Luke 10:17-20

YOU’VE GOT A LICENSE TO PRAISE THE LORD

Intro: Ill. We live in difficult days.  It seems that there is trouble on every hand and that the Lord’s people are suffering under unnecessary burdens.  Sometimes, it is easy to forget that Romans 8:28 means just what it says!  Sometimes, it is easy to get defeated, discouraged and dejected.  Often, it is easy to lose one’s shout.  Why is that?  I think the reason we lose our shout in the midst of our trials is that we lose sight of the real reason for our joy in the first place.  Is it feeling good that brings joy into our lives?  We all like to feel good, but it would appear, from the text, that feelings aren’t where it is at.  Is it circumstances that bring about rejoicing?  From our text, it would appear not!  Is it getting our way that brings joy?  Again, from the text, I would say no!  What is the real root of joy then?  According to Jesus, the real root of joy is not feelings, circumstances or getting our way that brings joy, rather, it is the simple, blessed assurance that we have been saved by grace that should produce “joy unspeakable and full of glory” in our hearts and lives.

      Look at the text.  The Disciples had been out preaching and ministering in the name of the Lord.  They had seen powerful things take place.  Why, even demonic spirits were helpless against the power of God in their lives and were cast out by them.  They are overjoyed by this and come to Jesus rejoicing in their great spiritual power.  Jesus, however, shows them the true reason for rejoicing.  He tells them that salvation is the best and greatest catalyst for joy in the life if the believer.

      You know, I’m glad He said that!  I have never cast out a demon, and I probably never will.  Most, if not all of you are in the same boat.  We haven’t, and aren’t like to experience anything like that, and if it took something of that magnitude to give a reason to rejoice, then I suppose we would never be able to rejoice in the Name of the Lord.  However, Jesus put rejoicing within the reach of every child of God!

      The only item necessary for there to be rejoicing in your life is just the fact that you name is written in Heaven.  If we could ever get a hold of that truth, we would tear this building down tonight! I am here this evening to tell you that if you are saved, then you have a reason to rejoice.  You have cause to shout.  You have everything that is needed to praise the name of the Lord as long, as loud and as often as you wish.

      I want every born again person in this room to know that you can rejoice, that there is nothing stopping you.  You can, you should, you must learn to praise the Lord Jesus and I want to tell you why.  Allow me to give you three reasons why You’ve Got A License To Praise The Lord.

  I.          ETERNAL SALVATION IS YOUR LICENSE FOR PRAISE

(Ill. Salvation is more than a “get out of Hell free card.”  Salvation brings with it many wonderful gifts that the believers tend to forget about as they fight the battles of life.  I would just like to refresh your memory about what is yours through your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  If your name is written in Heaven, then you are saved and all the benefits of salvation belong to you!  Notice with me some of those benefits.)

A.  There Is A Relationship - At the very instant of conversion, a new relationship is formed.  The new born child of God instantly becomes a child of God - 1 John 3:1-2.  God in Heaven becomes our Father and we enter into a special relationship with Him.  I want to touch on 2 aspects of that relationship this evening.

1.  There Is An Adoption - Gal. 4:4-6; 2 Cor. 6:17-18 When we are saved, we are adopted into the family of God.  He takes us as His children with all the rights and privileges thereof.

2.  There Is An Access - As children, we have unlimited and unhindered access to the Father in Heaven, Heb. 4:14-16.  Therefore, we can take our burdens to Him and find help.  We can take our problems to Him and find solutions.  We can take our hurts to Him and find healing.  Because we are the children of God, we can and should go to the Father and allow Him to minister to our needs.

B.  There Is A Renewal - When a person comes to Jesus for salvation, some things are made new.  Sometimes are done away with and that is reason for rejoicing!

1.  We Are Cleansed By Him - Col. 2:13; Eph. 4:32 - Everything that was dirty, filthy and evil about us has been forever taken away!  That alone, is a reason to praise His Name!

2.  We Are Changed By Him - Not only does He take away the past, but He changes the future as well!  2 Cor. 5:17 tells us in no uncertain terms that when a person becomes a child of God, they are changed!  They are no longer what they used to be, but not they have been redeemed and they are free to live for the Lord.  (Ill. Eph. 2:10) Everything changes when you come to Jesus!

C.  There Is A Reward - As hard as it may be to imagine, the Lord is going to reward His children, both now and when they get home.  According to Rom. 8:16-17; Titus 3:7; 1 Pet. 1:3-4, every child of God is an heir of God.  That is, we literally share in ownership of everything that belongs to the Father.  How much is that?  Psalm 24:1; Psalm 50:10.  Simply stated, it is enough for you and for me to enjoy the best of the best!  All that is my Father’s is mine!  And, that is enough!  In fact, we haven’t even begun to grasp all that is ours in Jesus Christ.  A verse that is typically used to tell of the glories of Heaven is better applied to this life - 1 Cor. 2:9.  We can’t even imagine what the Lord can do in and for those who are His!

 

(Ill. He died for me, He called me, and He saved me!  He did it all!  He placed me in His body.  He gave me a place of service.  He equipped me to serve.  He gave me gifts that would enable me to do His will.  He blessed.  He worked.  He controlled the harvest.  Then, when this life is over, He will still reward me for the works I perform for Him, 1 Cor 3.  No wonder we will toss our crowns at His feet and praise His Name - Rev. 4!)

 

D.  There Is A Rescue - Daniel 12:1 tells of a time when those whose names are written in the book of life will be taken out of this world.  We believers know that event by the name of the rapture, 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thes. 4:16-17. Simply because our names are written down in Heaven, we will get to go and be with Jesus when He returns to receive His Bride.  We will be taken alive to be with Him in Heaven and we will miss the Great Tribulation that is to come upon the earth.  We will leave in an instant and spend eternity with our glorious Lord in His heavenly Home!

E.  There Is A Reality – John 5:24 – When we came to Jesus for salvation, we “passed from death unto life,” and we “shall not come into condemnation.”  We have been delivered from all the vile effects of sin!  We have been delivered from the horrible price that was attached to sin, Rom. 6:23.  And, we have been delivered from the certain judgment of a living God, Rom. 8:1; Rom. 5:9.

 

(Ill. If you took these five truths and had no others; that would be enough to praise the Lord for forever!  However, there are 2 more reasons that I would like to give that tell us Why Don’t Need Permission To Praise The Lord.)

 

II.             ETERNAL SECURITY IS YOUR LECENSE FOR PRAISE

A.  Ill. Not only are we saved and can shout about that, but we are saved forever!  Notice the words “are written”.  This verb is in the Perfect Passive Indicative.  May not mean much to you, but this surely will.  The literal sense of this verb is this, “your name is written and shall be written.”  It means that “it stands written”.  The Perfect Tense refers to an action completed in the past that has ongoing results into the future.  The Passive Voice reminds us that the subject is being acted upon by another.  The Indicative Mood is merely a statement of fact.  If you put all of this together, you realize that at some point in the past, God put your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and that action carries on into the future.  Simply stated, Jesus said this, “your names stand written in heaven.”

 

B.  The Lord Jesus gave a promise along these lines in Rev. 3:5.  He promises there that our names will not be blotted out of the book of life!  I am grateful to the Lord that when you get in, you are in forever!  There is no way for any child of God to lose his salvation, John 10:28; John 6:37-40; John 17:12!  After all, we are not kept by what we do, but by the power of God, 1 Pet. 1:5.  If I can lose my salvation, then God isn’t great enough to keep me saved!

C.  If it ever dawned on us that we have been saved by grace and are kept by that same grace, we would come unglued!  I have no doubt that many Christians harbor a secret fear in the back of their minds that someday, some way, they just might lose their salvation and go to Hell.  Nothing could be father from the truth!  If you are saved, you are saved forever and that is a reason to rejoice!

 

III.         ETERNAL SATISFACTION IS YOUR LICENSE FOR PRAISE

A.  Ill. If being saved and being eternally secure isn’t enough to bring us to the point of praise, then perhaps the thought of Heaven will do it for us.  Why?  Because having your name written in the Book of Life spells the difference between Heaven and Hell, Rev. 20:15; Rev. 21:27.  If your name is in the book, then you are going to Heaven!

B.  The word “written” means to “enroll as a citizen.”  When you received Christ as your Savior, and your name was written in Heaven, you were enrolled as a citizen of that country - Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:19.  As a result, Heaven, all that it is and all that it contains, belongs to the redeemed!

C.  Just think of what that means!  It means that Heaven is ours and that one day, we will enjoy all the glories of that Heavenly city!  Let me remind you of some of them.

              1.  No tears - Rev. 21:4          2.  No death - Rev. 21:4

              3.  No sorrow - Rev. 21:4        4.  No pain - Rev. 21:4

              5.  No sin - Rev. 21:8              6.  No sinners - Rev. 21:8

              7.  No Temple - Rev. 21:22    8.  No sun - Rev. 21:23

              9.  No night - Rev. 21:25       10.  No curse - Rev. 22:3

            Ill. But that’s all negative!  Look now at what will be there!

              1.  God with His people - Rev. 21:3

              2.  The Lamb with His people - Rev. 21:22-23; 22:4

              3.  Jasper walls - Rev. 21:11-12

              4.  Pearly Gates - Rev. 21:21

              5.  Golden Streets - Rev. 21:21

              6.  The redeemed - Rev. 21:24

              7.  The glory of God - Rev. 21:23

              8.  Home - John 14:1-3

 

Ill. There’s more that could be said about Heaven, 1 Cor. 2:9, but these things are sufficient to make me rejoice in the fact that they are mine and that I will partake of them some glorious day.  What about you?

 

Conc: As we bring these thoughts to a close this evening, I hope you can see that we who are saved have many reasons for rejoicing.  The question that comes to mind now is this, “Have we been giving the Lord the praise He deserves and is worthy of, or have we been guilty of holding back?”  Let’s decide that, if we are saved, we will act like we are saved and we will rejoice simply because we can!  Isn’t the Lord good to give us so many reasons for praising His name?  Let’s not take them for granted, but let’s give Him glory and honor this evening.  (Ill. The words of the Psalmist in Psalm 145:1-21.)