Biblical Hospitality | Summer at DC | Pastor Ricky Mills
Summer at DC 2024
Biblical Hospitality
Review:
John is writing the churches because the Truth of Jesus is being attacked.
John 2:24-27 (ESV) – 24 As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life. 26 I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
Two main themes of 1st , 2nd, and 3rd John.
1. Love God by walking in truth / light and not sin/darkness.
2. Love your brothers and sister in Christ.
1 John 4:7 (ESV) – Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:20-21 (ESV) – 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
3 John ESV – 1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. 9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. 11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. 13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. 15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.
Main Characters:
Gaius: walking in truth. Showing hospitality to those ministering the Gospel.
Diotrephes: not following John’s lead and even forbids hospitality to brothers in the faith.
2 John 9:2 (ESV) – Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
Scripture on Hospitality:
- Romans 12:9-13 – Practice Hospitality
- (ESV) – 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
- 1 Peter 4:8-9 – Offer Hospitality
- (ESV) – 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
- Hebrews 13:1-2 – Show Strangers Hospitality
- (ESV) 1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
- 1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1 – Leaders must lead in Hospitality
Definition of Hospitality
Oxford Dictionary: the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or stranger
Greek: philoxenia
Love of the stranger
Opposite of xenophobia
“Expressing the welcome of God to all through tangible acts of love and service mainly through giving food and shelter.” — John Mark Comer
Radically ordinary hospitality — those who live it see strangers as neighbors and neighbors as family of God. They recoil at reducing a person to a category or a label. They see God’s image reflected in the eyes of every human being on earth.
“Radically ordinary hospitality shows this skeptical, post-Christian world what authentic Christianity looks like.”— Rosaria Butterfield
Soul Tattoo: Biblical Hospitality is not about entertaining people; it is about serving people.
Hospitality vs Entertaining:
- Entertainment is host-centered. Hospitality is about others and serving.
- Entertainment is exclusive. Hospitality is inclusive.
- Entertainment has a clear line between host and guest. Hospitality blurs the line (Jesus could host and receive)
- Entertainment is a sporadic scheduled event. Hospitality is a regularly practiced rhythmic way of life.
- Entertainment can be about the in-crowd. Hospitality is about justice for the poor.
- Entertainment is often an act of reciprocity. Hospitality is an act of generosity.
Luke 14:12-14 (ESV) – 12 Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid. 13 But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Examples of Jesus and Hospitality
- Paralytic lowered through the roof (Luke 5)
- Zacchaeus (Luke 19)
- Woman anointing Jesus’ feet – Luke 7:40-50
Luke 7:40-50 (ESV) – 40 But Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, Teacher,” he said. 41 “Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?” 43 “I suppose the one who was forgiven more,” Simon replied. “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume. 47 Therefore I tell you, because her many sins have been forgiven, she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 But those at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
First Century Church
Acts 2:42-47 (ESV) – 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 A sense of awe came over everyone, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need. 46 With one accord, they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
How Can I Practice Biblical Hospitality Today?
1. Use your HOME.
2. Lead a small group.
3. Volunteer at DCDT.
4. Invite an unsaved person to lunch.
Barriers:
1. It is just going to be awkward. What if I disagree with someone I am working with?
“’How can I love my neighbor without misleading her into thinking I approve of everything she does?’ First, remember that Christians cannot give good answers to bad questions. No one approves of everything that others do. No one. It is a false question. The better question is this: ‘How can my neighbors know that because I live under God’s authority rather than the compulsions of my own selfish desires, their secrets are safe with me?’ The answer is simple: love the sinner and hate your own sin. Or, as Mark says, ‘Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another’ (Mark 9:50).”
— Rosaria Butterfield
2. I can’t afford to host people. It will cost too much money and time.
“Hospitality shares what there is; that’s all. It’s not entertainment. It’s not supposed to be.”— Rosaria Butterfield
3. I am just not an outgoing person.
“We introverts miss out on great blessings when we excuse ourselves from practicing hospitality because it exhausts us. I often find people exhausting. But over the years I have learned how to pace myself, how to prepare for the private time necessary to recharge, and how to grow in discomfort. Knowing your personality and your sensitivities does not excuse you from ministry. It means that you need to prepare for it differently than others might.”
– Rosaria Butterfield
The root of all these and other barriers is FEAR.
1 John 4:18 (ESV) “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
Soul Tattoo: Biblical Hospitality is not about entertaining people; it is about serving people.