The Home Builders | Week 12

The Home Builders

Week 12 - Hospitality

1. The Biblical Mandate Scriptures

Leviticus 23:22 Isaiah 58:6-9 Luke 14:12-14 Romans 12:13 Hebrews 12:3 1 Peter 4:9

“The Bible begins with God making a home for humanity to dwell with Him in a garden and the Bible ends with God making a home for believers to dwell with Him in a city. These beautiful bookends to Scripture mean that not only did God do what He set out to do in the beginning, but somehow through all the mess of humanity, He actually made a home to share with us that is much bigger and better than the first one.” (The Simplest Way to Change the World, p. 40)

2. Open Heart – The Greatest Command

Mark 12:30-31 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

3. Open Home – The Second Greatest Command

Mark 12:31 “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

“In a culture where busyness is prized, where isolation is rampant, and where ‘blinking devices’ replace genuine relationships, hospitality offers a beautiful and countercultural rebellion...One of the most countercultural things you can do is have an entire conversation with someone without checking your phone.” (The Simplest Way To Change the World,: Biblical Hospitality as a Way of Life, p. 56 & 59)

Entertaining vs. Hospitality – “Entertaining says, ‘I want to impress you with my beautiful home, my clever decorating, my gourmet cooking.’ Hospitality, however, seeks to minister. It says, ‘This home is not mine. It is truly a gift form my Master. I am his servant, and I use it as he desires.’ Hospitality does not try to impress but to serve.” (Open Heart, Open Home, by Karen Mains, p. 29)

Rosaria Butterfield – (Former feminist, lesbian professor at Syracuse University) - She became friends with a pastor and his wife (in their 70’s) after Pastor Ken responded to an editorial with some questions for her to consider. When she responded to his invitation to discuss them by phone, they invited her into their home. “They did not act as if such conversations were polluting them. They did not treat me like a blank slate. When we ate together, Ken prayed in a way I had never heard before. His prayers were intimate. Vulnerable. He repented of his sin in front of me. He thanks God for all things. Ken’s God was holy and firm, yet full of mercy...Then one ordinary day, I came to Jesus, openhanded and naked. In this war of worldviews, Ken was there. Floy was there. The church that had been praying for me for years was there. Jesus triumphed. And I was a broken mess. Conversion was a train wreck. I did not want to lose everything that I loved. But the voice of God sang a sanguine love song in the rubble of my world. I weakly believed that if Jesus could conquer death, he could make right my world.” (Rosaria Butterfield, My Train Wreck Conversion, Christianity Today, Feb. 7, 2013)

Joey and the Taylors – Bubba and Katherine, Gene and Emily (video Easter Sunday) Jean and I had the incredible blessing along with our husbands of taking part in a blessing dinner before Joey and Melinda married this past February. What an incredible blessing to see the evidence of Joey’s redeemed life, passion for Jesus and the community of faith that brought and is bringing him into the family of God and the plan God has for his life.

New York Subway – maintain an open life

“We’ve fallen into the conventional thinking that a big mission demands big tactics, but we forget that in the economy of God’s kingdom, big does not beget big. It’s precisely the opposite. The overwhelming message of Jesus’ life and teaching is that small begets big. Consider, God’s plan to redeem creation (big) is achieved through his incarnation as an impoverished baby (small). Jesus feeds thousands on a hillside (big) with just a few fish and loaves (small) Christ seeks to make disciples of all nations (big) and he starts with a handful of fishermen (small). Even Goliath (big) is defeated by David with a few stones (small).” (The Simplest Way to Change the World: Biblical Hospitality as a Way of Life, p. 22-23)

“I will not change the world. Jesus will do that. I can, however, let Him use me to change the world for one person.” (Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie, p. 230)

Memphis – 44.7% of our children live in poverty`
Number of Baptist Churches in Shelby County – 180 (Mid-South Baptist Association)

Additional Resources

Confessions of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield
The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield
The Simplest Way to Change the World by Dustin Willis and Brandon Clements
Open Heart, Open Home by Karen Mains

Ministry Opportunities

ARISE2Read, One by One, Safe Families, Life Choices
Confidential Care for Women, ESL Classes at Bellevue, Bellevue Frayser

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