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Chapter 12: Joy

What we celebrate says a lot about us? What do you celebrate? What you celebrate tells us what we really love and who we are. Jesus celebrated when lost people were found. Again 'lost' simply means not being where you are supposed to be (with Christ). Lost people were drawn to Christ, but it seems today that most lost people are running away from Christians. They wanted to be around Jesus because He wanted to be with them. They wanted to hear what He had to say because He was giving them hope. And that is what everyone is looking for, hope! Jesus gave them hope because He welcomed them, accepted them, and loved them, and it wasn't fake! This didn't make everyone happy, it made the religious leaders 'mutter.' Sometimes when you are living out your faith it makes people who aren't living out their faith uncomfortable and they begin to 'mutter.' So if you think about it, if people are 'muttering' about what you are doing, it could be a good thing!

The religious leaders muttered because Jesus was associating with people who were 'sinners.' They were lost because of what they had done, and the religious leaders wanted them to get their act together before they could be accepted. But Jesus doesn't care what we've done to find ourselves where we shouldn't be. All He cares about it getting us back, and when He finds us, He throws a party. It's not our job to determine if someone is 'good enough' to be found. In fact, no one is 'good enough,' you aren't good enough now even if you've already been found! The grace of God knows no limits, but we limit it far too often. "George Barna estimates that there are between 180-190 million people in America who are not born-again Christians. Imagine there's a huge fire coming toward this country and that everyone who wants to get out safely must come to you. If you could save 1,000 people a day, it would take you 521 years to save 190 million people. Good news: you don't have to save 190 million people by yourself. Bad news: there is a fire coming."

As most of you know, I tear up just about every time someone gives their life to Christ. That is the reason I am in ministry. I celebrate when lost people are found. And after reading this chapter, I'm going to start celebrating when people mutter about our passionate love for the lost. What do you celebrate?

Enjoy the Journey