Why in the world would a Christian want to even think about losing heaven, much less consider how to make that happen? Because Jesus did. In fact, he frequently talked about how people who thought they were going to heaven were actually doing everything possible to give up exactly that in which they had so much confidence.
This Sunday we are going to study a story Jesus told about a wealthy man who prepared a sumptuous banquet for his friends. When it came time for the festivities to begin, however, none wanted to attend. They all made excuses that they had better things to do!
The point of Jesus’ parable was: people can outwardly receive God’s heaven invitation, but their priorities, attitudes and lifestyles can cause them to not take that invitation seriously. And for Jesus, to not take heaven seriously is to lose it.
When you became a Christian, Satan did not suddenly call off all attacks on your faith. Instead, he doubled them. Those attacks can be “in your face”, or they can be so subtle, we sometimes don’t even realize they are happening. No Christian would ever admit to wanting to lose heaven. But we are definitely all open to being led to believe that heaven is for such a long time in the future that all we really need to think about is taking care of business today.
An intense focus on the present very often leads to a dismissal of eternity. There is just too much to worry about today and heaven is forgotten.
Does your spiritual vision need readjustment? Accept our invitation to study the banquet Jesus offers this weekend. It might just help you to see things differently.
Saturday night service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am
Hawaii Lutheran Church (WELS)
- Community Lutheran Church
- Honolulu, HI
- Community Lutheran Church holds protestant chapel services in Honolulu, Hawaii near Pearl Harbor, HI. We are next to the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hickam Air Force Base, and Fort Shafter Hawaii. Look for us directly behind the Salt Lake, Hawaii, Target.