Welcome to The Cyber Church - Eufaula, Oklahoma

Pastor, James C. West  -|-  This Sermon published March, 1997

The Book of Life

Malachi 3:13-17   Your words have been stout against Me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, "What have we spoken so much against Thee?"  Ye have said,"It is vain to serve God:" and "what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance," and that "we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?"  And "now we call the proud happy; " yea, "they that work wickedness are set up;" yea "they that tempt God are even delivered."
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon His Name.
And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

God said to these people, You have spoken against Me.
You have said:
It is vain to serve God.
What is the profit of obedience?
That we have been sad in serving God.
Those who are proud and haughty are the happy.
Those who work wickedness are set up.
They who tempt God are delivered.

There are two kinds of people: Those whose names ARE written in the book and those whose names ARE NOT written in the book.

And these people's names definitely were NOT!

They say there is no profit, that it is "empty" and "worthless" to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That there is no benefit to being in the Kingdom of God!

They say that serving God brings no happiness. That happiness is among those who are proud and haughty!

That those who are spared the trials and tribulations are the ones who scheme and plot: those who work wickedness! They say they are "set for life" if they have learned how to manipulate and connive their way to the top!

But these are NOT the one's God has in his book!
Those who fear the Lord have something different to say:
They say that "It is NOT vain to serve the Lord." That it will fill our lives with joy and peace! That it will bring happiness and contentment."

But most of all, "It will get our name written in that great "Lamb's book of life" !

We DO NOT exalt the proud and haughty!

We DO NOT envy those who have attained something because they are wicked!

We DO NOT set them up as our heroes and our role-models!

Because we KNOW that it is not those who TEMPT GOD who are delivered, but those who "Fear the Lord" - Those who have accepted Jesus Christ - Those whose names are written in the book!

AND THEY SPEAK OFTEN OF HIM TO ONE ANOTHER!!

HE is the main subject of their conversation!

Hasn't the Lord been good to me?
Hasn't He Saved my soul?
Hasn't He healed my body?
Hasn't He healed my life?
Hasn't He lifted me out of that life of wickedness and sin?
AND hasn't He written my name in His book?

Let us read Daniel 12:1-2  And at that time shall Michael stand up,the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Revelation 20:13-15   And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to his works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

There certainly IS gain and profit from serving the everlasting God! And whether or not our names are written in that book is the most important fact we can ever discover!

AND WE HAVE THE CHOICE!

Here is the WAY to everlasting life!

Accept Jesus Christ as your personal LORD and SAVIOUR.

Keep His commandments and walk in His statutes.

Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.

AND when you ARE together, SPEAK OFTEN of Him!