Eternal Joy: Your Name Is Written in Heaven

Eternal Joy: Your Name Is Written in Heaven | Matt Marvane | Efficient Church

Introduction

Do you remember the day you searched for your name on a results list, or the letter you'd been waiting weeks for, with your name finally printed on it? Matt Marvane starts from that everyday joy to point us toward a far greater one: having your name written in heaven. Preached at Église SOS Lyon from Luke 10:20, this message reminds us that a Christian's joy doesn't rest on what he does or what he experiences, but on what Jesus has accomplished for him. A name printed in the news or on social media is fleeting. A name written in the book of life, no one can erase.

Outline

1. A joy no one can erase

Jesus tells His disciples: "Don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Your name matters because it's written up above.
Seeing your name on a results list, in the press, or on television brings joy, but it's all temporary. One day you make headlines, the next you're walked over or forgotten.
Eternal joy is the joy of being God's child and belonging to the largest family on earth, more than two billion people. And yet every single one has a place, every one has a name.
On earth, your name can be scribbled over, crossed out, made to disappear. In heaven, once God has written it, absolutely no one can erase it.
No one can steal your identity in heaven either. On October 19, in seven minutes, thieves stole from the Louvre what seemed impossible to steal. The enemy is out to steal, kill, and destroy. But your name can never be stolen.

2. A joy that doesn't depend on circumstances

The source of our joy has nothing to do with what we do, but with what Jesus has done for us. We're not trying to become someone or make a name for ourselves; we simply say thank you because He has accomplished it all.
This joy isn't based on where we live on earth, but on where we'll live for eternity.
Everyone goes through circumstances that don't stir up the feeling of joy. But this joy is inward, spiritual, and only God gives it through His Son and through His Spirit living in us.
It's a paradox for human thinking: being happy and sad at once, full of joy and yet in tears. Your emotions can be down, but your spirit, connected to the gospel, stays full of hope.
"It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." Jesus is faithful, all-powerful, my friend, my savior, my redeemer, and He's with me today.
We're on this earth, but we no longer belong to this corrupted world. We belong to the kingdom of God: righteousness, peace, and joy.

3. A joy that doesn't stay silent

There's a very close connection between joy and praise. Your worship doesn't depend on how you sing or how you raise your hands, but on how fully you grasp everything God has done for you. The more you grasp it, the more naturally you praise.
God doesn't depend on circumstances: God changes circumstances. That's why we can worship Him in complete peace.
Psalm 30: "You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness, so that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent." The sackcloth was a garment of mourning. God removes it and clothes you instead with joy, hope, reconciliation, and forgiveness.
Has it ever happened that you came to church and stayed silent? That's when circumstances are steering your life. But when you let your life be led by the Spirit of the God who conquered death, you no longer worship at the mercy of your circumstances.
That doesn't rule out sadness in your emotions, but by your spirit you choose to say: glory to the One who deserves all worship, in every circumstance. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

4. Let God Himself become your joy

For David, God was far more than someone who comes to the rescue. We often go about our lives, and when trouble hits, we offer a little whimpering prayer at the edge of the bed. In His compassion, God helps. But there's something more glorious: a constant joy that draws us into fellowship with Him.
David discovered that God Himself could become his joy. Not what God does: who God is.
We're too dependent on God's blessings. If God shut off the tap of blessings today, would you keep praising Him? Rest easy, He never will, because He is too good. But ask yourself: what moves me to sing, what God has done or who God is?
"Rejoice always" is a command. Humanly, it's impossible. But it's the Spirit of Christ leading our life, and it's something we learn: 1 Thessalonians tells us to learn to give thanks in every circumstance.
Psalm 43: "Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy." The psalmist admits his soul is downcast and groans, but he adds: "Hope in God, for I shall still praise him." Groaning has never changed anything. Believing changes everything.
Most of the hymns in the hymnal, nearly 600 of them, were written in the midst of suffering. How can such words be sung amid unbearable suffering? Because my name is written in heaven and my hope is glorious.
Your breakthrough is sometimes right at the tip of your tongue. The moment you start giving glory to Jesus, you let Him reign over your circumstances. Paul will even say we can rejoice in our sufferings. Our troubles are temporary, but His joy is eternal.

5. Jesus, the happiest man on earth

When we think of Jesus, we say: a man of authority, full of love, righteous, obedient to His Father. All of that is true. But one thing rarely gets mentioned: Jesus was the happiest man who ever walked this earth. Matt Marvane says he's never seen a smiling Jesus in a painting, and yet joy was what most marked Him.
Hebrews 1:9: "You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows." When we look at the church sometimes, we have to wonder whether we've truly received the oil of joy, or a plate of lemons instead.
Oil is hard to wipe off: you rub it away and it turns up somewhere else, until you're covered in it. The oil of joy covers your whole being and doesn't wash off easily.
Start every morning declaring: this is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice in it. Watch how your day begins.
Luke 15: the shepherd who finds his lost sheep lays it on his shoulders with joy, not grumbling or complaining. When Jesus came looking for you and carried you on His shoulders, He was the happiest He could be. And He says: "There will be more joy in heaven."
We're seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Ephesians). That's why, every Sunday, when someone prays a prayer of reconciliation with Jesus, we rejoice together with heaven. Nothing of this world comes with us: our houses, our cars, our jobs will all pass away. But those who took that step, we'll find them again for eternity.
The angel said at Christmas: "For there is born to you, this day, in David's city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord... I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people." Good news is shared with a smile. The church should be the happiest body the world has ever known.

Key takeaways

True joy doesn't come from what you do but from what Jesus has accomplished: your name is written in heaven, and no one can erase it, steal it, or take it from you.
Eternal joy is a joy of the spirit, not just an emotion: you can cry and still be full of hope, because it doesn't depend on this earth's circumstances.
Staying silent at church means letting your circumstances run your life. God turned your mourning into dancing so your heart could sing.
Praise God for who He is, not only for what He does. If you only praise for His blessings, you stay dependent on your circumstances.
Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness, and He wants the same joy for His disciples. Our troubles are temporary; His joy is eternal.

Personal application

What brings you the most joy today: something fleeting (recognition, success, social media) or the fact that your name is written in heaven?
When you come to church, do you ever find yourself staying silent? What circumstances are you letting steer your emotions and your life?
If God shut off the tap of blessings, would you still praise Him? Do you sing for what God has done, or for who God is?
In the trial you're facing right now, what word of glory could you start declaring, knowing that your breakthrough might be right at the tip of your tongue?
Is your joy contagious, or does it contradict the good news you carry? How could you start each morning declaring that this day is a reason for joy?

Scriptures cited

Frequently asked questions

Can you feel joyful and sad at the same time?

Yes. Matt Marvane admits it's a paradox the human mind can't quite grasp, but the joy he's talking about is an inward, spiritual joy that only God gives through Jesus Christ and His Spirit. Your emotions can be down while your spirit, connected to the gospel, stays full of hope. Psalm 43 shows the psalmist whose soul groans, yet who chooses to hope in God and praise Him still.

Why rejoice that your name is written in heaven?

Because no one can erase it. On earth, your name can be crossed out, forgotten, or stolen through identity theft. In heaven, once God has written it in His book of life, no one can scribble over it, steal it, or make it disappear. Joy doesn't come from what we do but from what Jesus has accomplished for us, and from where we'll spend eternity.

What should you do when you don't feel like praising God?

Don't stay silent. Psalm 30 says God turned our mourning into dancing so our hearts would sing and not be silent. Staying silent at church means letting your circumstances run your life. Matt Marvane invites us to learn to give thanks in every circumstance, as 1 Thessalonians 5 calls us to, because groaning has never changed anything, while believing changes everything. Sometimes your breakthrough is right at the tip of your tongue.

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