Rejoicing in Heaven

There is rejoicing in heaven over one lost soul when they repent and commit their hearts to the Lord.  The Lord is not willing that any be lost, but that all will come to repentance.  The Lord did not come to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  According the Word, the Lord is love and He demonstrated it often when He walked the earth, He didn’t just talk about it.  Love is an action word and the Lord showed His love by His actions.  

This is so hard for me to comprehend because I have heard a lot about love but have seen very little of it over the years.  It seems like many hear that they are supposed to love, and that means even their enemies, so they throw the word around, but their actions speak much louder than their words.  Believe me, I am far from perfect in this area also, but I try not to say I love someone unless I really do.  If you say you love someone, but you don’t, isn’t that lying which is a sin?

The Lord not only demonstrated His love by teaching, feeding, healing and setting people free and even raising the dead and showing His compassion, mercy and grace, but He went beyond that and allowed Himself to be beaten, scourged, whipped, spat upon, mocked and laughed at, humiliated by being stripped of His clothing, then to have a crown of thorns pushed down on His head which no doubt made the blood flow, then on top of that He allowed Himself to be crucified, hung on a cross like a criminal, listening to the taunts and laughter from the crowd, so painful that He even thought that His father had forsaken Him; He allowed it to take place because He loved us.  Do you know anyone that would suffer that much for you?

Many people may think they have been so bad that not even the Lord could forgive them, but that is not true.  Read John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

I came across 3 parables about the lost this morning and they are in Luke chapter 15.  I will put one of them in here from Luke 15:11-32, this is the parable of the lost Son, “Then He said: ‘A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

This boy was safe with his father but he chose to do a terrible thing.  He wasn’t satisfied and wanted out, so he asked for his inheritance and left and squandered all his money.  He must have thought it was great while it lasted, thinking he knew best.  How many of you can relate?  Every day there are people that want to be on their own so they can do their own thing, like the old saying, ‘the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence.’  I think he ended up punishing himself even though he didn’t realize it at the time.  Feeding and taking care of pigs was forbidden for a Jewish person and would have been detestable and humiliating.  He sunk so low that he would have even eaten the pig’s food, which would have been a horrible thing in Jewish culture.  He sunk so low that he was willing to be one of his father’s servants.

What happened when he got home was certainly not expected.  How many of you would expect this kind of treatment in this or many other situations?  I believe the father in the story represented the Lord and the son represents a lost sinner that the Lord is anxiously waiting for, to come home.  This prodigal was received with mercy, love, grace and forgiveness and instead of condemnation; he was blessed and restored as if he had never sinned.  

If you feel like you have gone too far, repent and confess your sins and ask the Lord to forgive you.  The Lord hasn’t changed, He still loves and forgives and saves lost souls.  So don’t put it off, make that choice today!!  Something to think about!  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!  PS don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!