A Joy Worth Sharing

“I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

- Luke 15:7

Have you ever heard of Fogo de Chao?

I am a self proclaimed Fogo de chao evangelist.

On one of my birthdays, my boys, my squad, took me to Fogo de Chao. I have never heard of it, and of course, never been to it. So as I walked in, immediately, I couldn’t help but to smell the fire-roasted high quality meat. Then, once we sat down at our table, they began to explain what this experience would be like.

First, you get this card, and on one side, it is green. And the other side, it is red.

And when your card is on the green side, professional Brazilian chefs come out with various types of meats from top sirloin, filet mignon, rib eye, lamb chops, bacon wrapped steaks and many more will come out. And when you don’t want any more, you simply turn your card to the red side. However, when you are ready for more, you turn it back to the green.

So there I was, feeling like a king, as a crazy amount of perfectly cooked meat kept being sliced on my plate. I thought, this is what heaven must be like  

Furthermore, because I experienced so much joy there, I just had to tell everyone. So literally, in the following days and weeks, all my conversations started out, “Hey, have you ever heard about Fogo de chao?” “Oh… you didn’t? Well, let me tell you!”

And there and then, I became a self proclaimed Fogo de chao evangelist. And I probably got them more business, because the joy I had in talking about it was exuding from my facial expression to my hand gestures.

Now that I got everyone hungry, why am I sharing about Fogo de chao during this week of advent?

It is because Christmas, for the Christian, is the most joyful event in the history of humankind. Not because it is a season for receiving gifts or even spending time with our family, but because God gave us Jesus Christ to save us and to redeem us.

Where no matter what we did in the past, in Christ, we are loved. Where no matter how much we still sin as believers, in Christ, He keeps forgiving us and growing us. This is joyful news for us! Amen?

And as God has called The Church at RB to be good neighbors, we are to share this joy with others. For me, the challenge is, more than being a Fogo de Chao evangelist, could I spread the joy of Christ so that more will know Him?

As Luke 15:7 reminds us, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.

So friends, I invite you this advent season, as we have more events and services leading up to Christmas, let us pray that more souls in San Diego will repent and receive Christ this year. As we approach the 2021 Christmas, I want to be part of the joy in heaven as sinners give their lives to Christ.

Imagine what a joy it will be, thousands of years later, when we are in Heaven and we get to hear many beloved brothers and sisters in Christ share how it was the Christmas of 2021 where they gave their lives to Christ.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

- Psalm 95:1-2

“I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

- Luke 15:7

Amen.

Pastor Sean

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