Unlock the Power of Hospitality at Home
From the message “Hospitality At Home” by Caleb Dick (Executive Pastor, Production) on January 14th, 2024.
Have you ever heard of the “Seattle Freeze?”
It’s not about winter weather or ice cream; it’s about the tendency of people where I live to maintain politeness while resisting deeper connections. While it’s better than being overtly rude, it can also leave us stuck in shallow relationships. (I’m guessing people from outside of Seattle might struggle with this, too).
So, how can you break out of this pattern and build meaningful connections with others? It all starts with realizing that you already have an incredibly powerful tool: your home.
Why Hospitality Matters?
Hospitality Is a Reflection of God's Love
The foundation of hospitality lies in recognizing that we are all created in God's image. This universal truth extends beyond cultural and regional boundaries. When we engage in hospitality, we are more than just imitators of God; we participate in God's hospitable life.
This call to live differently stems from the belief that God has a grander plan for you. It involves embracing a life marked by hospitality and transcending cultural norms.
Hospitality Is For Everyone
Transformative hospitality requires overcoming excuses and conditions like: “I don’t have enough space” or “I don’t have the right personality type.” You can practice hospitality no matter what age, stage, or place you are.
The truth is, if you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get started. Practical steps taken imperfectly are far more valuable than waiting for the perfect scenario. So, whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, student, career, or retired; single, married, or something else - this call is for you!
3 ways you can Unlock the Power of Hospitality in your home
1 — Welcome the Foreigner and Stranger
Scripture is filled with commands to welcome foreigners and strangers. It goes beyond politeness; it extends genuine hospitality to people we don’t know - whether that be an immigrant, a door-to-door salesman, or someone at the bus stop.
”And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.“
There’s also an exciting, albeit cryptic, statement that Paul makes in Hebrews where he says that when you do this, you might have an angelic encounter:
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
It sounds pretty grand, but it can actually be very simple. Slow down, notice people, listen to them, and look for ways to show kindness, and you will have opportunities to show hospitality to strangers. It may be simply offering a bottle of water to a stranger on the street.
2 — Welcome Your Neighbor
Jesus was once asked what the most important commandment was. He responded by saying that it was to love God and love your neighbor.
But that begs another question: who is my neighbor? Jesus answered that question by telling the parable of the good Samaritan. The answer is clear: your neighbor is whoever God brings into your life.
He was often criticized because He accepted people who were deemed “outsiders” and certainly not worthy of a hospitable welcome.
16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus also said this:
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
People want to know and see that your faith is real for you. By allowing people who don’t follow Jesus to get close to you in your home, they will see Jesus in you.
3 — Welcome Your Church Family
While churches often excel at hosting events within their building, it doesn’t always make it home. We can invite people to a Sunday gathering, share a meal over Alpha, and even serve alongside them. But what if we took it one step further and invited them into the sacred space of our home?
This is how we see the very 1st church doing it:
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 favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
By inviting church family into our homes, we echo the Acts 2 model, where believers not only gathered in the temple (today, we’d call it a church) but also broke bread in homes, fostering a deeper sense of community.
13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
When you invite your church family into your home, you open the door for God to use you to encourage and be encouraged by someone else.
How Will You Unlock The Power Of Hospitality In Your Home?
God’s call to hospitality is for everyone, but it won’t look the same for everyone. Consider what is feasible and practical for you. Maybe you have the capacity to host a neighborhood barbecue. Maybe you only have the capacity to keep cookie dough stocked in your freezer for guests. Whatever it is, the kindness that it offers will always make a difference in someone else’s life.
What our world needs are people who live by a different norm. People who go beyond the shallow and aren’t afraid to swim in the deep end. By embracing God’s call to hospitality, you can break open a whole new world of meaningful connections with others.
Why not start right now?
