Show Hospitality
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
Introduction:
The last few times I have stood up here to preach, I have been trying to deal with the question how should member of a church relate to one another. We looked at 1 Corinthians 12’s teaching that we are all part of a body linked together and so when one member hurts, we hurt with them; when one rejoices we rejoice with them. Last time we looked at the foundational relationship that we are to have between one another: Love. As we continue looking through the “one another” passages in the bible we come to 1 Peter 4:9 which tells us that we are to
Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
Tonights message really will be more of a topical message but in introduction I would like to look at what this verse means.
What is Hospitality? the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way. The word literally is the combination of two words loving strangers. While this passage has a lot to do with loving each other within this local church; the very essence of the word deals with how we treat Christians who are strangers to us.
The verb to this passage is assumed; so it could be translated as Be hospitable one to another.
I. Who is to show hospitality?
I. Who is to show hospitality?
A. Widows
Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
B. Pastors and ministers
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
C. All believers
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
II. Who are we to show hospitality towards?
II. Who are we to show hospitality towards?
A. God’s servants
Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.
B. Strangers
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
We have an example of this very thing in the Old Testament right before Abraham and Sarai were told they were going to have a child and immediately before the destruction of Sodom and Ghomorra in:
And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
It is commonly believed that the Lord Himself was one of these two men and the angels who destroyed Sodom were the other two men that appeared to Abraham. This wasn’t out of the ordinary for Abraham though. Jewish culture and even Jewish law dictated that he do what he did.
And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
This command was based off the premise that Israel had been strangers in the Land of Egypt when God brought them out. Because of their common experience and God’s deliverance, they were to show kindness to the strangers. Likewise, we as believers are called strangers and pilgrims.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
As a matter of practical application putting all the politics aside, what should our response be to immigrants in our country?
C. The poor
Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
coffee, dinner, gospel
If we want to know how to do evangelism in a post christian world, the answer is hospitality- sam chan
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Hospitality costs us something: it costs us time and it costs us money. That is why Peter follows up this command by challenging us not just to be hospitable but to do it without grudging. The word grudging in this verse comes from the idea of talking under one’s breath, murmuring or complaining. It isn’t enough to do the right things; we must also do the right things in the right attitude. I think it is important again that this command follows directly after the command to love one another. The motivation behind hospitality must be love for people. The word itself in Greek has the word love in it.