|
Wedding garment on?
Matt 22:8-14
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
KJV
Here is the now day story........
One recent Sunday morning, while my wife was helping prepare for the morning service a man walked into the church asking for money. No one approached the man, some stood back while others quietly commented on his personal state. The man was unwashed, unkept, and stank really bad. My wife greeted the man and welcoming him she guided him to the pastor's office. Hearing his need she relayed the message to the pastor and left him in her shepherd's capable hands.
Shutting the door she never saw him again or heard his story.....
Until last night in the pastor's message. He told of how the man stank and the personal state of the man's hygiene was repulsive so he was ushered out the back of the study to the outside. The man was told to go home and someone would come to his house after service with the money. Then someone went through the church spraying airfreshner everywhere the man had been. The stranger returned though before church was over and entered the sanctuary, during the alter service, and wandered around. He was escorted into the study and ushered out again with the same story of someone will bring you money....go home!
Out with the airfreshner again......
The pastor told of how embarressed he was about the man coming into the church being the way he was. Stinking so bad and being so unclean........of the man not having enough respect for himself or others much less the house of God. On and on he went about the repulsivness of the man's unclean state. and HOW DARE HE COME IN TO THE CHURCH LIKE THAT....HOW DARE HE STEP FOOT INTO THE HOUSE OF GOD....STINKING THAT WAY. It is so ashamed the this stranger, like the man in the scpritures, would even darken the doors of a church. That is how Pastor saw the man in the scriptures just like the man entering our church.
OH my precious Lord.........the bile that rose in my wife and my own throat at the loss of compassion. Sweet Jesus.....help us. We were ashamed for our church and our pastor........we are angry in our spirits about this.
ARE WE WRONG?
This is posted with mixed emotions... for some know who I am and know our pastor.
Those who know...do know this is so unlike us or our pastor.
Then comes the ????? do we speak to our pastor about how we feel...or do we take the apporach: This is his pulpit he can say what he wants.
Fifteen years ago, during a three year revival people just like the above man entered during service. Saints put their arms around them welcoming them and led them to an alter........
Years ago if the undesirabes were turned away would we have had some of the great men of God...such as Charles MaHanney and many others.....?
Granted we don't know what happened behind the study door or what else was said.........but still....Can the world afford......Can we afford to turn people away?
__________________
|
Linear Mode
