Habits of Faith #3 - Hospitality

Hospitality: (Definition)

1.       the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.

2.       the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

 

We often make the mistake of thinking that hospitality is a “Better Homes and Gardens” type of thing.  That everything has to be perfect; all the right place settings, the perfect ‘look’, all of that.  But is that what Biblical hospitality is?  Tonight, we’ll examine what true Biblical hospitality means.  (Hint:  It’s not about being the perfect hosts.)

1 Peter 4:7-10 (NKJV)
^4:7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. ⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

 

The Enlarged Scope of Hospitality:

According to Jeff Christopherson, biblical hospitality flips the camera lens from a selfie to a wide-angle, pointed outward toward the lives of others, warmly inviting them into ours.”

Our focus shouldn’t be on impressing others, Biblical hospitality focuses on blessing our guests.  Everyone has struggles, disappointments and hurts.  Hospitality is an opportunity to show them the grace of Jesus; to encourage and to edify!

Hospitality means to reach out to people that are not like us.  People who we may not be comfortable with.

One obvious way of showing hospitality is to invite others to your home for a meal or Bible study. Hospitality is not limited to having people in our homes. This automatically expands our thinking about hospitality

Jesus demonstrated hospitality often but said this:

Luke 9:58

And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

Look at how often Jesus displayed hospitality to others:

Matthew 9: 9-13

As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Jesus said, “Follow me, we’re going to your house…”

Jesus called people to Himself through hospitality:  Zacchaeus:

Luke 19:1-7

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

Jesus invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house.  He became the guest in order to reach him. Hospitality isn’t just inviting people into our homes…it’s inviting them into our lives.

Titus 1 – the qualifications of a bishop include being hospitable.

We can show hospitality by greeting a visitor – telling them, “Hey, I’m glad you’re here today.” CHURCH HOSPITALITY

 

The Hindrances to Hospitality:

The Hindrance of the Pandemic

If we look at the hindrances to hospitality we can start with a recent one that our church experienced:  The Covid Pandemic!  Remember the CDC regulations?  (Stay at home, wear a mask, social distancing.) These things hindered fellowship, communication, and gathering in a church service.

Many of us got used to living an isolated lifestyle.  One of the devil’s strategies is to isolate us from each other and the lost.  We become comfortable in our “cocoons”.

Cocooning means to surround one’s self in a protective way.  The thought of entertaining others, venturing outside became a challenge during the pandemic.

Our text is written in the context of the last days. 

1 Peter 4:7-9

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "LOVE WILL COVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS." Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

We all tend to gravitate to our comfort zones.  The thought of being in the community doesn’t always appeal.  We can easily become introverted.

The Hindrance of Perfection

We sometimes think that our homes ort our lives are not where they need to be to minister to people. Hospitality isn’t about perfection – It’s about having love towards others. 

1 Peter 4:8

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "LOVE WILL COVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS."

You don’t have to have a perfect home.  You don’t have to be perfect, God is more concerned with availability.

We become vulnerable when we invite people not only to our homes, but also into our lives.  If people get to know you, they might see you snap at your spouse, or get frustrated at another driver. 

You might be afraid that that would cause them to turn away from God, but often, it might make them say, “This person isn’t perfect, but God still uses them.  Maybe He can use me too.”

1 Peter 4:10

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Verse 10 says we each have a gift that we can minister to others.  We all have something we can give to others.

The Hindrance of Performance

Not every venture into hospitality will go as you hoped. Here’s an example from the Bible:

Luke 7:36-39, 44-47

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner…(Luke 7:44-47) Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

Look at the different responses to Jesus being in someone’s house: sometimes indifference or sometimes dramatic love.

Not everyone you follow up on, is going to live for God. Parable of the Sower – Some seed fell on hard ground, some stolen by bird, some multiplied 100, 60, 30 fold.

The Hindrance of Self-Preservation.

There is a risk to investing in someone.  Jesus spent three years investing in Judas, and yet Judas betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver.  At some point you will experience betrayal; how do you react? Reacting with isolation and self-protection will Cause you to miss what God is going to do next.

Maybe you hinder hospitality by the preservation of your possessions. Great story in the Bible:

Mark 2:1-5

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

Here’s God working a miracle in someone but it cost somebody his roof. Can you imagine?  Verse 9 says “without grumbling…” Hospitality can include things getting broken and carpets stained.

The POTENTIAL of Hospitality

An example of the potential of hospitality: Pastor Warner and Sister Burgess.  If pastor Warner couldn’t have found a place to liver in Prescott, there may have never been the Tucson Church.

Hebrews 13:2

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

Do not forget. 

Luke 22:15-16

Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

His greatest desire was to show hospitality before He died.

Acts 2:44-47

Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Hospitality played a major role in moving the Gospel forward.

Acts 16:14-15

Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us.

The Gospel opening up in Europe began with hospitality.

The Philippian jailer in Acts 16 saw the miracle of God through hospitality. Paul and Silas were thrown in prison.  Look at what happened:

 

Acts 16:26-34

Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

Showing hospitality opens up OUR lives to the miracle of God.

Look at what Jesus says in

Matt 10:40-42: 

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

Hospitality is not an option, if we are going to become a growing thriving church in the last days.