Hospitality is Fun || How Do I Do This? || Part 3

How many of you have experienced the transformative power of accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? How many of you have committed to living a life of repentance, knowing that it leads to a new, purposeful life? How many of you believe that the only path to heaven is through Jesus? If you have, it’s a testament to the hope and inspiration that Jesus brings. If you haven’t, no worries. The Bible says you need to say that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and turn away from your sinful lifestyle into the one God has created for you. If you’re interested in doing so, this series will help you.

Once you make the decision, you may feel like nothing has changed. Your next question may be, “What’s next?” or “What now?” That’s what I intend to answer in this series. Over the following four parts, we’ll examine the new things you will do with the Holy Spirit inside your heart. I hope you enjoy this series. I’m simply calling it “Now What?”

Today marks part three of a five-part mini-series within this series. We will explore Romans 12:6-21 to understand the gifts within us, how to be kind to others, how to be hospitable, how to treat others with respect, and the essence of Christian living. This mini-series is titled “How Do I Do This?” and I hope it fills you with anticipation and joy as we uncover the unique gifts God has bestowed upon each of us.

Romans 12:11-13

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 express hospitality.

Christian hospitality, as Paul explains, differs from social entertainment. Entertaining often focuses on the host, ensuring their home is spotless, the food is well-prepared and plentiful, and they are relaxed and positive. In contrast, Christian hospitality focuses on the people. It is not about the state of the home or the quality of the food, but about the heart of the host and their willingness to serve and love others. It happens in a messy home, during a simple dinner, and when the hosts and guests work together.

Paul shares ways of hospitality in verses 11 and 12. Serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be hospitable with joy. Even when you’re not prepared to host, be joyous. When those guests show up unannounced when the last-minute plans are made, you’re tired, or when you’re picked up to dinner with friends. Be hospitable with joy. We follow the moral law that God set for us, and Jesus affirmed in his teaching, “Love others as you love yourself.” You may feel unique, joyous, happy, comforted, and more when someone shares hospitality with you. This means we can and are called to share that same hospitality with others.

Verse 12 shares how we can serve others with hospitality. Rejoice in the hope of community. Be patient in the chaos of the community. Pray for each other. Community involves celebrating the highs of life together and feeling the lows of life together. It’s a place to be vulnerable, compassionate, excited, and more with each other. We cannot live a healthy life alone, but we can do so through relationships and community. Not just a romantic relationship, so that we can get married and have kids and all that, but platonic relationships. People you can go to any time to share the hurts you’re feeling or share the good news of something exciting. People who encourage you, cheer you on, motivate you, comfort you, pray for you, and share the love of God when it feels like God is far away. Being on the giving side of this doesn’t take wealth, time, or energy but a commitment to show up when needed, however long you need to be there until God says go.

Acts 20:18-21

18           When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now.

19           I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.

20           I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.

21           I have had one message for the Jews and Greeks alike – the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

Paul served humbly with many tears but never quit or gave up. This man had been flogged multiple times, beaten, starved, chased from many towns, survived shipwrecks, and more, and continued to share the Gospel. The message of salvation was so important that he never missed an opportunity to share it. He preached boldly in different ways to fit different audiences. He always kept the message the same, though: “Repent and turn to God by faith in Jesus Christ.”

How I would preach to an elderly community versus teenagers would be two different ways. I would preach to teens versus children in two different ways. Hearing different ways of telling the same story helps build understanding and application. Working in the church, I’ve learned that it takes someone five times through different mediums to grasp a point. If I were sharing a message with teenagers, I would give the in-person lesson, post a simplified lesson video on YouTube, share snippets of that video on TikTok, share pictures of the scripture and critical points on Instagram, and share an audio version on Spotify. Five different ways to hear the same message.

The Christian journey we walk is full of adversity, tears, sorrows, and joys. Just as Paul does, we should be ready to boldly share our testimony. We must share the good things that God has done for us through the Good News of salvation. Teenagers don’t want a school lesson but a real story. People don’t want a teaching but an application. The best way I’ve learned to share the Good News is through an example of what those teachings have shown in my life and how we should reflect that in the world.

Revelation 3:15

15           “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other!”

For context, Jesus is telling John, the author of Revelation, to share a message to a church in Laodicea. Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven cities (there were seven total messages sent at the beginning of Revelation), known for its banking industry, manufacture of wool, and medical school that produced eye ointment. The city had a problem with its water supply, and at one time, an aqueduct was built to bring water from hot springs to the city. When the water reached the city, it was neither hot nor refreshingly cool. It was just lukewarm water, which is horrible tasting. Connecting back to the church, they had become lukewarm in faith and thus distasteful and disgusting. The believers didn’t take a stand for anything; their apathy and indifference led to idleness. The church had become hard-hearted and self-satisfied by not doing anything for Christ.

God won’t use an apathetic, self-sufficient, nominal (self-proclaiming) Christian. God wants a person who sees the hurts of those around them and hurts along with them and wants to see a change happen. God wants someone who relies on God to complete the mission. God wants a person who lives out the teachings of Christ and does not use Christianity as a face-value title. When we become Christians, we put all of ourselves in our relationship with God and follow God’s commands. We don’t do it halfway, but let it fuel your fire to go out and make a difference in this world.

Hebrews 13:2

2             Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

Three Old Testament people entertained the angels without realizing it: Abraham, Gideon, and Manoah. I went into depth about their stories in Manna for the Mind #51 if you want to hear them. Some people claim they cannot be hospitable because they don’t have a big enough home or nice stuff. Even if you have no more than one table and two chairs in a rented room, people would be grateful to spend time with you. Hospitality is about making others feel comfortable and at home. How that works for you will differ from what works for me, but the goal is still the same. Share a space that brings comfort to someone. Allow someone to feel loved and belong in your space.

This is how we can be hospitable. In the next part of this mini-series, we will look at how we can treat others with respect. Until then, stay blessed.