Credits

Here’s the invitation I did back on August 12, 2009. It’s just a short message comparing the Book of Life in Revelation with movie and tv credits we see today.

A few weeks ago Christina and I were babysitting for some friends of ours. Their two year old girl was sitting next to me watching one of her TV shows and when the show ended she started pointing at the credits, asking “who’s that?”

For whatever reason, this started me thinking about the similarities and differences between the cast/credit list at the end of TV shows and movies and the list in the Book of Life that the Bible speaks about.

There are many people in this world that want nothing more in life than to be in the credits at the end of a big blockbuster movie.

We know, however from Revelation chapter 20, that being in the Book of Life is much more important, and it should be the list we want to be in more than anything.

It’s strange to me that people make such a big deal out of being in the credits since anyone having anything to do with the movie gets put in them. Bring the Director some coffee, suddenly you’re listed as Assistant Director.

Now maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but my point remains valid. Its EASY to get in credits somewhere.

There’s even a movie coming out that’s called the One Second Film, donate a dollar (or more) to their cause and you get listed in the credits as a producer. They’re expecting the One Second Film credits to last anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes long. Literally anyone can get on this list.

This is not going to be the case with the list in the Book of Life:

Jesus says in Matthew Chapter 7 verses 13 & 14
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Watching the credits, you’ll notice that all the stars are listed first, then the rest of the cast alphabetically, then the supporting crew, the makeup artists, sound guys, special effects crews, etc.

And while Jesus says that the first will be last and the last will be first, everyone listed in the Book of Life will be equals. We’re all going to be going to Heaven. We’ll be listed alongside such greats as Abraham, Peter, and Paul, as well as some that we might not think of as the great leaders, but are just as worthy as anyone else: Rahab the harlot, Tabitha, the slave Philemon.

But first, we must have our names written into the Book of Life. We do that by becoming Christians and doing the task we have been given, going into all the world and preaching the Gospel. We won’t be on that list for attending church once or twice a week. We won’t be on that list for keeping a pew warm. We must be active. We must put Christ first.

I’ll give you one other comparison between the lists and then I’ll wrap things up here. Both lists are at the end. Once the credits start playing, that’s it, the movie is over, there’s no changing anything that happened. The same is for life, once The End has come there are no do-overs, no mulligans, no second chances. We have only one life to live before the Book of Life is opened.

Lets examine our lives — if the end came, right now, if something happened tonight on the way home, and you woke up to look at The Father face to face, would your name be in the Book? Christians, would it be blotted out? If so, this needs to be fixed.

Revelation 3:3-5
3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Those of you who are not Christians, I’m certain that you’ve heard The Word countless times. By now you either believe it or you don’t. If you believe it, you know what you need to do. Last Sunday at S.E.C. we witnessed the daughter of the minister, Mike Whisenant take on the Lord’s name in baptism for the remission of her sins. At nine years old when she was asked “Who do you believe that Jesus is?” her response, very clearly, very matter-of-factly was “My Savior, the Son of God.”

God has made it simple enough for a nine year old to understand. Unfortunately Satan uses our vices against us, making it seem more complex than it truly is. Don’t let him do this, come forward tonight as we sing this song, Confess His name, Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins.

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