Holy Hospitality Ii

HOLY HOSPITALITY II

TITUS 1:8

Though there is not much worth watching on TV these days, one thing that keeps it interesting are the commercials we see. Once in while an advertiser will come up with a slogan that becomes part of our culture. Slogan that we will always remember.

Alka Seltzer – "I can’t believe I ate the whole thing"

Wendy’s – "Where’s the beef?"

McDonald’s "you deserve a break today"

Some even made a lot of sense. Remember State Farm’s "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there". While it may be a ad for a Ins. Co. it has a lot a truth to it. That is what a good neighbor is, one who is there for you when you need them.

There is a story of two women chatting over the back yard fence. One of the women says to the other, "We are going to be living better neighborhood soon’. That other women replied, "So are we". "Oh are you moving too?" "No were staying here".

Today I want to continue our discussion on what a good neighbor is, or what is it is to "Hospitable". Remember we began this study in Titus 1:8, were Paul tells Titus that bishops or elders are to be hospitable. We also saw in 1 Peter that we are all to be hospitable to one another without grumbling. You also may recall that that word hospitable in Greek literally means, "lover of strangers".

I made note that the best way to interpret Scripture is by using Scripture. And that is what brought us to our passage for today. Luke chapter 10: verse 25-37. Please turn with there. Luke 10:25-37. Page 899 in your pew Bibles.

I believe it is there from the parable of the Good Samaritan that we can really understand what Paul and Peter mean when they call on us to be hospitable.

"And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"

So he answered and said, " ’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ’your neighbor as yourself." And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ’Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you. "So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Now you may recall last week I stated that we would be looking at this passage from two different perspectives. Last week we saw how we can apply this on an individual basis, this week on want to apply it on an church wide bases. What this passage it telling us not as individuals but as the body of Christ.

Every person here should want to be part of a caring church a hospitable church. Our desire should be for this church to be a hospitable church. First and for most we care for the lost souls that are all around us. Reaching out to people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. But we should also care about the other needs of those around us. We should be as the saying "Like a good neighbor".

I believe that in the parable of the good Samaritan Our Lord Jesus Christ gives to us the characteristics of a caring church, the characteristics of what a hospitable church is. That is what I want to take a look at this morning.

First of all we can see that a hospitable church is one that puts aside all prejudices. Notice verse 33 states that "…a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion."