# Hospitality

Key Passage: Romans 12:4-13
Date: June 7, 2024

Turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 12 tonight. We’re going to leave our normal study of the life of day. I want to just talk with you a little bit tonight, more to the church family. It’s a rainy night, so I took it down. Forms coming in, whatnot. We’ll see about all that, but it’s our core.

I want to just talk about this a little bit tonight. In fact, we’ll read these verses. We’ll point out one word, then we’ll pray. We want to talk to you about some changes coming up, and then we’re going to dive back into that word. We’re going to start over in Romans chapter 12. It’s so funny how usually this side’s got a little more on it tonight, a lot more Sunday, I believe it was. It was the vice versa Sunday morning. You just never know, but either we need to get some of y’all come over here and balance it out, or we can just everybody come over here. We’ll just put the podium down here, one of the two. Good deal.

Romans chapter 12. I’ll tell you what, the other night, a couple weeks ago, maybe two weeks ago, I was just tired and a lot going on, weary, and I saw Brother Dylan come in. It was such an encouragement to see Brother Dylan come in. I thought, well, he’s going and doing a great job of it. I just keep going. I appreciate Brother Dylan. He’s a blessing, and praise the Lord for him.

Romans chapter 12. We’re going to start verse number four. Would you please stand as we read together, Romans 12 and verse number four of God’s word.

If you’re there, would you say amen? Good deal. We’re waiting for Michael to get the seat and get going here.

Romans 12, verse number four: “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ. And everyone members one of another, having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us.”

Let me just say a word about that. If we’re gifted spiritual gifts we speak of, or we’re gifted in certain ways, we’ve got no right to get proud over that. We’re given that, gifted by the grace. Did you notice, “having then gifts differing according to the grace”? You didn’t do anything to deserve that gift. You’ve got it by the grace of God. I’ve got no right to get proud about something that I was given by the grace of God. All the gifts you got, spiritual gifts here specifically, are by His grace.

But it says, “whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith.” And it goes on a list of gifts. He kind of changes a little bit and just gives admonition, if you will.

Then verse number 13, verse number 13, if you would please there: “distributing to the necessity of saints, given to…” What’s that next word? Hospitality. We’re going to talk about hospitality. Many would think and call it a gift, and there’s a verse that makes us think that. But this word hospitality—we’ll pray, talk about some changes, and we’ll get to the word hospitality in just a moment here.

Father, Lord, would you help us to catch your vision of what you would like at Rutherford County Baptist Church? Lord, would you maybe help us to catch your vision of helping hurting people, and the people that are having marital problems, for people that are going to hell, that they get reached and helped through this church, your church here, Lord? Give us a vision of that and the particulars of it. Would you guide us in all of it, Lord, please? And we’ll thank you and praise for what you do, Lord. And Jesus, then we pray. Amen.

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

April the 11th, that’s the Sunday after Easter. We’re making some changes in our Sunday school program, and children’s church also. I’m going to just try to list some of those changes. We’ll… all of our classes, and we get some new people on board, and I want just all of us to go through that to kind of get us all on the same page. But we’ve finished with that, but we won’t always have that foundation class going, people getting saved, newcomers in their church and whatnot, and so we’ll have that. In fact, Brother John Casey will be one teacher of it.

And then Brother Marlin Hunter will be the other teacher of it. It’ll rotate. Brother John Casey will do it for 12 weeks. It may take a week or two off, and we’ll start it back up, and Brother Marlin will rotate. That way one’s not teaching the same. It just gets a little redundant after a while. I feel like I’ve done a poor job of teaching that class anymore; you go on autopilot. You just did it so many times.

And we’d like to keep that class in the auditorium. It’s just a good thing to have that in the auditorium when new people are coming. If somebody comes to Sunday school, typically the first place is going to come here. We’ll have the hospitality ministry working on that, but it’s good to get newcomers coming to the auditorium anyway. So we’d like to have that class in here.

Of course, that’s going to open up the third and sixth grade boys Sunday school class. And Brother Gregory McCoy, he’s graduating Pensacola Christian College. He’ll about to graduate. He’ll be back and just wanting to get involved in a good soul, and a good young man has a heart for the Lord. And he’ll be taking those boys’ classes, excited about that, wanting to do that, and praise the Lord for that.

Then Brother Chip, Brother Chip and Miss Tammy, they’ll be taking the single adults. And we’ll start a new class, just a single adults class, and he’ll be teaching that class. And having that, that’ll be in Building B over there, and we’ll be working at that.

And Brother David Humphreys will be starting his class back up. And he’s going to—it’s an interesting subject. Brother Humphreys is our subject teacher, and he’s a great teacher. He’ll be teaching, “Going to Be a Christian in the First Century.” What would it be like to be a Christian in the first century? That’ll be an interesting class. I often say if I wasn’t teaching, I’d go to his class. He’s a good teacher, and that would be a great, great class.

Then the couple’s class was in Building A. We were on that door closest to the row. We were starting to really… I grew up, praise the Lord. And so we’d kind of open up that side room a little bit, thought about taking a wall out or something. But we’ve been praying about these things for months. And on Saturday, before Brother Jacob took the teens, they went to kind of decorate the room, whatnot, and he had changed from the present teen room over to where the couples class used to be. Nobody was in there.

And he texts me, he said, “Look, if you don’t want to do that, we’ll do whatever.” But the dad already made the change. And he said, “Look, if you don’t mind, you know?” And I’d been praying about that. I feel like that was a little answer to prayer. They can fit in there. Junior church averages 15, so they’d be fine in there. And so we’re going to change that over to the old couples class, and the couples class would move over to what used to be—they haven’t been in there for several Sundays now—in the old teen room. We’ll make a change there, and that’ll give us room for the couples class to be in its own room there.

Junior church—to make a change, several changes coming up. Of course, John Marie Casey, they have been in junior church for about—Brother John says it feels like about 457,000 years on some Sundays when there’s a lot of boys in there. But they’re staying, and they’ve got a heart for those kids, which I appreciate, but they’ll be due two weeks. And then Andrew and Kelly Burke will be in the other two weeks, how to rotate junior church.

And then primary church, we’re just doing an addition in there. Brother Josh and Miss Beth Smith will be joining in the primary church, and they’ll be teaching in there one Sunday out of the month.

And then hospitality ministry—a lot of changes, hospitality ministry. By the way, praise the Lord for great people in all these different areas, just to get involved more and more in doing more, which is a great, great blessing, and we can kind of shift the weight. Hospitality ministry, we’re trying to get any Sunday school teachers out of there because it’s tough for them to teach Sunday school and be in both, and we want to spread the weight around. But hospitality ministry will be adding Brother Joel and Miss Jody Powers will be added to that list, and then also Tom and Rick Kent. They’ve been involved in that. They’d like to be involved in those things again. They’ll be involved in it also. And so we’ll be adding some new ones in the hospitality ministry also. And we won’t have any Sunday school teachers on that ministry, which would be helpful for us to get that thing covered. And sometimes when you have to, one person carries a lot of—wears a lot of different hats. But if you don’t have to, you can spread it out. That’s a good thing, and that’s what we’re shooting for. We’re trying to prepare a little bit for God’s blessing, for God to work in our church.

Of course, spring—you want to say it’s coming, it’s here. It doesn’t feel like on a rainy day like today, but spring is here. How many have seen all the blossoms and blooms out there, you know, Bradford pears and all the… You’ve already seen the pollen on your car window and all those things, you know, it’s there, and your allergies are letting you know. But spring’s here.

And praise the Lord, we got spring soul winning started up. I mentioned it earlier, but when it starts, we just start going. God really does bring visitors. It’s amazing how seeing that over the years. When I was a youth director in Alabama, my wife and I watched it: the weeks that me and the pastor went soul winning extra on the week, those weeks we always had guests. The weeks we did not go soul winning on the wrong, we never had guests. It’s just amazing how God blesses in his own way. That way he gets the glory.

Then Easter. We’re shooting half 200, and we want to work at that, and then hopefully we can get some of the folk back from COVID that’s been out for a little while. It’s our prayer, our goal. Some of you are calling them, texting them, and I appreciate that, working on them. I want to do our best to try to get some of those back in here.

And then, of course, it’s a new building one day when we get over there, and many have said that’s going to change it from a little neighborhood church, if you will, to a city church, and get a lot more visibility, a lot more guests and things visiting us. We’re going to be ready for all that. And someone said, “God’s not going to bless a mess.” And we want to be organized the best we can, and the best we can make it a well-oiled machine where things are functioning and moving and things are happening. We’re ready for God’s blessing.

And then really the bottom line: we want to be good stewards of the people God brings through those doors. I was thinking about this afternoon, you’d be amazed—now, I don’t know them all, I know some—but you’d be amazed at people that come through those doors, how many are contemplating suicide. You’d be shocked. Some guests, sometimes not guests.

You’d be shocked the people that come through those doors and they just found out that their spouse really is cheating on them.

I’m just saying, hurting people. We want to be good stewards of hurting people. That’s the most prized possession. I mean, all these things are going to burn up, but that soul is going to be somewhere forever. And when God entrusts that soul, that person, to our church, we want to be a wise steward of it. We want to do the best we can. The best we can may not be real great, but we want to give it the best we got. God bless us with the best that we’ve got. And I just want us to be good stewards of that, those people.

You’d be shocked at people that come in and they’re just all they can do to keep one foot in front of the other. They’re just so heartbroken and just weary, and they’re just kind of dragging here. And so it’s important what we do with that. I think our church is fairly good at this thing of hospitality—friendliness—but we want to just kind of go over a little bit and talk about it a little bit tonight.

Can I do this? Can I get… Let’s see. Brother Kevin, would you just get our fans going, please? Would you do that? That’d be great. We’d just get a little air flowing.

We notice over there in Romans 12, look back at that verse number 13. Romans 12, look in verse number 13, if you would please. Thank you, Brother Kevin, for doing that. He says that “distributing to the necessity of saints, then he says, given to hospitality.” Given to—that’s interesting. It’s almost like you give, given to hospitality.

That word hospitality is mentioned four times in the Bible. We just read that one. First Peter 4:9 says, “Use hospitality one toward another without grudging.” The other two times, it’s talking about a bishop. One time an elder uses—elders or bishop just together intertwined. But 1 Timothy 3:2 says, “given to hospitality,” for Titus 1:8 says, “but a lover of hospitality.”

What does this word hospitality mean? It actually comes from two different Greek words. Okay, stick with me on this. Stick with me.

Philoios—we use the word philo; we get the word Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. That’s what the word philo means: brotherly love, or fond of. Okay? Then you got zenos, and I’m not saying I’m pronouncing this exactly right, though I did take Greek class ten times during college—I’m joking about that—but that word means foreign visitor or guest. If you would, and I think Strong says it this way: just someone’s fond of guests or visitors. I can apply it to your home or to the house of God, but this may be a little bit more practical definition: hospitality, one who has a special love for guests.

Guests that God has given to our church—we’re speaking of our church here; it could be your home, but speaking of our church here—it’s very, very important. Some are just gifted in that area; they’re just good at it. Let me give you some signs if you’re gifted at the thing of hospitality, we’re speaking of our church here.

If you’re the person, you’re always concerned about how guests or new people feel. It’s just on your mind. Not just first-time visitors, but just new people. They’re on your mind a lot, your mind a lot, and you’re thinking about them: How do they feel? And how does this touch them? How do they react to this? How does this affect them? And you’re always just on your mind, new people. There’s a good chance you have the gift of hospitality as far as in the church.

If you’re good at connecting with people quickly, you can just kind of… you can get to know them, boom. You know, you get to know them. You feel like I’ve known them for years, and vice versa, they feel like they’ve known you for years, even though you just met them. I think of a lady used to be in our church, an Asian lady. My wife would know him talking about, and she has just gifted at hospitality. She can greet somebody. I try still, even now, but used to always, if somebody visited her church—we’d go visit all them—and over half of them would always say, “There’s that little Asian girl in your church,” and I knew instantly who they were talking about. We still have—she’s moved away—but we still have Brother Jones every once in a while. David Jones comes out. He said, “I remember when I first came, that little Asian lady made me feel at home so much.” She’s gifted at that. She’s a real estate agent nowadays, and she does very good at that. She’s good with people. She’s good at meeting them, but making them feel at home real quickly.

But you’re just concerned about guests, new people, how they feel in the church. It’s on your mind a lot. You’re good at creating, and you enjoy creating an environment where new people feel valued and cared for. You’re good at that, and you enjoy doing that. You can make it where it’s not about us, but you’re good at making them feel at home and valued.

If you’re gifted at it, it may bother you when new folks are alone. You see new folks, and they’re just not… nobody’s talking, they’re not yelling, and that bothers you. And it should. And there’s a good chance you have the gift of hospitality in the church.

Now, just saying of hospitality, most visitors in our day and time, 2021, we want them to come because we’re preaching King James and we’re an independent Baptist church and all that. And that’s right, we’re preaching truth, we’re preaching salvation, right? That’s the best reason, but you’ve got to reach people where they’re at.

And most people in '21—they did it. Now, this is an old study; it may have changed. This is a very old study, but they did a study years ago, and they asked people, “Why do you go to the church you go to?” More often than not, the number one reason was because they had friends at that church. I’m not saying that’s the best, but I’m just saying that’s where people are, and because they had relationships and friends there.

And they’re looking for that. The sales business—they say people don’t buy products; they buy relationships. And you build a relationship with someone, their price is closed, product is closed, they’re going to buy from you. You have a relationship with them. They say the people that study these things—they say not just first-time guests, but new people—they’re going to unite and get involved in your church. They say within six weeks they want relationships. Within six weeks, they want to know people. They want relationships. They want to know a little bit about you. They want to be able to maybe have your phone number and talk and fellowship. They want that.

That’s right. Within six months, they say they want responsibility when we get involved.

Another study, and these are just for different people, and you can probably find different numbers different places, but people that have studied these things—very interesting—they say the typical person, by the vast majority, have already formed their opinion whether they’re going to come back to your church for the second visit or not within the first 10 minutes of being on the property. Typically, that’s before the first song, before the first message, anything. They have already formed their opinion whether they’re going to come back the next time.

From when they pull into the parking lot, how the cars are parked, if the grounds are kept up, the buildings are clean, if the people are friendly, greeters are there, if the children’s ministries—you know, the children don’t run around like crazy—and I just may not be honest with you, and they’re forming their opinion from the very much into it, whether it’s conscious or not. They typically, they’ll know whether they’re going to come back for the second visit.

And much of that, much of that is by the friendliness of the people. I thought about Marlon and Stacey’s first visit here. I’ve heard them say it often. In the parking lot, Gordon and Beth greeted them. The first people they met, Gordon and Beth. And I’ve heard them say that. That stuck out in their mind just in the parking lot: someone greeted them, was friendly to them, and welcomed them. All those things are so very important.

Just talking tonight. Our church, I think, is fairly good at these things, but there’s always room for improvement. But are we good stewards of returning guests? Sometimes the first time here, man, we’re all over it. There’s a visitor packet. But if they’re coming back for a month or two, during shaking of hands—I’ve watched—sometimes if handshaking goes a little bit longer, we try to limit that for time-wise, especially on Sunday morning. I tell Brother Anthony, “Go ahead and start,” and I’ll get back up there, and we don’t… And sometimes, unfortunately, not very often, but sometimes even people, repeat visitors, guests, initially, they get a lot of handshakes, but after that… If you see handshaking time and no one’s talking, then that’s not a good thing. Sunday night, Wednesday night sometimes, Sunday night that might happen, but with returning guests. But we, we’re always to be working at building relationships with people. It’s so key building relationships with them.

Someone recently, they just recently joined our church, not too long ago, but they mentioned when they were visiting for a while before they joined the church, two people. They said two people, every service, they knew they’d come by and shake their hand. And they mentioned the two names. Now, the thing is, that meant something to them, and they still remember the two people that came by every service and shook their hand.

Here’s the temptation: “Well, they’re visiting. They’re going to make up their mind if they decide to join. Then I’ll build a relationship.” No, no. We’ve got to build a relationship while they’re trying to make up their mind. Or for the most part, they’re probably going to leave unless they’ve been grounded real good already. And the majority of people in our area haven’t been grounded already. So we’ve got to work at building relationships while they’re visiting, not after they join.

Here’s the thing. Here’s the thing. Well, this is a classic verse right here. This is what we’ll do. Well, “Amanda hath friends must show themselves friendly.” How many know that verse? Well, you know, that’s… And I understand after a while that truth comes in, but friend, they’re the guest. It’s not on them to be friendly; it’s on us to be friendly. We can’t be quoting that verse then. We’re going to be quoting the verse on us. They’re our guest, and we can’t wait for them to come out and be friendly and all that. Friend, they may be hurt and worse than you think. It may be all they can do to drag themselves in and kind of plop down in that seat. And we have to go to them and build relationships with them, get to know them.

I try not to mention names too much because you get in trouble sometimes with all that. But Brother Frank is just so good at new people. I would say he’s gifted in that area because he’s always alert to new people, not just their first visit, but visiting people that are visiting. And you’re alert, you’re aware of it, and you’re trying to go out and build a relationship with them and reach out to them. It’s so important in this day and time, so important. It’s crucial. If our church, God’s going to use our church to grow, and if we’re going to be good stewards of the people God gives us, we must work at that.

Look over in Acts chapter number two. Acts chapter two. The early church is our example. And I want you just kind of see—and we’re about to discuss this in Sunday school in a couple weeks. We’re always doing the foundation series, but I want you just see a little bit tonight. Acts 2. And look in verse number 41, if you would. This is the early church. I mean, God is just blessing this church at Jerusalem. It’s growing by leaps and bounds, and new people are being added all the time. Look at this: Verse number 41, Acts 2, verse number 41.

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized. And the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls.” Talk about church growth. Wow. But watch this. My voice is squeaking there. You notice that? Watch this. Verse number 42: “And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine.” What’s the next word? And what? Fellowship.

“And in breaking of bread.” Bible scholars will argue, does that mean the Lord’s Supper? They’re eating at each other’s house. We don’t know. They’ll argue with that. “And in prayers.” You can look down in verse number 46, verse number 46: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

Did you notice fellowship? Now they had 3,000 new people. It wasn’t the same old Tom, Fred, and Henry and Mary and Jane and Susie. They had new people in there. They’re breaking bread with all these people. Fellowship. Someone’s hurting. And sometimes people—sometimes it takes a person a while to get to the point where they can have deep fellowship because they’re so wounded, they’re hurt, they’re weary, they’re wounded, they’re closed. And as people grow and people are getting in church, they need fellowship. And relationships are so very important.

Now here’s the thing, and I’ve said this often down through the years: people naturally gravitate to a certain group of people. That’s understandable. But we’re having cliques. We must work at that. The church at Corinth had that, and he said, “Boy, you’re just babes in Christ,” so it looked like they’ve been saved for a long time because they had their little cliques here and there. I’m not saying we have all of us. I’m saying we just have to work at it all the time. So here’s the thing: I’m going to have to work at going outside of my group, inviting people in.

And when there’s somebody visiting, whether it be the first time or they’ve been visiting for a month or a couple weeks, I’m always working it. I’m trying to build a relationship with them, getting to know them. That’s the responsibility of a pastor. Twice when they talk about a pastor given to hospitality—Titus 1:8 and Titus 3—told me that, or Timothy 3, that’s the job. But the pastor can’t do it all. And as the church grows, others must be involved in that. But given to hospitality—you’re always working at new people. And do they have a relationship? Do they know somebody? Do they feel at home?

I was thinking about some newer people. I said when Jacob and Chloe were visiting—and I don’t know if they had joined yet or not—but they got sick. I believe they got COVID, and some people went and took them some food. I was so thankful. And some people were focusing on new people in our church. And I’m not saying we don’t—I’m just saying, but righteous in my mind, new people, and we can’t wait for them to make their decision. We’ve got to go before while they’re making their decision and reach out and love and build a relationship with them. So, very important.

This is it. I think of a great thing. It’s a very spiritual lady, my wife. I know what I’m talking about, but she said she kind of makes it a rule in her life when she walks in a room—talking about with ladies—and she says, “When I first look around, I’ll look for the person that’s alone, that nobody’s talking to, and I’ll make a beeline to them. I’ll go try to talk with them.” That’s what I’m talking about. We’re always looking for the new people and somebody that needs some fellowship.

And you say, “Well, those people aren’t the funnest people in the world to be around.” Well, then it’s all about me. It should be about the Lord. If I’m about the Lord, it’ll be about others. I’m always working at that thing.

How many you know how you’ve heard of Howells Anderson College? You’ve heard of that? Howell Anderson College? Many preachers went there back in the evening today, but it’s named after Jack Howells, Howles, and then Anderson, named after Russell Anderson. Now, Brother Howes was the preacher; he’s in heaven now. Russell Anderson was the money—not all of it, but a lot of it.

Russell Anderson lived in Michigan. My wife lived over there. He went to the same home church of his for summer, Ypsilanti, Michigan. And he had come in where—and I won’t get into that—but he’s a great man, but he’d have the diamond rings and all the rest of that. But Russell Anderson… Well, the fact, how he got tied up with Howells Anderson or First Baptist Church of Heaven, Indiana: the first time he visited that church, traveling through, he visited on Sunday morning, and the family that watched for new people, and they kind of made a ministry out of it. And they say, “Hey, can we take you out to eat after service this morning?” Russell Anderson was West Virginia originally, a coal miner, and did drywall and moved up in the business world and all that. And I think they invited him and his wife to their house for supper, maybe took him out—I’m not sure. And that’s a little bit back of the day. But they took him out to eat, where they fed him, where they’d be at their house or out, and they built a relationship. I thought, “Wow, this is a big church, but there’s people in here that are reaching out to new people all the time, and they’re building relationships.” And, of course, years later, millions of dollars to that ministry. I wonder if that family, the first time they visited, hadn’t reached out to a new person.

I’m always looking for the new people, and you’re just aware of it. You’re always watching for new people.

Now, here’s the last—we won’t be long tonight because I have just a quick business meeting that… Here’s just the last thought. You said, “Well, that’s not my gift. I’m not gifted.” We sometimes will give out the spiritual gifts test, and that’s one of the gifts on that test. I don’t score high on that one. I’m not—that’s not my gift. I understand that we’re gifted in other ways.

But can I say this? Just because we’re not gifted or given something doesn’t mean we can’t work at it. A spiritual person will be trying to grow in every area. Yes, they’re gifted in certain areas, but you can work in other areas. Fact is, very interesting how the Bible words it: given to hospitality. There will be times you’ll have to do it on purpose. And 1 Peter 4, it says, “Use hospitality.” And there’ll be times that you just do it on purpose.

By the way, sometimes someone that comes in and they’re hurting, and someone has an outgoing personality, and that person that came in might not have an outgoing personality, they might get intimidated by a person with an outgoing personality. If you go shake their hand and you’re friendly to them, and they know you’re a little bit shy yourself, that might mean more. They might have a little bond with you. And it takes all different types because all different types are coming in the doors. And all of us reaching out on purpose…

Oh, I’ve said this several times, but we cannot wait for them to make the decision. And here’s the thing: If you’ve been in the church, you’ve been in any church for a long time, you say, “Well, I’ve seen a whole lot of them come, and I’ve seen a whole lot of them go.” Brother Anthony was talking to me, I think, yesterday this morning, and he said him and Miss Gatorre, they’ve been here four years now, and there’s some old pictures when they first came, and they were saying, “Wow, it’s amazing the change.” And that’s pretty much across the board nowadays in churches. We did not do a church directory for a while because this is a change, a rollover rate, and I told the people to try to get the companies that try to get us to do it, and they say, “That’s what everybody’s saying.” Everybody’s saying, “We don’t want to do a directory because of the year or so it’s all changed,” and that’s just where we’re at. It’s a moving society.

So the temptation is, “Well, I’ve seen a whole lot of them come and a whole lot of them go. We’ll just kind of see the ones that stick, and then we will build a relationship with them.” Well, probably not all of them is going to stick that way because they’re coming and looking for someone to love them enough. Careful. Reach out to build a relationship with them.

You said, “Why do they leave?” That kind of hurts. Well, Jesus hurt. We all have our cross, and ministering to people, you’re going to get hurt sometimes. But it’s worth the hurt for God to use you to help somebody. I say again, I think our church is way better than that. Way better than that. Friendly church, praise the Lord for it. People are welcome, and I love all that. Now I never want to change all that. I’m saying, look, we just… Oh, let’s work. Springtime’s coming, and we don’t know the people that are going to walk through those doors. You just never know the problems they’re going through and the burdens and the weirdness and the thoughts, and they just go home and cry themselves to sleep at nighttime, and how many their spouses aren’t there and they don’t know their spouses and all those things. It’s a friend—more of that walks through those doors, you think, and they need—they need someone just to love them.

I’m not trying to say, but it’s significant in just trying to give some illustration. But a man recently—he’s a guy that probably would not fit in real good. He’s not going to be up to the funnest and, you know, the social standing up here. He’s not going to be real popular and all that stuff. But he’s been coming, and he’s trying to clean his life up, gets his marriage and things straightened up. And I try to reach out to him. And he told me a couple weeks ago, he said, “You know the reason why I come? Because you always reach out to me.” I’m not saying I do a good job of it, but I’m just saying that stuff matters. But they’re looking for that. They need that. And they want that.

One more passage, and we’re going to be done. Look over in Luke 6. Luke 6. Now look at verse number 32. It’s just an interesting couple of verses, and then we’ll be done here. Luke 6, look at verse number 32. Luke 6, verse number 32: “For if you love…” Well, I’ll wait for just a second here. Luke 6:32. He says, “For if you love them which love you, what think you?” Well, man’s going to have friends. He must show himself friendly. I’m waiting. You know, it’s on them. Well, if they’re friendly to you and, you know, you’re getting the group and all that, why have you really accomplished? “If you love them which love you, what think you? For sinners also love those that love them.” And that’s the truth. I mean, you go to a basketball court with a bunch of rough muffins out there, if you will, and they’re going to have their little crowds here and there. You’re good to them, they’re going to be good to you.

Look at verse number 33: “And if you do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do the same.” What about if we got the love of Christ? We said we just want to reach out to—we want to love the unlovely. We want to reach out to those that it’s not going to increase our social standing or how popular are how… It’s not going to do all that because they’re not going to be able to do all that. But we just reach out to them above. Our church is good at all those things. It’s just something we always have to work at. And preventive maintenance is the best maintenance.

Boy, spring’s here, and I’m excited about God blessing and working and changing lives and seeing souls. So let’s just… You know, I’m going on purpose, reach out. I thought about it: every one of us, God reached out to us. He reached out in our messed-up world in love. It may be back our family trees, so on the line. I thought about mine. None of us were saved, and I wasn’t even born yet, and yes, we were headed to hell, on his truth. And a man—he didn’t take it, a man, maybe a lady—but he put a tract up in a hospital and just put a tract right there, and he was reaching out in his own way. And my mom ended up with that tract. She got saved from that tract, and my dad, his kids, relatives. What if that man hadn’t reached out?

And not necessarily talking about that, but that’s for sure a great illustration. What about these people that come in here? Oh, my goodness, the stories over the years, and they just need someone to love them. So, “Well, they’re probably going to leave.” They may. While they’re here, well, just go ahead and love them, reach out to them. I have a better chance of them growing in the Lord.

The philosophy, “Well, let’s just come as you are.” You know, I’m for that. I’m for coming as you are. Now, I’m not for leaving as you are. Leave changed by the Spirit of God and the Word of God, Jesus. But acceptance is an optimum environment for them to grow. We don’t want to come and accept it. You said, “They got something wrong with him.” Sure they do. We all do. I’m glad he loves us just like we are, accepts us like we are. I say again, I don’t think our church is bad about these things. I think our church is good at these things. Let’s just on purpose, I want to work at that. I like to work at hospitality ministry. We have a ministry; we work at some of these things. It’s not as far as a title of ministry; it’s what you are. It’s not what you do, but it’s what you become.

You can train. You can train someone to do something. I went to the chiropractor this afternoon, and there was a lady that had everything set up when the doctor came in, you know, and she had the patient right there and all, everything ready. And I don’t know—I don’t know what’s going on in life—but it seemed like she had been trained mechanically, but it didn’t seem like her heart, usually it is, but her heart went into it a whole lot at that moment. We can train, all right, let’s do this, this, but if a heart’s not in it, people know. I’m just saying, let’s just guide our heart to be aware of new people, try to build a relationship and love them.

Would you bow your heads and close? Our heads are bowed as you close. You’re there and you say, “You know, I’m not saying I’m bad at it or good at it, but I’m just saying I’m going to work at it. I’d like to be better about this thing. I’m concerned. I’m aware of… I have a fond care concern about new people, and I want this thing of hospitality.” God spoke more, and I want to work at this thing. I’m not saying you’re bad at it, but I want to get better. I want to work at this thing in hospitality. Not you tonight. You slip your head at church. I like to get better. I’m going to be focused on that. God bless you. God bless you.

I see some young people raising their hand. Oh, you get a youth department where the young people are reaching out to the young people that come in the church doors. Man, you’ve got something going right there. It’s a great thing. So very much. You put your hands down.

Maybe you’re here this morning or tonight, you say, “I want to do this. I’m going to take this on as a ministry.” By the way, this will get your heart into it. You say, “I’m going to start praying for guests.” I’m going to pray for them. Maybe someone comes in and I can tell something’s wrong. I’m just going to start praying. I might not even know their name. I’m going to make it my ministry to pray for guests. I’m going to have a little prayer ministry, pray for new people in our church, people that are visiting, guests in our church. I’m going to take that on as a ministry, just praying for them. Whether you all day on a Sunday or throughout the week, or you put them on your prayer list, but I’m going to make it a ministry. I’m going to pray for guests in our church. That’s going to be my choice. I’m going to take that alone. Anybody like that? I’m going to take that. I’m going to pray for the new people. That’s a great ministry. That’s a great, great, just praying for them. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you.

If you stand tonight, we won’t be alone. Maybe you want to take some time and just pray. Lord, I pray you to use our church. Help us to help somebody. That was to make a difference in somebody’s life. Years ago, a preacher challenged me when we came to our church. He said, “You can preach, you know, maybe a good message and get people to come from other churches, and if they’re on that, but he said, what good have you done? But if you reach someone…” God’s after reaching people. Let’s just… Let’s try to reach people. Let’s pray. Would you come if God’s led you to come? Would you come?

Lord, thank you so much for your goodness. Thank you for great people in our church that over the years have loved. Lord, they just give it and give it and give it. They really have, Lord. Father, help us to draw from your love and be determined to love more those that come. Lord, you help hurting people. Lord, I pray you to help marriages, homes, and children and young people, weary, discouraged, people with addictions. Lord, I pray you to use this church to bring victory in their life. Bless our people, great people. Bless this short amount of time we have here now. In Jesus, now we pray. Amen.

Would you be obedient to the Lord as they play? Amen. Great, great song, “Loved Me Like I Was His Only Child.” What a great song. We do have a business meeting. If you can stay, we’d love to have you stay. Mostly our folk, I think… I think, I think, I think, I think, I think pretty much all our folk tonight. You’re welcome to too. You’re welcome to all our folk tonight. You’re welcome to have you stay. We’re welcome to meet a minute for us. And let’s pray.

Dear Lord, thank you for your goodness, Church. Thank you financially how you have blessed. It’s all you. You’re so good. Thank you, Lord, and help us be wise with your finances. And thank you, Lord, for missions, and thank for our people giving so much of that. What a blessing. Bless your business meeting tonight. We’ll thank what you do, Lord. Jesus, and we pray. Amen.

Well, John Casey will come read our minutes. You’d be seated. You’d be seated if you haven’t. Thank you for standing. And John Casey will come read our minutes, please.

Original File: Hospitality - Pastor Paul Chisgar Wednesday PM 31721