Connectors Overdeliever

Does anyone know what a Dirty Water Hot dog is?

This is the term for a Hot Dog from a New York Hot Dog cart.

If you have seen one of these carts you see that the Hot Dogs are cooking in hot water that is a little cloudy looking…Hence the term Dirty Water Hot Dog.

However...

The water isn’t really “dirty” it’s actually a seasoned brew of herbs and broth that helps to flavor the hot dogs as they simmer and stay hot.

This recipe is actually New York City water with low sodium beef broth, which flavors the hot dog as it reaches a perfect temperature in a slow cooker.

…So why do you need to know what this is?

It’s important to the story I am going to share....

Will Guidara is the Former Owner of an upscale fine dining restaurant named 11 Madison Park… Will tells a story from his book “Unreasonable Hospitality” that illustrates how he believes they became the number 1 restaurant in the world.

In this particular story....There was a group of foodies from out of town that came to NYC with the sole agenda to eat at every famous upscale restaurant in NYC…they had been to all of them and EMP was their last stop.

Will happened to be walking by the group as the were ordering and telling the waiter that they had saved EMP for last…they talked about how great all the food was and how much they were looking forward to eating at what was at the time the number 1 eatery in the world....

In the back and forth with the waiter all of them said in jest the only thing they had not had the chance to eat that they really wanted to experience was a NYC Dirty Hot Dog.

When Will heard this he immediately exited the back door and walked down the street and purchased a Dirty Hot Dog From a vender and brought it into the kitchen of EMP.

He asked the Chef to plate it as an extra course to the meal for this group…actually he had to beg the Chef and convince him that it would not compromise the wonderful eight course meal he was preparing at the time....

After about 10 min the chef relented to Will and cut the Dirty hot dog up into four pieces and plated them as their own course…

He made them a little prettier....(I don’t know how you do this with a hot dog) Maybe you get artistic with the mustard or ketchup? Then they sent the course out to be consumed.

Will took the plates himself and when he put it in front of the group they went wild when he introduced the course as their special NYC Dirty Hot dog course. They could not have need happier and more surprised.

While this seems like a ridiculous story…in 25 years as these friends look back on this trip…the memory of the food itself may fade but the memory of the Gourmet dirty hot dog will continue to remind them about how great their experience in this restaurant was…they will never forget 11 Madison Park…or EMP

This is part of what Will calls unreasonable hospitality. The truth is every fine dining restaurant has outstanding food....but Will believes it is the combination of fantastic food and how people are treated that pushed EMP to the top.

You have heard it said many times that people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.

People can get goods and services anywhere…While cost is a factor in peoples choice’s the way a company treats them determines their mood and how often they visit these establishments.

This is as true for Churches as it is for Worldly venues like restaurants, high end clothing stores and even coffee shops.

Connectors practice Unreasonable Hospitality

We have a product....if you will...that is of greater value than the best meals, clothes and even coffee and it is free to anyone who will embrace it.

Paul has been talking about Salvation…but in this passage Paul is telling us that Salvation must not just impress us but Transform every part of us.

Ephesians 4:1-6

“1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Right off the bat we see and unreasonable descriptor for followers of Jesus as a prisoner.

2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Paul uses definitive words like Completely, Every effort (Not reasonable effort), and One Body, and One Spirit. not Many....

Our Calling is not simply to meet expectations but to always do more than is reasonable..or even expected becuase the one we are called to has all power and the ability to give all blessing to all who call on the Name of God.

It is important to say here that not only do we become better at Connecting people to God, others and the Church but we find joy and meaning in our own life.

As people overdeliver on Hope they naturally over receive Hope

This calling from Paul seems unreasonable in the eyes of many people thus impossible…Yet Jesus does not shy away from challenging His Followers.

Matthew 5:40-42

“40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

This was just as unreasonable to the original audience as it is to us today. I mean who has the time to do this?

Not only that but how does this help my personal walk with Jesus? These questions asked by Jesus followers are still asked by Jesus followers today. Yet.....

Connectors find a balance between their own personal spiritual development and extending Holy Hospitality to the world by making these more important that worldly pursuits.

What I mean is Connectors do not forsake one for the other…they embrace both as a lifestyle…this may not look reasonable to the world…It may not even feel reasonable to us personally at times…But:

Spiritual progress and Holy Hospitality must take priority over worldly comforts and concerns.

James 2:14-17 “14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

In a world that highlights the failings of the Church it is more important than ever for a Church to lean into our calling.

Non believes Know what we are supposed to be…that is why the seize the opprotunity every time there is a public or private failure to meet Jesus standard of Holiness.

Christian Hospitality always goes beyond what seems reasonable.

People will rarely remember the messages or lessons they hear but they will always remember how a Church or a Christ follower connected them to hope.

In order to go above and beyond for others we must be willing to go above and beyond as it relates to our own walk with Jesus.

This matters becuase we live in a world the tries to convince us of scarcity of our time, talents, treasures and even impact…

God will multiply your time, treasures, talents, personal life, family life and your overall impact if you are using them to Connect people to God and others by creating a space where everyone belongs.

In a world that is quiet quitting everything (Explain this) That is the doing the bae minimum in work, and other areas....

we as Holy Connectors are called to overdeliver. How do we do this....we do this by:

Practicing Listening to God and Others.

Listen to God through personal and corporate relationships.

Notice the hopes, hurts and dreams of others in interactions…(Remember the Dirty Hot Dog Story) be present.

Go the extra mile to find ways to connect others after you hear their hopes, hurts and dreams.....Listen for ways to overdeliver....Then Overdeliver!

Notice the hopes and dreams of God for your life by engaging with other believers in small group settings and worship…be present.

It is impossible to overdeliver if we are only looking fo ways to simply meet expectations.

We should not be asking whats enough but what more can we do?

Communion is a great example of overdelivering…Jesus on His last night instituted a tangible way for us to practice Jesus actual presence with us.

So Jesus instituted communion as a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.

It Reminds us of Jesus Unreasonable Hospitality toward us.

Communion: Doug and Servers come.....