Hospitality A Neglected Essential (Assorted Scriptures)

Kootenai Church

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Well, it is a delight to be back up here with you this morning And I just wanted to begin by thanking you all and expressing the deep gratitude that I and my family have for your concern and prayer for us over the last few months as we've had some health struggles, but We're doing much better and very grateful for that So let's pray as we open the word together our father.

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We arrive at this most significant of time In the corporate worship of the body of Christ When we your people gather in this place and we open the

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Word of God together That we might hear from you We pray our father that your spirit would apply the word

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That he would help us to understand the word That we might be people who do not merely hear but do the

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Word of God Our father as we begin a new year together It is our desire and our ambition to live in obedience to you

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We pray in Christ's name men It is my desire to speak to you this morning about the ministry the

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Christian ministry of hospitality and I've entitled this morning's message hospitality a neglected essential hospitality a neglected essential

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It is a January 1st And we are together here in this first Sunday in January in January is an interesting month and January 1st in particular

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It makes it interesting Because this is typically the time when we make resolutions of self -reformation

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Probably the most common of which is that we're going to get in shape and lose a few pounds in this coming year

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That is undoubtedly the most often made resolution and the one most often broken by February You know

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January the month January is actually named after the Roman God Janus It comes from the

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Roman God Janus and the Roman God Janus was portrayed in a most interesting way he was portrayed as having two faces and The reason he was portrayed as having two faces

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Was that he was thought to be able to look both into the future and the past Simultaneously and that kind of plays into how we see the month of January We tend to all

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Lang Syne look back as to what has gone and look forward to losing a few pounds in what comes before us so In keeping with that notion of looking backward and forward

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I want to set the stage for our study this morning in the scriptures by taking a quick look backwards at Hospitality in the

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Christian Church so Christian histories are replete with statements about the loving display of Christian hospitality in the early centuries of the church a lack of buildings in which to meet in the early centuries made

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Christianity a home -based movement a movement that was often dependent upon Itinerant that is traveling teachers and preachers and these teachers and preachers were dependent upon the hospitality of the local congregations that they traveled to in order to minister the

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Word of God and So they being dependent received their material support and provision including food and shelter

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Instant amongst the home -based churches the home churches that they visited throughout the

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Roman Empire Alexander struck in his excellent little book entitled the hospitality commands writes the following The first Christians viewed themselves as part of a worldwide brotherhood that transcended all national racial and social boundaries

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They knew they were a persecuted minority in an intensely hostile world their very survival depended on active participation in the family of brothers and sisters

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Hospitality therefore became one of the most significant practical expressions of this worldwide family of brothers and sisters and thus became one of the birthmarks of primitive

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Christianity close that quote Now as the centuries progressed

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Christianity became eventually the established religion of the Empire in the fourth century and When that happened its pilgrim status was forgotten and with it the practice of hospitality waned

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We find how much it had waned when we get to the 16th century, that's the 1500s when

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John Calvin is mourning the demise of ancient hospitality and he said and I quote this office of humanity has nearly ceased to be properly observed among men for the ancient hospitality celebrated in history's is unknown to us and Inns now supply the place of accommodations

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For strangers was quote that's enough looking backwards.

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Let's look forwards the word hospitality or hospitable

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That Greek word is actually comprised of two Greek words put together the first word philos means

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Loving the second word Xenos or Xenos how and depending how you want to pronounce it means a stranger or a guest

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So the word hospitality or hospitable Conveys the idea of a love of strangers or a love of guests.

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That's what the word means So what I've got for you this morning is five sermons crammed into one

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So we're gonna have to bail our hay And we are not going to be able to explore all that I would love to explore with you with regard to this topic

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But here's the outline for you. It's very simple I have five statements five statements five statements that help shape our understanding and practice of hospitality five statements that help shape our understanding and practice of Hospitality Okay.

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Number one first statement Hospitality is a command not a gift

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Hospitality is a command Not a gift newsflash the spiritual gifts are delineated in three

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Three places. I have trouble with that three places in the New Testament the gift lists

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They are found in Romans 12. They are found in first Corinthians 12 and they are found in first Peter 4.

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Those are the classic gift lists of the New Testament That's where you go to find the spiritual gifts listed.

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We're not going to go there this morning We're not gonna take the time to do that I'll just try you can check me go on your own and check there if you go to the gift lists and look at them

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You will not find Hospitality listed it is not there

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It is not there. And the reason it's not there is because it is not a gift Hospitality is not a spiritual gift

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Hospitality is instead a command It is a command

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So open your Bibles. I will demonstrate this to you quickly in Romans chapter 12

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Romans chapter 12 and verse 13 Romans chapter 12 and verse 13

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Romans 12 13 contributing to the needs of the Saints comma

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Practicing hospitality Contributing to the needs of the Saints practicing hospitality now this word practicing that it is it is

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It is a present active participle, we'll just tell you that okay in the Greek it's a present active part So what does that mean?

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It means it's conveying the idea of an active ongoing action It could it could be

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Translated. In fact, if you if you're using a New American Standard and it's a study Bible with margin notes You'll find it down there the idea of pursuing hospitality

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I Would translate it actively? Pursuing hospitality. I think that captures the present active participle that is

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Translated here in practicing hospitality Now that's not a command a

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Parsippa is not a command But I'm saying it is a command and the reason I'm telling you that it is a command is because actually to find

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The command for this passage that the controlling verb of the passage is found in in chapter 12 verse 2

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So we have to go back there to chapter 2 This is the command that then controls everything that rolls out under that of which

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Actively pursuing hospitality is what one illustration So here you go in verse 2 do not be

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Conformed to this world, but be transformed. There's your controlling verb and it is a command by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and Perfect good and acceptable and perfect right be transformed

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There is your controlling verb your command verb present middle imperative That sets up the rest of chapter 12.

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In other words, how does the transformation show itself Paul? and he lists them out and and all the way to verse 13 the active pursuit of hospitality is

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The implementation of the command to be transformed in your thinking and proving the will of God that which is good and perfect Okay, so the command is in verse 2 the the

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Specific illustration or activity of that command occurs here in verse 13. All right, we're gonna have to keep moving

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Sorry, we can spend more time there, but we're not going to we're going next to Hebrews chapter 13 All right, and that's just gonna way it's gonna have to be sorry

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Hebrews 13 And I don't feel bad about preaching this because by the time

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Jim gets to this you'll have forgotten everything I've said Particularly because he prayed that the

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Lord would return this year All right,

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Hebrews chapter 13 verse 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by this some have entertained angels without knowing yet Okay, Jim can can unsort that for you

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But what I'm interested in is the do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers pedal present middle imperative it's a command and If I can say it this way we can only neglect that which is our duty

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That which is our duty is what we can neglect and we are not to neglect it the writer says

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Keep going to the right first Peter 4 There's Peter 4 verse 9 first Peter 4 and verse 9

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Be hospitable to one another without complaint Be hospitable to one another without complaint that is not a command that is that is not an imperative

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All right, but there is an imperative in the passage that controls this and it occurs in verse 7

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The end of all things is near therefore be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of Prayer the be of sound judgment or the

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English Standard Version translates it be self -controlled That is an heiress active imperative

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There's your imperative. There's your command that controls the passage or this section of it at least

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So in verse 9 be hospitable to one another the command comes out of verse 7

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It is a result of a sound judgment a sober spirit Notice also by the way, just while we're here to one another without complaint

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One another speaks of the local body of Christ So the the command for hospitality the extension of oneself to strangers and guests

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Certainly speaks of those outside of the local body, but it also speaks to those inside the local body the one in others

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So hospitality is to be extended not only to those who are complete strangers, but also to others within the local body

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That's us Okay, the command is to us to extend hospitality to one another one another

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All right, turn left and go to first Timothy 5 first Timothy 5 verses 9 and 10 first Timothy 5 verses 9 and 10

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This is Paul's words to Timothy here Timothy is in Ephesus Paul's instructing

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Timothy how to put the how to put the church in order basically until he returns and he is addressing the issue of the care of widows and So verse 9 a widow is to be put on the list

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I'm of the opinion the list had to do with a benevolence role to care for the widows

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So widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than 60 years old

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Having been the wife of one man a one -woman man Or one man woman, sorry get that right one man woman

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Here's the point having a reputation for good works. And if she has brought up children if she has shown hospitality to strangers

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Put her on the list Verse 9 there is your command present middle imperative put her on the list

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Provided she meets the qualifications one of the qualifications here verse 10 has shown

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Hospitality to strangers has loved strangers who are strangers more literally, okay

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So another command Connected to hospitality

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Give you one more same book chapter 3 and verse 2

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Chapter 3 verse 2 an overseer then must be above reproach umbrella statement

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And now explain the husband of one wife one woman man temperate prudent respectable hospitable

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Able to teach not addicted to wine or prognatious gentle peaceable free from the love of money, etc

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Interesting not a command here Present active indicative day

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It is necessary Okay, it's it's often referred to as the divine necessity in order to for one to be above reproach

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These things must be true of him and then they're delineated Hospitable is one of the requirements for an elder now

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Here's the interesting thing I want you to notice that the responsibility in this passage for hospitality falls on whom

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It falls on the man Not on the wife It falls on the man not on his wife what this means is that Hospitality is the responsibility of male leadership within his home

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It is a measure of what it means to be Mature in the Christian faith in other words that a man must shepherd his wife

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To a place to extend hospitality. He must shepherd his children to a place to understand value love and practice hospitality

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So that this vital and essential character of Christian conduct

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Reveals itself here in in first Timothy 3

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The qualifications that are listed here. The men are qualified or disqualified for leadership in God's church based upon what's within their control

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Hospitality is within his control it okay if I can put a fine point on this men

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It is our responsibility Hospitality the hospitable nature of our home is ours not our wives

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She is called to aid and assist us But it is our responsibility.

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Okay So hospitality is a command not a gift. That was number one statement number two

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Number two statement hospitality is a call to love others It is a call to love others

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The New Testament exhortations to practice hospitality occur in the context of brotherly love

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I'm going to turn you right back to the passages. We looked at earlier. Let's go back to Romans 12 We're gonna move a little near the context to the statement about actively pursuing hospitality verse 13

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I want you to look at verse 9 Verse 9 let love be without Hypocrisy abhor what is evil cling to what is good?

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Love is the first fruit of a transformed mind Love is the first fruit of a transformed mind

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Then that love begins to to display itself and having devoted to one another preference to one another not lagging behind in diligence

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Serving the Lord rejoicing and hope persevering in tribulation devoted to prayer contributing to the needs of the

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Saints mean generous and Practicing hospitality you see it flows out of transformed mind to transform mind first reveals itself in love and that shouldn't be too hard to understand right because God is love and those who are being transformed into the image of his son are being transformed

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From one who was turned in on themselves To one who is now outwardly focused

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Expressing the very love of God that he has shed in them go back to Hebrews Hebrews 13

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Hebrews 13 right we looked at verse 2 do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers look at verse 1 Let love of the brethren continue

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Let love of the brethren continue in other words that is the overriding plot How do we let love of the brethren continue do not neglect to show hospitality?

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That's how that's how Hospitality is the answer to the appeal to let the love of the brethren continue

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First Peter 4 we found the command in verse 7, but look at verse 8

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Notice again the close context with love Above all keep fervent in your what?

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Love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins be hospitable to one another without complaint

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Okay, keep fervent a tennis Persistent effort resolve straining the picture is like an

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Olympic athlete in training pursuing to the fullest extent

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What their body is capable of? Okay, we were to strain at this Now this kind of love that we're being called to is a is a costly love it is a costly love in other words the the biblical expression of Hospitality will cost us something

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At very minimum, it will increase our food budget Yeah, but but believe me that's the least costly part of it all

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But it is costly. It's time -consuming Probably the most valuable resource we have right our limited time it is time -consuming

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It is fatiguing it is fatiguing And it is privacy denying

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Privacy denying I just want to go home and kick back But the active pursuit of those who are strangers to us in an expression of hospitality

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Will be costly time -consuming fatiguing and privacy denying therefore

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There is a need to resist the temptation to complain about it To complain about its costliness that it's burdensome that that it's occasionally irritating

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And so look at verse 9 be hospitable to one another notice without Complaint the goosemoss.

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I love that word. All right. It sounds like complaint goosemoss goosemoss It means murmuring grumbling complaining

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Okay We are to be hospitable to one another now, it's talking about within here without complaining about each other

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Because you know what? Some of us are kind of irritating off -putting

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Energy sucking and on and on it goes now.

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I'm sorry that I'm like that. I'm better than I was

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You should have seen me 40 years ago Hospitality is gospel driven

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Not works produced. This is not a call to a works effort

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This is the fruit and outflow of the gospel Romans 5 5

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Paul writes the love of God has been poured out within our hearts Through the

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Holy Spirit who was given us It is not our love to God, but God's love to us through the

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Holy Spirit that captivates and controls our hearts Changes our orientation turns us from being bent inward on ourselves to turning and moving outward to others

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Just like God had Toward us when he sent his own son into this world that died for our sin

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Hospitality is a command not a gift second a call to love others third Hospitality is a centerpiece of Christian community

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Hospitality third is a centerpiece of Christian community

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It was like this We have been placed into one body by Baptism spirit baptism, right?

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Jesus is the baptizer The spirit is the medium in which we are baptized and thus we share the common life of the spirit

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It's a reality that is on display every time we partake of The Lord's Table the classic text 1st

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Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13 For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body whether Jews or Greeks whether slaves are free

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We were all made to drink of one spirit therefore the church is a family

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We are the family of God In fact brother sister brethren

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Those expressions are used 250 times in the New Testament in reference to the believers

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We are the brethren. We are brothers in Christ. We are sisters in Christ Okay.

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Why is it used so much? Because it it communicates the reality of who we are in Christ.

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We have become a family and when a church

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Begins to truly understand the profound theological truth of our brotherhood in the spirit

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Then we cannot help but overflow in love to one another It's natural

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It's unnatural to the unredeemed but it is natural to the redeemed and love is

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A Backup let me say that hospitality is that's the word I'm looking for hospitality is a centerpiece of that kind of of Love of that kind of familial family love

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Let me demonstrate it to you in in 3rd John. So turn you to 3rd John verse 5 beloved

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You're acting faithfully and whatever you accomplish for the brethren and especially when they are strangers

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They have testified to your love before the church You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God They went out for the sake of the name accepting nothing from the

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Gentiles Therefore we ought to support such men so that we may be fellow workers with the truth

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Now what you notice there in verse 8 The word support and again if you have margin notes look at your margin note and you will see that that a

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Better a more linear literal rendering would be to receive such men as guests

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To receive such men as guests and so if we were to say it read it that way We would say therefore we ought to receive such men as guests so that we may be fellow workers with the truth

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In other words receive them in to our homes, right? These are traveling itinerant preachers

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Receive them into our home provide for them Send them out with what they need to continue their ministry.

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Don't let them rely on the Gentiles to fund it People of God fund it receive them as guests

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Now that idea is even more strongly conveyed actually in the New America or the new international version the

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NIV They actually go so far and it has to do with Translation theory and formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence and all of that sort of thing

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But but they render it show hospitality to such men. They go right there and pin it down Okay, and that is what's being talked about Show hospitality to such men why so that we may be fellow workers or More literally prove ourselves to be fellow workers with the truth.

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So Hospitality is a command not a gift Hospitality is a call to love others

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Hospitality is a centerpiece of Christian community number four

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Hospitality is a characteristic in which to grow Hospitality is a characteristic in which to grow

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Like every other aspect of the Christian life We are a call to a spirit empowered

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Striving to grow in obedience to the Word of God which results in progress

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Toward the image of Christ that is the Christian life Another way to say that is that We are

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Practicing hospitality as a growth in sanctification said another way

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None of us have arrived None of us are yet perfectly in the image of Christ We are all in progress and we are all at different places in that progress and and sometimes in different places with regard to various Christian Character attributes in the pursuit of Christ in other words in some places we are

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Remarkably and demonstrably more like Christ than we were when we were first saved in another area saying It's a process.

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It's a growth process for all of us. Nobody has arrived. It's part of the growth in sanctification the practice of hospitality

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Now there's probably good places I need to say this so let me say it Hospitality is more than inviting people into your home for a meal.

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Okay, let me say it again Hospitality is more than Inviting people into your home for a meal but It is not less than this

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It is not less than this it is more than this it is not less than this in other words

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You cannot be genuinely hospitable unless you open your home

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To other people I have had the privilege of doing many weddings through the years and love the opportunity to stand before a young couple and kind of launch them with last words and One of those last words that I always work in to launch them with is this

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It is not the size of your home But the size of your heart

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That will determine how generous you are in this vitally important ministry

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It is not the size of your home It is the size of your heart. In other words young people starting out.

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I know your small apartment don't have much Sitting on milk crates eating off a trace Okay, I understand that but that is not a governing factor

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The governing factor is the size of your heart towards strangers and guests That will determine how hospitable one shows himself to be

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Okay, so that's great to know that because that is liberating that is incredibly liberating.

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In other words, there is nobody here nobody here Who cannot praise the

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Lord? Fulfill God's command to us Isn't that wonderful?

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Can we rejoice in that amen? But Because hospitality is the outworking of the transformed life.

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I've said there are some who have made greater progress than others, but that's that's okay Nobody's mastered it.

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Everybody's working at it Nobody should be content in their progress.

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We should all be leaning in striving after Seeking the Spirit's help in excelling still more

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I Think of Paul's words to the Thessalonians right sell still more in this soul satisfying endeavor

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Now if you are just starting out let me suggest to you some practical tips

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Practical tips on how to begin a ministry of hospitality through your home

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Some of this is old hat to you folks others. It may be new ideas Here they are

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First off make a list of the people you want to invite home to your to your home after church

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Make a list Who who would I like to invite into my home after church so that?

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We might begin to to grow in fellowship together and I might be able to minister perhaps to them and certainly them to me

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So make a list second clean the house and Prepare the meal on Saturday Saturday Put the meal in a freezer if necessary Okay, you could even cook in advance a series of meals and freeze them have a bank

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Collect and file inexpensive recipes ladies men. Remember you are ultimately responsible for this

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But your wife called to be your helpmate right come alongside so collect and file some inexpensive recipes for Purchase a guest book

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Purchase a guest book and begin to make a record of those who in God's grace have come through your door and into your home

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It is incredibly Encouraging to look back. I wish we had begun at that very beginning and and we didn't we began more than 20 years ago

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And and the book is a is a delight to look through Sometimes we're going do you know who those people were?

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No, I don't know either We've had tons of missionaries Come through our home through the years

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Very encouraging so suggestion none of these aren't commands by the way, right? These are not commands, but I think

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I have the Lord's Spirit These are these are suggestions By be interested in people's lives and plan some questions that will draw them out

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The little pre thought pick up some questions that cannot be answered with a grunt Know that you can begin to draw people out because you know what?

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Everybody likes to talk about themselves. Everybody likes to talk about themselves. Just find the key

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All right. So think ahead of time about that six Possibilities for us those of us who have been entrusted by the

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Lord with a larger piece of real estate more responsibility comes with it so think about setting aside a prophet's room a

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Prophet's room a place for traveling missionaries where they could stay when they're in the area or or perhaps a needy college student

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Who can't get home for Thanksgiving something like that? Okay think about a prophet's room seven

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Remember that you are not there to entertain This is not entertaining when you when your mindset is

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I'm going to I'm here for entertainment entertain these guests Then there's a whole baggage of stuff that goes with that.

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Okay, and most of it has nothing to do with hospitality So you're not there to entertain? You are there to invite your guests to participate in your family.

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Bring them into the family and the family themes the family conversations invite them in build relationships

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All right That was fourth fifth fifth and finally isn't finally

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Hospitality is a container by which we carry the gospel Hospitality is a container by which we carry the gospel hospitality displays and reflects the character of God it reaches out to unwanted needy people who cannot reciprocate listen to Jesus words in Luke 14 verses 12 through 14

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And he also went on to say to the one who had invited him When you give a luncheon or a dinner do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors

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Otherwise, they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment but when you give a reception invite the poor the crippled the lame the blind and you will be blessed since they do not

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Have the means to repay you for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous That's a very convicting statement by Christ Okay, it flips things on its head

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Hospitality opens your life to your friends Neighbors and co -workers and provides for them a glimpse into what it means to live as a

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Christian Many people have no contact with with real and legitimate

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Christianity. They do not know They have certain Characterizations of it that have been formed by media, but but real genuine

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Christians They don't know and so when you invite them into your home, you are inviting them into the most intimate of Atmospheres and in which they can now begin to look and see what does it mean to live as a

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Christian? And they watch believe me they watch Sharing a meal together is a very intimate experience and it provides a natural place for serious conversation about eternal things

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Eating together is a very intimate activity designed that way by God And so when you break bread with somebody you have entered into a very intimate and special time and place

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And it's very natural to be able to transition to talk about Eternity in light of that taking a needy person into your home.

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Now. We're kind of up in the ante here Okay, I remember I told you it was costly and you know, all those things.

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Yeah, so taking a needy person into your home Tangibly demonstrates real care and concern for them as a person rather than merely an evangelistic project

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You are now showing care and concern for them as one made in the image of God a

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Person it is hospitality by the way that stands behind the history of the church's early involvement in Care for the poor and the needy

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In fact springing up by the time of the fourth century. He was the early founding of hospitals and hospices

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Same root word Hospitals hospices hospices same root word by the

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Christian Church and it showed a practical way of Practicing the principle of hospitality and how it was applied

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In the form of Christian charity the invalids and weary travelers and so forth. All right, so you can see how it's woven together

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All right Let's do this We're gonna celebrate the Lord's table together

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The Lord's table is a marvelous illustration of hospitality marvelous illustration

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We who were once strangers and alien in aliens Separated from God by and in our sin and iniquity

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Christ has now invited To eat to dine together with him in intimate fellowship table fellowship in the coming

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Messiah's kingdom You understand that? Huh we who were once separate have been invited in to eat together

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Christ In his coming kingdom. We join together regularly to remember this promise and proclaim its certainty to one another as a means of grace to rekindle within our souls

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Our passion for Christ. I love Taking communion with you

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All right, the Lord does invite us to his table and he has paid the price for our sin

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So this is an invitation that is costly Certainly to God as he sent his son the

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Lord Jesus Christ to live a perfect life and then to die a death in our stead So it is our

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God who has paid the price that we might have fellowship with him and that we might enjoy communion with him And he is the spiritual host at these meals as we gather together.

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He is here spiritually present with us He is communing with us and he invites us to the table, but he warns us before we come that we must

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Examine ourselves and that means that we confess our sin that we turn from that sin and that we

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Are open with the Lord in our own hearts in our own minds before we partake of the Lord's table

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So that is the warning that he gives That we not partake in an unworthy manner. The other way that we can do that is if we are unbelievers

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So if you are here today and you have never trusted Christ for salvation if you have never turned from your sin and Understood what it means to be born again to come to God in repentance and faith

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I would ask you beg you command you on the basis of Scripture to do that today to turn to Christ from your sin

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And if you are not a believer and you are not interested in the things of God and you are not turning from your sin

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Then I beg of you not to partake of the Lord's table because that is eating and drinking judgment to yourself

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That is the warning of Scripture Because you're making a proclamation that you have a part in this that you are part of this family that this meal has been paid for On your behalf and in fact, it has not it doesn't belong to you.

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This is for the people of God So unbelievers just let the cup and the bread pass from before you believers

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Let us confess our sin together and then we'll partake together so we're I asked the ushers to come forward at this time stand up here with me and then we'll have a

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Couple moments of silent prayer my father we have been made aware again of ways in which we fall short of what you have commanded us to do and We are unable in ourselves and unable unless by your grace to obey what your word says

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So we acknowledge our failure. We acknowledge our sin We confess that to you.

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We have no right we have no merit in ourselves to stand before you and to to receive your grace and To receive your blessings and certainly not to sit at a table and and to enjoy fellowship with you

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We thank you that by your grace and by your son That you have made a way that you have provided salvation for us taking away our sin

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And giving us the righteousness that we need to stand before you We thank you for that forgiveness.

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We thank you for the righteousness that you provide in your son through his perfect life we thank you for the

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Atonement that has been made that has paid fully the sin for the sin of all who will ever believe

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Was all laid upon Christ and that price was paid that we might have fellowship and communion with you and we thank you for it

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Thank you for inviting us to your table Thank you for bringing us into your family and calling us sons and daughters and making us brethren with one another

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So we pray that now as a result of our time and our fellowship here today That you would shed your love shed your love abroad in our hearts and Give us grace that we may extend that to one another to the stranger and obey you in every good thing