Hospitality | Uncommon Unity | Shane Huey
Hospitality | Uncommon Unity | Shane Huey
ICEBREAKER:
What's the weirdest or most interesting thing you've ever eaten?
MESSAGE NOTES:
Romans 12:9-13
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
“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 label. They see God’s image reflected in the eyes of every human being on earth... those who live out radically ordinary hospitality see their homes not as theirs at all but as God’s gift to use for the furtherance of his Kingdom. They open doors; they seek out the underprivileged. They know that the Gospel comes with a house key.” -Rosaria Butterfield
What Is Hospitality?
In Romans 12:13, the word for hospitality is the Greek word “philoxenia” which is a compound of two words, “philos” meaning love and “xenos” meaning stranger or guest. So literally translated, philoxenia means to love the stranger, which is the exact opposite of xenophobia, which of course means to fear the stranger.
Hebrews 13:2 says do not forget to show hospitality to strangers.
1 Peter 4:9 says show hospitality to one another.
In the qualifications for a pastor outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, listed among other things like being self-controlled and able to teach is the requirement to show hospitality.
The Motivation for Hospitality
Ephesians 2 tells us to [12] remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Luke 19:10 - The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. [The Mission]
Mark 10:45 - The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matthew 11:19 - The Son of Man came eating and drinking... [The Method]
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
QUESTION 1: Are you naturally a hospitable person? Why or why not?
QUESTION 2: How has the hospitality of others impacted your personal faith journey?
QUESTION 3: How do you plan to practically apply this scripture and content to your everyday life?
GUIDED PRAYER:
God open my eyes to the individuals around me who you would lead me to reach with hospitality. Give me the courage to connect with openness and graciousness, and ultimately exemplify your love to each person I come in contact with.