"a Heavenly Party:" The Parable Of Lost Things

Parables to Live By

A Heavenly Party: “The Parable of Lost Things”

Luke 15

You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI54z3N0B2g&t=1s

How many of you have lost something that was precious or important to you? For myself, this seems to be the norm. I’ve lost just about everything, from my wallet, credit cards, driver license, clothes, watches, rings, and glasses. In fact, if you name it, I’ve lost it. I’ve lost my place in a song and in a line, but out of all the things I’ve lost, the one thing that I miss the most is my mind.

 And I don’t think I’m alone on this. I was reading about one pastor who continually lost his car keys. It got so bad that his family got him a clapper that you put on a key ring. All you had to do is clap your hands and it beeps and tells you where it is. Now, most of you think I’m going to say he forgot how to clap, but no, he just lost the clapper.

Now, with that question out of the way, how about another; “What is it in life that really gets you excited? I mean, what is it that really gets your heart pumping? What gives you the greatest joy in life, where you just want to smile, jump, dance, and shout, ‘Yee hah?’” If such a thing naturally comes out of our mouths?

When I think about that, I wonder if anything really gets the church excited. We’ve become so puckered up in our religiosity that even a stick of dynamite couldn’t move us.

But think about it? What gets us fired up? Would it be winning Publisher Clearing House Sweepstakes, making a hole-in-one when everyone is looking, or how about the Golden Knights winning another championship? Maybe it’s hearing the words, “cancer free,” or that a loved one will be all right. And it’s different for everyone. What gets us excited isn’t always what gets someone else excited.

But for those of us who are Christians, who claim to love Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, let me submit that we should get excited about what God and all of heaven gets excited about.

What Causes Heaven to Have a Party?

Now, when it comes to celebration, when it comes to having a party, Lorna Wing, the British counterpart to Martha Stewart said, “People are made to party.” Now, I’m not advocating this stance, but it’s true that everyone loves a good party, especially in America. Weren’t we the ones who coined the phrase, “TGIF,” or “Thank God It’s Friday!”

People live for the weekend and having a good time, which should speak volumes to those who approach church on Sunday with all the enthusiasm of a snail on a hot summer’s day.

Now, what makes a good party isn’t necessary the food, although lots of chocolate works, nor is it the decorations, or the music. What really makes a party are the people, the relationships we have, it’s the host and hostess, and it’s all the other guests.

Nothing is worse than being at a party and feeling like an outsider, feeling like you don’t fit in or don’t belong. Others are having a good time, connecting, and enjoying the company of others, but you seem to be the odd person out. These are the type of parties we would rather forget and get out of.

It is for this reason that my deepest desire that all who come through these doors at Living Waters Fellowship develop real and lasting relationships, a connection with the host, Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church, and then a connection with the other guests to His celebration, that is other believers.

It is my deepest desire that no one feels like they’re an outsider, because the truth is that all people matter to God, and therefore, everyone should matter to all of us who say we believe in Jesus Christ, who have been invited to the greatest celebrations of all times, the marriage supper of the Lamb, Jesus, in heaven.

Now, that’s going to be a party. And it is the height of hypocrisy if we say that we can’t wait to get to this heavenly party with all of God’s people, and not have this same sort of celebration here with His people, people of all sizes, shapes, colors, and walks of life.

Now, for some in here today, you may be having a problem with the idea that God loves a good party. We’ve always thought of God as being somber with little if any of these types of emotions. But that’s not the case! God loves to have heavenly celebrations.

In King David’s shepherd’s song, Psalm 23, where it starts off saying, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Well in that Psalm he tells how the Lord has prepared a banquet table in the midst of our enemies, and of how God anoints or heads with the oil of blessing and showers us with goodness, so much so that our cup overflows.