Mens Night 12.14.2023

Romans 12:9–13 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Hospitality is a far more common notion in Jesus’ day that it is to us.

If you were going to travel in that time, you’re were at the mercy of other’s hospitality to provide meals and lodging.

We pay for hotels, Air B&b, restaurants.

They relied on people welcoming them into their homes and feeding them and putting them up for the night.

When Jesus sent the disciples out to proclaim the gospel, He told them to look for hospitality.

To early Christians, the home was a place to extend grace to others.

They would make their guest feel at home.

It was a way to demonstrate the hope of the gospel and invite people in so they could hear it proclaimed and see evidence of a changed life.

Today, our houses are fortresses.

It’s a place of refuge for us instead of a tool to advance the gospel.

We lock ourselves up tight in our castles and lift the draw bridge so that whoever tries to cross gets eaten by the defense gators in our mote.

Christians are extraordinarily generous people with their time and money, but absolutely stingy when it comes to their homes.

We want it to be a place of comfort, so we can’t invite anyone else in or else it’s uncomfortable.

This is not a biblical way for us to use our homes.

Hospitality gives us the opportunity to display the gospel to those we welcome into our homes.

You come home from work and find your wife has invited one of the socially awkward neighbors over for dinner.

How are you going to respond? Why?

Our home provide a wonderful way to build relationships with people that might otherwise be impossible.

Your neighbors may not know God, but get to have a front row seat into your life with Christ.

Seeing how you and your wife talk with one another

Seeing how you parent your children

You get to model the gospel for people.

More than that, you might provide them with the only family-like interaction they have.

We talked a few weeks ago on loneliness.

Hospitality changes the game for loneliness.

A friendly conversations, a nice meal, and the warmth of a home.

Can it be awkward? Yes.

Is it worth it? Yes.

Our homes can either feed seclusion or counteract it.

You don’t need a big house that’s impressive.

It’s the culture and the practices of hospitality that provide warmth, joy, and love.

When you think of hospitality, what do you think of?

6 practical truth

Hospitality is not about entertaining.

p. 153

Entertaining is not about loving people. It’s about impressing people.

Trying to impress people isn’t loving to anyone but yourself.

“Let love be genuine” (v. 9)

With the gospel, the pressure is off because there’s no need to impress them.

I believe that I am an impeccable sinner. A real idiot.

But Jesus saved me despite me.

Jesus knows me fully and He saved me freely.

Jesus didn’t cast me out. Jesus drew me near.

With that in mind, I know I don’t have to give anyone Disney World when they come to my house.

My house isn’t Disney World. They get me. (You get what you pay for)

This doesn’t mean that I’m not going to attempt to make good food and serve people.

If you can’t cook, order out.

My temptation is to use the excuse “We can’t have people over, the house is a mess!”

The thing I have to come back to is that most people have been in a house before and they know it gets messy.

That means I get to invite them into real and authentic community with me.

Not me being a hypocrite, trying to pass off that my house is always spotless.

God greeted me with a messy life.

I get to welcome people into my messy house.

Hospitality is an open life.

Hospitality invites people into your life because there’s room.

It’s more than plates and food and entertainment, it’s growing in relationship with one another.

Hospitality can be a community project.

“Let’s have dinner at my house. Can you bring…?”

It’s so much better when everyone pitches in.

Remember Thanksgiving?

Meals are so much better when everyone bring their bests.

Hospitality can be planned or spontaneous.

“What are you doing tonight?”

Mike has received that invitation a lot.

Invite them to New Years Eve.

Hospitality requires us to budget our time, money, and energy.

The pay out is so powerful.

Hospitality is powerful.

Our welcome team at church is one of the most important things we have going on at Graceland.

The reoccurring testimony is that people felt welcome and that they belong there.

The pattern of showing genuine love (v.9) leads to offering hospitality.

Hebrews 13:2 ESV

2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

He’s pointing to two OT references: Genesis 18 and 19 where Abraham was consistently showing hospitality.

In both cases, Abraham was showing hospitality to angel.

Can we expect this? No.

The point of Hebrews 13:2 is to show us that we never know what God might do if we open up our lives and our homes to people.

Can you think of a time when you were somewhere new and somebody made you feel truly welcome?

Heart matters:

Who do you know that models hospitality well?

What do they do that you admire the most?

What resources do you have that you struggle the most to share?

Debrief:

Do you know your neighbors names? What would it take for you to learn their names and something simple about them?

What would it take for you to offer them hospitality?

Which of your neighbors need hospitality this month?

What is one thing God has convinced you to do as a result of this Life in Community Study?