Please pray with me. If you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s word.

Our reading today is from Mark 8:1-9

Mark 8:1–9 (CSB)

In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He called the disciples and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance.” His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feed these people?”

“How many loaves do you have?” he asked them. “Seven,” they said. He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So they served them to the crowd. They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well. They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. About four thousand were there. He dismissed them.

Please be seated.

Practicing the Faith Generosity and Hospitality

The rise of the internet came with a lot of promises, promises that really have their root at the start of the 20th century and were to come to full fruition in and through the glorious world wide web.

It came with the rise of globalization, where from all around this glorious planet and world that God made, technology had advanced to an extent where we could have information and connections that literally spanned the oceans. Our supply chains started operating through these connections, and then with the Internet, so did our information, and relationships.

Social Media, Email, movies, shows, lights and sounds, all trying to keep people feeling happy, connected, stimulated. And what once was sold as a way to keep us connected, morphed into a competition for eyeballs and attention. It became more lucrative to try and make people feel connected rather to actually be connected.

Algorithms were developed to keep us engaged, and thus enraged. And our neighbors have become our enemies.

At the same time - we are actually, generally speaking, less connected then ever before! We are more lonely, less happy, and less engaged meaningfully in our actual communities then ever before. People feel isolated, misunderstood, and in many ways abandoned. Some of this is justified, some is not.

But it does high light our spiritual condition too. When we consider God, Father Son and Spirit just enjoying a community of Love for all eternity - and humanity was designed to enjoy that community of love and extend it to the rest of the world - but through sin and the fall, we lost it, we were separated. And we’ve been going to broken and poisoned wells ever since to compensate for our deep desire and thirst.

And instead of welcoming people into the relationship and kingdom God, throughout history since the Tower of Babel people have been more interested in making kingdoms in their own image, which usually is at the expense of others - about making one great at the expense of others. exploitation, manipulation, idolatry and pride. And God hates pride, and the just punishment for our sin and falleness is death and seperation from God.

Therefore we live life as spiritual and relational vagabonds.

Jesus came to restore us into that true relationship. I think of the prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden for all believers in John 17:20-23 let me read that for us.

John 17:20–23 CSB

“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

Have you ever just considered just how generous our God is? and how hospitable he is? Many in our culture and in the world would like to paint a picture of God as evil, mean, angry, but when we read the scriptures, truly read them - that is so far from the truth.

From the Beginning God is more than generous and hospitable, and kind, and long-suffering. He desires what’s best for us, and the world, and knows that ultimately that is in true and proper relationship with him, caught up in the Love of the Trinity - and that ability has been won for us through Jesus Christ. The outrageous, generous, extravagant love and grace of God.

As we continue our study of Practicing the Faith, we turn today to Generosity and Hospitality. Generosity, hospitality have been hallmarks of Christianity since its inception largely because they are characteristics of Jesus and therefore as he all the more shapes us, the more and more we will find that hospitality and generosity are our heartflows.

Friends - this is a fun practice. It’s the practice about radical love, and parties, and celebrations, and meals, and gifts. And yet, it’s something that seems to have been a bit lost and forgotten in people’s lives. It needs to be dusted off.

There is something special about the love of God expressed through his people. I know i’ve been affected by it. I think of the generosity of my parents - who just gave more love and more love and more understanding and more forgiveness than I deserved. From a young age I learned through there example of the scandalous love of the Father God, because they were so loving. And they wanted us to be at home with them, and wanted to provide what we needed and then some. Because they loved us kids.

Beyond just my family, I’ve known so many believers who just are the most generous people. From this congregation and in others, I can personally testify that God has used your generosity to answer prayers in my life.

And while churches can and have blown it throughout the years - compassion, hospitality, and generosity are woven into Christian ethic and has been since the church we read about in Acts. Christians pioneered hospitals and hostels and hotels and orphanages and schools from the first century onward. Hospitality and generosity have just flowed from the heart of God through his Church.

I think of the story and testimony of Rosaria Butterfield, who was atheistic lesbian who was pursuing higher ed, and was antagonistic towards Christians. Well a local pastor started inviting her over for dinner and they became friends and over the course of time and through radical love and hospitality is introduced to Jesus and repents and becomes a new creation, repenting from her sinful life and now is a prominant Christian thinker. She wrote a book detailing some of her story I’d recommend called “The Gospel Comes with a House Key.” And her thesis is in the title. We are a new creation, and if we are in Christ, we have on us the aroma of Christ as Paul says - and one of the best things we can do is welcome people into our lives, homes, families.

Because, I don’t if you have noticed it, but people are hungry for community, for love, and for true connection. And Jesus was ready there to satisfy that hunger.

Let’s look at the scripture we read this morning from Mark 8:1-4

Mark 8:1–4 (CSB)

In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He called the disciples and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance.” His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feed these people?”

How great is Jesus here.

We see crowds start coming around Jesus because they were so compelled by his authority, his person, and his teaching. And so they would follow him and listen to him, and even receive healing from him. And he notices that all of these people have been staying with him but don’t have any food! And he tells the disciples that he has compassion on the crowd.

May we never cease to marvel and be grateful for the compassionate gaze of Jesus. His compassion motivated him to generosity. and he mobilizes his disciples to feed the crowd, and they are a bit incredulous. “Jesus there are thousands of people - we are in a desolate place, costco is in sioux falls, where are we gonna find enough food for these people? It’s not possible.”

Mark 8:5–9 (CSB)

“How many loaves do you have?” he asked them. “Seven,” they said. He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So they served them to the crowd. They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well. They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. About four thousand were there. He dismissed them.

This is a famous story - and one that people know even out of the church. But Jesus takes the little that the disciples have, and fueled by compassion, gives thanks and miraculously provides food for thousands. To the extent where there are left overs. God doesn’t just provide - he provides MORE than enough. for all that is needed and THEN some. Jesus did this time and time again - not just with feeding thousands, but in his hospitality and compassion.

And in his parables we see the same thing - Think of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, in Luke 15, when the younger son comes home after wishing the father dead and demanding his inheritance, when this wayward son comes home the father says this in Luke 15:22-24

Luke 15:22–24 CSB

“But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

Isn’t that amazing? From Jesus’ perspective, the heavenly father stands ready to be hospitable and generous to all who come to him.

And beyond that - beyond just the spiritual blessings and love to those who are in Christ - think about our world and all the beauty that it contains. You don’t have to be a christian to enjoy the sunset. You don’t have to be a christian to be moved by music. The taste of a pizza and the way your tastebuds sing - that’s just a gift to all people. Just common grace, just the nature of God spilling into all of creation. God is soo good. And it’s in that vain in Romans 1 that Paul argues that all people then know of their creator because of creation!

Jesus just embodied that heart on earth. Generous with his time and love and healings. And hospitable. It was just a part of his life.

What’s interesting is that when conversations around hospitality and hosting come up is some of the excuses for not wanting to participate. Some will say that they just are too busy, some will use their space, or lack there of as an excuse. Some are single or don’t own a home, or have roommates.

Let’s not forget that Jesus didn’t have a home. And yet - no matter where he was he was both a guest and a host. And we, in the same way can host people spiritually even if we are not hosting people in our home around our table. Hospitality is a posture of the heart, honoring the other as someone to esteem and love. Anyone can do that if they are willing.

As some of you know, Ariana and I also pastor another C&MA Plant called Ekklesia - and it’s a house church, meaning we meet in people homes and do church. It’s like small groups on steroids. Why did we decide to plant a church in a model that is very different and much harder to reach a self-sustaining place? Well because some people have been hurt by the corporate church, but are hungry for Jesus, and the community of love that is the church. And we have found that by welcoming people into a living room and praying and sharing life and eating food - they are so interested in Jesus. And that’s not rocket science - that’s been the way the church has spread throughout all history.

We can have the best programs and best teachings and best worship teams and best everything in a sunday service - but if we don’t have love, Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 13 that we are just clanging symbols - which can be a bit jarring. But the flip side is true too - we can have a terrible service, with mistakes all over, and a sub par sermon, but when people come in and they feel love, when they feel welcomed and they are met with hospitality - well that covers a multitude of issues.

Love and hospitality are just so important.

Partly because it is worship! it’s for annother human - but I think of the words of Jesus in Matthew 25. The passage of the Sheep and the Goats. Let me read this section for you, it’s a long section, but it’s just beautiful.

Matthew 25:31–46 CSB

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’ “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’ “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’ “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

I love this quote that I found, it’s anonymous, but it’s so good.

Who practices hospitality entertains God Himself.

Anonymous

The sheep are marked by those who were hospitable, and active in their faith. They were generous.

Similarly when we speak of generosity - first, I want to commend you. Church - Over the last two years that I’ve been here, I have been just blown away at your generosity. There are so many churches that struggle with meeting budgets - and we just haven’t come close to that. In fact our spending is usually under budget and our giving is typically over budget! Praise the Lord. This allows us to dream big. Thank you for partnering with The Seed Church.

Beyond just giving to the church - generosity of our time and resources can change communities. And more than anything - if i can be honest, it changes our own hearts.

Our culture, the American Culture is exceptionally materialistic. There is just so much money spent by advertisers to hijack our brains to make us feel like we need to spend more. We need to wear this. We need this new tool. If I had this new piece of equipment suddenly my life will be perfect. And I can finance it interest free!

Remember the warning of Paul in 1 Timothy 6:10

1 Timothy 6:10 CSB

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

We spend generally speaking as a culture, way more than we should - and on things that are really about comfort and pleasure rather then needs, desires, or things that would do a lot of good! And the proof is in the stats. I heard one study done that since 2021 the average household in america has over $10,000 of credit card debt. In our search of more, we often find ourselves with desperately less.

And one of the things that robs us of is the joy that we have when it comes to generosity. Giving and gifting is just so countercultural.

We need to remember that giving is not just about finaces, but time and effort and attention. Even when we have no money - we still have such an abundance to give. May we never be stingy in our love.

Jesus says so much about generosity - that we do it in secret. That we give to the man who begs. That we remember that the poor will always be among us. And it’s all done in a God-like way? Right he is the author of generosity, so we get to partner with God in generosity.

So What?

So What? I want to end with astory as we dance with our concllusion.

First, I read a story from Paul David Tripp, a pastor and author, this week in my studies and I want to share it with you.

He wrote about the weeks after september 11th, where he had a heart-wrenching conversation with one the managers of one of the restaurants in the World Trade Centers. The manager told Paul Tripp: “I can’t get over the grief that I never saw the 250 people who worked for me as people. They were waiters, chefs, busboys, hosts, event planners—but they weren’t people to me. And over the last three weeks, I’ve gone to funeral after funeral and sat with their moms and dads, husbands and wives, and children and heard the stories of their lives. Now they are people to me, but now they’re gone.”

Both the manager and Tripp wept. It can be hard not to feel guilt when we consider how often we don’t see people as People.

As Tripp said: “It’s the barista whose job it is to create my perfect coffee order. It’s the supermarket assistant who is there to speed up my process on the self-checkout scanner. It’s the waiter who exists to get me my delicious meal without any delays or mistakes.Do you see people as people? Or are they functions to assist you in creating a day that is as stress-free and enjoyable as possible?”

So many of us struggle to be hospitable and generous because we fail to see people as people - we see them just as cogs in the wheel of life. But Christ has compassion on them - like sheep without a shepherd. We can be hospitable even as a guest or a patron or a customer - or an enemy. In order to be hospitable in order to be generous, we need to see people as image bearers of God. And remember Christ’s command that we call the Golden Rule - Do to others as you want others to do to yourself.

Do you want to start transforming your life? Pray that God would give you his eyes to see people around you as they really are. That he would give you his heart. That he would pour his generous heart into us so that it will overflow to others.

So what? How do we start practicing hospitality and generosity.

First - we need to abide in the love of God. 1 John 4:19

1 John 4:19 CSB

We love because he first loved us.

We can’t do this in our own strength. We need to abide in the generous community of love that is the Triune God.

We need to constantly be loved by God. How? Study scripture and hear the promises of God. That he loved us and chose us in love before that foundation of the world! And, in prayer, ask God to show and tell you of his love for you. Enjoy the love of God - and ask him for his heart. God isn’t stingy in his love, friends.

Second, Out of the excess - be generous. Host - regularly. If you have a home, awesome. If you dont - host a conversation over coffee at work. invite friends out to dinner and usher them into the love of God. and give time, effort, finances - we offer our whole lives as an offering to God, and this is our true and proper worship.

And I know this, I’ve seen it - the more I do the work of God with him, through generoisty and hospitality - the closer I feel to him, the more joyful I am, and the testimony of the Gospel is amplified by our love.

Stand with me as we pray.