And looking once again to Peter's words in 1 Peter 4, verse 9, this morning I want to preach a second sermon on the subject of hospitality. Having looked at the subject of Christian hospitality in a general sense last week, this week I want to look at the subject in a specific practical sense. And by way of review, I wanna begin by giving you the three fundamental points of hospitality that we considered last Lord's Day morning. Last Lord's Day, we reflected upon, first, the specific meaning of hospitality, second, the specific motivation of hospitality, and then third, the specific manner of hospitality. And beginning with the specific meaning of hospitality, I noted from scripture that hospitality in the Greek means to show yourself hospitable. And on a serious note, the word for hospitality speaks of serving strangers. It implies having a warm, affectionate love for guests. Hospitality involves distributing to the needs of others, being ready to divide our bread and willing to open our home to others. To be hospitable is to be in agreement with the commonly known Spanish phrase, mi casa es su casa. My house is your house. What's mine is yours because what is mine is not really mine. What is mine is the Lord's and is to be used for the good of others. So in short, hospitality means to be friendly to others. Hospitality is taking the time and making the effort to love on people, and specifically in context, our brothers and sisters in Christ. Peter says, use hospitality one to another without grudging. The context is the family of God. As Paul says, Galatians 6.10, believers need to do good unto all men, but especially those of the household of faith. So that is the specific meaning of hospitality. And then having examined the specific meaning of hospitality, last week we also considered three driving motivations for showing hospitality among the brethren. So the question is asked, why should you and I, as God's people, show hospitality to our brothers and sisters in Christ? Point number one, Christians ought to show themselves hospitable quite simply because it's commanded by God. And obeying God's commands demonstrates our love for Him. Jesus says in John chapter 14, verse 15, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. And then we see under this point that obeying God and His commands in turns glorifies Him. We glorify God when we do those things that are pleasing in His sight. We glorify God when we submit to do what He has told us to do in scripture. So that's reason number one. That's motivation number one for Christian hospitality. Christians ought to show themselves hospitable because it's commanded by God. And then number two, Christians ought to show themselves hospitable because it encourages the brethren. Showing hospitality one toward another strengthens fellow soldiers in the fight of faith. Paul calls us soldiers in the book of 1 and 2 Timothy. And Paul reminds us at the end of the book of Ephesians that we are in an invisible war. We are battling against the world, the flesh, and the devil. And within the midst of this battle, we need encouragement. We need comforting. We need others to come alongside us and to provoke us unto love and good works. So hospitality provides a way in which God's army can be encouraged in the midst of the battle. So Christians ought to show themselves hospitable because it uplifts others in the Lord, it encourages the brethren. And then motivation number three, Christians ought to show themselves hospitable because it is an evangelistic witness to the lost world. When you and I show ourselves friendly to the family of God, lost people will see that our love does not rest merely in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth. Remember that it was Jesus who said, by this shall all men know that you are my disciples. By this shall all men know that you have faith in God, if you have love one toward another. Lost people may never come to church. Lost people may never read a Bible, but mark it down, they are reading our lives. They are watching how we commune with one another. They are watching how we relate one to another. So we ought to do what God is calling us to do through Peter's words here in 1 Peter 4, verse 9, so that we can be a bright and burning light for the Lord Jesus Christ. These are three reasons why we should do what God is commanding us to do. First, because God commands it. Second, because it encourages the brethren. And then third, because it is an evangelistic witness to the world. And the third general point we consider from 1 Peter 4, verse 9, is the specific manner of hospitality, the specific manner And you'll notice here in our text that the singular prevailing attribute that is to characterize our hospitality one toward another is that we are to show hospitality without grudging. We are to be hospitable without murmuring, without complaining, without grumbling and without excuses. So this means that we are to show ourselves hospitable in a joyful manner because God tells us God loves a cheerful giver. It is more blessed to give than to receive. So it matters not only what we do, but how we do it. The joy of the Lord is to be our strength. God's commands ought to be kept in a happy way. God's commands ought not to be done in a grievous way. God wants me to do that, so I guess I'll do it. That's grudging. I guess I'll just bite my lower lip and get it done because that's what the pastor expects of me. And I want to have a good report. I want to tell him that I was so spiritual that I was hospitable to others. wrong spirit. Jesus went around doing good in a joyful way, unto the will of the Father, even in the midst of difficulty. So there are the three fundamental features of hospitality. Thus far we've considered what hospitality is, why hospitality is needed, and then in what temperament hospitality ought to be demonstrated. Now, having considered the basic principles of hospitality this morning, I want to give you some practical counsels, suggestions, and encouragements regarding the specific particulars of hospitality. And the questions I want to answer this morning are, number one, what does hospitality look like? And then number two, in what detailed ways can we show ourselves hospitable? We see from scripture that God wants all of us to be a servant one toward another. So now the question is, how do we do what God wants us to do? How can we show ourselves hospitable week by week? And I wanna answer these questions by setting them into two main points. First, I wanna give you several particular ways that you can show yourself hospitable. And then second, I wanna give you several pastoral exhortations to keep in mind as you seek to show yourselves hospitable. So beginning with point number one, let's look at specific practical ways you can show yourself hospitable. And under this first point regarding practical ways that we can be hospitable, I think it's needful to divide our contemplation of this topic into two main parts, namely hospitality that is in the home and hospitality that is outside the home. So beginning with the first, let's look at hospitality in the home. And regarding showing ourselves hospitable in our homes, let me begin by saying that there is nothing more intimate, there's nothing more open, and there's nothing more personal than our home. Our homes are not only the dwelling place that we reside in. Our homes are a representation of who we truly are. Listen, it's in our homes where others see us in truth. We can come to church and put up a front to others. But when people step into our homes, others will begin to observe how things are behind the curtain, so to speak. And perhaps this is why some Christians shy away from showing themselves hospitable in the home as they should. They don't want others to know who they truly are. They don't want others to see the rated R movies, their inappropriate painting and decorations, or the mess that they live in. And I would submit to you this morning yet that it is for this reason that God wants believers to open up their homes for others. You see, God wants us to strive to have a home that is consistent with our confession of faith. God desires that our homes will be a tangible illustration of God's grace, God's mercy, God's love, an illustration of orderliness, holiness, separation from the world, and above all, sincerity. So let me begin by saying that we must never, we must never separate our private life from our public life. Who we are in public, at church, in our place of employment, in our community, in the neighborhood, must be consistent with who we are in private. If we say that it is our desire to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness in public, then we must show that we are indeed seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness in the privacy of our homes. Now to be clear, this does not mean that we need to decorate our homes with Bible verse plaques from Hobby Lobby so that we will appear to be spiritual. But this does mean that we need to recognize that our Christian testimony and our homes are intertwined. What we do with our homes, listen, what we do with the food that is in the cupboard within our homes, what we do with the cars in our driveway or garage that are connected with our homes, what we do with our tools in the shed does say something about our character and our desire to live for others. So God has given us our homes as an instrument to serve others, as an instrument to show others about the sincerity of our faith. So now getting into the nitty gritty details, this means that we can show ourselves hospitable through our homes in several different ways. Number one, you can show yourself hospitable by inviting someone over for a meal, for coffee, or simply for dessert. Ladies, perhaps there's a single mom who needs some encouragement and you see them downcast, discouraged, perhaps even depressed. You can invite them over with the intention that you might be a practical help in their life. Men, perhaps there are young Marines. separated from their family, new to the community, who would enjoy nothing more than a home-cooked meal because they're constantly eating Little Caesars and McDonald's. Well, this is a tangible way where you can say, come into my house and we wanna be a cracker barrel for you, a home-cooked meal. And you would be surprised how many Marines separated from their homes love a home-cooked meal. That means the world to them. Older couples, perhaps there are younger couples recently engaged or newly married that you can be a blessing to. Perhaps there's a visiting pastor or visiting missionary that you can host for a meal. And I can tell you that such times will not only encourage them, but it will encourage you as you encourage them. Remember, iron sharpens iron. Those who water will be watered also. So when you begin to host people in your home and conversations begin to be pointed toward the Lord, you will find out that that which seemed to be hard in your mind has become really quite a blessing. So show yourselves hospitable by having somebody over and share a meal. How often in scripture do we find this with Christ and his disciples sitting down and interacting one with another over that which we do every day, over eating a meal. And if you can't cook a meal, you don't know how to cook a meal, well, invite them over for coffee. Invite them over for dessert. Another way you can show yourself hospitable is by opening up your home for others to stay if you have an extra room. We find this in the ministry of the prophet Elijah. traveling and preaching the word, being led by the Lord. There was a specific woman who had a desire in her heart to open up a room in her house so that the prophet could stay, study, pray, and prepare to preach. And biblically, this is where the prophets chamber comes from. Pastors are preaching and doing the work of the Lord. They need a place to stay. Sometimes the light is not always on and the recent, the local hotel. And so they need a place to say, you have an extra room in your house, what are you doing with it? It's there for a reason. God has given you an extra place in your room to use it for his purposes, open it up. Another way you can show yourself hospitable within the home is by using your kitchen utensils and your oven to make a meal for someone. Maybe somebody is sick, they can't get out of bed. Or perhaps there's a mother who just had a baby. She can't cook as she normally would. So we as the church can be a tangible help, a practical encouragement by going to them and saying, I've prepared a meal for you, hope it's a blessing. These are specific examples of how you can use your resource as a means to serve others in the home. Now let me just say, to be balanced, for some of you, for various reasons, having others in your home for a meal is just not doable. It's not practical, or it may not be wise. So I don't want to pretend that this is the only method of showing ourselves hospitable. So looking to the second sub-point, under this first point, I want to give you a few suggestions of how you can show yourself hospitable outside the home. And turning from showing ourselves hospitable inside our home to outside the home, we must recognize that there are a thousand and one ways that we can show ourselves friendly. And many of you are already doing this. You can take somebody out to eat. Maybe having someone into your home is not the ideal situation, but you can say, hey, what are you doing for lunch? What are you doing for dinner? What are you doing for breakfast? Let's meet at such and such a place and have time where we gather around a meal. You can meet someone for coffee, meet somebody at Starbucks, just with the sole intention of finding out where they are with the Lord. You can visit someone in the hospital. I can think of no greater encouragement than Christians and church member visiting other Christians and church members in the hospital when they are laid up in bed, when they are stuck in prison, so to speak. You can stop by somebody else's home to drop off a meal that you've made or perhaps picked up, so maybe it's not reasonable, maybe it's not suitable to have somebody in your home, but you can take a meal to somebody else's home and visit for a few minutes. You can pick up someone for church who needs a ride. You can offer to drive someone to an appointment. You can visit widows among the church and ask them if they need anything. How many times have I found this to be so helpful among the body of Christ? The Bible tells us that pure religion equates to doing good, especially to widows. And sometimes widows just need a light bulb changed. Sometimes they just need their air filter changed. Sometimes they just need a little hula hoeing done around the yards or assisting in some practical needs. So this is a way that we can show ourselves hospitable. Listen, you can write notes of encouragement to those that you see in the church who are struggling. You can call on others who've been going through difficult times. You can use your talents that God has given you to be a blessing to someone in need. If you're a plumber, you can offer your service by plumbing. Now, if you're a mechanic, if you're good with cars, you see another member who has a need, specifically with a vehicle, you can help to help them out in that way. Gardeners can garden. Woodworkers can build things. Whatever God has gifted you with, take your talent and use it for the Lord by serving one another. You can help somebody in a hospitable way when they move. Only if they move to Yucca Valley, that is. If they're moving out of Yucca Valley, if they're moving out of state, I would highly recommend just slashing their tires. That's the best way you can show yourself hospitable. Of course, I'm kidding. But seriously, helping somebody moves provides great opportunities to evangelize to lost family members, lost neighbors. and those who are selling the house. I can remember when Pastor Torres was first here and moved to Joshua Tree, and there was a large group of men showing up at his house to help him unpacked. The one who sold the house to the Torres has just stood back in amazement and said, I've never seen such a thing. How is it that you have so many helpers in the community? You just moved here. How is it that you know these people and they're willing to help on a Saturday afternoon? And it was a practical, tangible way where the love of Christ was shown to somebody who does not know the Lord. You see, this is why we do what we do. We do it to be a practical encouragement to the brethren. We do it to be a witness to the world. But two points that need to be recognized under this first point is, number one, there are so many ways to serve others both inside and outside the home. If I were to list them all, we would be here all day. But just know that there are multitudes of ways and avenues that you can show yourself hospitable. And the second thing I want you to understand is that everyone can do something. Everyone in this congregation today can do something. Every Christian should have something that they are doing throughout the week to encourage others. And if you're not, let me ask you this, what are you living for? What are you doing with your life? What is your life? Sitting at home in a recliner, just watching TV all day, is that your life? I know there are times where we grow old and we are not as strong as we used to, but listen, you and I can think of occasions where there have been brothers and sisters in the Lord that they have looked out among the brethren till their last day. The fight's not over till it's over. All of us can do something until our dying day. And this involves taking the time to intentionally think and purposely pray about what we can specifically do to show ourselves hospitable among the brethren. So be creative. Think of where people are. Look around you on this Lord's Day. It's not about you. We're here for others. What does somebody's countenance show as they come to church? What do they need? How can you be of most help to them? As we heard in song this morning, make me a blessing to somebody today. Every time you come to church, that should be your prayer. Make me a blessing to somebody, a word of encouragement, tangible. need that you can meet. Something you can write down and seek to put into practice in the coming week. Showing hospitality one to another. These are practical ways. That's point number one. Specific, practical ways you can show yourself hospitable. Now moving from the first point to the second point, I want to provide you with specific pastoral counsels and suggestions through both positive and negative exhortations. So what I'm aiming to give you now are the do's and the don'ts of hospitality. And I'll begin with the negative list so that we can end on a positive note. So in showing yourself hospitable to others, here's the first negative. Here's the first thing that you need to understand. In showing yourself hospitable, write it down, you're taking notes. Number one, don't be weird. I'm serious, that's what my notes say. Don't be weird. I could tell you stories. Just don't be weird. What does weird mean? Well, don't try to impress others that you are some super spiritual person. They come to your house or you go to your house and it's just like, look how holy I am. Look how much of the Bible I know. Look what a great prayer warrior I am. You begin speaking in King James English, these and thous and whosoever's. What I'm saying is don't try to be somebody that you're not. Don't be fake. People can read through phoniness. Hospitality is not about you trying to impress others. I would say be yourself wrapped in the grace and the love of Christ. Don't serve others food that they don't like. Well, you know, I could tell that your diet needs a little bit of changing. So rather than preparing this meal that you would like, I prepared for you Brussels sprouts. Because that's what you need. And by the way, after the meal, we're going to run a mile around my neighborhood. Because you could shed a few pounds. That's what I mean by weird. Don't wear a tuxedo when your guests come in jeans and a t-shirt. That's weird. Don't turn your hospitality into a church service where you break out a pulpit and start preaching at them. That's weird. And also, let me say to everyone, don't stare at your phone while somebody's over at your house having a meal. That's weird. Would you come over to our house so you can watch me stare at my phone and look at Facebook and talk about everybody else who's not there? That's what goes on all the time, drives me crazy. When people come over to the house, I just wanna take their phone and just throw it against the wall. Why'd you come over? You don't wanna talk. Under this point too, put away your smelly dogs. When you're at the dinner table having dinner, and there are large dogs that just came in from outside, and they're putting their head on your lap, and they're trying to sniff and see what's on, and they're just constantly bothering you, that's weird. Some people like dogs, don't get me wrong, some people don't, but it's just inappropriate, it's wrong. How about turn off the TV? You're constantly looking at the score, constantly seeing what's on the TV as you're having dinner, people over, that's weird. All this is weird. Don't be weird. I better move on to the second point. Number two, don't dominate the conversation. If you do, you'll drive people away. The focus is to be on others, not you. And under this, let me say, don't focus on your problems. Someone's taking the time to come over to your house. You've invited them. Why? So you can just unload. Oh, they ask how you're doing. Well, let me tell you, sit down. We've got a few hours. I'm dealing with this, I'm dealing with this, I'm dealing with this, I'm dealing with this, I'm dealing with this. Now we're all dealing with things, and there's a time and a moment to pour yourself out to a brother or sister in Christ, but seek to encourage others rather than have a season of complaining. If you need to set up a counseling session with them later where they hear your complaints, do so. But not during times of hospitality. During times of hospitality, find out more about the person. Discover things that you can pray for. That's the goal. The goal is putting the needs of others before our own. Don't dominate the conversation. Number three, don't be greedy, don't be stingy, and don't be tight-fisted. Serve others with the best that you have. Whether we eat or drink, we ought to do all to the glory of God. The Bible says, whatsoever our hand finds to do, we are to do it with our might. Serve others with the best that you have. Now let me note, this does not mean that you have to serve filet mignon on your finest china every time. All right? But this does mean that you should be conscious of the fact you're having guests over and you want to serve them decently and in order. If grilled cheese and top ramen is the best you have, by all means, serve it to the glory of God. And if people see that's the best you have, they will not say a thing, they'll be happy by it. But if you have more, then give more. We ought to give our best to the Lord. Don't be greedy. Don't be stingy. Don't be tight-fisted. Number four, avoid clicks. Avoid clicks. It's easy to show ourselves hospitable to people we like, people that we get along with, but we need to seek to do things for those who annoy us. The Bible does talk about showing partiality one to another. Now, obviously, we're going to have friends, and friends who frequent more than other people, but in our showing ourselves hospitable, in working out this text that Peter gives us in 1 Peter chapter four, it is important that we are careful about this clique mentality, this party spirit found in the church in Corinth. I'm a Paul, I'm a Cephas, I'm a Paulist. I'm gonna only have those who are a Paul to my house, because I agree with Paul. I'm gonna have only those who agree with Cephas to my house because I agree with them. They don't agree with me 100% politically. I can't have them over for a meal. They don't agree with me 100% doctrinally. They read from a different version of the Bible than I do. They disagree with details about the second coming. I don't know if I can share a meal with them. Come on. avoid clicks, have someone over that you differ with, someone you don't know well, that you can get to know well. And then number five is an important one. Mark this down. Don't depend on the church or the pastor to organize something for you. We're so program oriented. Many Christians don't know how to serve unless there's an official title, an official ministry, an official scheduled event. They're happy to serve if the church has a potluck on a certain day. If the church organizes a potluck on Saturday at noon, they're gonna be there and they're gonna bring food. But when it comes to the day-to-day, week-by-week needs of God's people, it's like they become paralyzed. What I'm saying is have a potluck at your house. Have a look at the park if that's what you want. Call up your friends to see if they want to meet on Saturday morning for breakfast. You don't need an official, we need a men's Saturday morning breakfast and that's the only way we can see each other. Men's breakfasts and senior lunches at the church are fine, there's nothing wrong with that. But I'm saying the pastor shouldn't be the official arranger of social events that happen within the body of Christ. Paul did not tell Timothy, Timothy, I charge you before God, organize social events for God's people. No, Timothy is to give himself to prayer and the ministry of the word. So these instances of hospitality should come naturally as the Lord leads with no pressure on others saying, well, I have to go to this schedule event or I'm gonna look like I'm backsliding. If I'm not at every church activity, the pastor's gonna wonder if I'm really committed or not. People have got things going on. And we can put things on the calendar every week that'll just wear you down. So pray, be led of the Lord, be led of the Spirit, and don't depend upon the church or the pastor to organize hospitality for you. Now, sometimes the pastor can poke and prod and give you occasions in which people have needs, but don't just make scheduled events the only time that you serve the Lord. So let's review. How can we show ourselves hospitable? What are we to look for regarding negatives that we should not practice. Number one, don't be weird, don't dominate the conversation, don't be greedy, avoid clicks, and don't depend on the church and the pastor. Now turning from the negative suggestions to positive suggestions, let me begin by encouraging every follower of Christ here this morning to be fully committed to a church family. That's positive number one. Be fully committed to a church family. And for those non-members, for those visitors here this morning, let me just say, it doesn't have to be Calvary Baptist Church, but I will say that if you are a believer, you do need to be committed somewhere. You need a church family and a church family needs you. and being committed somewhere will naturally lead you and your family into instances in which you can show yourself hospitable to others. When you strive to be in attendance for all services and you come early and stay a few minutes after the services, listen, you will instinctively get to know people better. And on the flip side, when you come in late and you leave early, and you are only present once every three weeks, you're going to miss opportunities to show yourself hospitable. In every service, there are different announcements being made, detailing various needs that we can serve one another. The pastor gets up one service and says, pray for brother so-and-so, they're in the hospital. The next service, the pastor gets up and says, pray for so-and-so, they're sick. And then the next service, the pastor just gets up again and says, so-and-so just had a baby. And then the next service, pastor gets up and says, pray for so-and-so, they just lost a family member. If you're not here, you won't hear how you can be a blessing. You're missing opportunities to be a blessing and to be blessed. How many are the occasions where people come and say, I didn't know that. How did I miss it? Well, it's because you're not here. Listen, God has instituted the local church. as an arena through which we can be connected one with another and a way that we can be accountable one to another. And those to whom Peter is writing knew one another. Yes, there were strangers passing through as they were pilgrims being persecuted in this world, but those to whom Peter is writing to are a group of persecuted believers that they knew by name. And the same is true with every letter written by Paul in the New Testament, writing to the church in Ephesus, writing to the church in Philippi, writing to the church in Thessalonica. These were people who met Lord's Day by Lord's Day, who knew one another, who rubbed shoulders with one another, and who heard the needs of one another. So you need to be fully committed to a church family. I know this truth is rarely preached in our day. because we don't want accountability and we don't want to commit ourselves, but you need to if you want to show yourself hospitable. And then positive number two, purposely plan on showing yourself hospitable in some way. You want to be hospitable? Well, purposely plan on it. Stop thinking about it and do it. Stop making lame excuses as to why you can't serve others and serve others. Put it on your to-do list if you need. Put it on your calendar, set a goal, be resolved. Get the focus off of yourself and your needs and put them on others. This is a divine command of God. It's not a suggestion. Be hospitable one to another, God says that. And listen, let me pry a little bit. If you have time to watch TV, if you have time to go to the gym, if you have time to stare endlessly at your phone, you have time to show yourself hospitable. I'm meddling, no amens there. Plan on it. Nothing gets done except through planning. Plan, what are you gonna do? Who are you gonna help out this week, this month, in the next two months? Set a goal. You want to be hospitable. Practical truth number three. Seek to be an encouragement in your showing yourself hospitable. When you're around others, strive to point your conversations to the Lord. Keep conversation on provoking unto love and good works rather than the depressing news of the world. In normal instances, things will normally be brought up about politics and the evil things happening around us and such and such. But take that and turn it to, well, these things are happening, yes, but we know God's in control. It'll be okay. It's not hopeless. Now again, let me insert, don't be weird. Don't try to be more spiritual than you are. The pastor said we have to keep focused on spiritual things, so we're just going to talk about spiritual things. We're not going to talk about the details of life. Seek to be an encouragement by asking questions. How are you doing? I'm doing good. No, how are you really doing? How has the Lord been working in your life? Is there anything I can do for you? Is there anything that we can pray about? And that's what I mean by seeking to be an encouragement to others. And then point number four, be flexible. Flexible. Hospitality often takes last minute flexibility. It takes going out of our comfort zone. So in this, you need to keep your home ready. You need to keep your supplies ready. You need to make sure that at a moment's notice, you're able to serve others in a tangible way. This means maybe keeping extra food in the cupboards. This means making sure the house stays clean, but be ready, be flexible, so that at a moment's notice, when God brings something across your path, you can say, by God's grace, I'm gonna meet that need. Flexibility. Usability. Number five, show hospitality with a desire to train others. Show hospitality with a desire to train others. Parents, remember this, more is caught than taught in the lives of your children. Parents, kids learn by example. So teach your kids to be others focused. In God's providence, the Lord used the selfless sacrificial service of my mom to implement this truth in my mind. My mom was a home healthcare worker for many years, and there were many instances in which she went above and beyond, off the clock, to serve others who were her patients, taking them to the store, taking them to an appointment, just sitting and talking, being a friend. And I didn't realize it at that time, but in that moment, God was preparing me for pastoral ministry. I caught it. for my mom watching her joyfully serve others. It was never about herself, always about others. So parents, get your kids off their dumb screens and show them that there's more to life than their entertainments. Can I get an amen there? Don't let them be a couch potato. This is more important than sports. It's more important than even their education. Learning two plus two, yes, that's fine, that's important, it's wonderful. But we need to show them how to serve others. We need to say, follow me as I follow the Lord. And older church members, remember, scripture tells us that the older shall teach the younger. So show these young millennials that you get irritated with what it looks like to serve others. Open up your home and say, come over. And naturally they will learn. Even without you saying, all right, here's what you need to do. You got your pencil, you got your paper, here's what you need to do. I'm the master, I'm the prime example. So listen up. Remember, don't be weird. Just do it. They'll catch it. Show them what hospitality looks like. Show hospitality with a desire to train others. And then number six, our last point. Do it for the Lord. Do it for the Lord. The Bible says, not with eye service as men pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill, doing service as to the Lord and not to men. And whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. We do not show hospitality to be applauded or recognized by men, but to glorify the Lord. It's not to receive recognition at church or some earthly prize. Well, I'm the most hospitable person at Calvary Baptist Church, and I need a plaque to show it. No, show hospitality, expecting nothing in return. There's no conditions given here in our text. We don't give to get. We give to give. And we ought to do all to the glory of God. So let me conclude by asking, how is the attitude of your heart towards hospitality? Let's start there. Do you view your possessions as your possessions or tools and resources that can be used for the Lord and the advancement of His kingdom? You won't show yourself hospitable in any way. If your life is about your life and your time is your time and your money is your money. But if you come before the Lord in your attitude saying, what is mine is the Lord because He's freely given it by His grace. So what I have Lord, take and use it. Your attitude will change and it will lead you to showing yourself hospitable. And then the next question, in what ways are you showing yourself hospitable? In what ways? Mothers, fathers, those who are retired, those who have children out of the home, you have time, you have extra room, you're bored throughout the day, be committed to hospitality, pray, think, look out among the brethren. All of us can do something for others. I want to close by having us consider Christ's words from Matthew chapter 25, verses 31 through 46. So if you'll turn over there, Matthew chapter 25, verses 31 through 46. And in Matthew chapter 25, 31 through 46, we find two important truths. Number one, we serve Christ by serving others. And number two, serving others, specifically serving God's people, is an evidence that we are in the faith. Matthew 25, beginning in verse 31, the words of Christ. When the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with them, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory. And before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was in hunger, and ye gave me meat. I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me in naked. And ye clothed me, I was sick, and ye visited me. I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee and hungered, and fed thee, or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in, or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was in hunger, and ye gave me no meat. I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in naked, and ye clothed me not sick and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they say unto him, saying, Lord, When saw we thee in hunger, or thirst, or stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didst not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as he did it not to one of the least of these, he did it not to me. And thee shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. James chapter 2 says, what shall it profit a man if a man say he has faith, but he doesn't have works? And he answers the question by saying, it profits him nothing. For the one who truly has faith in Christ will truly show his faith in Christ by serving Christ's people. So let me ask you this morning, where is your faith? Do you have faith? Have you been born again? Is there fruit to demonstrate in your life that you have been born again? Is there evidence that you've met Christ savingly? We ought to have faith in Christ, but faith in Christ will always show itself in good works.