A pastor transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service.

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Only 3 people said hello to him whilst most looked the other way. As he wandered among the parishioners, he asked people for change to buy food because he was hungry. Not one gave him anything.

He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church. As soon as he did so he was told by the ushers that he would need to get up and go sit in the back of the church. He constantly said hello to people as they walked in, Sadly, he was greeted with cold stares and dirty looks from people looking down on him and judging him.

Then he sat in the back of the church and heeded the church announcements for the week. He listened as new visitors were welcomed into the church that morning but no one acknowledged that he was new. He watched people around him continue to look his way with stares that said you are not welcome here.

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Then the elders of the church went up to the podium to make the announcement. The church elders said they were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation.

‘We would like to introduce you to our new Pastor.’ The congregation stood up and looked around clapping with joy and anticipation. The homeless man sitting in the back stood up and started walking down the aisle.

That’s when all the clapping stopped and the church was silent. With all eyes on him, he walked up to the altar and reached for the microphone. Then the apparently homeless destitute stood there for a moment and then recited so elegantly, a verse from the bible…..

‘Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

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‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

‘Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

‘The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me.’

After he recited this, he introduced himself as their new pastor and told the congregation what he had experienced that morning. Many began to cry and bow their heads in shame.

‘Today I see a gathering of people here but I do not see a Church of Jesus. The world has enough people that look the other way. What the world needs is disciples of Jesus that can follow His teachings and live as He did. When will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until the following Sunday as his sermon had been given. Amen