We turn in the Old Testament to Genesis 18 and then in the New Testament to Hebrews 13. Let's stand for the reading of the word. Genesis 18, Hebrews 13, the narrative is the narrative of the life of Abraham. We come to it just after the circumcision of Abraham's household. and hear the appearance of the Lord to Abraham and his household. Notice Abraham's response. Then the Lord appeared to him by the turban trees of Mamre as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him. And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground and said, my Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, do not pass on by your servant. Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread that you may refresh your hearts. After that, you may pass by in as much as you have come to your servant. They said, do as you have said. So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal. Knead it and make cakes. And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. So he took butter and milk and the calf, which he had prepared, and he set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree as they ate. They said to him, where is Sarah your wife? So he said, here in the tent. We turn now to Hebrews chapter 13, reading just a few commands, the first three verses. Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them, those who are mistreated, since you yourselves are in the body also." And this is the word of the living God. We turn to Hebrews chapter 13 and looking at an occasional or topical sermon under the heading, The Marks of a Healthy Church. And I may be in the next months preaching more under this general topic. But looking at one topic in particular from Hebrews 13, and that is a church given to hospitality. I've sometimes brought these ideas to your mind in introduction to sermons before, but I'm going to do it again. Sometimes Christians can get caught up with how bad the world looks. Feel a sense of Paul's observation that the whole creation is groaning and travailing together for the day of its redemption. And that everything we look around, as we look around us, that everything is going badly. It might be more personal than looking outside ourselves. It might be our actual personal condition. And we feel it in our own hearts and lives. Things are going badly, maybe it's personal griefs or trials, maybe it's the state of the world, our nation, our politics, our morals, our ethics, or the church. Weakness of Christ's church in hard days. And sometimes all of this can cloud our vision, take over our hearts and discourage us. Sometimes it's the fear of what it would be like to be a marginalized people in what was once a Christian nation, perhaps in our general ethos. What if we were to be persecuted? You can take all these ideas, negative ideas, and you can very quickly turn what is supposed to be a joyful exercise, faith in Jesus Christ, into something that sounds kind of morose. The writer of the Hebrews was writing his letter to a church well aware of these profound internal questions, the wrestlings of the heart. They, in particular, were feeling the heat of persecution, the pain of being mocked and rejected even by close family and friends, fellow Israelites, in this case it appeared, who were saying that they should go back, or they should come back to the old way, to the old covenant external types and ceremonies, that they should return, similar to the Judaizers behind the problems in Galatia, That they should turn back from Christ and go back to the old ways. It's not worth it. Especially it's not worth the pain you're undergoing. They were tempted to go back. The letter is the opposite. It's an exhortation to keep going forward and follow Jesus Christ. Especially in this section here. There's warnings against apostasy, against falling back. There's the exaltation of Jesus Christ in the first chapters, the one better than angels, better than Moses, the Messiah, the King, the one sacrificed for sins, the sympathetic high priest, the priest king after the order of Melchizedek. Christ has been lifting up chapter after chapter. He's the object of your faith. Follow him. He is worthy. This, the last chapters, 11, 12, and 13, condense that entire exhortation, or illustrate it, that'd be better, with one picture. The whole of the book, in a sense, can be illustrated with one picture, all of these exhortations to keep going. And it's chapter 12 and verse 1. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and then this phrase, and let us run with endurance the race which is set before us. If you're in Christ, your feet have been placed by the divine power of the Holy Spirit and His continued enabling power on a race that leads to heaven. Holy runners looking to Jesus, the author and our finisher of our faith. And that's the big picture illustration that the book of Hebrews closes with. He's worthy, now run to Him and for Him. Lining the course, chapter 11, part of this illustration actually, is this great cloud of witnesses. All the saints that have gone before us and run this race before us and finished and crossed the finish line and entered into glory and are in the presence of the Lord. The spirits of just men made perfect, Hebrews 12, later in the chapter, who are in heaven with the innumerable company of angels. The church of the firstborn With Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant. They've made it. And the picture is as we run, they line the track. I used to run cross country in my youth. I know some of you here do. I never did that well. But I do remember the encouragement of those who would go to those critical junctures at the bottom of a steep hill saying, keep going. Or the last turns, or even better, just before the finish line. That's the picture here. He is worthy. run for Him and to Him, you're surrounded by a cloud of witnesses urging you on to a person, Jesus, verse 2, and a location, the one who is at the right hand of God, heaven itself. Jesus Christ being the new and living way who has entered heaven and we in Him have already entered in principle and one day will in reality. It's an intense race. Look at verse 4 of chapter 12. You've not resisted yet unto bloodshed, striving against sin. What's the thing that slows you down? Sin. The weights. The sin which ensnares you. You can't win a race carrying a brick. This race cannot be won hanging on to your sins. Repentance is part of it. It's intense. It's intense because along the way God chastens you like a father. in order that you'd be more conformed to His Son, and He does it in love. The same image continues in verses 12 and 13. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees. Make straight the paths for your feet, so that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. It's the same running illustration. All the way to what in principle we have already come to. Mount Zion, verse 22, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, that innumerable company of angels, the general assembly of the firstborn registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. That's the end. Communion with God. Ultimately in a new heavens and a new earth, but if you were to die tomorrow if you're dying Christ the heavenly Jerusalem and that place which is real Where the spirits of just men may perfect and angels praise God read the book of Revelation to see a window into that glory Here's the encouragement that's where you're headed If we go to the end of the chapter there's a therefore Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom of This is remarkable language. Condensing even more, you in Christ are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. That homeland is secure in Christ. That's where you're headed because of what He's done, not what you do. Because of these truths, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire. because you are receiving a kingdom, what does the apostle say? Stay the course. Keep running and serve your Christ with reverence and godly fear. Devote the rest of your life to Him. That's Hebrews 13 now. Now we're getting to 13. Hebrews 13 now puts the details on what it means to serve God on that race reverently and with godly fear. It's the nuts and bolts of the Christian life. It's a series of commands that say, okay, here's the broad principles. What does kingdom life look like? What should I be doing? What things should I be laying aside and what should I be putting on? How do I run? How do I respond to these great gospel truths? Three commands open up the response, we read them. We're gonna really focus only on verse two, but before we get to that focus, I want to put before you something of the structure of these commands here. What do I mean by that? The structure of these commands. When we put the first three together, we get a sense of the logic here that we're talking about and how these three commands hang together. In a moment, we'll get to verse two, the middle of the commands. Three commands here are let brotherly love continue, do not forget to entertain strangers, and remember the prisoners as if chained with them. Now this is followed by a list of commands on different topics. The first three commands are under the heading let brotherly love continue. Keep reading, a lot more commands about how to run the race looking to Jesus. Marriage is honorable among all, the bed undefiled. The fornicators and adulterers, God will judge sexual purity, contentment, be content with such things as you have, submission to godly authority, a focus on Christ, faith in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever, good doctrine, verse nine. We keep reading, worship. God has offered to him, verse 14, the sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name, do good and share, obey those who rule over you, pray. There's a whole complex of commands that start to fill out what does that kingdom life look like under the king? What does the race look like? What does it mean to run looking to Jesus? And here are the nuts and bolts I want you to notice something else. The structure of this section of the letter, before we make a legal error, the first command is to exercise faith in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12.2, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. That's the one end of the brackets. The other end is that we have a Christ who sanctified the people with his blood. The way you begin this race is exercising faith in Jesus Christ and you never stop exercising faith in Jesus Christ. I have to say this many times when we preach the gospel, faith in Jesus Christ is not something you do once and you leave behind. It is rather you have cast yourself on Jesus Christ and you remain united to Him by faith in the life that you live. You live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you. It is the life of faith. It begins with faith, exercising faith in Jesus Christ. If you've never done that, there's no way to keep any commands. There's no union with Christ. There's no Holy Spirit power. There's no love for God. The second part of this letter, the structure of this section of the letter is then to live that completely new kind of life in Christ is to follow the outline of these commands. And this letter then is like the other epistles in the New Testament. And this gives us, again, some sense of the apostolic understanding of law and gospel. and how the two relate to each other. And one of the great rediscoveries of the Reformation was the goodness of the law of God and that it gives us the guide for life. When we ask yourself, how can I offer myself in love to Christ who first loved me? You start studying Hebrews 13 or Ephesians 5 and 6, 4, 5, and 6, or other passages like this, and you start to mine the scriptures and you say, Lord, here is my heart I offer to you promptly, sincerely. Here's my life. Help me obey. I've entered into a kingdom. I have a king. The kingdom has principles. The kingdom cannot be shaken. Citizenship comes with these obligations and blessings. Now a deeper focus on the first commands here. The command that comes first is what? Let brotherly love continue. And this shouldn't be a surprise to you. The command to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is synonymous with the first great commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Having come into fellowship with God, the love of God poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit. Notice what the writer of the Hebrews is saying. He's not saying start loving your brother. He's saying don't stop. Let it continue. This is phileo, the love for a fellow believer. It's commanded all through the scriptures. It's mentioned in Romans 12, 10. 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 9, that might be one of the places that we could go to get a better sense of that, the idea of brotherly love. But concerning brotherly love, Paul writes to the Thessalonians, you have no need that I should write to you For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more. Here's the sense. The writer of the Hebrews, like Paul writing the Thessalonians, cannot conceive of a Christian who doesn't have this impulse. It's impossible to have been loved by God and hate your neighbor. 1 John, if we have been loved by God, if we understand anything of the love of God, if we understand that great statement that the apostle makes in 1 John, that God is love, we will love our neighbor. Hear what the apostle says. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. Then verse 12, no one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us and his love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us his spirit. The ideas of being loved by God in the gospel. For the apostles, it's impossible that a Christian could not love neighbor. Inseparable. Jesus, by this we'll all know that you are my disciples by your love for one another. The Holy Spirit poured into our hearts, pours the love of God into our hearts. 1 Corinthians 13, which you heard preached here some months ago, could not be clearer on the necessity of love in the heart of the believer. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love, I become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing." There's something inseparable here. Brotherly love is a mark of the believer. The writer of the Hebrews says, let it continue, abound, to use Paul's language, increase more and more. Abide is the Greek word. Remain, keep it, don't lose it. The following two commands, verses two and three, expand on that love. And this is important. What is love? What is it? Children. Well, I know at my house, I have a certain little girl who likes to tell me every day, I love you, daddy. And she tells her mom, she tells most of her siblings most days, depending on the day. Depending on their conduct, maybe, or her perception of the same. It's interesting that even a child has some knowledge of this mysterious thing, what it means to give and receive and be secure in love. But what is it? What is the thing itself? Is it a disposition? John 3.16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. And the love precedes the giving. God is love. What is that love? It's a deep, divine affection for His people. But that love is never and can never be without action. The love of God is made manifest in history in the Father giving His Son. That love is active. If it's not active, it's not true. For brotherly love to continue is not just an encouragement to maintain a sort of fuzzy, warm-hearted disposition towards the people in the pew next to you. but is to be willing to conform the pattern of your life and your conduct, your thinking, your praying, your acting, your serving to the needs of the person in the pew next to you. Or even strangers. We'll see that in a moment. In Scripture, it's always both. It is a disposition in the heart of God. It's eternal love. We've been loved before the foundation of the world. Mysteriously, John can say God is love. That love then acts in history and for our God it was the cross and the giving of his son. Now the following two commands in verses two and three, do not forget to show hospitality, do not forget to entertain strangers, and remember the prisoners as if chained with them, are the concrete actions in the mind of the writer to the Hebrews that demonstrate and are the obedience to the command, let brotherly love continue. In other words, you can't take them apart. You can't say verse 1, I've got that. Verse 2 and 3, I'm working on it. Love is at the center of the life of the church. If you love, you know God. If you don't love, you don't know God. Now, it's going to get a little bit more painful. If the logic of the text is let brotherly love continue, do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, and these are inseparable. then the neglect of hospitality is the evidence of the lack of love, which may mean that we have to change the way we live in order that we would love as God has loved us. This gets us to the hospitality command, and I know we've taken a long way to get there, but the weight of it comes like this. What does it mean to run to Christ and for Christ? What does it mean to be receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken? What are the principles of the kingdom? Let brotherly love continue. Number one, do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers. Let's unpack that a little more. First, do not forget. It's similar in structure to verse one. Let brotherly love continue. It's interesting. It is the second time that we have a Holy Spirit-inspired assumption by the author that this is already happening. Do not forget. In other words, here's a duty that he assumes already marks the church, and he's not saying start. He's saying don't stop. Profound. It's an assumed duty. Now, in the Old Testament period, or sorry, the New Testament period, this would have been obvious. The idea of hospitality of an open home. In ancient cultures, in some nations, it was against the law of the land, the law of the king, to turn away the traveling stranger from your door. It would have been unthinkable. to not share what you had with someone else in need. Not even a possibility. An assumed duty. Second, what does it mean to entertain? It means to show hospitality, which in the context would have been, if you think of John chapter 13, which would have meant to open your door, wash the feet of the stranger, spread the banqueting table, kill the fatted calf, and with your own hand like Abraham long ago, say to the stranger, what is mine is now yours. To give them food and shelter. Who's the stranger? Someone not previously known to you. Not that complicated. Now, the ancients would have known this and we understand it today that it's a bit of a risky business, isn't it? Take someone into your home that you don't know. Surely the Bible is not saying that anyone who shows up and says I need a meal and is threatening your life at the same time or appears dangerous that you have the duty to open your home, you may have the duty to protect your home. At the same time, The duty here is to receive people in a sense the best you can as they are and be ready with generous Christian love to meet their needs. In your home, there would have been categories common to the early church that would have been immediately understood at least to be non-controversial. There was a lot of persecution happening. One way you could have a stranger on your door is you could have somebody show up who was a believer from another place and according to the commands of Christ was running from the one city to a safer place. The old writers remarking on this passage said it's very often in the history of the church that Christ in his mercy has seen to it that persecution is not universal so that Christians still have somewhere to flee. I think it's Owen who goes on to say that if it is universal, then we can flee to God, but sometimes God gives us an avenue with Christians, fellow Christians. In the early church, there would have been the support of missionaries, traveling pastors like the Apostle Paul. We have an indication in John's letters that the church was known for its support of the ministry of the gospel by open homes to those who were traveling, preaching the gospel. If you pull it all together, what is being commanded here as you run with endurance the race that is set before you, you look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. If you are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, Christ is the king. The culture of this kingdom involves hospitality. Full stop. The culture of Jesus' kingdom involves hospitality. Now, how do you know this? First from the king. The good shepherd of the sheep who spreads a table for you in the presence of your enemies, your cup runs over. There convincing you by his bounty that goodness and mercy follow you all the days of his life, he spreads the Lord's supper before you. The final end of the kingdom is what? Marriage supper of the lamb. Now there is to be some echo. of this sharing table fellowship in the church, of sharing and having all things in common. It was the immediate effect of the Holy Spirit's ministry on the day of Pentecost. Now all who believed were together, had all things in common, skipping down, so continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. You can go all through the Scriptures. Deuteronomy 10 in verse 19, show hospitality to strangers. Isaiah 58, care for the hungry, clothe the poor. Matthew 25, we'll get to that in a moment. Jesus encourages us to remember those in prison and those who are thirsty and those who are hungry. Romans 12 in verse 13. 1 Peter 4 in verse 9. James 1 in verse 27. There's a drumbeat in the Scriptures. Show hospitality. It's all through the New Testament. It's a problem, however, it's an old problem. How do we do this in our age? Calvin wrote this as he was commenting on this some five centuries ago. This office of humanity, it's an interesting little phrase. In other words, Calvin understands that part of what it means to be human, to consider our fellow humanity with other people, is this willingness to share what God has given us with others. That there's a bigger picture, that whenever God gives you something, it's not just for you. He gives you a house, and a dining room table, and a refrigerator full of food, and money in your bank account, that it's not just for you. He gave it to you to share. Remember to do good and to share, later in the same chapter. Now in our culture, we have mechanisms so we don't have to do this very much. One of them is Holiday Inn. And I think Calvin is thinking, not about Holiday Inn, but something similar. Listen to what he says. This office of humanity has also nearly ceased to be properly observed among men. For the ancient hospitality celebrated in histories is unknown to us, and inns now supply the place of accommodation for strangers. This is already 500 years ago. He's saying this idea of having a network of inns and innkeepers is, in a sense, taking over for this command. It's not wrong to use a hotel or to put someone up in a hotel, but there's a sense in which we can say, see, we don't have a problem. We can just push that off. America, of all the places, is probably most advanced on this. We have more hotels probably than any other nation in the world. And we probably also have more restaurants. And we probably, in American Christianity, because of this, perhaps have less acquaintance with table fellowship than the ancient church or many generations before. We've gotten comfortable not sharing what we have. How about the practice of hospitality? A few instructions. Assume it to be part of your Christian life. Go back to verse two. Do not forget the assumption of the word of God, the Holy Spirit, is that it's something you're already doing. Which means if you're not doing it, the call of the scriptures tonight is to repent. And then don't stop. because the only way to obey this command is to start and then not stop. John Owen, he says if this is lost, listen to Owen, he who on such occasions forgets to receive strangers will not long remember to retain anything of the Christian religion. That's a strong phrase. Why? Why would that be the case? possibly agree with Owen that if we're not doing this, we're going to forget to be Christians altogether. I think about the Gospel and how Paul puts it to the Ephesian church. Ephesians 2 and verse 19, Christ preached peace to you who are afar off. Those who were near. We've been brought in Christ to the Father's house. Jesus, what is he doing? He's preparing for the ultimate eternal hospitality. My father's house are many mansions. I go, what? To prepare a place for you. When we have overnight guests, what happens? We have a guest room. We have to get it ready. Jesus is saying, that's what I'm doing right now. I'm preparing to be your everlasting host by the blood of my cross and the power of my resurrection. Keep reading in Ephesians. Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." In the gospel, Jesus Christ brought you in to the Father's house. And there's a gospel correspondence here, which is why Owen can say, if you lose this sense of the sharing of all things, especially with your fellow believers, He who on such occasions forgets to receive strangers will not long remember to retain anything of the Christian religion. God took you in when you had nowhere to go, when your only destination was destruction, when you had nothing to offer, nothing to give. Second, then prepare for the cost of costly Hospitality. Have some extra food. A somewhat tidy home. Why do I say somewhat? Because if you're looking for a perfectly tidy home, then you will never, ever remember not to forget to entertain strangers. Cut the grass. Whatever impediment, when you drive up to your house and you think, good night, I'd never want anyone to see that, take care of it so that someone can come over. Or the other option is, don't worry about them seeing it. They'll be reminded that your house is somewhat like their house. They'll be happy they're there. Get a new way of thinking in your heart and mind like the parable of the talents. And if there's one thing we have as American Christians, we are the richest nation in human history. We have more food in our refrigerators, bigger houses, longer dining room tables, and more time probably than anybody. Share them. We live in mansions. We live in abundance. Why do you think God gave you so much? If we think about our national riches, it can't help but think about Paul's letter to Timothy. Hear this, 1 Timothy 6. This is all of us. Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life. You might say, I can't cook, then buy takeout. If you can't afford that, cook a simple meal and share. Open your homes. Do it once a month. Maybe you're busy with only a few. Or another way you could serve if you couldn't do it that month is bring something to somebody else. Share. Prepare, another instruction, for some level of humbling. I said this earlier. Your home is not perfect. It will never be. Your children are not perfect. You'll be reminded of that when you have people over. Just open your home. Share what God has given you. Start now with the little you have. Aim for spiritual encouragement and gospel witness. One of the easiest ways to witness to the gospel is if you have a pattern of hospitality and family worship. where you're reading the word and you're praying already in your homes. Orly and I count it a privilege to have had many people at our table and many who don't know Christ, who perhaps we could read a chapter of the gospel of John and pray a simple prayer over a meal and pray that God would use that witness for the saving of a soul. Aim for gospel witness. In our age of all things, when everybody only has friends on social media, imagine the difference. of actually being in a home and a family and around a table with a meal. And Christians, we're interested in you body and soul for time and for eternity. Make it part of your regular Christian life. If you say, I'm a Christian, what would the writer of the Hebrews say? Then you should also say, I'm hospitable. What did Paul say through Timothy? He said, make sure if there's an elder, that the elder's hospitable because he needs to lead the charge in an open home. Do not forget means some regularity is to be maintained. Some once a month, some more, some less. God knows your home, your family. This is not some sort of legal bar, but some, and don't forget. God also knows your limits. Let me say a word to maybe husbands who will get excited about this sermon. If you don't know how to cook, which I don't know how to do really, be measured and thoughtful to your whole family. Don't wear everybody out. Children, help your parents. One of the great delights of an open home is how many people your children will meet and the kind of view they have into the life of the kingdom. It's a beautiful thing. Again, here's some practical helps. One final encouragement. I wish we had more time to look at this, but look at the last phrase, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. The most likely situation here is what we read from Genesis chapter 18. Abraham was sitting, the door of his tent in the heat of the day, and three men walked up and he said, whatever is mine is yours. ran to his wife, baked some cakes, ran to the young man, killed the fatted calf, himself serving the meal to three visitors that he did not yet recognize or know. And the Bible says that one of them was the pre-incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ, the angel of the Lord, and two others accompanying angels from the throne room of God. Now the writer of Hebrews says, now this is your encouragement. You might say, I don't think I've had angels over. Sometimes I wonder when I read that passage in history. I do not know on the last day what God will reveal concerning what he has done in human history. Mysteries abound. But I do know this, that our Savior said, that when he judges the nations and says, come you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Kingdom language, Matthew 25. He will say this, I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty, you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer. Him saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in? When did we see you naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you? Lord, we don't have any recollection of doing this. And the King will answer and say to them, assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, You have done it to me. You have something better, better than the two angels, not better than the angel of the Lord, but Christ says, if you take in the stranger, give food and clothing and share these gifts, you do it to me. What better motivation could you have to open your home, to share your gifts, You are doing it for Christ. You're doing it looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. You're running with Him in mind, ultimately with Christ in view. You're remembering, I was a stranger. By your grace, you brought me in. Lord, I offer what you have given me back to you. Lord give me grace not to forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in so doing some have entertained angels unawares. Let's pray. Lord, our God, we ask for grace to change the fabric of our lives, to run that race that you've called us to run, to bring you glory in it, to be willing to take of maybe the two talents or the five talents you've given us, Lord, you distribute. And with open hearts and open homes, be willing to share. Lord, we pray that hospitality might be a mark of our congregation now and in all the years between now and your coming, or that we would be those who are ready to do good and to share, that we would be those who let brotherly love continue, especially in this simple exercise of open hearts and open homes, or grant us this grace in abundance as we offer ourselves to you, for you first loved us, we pray, oh Father, in Jesus' name, amen. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace. Amen.