Digging Deeper – Heaven Loves a Party
3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
Luke 15:3-7 (NLT)
HEAVEN LOVES A PARTY
When I was growing up in church as a kid, I really didn’t hear a whole lot about heaven. I mean sure, it was a place much preferred over the alternative; but, about the only notion of heaven ever conveyed to me left me with the image of floating in the clouds and singing a bunch of songs for eternity while the angels play harps. That’s a grossly incomplete picture of the place our Creator has crafted for his children to spend with Him!
It wasn’t until much later in life that I began to look more into what heaven will truly be like. I don’t know if George Burns or Morgan Freeman will be there, but it’s going to be infinitely greater than anything we can comprehend – and certainly more incredible than what has been depicted in the movies!
According to scripture, heaven will be a tangible place where we’ll know people, and where we will still have a purpose. For an in-depth look at what the Bible has to say about it, I highly recommend the book by the same name: Heaven, by Randy Alcorn.
But another aspect I didn’t grasp until more recently is the amount of celebrating happening in heaven! Not only for those new arrivals – but perhaps more so for those on earth who have made eternal decisions and will reside there one day!
In verse 7 in the above passage, Jesus tells his audience that “there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away.” We’d all agree that there’s joy in heaven; but it’s important for us to be aware that heaven is paying close attention to what’s happening here, and they have streamers and a DJ on standby 24/7!
So, let that be the wind in your sails when it comes to doing “whatever it takes” to serve as an ambassador for Christ to a hurting world. We may not witness someone’s salvation here, but when we plant seeds, water the soil, and trust the Lord to do His part, there’s a harvest coming in due time. And, without question, there’ll be a heavenly bash to follow!
C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.
