ANGELS: A Party in Your Honor

This may come as a surprise to you, but someone would love to have a party in your honor - the angels in heaven. It would be hard to say "No" to a party!



Jesus said in Luke 15:4-7 of God's Word, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."


Rejoicing in heaven when one person comes home spiritually is a great picture! It seems that the angels break into a celebration - a welcome home party—when someone turns from their sin to Jesus. Some of us stumble over that word "sinner"; we don't like to think that applies to us. That's somebody else, right? The Bible clearly says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 ). Every one of us has missed the way that we were created to live.


We were supposed to live centered around the One who gave us our life. Instead, we've lived with ourselves in the center. Sin is deadly and the Bible says it literally carries an eternal death penalty.


Jesus is our only hope! He is that loving Shepherd who came after us lost sheep. "Lost" may be a good word to describe how you feel - confused about why you're here, wondering why there's a deep loneliness that never really goes away, wondering where peace and fulfillment are really found. All that is because you're away from the One who made you, who is the One who loves you most. Jesus came after you and went all the way to a cross where He died to pay the sin-penalty that you could only pay with an eternity in hell.

The day that you finally put your trust in Jesus to be your own Savior, the angels begin the party in your honor. They know how much it cost to rescue you. They saw the Son of God return to heaven with something He didn't have when He left for earth - nail prints in His hands and feet and a spear wound in His side. They also know what's at stake in your decision about Jesus. They know this is life-or-death; this is heaven or hell.


Maybe with all you know about Jesus and with all your religion, you've never actually been born into God's family. Maybe you've never told Jesus that you're turning from running your own life and totally trusting Him to forgive your sin and get you to heaven. Don't risk another day without Jesus.


This could be the day the angels have been waiting for in heaven for a long time—the day they have a party in your honor because you have finally come home!