Enthusiastically Pursue Hospitality

I used to think that I love hospitality.... I love cooking and having people over and opening my home! The Bible commands us to to practice hospitality (Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 4:9; Hebrews 13:1-2), so as a believer who wants to live in obedience to the Lord, we should most definitely be practicing hospitality! But I had to laugh when I learned last weekend that I wasn't really practicing hospitality (biblically speaking) nearly as much as I thought I was, because I didn't really know what it meant!

Over the next few days I want to share with you some of the main things I took away from Lisa Tatlock at our women's retreat, but I can't hardly cover everything....SO, I would GREATLY encourage you to listen to her three messages here(start with the bottom message first, and work your way up). I will forever be changed (by God's grace) by the wonderful truths in scripture that she opened my eyes to. Here are some of the things from my notes.

"Hospitality means loving strangers." That is the biblical definition of hospitality, and one that I was ignorant of. Who are strangers?

• Fellow believers (Rom. 12:3; 1 Tim. 3:2; Heb. 13:1-2)
• Widows and orphans (1 Tim. 5:1-16)
• unbelievers (Luke 5:29; Acts 5:42)
• the poor and needy (Luke 14:12-14)
• missionaries, christian workers, pastors (Matt. 10:9-11; Luke 10:7-16; Acts 16:15)
• foreigners, immigrants, or refugess--also called "aliens" (Gen 18:1-22; Lev. 25:35)

Wow! For me this is huge! We often have friends over and even people from church we don't know so well and want to get to know better, but strangers? People I don't know? People who may have needs or may not even know the Lord? I don't usually think of having people over for the purpose of meeting needs, spiritual encouragement, sharing the gospel, providing a place to stay, sharing my possessions, etc. But this is true ministry!

"Hospitality is a lifestyle, not an event." When Lisa made this statement, I knew it was a quote I will never forget, and one I want to live out. Did you know that? Hospitality is a day to day practice that we should be involved in, not a once a week event in our home! I never realized this! I should always be looking for opportunities to meet the needs of others. I need to be enthusiast and joyful in serving the needy. Aaron and I need to be willing to cheerfully give of all that God has given us. I will end today with this passage that blew me away. This is not usually what you see in the church today, but it starts in our individual lives...

Acts 4:32-37 "And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet."

Not only do my things belong to the Lord, but because they belong to the Lord, they also belong to fellow believers, and yes, maybe even strangers.