Embracing Jesus-Style Hospitality: Service and Connection
Summary
Welcome to Epworth, where we embark on a new series exploring "Jesus-Style Hospitality." This Sunday, we delve into the theme "Service First to All," inspired by Mark 10:43-44, which calls us to embrace servanthood as the path to greatness. Jesus' ministry exemplifies a hospitality that transcends mere social niceties, inviting us into a deeper, more meaningful engagement with others. This hospitality is about creating and preserving space—both physical and emotional—where people feel safe, valued, and at home.
Reflecting on a personal experience at a dinner party, I was reminded of the profound impact of genuine hospitality. Our host, embodying servant leadership, made everyone feel welcome and comfortable, even offering a jacket when I felt cold. This simple act of kindness mirrored the essence of Jesus' hospitality—making space for others and extending love and grace, even amidst life's chaos and change.
Jesus' hospitality is not just about inviting people to a one-time event but inviting them into a life of relationship and community. He extends invitations to the most unlikely individuals, drawing them into His inner circle and trusting them with His mission. This trust and collaboration are evident when He sends out His disciples, empowering them to perform miracles and feed thousands, teaching them to expect the extraordinary in their journey with Him.
Leadership, in the context of Jesus' hospitality, is about creating space for others to thrive and contribute. It involves balancing assertiveness with warmth, ensuring that our competence does not overshadow our ability to relate and connect with others. This balance is crucial in fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to share their gifts.
As we continue to explore Jesus-Style Hospitality, let us embrace the invitation to be both hosts and guests at the table of life. May we extend our hospitality to strangers, for they might be the ones who welcome us home.
Key Takeaways:
1. Servant Leadership and Hospitality: True greatness in the kingdom of God is found in servanthood. Jesus exemplifies this by creating spaces where people feel valued and at home, inviting us to do the same in our lives. [47:07]
2. Creating and Preserving Space: Hospitality involves making both physical and emotional space for others. It’s about ensuring everyone feels safe and valued, much like Jesus did with His disciples and followers. [50:34]
3. Trust and Empowerment: Jesus trusted His disciples with His mission, empowering them to perform miracles and feed thousands. This trust is a cornerstone of His hospitality, teaching us to empower others in our communities. [53:54]
4. Balancing Assertiveness and Warmth: Effective leadership and hospitality require a balance between assertiveness and warmth. We must be competent in our roles while also being relatable and open to others. [58:15]
5. Inviting Others into Relationship: Jesus' hospitality is about inviting people into a life of relationship and community. By extending invitations to the unlikely, we create opportunities for transformative connections. [52:36]
Youtube Chapters:
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [16:45] - Relief Efforts and Community Support
- [18:57] - All Saints Sunday and Pastoral Care
- [44:24] - Personal Story of Hospitality
- [45:22] - The Importance of Making Space
- [47:07] - Servant Leadership in Action
- [50:34] - Jesus-Style Hospitality
- [52:36] - Trust and Empowerment
- [53:54] - Feeding the Multitudes
- [56:22] - Leadership and Creating Space
- [57:07] - Balancing Assertiveness and Warmth
- [58:15] - Relating to Others
- [01:00:06] - Personal Reflections on Leadership
- [01:08:52] - Closing and Blessing
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide: Jesus-Style Hospitality
#### Bible Reading
- Mark 10:43-44: "But it is not so among you. Instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all."
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#### Observation Questions
1. What does Mark 10:43-44 suggest about the nature of greatness in the kingdom of God?
2. How did the host at the dinner party demonstrate servant leadership, according to the sermon? [45:22]
3. What are some examples from the sermon of Jesus creating space for others? [50:34]
4. How did Jesus empower His disciples, as mentioned in the sermon? [53:54]
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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of servant leadership challenge traditional views of leadership? [47:07]
2. In what ways does creating and preserving space for others reflect Jesus' ministry?
3. What might it mean to balance assertiveness and warmth in our relationships, as discussed in the sermon? [58:15]
4. How does Jesus' invitation to unlikely individuals into His community challenge our own perceptions of who belongs?
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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt truly welcomed and valued. What specific actions made you feel that way, and how can you replicate those actions in your own life? [45:22]
2. Consider your current leadership roles, whether at work, home, or church. How can you incorporate servant leadership into these roles? [47:07]
3. Identify a space in your life—physical or emotional—that you can open up to others. What steps will you take to make this space welcoming and safe? [50:34]
4. Think of someone in your community who might feel like an outsider. How can you extend an invitation to them, as Jesus did with His disciples? [52:36]
5. Reflect on your balance of assertiveness and warmth. Is there an area where you feel you need to grow? What practical steps can you take to achieve this balance? [58:15]
6. How can you empower someone in your community to use their gifts, as Jesus empowered His disciples? [53:54]
7. Consider a situation where you might have been hesitant to extend hospitality. What held you back, and how can you overcome this barrier in the future?
Devotional
Day 1: Servanthood as the Path to True Greatness
In the kingdom of God, true greatness is found in servanthood. Jesus exemplifies this by creating spaces where people feel valued and at home, inviting us to do the same in our lives. His ministry was not about seeking power or status but about serving others with humility and love. This approach challenges us to redefine our understanding of leadership and success, focusing on how we can serve those around us. By embracing servanthood, we align ourselves with Jesus' vision of greatness, which is rooted in love, compassion, and selflessness. [47:07]
Mark 9:35 (ESV): "And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.'"
Reflection: Who in your life can you serve today in a way that makes them feel valued and at home?
Day 2: Creating Space for Others
Hospitality involves making both physical and emotional space for others. It’s about ensuring everyone feels safe and valued, much like Jesus did with His disciples and followers. This kind of hospitality goes beyond mere social niceties; it is about creating an environment where people can be themselves and feel accepted. By making space for others, we reflect the love and grace of Jesus, who always welcomed the marginalized and the outcast. This practice invites us to be intentional in our interactions, ensuring that we are present and attentive to the needs of those around us. [50:34]
Romans 12:13 (ESV): "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."
Reflection: How can you create a welcoming space for someone in your community this week, both physically and emotionally?
Day 3: Trust and Empowerment in Community
Jesus trusted His disciples with His mission, empowering them to perform miracles and feed thousands. This trust is a cornerstone of His hospitality, teaching us to empower others in our communities. By entrusting His followers with significant responsibilities, Jesus demonstrated His belief in their potential and capabilities. This act of empowerment not only strengthened their faith but also equipped them to carry out His work. In our own lives, we are called to trust and empower those around us, fostering a sense of community and collaboration that reflects the heart of Jesus' ministry. [53:54]
1 Peter 4:10 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."
Reflection: Who in your life can you empower today by trusting them with a responsibility or task?
Day 4: Balancing Assertiveness and Warmth
Effective leadership and hospitality require a balance between assertiveness and warmth. We must be competent in our roles while also being relatable and open to others. This balance is crucial in fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to share their gifts. Jesus exemplified this balance by being both a strong leader and a compassionate friend. He was assertive in His mission but always approachable and kind. As we strive to lead and serve others, we must remember to maintain this balance, ensuring that our competence does not overshadow our ability to connect with those around us. [58:15]
Colossians 4:6 (ESV): "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
Reflection: In what ways can you practice balancing assertiveness and warmth in your interactions today?
Day 5: Inviting Others into Relationship
Jesus' hospitality is about inviting people into a life of relationship and community. By extending invitations to the unlikely, we create opportunities for transformative connections. Jesus often reached out to those who were marginalized or overlooked, drawing them into His circle and offering them a sense of belonging. This approach challenges us to look beyond our comfort zones and invite others into our lives, fostering relationships that are rooted in love and acceptance. By doing so, we not only reflect the heart of Jesus but also enrich our own lives with diverse perspectives and experiences. [52:36]
Hebrews 13:2 (ESV): "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
Reflection: Who is someone outside of your usual circle that you can invite into your life this week, and how can you make them feel welcomed and valued?
Quotes
1) "Hospitality looks more and more to me like making space, creating and preserving space. Physical space, yes, a place at the table. This is your name. Yep, you're on the list. Go right in. So, it's physical space, you know, here's a bed with the little mints on it and a turndown, that sort of thing. But also a physical space, I mean a spiritual and emotional place, right? Like that place I was describing, we were all inhabiting around that living room where it felt good to be among friends. It felt safe, right? You could be yourself. So, space in those two senses." [49:33] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2) "There's something about extending that invitation. There's something about being the one who takes that first step. Have you ever been in a friendship or a relationship with somebody who always, you always have to take the first step? And after a while, you're like, I'm not doing it anymore. They want to talk, they can call me. And then you open up. You don't talk for a while. And then finally you break down. No hands. We don't have to see hands. There's something about love, right? The way Jeremiah describes it. He says, it's like a fire inside me. I'm weary of holding it in. I think sometimes the gift of hospitality works that way. And maybe hospitality doesn't keep count." [50:34] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3) "Leadership doesn't mean filling a space. Leadership means creating space. For everyone on the way, right? We've still got things to accomplish, right? In this case, the salvation of the world, fairly important. We're not going to let that slide off to the back. Which is something that sometimes we do, right? In order to be nice, we'll just forget whatever it was that we were doing." [56:22] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4) "And what the guest on this issue of or this podcast called The Hidden Brain said was that what we usually do is, faced with, with a deficit in one area or the other, and typically, let's say it's warmth, right? What we'll do is we'll take away from our sense of competence. So, like, one of the things we like to do is, I like to do this a lot, is make self -deprecating jokes. Here's one that you've heard from me. I'm late all the time. I'm not, actually. I'm a bus driver. I was also in the Navy for 10 years. And you go to jobs. You go to jail if you're late in that organization. You get fired if you're on a bus and you're late. Kids say that they can keep their watches by me. First time I heard one say that, I was like, That's true. But I make these self -deprecating jokes. And what the guest said was, if you do that, people assume, well, you're the expert on yourself. And so, I'm not going to argue with you. You must be. So, what we do is we sort of take away from one of these areas. In order to sort of compensate. She said, don't take away, add. In other words, you want to be more warm? You want to be more relatable? Be more warm and relatable. Go the extra mile. You know, extend the table, right? So, if someone is congratulating you on an accomplishment, right? Say, thank you, for one thing. Don't just put it off. But also say, and I could never have done it without the rest of the board. These wonderful people that God. God has allowed me and enabled me to work with, right? So, there's some different ways to go about doing that." [58:15] (105 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5) "Friends, may we go forth heeding and embracing the invitation of the Holy Spirit to take our place at the table of life. Be the gift to the world that God has created us to be. And, not but, also welcome strangers to sit at that table as well. They might just be the ones who welcome us home." [01:08:52] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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