THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
The world’s largest hotel chain owns exactly zero square feet in hotel room space.
Airbnb® was launched in 2007 when two roommates could not afford to pay their rent in San Francisco. In order to make a little extra money to cover their expenses, they had the idea of putting an air mattress in their living room and charging people to stay there. For many, the idea was laughable. Who would pay to sleep in the home of a perfect stranger?
But a decade or so later, Airbnb has three million lodging listings in 65,000 cities and 191 countries. These are real people opening up their homes to strangers and inviting them in. Clearly, the thought of staying in a real home resonates with a lot of folks in a lot of cultures.
Gracious hospitality is nothing new. Being hospitable is, in fact, a very spiritual characteristic. Hospitality is a command and one Christians must embrace if we want to live in a welcoming posture to those coming into the faith. Our graciousness and hospitality to individuals outside our circle of friends attracts people to the gospel we profess.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
1 Peter 4:7
7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer.
Hospitality. This was an important quality that characterized the New Testament church; the biblical writers knew it was of great importance.
Hospitality played a key role in the spread of the gospel in the days when the church was just beginning to flourish. When traveling to a new area, people were at the mercy of those who lived in that city. Therefore, Christians took hospitality seriously, and fellow believers who had been displaced were welcomed into the homes and lives of others. This graciousness helped the gospel to spread and take root in these communities.
Times have changed. Despite the fact that we live much of our lives in a “public” way online, most people value privacy more than they did in the past. Though we might put forth a version of ourselves through social media, we still really like our personal space and private time. The nature of hospitality runs counter to this, since hospitality is sharing what we consider to be “personal” with each other in a sacrificial way.
True enough, some gravitate more naturally towards this kind of sharing with others and are bent towards a more “public” approach to life than others. But if we take the words of Scripture seriously, hospitality is more than a character trait that is easier for some to practice than others; it’s a command.
To live lives of hospitality, we must begin with prayer. When we pray, we recognize that we are incapable of doing, providing, or manufacturing something on our own. In prayer, we express our reliance on God as our Provider. In prayer, we acknowledge our selfishness and commitment to our own desires are what keep us from sacrificially serving and loving others in the most practical of ways.
So what should we pray for in order to foster an attitude of hospitality?
- Pray that God would help us see ourselves as stewards. One of the reasons we struggle with hospitality is we see ourselves as owners. We own a house. We own our time. We see these things are ours. But we are not owners; we are merely stewards. Everything we have has been given to us by God to use for the sake of His kingdom. Everything.
- Pray that God would help us confront our greed. Another reason we struggle with hospitality is that we are just plain greedy. We hoard our resources for our own personal use and comfort, and our greed makes us reluctant to share them with anyone else. Hospitality is one of the ways God actually breaks us of this mindset.
- Pray that God would bring us opportunities. If we really want to be obedient to the command of hospitality, then we should be praying for the opportunity to put action to our faith. We should ask God to open our eyes to the needs around us. When we start praying for opportunities to show hospitality, we’ll soon be surprised at how many we’ll find.
Peter began verse 7 with the reminder that “the end of all things is near.” We pray, act in love, and practice hospitality because time is of the essence. The end is near so let’s pray, and let’s welcome people into our lives. In so doing, we also welcome them into God’s kingdom.
1 Peter 4:8-9
8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
Love is not a feeling; it’s a deeply held commitment for the good of another that is always worked out in tangible, practical ways. That’s why hospitality is one of the most concrete signs of love. It’s a physical, practical way we serve someone else which also costs us something personal.
For the Christian, hospitality is not just an act to be performed; it is a lifestyle to be assumed. To understand why that is so, we first need to understand what hospitality is. While certain acts, like making a casserole or opening your home, are indicative of hospitality, the characteristic itself has a deeper meaning and implication than these actions that demonstrate it. The word for hospitality used in this passage comes from the combination of two words: “love” and “stranger.” Literally, then, hospitality is the love of strangers.
In the ultimate act of hospitality, God provided a way to welcome us through the death of Jesus Christ. Therefore, hospitality is a characteristic built into the spiritual DNA of all those who have experienced God’s divine hospitality. Hospitality, then, compels us to put aside our own interests, lay down our own desires, and welcome the needs of others ahead of our own. Jesus did that for us, and we’re to do likewise.
During His earthly life, Jesus practiced the essence of hospitality, which is sacrificing something of your own to welcome others. Hospitality is not merely a set of actions; it’s a posture of living that grows out of “constant love for one another.” Let’s love like Jesus, assuming a posture of sacrifice to welcome others into our lives.
1 Peter 4:10-11
10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
God gives His children spiritual gifts—not for our own sake, but for the sake of building others up. He gives us gifts to be used in service. When we exercise our gifts for the sake of the body of Christ, we can do so with confidence, knowing God will give us what we need to do so.
The power and provision is God’s responsibility; He does all the enabling we will need. But we have a responsibility as well. Rather than being passive bystanders to God’s enabling power, we must act in faith to make the most of what God is providing.
Think of this divine/human partnership like a sailboat. The only way a sailboat is going to be propelled through the water is by the force of the wind. But the diligent sailor does not simply wait for the wind to blow. Rather, the sailor positions the sail so it can make the most of the wind when it does start to blow.
So it is with us and the enabling power of God. For our hospitality and other spiritual gifts to make a difference, we need the empowerment of God. But we have the responsibility to position our lives in such a way that we are ready to make the most of what God is going to do in and through us.
When God works through us using our spiritual gifts, many things happen. The most obvious one is that other people benefit. They might benefit from an encouraging word, from an act of service, or from the gracious welcome of hospitality. But that’s not all that happens. Our willingness to be used by God to serve other people implicitly communicates important things we believe to be true:
- We are speaking about our provision. Exercising hospitality will cost us in time, energy, resources, and even privacy. When we willingly allow God to use us to demonstrate hospitality, we are testifying that we believe God to be our great Provider.
- We are speaking about our contentment. Hospitality requires us to share with others, which often means we will have to make do with less for ourselves. But when we choose this posture of hospitality, we are testifying about our personal contentment.
- We are speaking about our future. God is not merely redeeming individuals; He is building a people for His own glory. These people will live together with Him for all eternity. Heaven will not be lived in isolation, but in community. When we welcome others in, we are living out a small foretaste of what’s to come in the future.
LIVE IT OUT
Hospitality might be easier for some than others but we are all commanded to be hospitable. Choose one of the following applications.
- Greet. Arrive at church a few minutes early this week. Spend extra time in the area outside the worship room to make sure you say hello and meet people you don’t know.
- Host a group. Look for an opportunity to host a small group in your home or to be a greeter in your Bible study group.
- Share a meal. Dedicate one Sunday each month to be a day when you will invite someone into your home for lunch. Make this a regular rhythm in your life.
Regardless of whether our natural personality is welcoming or not, we are compelled by how God has welcomed us to extend the same welcome to others.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher Notes:
Teacher Notes:
Hospitality??
Video: Right Media: Loving Others - Logan said that it is important to invite people into the reality of what life is and in the reality of our messes. Do you agree with her? How do you invite people into your life?
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Sometimes we get so busy that we forget what it looks like to engage, love well the person that is right in front of you.
We all believe that it important that Right doctrine in the church is taught. But church doctrine is not only to be learned, it is to be lived.
People inside and outside the church evaluate us by the way we live more than by how much we know. The best way to communicate what we believe is to live what we believe. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
Our third lesson is called Gracious Hospitality for good reason. Hospitality is a Biblical command. It is not about providing hotels and restaurants to visitors. It doesn’t even mean allowing strangers to rent rooms in your house. Gracious hospitality is a sacrificial extension of brotherly love that begins with prayer.
I. Prayer lays the groundwork for our love and hospitality.
1 Peter 4:7
The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer.
Hospitality. This was an important quality that characterized the New Testament church; the biblical writers knew it was of great importance. Hospitality played a key role in the spread of the gospel in the days when the church was just beginning to flourish. When traveling to a new area, people were at the mercy of those who lived in that city. Therefore, Christians took hospitality seriously, and fellow believers who had been displaced were welcomed into the homes and lives of others. Times have changed. Despite the fact that we live much of our lives in a “public” way online, most people value privacy more than they did in the past. Though we might put forth a version of ourselves through social media, we still really like our personal space and private time. The nature of hospitality runs counter to this, since hospitality is sharing what we consider to be “personal” with each other in a sacrificial way.
Why is prayer so important to hospitality?
- To live lives of hospitality, we must begin with prayer. When we pray, we recognize that we are incapable of doing, providing, or manufacturing something on our own. In prayer, we express our reliance on God as our Provider. In prayer, we acknowledge our selfishness and commitment to our own desires are what keep us from sacrificially serving and loving others in the most practical of ways.
- Prayer an essential ingredient in the way we reflect God’s understanding of hospitality.
- Prayer represents our interaction with God, time spent in His presence and a reflection of our attitude toward the Lord. Our attitude toward the Lord will shape our disposition toward others.
What should we pray for in order to foster an attitude of hospitality?
- Pray that God would help us see ourselves as stewards. One of the reasons we struggle with hospitality is we see ourselves as owners. We own a house. We own our time. We see these things are ours. But we are not owners; we are merely stewards. Everything we have has been given to us by God to use for the sake of His kingdom. Everything.
- Pray that God would help us confront our greed. Another reason we struggle with hospitality is that we are just plain greedy. We hoard our resources for our own personal use and comfort, and our greed makes us reluctant to share them with anyone else. Hospitality is one of the ways God actually breaks us of this mindset.
- Pray that God would bring us opportunities. If we really want to be obedient to the command of hospitality, then we should be praying for the opportunity to put action to our faith. We should ask God to open our eyes to the needs around us. When we start praying for opportunities to show hospitality, we’ll soon be surprised at how many we’ll find.
Peter began verse 7 with the reminder that “the end of all things is near.” We pray, act in love, and practice hospitality because time is of the essence. The end is near so let’s pray, and let’s welcome people into our lives. In so doing, we also welcome them into God’s kingdom.
II. Constant love leads to a lifestyle of hospitality.
1 Peter 4:8-9
Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
For the Christian, hospitality is not just an act to be performed; it is a lifestyle to be assumed.
- To understand why that is so, we first need to understand what hospitality is. While certain acts, like making a casserole or opening your home, are indicative of hospitality, the characteristic itself has a deeper meaning and implication than these actions that demonstrate it.
- The word for hospitality used in this passage comes from the combination of two words: “love” and “stranger.” Literally, then, hospitality is the love of strangers.
- In the ultimate act of hospitality, God provided a way to welcome us through the death of Jesus Christ. Therefore, hospitality is a characteristic built into the spiritual DNA of all those who have experienced God’s divine hospitality. Hospitality, then, compels us to put aside our own interests, lay down our own desires, and welcome the needs of others ahead of our own. Jesus did that for us, and we’re to do likewise. During His earthly life, Jesus practiced the essence of hospitality, which is sacrificing something of your own to welcome others.
How would you explain what a constant love looks like?
- Love is not a feeling; it’s a deeply held commitment for the good of another that is always worked out in tangible, practical ways. That’s why hospitality is one of the most concrete signs of love. It’s a physical, practical way we serve someone else which also costs us something personal.
- The greatest attribute of true believers is love for God, which enables them to love others.
- The love believers have toward one another is to be deep, earnest, and constant.
Why did Peter say in verse 9 to show hospitality without grudging?
- Believers are to rejoice over opportunities to demonstrate kindness to others without complaining or grumbling because of the cost or inconvenience.
III. God enables us to love and serve others.
1 Peter 4:10-11
Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
How does God enable us to love and serve one another?
- We are to support others who have given themselves to ministry with the resources and abilities given to us. We are to be good stewards of the grace gifts given to us. When we speak, we are to serve in His strength and not try to do things on our own. All that we say and do ought to glorify God both now and forever.
- God gives His children spiritual gifts—not for our own sake, but for the sake of building others up. He gives us gifts to be used in service.
When God works through us using our spiritual gifts, many things happen. The most obvious one is that other people benefit. They might benefit from an encouraging word, from an act of service, or from the gracious welcome of hospitality. But that’s not all that happens. Our willingness to be used by God to serve other people implicitly communicates important things we believe to be true.
What are your gifts and talents? How do you use them to serve and love others well? What can you do to actively invite people into your life?
Logan said, "And I just really think, if people can learn how to love each other in the need, meet the need and you can serve, and open your front door, and let your mess be exposed to somebody else and they expose their mess to you, there’s this authenticity of relationship and community and love that makes a transaction there."
- Hospitality points to the great Provider. It will cost us in time, energy, resources, and even privacy. When we willingly allow God to use us to demonstrate hospitality, we are testifying that we believe God to be our great Provider.
- Hospitality points to contentment. It requires us to share with others, which often means we will have to make do with less for ourselves. But when we choose this posture of hospitality, we are testifying about our personal contentment.
- Hospitality points to heaven. God is not merely redeeming individuals; He is building a people for His own glory. These people will live together with Him for all eternity. Heaven will not be lived in isolation, but in community. When we welcome others in, we are living out a small foretaste of what’s to come in the future.
We should live expectantly because Christ is coming. Getting ready to meet Christ involves continually growing in love for God and for others. It’s important to pray regularly, and it’s important to reach out to needy people. Your possessions, status, and power will mean nothing in God’s kingdom, but you will spend eternity with other people. Invest your time and talents where they will make an eternal difference.
LIVE IT OUT
Jesus told His disciples that He came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Mat. 20:28). May this be our vision of hospitality—seeking not to be served, but to sacrificially serve our families, friends, neighbors, church, community, travelers, and strangers all with Jesus and for Jesus.
