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Home Sweet Home: A Series on Hospitality
Question: What comes to your mind when you hear the word “hospitality?”
1. Hospitals?
2. Hospitality Industry (Hotels and Motels)?
3. Fancy Dinners on Fine China?
Biblical Hospitality: The ministry of being a gracious host to everyone we meet. How do people feel after interacting with us? Are we filling their emotional bucket or poking holes in it?
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou
Hospitality in the Bible:
1. Old Testament
2. Gospel Parables
3. Jesus’ Example
4. New Testament Letters
5. Elder Qualifications
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. —Romans 12:13 (NIV)
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. —Hebrews 13:12 (NIV)
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. —1 Peter 4:9 (NIV)
We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. —3 John 1:8 (NIV)
Our Goal Today: To help us realize hospitality is a vital
The Parable of the Seeds and Soil
We’re going to kick off our series on hospitality by talking about dirt
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ” —Matthew 13:3-9 (NIV)
- Traditional Farming: 10x was an exceptional harvest.
- Jesus: You can achieve 100x what was sown.
- The audience: What could possibly cause such a miraculous harvest?
Jesus Explains the Parable to the Disciples:
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” —Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV)
Reading the Parable as Individuals
We Need to Give the Gospel Message a Warm Welcome.
Are we willing to make room in our hearts for Jesus and the Gospel Message? Or are there too many distractions that are crowding him out? And What kind of welcome are we giving Jesus?
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” —Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Reading the Parable in Community
We Need to Be Gracious Hosts to People Seeking Jesus.
Are we wiling to make room in our church for guests and new believers, even when they don’t look like us? Or are there too many distractions that are crowding them out? And what kind of welcome are we giving each other?
(1) When the church is like seed on the path: Making the Gospel too difficult to people to understand without a seminary degree, Greek Bible, and fluency in Christian lingo.
(2) When the church is like the seed on rocky soil: Shallow theology and no long-term support for when people go through overwhelming situations.
(3) When the church is like seed among thorns: Too distracted by money, programs, facilities, etc. to minister to and care for the real people God has sent our way.
(4) When the church is like seed in good soil: The church becomes a place where people thrive.
Key Ministry Emphasis: Shepherding Groups. Smaller groups that meet after service, pray for one another, set spiritual goals together, study scripture, discuss, and brainstorm who else we can invite to hear the Gospel message. Everyone has been assigned to a group, and guests can be added to a new group today by visiting Guest Central.
Conclusion
Today’s Main Point: Hospitality is vertical (our relationship with God) and horizontal (our relationships with each other). We need to extend a warm welcome in both areas.
Invitation Song: During our next song, you can come forward to…
- Commit Your life to Christ
- Pray with an Elder or Minister
- Talk About Baptism or Next Steps
Tap here to Respond to today’s message
Questions? Contact Bryan: (609) 356-3147 or bfojtasek@westsidelife.org.
Shepherding Group Passage:
Luke 18:9-17 (Pharisee & Tax Collector, Little Children).
Question to considers:
1. How was the Pharisee like a rock or a thorn to the sinful man?
2. Why did the disciples try to stop someone from coming to Jesus?