Hospitality #1

Conscience Review! Marriage review!

OUR PLAN MOVING FORWARD - hospitality is no longer within the sphere of the church - the sphere of the household.

Hospitality without grumbling

1 Peter 4:8-9 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

Our biggest obstacle to hospitality? ourselves.

WITHOUT GRUMBLING

I just wanna stay in tonight...

I’d prefer to not be with them...

those people? ...

they always leave the toys not picked up...

I don’t wanna adult today...

Then I gotta do the dishes for 20?

Our house isn’t big enough...

I don’t feel like cooking...

What are some other grumbles that we might have?

Peter knows about these grumbles already! And he gives us a mechanism to overcome them! v8

1 peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

think about this verse for a second...

“keep loving each other, keep up the hospitality, because your love will cover your sins...”

but we sin against each other when… when we’re apart? or when we’re together?

but wait… that’s the bad part.

sin is the bad part, and it happens when we’re together, so we should be together more, so we can forgive each other…

So Peter is saying, the more you’re together the more you will love each other AND the more you will forgive one another from sinning against each other WHEN YOU’RE TOGETHER

In other words, when you sin against one another and part ways quickly - it’s more difficult to forgive.

you rehearse their wrongs against you. You start having conversations without the other person being present.

but hospitality helps us to love one another, reminds us of one another, and we foster that love more and more...

without hospitality - love is very hard to come by.

without gathering together, without spending time, without asking questions of one another, without getting to know one another… without breaking bread.

hospitality is the fuel for the fire.

if you want to get to know a potential marriage candidate...

you spend time with them.

Peter is tellign us the same thing. We are CALLED to love one another, therefore we MUST show hospitality.

and this applies NOT just to strangers.

HOSPITALITY ISn’T JUST FOR THOSE ‘OUT THERE’

you have people in your household you are called to love.

you’ve got folks that you live with to practice on.

you show hospitality to your family.

you don’t just park them in front of a television so you can have your “me time”

you enjoy one another - ask questions of one another - build relationships - build love.

you cook a big meal because you love them, and want to love them more.

you break out the good dishes because you love them, and want to love them more.

how sad would it be if you families were in disarray because we were trying to only include those around us?

this is a sad result for lots of pastors, unfortunately.

they’re so focused on their churches, on their “ministry” that their children don’t follow Jesus.

You have priorities. Don’t forget that.

but having “priorities” doesn’t exclude the lesser priority.

Sometimes we would rather spend time with other people than our families. You should repent of that.

our hospitality should start at home and overflow into the relationships around us.

We should be able to include others in our lives quickly, because our home life is a reflection of Christ and his love for his people.

Christ loved others, starting w/ his disciples, not at the expense of his disciples. He cared for his family until his dying breath.

Alright - so have hospitality WITHOUT GRUMBLING.

have it w/ your family as well

and remember it is a mechanism that stirs up love.

DAY TWO!!!

hospitality - from the latin where we also get hospital - which means “friendliness to guests”

lol...

REview:

1 Peter 4:8-9 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

BUT IT DOESN”T ONLY STIR UP LOVE

It also stirs up DISCIPLESHIP

1 Peter 4:10-11 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

In the context of hospitality - God’s gifts are on display.

speaking the oracles of God - teaching - serving - worship.

Think about this w/ me for a moment.

For the more mature Christians - where did you really grow as a Chrisitan.

it wasn’t just watching sermons on youtube. Sure, you might have found a pastor you liked and learned a few things.

but then you entered into relationships - you kicked the teachings around w/ your brothers/sisters. They were edified. You were edified.

you called one another to repentance.

you watched a more mature family lead their little one’s to jesus.

You sang songs w/ other Christians.

Christian discipleship grows in the garden of hospitality.

or maybe think of it this way: Hospitality is the CONDUIT for discipleship.

you can go to church every Sunday/wednesday - watch every youtube preacher there is - read every tweet - but until you enter into relationship, you’re lacking in discipleship.

WHY? BECAUSE #1 you can’t use your gifts if there aren’t any other humans around. #2 you can’t grow in love without people to pour out your love on.

remember LOVE isn’t a feeling. It’s an ACTION. That’s how it covers sin. Because, we choose in our love to COVER THE SINS of others.

SO! We won’t grow/mature w/o Hospitality.

therefore we must resist the temptation to grumble about it.

just do it. invite somebody to lunch. have them over for dinner.

and start w/ your family, the folks you live w/ first.

SO! What should hospitality look like?

a meal - you share meals w/ people you want to build relationships with.

Jesus’ ministry - meals everywhere.

his teachings were accompanied often by meals, they happened over the dinner table,

some singing if possible -

Eph 5:19 “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,”

lots of listening

James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;”

Pro 17:28 “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”

encouragement in the word

1 Thess 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Lastly - think on this:

LIVE CHRISTIANLY - and let it overflow.

it’d be odd if a bunch of Christians got together and there wasn’t anything Christian about their gatherings.

if God never came up. if the way we live because of who we are never came up.

A city on a hill -

a light under a basket -

matt 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Rom 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

SO! Build a Christian culture, first in your personal habits, in your family, let everything you do be subject to the Bible.

And bring others along with you.

and don’t let it “be weird”

be the people of God.

and we will bring others along w/ us as the people of God.