Why Should Christians Pursue Hospitality?
Romans 12: 9-13 / KC Liu / September 4, 2016
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Good morning beloved of God! Today we are on Romans 12:9-13. The message is “Why Should Christians Pursue Hospitality?” When I was preparing for this message on hospitality. I was really surprised by how many times the Bible commands Christians to be hospitable. I’ve never given a serious thought on this subject until now. And I would guess that the majority of us here have not given this subject a serious thought. It’s a subject that is not preached much, but we will tackle it today. Let’s dive in to our text Romans 12:9-13.
Allow me to read this again, with the focus centered on verse 13.
When you are eager to practice hospitality, you are not living in pretense.
When you are eager to practice hospitality, you show that you really love people.
When you are eager to practice hospitality, you are hating what is wrong.
When you are eager to practice hospitality, you are holding tightly to what is good.
When you are eager to practice hospitality, you are loving each other with genuine affection and honoring each other.
When you are eager to practice hospitality, you are working hard and serving the Lord.
When you are eager to practice hospitality, you are helping God’s people in need.
Therefore, always be eager to practice, pursue, and chase after hospitality.
What Hospitality is NOT
From that passage we know that hospitality is a HUGE deal to Paul. But we have to understand what biblical hospitality is. First I will tell you what it’s NOT:
1.Hospitality is NOT hanging out with your best friends at your house playing games. That’s not biblical hospitality. Everybody does that everywhere, Christians or non-Christians.
2.Hospitality is NOT impressing your friends with your new home décor. You got a brand new dish set and just remodeled your living room, so you invited your friends over to have a nice meal. That’s a nice gesture, but that is not biblical hospitality.
So what IS biblical hospitality?
Hebrew 13:1-2 says “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”
In Hebrew it puts the word hospitality with the word “strangers”. The Greek word for hospitality literally means “welcoming STRANGERS!” It implies that when a stranger or a guest is in need of a place to stay, you would open up your home for them. Biblical hospitality IS opening up your home to meet the needs of strangers, God’s family, and also servants of the Lord.
And this verse even says ANGELS! Yes, real angels! Literal angels! When I say Angel I am not saying “Oh you’re such an angel!” Like an adjective to describe a sweet person. No, I am talking about a spiritual being that lives in heavenly places.
Now you may be wondering, “why would the Bible say that?” I am glad you asked. This will take us all the way back to the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 18.
The first act of hospitality was from Abraham. Genesis 18 records this story:
1-2 God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them. 3-5 He said, “Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. I’ll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. I’ll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path.” They said, “Certainly. Go ahead.” 6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, “Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread.” 7-8 Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.
Abraham went out of his way BIG TIME to meet the needs of his visitors. He didn’t just pour them a drink from the fridge. He and his family went through the trouble and the time to bake fresh bread and even killed a calf to make a full course meal! Talk about being hospital! They really know how treat their guests right.
Many theologians believe that two of them were literal angels, and the other was Jesus himself visiting Abraham! And that’s why in Hebrews 13:2 it says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Now you may wonder how can Jesus appear in the Old Testament. We will save that for another sermon.
Hebrew 13:1-2 says “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”
In Hebrew it puts the word hospitality with the word “strangers”. The Greek word for hospitality literally means “welcoming STRANGERS!” It implies that when a stranger or a guest is in need of a place to stay, you would open up your home for them. Biblical hospitality IS opening up your home to meet the needs of strangers, God’s family, and also servants of the Lord.
And this verse even says ANGELS! Yes, real angels! Literal angels! When I say Angel I am not saying “Oh you’re such an angel!” Like an adjective to describe a sweet person. No, I am talking about a spiritual being that lives in heavenly places.
Now you may be wondering, “why would the Bible say that?” I am glad you asked. This will take us all the way back to the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 18.
The first act of hospitality was from Abraham. Genesis 18 records this story:
1-2 God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them. 3-5 He said, “Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. I’ll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. I’ll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path.” They said, “Certainly. Go ahead.” 6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, “Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread.” 7-8 Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.
Abraham went out of his way BIG TIME to meet the needs of his visitors. He didn’t just pour them a drink from the fridge. He and his family went through the trouble and the time to bake fresh bread and even killed a calf to make a full course meal! Talk about being hospital! They really know how treat their guests right.
Many theologians believe that two of them were literal angels, and the other was Jesus himself visiting Abraham! And that’s why in Hebrews 13:2 it says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Now you may wonder how can Jesus appear in the Old Testament. We will save that for another sermon.
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The reality was that back in the ancient times, people had to travel by horse or by foot. There weren’t cars or bikes to get around places. And there were rarely restaurants and hotels along the way. So people counted on the hospitality of strangers to survive the night.
They would travel on foot for hours and days, then when the night comes, they would knock on someone’s door and ask for a place to stay. If the host was to refuse the guest, it would have been considered rude, and also have negative impact on the traveler. It could even be a life or death situation if it was in the harsh winter times. But if the host received the guest and gave them a warm meal and a warm bed, that host was considered to be a virtuous person.
In the New Testament times, Christians were persecuted. Remember that Paul himself suffered stoning and beating and whipping. Often times, the Christians would have no where to go and nothing to eat because of their faith. In these desperate circumstances, you can imagine how important hospitality is. To take in those being persecuted. To take in those who are hungry and thirsty. To take in those who have no place to stay. That was a very big deal to God.
In fact, Jesus himself said in Matthew 25:34-35, “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 invited me in. To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”
We practice hospitality because, symbolically, we minister to Jesus himself.
Another form of biblical hospitality is opening up our homes for Gospel Ministry. The Bible says, “Day after day, in the temple courts, and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” Acts 5:42 (NIV)
You know, many unchurched people would never set foot into a church because they fear the unknown. They don’t know whether they should sit or stand. They don’t know how to sing our songs. They don’t know if they have to pay money to get in. They don’t understand tithes and offerings. They don’t know what to wear or where to sit, or how to talk to people. They don’t know if we will force them to do something they don’t want to do. Or if we will judge them before we even get to know them. There’s just a lot of reasons why none-Christians don’t want to come to church. I understand that.
BUT, if you invite your unchurched friends and neighbors to come to your house for dinner, they will most likely be willing to come. Just that simple invitation is an act of hospitality, an act of loving your neighbor. And in your home, pray that the Lord will give you opportunities for spiritual conversations to happen.
TESTIMONY: STRANGERS IN THE PARK
Let me tell a quick story about welcoming in strangers into our home. A few months ago I took the kids to the park by our house. And Amy stayed home to cook dinner. While I was there, I saw a mom with her baby girl playing as well. I noticed that they spoke Chinese so I struck up a conversation with them and found out they were on a business trip from Taiwan.
The conversation went on for awhile, and it was getting dark, and we were about to head our separate ways. But May’s phone died, and asked if she can borrow my phone to call her husband Ben to pick her up. I said sure of course. But they would have to wait an hour in the dark to get picked up. And it wasn’t very safe there. Might have wild animals at the park. So I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to invite them over to our house for dinner. Was it be a little strange to invite complete strangers over for dinner? Yeah, kind of! But at that moment I sensed that God wanted our family to minister to their family. They were very polite and didn’t want to bother us. But I insisted.
Amy probably thought it was so strange that I brought a strange family home from the park. But we ended up just making friends with them that night. And then Amy invited her over again the following day for a play date, and also to bake together. And I got to talk to Ben about God and Christianity. And we opened up the bible and did a little bible study over dinner. We invited them to the 1.5G service and they got to experience church for the first time. Welcoming strangers is such a rewarding experience!
THEY NEVER STOPPED TEACHING
Notice another important element of hospitality in Acts 5:42, “They never stopped TEACHING…” Their fellowship at the home centered around teaching the Word.
It centered around prayer according to the Word. It centered around encouraging one another with the Word.
I really enjoy the times when Salt Fellowship comes over to my house. We will always cook and eat together. And some of the sweetest times are when we get to share what God is doing in our lives, and we share God’s word and pray for each other.
Also, I remember the first time I experienced Christian Hospitality. When I just became a believer in 1996, my friend Santosh would always invite me to his house. There were always tons of people there. And so many people live there I didn’t even know who was who. And 5 things would be happening at the same time. There would be a group playing video games. Another group playing foosball. Another group eating at the table. Another group playing guitar and worshipping and singing. And another group studying the bible and praying. Because of their open hospitality to all, Christians and non Christians, I saw firsthand what authentic community looked like.
BE A H.O.S.T.!
So what can you do? One of the easiest ways to open up your home for teaching ministry is to HOST a small group in your home. Don’t think that you have to be a gifted teacher for the teaching ministry to happen at your house. There are excellent teaching materials out there already. All you have to do is be a HOST. How do you know if you can be a HOST? Ask yourself these four qualification questions:
H – Do you have a HEART for people?
O – Can you OPEN your home?
S – Can you serve a snack?
T - Can you TURN on the TV?
If you can do these four things, you can be a HOST! This is the model that we are using for COUPLES Fellowship. Jerry and Julia have been such gracious HOSTS for the couples. They don’t actually teach the study, but they just turn on the TV and we use a DVD teaching series to study together. This is a great ministry that can only happen through hospitality.
Be hospitable to God’s servants because you will be rewarded.
Matthew 10:40-42 says, "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.”
Whenever there is a servant of God who is looking for a place to stay for a few days, fight for the opportunity to host them at your house. God will reward you greatly for doing so. Most likely, these type of people are returning missionaries on furlough, or traveling preachers and evangelists. I know quite a few actually. If you want to open your guest room to them, let me know. I will hook you up. There’s also a good chance that they will personally minister to you and encourage you in your faith. It’s a win-win situation.
BARRIERS TO HOSPITALITY
So you might be convinced that as a Christian you should be hospitable. BUT… there is just something keeping you from doing so. There are barriers in our lives that we have to overcome. Here is a confession of a man named Dave:
“Twenty-one years ago I married Tina, a girl who looked forward to opening her home to people for meals, travel stops, and fellowship. She thought nothing of having several families at a time over for a meal and discussion. To me it was a big expense, a lot of work, and an opportunity for things to get broken, stolen, or worn out. For years I saw my home as my personal castle—a place for my seclusion and my relaxation. Instead of wanting to share with others, I focused on preserving what I had and adding to it.The results of my mind-set began to mount. My wife was unfulfilled in her urge to fellowship and to meet the needs of others. Some of my children were beginning to pursue their own selfish interests, modeling their lives after their father. My view of hospitality was a surface problem that sprang from an inward selfish focus. I had become selfish not only toward those around us but also toward my wife and children. Our ministry potential was cut short, and my family suffered as they were labeled unfriendly due to my lack of friendliness.”
God convicted this Christian man named Dave, and he opened up his home for ministry purpose, and took in those in need. He labored with his wife and kids to set up living spaces and everything. They worked as a ministry team. When he did that, his whole family changed. He continues to testify:
“Most important, we began to see God working in the lives of others. My children saw couples struggling in marriage, reunited, brought back to church, and even brought to Christ. My daughters began to see a purpose in the family rather than looking to the day when they’d be on their own.”
Now I am talking to all the Parents, this statement is so PROFOUND. As a parent, I got rocked when I read this statement. Let me read that again: My daughters began to see a purpose in the family rather than looking to the day when they’d be on their own.
I think about my own kids. They are still little right now. But I am thinking if they are going to want to move out when they turn 18. If they do, will it be because they don’t see any value of our family being together? We can’t just be functional housemates. We have to be a FAMILY, being there for each other through thick and thin. We rejoice together and weep together. We are a FAMILY TEAM, that makes a difference in other people’s lives. That together we are stronger. We are greater than the sum of our parts.
If I neglect hospitality to those in need, I will indirectly teach my kids to be independent and just look out for #1. Me, myself and I. And eventually, when I grow older, I will not be offered hospitality when I need it from my own family. And that is a very scary thought.
I’ve seen it. I was just at a Korean BBQ, and a grandma was out begging for food, but got rejected. It broke my heart. Where is her family? They have abandoned her. Why? I really don’t know. Could be many reasons. But there’s also a possibility that she didn’t practice hospitality when she had the power to do so. And as a result, her family refuse to show her hospitality. I know these type of things happen. This thing really comes around. We reap what we sow.
When God tells us to do something, it is because it’s very important, and it will affect our lives. God commands us to be hospitable people. It’s not an option.
Hospitality is not just a spiritual gift, but a command.
The Bible says, "And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
(Leviticus 19:33-34) God says, “I have been hospitable to you. Therefore, be hospitable to others. I am the Lord your God.” It doesn’t sound like an option to me.
The most radical form of hospitality I know personally is by my friend Pastor Lee Nguyen. Inheritance Magazine did an article on him called “We are Family, All the Gangsters, Strangers and Me.” Lee with his wife and 3 kids, welcomes in gangsters, and total strangers off the street to live with them. Lee says to the Gangsters with knives and guns – "you can kill me easily. But you will have to face God." And sure enough, they would hand Lee their weapons and drugs.
Lee said, “how would you define the term “radical”? If radical means obeying Jesus, I wouldn’t call that too radical. I would just call that obedience and Christian life.”
REFLECTION & DISCUSSION QUESTION
How can you start practicing biblical hospitality? What is one action step you can take to make sure this is a reality in your life?
PS. If you are reading on the internet, please contact me and let me know how this message stirred you to action. Thank you! Email: Pastor.KC@icloud.com
So you might be convinced that as a Christian you should be hospitable. BUT… there is just something keeping you from doing so. There are barriers in our lives that we have to overcome. Here is a confession of a man named Dave:
“Twenty-one years ago I married Tina, a girl who looked forward to opening her home to people for meals, travel stops, and fellowship. She thought nothing of having several families at a time over for a meal and discussion. To me it was a big expense, a lot of work, and an opportunity for things to get broken, stolen, or worn out. For years I saw my home as my personal castle—a place for my seclusion and my relaxation. Instead of wanting to share with others, I focused on preserving what I had and adding to it.The results of my mind-set began to mount. My wife was unfulfilled in her urge to fellowship and to meet the needs of others. Some of my children were beginning to pursue their own selfish interests, modeling their lives after their father. My view of hospitality was a surface problem that sprang from an inward selfish focus. I had become selfish not only toward those around us but also toward my wife and children. Our ministry potential was cut short, and my family suffered as they were labeled unfriendly due to my lack of friendliness.”
God convicted this Christian man named Dave, and he opened up his home for ministry purpose, and took in those in need. He labored with his wife and kids to set up living spaces and everything. They worked as a ministry team. When he did that, his whole family changed. He continues to testify:
“Most important, we began to see God working in the lives of others. My children saw couples struggling in marriage, reunited, brought back to church, and even brought to Christ. My daughters began to see a purpose in the family rather than looking to the day when they’d be on their own.”
Now I am talking to all the Parents, this statement is so PROFOUND. As a parent, I got rocked when I read this statement. Let me read that again: My daughters began to see a purpose in the family rather than looking to the day when they’d be on their own.
I think about my own kids. They are still little right now. But I am thinking if they are going to want to move out when they turn 18. If they do, will it be because they don’t see any value of our family being together? We can’t just be functional housemates. We have to be a FAMILY, being there for each other through thick and thin. We rejoice together and weep together. We are a FAMILY TEAM, that makes a difference in other people’s lives. That together we are stronger. We are greater than the sum of our parts.
If I neglect hospitality to those in need, I will indirectly teach my kids to be independent and just look out for #1. Me, myself and I. And eventually, when I grow older, I will not be offered hospitality when I need it from my own family. And that is a very scary thought.
I’ve seen it. I was just at a Korean BBQ, and a grandma was out begging for food, but got rejected. It broke my heart. Where is her family? They have abandoned her. Why? I really don’t know. Could be many reasons. But there’s also a possibility that she didn’t practice hospitality when she had the power to do so. And as a result, her family refuse to show her hospitality. I know these type of things happen. This thing really comes around. We reap what we sow.
When God tells us to do something, it is because it’s very important, and it will affect our lives. God commands us to be hospitable people. It’s not an option.
Hospitality is not just a spiritual gift, but a command.
The Bible says, "And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
(Leviticus 19:33-34) God says, “I have been hospitable to you. Therefore, be hospitable to others. I am the Lord your God.” It doesn’t sound like an option to me.
The most radical form of hospitality I know personally is by my friend Pastor Lee Nguyen. Inheritance Magazine did an article on him called “We are Family, All the Gangsters, Strangers and Me.” Lee with his wife and 3 kids, welcomes in gangsters, and total strangers off the street to live with them. Lee says to the Gangsters with knives and guns – "you can kill me easily. But you will have to face God." And sure enough, they would hand Lee their weapons and drugs.
Lee said, “how would you define the term “radical”? If radical means obeying Jesus, I wouldn’t call that too radical. I would just call that obedience and Christian life.”
REFLECTION & DISCUSSION QUESTION
How can you start practicing biblical hospitality? What is one action step you can take to make sure this is a reality in your life?
PS. If you are reading on the internet, please contact me and let me know how this message stirred you to action. Thank you! Email: Pastor.KC@icloud.com