We are turning now, in God's Word, to the tenth chapter of the Gospel according to Luke. When you find that particular passage of Scripture with the Lord's Word open before us, let us now unite our hearts in prayer and once again pray over the Word that God We'll speak to our waiting hearts this evening. Let us all pray. Most loving and gracious Father, we bow once more in Thy holy presence. We come, dear Lord, to Thy Word. And, O Lord, we know like those of old it is necessary, it is needful, that one should teach us again. And O Lord, we ask Thee to be our teacher tonight. For Lord, we would say with Nicodemus, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God. We pray that Thou will teach us tonight. And O Lord, make us willing students They would be ready to receive the Word. And Lord, speak to our waiting hearts and grant us this evening, Lord, a life-changing meeting. For we Thy people, Lord, would go out from this place never to walk the same again. And Lord, for any in the service that are strangers to grace and to God, May by the end of this meeting, may they go out as new creatures in Christ Jesus. Come, Lord, and abide with us now, we pray. Grant us the power of the Holy Ghost that we might be enabled, Lord, to preach the Word. And in preaching the Word, we might exalt and honor and glorify the name of our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. For we ask all these things in His name and always for His glory. Amen. The Gospel according to Luke chapter 10. And our text for this evening of the words of verse 20. And the Lord Jesus is speaking. And the Lord Jesus is addressing seventy of his disciples. And to the seventy disciples he says, notwithstanding in this rejoice not. that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Luke is the only evangelist that records this incident involving the seventy disciples. that were chosen and sent out by the Lord. And Luke begins by telling us about their recruitment. For the evangelist begins by telling us that the Lord appointed other seventy disciples. There in verse 1, and sent them out to and to before His face into every city and place, whether He Himself would come. So there's their recruitment. I want you to notice the wording. For it says, the Lord appointed other seventy disciples. For you see, the Lord had already called twelve disciples. He called them there that day by the Sea of Galilee, summoning them and saying, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Now we are told that the Lord appointed other seven. And what does this teach us? It teaches us that the Lord's work always needs laborers. This shows us that the Lord never has too many workers. He has twelve disciples. Now he appoints another seventy. The Lord never has too many workers. Rather, and it's always the case, he has too few. Look at verse 2, Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. And so he has just chosen seventy, along with the twelve, and yet after he has appointed seventy, he tells the seventy, the labourers are few. I remember our dear brother, Dr. Bill Wood, some years ago. I remember talking to him about the mission field. And he was talking about the number of people that were leaving the mission field and returning home. And he says, if the people leaving the mission field continued at the same rate, there would come a point in time when there would be no missionaries on the mission field. The laborers are few. Christ is the Lord of the harvest, so he should know. Just appointed 70 disciples and you would think that would maybe be enough. No, he says the Labourers are few. I get to turn to Matthew, please. Matthew chapter 9. Matthew chapter 9. Verse 35, And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous. There's it again. But the labourers are few. It's a different time. It's a different place. It's a different sermon. It's a different set of circumstances. But look, the labourers are few. Same problem again. Nothing has changed. And believe it or not, nothing has changed up until this point in time. Still, the labourers are few. So, we have their recruitment. He sends them forth. Sends them into the towns and villages and cities where he would afterwards come. It's a good way to work. That's a good way to serve the Lord. For the seventy disciples went out into the towns and the villages and the cities knowing that the Savior would come behind them. In other words, they lived every day in the light of the Lord's coming. That's a good way to live. Believer, are you living every day in the light of the Lord's coming? But He's coming one day. And then Luke tells us about their return. We read there in verse 17, And the seventy returned. I like that. How many did He send out? He sent out seventy. How many returned? Seventy returned. It tells me that not one of them deserted the cause of Christ. It tells me that not one of them ran away. It tells me that not one of them got distracted. There was not a demist amongst them who forsook the cause of Christ, having loved this present world. No, 70 went out and 70 returned. They didn't allow themselves to get distracted. They kept their eyes firmly, firmly fixed, as we said this morning. Focused. Focused on Christ. They went out from Christ and they came back to Christ. The focus was on Him. So they returned, and then you see also they're rejoicing. Isn't it good to see a people that can serve the Lord and do the work of the Lord and do it with joy? For we're told in that verse 17, and the 70 returned again with joy. It's nice to be able to do the work of God with joy. It is good to enjoy the work of God, isn't it? Oh, I know we have our disappointments and our discouragements. I know that there are those times when we fall on our knees and we weep and cry to God because of the disappointments. But nevertheless, it is a joy to serve the King. Say it, Spurgeon said, if God has called you to serve the Master, then don't stoop to be a king. Because we're serving the King of kings. And the Seventy returned with joy. Do we do the work of God with joy? Then we are told that they came with their report. Wasn't it good that they had a report to give? For there we read again in verse 17, And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, here's their report. It wasn't a very long report, but here it is. Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. See, my friend, every one of us here will have to give a report. Every one of us will stand before the Lord and we'll have to give a report. How we have lived our lives, how we have spent our time, what we have done with the talents the Lord has given to us, we'll have to give a report. No, it wasn't a very long report that the seventy disciples gave, but nevertheless, it was a report. I wonder what length the report will be that we'll give. It would be an awful shame if we didn't have any report to give at all. And we stood before the Lord like that barren fig tree, bearing nothing but leaves. Seventy disciples had a report to give, something to say. It was a good report which the seventy gave, after which the Lord had something to say to them. And I want to take those words of the Lord Jesus to the seventy. And He said, Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you. And the word spirits there means demons. Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not that the demons are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. There is a very good reason why the Lord He spoke that word to the seventy. And you look at the word and you'll see that it was a word about restraint. You can just see the seventy disciples returning. They couldn't wait to tell their master what they had done. They couldn't wait to tell him that all the demons were subject unto them. And they told the Lord this with great joy. The Lord then sounds this word of caution. He says, notwithstanding in this, rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Here's a word about restraint. It should be pointed out. And when the Lord spoke these words, the Lord was not rebuking I was amazed at the number of commentators that took that view. And they said the Lord was rebuking the disciples. No, He wasn't. And I'll prove it. No, no. No, this wasn't a word of rebuke. Neither did the Lord mean to censor their joy. over their success. Instead, he wanted them to realize that their joy or their success should be subordinate to the joy they should have in salvation. That comes first. He says, notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, or don't be overjoyed, don't be overzealous in this matter. but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." So what was it the disciples rejoiced over? First of all, their activity for the Lord. The fact that the seventy returned again with joy indicates that they were happy to labor for the Lord. Are you happy to labor for the Lord? When the minister or the elders ask you to do something, do you do it with a heart and a half? Or do you shake your head and say, Oh, dear me. Oh, I couldn't do that. Oh, I have other things to do. Or maybe you do give in and you do it complaining. Well, dear, help you. Dear, help you. After all that Christ has done for you and for the joy that was said before Him, He endured the shame. He did it with joy because He was doing it on your behalf. And we find here the seventy disciples did what they had to do and they did it with joy. Now, we're not told how long they'd been away. We're not told if it was a matter of days or months or maybe a year or so. Days, months, or years, it mattered not. They were serving their Master. That didn't matter how long it was. They were serving their Master, and that filled them with joy. Believer, are we happy to serve the Lord? Do it with joy. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. How long are we prepared to serve the Lord in this harvest field? A day? A month? A year? Or a lifetime? A lifetime. Do you know the young man in the Mormon church, Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, The young men in that church give two years of their lives. They step out from their work and their employment and they give two years to serving their church and spreading a false doctrine. Tell me, how many of us tonight would be prepared to give the Lord two years of our lives? The Mormon young men give two years in spreading a false gospel. Would you not give two years of your life to spread the true gospel? Better still, when we have the message of the true gospel, is it not worth giving the Lord our very life? Giving Him everything. Surely it's worth that. The folk in my church in Port Hope know I've been reading the life story of C.T. Studd. C.T. Studd, the great missionary to China and India. C.T. Studd, the man who said, If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice is too great for me to make for Him. Let me give you something else that C.T. Studd said. C.T. Studd said, My joy is still so full because I am in Congo for Jesus. What are a few days of fever or suffering in comparison to what my Savior suffered for me? My life is the debt I owe to Him. I must let God have what He has bought and paid for. Oh, don't you love that? Don't you love men like C.T. Studd? And you love men who are able to say, my joy is so full because I'm in Congo for Jesus. I tell you, I know very little about it. When you read the life of C.T. Studd, you realize I know very little about it. They're only dabbling at the water's edge. It was their activity for the Lord. Yet, the Lord said, Rejoice! Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Next, we have their acknowledgment of the Lord. Look carefully at the words. Once more, There are those who believe that the Seventy Disciples were being boastful and proud. No, they weren't. I would defend them. I would stand beside the Seventy and say, God bless you men. You did a good job. No, they weren't being boastful. No, they weren't glorifying self. Look at what they said. The Seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. Notice the words. How did they begin their report? They began their report with the word, Lord. How did they end the report? They ended their report with the words, Thy name. In other words, their report began with Christ and ended with Christ. If they were boasting, they were boasting in the Lord. And if we're going to do any boasting, let it be in the Lord's. As the apostle of old said, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Because I tell you this, apart from Christ and His cross, we have nothing to boast in. Nothing. Nothing at all. But look at the seventh day. It begins and ends with the Lord, this report. If they did any boasting, their boasting was in Christ. Because what they did began and ended with the Lord. They readily acknowledged the Lord in all things that they did. In any success they had, they acknowledged the Lord. And I tell you this, that's not just to be the testimony of missionaries and ministers and full-time workers. That ought to be the testimony of every child of God. Our lives and our labors and our love should begin and end with Christ. That's the way it should be. as I was with Paul. For to me, to live is Christ. It's hard to fathom the depth of those words, isn't it? For to me, to live is Christ. Just to live is Christ. Just to labour is Christ. His love was Christ. Everything He did Everything he owned, everything he was, everything he would be was Jesus Christ. It is the way to live. Yet the Lord said, in this rejoice not, rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Just a wee word of caution. And you notice their ability in the Lord. What was it that they said to the Lord? They said, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name. They were rejoicing. Because the devils, the demons, were subject unto them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Surely the Lord would not rebuke them for rejoicing over the defeat of the devil. See, it's not a rebuke at all. Savior wasn't rebuking the seven. Here they are rejoicing because the demons have been defeated. Isn't it interesting? that their whole report, albeit a short report, was taken up with their victory over the devils. But really, when you think of it, that's all they needed to say. Because everything they accomplished, everything they did, every victory they had, meant the defeat of the devil. That's what it meant. And that's all they had to say. That's why they rejoiced. Because every victory meant the defeat of the devil. There's another thought there. The 70 went out and they came back and they said, with joy, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name. In other words, the 70 went out and they faced devils. Not one. Devils. I tell you, when you go out to serve the Lord, you'll face devils. Remember an elder, dear brother Isaac Heasley. He's in glory now. He used to do open air work. And as a youth fellowship, we started open air work as well. And he would come and stand with us. And he would encourage us. I remember him saying one time, you know, people ask me, how do you know there's a devil? Brother Haisley said to them, you get saved and you'll soon know there's a devil. And I tell you what's more, you start serving the Lord and you'll know there's more than one devil. You'll have to face the demons. Here's the 70 and they've gone out to serve the Lord and they come back telling the Lord about the victory they've gained over the demons. Because when you serve the Lord, you'll face, I tell you, you'll face a legion of demons. They'll be in every harvest field. They'll be there waiting for you at every corner. Remember what Paul said in his first letter to the Thessalonians? He said, Wherefore, we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us. There it is. Apostle wanting to do the work of God, Satan hindered him. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7, he spoke about that messenger of Satan that was sent to buffet him. You remember Joshua in the book of Zechariah, chapter 3? Joshua was doing the work of God. Joshua, the high priest, and he's standing even before the altar, and Satan at his right hand to resist him. There he is. I've often said, when the Lord called me into the ministry, I thought, boy, it'll be great. I'll get into the theological hall and the devil will not bother me. After all, I'll be studying the Bible. I'll be with God's servants. I was never more wrong. Because you're going into the devil's territory. The blessed Saviour was about to go into the devil's territory at the beginning of His ministry, and for 40 days and 40 nights, the devil tempted Him. We have just got three temptations recorded in Matthew 4. And some believe that's the only temptations the Saviour suffered. I don't believe that. I believe He was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights. Every day and every night for forty days and forty nights. Because he's about to go into the harvest field. When you serve the Lord, you'll face the demons. They also joyed over what they acquired from the Lord. They had returned to the Lord to tell Him about their victories. over the demons of hell. And the Lord then tells them about the power that He had given them that they might accomplish this. Look at verse 19. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. They acquired a power from the Lord. You'll notice in that verse 19, two words for power. Not with, Behold, I give unto you power to tread on the serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. Needless to say, they're not the same words in the original. The power of the enemy is the word dunamis that we have in Acts 1, and verse 8, it means ability. I give you power is another word, and it means privilege or authority. It's a word that is used to describe the power of Christ. It's used there in Matthew 28, verse 18. All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. That is the power that the disciples received of Christ. Power. Christ gave them the power that He had. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. And that is the power He gave to the seven. They needed it, of course. They needed the power to trample the old serpent on their foot. They needed a power that was greater than the power of the enemy. And dear child of God, you or I cannot serve the Lord effectively unless we have this power. We need it. We need the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God. We need the anointing of God and with power. I have often said that the charismatics have so distorted the doctrine of the fullness of the Holy Ghost that many genuine believers tend to shy away from and kiss the night with thought to be charismatic. No need to be afraid of it. Every child of God and most certainly every servant of the Lord needs the power of the Holy Ghost. Have you ever prayed for it? Have you ever prayed for the power of the Holy Ghost? He'll give it to you. That power, all power in heaven and earth, He'll give if we'll only ask. And we need it to serve the Lord. Then the 70 received some advice from the Lord. He cautions them not to get carried away with their evident success. He didn't want their rejoicing to deteriorate into selfish pride. The Lord knew that the tendency of human nature is towards self-exaltation. See how carefully and lovingly and caringly He looks after His sheep. Here's this little word of advice. And my friend, when the minister or elder comes and puts his arm around you and has a word of advice for you, you take it. You take it. Because they're out to help you. The Savior was out to help the 70. And He gives them this word of advice. All that they had possessed and all that they had accomplished had been the Lord's doing. And He didn't want them to forget that. That's all. That's all. And dear Christian, Whatever we are today, whatever we possess, whatever success we have had, let us never forget. Let us never forget. It has come from the Lord. Would you turn with me please to Deuteronomy 31. Deuteronomy chapter 31. And here is the Lord, and He is speaking to Moses about the children of Israel. He has brought them out of Egypt. Now in Deuteronomy 31 verse 20, the Lord says, For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swear unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves in wax and fat, then will they turn unto other gods. and serve them and provoke me and break my covenant. Look at chapter 32 of Deuteronomy and verse 15. In verse 15, but Jeshurun, it's a word of endearment for Israel, and Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked. Thou art waxed and fat, thou art grown thick, Thou art covered with fatness." Then he forsook God, which made him and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation. See what happens when the Lord blesses them. Give them that land that flowed with milk and honey. They made themselves fat and they forgot God and lightly esteemed the rock of their salvation. I tell you, it has happened ten thousand times, ten thousand times over. God has been pleased to bless an individual and have lightly esteemed the rock of their salvation. And the Lord didn't want this to happen to the 70. And that's why he said this to them. Isn't he a loving shepherd? Isn't he a loving Savior? It's as if he came and he put his arm around them. And he says, listen brethren, you're rejoicing in your success, but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven. We must press on very quickly and we have here a word about a register. The Lord said, rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. If they are written in heaven, then there must be a register. There must be a book containing their names. And regarding this register or book, here we have the annals of the Lord in heaven. The Lord told the seventy that their names were written in heaven. For it is in heaven where the Lord keeps his register. We could say they had their names written down in glory. My friends, do you have your name written down in glory? Do you? Can you sing with all of your heart? Can you sing with your hand and heart and say, when the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. When they call my name, I'll be able to say, present, I'm here. Is your name written in glory? Is your name written down in heaven? Is your name registered? in the annals of the Lord. Psalm 69, verse 28, that book is called the book of the living. Philippians 4, verse 3, Paul calls it the book of life. Daniel 12, verse 1, it is simply called the book. Malachi 3, verse 16, the prophet refers to it as the book of remembrance. Revelation 21, verse 27, it is called the Lamb's Book of Life. So it is clear that God, the God of heaven, keeps books in heaven. He keeps records. Over there in the book of the Revelation in chapter 20, in verse 12, And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which are written in the books according to their works. And the chapter finishes, And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Is your name written in the book of life? Because if it's not, you'll be cast into the lake of fire. He had recorded the names of the seventy. How did they get their names into that book? Grace first inscribed my name. In God's eternal book was grace that gave me to the Lamb. And all my sorrows took save by grace alone. This is all my plea. Jesus died for sinful men. And today, I can say, hallelujah, Jesus died for me. And he wrote it in the book. He is my name on the palms of his hands. He is my name on his heart. He is my name on his shoulders. He is my name written down Hallelujah. No wonder the Saviour said, Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Notice also the awareness of the Lord. Notice how the Lord spoke with authority to the seventy about their names being written in heaven. This is because the Lord pays particular attention to all and every name that is written in the annals of the Lord. You see, there's not one name written down in heaven that the Savior doesn't know about. For He gives it His personal attention. Would this in itself not cause us to rejoice that the King of glory knows every one of us by name? Isn't that wonderful? Queen Elizabeth doesn't know me from Adam. Never heard of me. But King Jesus knows. He knows me. John 10, verse 3, He calleth His own sheep by name. There it is. And here in our text, we see that He knew the names of each of the seventy disciples And He knew that they were written there in the annals of heaven. And we may not be known outside our family circle, outside our church family, or wherever we work. Beyond that, nobody knows us. But glory to God, we are known in heaven. And the King knows us. And He knows us by name. For he wrote it down in the book himself. Gives it his personal attention and particular attention. We discover that the Lord records the particulars of the day of our conversion. Did you know that? Would you turn please to Psalm 87? Psalm 87. Verse 5, And of Zion, Psalm 87, verse 5, And of Zion it shall be said this, And that man was born in her, and the Highest Himself shall establish her. Verse 6, And the Lord shall count when He righteth up the people. He righteth up the people that this man was born there. See that? The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there. In other words, the Lord knows exactly how many are in heaven. He knows exactly the number of all those he died for. Oh, we are very keen about counting heads and counting hands. And the Lord knows what's in it all. Let the Lord do the counting. There in the book of the Revelation we read about that great number that no man could number. No, no man knows the number of the redeemed in heaven, but glory to God the Lord knows. For over there in John 21 and verse 10, the disciples had been fishing all night, caught nothing. Then the stranger on the shore appeared, told them to cast a net on the right side of the ship, And whenever they drew it to land, they had caught 153 fish. The Lord knew the exact number. And we have a far greater net to spread as the gospel net. And the Lord knows the exact number of souls that are caught in the gospel net. Let the Holy Spirit do the converting and let the Lord do the counting. And that's why the Lord says, rejoice. Because your names are written in heaven. And the psalmist tells us that it's recorded in heaven exactly where we were saved. For the Lord says, that man was born there. Where? A little wooden building. It was called Tandra Ghee Free Presbyterian Church on Monday night about 9.30. Kneeling at an old wooden pew, this man was born there. And it's recorded in heaven. The time and the place, it's all there. Does that not give us reason to rejoice? Sure it does. For you see, our circumstances may change. If we rejoice in our possessions, well, those possessions can disappear like a morning cloud. What will we rejoice in then? But if we rejoice in the fact that our names are written in heaven, well, they'll always be written in heaven. That's one thing that there is not to be found in heaven. There's not an eraser in heaven. Our names will never be erased from the Lamb's Book of Life. Look at the assurance of the Lord. When the Lord said to the seventy, rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Your names are. They're already in heaven. And once the names are written there, they'll never be scored out. Great, isn't it? Isn't it great? Once the Lord writes your name in the Lamb's Book of Life, He'll never erase it. Never. Time, place, means, all there, all written down in heaven. No wonder the Savior said, rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven. You rejoice in your success. There will be days when you will not be successful. What do you do then? But you can rejoice And that your name is written in heaven. You can rejoice in it today. You can rejoice in it tomorrow. You can rejoice in it next week and next year and for all eternity. Because it will always be there. And finally and briefly, a word about rejoicing. Here is his exhortation. Rather rejoice. See, the Lord tells them to rejoice. And if you here know the great, great Baptist pastor, and preacher, Pastor Willie Mullin. I loved that man's ministry. Mr. Mullin used to say, you know, when people get saved, they seem to think that they're supposed to die out in the face. They're not supposed to laugh. They're not supposed to smile. So, what the Lord thought, the Lord said, rather rejoice. I don't know how you can be saved and not rejoice. Some people have never rejoiced until they got saved. We may constantly rejoice. If we rejoice in our earthly possessions and our earthly circumstances, they can change. But we can rejoice always that our names are written in heaven. That will never change. and the exaltation. Let us consider how our names came to be written in heaven. We most certainly did not put them there ourselves. The Lord put them there. Did we just read that in Psalm? The Lord wrote our names in heaven. No wonder the apostles said, my brethren, rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord. And again, he said, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. And, O dear Christian, in closing tonight, let me say with the psalmist, O magnify the Lord and let us exalt His name together. Why? Why? Because your names are written in heaven. Praise the Lord. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Our loving and our gracious God, we bless Thee for all in this meeting tonight who can rejoice that their names are written in heaven. They're in that book of remembrance. They're in the book of life. They're in the Lamb's book of life. We can rejoice that their names will never be erased. We can rejoice that our names are engraved in the palms of our Saviour's hands. O Lord, have us to go from this building rejoicing tonight. Rejoicing in Christ our Saviour. And again, Lord, we pray for any whose names are not written down in glory. Lord, save them tonight. May they make sure before they leave the meeting tonight their names are written in heaven. Lord, answer prayer. Bless the work of the Lord here. Keep thy hand upon each one of us. Lord, as we now part the one from the other, give us all traveling mercy. And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit Abide and remain with us now, and until the day breaks and the shadows all flee away, and we see the King in all his glory. Praise the Lord. Amen.