2014.11.16 Four Levels of Hospitality in the Bible

11-16-2014 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

SermonAudio

Nathan Ference – Back-to-Back Mission trip to Mexico over spring break –
Mike Marette – so many of our kids have gone on mission trips – if we added up the parts of the world our kids have gone, it is amazing!
Lord, thank You for Your grace – and for Nathan and his commitment to go to Mexico – I know Alan and Annette went a few years ago with this same mission group – thank You that Nathan would take his spring break to serve You. Thank You for the opportunity to worship – the point is not us, it is You – that You might take glory in the praise of our lips, as weak as that might be – that we could touch Your heart through praise is amazing. Teach us as a church, that we could learn from You – that You could open our hearts to things that are important.
We are going through 3 John – taking 3 weeks – this is week 2 – Gaius is the friend to whom this is written – he has some wealth, the church meets in his house – probably an important person in the city.
3 John 1:5-8 NET
Dear friend, you demonstrate faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers). They have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone forth on behalf of “The Name,” accepting nothing from the pagans. Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we become coworkers in cooperation with the truth.
What this passage – this is the entire passage for today – and it is talking about biblical hospitality. Gaius is a hospitable man – and John is thanking him. He is supporting ‘The brothers” – at that time, there was no compiled Bible. A synagogue might have some scrolls – it was a big job to pull those out and read them. There needed to be a way to communicate the gospel to the world – the apostles were given the responsibility to transmit the life of Jesus – but they were numbered, so they trained other men to train other men to take the message of the teachings of Christ. There were no Sunday School resources – no teaching curricula.
So these men would come from James/Peter/Paul/John – and often they would say – this is a trustworthy guy – pay attention to them – and the churches would put them up and listen to them.
John sends some folks to Gaius, and Gaius welcomes them into his home. Not just for one night – but probably for several nights/weeks/maybe even months. And he takes them in – feeding/caring for them – they came under his responsibility. And then meet their needs when you send them on their way. Hospitality was a primary virtue in that day. It is especially true in the church.
Hebrews 13:2 NIV Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
In New Testament times, when people travelled, it was a dangerous thing to do. You couldn’t just stop at a hotel with ice machines and bed bugs!
There may have been inns – but even they were dangerous places – so when one went into a city – they would go to a friend of a friend – I have 3 kids in Columbus – and it would be like you showing up at their door and saying – I know your dad!
Travel was a dangerous proposition.
Even though hospitality is so important – it wasn’t always done. Think of Mary and Joseph going to the home of their ancestors – and no one puts them up – no one shows hospitality – so in that environment, you have a worldwide church organization that has no other method of communicating except sending people from town to town – hence the importance of hospitality. Gaius took in strangers – have you heard of Xenos in Columbus – big church? It means ‘stranger’.
There are some similarities and differences in hospitality in the Bible – there are at least 4 levels of hospitality in the Bible –
Business Casual Hospitality – being friendly and polite – the basics of hospitality – saying Hello! Good Morning! Shaking hands – saying – Welcome, my name is Mike, what is your name? It is what you find at Lowe’s and restaurants! We need these basic levels of hospitality in our lives.
When you have boys – you teach them how to shake a hand – respond with respect!
In the church, what is really important – it is genuine, and honest, and heartfelt. It can’t be a ‘sales technique’ – you can tell the difference between the two. Rarely do you find the ‘genuine’ at a used car lot! It happens – just rarely! (If you are a used car dealer reading this, I am confident you are one of the rare ones!).
We need to be careful of over-exuberance in this area. At a sit-down restaurant – you want the server to meet your needs based on your needs – to refill the water once it is empty. Or when you are ‘just looking’ – and the salesperson wants to ‘look with you’! No!
What we need to do – as a church community – the key in making someone feel welcome is to make them feel welcome at the level they want to feel welcomed. There is a difference there – a subtle difference in how we approach people. What is this person comfortable with? It is understanding body language – if someone keeps looking at their watch – THEY HAVE SOMEPLACE TO GO! We need to be sensitive to peoples’ space and time. We need to be friendly and sensitive.
Norman Rockwell hospitality – small town hospitality – having people over for a meal, coffee, - a social engagement around food and entertainment. It is really important to do this – we are losing this, but let me say, we do it pretty well here. Opening house, time, wallet, for the purpose of connecting relationally with people. It may be going OUT for coffee. People are much more comfortable in this day and age going out. Not everyone, but some are more comfortable.
Serving with no returns.
Luke 14: 12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 13 But when you give a [h]reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they [i]do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Do not do your hospitality with ulterior motives – they will see through them instantly.
A way we do this – making meals for people – giving with no return. Helping someone move- we have someone here today, Doug, who has helped more people move than anyone else in the history of time – sharing tools -
4th – it incorporates the other 3 – a deep level – receiving a person into your life – there is a big difference than Business Casual hospitality – it is making a person a part of your life – a whole other step! It is uniquely different. Oftentimes, it just doesn’t happen.
3 john – He is commending Gaius because that is what he did. He took them for an extended period of time – and what did he do – like the Good Samaritan – who pays for his stay – takes care of everything, and sends him on his way with enough to keep going.
3 John 1:7 For they have gone forth on behalf of “The Name,” accepting nothing from the pagans. Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we become coworkers in cooperation with the truth.
In showing hospitality to them, you have shown hospitality to Jesus. Like Jesus said – whatsoever you do – you do for Jesus. Hospitality goes way beyond just welcoming people – just like we would receive Jesus if He showed up. How would I welcome Him?! And then treating a STRANGER in that way!
Leviticus 19 – this is the background of the Good Samaritan story
18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.
33 ‘When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.
Love your neighbor as yourself… Who is my neighbor, Jesus was asked…
It is the Good Samaritan – the person you wouldn’t normally associate with – you are to take strangers and make them feel like a complete part of your community – a part of your family.
How do we practice level 4 in the real world? Churchwise/Individual-wise:
1) as a church – we need a place to belong – not a place to join! There is a subtle difference: People join a church, but they don’t always belong. Someone will visit a church – eventually they say, “This is my church” – and even further – “These are my people” – do you see the difference?
The church needs to be a family/a community – it is really different – Jesus used the terms brother and sister when they talk about the way relationships work. – They said ‘brother and sister’ – because that is what their relationships were like. It is hard to take that step – becoming like Family – like genuine brothers and sisters. Family is an exclusive word – time pressures and stresses – we put these walls around family time and keep others out of those times – and yes, we need times like those, but family is never to be exclusive when it comes to the church.
Jesus was talking at a house – and his brothers and mother showed up at the house – and Jesus said – who are my brothers and sisters and mother? Those who do the will of God! What should your relationships be in the Christian community? Like a family.
It is really hard to get to that level.
Second – become a lover of strangers – personally. That doesn’t throw all caution to the wind – it doesn’t mean that we invite murderers into our houses because they are strangers – that is not the point – but learning to love people who are different, whom we don’t shar e things in common. There is always some risk in that – in loving people who are different.
Two ways to do this – we live in a transient society – people move – and when they come into a new community as a stranger – they need a Christian community/home/not just a place to worship – and we need to be more than a place to worship – we are not just a good place to worship – we need to be a home, a community – critical ministry.
Identify the aliens and strangers among us – who are the outsiders – the strangers – the new people – who are strange! Identify them – and be hospitable – welcome them and receive them into your life. Marginalized sections of the community – ethnic groups – immigrants – who are they in our world, and how do we show hospitality and welcome them into our lives.
3 – to do that – it requires us to initiate. We can do that in church – to be hospitable, you must be an initiator. Once/twice per month – think – I am going to talk to someone new – maybe not someone brand new, but ‘new to you’ – like a consignment store! Find a stranger and engage relationship.
4 – incrementally increase the number of people you welcome and receive into your life. For you – it might be adding just one person into your life – because of all that is going on with you – but if you want to become hospitable – that is what you need to do.
God wants us to grow in this area. We think of ourselves as strangers who need to be found – but I think God wants us to think of ourselves as people who need to find strangers!
5 – don’t just hang around people your own age – or in your small group – someone in a different category than you are in – Paul talks about the church as neither male/female – Jew/Greek – people with children/without children – this race/that race – it is just so segregated and divided – EVEN WITHIN A CHURCH! Everything is so separated – and hospitality is the willingness to break down those barriers. If you are single – find a family with a dozen kids – or two – and if you are a family with a half-dozen kids – find some single – or a senior citizen.