Now Genesis 18 is a long chapter in the Bible and we've got several sermons actually that we're gonna preach from it
So I've kind of divided it into sections and what I want to talk about in this sermon is the topic of hospitality
Hospitality that's kind of the first theme you see in the first third of the book of Genesis chapter 18
But before we go to Genesis 18, let me just kind of give you an overview on hospitality in general turn to Romans chapter 12
Romans 12
Romans chapter 12
And in Romans chapter 12 in verse number 9 Romans 12 verse 9 the Bible says let love be without
Dissimulation now some people might wonder what does it mean to be you know, what does dissimulation mean? Well think of something
It's like a simulation. It's not real
It's basically fake right what the Bible is saying there is don't have love but don't let it be fake, right?
Don't just kind of put on a show but not actually mean it. Let your love be real
Don't be a fake person and then it says abhor that which is evil cleave to that which is good
Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love and honor preferring one another so we should have brotherly love towards people
They care about them as their brothers and sisters in Christ not slothful in business
Fervent and spirit serving the Lord rejoicing in hope patient and tribulation continuing instant in prayer
distributing to the nest necessity of Saints given to hospitality and
Many of the things that are mentioned there kind of deal with hospitality having brotherly love and honor preferring one another
Let your love be without dissimulation. And so the Bible tells us we should have hospitality in our lives
Now, what does it mean to have hospitality? Here's a definition from online
The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests
visitors or strangers
It's the definition of hospitality is that when you have visitors or guests or strangers that you treat them
Well now in the US when you do bookkeeping and accounting
There's a lot of different technical terms that you're supposed to use just for organizational purposes. And one of them is
Hospitality it's kind of a form of money that you're giving hospitality and then there's also benevolence
These things are two different things
Benevolence would be when you give money to someone who's basically down on their luck. They need money. They need help
They can't pay their rent. So you give them maybe a hundred dollars to help them out
Hospitality is basically when you give somebody
Some money or some help but they don't really need help is just kind of a warm generous thing to do
So for example, you have a competition you have a gift card that goes out somebody wins the game to get $50
They don't need that money for survival, but you're just being hospitable you're showing that you care for that person
Okay, so when it comes to hospitality when you have visitors that come over
This is not saying somebody comes over and they need a glass of water or they're gonna die
What it's basically saying is somebody comes over and you just treat them. Well, okay
Romans 12 verse 1. Mm-hmm
Romans 12 verse 1 and
The Bible reads here in Romans 12 verse 1
I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice
Holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service now
This is in the same chapter talks about hospitality and it says that you present your bodies a living sacrifice and part of being
Hospitable is the fact that you lay down your own life and care about somebody more than yourself
Later on the chapter said preferring one another and when you're doing that you're making yourself a living sacrifice
You're saying your life is not as important as somebody else's if you have a guest that comes to your house
What you're doing is taking care of them. You're not taking care of yourself
That's what it means to be hospitable go to Philippians chapter 2 Philippians chapter 2
Philippians chapter 2
Mm-hmm
Philippians chapter 2 verse 3
The Bible reads
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory
But in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves
Now what this verse is saying is that we as God's people should be lowly in mind and what that means is we humble ourselves
We don't look at ourselves as being so special
but
Lowliness of mind and what that means is we esteem others better than ourselves
See God tells us we should look at other people as being more important than ourselves
That's what God has called us to do even Jesus Christ when he was here on earth
He didn't come to be an all-conquering King. He actually came to serve other people
Then it says this look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others
So once again the idea is don't be concerned about your own things and what you want
But be concerned with what the things are that other people want let this mind be in you
Which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God
but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and
Was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man
He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross
See the greatest example we have of this of laying other people before yourself and caring about other people
Is obviously Jesus Christ who came here. He died. He paid for sins go to 1st Timothy 3 1st Timothy chapter 3
1st Timothy chapter 3
And I'm just quickly showing you a lot of references to hospitality in the Bible then we'll go back to Genesis chapter 18
But one of the things actually the Bible mentions as a requirement to being a pastor
Is to be hospitable and see in our modern day people look at things like a Bible college degree and they say well
You know
You got to have a Bible college degree to be a pastor and yet the Bible actually has certain
Requirements that are you know far more difficult than getting a Bible college degree because last I checked
You know what as long as you pay money, they're gonna give you the degree
They don't really care whether or not, you know, you know the Bible whether you memorize the Bible read the Bible
What they care about is are you paying money then they'll give you the Bible college degree
See what the Bible says in 1st Timothy 3 verse 1
This is a true saying if a man desire the office of a bishop
He desires a good work. So the Bible says if you desire to be a pastor, that is a good work. You're desiring
It's good to desire that now notice. It doesn't say you desire the title of a bishop
Right because I feel like there's a lot of people in 2022
They want to be a pastor because they want people to call them
pastor so-and-so
right
Here in the Philippines. There are a lot of people that are not biblically pastors, but then they have people calling them pastor
Right and yet the Bible has direct requirements and it says if you desire that office
You desire a good work. It would be like desiring the office of you know, an engineer or of a doctor
It means you desire to do the work of an engineer right or if you desire
You know to be a doctor you desire the work of being a doctor if you desire to be a pastor
Then it's a good work
You desire you need to desire the work entailed or required with being a pastor then it says this in verse 2 a bishop
Then must be blameless
The husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behavior given to hospitality apt to teach
so one of the requirements mentioned is
Given to hospitality being a hospitable person meaning you put other people
Above yourself and you're not the most important person in the world go to 1st Peter chapter 4
1st Peter chapter 4
1st Peter chapter 4 verse 8
Hmm and
The Bible reads in 1st Peter chapter 4 verse 8 and above all things have fervent charity among yourselves
For charity shall cover the multitude of sins
use
hospitality one to another
Without grudging so you notice that hospitality something that's mentioned a lot in the Bible and what it says in this verse is use
hospitality one to another
without
Grudging meaning don't just be hospitable, but inside of your heart. You're like, I don't want to do this
It's not fair. It's not right. I don't want to care about other people
Don't just go through the actions. Don't let your love be with dissimulation
But actually mean it right and see you must realize that God called us to lay down our lives for other people
So when you're being hospitable to other people, you're actually doing what God has called you to do and look
Don't do that with a bad attitude
When you're being hospitable and you're taking care of guests and visitors and caring about them more than yourself
Don't develop this attitude like Martha in the Bible where she gets mad. She's cumbered about with much serving. It's not fair
It's not right now. You should have a good attitude about it. Go back to Genesis chapter 18 Genesis 18
Genesis 18
So
Let us look at three points here from Genesis 18
about the idea of having
hospitality
Genesis chapter 18
Genesis chapter 18 point number one when it comes to being hospitable point number one it requires efforts it
requires effort to be hospitable
Genesis 18 verse 1 and the Lord appeared onto him in the plains of Mamre and
He sat in the tent or in the heat of the day and he lift up his eyes and looked and lo
Three men stood by him now. We have this story here where Abraham gets visited by three men
Realize Abraham does not expect this. He's not expecting this to come
He's just kind of going about his day and then three people just happen to show up, right?
We'll be similar is if you're just kind of at your house and then all of a sudden
You have like people show up at your house and you're not expecting it, right?
Then it says this and when he saw them
He ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed himself toward the ground now notice the immediate reaction of Abraham is
When he saw them he ran to meet them from the tent door, right? It's not like when he saw them
He just like hit well, I don't want them to realize I'm home or whatever
No, once he saw them he ran to meet them the Bible says and bowed himself toward the ground now
Look when you do something like this that shows effort, doesn't it?
Doesn't it take effort to greet someone doesn't it take effort to run to someone so right when Abraham sees them
He runs to them and he bows himself toward the ground
verse 3 and said
my lord
If now I've found favor in thy sight pass not away
I pray thee from thy servant let a little water
I pray you be fetched and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree now
I will say this that I do believe that Abraham is aware that this is the Lord amongst those three people that is coming to
Greet him. But what we're seeing is a template on being hospitable
There's no indication of Abraham being fake or just putting on a show
Because his character throughout his life showed that he was hospitable person
But he says, you know, I thought now I've found favor in thy sight pass not away
I pray to you from thy servant let a little water
I pray you be fetched and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree
So basically once they come he says, you know what? I want you to rest under the tree. Don't do any work
We're gonna wash your feet. We're gonna take care of you. Basically, you know what? I'm here to serve you
I'm here to help you. Anyway, that is what being hospitable is
Verse 5 and I will fetch a morsel of bread
and I will fetch a morsel of bread and
Come for ye your hearts
after that you shall pass on for therefore you come to your servant and they said so do as thou has said and
Abraham hastened into the tent on to Sarah now when you see this word hastened or
Haste what it means is doing something very quickly. So basically these three men show up
Abraham runs out to meet them. He greets them. He says sit down under the tree. Just rest. We'll get some water
We'll wash your feet. We'll all get some bread
he quickly runs into Sarah the reason why is because they're going to basically make a meal for them and
Said make ready quickly
three measures of fine meal
needed and make cakes upon the hearth and
And Abraham ran under the herd and fetched a calf tender and good and gave it on to a young man and he hasted address
It so basically, you know, he tells Sarah you know what we have guests. You need to make a meal right now
Look Abraham did not expect these men to show up
Neither did Sarah she had no idea she was making a meal for company
But basically there's guests that are there and Abraham says hey, you know what you need to make a meal right now
We should put ourselves in this sort of situation
Now I think obviously any of us if the Lord actually appeared to us, we'd probably do whatever was necessary, right?
But just if people show up and I'm not just talking about some random homeless person knocks on your door
That's not what I'm saying
Okay
But I'm saying you know people that are people that you know people that are
Guests or people that are acquaintances or whatever they show up
How would you greet them right and see Abraham is ready immediately to help out and he comes to Sarah and says Sarah
You know, you need to make you know need it and make cakes upon the hearth and then Abraham ran onto the herd
So Abraham is not just ordering his wife around
Abraham's going and actually working himself and it says in fetch the calf tender and good and gave it on to young men
And
He hasted to dress it and so Abraham took this job very seriously he did this very quickly
He didn't waste time. He looked at as being a very very important task, right now look
Abraham could have just said well, you know what? Let us just get some, you know
Saltine crackers and put them on the table, right? Let us just get some you know bread. Here you go
Just plain white loaf of bread or whatever
I mean, he could have just not put in much effort at all, but that's not what he does, right?
I mean when you're fetching a calf tender and good and then you're basically preparing it and killing it and cooking it
I mean that's actually putting in some effort, isn't it? It's not just simply well, you know
Let's just see what we haven't eaten in the refrigerator that we need to throw away
right, but actually putting in some effort to actually take care of the guests and
Verse 8
Hmm and he took butter and milk and the calf which he addressed and set it before them and he stood by them under
The tree and they did eat and so basically as they're doing putting in all this effort
They're basically caring about these visitors more than themselves. Now. Let me just say on a side point. I do understand
That obviously you could have you know unwelcome guests or people that overstepped their bounds, right?
You know, let's say for example, you know
Your your neighbors are your family or whatever because this is actually a very common situation and then every single day
You know your your family's coming over to the point of annoyance. Well, obviously that can go to a bit of a different situation
I'm not talking about an extreme version
I mean if your neighbor knocks on your door every single day and you're rolling out the red carpet and cooking a meal
Eventually, it's got to get to the point where you say hey, you know what this is too much
We're just saying when you have guests that come over and it's from time to time you should actually treat them
Well go to Luke chapter 19 Luke 19
Luke chapter 19
Luke 19
And here's the thing when there's certain things that God commands in the Bible like he commands us to be hospitable
And to lay down our lives when God's commanding us to do something
Usually that means it's something that doesn't come easily
Right, and if something's requiring effort to do it's obviously something that you know what it's not going to be an easy thing to do
Right being hospitable is not the easiest thing
The easiest thing would just be not to care about the people that show up or whatever
But God tells us to be hospitable Luke chapter 19 verse 1
And
Jesus entered and passed through Jericho and behold there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans and he was rich
now
When it comes to being the chief among the publicans, that's not exactly the best job title for being a godly person
Right. I mean being a publican
Was not exactly the best career choice if you wanted to serve God, right?
Zacchaeus is a man who has a lot of money. He's a chief among the publicans
He was rich the Bible says and he sought to see Jesus who he was and could not for the press
Because he was of little stature now one thing that's great about this story
This story shows that there can actually be people that are rich people or even people not even just rich
But maybe even have a sinful job, but actually do want to seek the Lord, right?
I mean, there's many reasons why people might go down certain career choices. We don't necessarily know why I mean
Most people pick their college degree based on one thing what career is going to give me the most money, right?
Most people aren't choosing their college degree based on you know
What what career field is the godliest to choose?
Most people basically will have a few different options which of these that I I somewhat enjoy is going to make me the most money
Right, you know
I remember hearing the story of someone who majored in pharmacy in college and they have like first-day orientation
And the professor was asking people, you know, why did you choose this career field?
and you know people are trying to give answers to look good and everything and the the first person gave an
Answer about I've just wanted to dedicate my life to serving other people to helping other people
Went on and on and on the professor said no really. Why did you choose and
Because it would make me a lot of money, right?
That was the actual reason and they admitted it once it went down to it
It's just like well, that's the reason why you chose it right now. Obviously there's exceptions to this, but I'm just saying in general
I mean most people are going to choose based on what's going to make them a good amount of money
Right and look honestly that that should be part of why you would choose a degree
There'd be no reason to get a degree in college. That's not going to make you money
So I'm not saying that's that's completely bad or anything like that
What I'm just saying is, you know people pick career fields for different reasons and here's the thing people change over time
Right. I mean you start a career in something maybe ten years later. You're a different person. Maybe Zacchaeus
We don't necessarily know how old he was. Maybe if he could go back in time
He would have said hey, I wouldn't have become the chief of the publicans. It's just kind of where my life led me, right?
but
Then it says this in verse 4 and he ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for he was to
Pass that way and when Jesus came to the place
He looked up and saw him and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down for today
I must abide at thy house. Now. This is kind of an interesting story because we've got a grown man
Who's not very tall and he climbs a tree to see Jesus, right?
Now look, he's already showing some humility
It's kind of embarrassing for a grown man to climb a tree
Right when other people are around because he can't see them because he's shorter than everybody else
So basically he climbs a tree to see Jesus. I'm sure most people in the crowd probably wouldn't have climbed a tree
Just for the fact they wouldn't humble themselves to that point
but Zacchaeus says you know what I want to see Jesus and he climbs a tree in order to see the Lord Jesus Christ and
What Jesus said to him is make haste and come down for today. I must abide at thy house
So he tells Zacchaeus, you know what Zacchaeus, I'm gonna go to your house and this is what you call an unexpected guest
Right Zacchaeus has no idea that Jesus is gonna see him because it would be one thing to say
I want to see the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to talk to him
It's another thing to basically invite somebody over for dinner and put in that effort and put in that time
Verse number six and he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. So he does this with joy. He's not upset about it
He's happy to have Jesus Christ dine at his house. And when they saw it they all murmured saying
That he was gone to be guest with a man. That is a sinner
Now here's the thing
They're criticizing Jesus for eating with Zacchaeus
Right. Here's the thing about this though. I don't believe most people would have climbed a tree to see Jesus. I
Don't believe most people would have joyfully received an unexpected guest into their house either
Because that takes effort I don't think most people wanted to do that
They'll criticize when Jesus eats with Zacchaeus, but they wouldn't have invited Jesus over
Right. I mean, I think there's a reason why Jesus said hey, I'm gonna eat at your house Zacchaeus
He knew Zacchaeus would receive him joyfully right now, of course Zacchaeus was a sinner and he did have a bad job
However, once again people that have bad jobs can get saved and here's the thing if you eat dinner with someone in order to preach
The gospel there's nothing wrong with that
Right. I would never advise you to be best friends with any unsafe person
Right. I wouldn't advise you to be close friends with someone who had major major sins in their life either
But if you're eating with someone to preach the gospel, there's nothing wrong with that
Right whenever I've tried to preach the gospel with co-workers
I've had in the past what I would do is just invite them out to lunch on the lunch break and just say hey
You know what? Can you come to lunch with me? I'll pay for your meal
I wanted to talk to you about something and so basically when you do that
Even if they don't get saved they don't get super mad at you because you paid for their meal
So they're willing to listen to you and it's not at work
So you really can't get in trouble. You're off the clock for that hour
I mean, there's many reasons why to do something like that
But basically what I'm saying is this there's nothing wrong with eating with someone to preach the gospel to them
Now look if it's the same person and now you're going to bars with them and going to movies and going to
You know, whatever and clubs. Well, then I'd say yeah, that's wrong
But just inviting somebody out to eat to preach the gospel to them. There's nothing wrong with that. Go back to Genesis chapter 18
Genesis 18
Genesis chapter 18
So point number one when it comes to being hospitable which Abraham shows that he is what Abraham shows is that he puts in
Efforts being hospitable requires efforts if it didn't require effort
It probably wouldn't be difficult, but it requires efforts. See another thing being hospitable can require is
It can require money
It can require money knows what it says in Genesis 18 verse 5 and I will fetch a morsel of bread and
Comfort ye your hearts after they shall pass on
for therefore you come to your servant and they said so do as Alice said and
Abraham hastened in the tent on to Sarah and said make ready quickly three measures of fine meal
needed make cakes upon the hearth and
Basically, he tells Sarah, you know, I need you to make bread and he's saying make high-quality
Don't make cheap stuff. I want you to bring out something. That's very nice
Verse 7 and Abraham ran under the herd and fetched a calf tender and good and
Gave it on to a young man and he hated to dress it
So when they get a calf they get one that is tender and good and the indication is he gets the best
He doesn't get the worst. He doesn't get low quality. The indication is they get the best food to prepare
So it's not just that they're putting in efforts. They're also putting in money
Right, they're taking the best they have because it would be very easy to just get the worst calf
Right get the one that nobody wants get the one that's rejected get the one of low quality, but no
They fetch the calf tender and good
verse number eight and
He took butter and milk and the calf which he addressed and set it before them now look
Butter is something that was a very precious commodity
Right milk is something that's a precious commodity. Those are things that take time
Those are things that take money that are worth a lot of money
Very valuable right and he took butter and milk and the calf which he addressed and set it before them and he stood by them
Under the tree and they did eat so it's not simply that they're putting in effort for unexpected guests
They're also putting in money
Right. They're also bringing out the best
Okay
Number one point number one we saw this they put in efforts point number two
Money money is part of hospitality
Hospitality sometimes, you know one thing that kind of humbles me is
Sometimes you know you go soul winning and sometimes you're so winning in areas that are kind of lower income areas
And you know you knock on a door you start preaching the gospel to someone and it's very interesting
To me the same people that are pretty hospitable are also often receptive to the gospel
You knock on some doors and then they'll say oh come on in and then they'll pull up a chair for you
And then they'll offer you something to eat and something to drink and what sometimes the people that do that. They don't have a lot
Right. I mean some of the I mean what you find is a lot of the low-income
Areas where people have very very little they're the ones that offer you stuff and honestly when I see that
It humbles me because I think all of us inside of ourselves
Would love to have a little bit more right a little bit more money a little bit nicer
this a little bit nicer that and then you go so winning in areas where people don't have a lot and
Then all of a sudden they're really generous and hospitable to you and it humbles you
Right now this is not always the case but you do run into those people that you know
You knock on their door and they're like sure and they say come on in they, you know, pull out a chair for you
I I feel bad when when there's a family that maybe only has like a couple chairs or whatever and they're standing and
Then you're sitting preaching the gospel and it's like they want you to sit though
They're they want to stand because they want to be hospitable. So it's like, you know, you're sitting there
You're preaching the gospel to them, but it's just like they they have little and yet they're very humble
They're very hospitable and they offer you something to drink and
Something to eat and it's it's kind of like a tough situation because I kind of feel guilty if they give me
You know water because I feel like they don't have much but it's very rude
If somebody offers you something and you don't take anything either it's kind of like a middle-of-the-road position
But it always humbles me when I see that and what's interesting is those same people that are very hospitable
They tend to be pretty
Pretty open to the gospel and often get saved and I guess it shows the humility they have because it requires
Humility to be saved. You've got to humble yourself and admit that you're guilty and you need a Savior
And you can't make it on your own point. Number one. We looked at effort
Point number two, we looked at money
Being part of hospitality point number three, and I'm not going to show you any of the verses but we already kind of cover this is
time is part of
Hospitality see number one is effort. It puts in a lot of effort
They hasted meaning they did it quickly. They ran they're putting in effort
They're putting in money, but also time realize that if you pay attention to what's happening here, they're preparing and cooking a meal
Hours and hours and hours are going by at the very least
We don't have the exact amount of time
But you can read this story and just kind of think that they live in the days of the microwave
Or they just put something in the microwave and it's done but actually hours and hours and hours are going by
So there's a reason why Abraham says hey basically sit under the tree and rest and you know
We'll fetch you water and wash your feet because they're going to be taking a long time before they actually eat
Right now turn your Bible to Matthew 20, Matthew 20
You
Say well brother Stuckey, I'd be a hospitable person if I realized the guests were already coming ahead of time
Well, I do think in general that you know, it's good for people to let people know if they're coming ahead of time
But I will say that in Genesis 18. They have no idea
Right. I mean in Genesis chapter 18
They have absolutely no idea Abraham has no idea that the Lord is going to be appearing to him, right?
No idea whatsoever. Sarah has no idea
I'm sure Sarah's thinking I already cooked a meal for the family and now I have to cook again
Right. I mean that's that could easily be the attitude but it's just kind of like well, you know what?
It's the job I have to do. It's the job I do
Right being hospitable something God calls us to do
Matthew 20 verse 24 and when the tin heard it there move with
indignation against the two brethren
But Jesus called them on to him and said, you know that the prince of the Gentiles
exercised dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them and
What that means there in verse 25 they that are great exercise authority upon them
Is that in general people that are in power will?
Exercise or use their authority right if you are in a position of power, you'll boss people around
They that are great
Exercise authority upon them and so by the world standards if somebody's powerful or great
They will basically use that to be above other people
Right and what Jesus is trying to say is it's not the same thing though with being a Christian
Because the idea is if you want to be a great Christian, it's not about basically saying well, I'm up here
Then I'm above you you got to do this and this that's that's not what it is when it comes to being a great Christian
Verse 26, but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you. Let him be your minister
So see in the world if you're great people serve you
Right. I mean if you're the CEO of a company people serve you if
You're the president of a country people serve you
Right. If you're a high-level person people serve you
Right, that's the way it works
What the Bible saying is with Christianity it's different with Christianity if you want to be great
What the Bible says is let him be your minister be a servant be a minister
And that's actually what makes you great because the idea was this the sons of Thunder James and John are saying basically
You know what? They wanted to be great basically
They wanted to be the right-hand men of Jesus up there in heaven and everything and Jesus letting them know
Well, here's the thing if you want to be great if you want to get a lot of rewards in heaven, that's a good goal
Here's the thing though be a servant
Be a minister, right? That's what it's about
It's not about reaching a position where you're above everybody else and look
I'm not against authority structure because authority structure is there for a reason
What I will say is this if you want to be a good Christian
It's all about basically laying down your life for other people being a servant being hospitable
Being a minister on to other people. That's what the Bible says. I would also say this though
I do believe that if you worked at a company and you were the CEO
You would actually do yourself a favor if you actually did serve your people a little bit as well
and what I mean by that is, you know an example in the Bible is
With Boaz actually, you know turn to the book of Ruth real quickly
I think we have a bit of extra time. So we'll go here Ruth chapter 2
Ruth 2
Ruth chapter 2 in your Old Testament
And
In the Bible Boaz kind of pictures the Lord Jesus Christ in a lot of ways
But Boaz was a pretty well-liked man when you read the book of Ruth
You can tell he's a well-respected man, and he's also a very powerful man. He's got a lot of money
He's got a lot of influence and in Ruth chapter 2, this is kind of a verse
You just kind of read over but it's pretty significant to me. It's pretty interesting
And what it says in Ruth chapter 2 verse 4 is this
Ruth chapter 2 verse 4
Behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and said unto the reapers the Lord be with you and they answered him the Lord blessed thee now
This is significant to me because when you think of people that are reapers of a field
They've got kind of a lowly position. They're not a powerful position
They're not famous
They're not rich or anything
But Boaz just basically shows up and he just tells all of them
Hey the Lord be with you and what that's similar to is if let's say for example your boss at a company
He shows up to work and the first thing he does is just greet all the employees and say hello
You know, here's the truth. If you had a boss like that you would want to be a good employee for him. I
Mean if your boss showed up to work and just said hello and then just would ask you every once in a while
You know, how's your family? How's your wife doing? You know, how are your kids doing? Wouldn't you want to serve your boss?
Right and see the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us and served us does make us want to serve him
Right. And so here's the thing. Even if you are the head CEO of a company
I do believe you do yourself a favor if you actually
Humbled yourself a little bit and didn't just like lift yourself up above all your employees
But actually show them that you cared about because I've had bosses I liked and I've had bosses
I did not like when you have a boss you do not like that's rude to you
What you do as a Bible believing Christian is you try to be a good employee because God requires you to
right
But I've had bosses I liked and when I'm saying boss, I like I'm just saying in the secular world
I'm not saying underneath the church setting
I'm just saying I've had jobs in the secular world where I had bosses
I really liked and you know what?
I tried to be a good employee because I wanted to do a good job for them because they were nice to me
I had a boss that would talk to me, you know, probably once a week and just say hey, how are you doing?
And he just kind of humbled himself and it made me want to be a good employee because of how he acted towards me
Go back to Matthew chapter 20
Matthew 20
Now of course I understand
That there's this balance because if you are the boss, you're not just buddy buddy with people. You're also the authority
So I understand there's this balance there same thing with being a father or mother, right?
I mean you want to be friends with your kids and care about them
But you also have to show that you're the authority as well. So there is a balance there but Matthew 20 verse 26
But it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you
Let him be your minister and whosoever will be chief among you
let him be your servant even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered on to but to minister and
To give his life a ransom for many now turn to 1st Kings 10
1st Kings chapter 10
So
We looked at hospitality in general and I want to just kind of close up with the idea of hospitality in a church setting
You know, how does hospitality work in a church setting now 1st Kings 10 is the Old Testament
However, I would say that it's really kind of the ideal chapter for what a church should be like
I've actually preached a sermon before on the perfect or the ideal church and I use 1st Kings 10 as the example and
Notice what it says in 1st Kings 10 verse 1
And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord
she came to prove him with hard questions and
She came to Jerusalem with a very great train with camels that bear spices and very much gold and precious stones
And when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart and Solomon told her all their questions
There was not anything from the king which he had told her not now
What the major thing people focus on 1st Kings 10 is the fact that Solomon was so wise and
He answered everything Queen of Sheba had asked him and that is one aspect of 1st Kings 10
But if you read this chapter, that is not the only thing that the Queen of Sheba notices verse 4
and when the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom in the house that he had built and the meat of his table and
the sitting of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and
Their apparel and his cupbearers and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord
There was no more spirit in her and it talks about here in verse 5
The attendance of his ministers and everything mentioned everything here was organized. It was well-ordered
Everything was done perfectly you say why because there's people that are just serving and ministering and helping
Right and when it comes to us as a church, this is something that's very important when we have guests at our church
We need to be hospitable, right? We need to show people that we actually care about them being here, right?
Now, of course, there's this balance because we don't want to make them feel pressured like whoa
You know, let me just sit down or whatever
But what I'm saying is this, you know, we don't want to have this situation where somebody comes and visits our church
Nobody says hello to them
Right. Nobody says hello to them before the service or after the service and then they just leave it's like well
That's the wrong attitude
Right now, let me just give you a kind of a general idea when we get visitors one thing
We always want to do when we have a visitor is that they hear the gospel
now it could be somebody visits our church and they're already saved and praise the Lord for that, but
When somebody's saved we don't see a sign on their head that lets us know that we have no idea
The other thing is this let's say, you know, you ask somebody. Oh, how'd you hear about church? And then you hear well, you know
You know brother stockier brother red or brother Raji invited me right or brother Dante invited me. Well, here's the thing
That doesn't mean that they're saved though
Right because I remember one time in Sacramento
I brought somebody to church and the way the system is at Sacramento is basically, you know
Various people meet and greet people and then the goal is at the end of the service to preach the gospel
Someone just assumed since since they had been invited by me that they were saved but they weren't saved
now I'd given them the gospel the day before but they didn't get saved and
So just because somebody comes to church because one of the soul winners invites them. That doesn't mean that they're saved and
I'll be honest even if I preach the gospel to someone and I think they get saved if they come to church
I'd like to double-check it right
I'd like to just make sure that they actually got it because there are false conversions
Or maybe you talk to people and they're not quite sure they're kind of on the fence or whatever
And say it's always good to double-check that to make sure that they get it. So here's the number one
We want to preach the gospel to anyone that comes but at the same time we don't want to have this attitude
For people to think that all we care about is for them to hear the gospel. Hopefully that's not all we care about
Right. So hopefully the goal is if they show up early that we say hello before the service get to know them a little bit
And then if there's time afterwards, we preach the gospel to them and here's the thing if they're saved
Let's say we talk to someone they're saved well, then you don't just say okay great and walk away right now ask them
Okay, great. You know, where do you live? Where are you from? Right? You know, what do you do for work?
Right, you know just do you have a family or whatever, you know?
Just say general things to try to get to know them to make them feel comfortable, right?
So we need to make sure we're hospitable with get with guests verse 6 and she said to the king
It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom
how be it I believe not the words until I came in mine eyes had seen it and behold that half was not told me thy
Wisdom and prosperity exceeded the fame which I heard happy are thy men
Happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom
And so the Queen of Sheba not only notices King Solomon. She also notices all the other people as well, right?
What she's noticing is
Hospitality that these people actually care about the Word of God, but they also care about just greeting guests just being good people
Being nice being hospitable. Look when it comes to hospitality
This is not the easiest thing in the world
It's not always fun to put in effort and money and time
But it's what God tells us he wants to do and realize this you don't always know when guests are actually going to come
Right
Sometimes you do know ahead of time
But in Genesis 18 they didn't so even if you do not feel like being hospitable because you're not prepared
You're not ready. It's what God tells us to do. Let's close in word of prayer your Heavenly Father
Thank you for allowing us to be here today and getting you see your word in this topic and ask you to help all of us
Apply this to our lives help us to be hospitable people