Saturday July 4, 2015

Read 1 Peter 4:8-10, Romans 12:9-13

When I was growing up it was a common occurrence that someone from church would come home with us – across rough gravel roads for 50 minutes  in the early days – for lunch and fellowship. In this way we got to know many people who came to live in the town or district and who got involved in the church. Over the years the number of people who came to our home would have added up. Some stayed in the area for several years, some were only passing through. We met missionaries, backpackers, exchange students, teachers, nurses, bank managers, farm hands, students, etc. Everyone was interesting to meet and had a story to tell.

Offering hospitality is an action Peter and others urged the early church to be involved in diligently. Acts 2 speaks of the early days in Jerusalem: where the disciples (new and old) “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

That meeting with one another in each other’s home was a regular mark of the church that warranted Luke to mention it as the way these people interacted with each other in love.

Peter wrote: ^“8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:8-10)

When a man and a woman first meet and romance begins to blossom, one of the first things most couples will do is share a meal together. This is because eating food is a neutral act that everyone has to do. We all have to eat. But food being eaten together can do more than simply be consumed. It can create bonds of friendship/unity. Some cultures use the act of eating a meal together as making an agreement. Once you have shared the act of eating food together you have an agreement to be friends, not enemies.

Peter says that we should offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. It should definitely be something we do gladly and widely across the church.

The purpose of offering hospitality is for using our gifts to encourage a brother or sister in Christ. Some of the most beautiful relationships are formed through enjoying hospitality together. Paul exhorts us to: “Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:13) And again it comes out of sincere love in vs 9.

Love is the motivator. Love is the foundation. Love stemming from the love of God demonstrated to us through the giving of His Son, so that we might be caught up into salvation and fellowship with the Lord our God. As Jesus said, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Hospitality can be offered with a picnic in the park, wrapped up in a warm home with a plate of hot food, a cup of tea/coffee on the verandah (ah, sorry, the deck), at a nice restaurant, or even at Maccas. Remember, hospitality is about people sharing food/beverages together by helping one another grow in our relationship with Jesus. Let’s be hospitable and entertain the saints of our church.

Prayer:

Using today’s passage and the reading notes spend time in prayer.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray for the Lord to show you someone at church tomorrow to whom you can show hospitality.

· Pray that  you will grow to sincerely love others from the church.

· Pray for those who have just begun to walk with Jesus.

· Pray for the people who will be visitors at your church tomorrow

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Think of one other person/family you would like to encourage in the Church. How could you encourage them in the Lord?

2. What would be the best offer of hospitality you could be offered?

3. What would be the worst?