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."
Jesus tells us that the third person to come down the road was a not a Jew like the two before but a Samaritan. Most of you know that Samaritans a mixed race of Jews. Hundreds years before the time of Christ when the Assyrians had conquered Israel, they relocated part of the Jewish population, and brought other foreigners. Those people intermarried with the remaining Jews and a race known as Samaritans came about.
Now because of the mixing of blood the Jews hated the Samaritan and the Samaritans hated the Jews. The Jews considered them to be unclean, almost like animals.
Yet the fact that the wounded man was Jewish did not seem to bother the Samaritan at all. He saw what needed to be done and he did it.
As a caring church we need to but our prejudices aside. And if we are honest with ourselves we must admit that we all have prejudices. Maybe it is against someone who is a different color skin. Maybe against someone who is a different race. Maybe someone who has a different political view. Maybe it is against someone whose sin we find so offensive that we hate the person. There are a lot of ways for us to be prejudices against someone.
Thing on this. What if it were you who was walking down that road, and it was a black man who was beaten. Or someone of a different color. What if it was you and it was a Iraqi lying on the road. What if it was you and it was a homosexual lying on the road? Would you stop to help?
As a church we need to realize that God can save anyone! Jesus died so that men of all races, all color, all culture could be saved. If fact all nations, all tribes and tongues will be represented in heaven.
Rev. 7:9, "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,"
Also as a church we need to realize that the blood of Christ can clean away any and all sins. It does not matter what the person is guilty of, God through Christ can forgive their sin, no matter how offensive we might consider it.
As a church let us reach out with the gospel of Christ to all men regardless of what they look like, regardless of what sins they may have committed. Regardless of how must money they do or do not have. Let us preach the gospel with our prejudices set aside.
We can also notice from our passage the a hospitable church notices others pain. Also notice in verse 33, "And when he saw him, he had compassion."
Unlike the Levite and the priest, the Samaritan came over to inspect the man to see what was wrong and seeing he was hurt he had compassion.
Now I am sure that this Samaritan as he walked along this road alone was concerned about his own safety. As I mentioned last week this road was known for it’s robbers. Yet he disregards his own safety and stops to help this man who has been beaten and left for dead.
The Samaritan is an example of how we need to stop and take a look around to see the pain that is around us. We need to stop a take a look at the needs that our right before us.
To often we are like the priest and the Levite. We get caught up in our programs, in our little projects, in our own concerns to notice the needs that are all around us. As a church we need to be looking around. We need to be in prayer asking God to show us the needs of our neighbors.
We can so caught up in our concern with how the church looks, or whose is going to do the next luncheon, or a host of other things that we become just like the Levite and the priest and walk right by those people need.
A hospitable church will see the needs of its neighbors.
That brings me to the next point. A Hospitable church will get involved. Notice verse 34; "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."
The Samaritan went to the man. He did not pass him by. He did not just go to see what was happening and then leave. He got involved in the situation. He "bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine".
The oil he poured on was most likely olive oil as it was used by the people of this time as a medicine to sooth the pain of an open wound. Wine as we learned a few weeks ago was used as an antiseptic to clean wounds and prevent infection.
Next we read that the Samaritan "set him on his own animal". We can assume that this was a donkey. Instead of riding himself the Samaritan allows this man, a Jew no less, his sworn enemy to ride while he walks.
Then we see that the Samaritan "brought him to an inn, and took care of him". There of course are no hospitals at this time, no 911 (that’s ok we don’t have it either). There is no place just to drop the victim off. The Samaritan rents a room and takes care of the man the best as he could.
We can see how the Samaritan put the welfare of the man first. How he humbles himself, and give of himself. All traits which we find in our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus humble himself in coming to earth, He places the salvation of His children before himself, and He give of himself completely. Shedding his blood on the cross that we may have salvation, everlasting life with the Father in Heaven.
We do must be willing to be involved if we are going to be hospitable. It is to easy for us to look the other way when we see a homeless person. It is to easy for us to refer a person who is in need to a relief organization.
It is to easy for us to forget to pray for or call or visit a fellow church member going through a tough time.
We can also see from our verse that a hospitable church is not a stingy church. Notice verse 35, "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"
What we see in the good Samaritan is not only did he take care of the man, but he paid the bill as well. The story make no mention of the Samaritan wanting to be reimbursed for his trouble.
If we are to be a hospitable church we cannot be stingy. We need to use the resources that we have to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be willing to trust in God to provide for us. I know of churches that have 1,000 of dollars in trust funds and in their savings accounts and the wouldn’t think of spending a time of it. There are all kinds of needs that are all around them yet they will not help. The reason is because, whether they want to admit it or not, their stingy. They do not believe God can take care of them.
I pray that we never get to the point as a church. I realize that we need to be good stewards of what the Lord as blessed us with, but we need to be willing to meet needs, and not be afraid of spending money of that’s what it takes. If we have an opportunity to present the gospel to people, even if it might cost some money, we have an obligation to do it.
As we move down to the end of the parable Jesus asks an easy question, "So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"
And the lawyer answered, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
If we want to be blessed. If we want to shine as a light into this dark world if we want to be know as a hospitable church, we need to "go and do like wise". As a church we need to follow the example of that good Samaritan.
In closing I want to share give six practical ways that we can become a hospitable, caring church.
We have to identify people in need whom we can help. Please pray about this. Sit and write our a list if that help. Pray that God would reveal to you the needs of our neighbors.
Second, we need to reach out to others, let us not wait for them to come to us. If you see a visitor in church you need to go shake their hand and introduce yourself. We need to be out in the community seeing where we can best reach people.
Third, we need to communicate beyond the superficial level. We need to take to get to know others beyond just talking about the weather.
Fourth, we need to empathize with others. Gal. 6:2 tells us to; "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Let other know that you are their for them, that you are willing to help anyway you can. Bear their burden with them as the scripture states.
Fifth, listen without judging. Listen to what people have to say. Really listen, don’t sit there thinking about how you are going to respond, but listen to them. Listen to their needs, their hurts, their concerns.
Sixth. Respond to their needs in a Christian way. If you know someone is hurting give them something tangible that says "I’m praying for you". Something like a card, a book, a bookmark, anything that they can hold on to an know that you care.
I was speaking with a lady from another church a week ago. She told me that we just left a church she had been going to for years because basically they were not hospitable. She went in for surgery and not one person called or sent a card. No one called or wrote even after they had been away from that church for seven weeks. That is sad to me.
I pray that has a church we never get that point. If know of some one who is hurting pray for them, and let them know you are praying for them.
God wants us to be hospitable people. He wants us to be a hospitable church. Lovers of strangers. Ministering to others in need.
The most important way we can do is through the promotion of the gospel, for that is everyone’s greatest need.
As you sit in your pew this morning I want to ask you, has that need been meant in your life. Can you sit their this morning with the insurance that you will have eternal life. There is only one way to be sure of eternal life and that is to trust Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Trust in him to forgive you of your sins. Trust in Him to save you from eternal separation from God.
Ask every head bowed every eye closed.
I don’t know hearts. Each need to realize that we are sinners in need of a Saviour. If you have lied, stolen, cheated, lusted, wanted something your neighbor had, you have sinned and are in need of a Saviour. Jesus is that Saviour.
Will you trust in Him today. Pray this prayer with me.
