Pilgrim Uniting Church, Adelaide SA SUN 22-NOV-2020 - 9.30 AM Sermon Rev Sandy Boyce Reign of Christ – The Parable of the Sheep and Goats tells us that in the last times when Jesus returns, we are going to be divided into two groups the way a shepherd would have separated sheep from goats. The righteous among us, the "sheep", will be assembled on the right; and the unrighteous, the "goats", will be assembled on the left. At the original telling of the parable there wouldn't have been much to choose between the appearance of sheep and goats mixed together in a flock – they all had the same sort of wooly coats, and they were all about the same size and shape. But although they looked the same, their true natures were revealed by their actions. Sheep would respond to their shepherd by willingly following him as their leader; while goats would have their own ideas and would give the shepherd or goatherd a hard time as he tried to keep up with them across the countryside. The parable tells us that we are going to be classified as righteous "sheep" or unrighteous "goats" according to the love we have shown to others in need. What matters is not what we profess to believe, but what we do for others. Jesus has assured us that whatever we do for someone in need, we are doing it for Jesus himself. Jesus comes to us incognito; and extending hospitality generously and broadly allows us to experience Jesus. Matthew 25: 31-46 Playing Time   –   15:00