"On Earth as in Heaven"

"In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" ~ Luke 15:10

These words of Jesus followed a hypothetical story about a woman who rejoices with her friends after finding her lost coin, which followed a previous hypothetical story about someone who has a hundred sheep but loses one and then leaves the ninety-nine to go find the lost one, and rejoices when he finds it. In both cases, Jesus tells the story to demonstrate what is most-celebrated in heaven - sinners turning to God. There were Pharisees who thought rigid adherence to the law mattered more, and there were tax collectors and sinners who likely thought approval of others mattered more. But Jesus tells them all, and His disciples, that there is much rejoicing in heaven when sinners repent. It's a reminder to us that we should focus our efforts on what God cares about, not what we would care about if we were God. This week at Friendship, we'll look at the next phrase in the Lord's Prayer for our sermon series, which is "On Earth as it is in Heaven". We'll discuss how the angels do God's will in heaven, so that we can do likewise here on earth, and so that our lives match what we are praying. Join us and be trained!