Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This Man receives sinners and eats with them. Luke 15:1-2 ESV
Everyone knows that Jesus came to save the lost sinner, and they were all drawn to Him like a magnet, but the religious establishment of the time grumbled about this constantly. If they had their way, the religious people would have driven the sinners far away, but Jesus did not allow this to happen. He came to seek out and save the lost (Luke 19:10). In Luke 15:10, Jesus said that the angels rejoice over one sinner that repents.
I was playing in a band at a party one night when He found me during the middle of a song. His presence came upon me in such a way that I put my bass up, went home and surrendered to His calling in tears. The next morning, I went to church and was soon baptized. But I was poor and needed the money, so I continued playing in bands while wearing a Jesus t-shirt. Soon His presence would show up in the bar and words would come to me for those in the room. I preached my first sermons in bar parking lots and they were powerful. People would begin trembling under His power.
Jesus has friends in low places. They may put His statue in glorious sanctuaries, but you will still encounter His presence outside those walls in the dust and the dirt. He still wants to speak with you today, but some of the super religious will look down on you and try and drive you away from Him. Don't give up, and know that it is not Jesus that is driving you away today. He will reach people right where they are, using your hands to touch them, and your voice to speak to them.
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