Title: Entertaining Angels
Text: Hebrews 11:1-3
FCF: Because Christ is all around us, our love needs to extend not just to the people we know, but to everyone!
SO: I want the congregation to move from an exclusive love to an inclusive love.
Intro:
When I’d go over to see Marvin Creel, I usually thought about this story.
The story goes that a young boy was walking in the park one day, when he saw an elderly gentlemen sitting on a bench. Overcome by a desire just to sit with him, the boy sat down and proceeded to just to talk and eventually share his lunch of Twinkies and Hohos. They spent a few hours together, and then as it was getting dark, the little boy went home to his mother, and the older man to his wife.
When the boy got home, he shouted to mother – “Mom, Mom, you’ll never guess who I saw in the park today! I ate lunch with God! He had white hair and loving eyes, and he talked with me like I was his only son.”
The older man went home to his wife excited too. “Martha, you’ll never guess who I saw in the park today! I ate lunch with God. Although, I guess I’m a little surprised that God would share his Twinkies with me.”
You guys know that I don’t tend to tell stories of the sort you’d find in Chicken Soup for the Soul, but as I said, it always reminded me of Marvin. Each of us, when we spent time with him were rewarded – because we were loving not just an older man whom we enjoyed, but we were entertaining Christ.
I’m not saying that because Marvin was any more holy than anybody else – I’m saying it because when we visited him, we weren’t doing it with any expectation of reward; we were doing it because we knew that was what our God desired us to do.
So then, why do I say when we loved Marvin, we were actually loving Christ? There’s actually a sound biblical basis for it. We already read the passage most of us think of – you remember, “As surely as you’ve done it to the least of these my brethren, you’ve done it to me.”
But, I want to direct your attention to another passage on a similar theme. Would you turn with me to Hebrews 13:1-3 and we’ll read.
"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:1-3, NIV)
Keep on loving. That is the sum and essence of the whole Christian message. Keep on loving.
I used to fancy myself a prophet and I saw it as my mission in life to tear down the arguments of those I thought were wrong. But then I learned the whole point of this thing I called Christianity – keep on loving.
Keep on Loving the Brothers
And who do we keep on loving? The brothers. When you love your brothers and sisters, it is always a joy. You know that your love for the other members of this church is what keeps you going. You keep on loving, and in return you keep feeling love.
You know – that loving, that constant compassion always returns good. I know it’s really popular on caskets to have those praying hands, but do you know who drew them? It was a famous German artist, Albrecht Duerer, who lived around the year 1500.
The story goes that he went to visit an elderly painter friend. When he got there, he found his friend rubbing his arthritic hands, unable to paint. He was so moved that he painted those hands, clasped together in prayer. That painting is nearly 500 years old now, a testament to the love and compassion he had for his friend.
Do not forget to entertain strangers
It is so easy to love our brothers, because we know in the end, we too will be loved. But, if we stop there, have we really continued fully in love?
Nope. That’s why it continues, “but do not forget to entertain strangers.” Strangers – both in our midst and outside of our normal day to day activities. Even in little towns like Middleburg, Halfway, the Plains, Marshall – we have our fill of strangers. Indeed, it’s usually the ones we know best that are the strangest of all.
But seriously, in our tight-knit communities, too often it is too easy to spend our energies only on ourselves. And when we do that, we miss out on seeing Christ! We know that our God is so big and multiple and varied. Why not see him in someone else for a change?
That word entertain is one that it would be very easy to overlook – even dread this time of year. Entertaining is simply just using the gift of hospitality. And when I say “gift,” I mean that hospitality is a gift of the spirit, in the same way prophecy or teaching or tongues are gifts. It is a gift in the same way that 1 Corinthians 13 says that love itself is a spiritual gift. Even the simple, practical , overlooked gift of hospitality – extending simple love – that’s straight from God, and returns to him.
The author of Hebrews makes an interesting statement when it comes to loving strangers. Notice what he says – Do not forget to entertain strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels unawares.
Now, if you know your OT, you can probably come up with a few instances. Samson’s parents were told they were going to have a son, by a man who turned out to be an angel. It wasn’t till he left, ascending in the fires of a sacrifice to God that they realized he was an angel.
Gideon thought he was having your standard theological water cooler talk with a guy – wondering why God hadn’t delivered Israel from the Midianites. It wasn’t until they decided to make a sacrifice together that again, this angel revealed himself, and then flew off.
Or, the most famous instance – Abram and Sarai saw three men walking, and rushed out to be kind hosts. The story talks about how Abram saw them and rushed out to greet them, then started directing his servants to make a great feast for them. While they’re talking, one of the guys says, “This time next year, you’ll have a son.”
And you remember the story – Sarai – 74 years old, starts laughing. Oh, now, I wasn’t laughing she says. A year later, she ends up naming that child “laughter.” We call him Isaac.
But you know who those men turn out to be? Angels. And one of them, Genesis says, is the Lord himself!
It’s amazing who will come to dinner, if you’ll just extend the invitation. By the way – those sacrifices? You know what you do after a sacrifice? You eat the leftovers. Trust me – it’s all as simple as eating a good meal together.
And in doing simple acts of kindness, you never know who’s going to show up.
You know, the story goes that during the American Revolution, a man on a horse came past a detail of soldiers building an earthworks while a well-dressed man looked on.
The man on the horse asked the well-dressed one, “Why aren’t you helping?”
“Me? I, sir am a corporal!”
The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. When the job was done, he turned to the corporal and said, "Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again."
It was that sort of spirit that encouraged men to fight for George Washington. Even when supplies were low at Trenton, or they faced retreat after retreat throughout the war – the men knew that George Washington was with them. And when Washington was with them, they were in the presence of greatness.
Visiting those in prison
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have wanted to be that corporal. But when we pass up opportunities to minister to Christ, aren’t we doing just that?
Let’s look at verse 3. "Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured."
That might seem a little but of a non-sequitor, but it’s not. Think about the progression. We started with a reminder that we need to love the brothers, like Christ loved us. Then, we were reminded – don’t keep your love to yourselves. You need to love outside your own walls. And now, it goes one last step – Love the Prisoners.
Increasingly, we are called to love the unlovely. But why should that surprise us? We too were unlovely when Christ first loved us.
You know, I feel like every Sunday morning I ended praying the same thing – “Lord, there was no reason for you to love us, but you did.” I am so thankful that God didn’t keep his God-ness just to himself. I wouldn’t have been in that circle. I am so thankful that God didn’t give his salvation just to the Jews. I wouldn’t have been in that circle. I am so thankful that God didn’t give his love just to the lovely – the good ones. I wouldn’t have been in that circle.
Nope. I’m just an unlovely guy who was locked in the prison of sin. And we sang it earlier. His eye diffused a quickn’ning ray. I woke, the dungeon filled with light.
There are organizations out there whose sole purpose is to visit prisoners. I think I’ve told you before about Chuck Colson and Prison Fellowship. It’s a great organization. But guess what, you don’t have to go to a cell block to visit prisoners.
There are people in nursing homes who are shut-in every bit as much as a serial offender. They haven’t committed any crime except living long and seeing their bodies deteriorate. I am so glad that members of our church saw Marvin the last day he was alive. You were visiting Christ.
But you don’t even need to go to the prison. I was sinking deep in sin/ Far from the peaceful shore. Remember that song? Love lifted me? We have neighbors that haven’t heard the word of Christ. We have friends and relatives who have forgotten it. We can visit them. They are prisoners every bit too. We know our Master said, “When I was in prison, you visited me.” Why not take him up on his word?
Why settle just for visiting Christ, when you can be Christ yourself? Let him indwell you, even as you minister to those he would have picked.
Would you pray with me?
In the ancient world there was a rather wonderful system of what were called “guest friendships.” Throughout the years families, even when they had lost active touch with each other, had an arrangement that at any time needful they would make accommodation available for each other. This hospitality was even more necessary in the circle of the Christians. Slaves had no home of their own to which to go. Wandering preachers and prophets were always on the roads. On the ordinary business of life, Christians had journeys to make. Both their price and their moral atmosphere made the public inns impossible. There must in those days have been many isolated Christians fighting a lonely battle. Christianity was, and still should be, the religion of the open door. The writer to the Hebrews says that those who have given hospitality to strangers have sometimes, all unaware, entertained the angels of God. He is thinking of the time when the angel came to Abraham and Sarah to tell them of the coming of a son (Genesis 18:1ff.) and of the day when the angel came to Manoah to tell him that he would have a son (Judges 13:3ff.).
• My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, but faithful.—Mother Teresa, to Senator Mark Hatfield who, while touring her work in Calcutta, asked, “How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?”
546 Realizing His Investment
The late Spencer Penrose, brother of Philadelphia political leader Boies Penrose*, was regarded by his family as a black sheep for choosing to live in the West instead of the East. Penrose came to Colorado Springs in 1891 fresh out of Harvard.
He hadn’t been there long before he wired his brother for $1500 to go into a mining deal. His brother telegraphed him $150 for train fare home and warned against the deal.
Years later Spencer returned to Philadelphia and handed Boies $75,000 in gold coins. Boies looked amazed, then reminded Spencer that he had not gone into the deal and had sent him only $150. “That”, replied Spencer, “is why I’m giving you only $75,000. If you’d sent me the $1500, I would be giving you three-quarters of a million.”
—Holiday
*Checked the guy out in WIkipedia – he was a senator from PA 1897-1921
Contributor: Shawn Raloff
View all sermons by Shawn Raloff
Dead Works Vs. Godly Service
Matthew 25:31-25:36 (NIV, NIRV, TNIV, KJV) Print verse
Introduction:
During World War II, England needed to increase its production of coal if it was going to have any hope of winning the war.
Winston Churchill called together labor leaders to enlist their support. And at the end of his presentation he asked them to stand with him and picture in their minds a grand parade, which he knew would be held in Piccadilly Circus after the war.
First, he said, would come the sailors who had kept the vital sea-lanes open. Then would come the soldiers who had come home from Dunkirk and then gone on to defeat Rommel in Africa.
Then would come the pilots, those brave men who had driven the Luftwaffe from the sky.
Last of all, he said, would come a long line of sweat-stained, soot-streaked men in miner’s caps.
Someone would cry from the crowd, ’And where were you during the critical days of our struggle?’
And from ten thousand throats would come the answer, ’We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.”
When I read this story it really touched my heart. It stirred in me a desire to be one of those coal workers. It inspired me to believe that I could be a part of something bigger than myself. That I was relative that I was needed that no matter what my position I was an important part of the great scheme of things.
It is the same way I feel when I read Mathew 25:31:
#2
The second way to distinguish between dead works and Godly service is:
Dead works is impressed with position and rank
Godly service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large service.
During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier.
Their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, "Sir, I am a corporal!"
The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. The job done, he turned to the corporal and said, "Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again."
You see George Washington understood what true Godly Service was. As president he didn’t even have to stop, let alone get down and help rebuild that wall.
But he had a servant’s heart, and at that moment he did not see rank or position. He only saw that there was work that needed to be done and more hands were needed.
It was once said: Most people wish to serve God -- but in an advisory capacity only. What God needs today are people who long to be used in any capacity, no matter how big or small.
1790 Durer’s Praying Hands
From childhood Albrecht Durer wanted to paint. Finally, he left home to study with a great artist. He met a friend who also had this same desire and the two became roommates. Both being poor, they found it difficult to make a living and study at the same time. Albrecht’s friend offered to work while Albrecht studied. Then when the paintings began to sell he would have his chance. After much persuasion, Albrecht agreed and worked faithfully while his friend toiled long hours to make a living.
The day came when Albrecht sold a wood-carving and his friend went back to his paints, only to find that the hard work has stiffened and twisted his fingers and he could no longer paint with skill. When Albrecht learned what had happened to his friend, he was filled with great sorrow. One day returning home unexpectedly he heard the voice of his friend and saw the gnarled, toilworn hands folded in prayer before him.
“I can show the world my appreciation by painting his hands as I see them now, folded in prayer.” It was this thought that inspired Albrecht Durer when he realized that he could never give back to his friend the skill which had left his hands.
Durer’s gratitude was captured in his inspired painting that has become world famous. And, we are blessed by both the beauty of the painting and the beautiful story of gratitude and brotherhood.
—The Bible Friend
Long Branch Baptist Church
Halfway, Virginia; est. 1786
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Enter to Worship
Prelude David Witt
Invocation Michael Hollinger
*Opening Hymn #40
“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
Welcome & Announcements
Morning Prayer
*Responsive Reading [See Right]
*Offertory Hymn [See Insert]
“And Can it Be”
Offertory Mr. Witt
*Doxology
Scripture Hebrews 13:1-3
Sermon
“Entertaining Angels”
Invitation Hymn #405
“We are Called to Be God’s People”
Benediction
Congregational Response
May the grace of Christ of Savior / And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favor / Rest upon us from above. Amen.
* Congregation, please stand.
Depart To Serve
RESPONSIVE READING
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.
Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High;
Beloved, do faithfully whatever you do for the friends, even though they are strangers to you;
Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them,
‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
- Luke 15:1; 6:32-35; 3 John 5; 1 Pet 4:8; Rom 12:13; Matt 25:34-40
