Dear Church Family,
Let me ask you a question: what is one mark of a true Christian? How would you respond? Let me share with you some verses that I believe answer this question.
Marks of the True Christian – Romans 12:9-13
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Sacrifices Pleasing to God – Hebrews 13:1-6
1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Biblical Hospitality is a sure and true mark of a Christian. I love how Rosaria Butterfield describes biblical hospitality – “Radically ordinary hospitality—those who live it see strangers as neighbors and neighbors as family of God. They recoil at reducing a person to a category or a label. They see God’s image reflected in the eyes of every human being on earth… A truly hospitable heart anticipates everyday, Christ-centered table fellowship and guests who are genuinely in need. Such a heart seeks opportunities to serve. Radically ordinary hospitality doesn’t keep fussy lists or make a big deal about invitations. Invitations are open.”
This summer I would like to encourage you to have open invitations to those strangers and neighbors that God has put into your lives. May this summer be a time to open our homes to those we live next to, those we work with, those we play with and those who God may put right before our eyes. To help us those towards biblical hospitality, we will host a summer Sunday School Class discussing Rosaria Butterfield’s book The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in our Post-Christian World. All are invited as we grow together in using our homes in sacrificial ways and for the glory of God. Look for other announcements that will encourage us this summer to offer our homes to strangers and neighbors for the sake of the gospel.
Through His Sustaining Grace,
Pastor Jeff
