Angels Rejoice
Luke 15:1-10
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!
So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
It has been a season of great rejoicing this summer, and we are blown away by the incredible impact that we’ve had the honor to host and support. Hundreds of campers came through Day Camp and our program camps, and throughout the summer we’ve seen kids give their lives to Jesus for the very first time, but also dozens of kids and students make the decision to rededicate themselves to Christ and to follow Him all the more faithfully.
I share the passage above this week, because one of our Cabin Leaders, Legacy, told me about an interaction with a camper during Middle School Camp where she was able to share the Gospel. As Legacy told me,
“She learned that the angels in heaven celebrate when someone comes to know the Lord and she was so excited! Although she didn't exactly accept the Lord, I hope this is a great seed that was planted!”
That same week, Chuck-O-Rama spoke of how three boys in his cabin heard the Gospel and accepted Jesus for the first time.
The end of summer and the beginning of the school season can be a tiring time, as we work to find our regular routines again. Even more than New Year’s, it often becomes a time to be better, to pursue more, a chance to recommit to things we’ve been hoping towards. And in all of that, we can forget to take the time to celebrate what has occurred.
Over 1000 children and students exposed to the Gospel.
The Gospel shared in chapel sessions at least once per day
Countless children reminded of the love of God through the actions of their cabin leaders
The word angel comes from the Greek word angelos, meaning messenger. Each one of us who has accepted Christ becomes His messengers in the word, to speak His truth, to care for our neighbor, to love the overlooked in our communities. If His Angels in heaven rejoice over these who have repented, even having not met them, how much more should we rejoice that our children, our friends, our neighbors, our communities are saved?
Today, would you join me in praising God for all that has been accomplished? Will you take a moment to revel in the gladness and wonder of those newly in Christ, and letting it be a reminder of the joy we have in Him?
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of Your Son. For the freedom You have provided by paying the price for our wrongs. Lord, we ask You to work in our own lives and the lives of the campers from this summer. Help those who newly accepted Jesus to be strengthened in their faith. Help those who rededicated their lives to You to grow into the confident, humble, loving people You have planned for them to be. And bless those who still doubt; lead them to Yourself so that they too may partake of this joy.
In Your name we pray. Amen.