Christian Hospitality: Necessity and Limitations

WEBVTT 1 00:00:11.390 --> 00:00:15.550 So last time I preached, I preached from verses one through four. I'm 2 00:00:15.669 --> 00:00:18.429 this time I'm going to focus on five through the end of the letter. 3 00:00:19.070 --> 00:00:26.379 But let's go ahead and read the whole letter of Third John The elder to 4 00:00:26.420 --> 00:00:30.539 the beloved Guius, whom I love and truth. Beloved, I pray that 5 00:00:30.579 --> 00:00:33.380 all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, 6 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:37.770 as it goes well with your soul, for I rejoiced greatly when the brothers 7 00:00:37.810 --> 00:00:42.090 came, test came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking 8 00:00:42.170 --> 00:00:46.250 in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children 9 00:00:46.289 --> 00:00:51.159 are walking in the truth. Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do 10 00:00:51.479 --> 00:00:55.880 and all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified 11 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:59.759 to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on 12 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:03.920 their journey in a manner worthy of God, for they have gone out for 13 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:07.549 the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the gentiles. Therefore, we 14 00:01:07.670 --> 00:01:12.629 ought to support people like these that we may be fellow workers for the truth. 15 00:01:12.670 --> 00:01:18.469 I have written something to the church, but dial trephus, who likes 16 00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:22.739 to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, 17 00:01:22.819 --> 00:01:26.019 I will bring up what he is doing. He talked wicked nonsense against 18 00:01:26.060 --> 00:01:30.659 us, and not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and 19 00:01:30.859 --> 00:01:36.530 also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. Beloved, 20 00:01:37.090 --> 00:01:41.930 do not imitate evil, but imitate good. Whoever does good is from 21 00:01:42.010 --> 00:01:47.319 God, whoever does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has received a good 22 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:53.000 testimony from everyone and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, 23 00:01:53.319 --> 00:01:57.120 and you know that our testimony is true. I had much to write you, 24 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:00.640 but I would rather not write with pen and ink. I hope to 25 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:04.629 see you soon and we will talk face to face. Peace be to you. 26 00:02:05.109 --> 00:02:16.379 The friends greet you. Greet the friends each by name. I'm well. 27 00:02:16.460 --> 00:02:21.580 In this letter we see what we see in all of the letters of 28 00:02:21.939 --> 00:02:25.139 the New Testament, but here, because it's short, we see it in 29 00:02:25.180 --> 00:02:30.729 a concentrated form, and that is the life of the church. We see 30 00:02:30.770 --> 00:02:35.289 the life of the church here, playing out in many ways, the theology 31 00:02:35.370 --> 00:02:38.810 of the church as well, but also with very clear, clear eyes, 32 00:02:38.930 --> 00:02:45.080 the life of the church. We have these people listed by name, Gius, 33 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:52.639 Demetrius, style trephus. We have others who are testifying to the truth 34 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:55.000 of this person and or the love of Gius. We have, at the 35 00:02:55.039 --> 00:03:00.069 end in verse thirteen, John's hope to come and talk to them face to 36 00:03:00.189 --> 00:03:02.389 face. We have a sense of that distance, distance and a desire to 37 00:03:02.469 --> 00:03:07.949 be together. The friends greet you, greet the friends each by name. 38 00:03:07.949 --> 00:03:14.340 Right when John Writes, he has particular people in mind. He desires closeness, 39 00:03:14.500 --> 00:03:20.780 unity, fellowship, love and love in the truth. Well, as 40 00:03:20.900 --> 00:03:24.300 he does so, he brings up this very particular theme that plays out often 41 00:03:24.419 --> 00:03:28.889 in the life of the Church and is very important, important enough that it 42 00:03:29.169 --> 00:03:32.449 features centrally here in one of the letters of the New Testament, and that's 43 00:03:32.449 --> 00:03:38.569 the theme of hospitality. Now, sometimes when people think about hospitality they think 44 00:03:38.569 --> 00:03:43.080 about it in a very little box. They think about just inviting someone over 45 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:46.479 to your house, or they might which is which is a form of hospitality, 46 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:50.319 to be sure, and the most common one perhaps, which is why 47 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:53.639 we think about it that way. But it's of course more than that. 48 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:58.069 Some people will narrow down even more. They'll say it's inviting your people over 49 00:03:58.110 --> 00:04:01.870 to your house when you have the fancy dinner, where and when you serve 50 00:04:01.990 --> 00:04:05.669 the Nice meal and at this certain time of the year and you we build 51 00:04:05.710 --> 00:04:12.419 up all of these expectations such that some of us never do hospitality under that 52 00:04:12.539 --> 00:04:17.980 definition right or we perhaps choose not to because we're afraid that we can't. 53 00:04:19.420 --> 00:04:29.529 But hospitality is simply loving strangers and in particular Christian strangers, brothers and sisters 54 00:04:30.050 --> 00:04:32.089 in the church, and that can show up in a lot of different ways. 55 00:04:32.209 --> 00:04:36.970 It can show up in the way we greet people who come here to 56 00:04:38.129 --> 00:04:41.560 church in the mornings. That can be in the way we welcome them into 57 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:45.959 our homes. It can be all kinds of different things. Whether we have 58 00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:49.680 a big place or a little place, even if we're homeless on we can 59 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:57.029 find ways to show love to strangers, loved Christian brothers and sisters that maybe 60 00:04:57.110 --> 00:05:02.310 we don't know very well yet and we're getting to know. As we begin 61 00:05:02.389 --> 00:05:05.350 to think about some of these things and think about them from Third John, 62 00:05:05.350 --> 00:05:12.540 I'd like you to begin by asking yourself about your own experiences of Christian hospitality. 63 00:05:12.579 --> 00:05:17.060 I'm have you ever been in a place perhaps that wasn't very hospitable and 64 00:05:17.100 --> 00:05:21.170 maybe you needed it to be? Have you ever been in someone's home where 65 00:05:21.209 --> 00:05:28.370 you didn't feel safe or where you didn't feel welcomed, or where maybe there 66 00:05:28.449 --> 00:05:30.569 was a show of welcoming but you could kind of tell that it was a 67 00:05:30.769 --> 00:05:35.120 show, maybe a little too intense, maybe a sense that they were looking 68 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:41.959 for approval by you or someone else, that the point of the hospitality really 69 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:46.480 wasn't the service of you, but maybe to share it online. Perhaps you 70 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:53.069 leave those situations not feeling on strengthened and encouraged, but maybe even depleted, 71 00:05:53.790 --> 00:05:59.389 worn out, tired, frustrated, maybe even a little bit used. I'll 72 00:05:59.430 --> 00:06:03.339 think of the opposite. Have you ever experienced hospitality where you felt uplifted, 73 00:06:03.420 --> 00:06:06.980 encouraged, a little bit higher when you learn, when you left, like 74 00:06:08.180 --> 00:06:13.220 you can see heaven a little bit better after that conversation, after that meal, 75 00:06:13.300 --> 00:06:17.540 after that NAP? Maybe it was a welcoming smile. Maybe it was 76 00:06:17.569 --> 00:06:23.529 the way they remembered your favorite tea from last time. Maybe was the time 77 00:06:23.689 --> 00:06:28.089 they just spent with you just talking together in the living room, or maybe 78 00:06:28.089 --> 00:06:30.290 it was the way they left you alone and just let you take a nap 79 00:06:31.170 --> 00:06:34.920 on the couch or in the guest bedroom or on the porch or something like 80 00:06:35.079 --> 00:06:41.920 that. In our passage today we meet a man who gave himself to other 81 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:46.269 Christians, even strangers people did didn't know very well, and he showed them 82 00:06:46.389 --> 00:06:51.310 this this love. He's commended for it by the Holy Spirit and through this 83 00:06:51.389 --> 00:06:57.230 Leotte letter, Jesus commends all of us who show this kind of hospitality and 84 00:06:57.350 --> 00:07:02.779 he gives us instruction that we might grow in it. So let's begin first 85 00:07:02.779 --> 00:07:09.420 by considering the necessity of hospitality and God's word. First, Peter for nine 86 00:07:09.500 --> 00:07:16.410 tells the church be hospitable to one another with out complaint. Elders and deacons 87 00:07:16.449 --> 00:07:21.649 are told to be hospitable as qualifications for their office. And Timothy and titus. 88 00:07:21.810 --> 00:07:28.529 First Timothy and titus, Romans thirteen is a favorite passage of mind and 89 00:07:28.610 --> 00:07:32.920 says contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. One 90 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:38.040 thing I like about this versus it reminds us that why we show hospitality is 91 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:43.920 to contribute to the needs, and those maybe needs of all kinds. They 92 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:48.029 the ways in which we share our resources with others. But it also reminds 93 00:07:48.069 --> 00:07:53.430 us that, and as I mentioned, that we seek to show this to 94 00:07:53.629 --> 00:07:58.620 strangers. Where am I getting that from, this hospitality being for strangers? 95 00:07:59.500 --> 00:08:03.620 The Greek word is Phila. Zenia. You might have heard of xenophobia, 96 00:08:03.620 --> 00:08:09.939 right the fear of strangers. Feel of Zennia is love, of our love 97 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:16.930 toward strangers. It's kind of the opposite in a way. It's welcoming people 98 00:08:18.089 --> 00:08:22.610 that you don't totally know yet. It's an active thing that goes on. 99 00:08:22.970 --> 00:08:26.600 It's a way that requires a certain amount of trust, a certain amount of 100 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:33.399 of trusting not only them but the Lord. We'll get into some more of 101 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:37.559 that in a moment. The other thing about Romans twelve that I really like 102 00:08:37.879 --> 00:08:43.509 is the words seek. Says seek to show hospitality. Seek as an active 103 00:08:43.549 --> 00:08:48.070 word. It means we're to be proactive in loving Christian brothers and sisters. 104 00:08:48.110 --> 00:08:52.149 In fact, the verbs even a little stronger here than seek, and we 105 00:08:52.269 --> 00:08:56.820 know that from Romans twelve fourteen. It's the verse that comes right after that. 106 00:08:56.779 --> 00:09:01.860 It says bless those who seek you. Bless and do not persecute them. 107 00:09:03.340 --> 00:09:05.860 But if you're reading along in your Bible as you know that it doesn't 108 00:09:05.860 --> 00:09:11.570 say seek, it says persecute. Bless those who persecute you, bless and 109 00:09:11.690 --> 00:09:16.850 do not curse them. The same word that's used in Romans thirteen is the 110 00:09:16.889 --> 00:09:20.730 same word that's used in Romans fourteen. The kind of zeal with which our 111 00:09:20.809 --> 00:09:26.519 enemies might pursue us in order to harm us is the same kind of zeal 112 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:31.320 that we are called to pursue being hospitable towards people. Doesn't that striking right 113 00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:39.269 to pursue a persecute is a negative kind of pursuit, whatever the positive flip 114 00:09:39.389 --> 00:09:43.990 side of that? That's what seek here means when it says seek hospitality, 115 00:09:46.389 --> 00:09:52.139 and those two things are important and that they go together. Now these commands, 116 00:09:52.259 --> 00:09:58.100 John has a very particular kind of hospitality in mind in this passage. 117 00:09:58.100 --> 00:10:03.899 Let's get into it. God encourages us through this encouragement to guy us. 118 00:10:03.980 --> 00:10:09.490 He calls him to face. He calls him faithful. Look at look at 119 00:10:09.529 --> 00:10:13.210 verse five. He says it is a faithful thing that you do in all 120 00:10:13.250 --> 00:10:18.610 your efforts. Faithful means that he's fulfilling a duty, he's fulfilling a call, 121 00:10:18.769 --> 00:10:24.679 he's obeying these commands that we've read. Well, what about that calling? 122 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:30.960 That calling is described in his efforts or works for these brothers, and 123 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:35.159 we see also that these efforts are having these effects. As John is commending 124 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:37.269 and encouraging guys. He says, Look, you're faithful man, you're doing 125 00:10:37.309 --> 00:10:41.029 a good job in all these work, all this effort that you were giving 126 00:10:41.070 --> 00:10:46.070 for the brothers, and it's having this effect. These brothers who are served 127 00:10:46.070 --> 00:10:50.700 by him. They go out and then they testify before other people in the 128 00:10:50.779 --> 00:10:54.259 church. Man Guius, he is great. It was awesome being at his 129 00:10:54.379 --> 00:10:58.379 house. We were really cared for, we were helped out, we were 130 00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:05.370 encouraged. They testified to his love before the church. He goes on in 131 00:11:05.490 --> 00:11:09.409 verse six and says you will do well to send them on their journey in 132 00:11:09.529 --> 00:11:15.009 a manner worthy of God. These brothers were testifying of his love, not 133 00:11:15.169 --> 00:11:20.200 his show of love, but is actual love. He goes on to say 134 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:24.799 and impress this need even further by saying you will do well to send them. 135 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:30.519 So you can see how guy us both has taken these commands very seriously 136 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:35.070 and how the Lord is encouraging him in them. He's given guy us a 137 00:11:35.149 --> 00:11:39.590 pat on the back, which we often need. We need the encouragement of 138 00:11:39.629 --> 00:11:45.429 the Lord to tell us we're doing well, we're growing, we're striving and 139 00:11:45.509 --> 00:11:48.740 it's blessing other people, and that's what's what's happening here. It's a joyful 140 00:11:48.740 --> 00:11:54.299 thing. To See. We see so, in other words, we see 141 00:11:54.379 --> 00:12:00.700 some of the necessity of hospitality in this commendation that's given to guy us. 142 00:12:01.730 --> 00:12:05.730 We also hear of its necessity in verse seven. For they have gone out, 143 00:12:05.850 --> 00:12:11.850 that is, those brothers, even strangers to guy us, brothers who 144 00:12:11.850 --> 00:12:18.639 are strangers. They have gone out for the sake of the name. This, 145 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:22.759 of course, refers to the name of Jesus Christ. They have gone 146 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:28.120 out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing of from the gentiles. 147 00:12:30.830 --> 00:12:35.549 This probably means that they are preaching the Gospel, they are going out, 148 00:12:35.710 --> 00:12:39.429 they're doing that great commission work and they're but as they do it they are 149 00:12:39.509 --> 00:12:46.340 not taking money from the gentiles. But a guy's got to eat, guys 150 00:12:46.379 --> 00:12:50.019 got to be encouraged in his work. So how does he get paid? 151 00:12:50.059 --> 00:12:54.379 How do you get paid when your work is going out and preaching the Gospel 152 00:12:54.500 --> 00:12:58.409 to gentiles that you're not taking money from? Well, as we see here 153 00:13:00.370 --> 00:13:03.690 this, the means are supplied for by the church. That's what's happening here. 154 00:13:03.769 --> 00:13:09.009 Guius is supporting these men who are coming into his home and then going 155 00:13:09.210 --> 00:13:13.360 out. They are accepting nothing from the gentiles, but they are accepting something 156 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:20.200 from Guius and from from others as well, and this is, of course, 157 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:24.039 the situation that goes on today. This is the right thing to do 158 00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:28.789 and as one myself who is lovingly supported by this church for the work of 159 00:13:28.870 --> 00:13:35.870 Ministry, I'm very aware how important it is and how thankful I am to 160 00:13:35.149 --> 00:13:41.230 all of you to be able to do that work, supported by your love, 161 00:13:41.389 --> 00:13:43.580 your Guius like love, or, even better, your Christ like love 162 00:13:45.940 --> 00:13:52.899 to me. As this work is done, it's important to recognize the reason, 163 00:13:54.419 --> 00:13:58.730 the reasons that John gives here, for why we ordained, or why 164 00:13:58.809 --> 00:14:03.169 God is ordained things in this way, because what we see here is it's 165 00:14:03.250 --> 00:14:07.850 not just about muzzling the OX, which of course it is partly about. 166 00:14:07.970 --> 00:14:11.200 Paul says that, and First Corinthians nine and first timothy hundred and eighteen. 167 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:16.440 He says the laborer deserves his wages, but it's also about the name of 168 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:22.960 Jesus ad is as it is proclaimed. In other words, these men are 169 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:28.950 concerned that that they're asking from money from the gentiles, might be seen might 170 00:14:30.190 --> 00:14:35.029 somehow affect their witness to them. Perhaps they're concerned, as has happened over 171 00:14:35.110 --> 00:14:39.460 various times, that it is seen that for the Christian Ministry of the Gospel 172 00:14:39.500 --> 00:14:43.220 is seen as a money making tool, like that's what it's all about, 173 00:14:43.299 --> 00:14:46.700 which, of course, it's not what it's all about. They want to 174 00:14:46.740 --> 00:14:50.259 make that clear to these gentiles, that they're meant, that they're ministering to 175 00:14:52.009 --> 00:14:56.250 they also the other advantage here is that they see the spirit of Christ at 176 00:14:56.409 --> 00:15:03.529 work in the love and the commitment and the Co Laboring Witness of the Gospel 177 00:15:03.049 --> 00:15:07.279 with the rest of the church. In other words, when a, when 178 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:13.080 a, when the gentiles meet this or that minister, it's not just him 179 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:18.120 out there by himself. He has the whole church behind him, supporting him 180 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:24.990 financially, but also testifying and witnessing with that love. If they want to 181 00:15:24.029 --> 00:15:26.190 see it, all they have to do is go as guy as his house, 182 00:15:28.149 --> 00:15:33.669 where they see that love, that unity, that common commitment to the 183 00:15:33.710 --> 00:15:43.740 name of Christ in action, and that's a beautiful thing. This brings us 184 00:15:43.740 --> 00:15:50.570 to verse eight. Therefore, we ought to support people like these that we 185 00:15:50.809 --> 00:15:58.850 may be fellow workers for the truth. In other words, this a minister, 186 00:15:58.049 --> 00:16:02.570 then, as is described here in third John is not just out there 187 00:16:02.649 --> 00:16:06.039 on his own, he's with this great body of people, you might even 188 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:11.440 say the body of Christ. You've heard me before, perhaps in variou settings, 189 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:17.720 talk about corporate evangelism. This is partly what I have in mind when 190 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:21.909 we talk about these things. The witness of the church is not just one 191 00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:27.190 or two or even two hundred individuals proclaiming and discipling and teaching. It's that, 192 00:16:27.629 --> 00:16:33.259 but it's all the other things as well, the love that happens in 193 00:16:33.340 --> 00:16:37.379 the homes, the truth and the love coming together, the discipling and the 194 00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:42.980 relationships all working out with as the witness goes forth and as it is testified 195 00:16:44.139 --> 00:16:48.649 to within the body of Christ. It's all of us together, each doing 196 00:16:48.769 --> 00:16:53.370 his own part, lifting the name of the Lord up in Truth and in 197 00:16:53.570 --> 00:17:00.809 love. It's a beautiful picture and it's a beautiful thing that's happening here in 198 00:17:00.970 --> 00:17:04.039 this church and it's a beautiful thing when it happens in our church as well. 199 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:10.599 It's something we ought to pray for, strive for, move towards and 200 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:18.150 ask God's blessing, and which is why to Transition Demetrius, or, I'm 201 00:17:18.190 --> 00:17:22.990 sorry, Diotrephus, is such a problem and why John Speaks so strongly about 202 00:17:23.029 --> 00:17:29.549 this man, because dial treffus is not about the name of Christ. Dial 203 00:17:29.670 --> 00:17:33.660 treffus is not about binding people together in this love and truth that John has 204 00:17:33.700 --> 00:17:40.380 been talking about. Dial trefis likes to put himself first. Diotrephus is about 205 00:17:40.380 --> 00:17:45.490 the name of dial trephus. He does not acknowledge our authority. Why is 206 00:17:45.650 --> 00:17:52.329 that important? Because John Speaks with the authority of Christ. He is the 207 00:17:52.410 --> 00:17:56.450 apostle. We confess this morning in the nicene creed that we believe in the 208 00:17:56.930 --> 00:18:03.839 Apostolic Church. We confess the authority of the apostles in our life, in 209 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:11.480 our doctrine, and so somebody who rejects the Apostolic Authority is to reject Christ 210 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:18.910 himself. So John's going to talk about it. He says if I come, 211 00:18:18.990 --> 00:18:22.069 I will bring up what he's doing. John's not afraid to say hard 212 00:18:22.230 --> 00:18:30.140 things, to roughle feathers, to make people uncomfortable. He's talking wicked nonsense 213 00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:34.619 against us and he goes on with that. We see the problems of Diotrepus 214 00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:38.619 even further. He says not content with that. Like gives if that was 215 00:18:38.740 --> 00:18:47.650 bad enough right to go against Apostolic Authority, to talk wicked non sense against 216 00:18:47.690 --> 00:18:52.490 us. He goes even further. He refuses to welcome the brothers and others. 217 00:18:52.730 --> 00:18:56.759 He's refusing to do the very thing that guys is doing. He won't 218 00:18:56.839 --> 00:19:03.160 welcome them, he won't support them. As you said, it's Dia trefus. 219 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:07.960 is about dial treffus. He refuses to welcome the brothers. And we 220 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:11.829 can go yet another step further. John says he stops those who want to. 221 00:19:11.630 --> 00:19:14.710 So somebody says, well, you know, Dia Trefus, you don't 222 00:19:14.750 --> 00:19:17.670 want to welcome them. I can see your perspective. I'll bring them in 223 00:19:17.789 --> 00:19:21.470 my home. No, you cannot. Is What dialtreffus is doing. He's 224 00:19:21.509 --> 00:19:26.380 not only refusing the brothers himself, he's keeping other people from doing it and 225 00:19:26.500 --> 00:19:33.900 even puts them out of the church. DIALTREFFUS is a big problem. In 226 00:19:33.019 --> 00:19:41.569 other words, he's going against everything that John has been speaking about, and 227 00:19:41.690 --> 00:19:45.130 so this reminds us that, as we are called to this kind of hospitality, 228 00:19:45.250 --> 00:19:49.369 we are called to exercise wisdom in it, especially when it comes to 229 00:19:49.529 --> 00:19:53.759 hospitality, is it concerns ministers of the Gospel, those that we welcome, 230 00:19:53.839 --> 00:20:00.119 those that we support. HEBRES thirteen, two which I'd like to bring up 231 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:03.160 here as a really interesting verse. It says do not neglect, similar to 232 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:07.869 other verses. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing 233 00:20:07.950 --> 00:20:14.309 so, some have entertained angels without knowing it. Now, this word angels 234 00:20:14.309 --> 00:20:18.190 is the same word as messenger and it refers to one of two kinds of 235 00:20:18.269 --> 00:20:26.059 messengers, spiritual messengers or human messengers. Either as spiritual messengers, it's like 236 00:20:26.259 --> 00:20:30.980 those who Abraham entertained. You remember in Genesis when these angels came on. 237 00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:37.410 These spiritual beings came and Abraham hosted them, or they might be human messengers 238 00:20:37.569 --> 00:20:42.569 like Guius is hosting. Either way, we have a command either way, 239 00:20:42.809 --> 00:20:48.009 and maybe the author of Hebrews means both. This verse indicates that we won't 240 00:20:48.049 --> 00:20:56.240 always know the whole situation because they're unaware of something. Right they may not 241 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:00.000 know that these are messengers, in other words, days they do not neglect 242 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:04.470 to show hospitality, these Christians will not know everything about the people that they 243 00:21:04.470 --> 00:21:11.470 are hosting. Right so it tells us that we don't always know what's going 244 00:21:11.589 --> 00:21:15.309 on. This, in part reminds us that we are to be wise, 245 00:21:17.910 --> 00:21:22.460 but not over calculating, not overly demanding, and what we want to know 246 00:21:22.579 --> 00:21:26.900 about a person before we welcome them into part of our lives. After all, 247 00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:32.180 if we knew someone so well well, they wouldn't really be strangers anymore, 248 00:21:32.180 --> 00:21:37.529 would they? But once we do know something about them, we know 249 00:21:37.690 --> 00:21:41.490 that this is brother so and so from such and such a church, or 250 00:21:41.569 --> 00:21:44.730 this is sister so and so for such and such a church, or there's 251 00:21:44.730 --> 00:21:48.000 a someone who wants to be a brother or this is someone who is wanting 252 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:52.440 to be a sister, we ought to welcome them in, to not neglect 253 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:57.359 to show hospitality to strangers. But on the flip side, once we learn 254 00:21:57.480 --> 00:22:00.710 that a brother is a false brother, once we learn that a sister is 255 00:22:00.789 --> 00:22:04.549 a false sister, once we learn that someone is in fact seeking to do 256 00:22:06.309 --> 00:22:11.230 evil deeds, we are called to close the door. We are called to 257 00:22:11.430 --> 00:22:18.460 stop and not support, not participate in, the evil works that someone is 258 00:22:18.819 --> 00:22:26.859 engaging in. Now, this kind of love is hard. It's kind of 259 00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:32.410 wisdom is hard. It's one reason that Christ ordains deacons in the church to 260 00:22:32.490 --> 00:22:37.049 help guide US and and center US and and direct us in this kind of 261 00:22:37.250 --> 00:22:42.049 love. This kind of love requires all hands on deck at cause it's wisdom, 262 00:22:42.130 --> 00:22:47.000 it requires knowledge of the scriptures right to be able to be discerning about 263 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:52.440 who is proclaiming apostolic teaching and who is not? It requires our constantly checking 264 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:59.750 our own hearts and our own motivations. I said love is hard. So 265 00:22:59.910 --> 00:23:03.789 that my question, then, is where does this kind of strength and joy 266 00:23:03.309 --> 00:23:10.950 and love come from, this very self denying task? And the answer is 267 00:23:11.150 --> 00:23:15.339 from the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. You can't give what 268 00:23:15.500 --> 00:23:22.180 you don't have. You can't love people with this kind of love if you 269 00:23:22.339 --> 00:23:26.380 don't have that kind of love in yourself. In the scriptures tell us that 270 00:23:26.500 --> 00:23:30.170 we're born in sin, that we love ourselves more than anything else and we 271 00:23:30.289 --> 00:23:37.730 love ourselves in this really twisted, idolatrous kind of way, and even as 272 00:23:37.769 --> 00:23:42.359 Christians, that flesh remains in us and it makes it very difficult sometimes to 273 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:48.039 show this kind of love, to exercise this kind of discernment. But what 274 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:52.039 the Bible teaches us is that the word, and through the word in the 275 00:23:52.119 --> 00:24:00.309 spirit, God puts to death our selfishness. He teaches US wisdom, he 276 00:24:00.470 --> 00:24:04.630 helps us to grow in love. He takes things like fear, clinging to 277 00:24:04.750 --> 00:24:11.660 our possessions and he puts them aside and instead he opens our eyes to our 278 00:24:11.700 --> 00:24:15.940 responsibilities. He gives us a desire to fulfill them. He gives us eyes 279 00:24:15.980 --> 00:24:22.660 even to see Christ himself, who is, the scriptures say, came not 280 00:24:22.900 --> 00:24:30.049 to not to be served, but to serve Jesus, speaking of Jesus, 281 00:24:30.170 --> 00:24:34.609 once said to a man who invited him to a dinner. He said, 282 00:24:34.650 --> 00:24:38.400 when you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or 283 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:42.880 your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, lest they also invite you 284 00:24:42.920 --> 00:24:48.160 in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite 285 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:52.519 the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will 286 00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:56.630 be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the 287 00:24:56.750 --> 00:25:07.259 resurrection of the just. Here Jesus tells us. Here Jesus tells us not 288 00:25:07.460 --> 00:25:11.740 to host in order to be repaid by people, but in order to be 289 00:25:11.900 --> 00:25:18.740 repaid by God. But how is it that we are repaid by God? 290 00:25:19.059 --> 00:25:22.170 Because when God looks at even our best works, the scriptures say they're like 291 00:25:22.210 --> 00:25:27.769 filthy rags. The repayment here is is is his way of speaking and sort 292 00:25:27.809 --> 00:25:32.529 of framing this issue. He's saying, don't look to your neighbor to sort 293 00:25:32.569 --> 00:25:34.490 of like I give you them new you give something to me, give it 294 00:25:34.609 --> 00:25:37.200 to God and let God take care of you, is what he's saying. 295 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:45.960 Here's a question for you. Have you ever been a person who could not 296 00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:52.869 repay what was given to you? Have you ever been in a situation where 297 00:25:52.869 --> 00:25:59.670 somebody showed you that hospitality that you're like, I don't I can't return this. 298 00:26:00.950 --> 00:26:04.380 Maybe it was something really small. Maybe you were just at that particular 299 00:26:04.460 --> 00:26:08.740 moment hungry, you didn't have any food, even if you had tons of 300 00:26:08.779 --> 00:26:11.619 money, you just didn't have any food and you didn't have access to food 301 00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:18.769 and somebody gave you their food. Or maybe it's was really big a moment 302 00:26:18.930 --> 00:26:22.089 in your life where maybe you didn't feel safe in your home anymore. It 303 00:26:22.210 --> 00:26:26.890 was a scary place and somebody gave you a place in their home or in 304 00:26:26.930 --> 00:26:37.960 their life. Those experiences that we have of that are just tiny little drops 305 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:42.319 in the bucket compared to the ocean of love that Jesus gives to us when 306 00:26:42.359 --> 00:26:48.630 he dies for us on the Cross. There is nothing that we can do 307 00:26:48.829 --> 00:26:52.509 to repay Christ for his work for us, for his love for us. 308 00:26:52.549 --> 00:26:56.910 He says, the Scripture says, that he died for us while we were 309 00:26:56.990 --> 00:27:00.500 very rich and noble. No, the scriptures don't say that he died for 310 00:27:00.579 --> 00:27:06.220 us when we finally had something that we could offer to Christ. No, 311 00:27:06.380 --> 00:27:11.900 the scriptures say that he died for us while we were still ungodly, while 312 00:27:11.980 --> 00:27:15.809 we were separated from him, while we were at war with him, his 313 00:27:17.170 --> 00:27:22.569 enemies. He called US and he welcomed us into his home, into his 314 00:27:22.809 --> 00:27:29.609 life. These are the things the Christians keep in mind when they desire to 315 00:27:29.970 --> 00:27:37.400 proclaim the name in Gospel Witness and in Gospel hospitality. We keep him in 316 00:27:37.880 --> 00:27:42.200 mind, Him who has given us everything, beyond anything we could ever repay, 317 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:47.990 with how any expectation of US ever repaying it, and telling us it's 318 00:27:47.990 --> 00:27:51.390 all of grace, it's all free, it's all for you, because I 319 00:27:51.470 --> 00:28:00.420 love you. It's in his name and in his life and in his spirit 320 00:28:02.380 --> 00:28:04.900 that we open our doors, that we open our hearts, that we open 321 00:28:04.980 --> 00:28:11.940 our wallts, that we share with brothers and sisters who are around us and 322 00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:15.170 testify to Theo to others in this world. This is what it's like to 323 00:28:15.289 --> 00:28:19.450 be a Christian. This is what it's like to be filled with the love 324 00:28:19.490 --> 00:28:23.170 of God. This is what it's like to be in a community of people 325 00:28:23.849 --> 00:28:30.839 that no Christ because they have been known by Christ. So when you, 326 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:38.319 like me, struggle to be hospitable, let's draw from the well. Let's 327 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:44.190 draw from the well and the grace that our savior has given us. It's 328 00:28:44.269 --> 00:28:49.869 infinite, it never runs dry. He's always there, welcoming us into his 329 00:28:51.029 --> 00:28:52.150 home. Let's pray