1 Peter 4:9

so then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Moreover, by showing hospitality to the church, we will even show hospitality to Christ himself. So he can say as he does in Matthew 25,

as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me.

And that is a wonderful promise. Additionally, God wants to make his home in us. The church is to be built together into a dwelling place for God. In that sense, this is a matter of practicing. We can prepare ourselves to be hospitable to Christ himself by making ourselves hospitable to one another. And all of this is why the phrase to one another is so operative here. So let's turn to the constraint that our hospitality should be without grumbling. I have certainly been guilty of grumbling when or after showing hospitality, either grumbling to myself or to my wife that someone took too much or contributed nothing or was too loud or too messy or anything else. And this is rooted in my sinful desires to primarily offer anything other than Christ first. I wrongly make it my first priority to offer a fun space or an abundant meal or a clean environment. So then I put restrictions and conditions on my hospitality, expecting guests to behave in a certain way and forcing myself to get everything just so before I can be hospitable. All of that is a recipe for grumbling, because ultimately, hospitality will come with troubles. And sometimes God will test us by bringing the troubles and burdens of others to us. But we really need to rejoice when those things come to us, and show no hesitation or displeasure with answering that call. Otherwise, our brothers and sisters will simply stop coming to us with their needs, and especially stop coming to us for our hospitality. The other important guard against grumbling in our hospitality is to show no partiality. Hospitality literally means love to strangers. But who are strangers? Upon studying this topic and the way that the word hospitality is used in the New Testament, I would assert that strangers are not only people that we haven't met before, but also people who are strange to us, different from us, different needs, different interests, different sense of humor, different preferences, different manners, but in the context of this person, that it is talking about hospitality to one another, only one thing matters, which is that we have the same Christ. Hospitality is one of the main ways that Christ teaches us to set aside our differences and find unity in him. So as we turn to application, I want you to consider five questions. First, do I view my home as mine or the Lord's? 1 Peter 4.10, immediately following our verse tonight says,

as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.

And it then goes on to define some of those gifts, but I would say that you might also count your home among those gifts. Your home is a gift from God. It's one expression of his varied grace. no matter how big or small or new or old or busy or quiet. So we must be good stewards of our homes by using them for hospitality. And the ultimate purpose of this is revealed at the end of verse 11, which says,

in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

For the second question, as Brother Daniel said last week, do I need to reorganize my life to leave room for hospitality? If we are too protective of our own plans and possessions, we will find ourselves grumbling about hospitality or showing no hospitality at all. This body is made up of students and young professionals and large families and small families, single, married, retired, introverts, extroverts, locals, transplants, and others. We all juggle many things in life, but none of them are an excuse from us for heeding this command. Of course, hospitality may look different for every member in Christ's body, but do trust that if he has commanded it, then you are able to do it. Give your schedule back to God every day and ask him to lead you by his spirit to see the opportunities for hospitality around you. Third, do I offer the same hospitality to all the saints unconditionally? It's not up to us to filter those who have expressed need according to our preference or their characteristics. Many times the Lord may challenge us to show hospitality in a way that may be uncomfortable. Echoing what Brother Josh said two weeks ago, we will only grow in this unconditional and unrestricted hospitality by meditating on the mercies of God to us. particularly that Christ saved us and blesses us without any contribution of our own and certainly without any grumbling on his part. The most effective way to let that truth reign in our hearts is by frequently praying with gratitude to the Father. So fourth, is my hospitality focused on giving and gaining Christ? Hospitality should never be influenced by the goal of having the best home. the tastiest food or the most comfortable bed to offer. It should be on loving one another in such a way that allows Christ to build up his body through us. We should take the warning of Mary and Martha in Luke 10 when Martha was distracted with much serving. But Mary sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. When you show hospitality to one another, don't let your first thought be, how many things do I need to be doing to be the most hospitable person? Let it be, how can I gain more of Christ by interacting with this brother or sister? When we're focused on giving and gaining Christ, there won't be any opportunity to grumble. Christ himself is the good portion that God offers us as we steward his gifts to show unconditional hospitality to other Christians. Finally, the fifth question is, am I receiving the hospitality of God in his household? If anyone here doesn't yet believe in Christ, I invite you to come into the household of God by repenting of your sin, confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead, so that you can know his eternal life, his unconditional love, and have a home with him forever. So please pray with me. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the home that we have in you, and even that you seek to make your home in us through your son. We thank you for his sacrifice that allows us to be free of all sin, and so that we can honor you with our gifts and resources in this life. I pray that we would all show hospitality to one another without grumbling, so that you would gain the glory. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.