Luke 10:17-20
What Have I To Be Happy About?
What have I to be happy about? I hope that is not a question that you have to
ask yourself a lot. I hope the thought instead is, "I have so much to be happy
about." But just in case it is your mindset, let’s answer the question tonight.
In \\#Luke 10:1-11\\, Jesus has empowered the disciples to go in His stead to
preach and do miracles. It is interesting to watch these disciples as they go
from being the taught to the teachers, from being the benefited ones to being the
benefactors, from being the spectators to doing the spectacular.
How long they were gone, we do not know. The way it is written in the chapter,
we might think they were not gone very long; but in \\#10\\, Jesus instructs them
to go to cities not just a few city blocks. Maybe that instruction is for the
future and maybe they actually went to some of the cities that surrounded them.
We do not know, but we know that they came back very excited.
\\#Luke 10:20\\ In what seems to be a strange move, Jesus tells them not to
rejoice because of what they were able to do, but to rejoice for a different
reason.
I. Why not rejoice in what we can do?
A. What we can do hinges on the sovereign will of God.
1. While we would all like to have miracle-working power from God,
the truth is that very few people, even in the Bible, had it.
2. Some today like to say that if you have faith and live right, you
will have miracle working power with God.
(a) However, there are plenty of known godly people in the Bible
who had faith and need, but never did any miracles.
(a) Noah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, John the Baptist
3. The truth of the matter is that it is just not God’s will for every
Christian to be a miracle-working Christian.
4. The abilities of every child of God depend on the sovereign will of
God for their life.
B. What we can do hinges on the time in which we live.
1. I think that one reason we don’t see more miracles from God has
something to do with the time we are in.
2. Based on what the Bible says about Jesus’ lack of miracles in
Nazareth, I believe there are less miracles in faithless times.
Matthew 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
3. We are living in a pretty faithless age.
Luke 18:8 …Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the
earth?
4. Do you think God is going to give miracles to a generation of
people who don’t even believe He is real?
Luke 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous
to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he
hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
C. What we can do hinges on the walk one has with God.
1. And we must not overlook the obvious.
2. One of the biggest factors in what we are able to do for God is
us and our walk with Him.
D. So Jesus was encouraging the disciples to rejoice in the things that
were more absolute and certain.
II. Why does having my name written in heaven give me cause to rejoice?
A. Having our name written in heaven means that I am eternally saved!
1. Let me emphasize here. We are saved.
a. The word "saved" means rescued.
b. Our names being written in heaven means that we have been
rescued from our sins, their wages, and their effects.
2. However, we need to also understand that eternally saved is a
permanent condition.
a. If the status of our salvation could change, it would be no
more permanent or absolute than whatever abilities God might
give.
b.
3. This is not just what I as a preacher might want to say or you as
a Christian might want to hear. It is the very Word of God.
a. The Bible tells us that we are safely in the Father’s hand.
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
b. The Bible tells us that we have been sealed, permanently
possessed, by the Holy Ghost.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto
the day of redemption.
c. The Bible tells us that we have a permanent inheritance
reserved for us.
1 Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not a
away, reserved in heaven for you,
d. The Bible tells us that our works never produced salvation. It
was always a gift from God.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
4. These, and other truths, make it plain that having our name written
in heaven means we are eternally saved!
B. Having my name written in heaven means that I am adopted.
Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
1. The word "adopted" means that God has added me to my family.
2. We use the terminology that we are a son or daughter of God.
a. That phrase has meaning.
(1) It means that we now have God’s nature.
(a) What I am about to say is difficult to understand.
(b) Jesus is not God’s Son in the way we normally think
of Sonship.
i. Jesus was not "begotten" in the sense that He
was birthed or begun.
ii. If so, Jesus could not be God for God cannot
have a beginning.
(c) Jesus is God’s Son because He is of the same
nature and character as God.
i. Kathy and I did not birth our grandchildren.
ii. However, if my children and their mates are
doing their job correctly, as these kids grow
up, you should see some of our nature and
character in them because it should also be
in their mothers.
(d) The day you were saved, God’s character and nature
were implanted into your spirit.
1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth
in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
(2) It means that we now have God’s authority.
(a) I have never healed any by the laying on of hands.
I have never knowing cast out a demon.
I have never raised the dead, parted a river, or
given sight to the blind.
(b) However, the power to do these kinds of miracles are
ours by virtue of WHO we are.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
(c) The fact that I can not do these kinds of things
right now bothers me some; however, I do not let
my reality dictate my theology.
(d) If I did, I would not be using faith.
(e) God says that I have His authority, so if or when it
suits God to allow me to do them, I do not doubt
that I will.
(3) It means that we now have access to God’s possessions.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in
glory by Christ Jesus.
(a) You and I may not have a key to the vault (at least
not yet), but we know the One who does.
(b) God promised that He would take care of His children
and that started the day you got saved, the day
you show up in heaven.
C. It means that I’ve got a perfect future.
Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain: for the former things are passed away.
D. It means that I’ve got a glorious job.
1. God has given to us a glorious job right now.
2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
a. I know to many, serving God is a chore—and perhaps it is to
everyone from time to time.
b. However, we have been called to join God in the greatest task
of this world.
(1) Telling other people about Jesus.
(2) Showing other people who God is and that God cares.
(3) Friend, we got a great job to perform and the benefits are
literally out of this world!
2. However, God will give to us an even more glorious job.
Luke 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
a. I realize that this particular verse is directed to the twelve
disciples concerning their specific eternal duties.
b. However, God has got something for each and everyone of us.
(1) It would rattle the imagination of a human to come with an
infinite number of things for people to do.
(2) It will not strain God’s imagination one bit.
E. It means that I will have glorified body.
2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens.
F. It means that I’ll be a choir member.
Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man
could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before
the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their
hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb.
G. It means that I’ve got two Comforters in this life
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever;
1. The text says that the Father will give me ANOTHER Comforter.
2. I have always heard that the Greek word for ANOTHER here means
"another of the same kind."
3. Regardless, before God can give me another, He must have given me
a first.
4. Jesus is my first Comforter. The Holy Spirit is my Second.
H. It means that I’ve got a mansion in glory.
John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you
unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.
1. Like the inheritance that Peter mention, this mansion will not fade
away.
2. It is eternal, permanent. absolute.
Now you can decide what kind of theology you want to have, but the one I want to
have is Bible theology. In the Bible, Jesus tells us that we have some great and
permanent reasons to rejoice. I think I will. What about you?
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