1 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the Will of God, According to the Promise of Life

Sunday, November 26, 2017 – New Heights Christian Church, Kent, WA – Dr. Daniel Folden Christian Hospitality – Part 3 - A church family that is alive to God’s passion for the lost! (Our eternal-life-giving-relationship with the most gracious and hospitable Christ, stirs within us compassion for those who have not yet welcomed God’s grace.) Hebrews 13:1-2, Colossians 3-4 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:2–6 (NIV84) ------[Note to readers. This symbol  suggests you look up to view a new PowerPoint slide.] This morning I conclude our three part sermon series on Christian hospitality. This does not mean, however, that I have even come close to exhausting this study on Christian hospitality. But, hopefully it has generated some thinking about  how we can more effectively extend to others God’s hospitality, the very hospitality we continue to experience most tangibly through our alive relationship with God’s Son, Jesus. Today the primary focus will be on the hospitality that is directed from Christians to non- believers in Christ,  driven by a passion to introduce our Savior and Lord to those who yet do not know Him so that they can experience the amazing and gracious hospitality of God through His Son Jesus Christ. But before we turn to Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse, I would like to take an excursion to a couple of verses in Hebrews 13. By comparing two English versions of Hebrews 13:1 & 2, it should help us identify the important words of these two verses and lead us to seeing an important  connection between the love and hospitality we show to each other as believers in Christ and the love and hospitality we show to those who are strangers to us.  Hebrews 13:1-2 (NIV84) 1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2 (ESV) 1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Now both of these verses are commands or imperatives.  Verse 1 is an affirmative imperative. The love we are already showing to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to keep it up, keep it going and going.  Verse 1 sets the general standard for hospitality even though the application in verse 1 is specifically towards fellow Christians. It’s general in the sense that showing love for our brothers and sisters in Christ prepares us to extend our love to fellow Christians we may not know and even unbelievers we may or may not know.  Verse 2 is a cautionary imperative. Our assignment here to entertain or show hospitality to strangers must not be neglected or forgotten. Given the immediate connection to verse 1, it’s like verse 2 is saying, “don’t stop” showing love or hospitality just because the receiver may be a stranger, someone unknown to you. This becomes clearer when we isolate and compare the key words from each verse. In verse 1, the key word is  φιλαδελφία (philo-adelphos), that is, befriend or love your brother. In verse 2, the key word is φιλοξενίας (philo-xenia), befriend or love the stranger, alien, or foreigner. So, the same love that is expressed to the brother is to be expressed to the stranger. Immediately after having given the imperative to “keep on” loving our brothers and sisters in Christ, we get the

1 cautionary imperative to not forget or to not neglect the stranger. In other words,  “don’t stop” showing hospitality just because the receiver may be a stranger. Let’s examine verse 2 a bit more then. You will notice that Do not forget in the NIV84 is expressed as Do not neglect in the ESV. Both ways of expressing this caution are accurate. But, in our present use of these words, forget and neglect, I sense that  neglect carries with it more personal responsibility than forget. When I say “I neglected the mowing of the lawn,” I am admitting that I failed to do what was necessary to remember AND I didn’t do what needed to be done. But, when I say I forgot, it comes across more as an excuse or even an alibi. Given the context of what the author is saying, I think neglect is more fitting. It  challenges us to be more thoughtful and intentional about our love for others beyond our immediate family and friends. Here is a small nugget of advice from Pastor Dan: I would say that it is important to occasionally look over the shoulder of the person you are intently having a conversation with so you know who it is you may be presently neglecting or need to include in your circle of conversation. I say this, not because we shouldn’t be giving our full attention to the person with whom we are conversing, but because it is far too easy to not see the people who are being left out. I believe  Hebrews 12:2 is urging us to intentionally look around for those being left out. What we are already doing in loving our brothers and sisters we need to extend to the strangers among us.  We practice loving our brothers so we know how to love the stranger. The writer of Hebrews appears to be using some bait here to get us to not want to forget to show hospitality to strangers by reminding us of at least a one Old Testament story. When he writes,  for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it, whether he intended to or not, doesn’t that sounds like an incentive to open the doors to strangers in case one of them some day down the road might just happen to an angel? Where did that idea come from? It could have come from Genesis 18 when Abraham was showing generous hospitality to a disguised and pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, along with two of His angels. “Abraham did not know who they were when he welcomed them; it was only later that he discovered the identities of his illustrious guests.” 2 But quite honestly, this exhortation to not neglect to show hospitality or to not forget to receive as a guest the stranger in our midst, challenges me, as it might you.  To what extent am I to include strangers in my band of friends? This sounds very similar to what we heard last Lord’s Day from Leviticus 19:33–34 (NIV84) 33 “ ‘When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. 34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” So, the love we are presently showing to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to keep on showing to the strangers among you. We are not to neglect showing love to strangers because we may be receiving or welcoming an angel as your guest. Now it’s possible that the Leviticus text pushes us more forcefully towards strangers than does the Hebrews text.  Hebrews seems a bit more ambiguous about the meaning of stranger. “In that era were also brothels, and prostitutes commonly came with the room. Hence Christians provided hospitality to traveling Christians in order to avoid ungodly situations. Paul, for example, went to synagogues to see if any would invite him home after he spoke.” 3

2 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 326–327. 3 Rousas John Rushdoony, Hebrews, James & Jude (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books, 2001), 136.

2 And, if you recall our worship text from two weeks ago, Acts 16:13-15, when Paul on the Sabbath went outside the city gate to the river to find a place of prayer and conducted a worship service for the women gathered there. After that service, Lydia came up to Paul and said, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” Up to that moment, they were both strangers to each other. But, Lydia, as her first act as a new Christian, extended hospitality to a traveling Christian. J. Vernon McGee suggests,  “We ought to be careful that our love is exercised with judgment, but we need to recognize that there are folk around us to whom we could be very helpful. We should extend our love to them, and in doing this we might meet some very wonderful people.” 4 Bear in mind that the force of verse 1, to keep loving our brothers, may suggest that the context for verses 2 and 3 is to continue showing love to believers, some of whom may be strangers and others who may be prisoners.  Hebrews 13:3 (NIV84) 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (NASB completes the verse without the IF and says, “since you yourselves also are in the body.”) suggesting that these believers were very aware of fellow Christians suffering persecution, if they themselves had not personally been persecuted and even imprisoned at some point. Philip H. Hacking summarizes all three verses and says: “Love will be the hallmark of this community, seen in verse 1 as brotherly love leading to hospitality (in v.2) —very important in a world when travelling believers needed to find a welcoming spiritual home with good meals on the menu! Our global shrinking world has very pertinent parallels. (In v.3)  Even more challenging is the willingness to stand alongside our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ: ‘Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering’.” 5 In spite of the power of context in the Hebrews 13 verses that could point to the priority of showing hospitality to fellow Christians, be they from our own church family or personally unknown to us, there remains enough ambiguity to the meaning of stranger and prisoner in verses 2 and 3 that I turn to Galatians 6:9 & 10 as the appropriate solution. I believe this settles my dilemma.  Galatians 6:9–10 (NIV84) 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. This sets our priority in the context of our ability and our opportunity. as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Here, then, is my advice, though I am very open to be corrected if you think I’m not speaking wisdom there.  Be careful not to leave your base, i.e. your close relationships within the church family, when you set out to help someone, Christian or non-Christian.  Our evangelism needs to follow the best practices of a water rescue. When we are attempting to rescue someone who is drowning, after having secured the rope to your base, throw a ring buoy to the victim. If you enter the water, you need to be certain that you can bring both of you back to the shore.  Always have a secure base, even in the water, so the victim doesn’t take you down with him or her.  That’s how I believe we need to do hospitality and evangelism. First, make sure we are alive and fresh in our personal relationship with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Without that,

4 J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary, electronic ed., vol. 5 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 610. 5 Philip H Hacking, Opening up Hebrews, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2006), 90.

3 there’s not much point to trying to have a ministry. Second,  keep a secure base with your church family. Have the prayer support of your church family. Invite members of your church family to participate in your hospitality. Now, let’s quickly review Colossians 3 and 4 to see how Paul was effective in his evangelistic hospitality, of throwing open the doors wide to the household of faith in Jesus Christ, inviting all who would respond to come and meet our Savior and Lord.  #1. Colossians 3:1-11 A church family that is alive in Christ. Let’s look at these first eleven verses of chapter 3 for all the evidence that this church family is alive in Christ. Does Paul describe these believers as being alive in Jesus Christ?  Colossians 3:1–4 (NIV84) 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Firstly, as we look at verse 1, also keeping verse 3 in mind, we can then say, “yes, the Christians in Colosse are alive in Christ  because after having died with Christ by faith, they have been raised with Christ to eternal life by faith. Secondly, because of Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, these Christians, by faith in Christ, have their lives hidden with Christ in God in heaven. Now I’m not sure I can fully explain how this works. But, what Paul is saying here, when I trust in Christ and I die with Him on the cross by faith, and when I’m raised with Him in His resurrection by faith, then I am also hidden with Christ who is now residing in heaven. Verses 1-4 speak of what brought these believers into an eternal-life-giving relationship with Christ. Because of their living relationship with Christ, these believers in Colosse are full of hope for their future. That is evidence of being alive in Christ. Now, what follows is part of these believers’ ongoing faith actions that keep them fresh in their alive-relationship with Christ. We would call this part of the process of being sanctified. It is our participation with Christ to make us more and more like Himself. Yes, by faith we died to our old life that was without Christ. Yet, as verses 5-11 will tell us, because we are still in our earthly bodies waiting for our new, glorified bodies when Christ returns, we need to daily, even hourly, wage war with our old earthly nature. This is war that we must engage in with the power and truth that comes from the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and the Word of God transforming our thinking.  Colossians 3:5–11 (NIV84) 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. There’s a once and for all death and resurrection that establishes our eternal-life-giving relationship with Christ. Then there’s an ongoing spiritual war we participate in with Christ and with His gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. This spiritual war tests our surrender to Jesus Christ. But it also makes our relationship with Christ stronger as we remain in Him in the midst of the battle.

4 This personal war is joined by our brothers and sisters in Christ. They become our companion warriors so we can live as conquerors over sin, not as defeated slaves to sin. Paul now speaks of Christ’s hospitality extended from believer to believer within His household.  #2. Colossians 3:12-17: A church family that is alive with holy curiosity for the purpose of encouraging a faithful walk with Christ and helping fellow believers be more alive to Christ’s presence throughout each day. Notice how Paul describes Christian hospitality towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is how we’ve been called to live within the household of God.  Colossians 3:12–17 (NIV84) 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  We express God’s hospitality as we intentionally allow Christ’s life to be lived out through us. We don’t have time for me to unpack this portion of Colossians, so I refer you to a previous sermon on this text;  January 27, 2013, Colossians 3:1-17, How living Now with a heavenly focus impacts everything about us: The power of forgiveness and love! 5 copies are in the back. So, the transition from showing hospitality to fellow believers in Christ should not a great leap to extend hospitality in an evangelistic manner to unbelievers in Christ since our love is of the same substance and  our evangelistic objective is essentially the same, to extend the hospitality of God, which is Jesus Christ, to all who will receive it. Notice Paul’s request of the Colosse Christians to participate with him in his extension of God’s hospitality. This is evangelism.  #3. Colossians 4:2-6: A church family that is alive to God’s passion for the lost. What evidence do we have from these brief five verses that these Colossian Christians were alive to God’s passion for the lost? Look for the evidence as I read.  Colossians 4:2–6 (NIV84) 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Prayer permeates these verses. Paul exhorts these believers to be devoted to praying with watchfulness and thankfulness.  Surely, to be watchful in the context of being prayerful is to develop eyes to see what God wants us to see; to see where the message of the Gospel needs to be heard; to see the spiritual conditions around us in order to wisely pray for Christ’s intervention, maybe even through us, His servant/messengers.  The encouragement to be thankful in the context of being prayerful is also significant. Thankfulness is evidence that we have been watchful, watchful for the Lord’s work in our lives and even in the lives of others around us. Thankfulness is verbal vision. We express verbally the good things we have seen.

5 The praying that Paul calls us to has as its focus the extension of, the proclamation of, the message of the mystery of Christ. This strongly implies that  our prayers involve strategizing; strategizing for ways to make the most of the open doors we are given as we pray with watchfulness and thanksgiving. To make the most of our opportunities is to keep laying the foundation for the gospel to be clearly heard by those whom God connects us with. With these observations as the basis for our being alive to God’s passion for lost people, I want to encourage us in four categories of praying.  First. Pray that God’s Spirit connects you to lost people. Colossians 4:2-3a (NIV84) 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, This is a call to devote ourselves to praying for people. It calls for us to  (a.) pray as you think about the people God has already placed in our lives. You may be surprised how many people God has already positioned right in your path. Identify them and pray for them.  (b.) Pray for open doors to demonstrate Christian hospitality. Pray for opportunities to engage in conversation and to listen well.  Second. Pray for a clear speaking of the Gospel. Colossians 4:3b-4 (NIV84) 3b … so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.  (a.) Pray for a receptive heart and mind to learn of the mystery of Christ. (b.) Pray that God’s Word equips you with questions and clear answers that penetrate the heart.  Third. Pray for yourself to be an effective witness. Colossians 4:5 (NIV84) 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Paul states it as an imperative. Their walk, the way they live their lives, needs to be wise. Their lives and their message need to match. That is essential for making the most of every opportunity. This is a throw back to the importance of being personally alive in Christ as the basis for being an effective witness.  When the person and his message match, that creates opportunities. So, pray for yourself to be an effective witness.  Fourth. Pray that your words would create a hunger for a relationship with Christ. Colossians 4:6 (NIV84) 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.  Pray for a holy curiosity while you converse. Demonstrate your sincere interest in the person. Pray that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind helpful responses to the questions asked. There you have it.  A church family that is alive to God’s passion for the lost will: First. Pray that God’s Spirit connects them to lost people. Second. Pray for a clear speaking of the Gospel. Third. Pray to be effective witnesses personally. Fourth. Pray that their words would create a hunger for a relationship with Christ. ------