How Hospitable are We?
Genesis 18:1-8 NT: Hebrews 13: 2
1 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, [a] do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs [b] of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread."
7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
Introd.
1. What is the first thing that happens to you when you enter Meijer? Even secular businesses like Meijer understand the concept of hospitality, which is why they have people greeting you as you come in. Normally, you will hear them: Good evening folks, welcome to Meijer, and when you are leaving: Thank you for shopping at Meijer, have a good evening; come back again. In fact Sam Walton always had someone to greet people with a friendly smile coming into his stores. His pledge with every “associate” was, ?“From this day forward, every customer who comes within ten feet of me, regardless of what I am doing in this place, I am going to look him in the eye. I am going to smile. I am going to greet him with a ‘Good morning,
2. How do you feel when someone welcomes you, specially if that is the first time you are there? There is nothing that the sad, frustrated, lonely, pathetic, empty soul does not like more than a friendly and smiling face saying “welcome”. It is like the son who have been away from home, who knows that he has spent all their money, who don’t have a place to go, who feel so unworthy of facing his dad, and in response his dad, came to his encounter: hugged him, kissed him, and gave him his own clothes. This passage is an invitation to consider how Hospitable are we? What does is mean to be a hospitable church?
3. Abraham and Sara were visited by three people in the heat of the day and what they did is a very good example of hospitality and very important lesson for all of us. The result of this encounter is the best news ever for this family. God certainly has his time, place and ways to come to encounter us.
I. GOD MAY VISIT US UNEXPECTEDLY/ DIOS PUEDE VISITARNOS INESPERADAMENTE
A. GOD VISITS/ DIOS VISITA
1. First of all, God can visit us at any time, in any place He may want, and in any circumstance or situation he chooses. I am convinced that God visits his people regardless of your spiritual commitment, or your doctrinal or theological knowledge. The fact is that God likes to visit his people and he likes to do it unexpectedly.
2. In this passage we see the Lord appearing to Abraham. Just as he did it before with Noah, and as he did with Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Joshua etc. Through the Scriptures this single truth you can count on; God visits us.
B. HIS VISITS ARE UNEXPECTED/ EL VISITA INESPERADAMENTE
1. From this passage we learn that God loves be waited upon, that He want us to be prepared, always ready for his visitation since he never announces the exact time or the place. He just said; I will visit you, but he never says when. I am convinced that there are times when God visit us through people…
2. The NT says about Jesus John 1: 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. And rev. 3:20 20Here 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 him, and he with me. These two passages imply the fact, that God visit us and his visitation must be expected always.
APLI: Could you image the consequences if someone misses his visitation or if someone is caught unaware? So, be careful God could be visiting you. Are we expecting someone coming from God himself today?
II. BE READY TO BE HOSPITABLE/ ESTE LISTO PARA SER HOSPITALARIO
A. WELCOME THE STRANGER / LOS RECIBA A LOS ESTRANOS
1. What a tragedy it could be if we are visited by God, but we didn’t do anything about it. Look at what Abraham does, he welcomed them. He looked up, he saw them, and he hurried up to meet them and to welcome them as special people. Welcoming others in love is what the Bible calls hospitality. The dictionary defines hospitality as:?“The friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers,” or “receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way. This is what Abraham does with these three people.
2. Now I have a question: Do you think that Abraham knew who these people were? No, of course not. So, Abraham took the risk to welcome the stranger, and he treats them like royalty. Look at what he did: he ran to them, bowed low to the ground. You see, Abraham treated them with respect. These are attitudes that show respect; he thinks of them as worthy of high respect. Paul says in Romans 12: 3.Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. The image of the prodigal son came to me.
B. TREAT THE STRANGER AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED / TRATE AL EXTRANJERO COMO QUIERE SER TRATADO
1. Run to them and invited them to stay. I love to be treated well, and that makes me feel welcome, not just out of compromise; but with real intention, with soul and mind in it. This is how Abraham treated the strangers he received. He ran to them and asked them to stay with him. He didn’t consider if he had space at home, or if he would have to kick out someone from his bed for these strangers. He offered them a place to stay and not only that, he let them get rest and refresh, and also to have dinner with him.
2. He helped them rest and refresh and fed them. This is the purpose of Hospitality, to receive someone who is tired, who is down, who may be wounded, sick, or just lost and to welcome him or her with kindness, love and compassion, as if he or she had been dead but now he has returned. That is the kind of reception or welcoming we want to express and to feel. What Abraham wants it that these visitors by staying with him will rest. He doesn’t want them to continue in the same conditions as they came. Rest by staying with me for a while. Also by washing their feet. After hours or days walking in the middle of the heat of the desert how good could a cup of water would be, now image to your feet. That will refresh you for sure! And if you are tired, and hungry and may not have anything to eat or anything fresh for days, and to be invited to have dinner. Look, Abraham and Sara were not ready, but they didn’t avoid to welcome these strangers. They hurried up to get and prepare a calf, and to make some bread and get some milk for them.
Aplic. He didn’t want them to go on their way the same way they came. He wants them to rest, to refresh and to leave fed. He wanted them to leave better than they came. This is the point of hospitality, making sure people will leave better than they came.
III. SHOW GRACE IN THE SAME MEASURE THAT YOU HAVE RECIEVE IT/ MUESTRE GRACIA EN LA MISMA MEDIDA QUE LA HAS RECIBIDO
A. A DEEPER LEVEL / UN NIVEL MAS PROFUNDO
1. This passage has to do with you and the way God has treated you. You see, hospitality is what God has shown us by accepting us into his fellowship through his Son, even when we were strangers and enemies, and hostile to him. Hospitality tells me that God no longer calls me a stranger, but called me a friend. Hospitality is an act of grace, an unworthy favor that I have received from God, and in return, I must share it with others in the same measure.
2. In this passage I can see Abraham showing God’s abundant grace to these strangers. Abraham did not make any distinction, he didn’t expect them to be like him, or to spoke the same language or to dress like him. The Scripture says they were strangers to each other. You see, it is easy to be hospitable with those that like me, or look like me, or speak like me, or eat like me. The Scripture call us to welcome the strangers and to show them the same kind of grace that we have received from him.
B. HOSPITALITY MAKES A DIFFERENCE/ HOSPITALIDAD HACE DIFERENCIA
1. What does the ministry of hospitality look like in our congregations and in our worship services? When people who are strangers to the church and to grace come to worship, seeking the grace of God and gracious people, churches begin to ask: Why do people return? What do we do to welcome them? Hospitable acts like someone shaking your hand at the door, acknowledging your presence, offering to show you where the restrooms are, or where the nursery is for your children, make a difference in people’s sense of welcome and belonging. Hospitality often makes the difference in wanting to return to a place you’ve never been before.
2. A lack of hospitality is like a cold draft in a room on a gray day. It leaves you chilled, not warmed, empty rather than nurtured, hungry rather than nourished. Hospitality in and around worship begins in the church parking lot with parking spaces reserved for visitors. Hospitality continues with appropriate signage in the building, so people know where they are going and can find what they need. If you are not expecting guests, then these kinds of things are not important. In one small church, the greeter was handing out children’s bulletins. A visiting family with three young children arrived. Startled, the greeter said, "Oh, I’m sorry. We made only enough bulletins for our children." If you are expecting guests, then you look for ways you can anticipate them and their needs.
Conclusion: Have you been visited by God? When was the last time you welcome a stranger in your house? When was the last time you was welcome by someone else? How does make you feel welcome in his presence? Hospitality makes a difference in the life of the people. He help them rest and refresh and to feed. Put you focus on the stranger, on the one that you don’t know yet. Anticipate how you want people to feel after they being with us… the same or different.
