The Hospitality of God and His People - Hebrews 13:1-3

Welcome:

“The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Revelation 22:17, ESV)

As you might could guess, the word welcome means to come well pleased — a guest that is gladly received. Hear the invitation to come in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, welcome — come gladly as they are glad to receive you.

Announcements:

Ladies’ Night on Friday - please RSVP to Daphne

No youth movie night on Friday

Thank you for the support of Health For Her — we raised all of the Christmas items for the families that we served this year. Special thanks to Crystal Pelkey for leading that.

Christmas Eve Service: 4:30pm – 9:30pm

†CALL TO WORSHIP based on Isaiah 57:15

Pastor Austin Prince

Minister: Thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite."

Congregation: We come before you, O Lord, contrite and humble.

Minister: Come, let us worship the Lord who dwells with his people.

Congregation: Dwell with us and revive our hearts. Amen.

†PRAYER OF ADORATION AND INVOCATION

Almighty God, you built your church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the cornerstone. Come, Holy Spirit, join us together by Christ’s faithful work and the saints faithful witness. May we too be a holy temple in which you dwell to the glory of our triune god.

†OPENING HYMN OF PRAISE #297

“Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates”

†CONFESSION OF SIN

based on Isaiah 64:1-9; Zephaniah 3:14-17

Elder Craig Hoffer

Minister: O that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence! Let’s pray:

Congregation: Our Father, we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever. We are your people. Restore us through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we place our hope. Amen.

Minister: Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you.

Congregation: The Lord our God is in our midst, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over us with gladness; he will quiet us by his love; he will exult over us with loud singing.

Minister: Christians, your sins are forgiven. Be at peace.

Congregation: Thanks be to God!

CONTINUAL READING OF SCRIPTURE Psalm 125

Psalm 125 ESV

A Song of Ascents. 1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. 3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. 4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! 5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!

THE OFFERING OF TITHES AND OUR GIFTS

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS - Austin Prince

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

†HYMN OF PREPARATION #317

“What Child is This?”

SERMON Hebrews 13:1-3 // The Hospitality of God and His People

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

Heavenly Father, may you grant us to comprehend your holy Word according to your divine will, that we may learn from it to put all our confidence in you alone, and withdraw it from all other creatures; moreover, that also our old man with all his lusts may be crucified more and more each day, and that we may offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice, to the glory of your holy name and to the edification of our neighbor, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Text: Hebrews 13:1-3

Hebrews 13:1–3 ESV

1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

AFTER SCRIPTURE

Turn my heart toward your statures and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; renew my life according to your word.

Introduction

Hebrews has called us runners. For twelve chapters, the author has beautifully demonstrated that Christ is better—supreme in every way. Christ is the better Word than that spoken by the prophets. He is better as a deliverer than Moses. He is a better Priest and Mediator, His blood better than the sacrifices. He alone deserves the glory and our allegiance. He has made every need of yours and every need of this fallen world fully repaired in the life, death, resurrection, and reign of Christ. There is nowhere else to look. So run. Run the race with endurance. Keep your eyes fixed on His superiority.

As we come to this final chapter, chapter thirteen, we receive clear and rapid-fire practical exhortations on what running that race looks like.

Hebrews teaches us that running the race of faith is often ordinary, costly, and sometimes, table-shaped.

It is easy to hear about running the race of faith and to think of it in terms of lofty aspirations and inward feelings—an inner ambition to love and serve God. Those, of course, are good desires. But this chapter reminds us that what running the race looks like—what seeking the Jerusalem above (Mount Zion, to use another metaphor from this book) looks like—is very practical, even at times earthy and mundane. It is everyday life seized in obedience and faith.

“Doctrine is not an affair of the tongue but of the life.” —John Calvin, Commentary on Titus 1:1

Consider just one of the doctrines Hebrews has taken great pains to show us: that we are able to draw near to God through Christ. One application of this doctrine is what we consider today—hospitality.

From the garden in Genesis to the final wedding feast in Revelation, the story of Scripture is the story of a God who sets a table for strangers and calls them sons.

In Christ there is a great invitation: look to Christ and see what He has done for you, and then walk through it in faith—come close. He is the door—walk through it. You are invited and welcomed.

How, then, is this doctrine believed and embraced expressed in our lives?

One of the stepping stones placed right before our feet as we run the race—one of the practical steps of faith, obedience, and Christlikeness—is hospitality.

As doctrine passes into our lives, Hebrews 13 shows us how.

Brotherly Love

“Let brotherly love continue.” (Hebrews 13:1, ESV)

As doctrine spills out into our lives—into our time, our hands, and our feet—before we are asked to do anything, we are first shown where our motivation and power come from.

There is a particular kind of love God has given to us: brotherly love—an adoptive love that identifies with us.

We are told to let that kind of love continue. That is, it began with Him and now extends through us.

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers…” (Hebrews 2:10–13, ESV)

Christ has become like us in every way. He has identified with us and is not ashamed to call us brothers.

When, exactly, did He do this? Did He love us only when we were lovely? Was it because He saw some goodness in us that qualified us for His love?

No. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, ESV).

“We love because he first loved us… Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:19–21, ESV)

Jesus Himself grounded the church’s credibility not merely in doctrine but in love:

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

This love is an immense reservoir from which we draw. When we are called—or summoned—to love, with all its difficulty, vulnerability, and exhaustion, are we to wait until others are more deserving or pleasant?

Has God asked us to make bricks without straw? Do we not have an example to follow? Do we not have abundant love that spills over through us? Have we not tasted and seen that the Lord is good?

Perhaps we have not, and we must look again at this brotherly love. That has been much of the sermon to the Hebrews for twelve chapters—a sustained and glorious meditation on this love.

God has given you lemons; now it is time to make lemonade.

God teaches us to bless others by blessing us.

Having established this, what does brotherly love look like?

Hospitality (v. 2)

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…” (Hebrews 13:2, ESV)

Like other gifts we receive from God, we are not permitted to take them and then refuse them to others. Consider forgiveness: we are not allowed to receive God’s forgiveness while withholding it from others. In the same way, we are not to neglect showing hospitality.

Hospitality is not an optional add-on for the especially gifted or pious. It is commanded. Yet we do not practice it as a work to earn God’s love. Rather, it is a natural mark of being like Christ. He is hospitable, and He makes us so.

The word hospitality is the root from which we get hospital and hotel—places where people are received, nourished, and cared for. The biblical term is philoxenia: love for the stranger.

Often, the people most difficult to serve are precisely the ones we are called to love—and this sounds remarkably close to the gospel itself.

Scripture identifies particular kinds of people we are to welcome—three broad categories:

Those who cannot repay us

Brothers and sisters in Christ

Strangers, prisoners, and the mistreated—the needy

These are people who cannot reciprocate our gifts. The prisoners mentioned were likely those imprisoned for their faith, easily forgotten. The strangers were often believers traveling to encourage the churches—missionaries—unknown and unfamiliar faces.

It is appealing to imagine joyful fellowship with friends and those we love.

It is less appealing to consider welcoming new people, difficult people, or those who cannot return the favor.

Jesus addresses this directly:

“And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? … But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” (Luke 6:34–35, ESV)

Jesus makes the logic plain: give, expecting nothing in return—and your reward will be great. God Himself becomes the repayment.

“When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind… For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:12–14, ESV)

The world is welcome to come to Christ, and the world is welcome at our table.

***—Possible Anecdote about inviting people to church and inviting people to our homes.

Hospitality does not always look like a dinner party. Prisoners, for example, could not attend such gatherings. But hospitality always costs something: money, time, preparation, the invasion of privacy, extra cleanup, and countless logistics.

This is precisely why hospitality is good for us. It is where theology touches the ground—where doctrine becomes real.

The text even says:

“Some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:2b)

This is a reference to Genesis 18 where Abraham hosted and served three strangers who were from Heaven, even the Lord.

This is not meant to encourage speculation about angelic visitors but to teach us that small acts of hospitality may carry enormous, unseen significance.

Jesus teaches the same mystery:

“As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40, ESV)

Even a cup of cold water given in Christ’s name is not insignificant. Hospitality is not trivial or optional; it is faithful love expressed as we have been loved.

Solidarity with the Suffering (v. 3)

“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them…” (Hebrews 13:3, ESV)

This is how we ourselves have been loved.

“For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14, ESV)

We are often forgetful of the persecuted, the poor, the lonely, the newcomer. Christ is not. He knows our frame and sympathizes with us as our great High Priest. Hospitality gives us a way to reflect that sympathy to others.

The household as training ground

Elders must be marked by it (1 Tim. 3:2).

But the place where hospitality first takes shape is the home.

Children are perfect examples of those who cannot repay.

A home filled with patient, joyful hospitality is preaching a sermon long before the preacher enters the pulpit.

You don’t want to be the kind of person that switches to a hosting voice. You don’t want to have hospitality be seen by your kids as Mom and Dad acting very weird and unnatural.

You don’t want to be screaming at your kids to pick up their socks because you are trying to show the love of Christ to the new guests at church.

You want to start where you are, where God has given you the responsibility to be hospitable today.

When you make a meal or tend to a room, do you put any care and attention into how it serves and communicates? Does the meal say I put no thought or effort into this, but here you go? I’ve heard people say that they don’t care too much for home decor. And, of course, I’m not preaching attention to care here as a rule, but is that how God has taught us to think about things?

Are not our days filled with color and sound and taste and glory? Isn’t our attention so many times in scripture drawn to the opulence of God’s overflow of generosity? How then should we live?

Love being genuine — outdoing one another in honor

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

The Christian race isn’t a competition, but we are given that language when talking about honor. It’s a joy to try hard to keep blessing others, to use what God has given and express it to others. It’s pointed out. It is useful.

Guard against performative hospitality

In an age of curated moments and posted photos, hospitality can subtly become entertainment. Ask: If no one saw this, would I still do it with the same joy?

Genuine hospitality beautifies the table because it honors God, not because it impresses guests.

Diagnosing the Heart

Often the opposite of love is not hatred but self-love. We withhold hospitality not because we despise others, but because we protect our schedules, comfort, image, or convenience.

The gospel unbends the heart curved inward on itself and turns it outward toward others. Hospitality is the heart opening outward.

If we are not hospitable, it may be because we are not seeing God’s hospitality to us.

Applications [look through these and pray]

Why does Covenant of Grace leave the calendar open?

We want you to leverage your time in the service of others. We often don’t need another bible study or more information, but we do need to apply what we know.

It doesn’t take much - practical examples

Sitting with others at church, not just the same people each time (COG does a great job here)

Order pizza, bring games, welcome and invite. Take extra effort, learn to cook, buy specific furniture, take people to a restaurant, make a gift, write a letter, give thought and actions that express service and welcome towards others.

Conclusion

This call is not about busyness or God asking us simply to do more. He is making us like Himself.

The Good Shepherd prepares a table before us.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:title–6, ESV)

This is how you have been loved. You already have a seat at His banquet table.

It is better to give than to receive, and yet the irony is that in giving we so often receive far more than we expect.

We open our homes because God has already welcomed us into His.

God loves a cheerful giver.

Hospitality is not how we earn our seat at the table; it is how we show that we know we already have one.

†HYMN OF RESPONSE #292

“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”

THE MINISTRY OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Minister: Lift up your hearts!

Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.

Minister: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Congregation: It is right for us to give thanks and praise!

THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION Mark 14:22-25

And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

CONFESSION OF FAITH Belgic Confession, Article 35

Minister: This is a table for people of faith. Without faith, we cannot receive Christ here. Let’s confess what we believe about this meal.

Congregation: We believe and confess that our Savior Jesus Christ has ordained and instituted the sacrament of the Holy Supper to nourish and sustain those who are already born again and ingrafted into his family: his Church.

This banquet is a spiritual table at which Christ communicates himself to us with all his benefits. At that table he makes us enjoy himself as much as the merits of his suffering and death, as he nourishes, strengthens, and comforts our poor, desolate souls by the eating of his flesh, and relieves and renews them by the drinking of his blood.

With humility and reverence, we receive the holy sacrament in the gathering of God's people, as we engage together, with thanksgiving, in a holy remembrance of the death of Christ our Savior, and as we thus confess our faith and Christian religion. By the use of this holy sacrament we are moved to a fervent love of God and our neighbors.

INVITATION TO THE LORD'S TABLE

This table is for those who belong to Christ through repentance, faith, baptism, and continuing union with his Church. If you do not repent of your sin, you must not come. If you do not trust in Christ alone for your salvation, you must not come. But if you confess your sin and rest in him, draw near and make your humble confession to almighty God.

PRAYER

Minister: Let's pray together. [***If they don’t have, then pray the prayer below]

Congregation: We do not presume to come to your holy table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your great mercy. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table; but you, Lord, always show mercy.

Grant us therefore, by your grace, so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

(We will sing 433 - Amazing Grace as the elements are distributed)

DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENTS

SHARING OF THE LORD'S SUPPER

THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

†OUR RESPONSE #248

Let all things their Creator bless,

and worship him in humbleness,

O praise him, alleluia!

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,

and praise the Spirit, three in one,

O praise him, O praise him,

alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

†BENEDICTION: GOD’S BLESSING FOR HIS PEOPLE

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord makes His face to shine upon you and is gracious to you. The Lord lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you peace. Amen.

Grace Notes Reflection

As Hebrews transitions to its conclusion, the author makes sure that we know what to do with the great inheritance we have received in Christ. We have been loved with brotherly love—a love that identifies with us and our needs—and have been welcomed to the throne of grace, invited to draw near with confidence in Christ.

Now we are commanded to see that this love continues, showing hospitality to all, but especially to those who cannot easily reciprocate the gift: those in prison, strangers, or the weary.

Hospitality touches keenly on those areas of our lives that are hardest to share—time, money, and privacy.

This is where what we confess to believe, and what we have so richly inherited in Christ, becomes real and tangible in our own lives. Hospitality is not an optional extra for those who seem to have an abundance to give away; it is a command to every Christian who has received an abundance from Christ.

This week, who can you show hospitality to? What changes can you make to your calendar, shopping list, or furniture arrangements to accommodate a guest?

If you don’t know where to start, look around at whom God has already given you access to today.

If you can’t host, take them out.

If you don’t have many resources, trust that God will bless a bowl of canned soup in a styrofoam bowl in your tiny apartment, if it is offered to the Lord.