A. How many of you like surprise parties?
1. Here’s a funny cartoon about a surprise party gone wrong.
2. Ed’s co-workers surprised him on his birthday.
3. “Well one thing’s for sure…He was definitely surprised.”
B. Max Lucado tells an interesting story about a surprise birthday party his family threw for him.
1. He had told his wife, Denalyn, not to plan anything for his birthday, except for a nice, family evening at a restaurant.
a. As it ended up, she listened only to the restaurant part.
b. Little did he know that half a dozen families were going to join them.
2. The day of the event, Max tried to talk his wife into staying home, saying that they could go out to dinner another night.
a. One of their daughters had been sick, another had homework.
b. He had spent the afternoon watching football games and just felt lazy.
c. Max just wasn’t in the mood to get up and clean up to go out.
3. He thought that he would have no problem convincing the girls to postpone the dinner, but he was wrong.
a. They wouldn’t think of it.
b. Each of his objections was met with a united front and a unanimous defense.
4. His family made it clear that they were going out to eat.
a. Not only that, they were going to leave on time.
b. Max finally consented and started to get ready.
c. But to their dismay, he moved too slowly.
5. He says that they were a study in contrasts.
a. His attitude was “Why hurry,” and their attitude was “Hurry Up.”
b. His attitude was “Ho-hum,” and their attitude was “Gung-ho.”
c. He was content to stay and they were anxious to leave.
6. To be honest, Max was bewildered by their actions.
a. They were being uncharacteristically prompt.
b. They were curiously enthused.
c. “Why the big deal?” he thought.
d. Sure, he enjoyed a night out as much as the next guy, but little Sara giggled all the way to the restaurant.
7. Only when they arrived did their actions make sense to him.
a. One step inside the door and he understood their enthusiasm as he heard the “Surprise!”
b. No wonder they had been acting differently.
c. They knew something that he didn’t.
d. They had seen something that he hadn’t.
e. They’d already seen the decorated tables and the stacked gifts and the cake.
8. Since they knew about the party, they did everything necessary to see that Max didn’t miss it.
C. Jesus does the same thing for us.
1. He knows all about the party that awaits us.
2. And He is giddy with anticipation as He awaits our arrival.
D. In Luke 15, one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, Jesus tells three stories.
1. Each story speaks of something being lost and of something being found.
2. A lost sheep. A lost coin. And a lost son.
3. At the end of each story, Jesus describes a party, a celebration that takes place.
a. The shepherd throws a party for the lost-but-now-found sheep.
b. The housewife throws a party because of the lost-but-now-found coin.
c. And the father throws a party in honor of his lost-but-now-found son.
E. In each of the three stories we notice the word “rejoice.”
1. Regarding the shepherd, Jesus says: “And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ” (Lk. 15:5-6)
2. When the housewife finds her lost coin, she announces: “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.” (Lk. 15:9)
3. And the father of the prodigal son explains to the reluctant older son: “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Lk. 15:32)
F. Jesus’ point comes through loud and clear - God is the happiest when the lost are found.
1. For God, no moment compares to the moment of salvation.
2. Let one of God’s children consent to be dressed in righteousness and begin the journey home and heaven throws a party – the punch is poured, the streamers are strung, and the confetti is thrown.
3. Jesus said, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Lk. 15:10)
G. A century ago, Charles Spurgeon wrote these words about these verses: “There are Christmas days in heaven where Christ’s high mass is kept, and Christ is not glorified because He was born in a manger, but because he is born in a broken heart. And these are days when the shepherd brings home the lost sheep upon His shoulders, when the church has swept her house and found the lost piece of money, for then are these friends and neighbors called together, and they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory over one sinner who repents.”
H. So how do we explain such joy? Why such a stir?
1. After all, we aren’t talking about a nation of people or even a city of souls; we’re talking about joy when one sinner changes his heart and life.
2. How could one person create that much excitement?
3. Who would imagine that our actions have such an impact on heaven?!
4. But they certainly do.
5. Our individual decision to repent and turn to God has an impact on the unseen world.
6. Our conversion pulls the ropes which ring the bells in heaven’s belfries.
7. Let one sinner repent and every other activity ceases and every heavenly being celebrates.
I. Isn’t that a remarkable response to our conversion?
1. As far as we know, heaven throws no party over our other achievements.
2. When we graduate from high school or college, or open a new business, or have a baby, the celestial party horns stay in the drawer.
3. But let someone who is lost be found, and the heavenly party commences.
J. So why the big deal over conversion?
1. Do we always share such enthusiasm?
2. When we hear of a soul saved, do we drop everything and celebrate?
3. Is your good day made better, or your bad day salvaged when you hear news of a baptism?
4. Certainly we may be pleased by such news, but do we feel the urge to call out the band and cut the cake?
5. When a soul is saved, the heart of Jesus becomes like the night sky on the Fourth of July – radiant with explosions of cheer.
6. Can the same be said about us?
7. Perhaps this is one area where our hearts could use some attention.
K. So why do Jesus and His angels rejoice over one repenting sinner?
1. Can they see something we can’t?
2. Do they know something we don’t?
3. Absolutely, they know what heaven holds.
4. They’ve seen the table, and they’ve heard the music, and they can’t wait to see your face when you arrive.
L. And better still, they can’t wait to see what happens to you and me as we arrive.
1. When we arrive and enter the heavenly party, we experience a wonderful transformation.
2. The apostle John expressed it like this: Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
3. We shall be like Him…finally, God’s work will be completed.
4. At last we will have a heart completely like His.
5. We will love with a perfect love, and our thoughts and words will be as pure as a mountain stream.
M. And not only that, everyone else at the party will also be like Jesus.
1. Heaven is the perfect place for people made perfect.
2. It’s hard to imagine a place where there will be no jealousy, or suspicions, or insecurity, or fear.
3. No more sin, or sickness, or death, or dying.
4. Just a place of pure love and hope and joy.
5. No wonder Jesus and the angels rejoice when one sinner repents – they know what heaven holds.
6. On one occasion, Jesus sent out 72 disciples to do miracles in His name.
a. The Bible says, “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” (Lk. 10:17)
b. Jesus corrected them, saying, “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” (Lk. 10:20)
7. We should have joy-filled hearts knowing that our names are recorded in heaven along with everyone else who has become a disciple of Jesus.
N. Yet there is another reason for the celebration.
1. They know what heaven holds, and they also know what hell entails.
2. Jesus rejoices that we are headed to heaven, but He equally rejoices that we are saved from hell.
3. According to Jesus hell knows only one sound, the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt. 22:13)
4. From hell comes a woeful, unending moan as its inhabitants experience their suffering and realize the opportunity they missed.
5. What they wouldn’t give for one more chance, but that chance is gone.
6. Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
a. None of us knows when our death will come – Sadly, just two weeks ago the news covered the story of the CNS high school senior who died suddenly in a car accident.
7. One phrase clearly summarizes the horrors of hell – “God isn’t there.”
O. So can you see why Jesus and the angels rejoice when one sinner repents?
1. They know what awaits the saved, and they also know what awaits the condemned.
2. Therefore, can you see why we should rejoice as well?
P. How can our hearts be changed so that we can rejoice like Jesus rejoices?
1. One thing that would help immensely is if we could develop Jesus’ eternal view of people.
2. Jesus’ eternal view of people always understood them to be in one state or the other.
3. From Jesus’ perspective every person is either:
a. Entering through the small gate or the wide gate (Mt. 7:13-14).
b. Traveling the narrow road or the wide road (Mt. 7:13-14).
c. Building on rock or sand (Mt. 7:24-27).
d. Wise or foolish (Mt. 25:2).
e. Prepared or unprepared (Mt. 24:45-51).
f. Fruitful or fruitless (Mt. 25:14-27).
g. Heaven bound or hell bound (Mk. 16:15-16)
Q. At the sinking of the Titanic, over 2200 people were cast into the frigid waters of the Atlantic.
1. On shores the names of the passengers were posted in two simple columns – saved and lost.
2. God’s list is equally simple.
3. Our ledger, however, often is cluttered with unnecessary columns.
a. Rich or poor? Pretty or ugly? Educated or uneducated? Skin color or nationality?
4. These matters are irrelevant to God.
a. And as he shapes our hearts to be more like Jesus, they become irrelevant to us as well.
b. Then like Paul, we can say, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” (2 Cor. 5:16)
5. And like Paul, we will be able to say, “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.” (2 Cor. 5:11)
R. To have a heart like Jesus is to look into the faces of the saved and rejoice – because they are just one heartbeat away from heavenly bliss.
1. And to have a heart like Jesus is to look into the faces of the lost and pray – because unless they turn to God, they are one heartbeat away from torment.
2. Let me remind you of a C.S. Lewis quote that I have used before: It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as now you meet only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations.”
S. And so my challenge to us is simple – let’s ask God to help us have His eternal view of people.
1. Every person we meet has been given an invitation to God’s special dinner.
2. When someone says yes, we need to celebrate.
3. We someone acts sluggish and is dragging their feet, then we need to stir them up and urge them to get ready.
4. It’s almost time for the party, and we don’t want them to miss it!
T. I would like to end with a true story that I hope will illustrate how God feels about us and how we should feel about others who need to be saved.
1. Back in 1986, a terrible earthquake hit El Salvador’s capital city, San Salvador.
a. Rescue workers from around the world came to try to save the lives of people who were trapped in the rubble.
2. An amazing story about a rescue dog named Loch emerged from the tragedy.
a. Loch was one of two British dogs sent to El Salvador after the earthquake to sniff out trapped survivors, and to lead searchers to bodies under the rubble.
b. Loch and another collie named Meg, found one man still alive after he had been buried for nine days.
3. When the search was over Loch had to go into quarantine for six months before she was able to return home to resume her work, but on her first job back in the English Lake District, when she was out searching for a lost mountain hiker, she went missing.
a. News that this brave dog, who had been dubbed "The Lady of the Lakes", was missing brought dozens of volunteers from as far away places to scour the hillsides for her.
4. Sergeant Riley, her beloved handler, led the rescue team that combed the hills for three days - and then they saw her.
a. She was sighted near an abandoned farm in the middle of a blizzard, and the rescuers raced there by Landrover expecting her to jump on board - but she didn`t.
5. Wary and disorientated, she ran away from the rescuers into the hills.
a. The same thing happened later that morning and again in the afternoon.
b. The team tried everything they could to encircle her and close in on her, but every time she just ran away.
6. Only one hope remained, an “eye in the sky,” and it came in the shape of a bright yellow Sea King Helicopter from an Air Force Station.
a. Its crew, on an exercise in the area, responded to a radio call for help and landed on a field near the rescue team in order to take Sergeant Riley on board.
b. A little while later they saw Loch, and Sergeant Riley was lowered on a winch towards her, but she ran away, scared by the noise of the engine.
c. When they next saw her they tried something different - Sergeant Riley jumped out of the helicopter well ahead of her and was guided towards her by radio link.
7. What happened next was tremendously touching - for ten agonizing minutes, as the confused dog edged nervously towards him, Sergeant Riley tried to keep his voice calm and reassuring.
a. Then, when Loch got close enough to realize who it was who had come to save her, she shed her pain and confusion, and bounded joyfully into his arms.
8. Let’s listen to Sergeant Riley tell about it in his own words: “At first, as I settled down in the snow to woo her towards me, she didn`t know who I was...then she refused to believe it was me...and then, thank God, the realization dawned, and she bounded up into my arms! You can`t imagine the sheer indescribable joy it was for me. Yes, it was the happiest moment of my life!”
U. The joy that Sergeant Riley expressed when his collie was saved is a vivid illustration of the way that heaven rejoices when a person repents and is saved.
1. Like Sergeant Riley we need to put forth the effort to rescue the lost, and when we do, we will be ready to rejoice just like Jesus.
2. Like Jesus, may we have a rejoicing heart that celebrates over the most important thing of all - the salvation of people’s souls – our own salvation and others’ salvation.
3. Let us always have a rejoicing heart knowing that our names are written in heaven.
Resources:
“Just Like Jesus: Learning to Have a Heart Like His,” by Max Lucado, Thomas Nelson, 2008
Joy in Heaven, Sermon by Eric Sellgren, SermonCentral.com
