lamb's Book.

C. If your name is there you should walk close to the Lord.
The Bible says that Simon Peter followed Jesus, "Afar off."
If our name is in a holy book a holy life will follow. We do not live a certain way to get our name in God's book, but we live holy because our names are there, recorded in The Book of all books.

III. THE BOOK-KEEPER
The book described in Rev. 21:27 is called, "The Lamb's Book of Life." The Lamb originated it, complies it, and keeps it. Our relationship to the Lamb by faith, gives us the right to have our names inscribed there.

Since our names are recorded there we have a right to:

A. His Power- Gal. 2:20- "Not I but Christ."

B. His Prayers- See Heb. 7:25 "ever liveth to make intercession."

C. His Promises- The Bible is a book of promises. Man's promises often do not mean much, but how different when it comes to God's.

D. His Provision- See 2 Cor. 9:8 "All sufficiency in all things."

CONCLUSION:
Make sure that your name is recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life. If it is live like it is. Rejoice in good times and bad times because your name is on the Royal Registry of Heaven.

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