Daily Devotions
May 1st, 2012 by Pastor SolleyLuke 15:1-7
15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Are you glad today that Jesus is willing to receive sinners? Are you glad that Jesus still saves today? I know that I am for I know that even after all these years as a child of God I am not perfect, far from it. Yet Jesus still receives me today just as He did the day I called on Him to save me. There are so many in the church today who seem to have lifted themselves to the level of the Pharisees in Jesus day. Some have become so spiritual in their own eyes that all they do is look down on those who have not yet come to Christ or those who have but they see as not as spiritual as they are. I think we forget at times just why Jesus came into this world. Yes He did establish the church, shed His blood for it, gave His life for the church and lives for it today. Yes we are to grow in the Lord and become more and more spiritual day by day. But not at the expense of lost souls we step over on our way to climbing that spiritual ladder. That is what the Pharisees did. They became so heavenly minded, so spiritual in their own eyes that they were of no earthly good. Let that not be true of you and me. I know God is pleased when we grow in the Lord, when we study, when we given to Him. But let us not forget the firs thing we are to do is bring the lost to Jesus. Let us invite the lost to our churches, do all we can to bring them in, let them sit down with Jesus. Let us remember what brings joy in heaven.