“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” — Luke 15:4
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?” — Luke 15:8
“For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate.” — Luke 15:24
Party Time
Lebron James wants the best. In his profession, the best is an NBA title, and he has been to the NBA Finals eight straight times. But besides his greatness on the court with his skills, he shines off the court too. The guy started a school that pays for students who graduate to go to college at Akron. That is incredible!
In Luke 15, we hear Jesus speak about three separate but very similar parables: One about leaving a flock of sheep to go get the one that has strayed; another about how a woman would light a lamp and tear her home apart to find one coin she had lost. Both of those parables end with a huge party.
Do you see the message Jesus is teaching? When we lose anything, we do whatever it takes to get it back! Jesus did that for us.
When we went astray in our sin, He came for us. That stupid night out, the lie, bad money decision, whatever it was, He came and got us. Every single time we start to stray, He comes running after us. God could have let us struggle after Adam and Eve denied his commandment, but He sent Jesus.
In the third parable, Jesus talks about a son who asks his father for the portion of goods that belonged to him, which he then took and wasted with wild living. But even after the son embarrassed his father and left his family, his father did not wait for him to come all the way home. He went after him once he saw his son coming back, and then threw a party for him. He had a feast, put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet!
That is what happens in Heaven when someone comes to know Christ.
Are we that excited about that one person on our hearts? Or are we searching around our lives for that extra dollar? Pray that God puts that person on your heart today and that a party happens for them when they come to know the Lord.
— Reid Carper
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