Living Out Love: Fellowship and Hospitality in Christ

Distributing of course is a part of the meaning but it isn't enough it's too weak it doesn't bring out the fullness of the meaning that was conveyed by the word that was used by the great Apostle what it really means is this entering into into fellowship with the necessity of the Saints that's the term that he actually used you enter into fellowship with them as they have these Necessities. [00:06:36]

You must feel that this is your burden, that's the meaning that their burden is your burden and that you're in them with them with them in this and that you really are feeling it yourself you've entered into a kind of partnership with them in their position and in their predicament very well that's you see it's important that we should realize that because if we don't we are going to miss a great deal of the particular teaching which he has here. [00:07:48]

Necessity now necessity means needs and needs means well be Necessities now he's not saying that we should enter into partnership with our fellow Believers in their desires or in their likes or in their wishes doesn't say that but we must enter into fellowship and partnership with them with regard to their needs what this the distinction of course is an important one. [00:08:22]

Hospitality now here's a word that we use very frequently d but the word used by the Apostle is again much stronger than this word Hospitality we've debased this word as we tend to debase most words this word really means loving strangers stranger loving that's the word that the Apostle uses in other words he says You must have fondness or affection for strangers. [00:13:24]

Pursue it to seek after it now let me give you some other examples of this same word translated in a better way take 1 Corinthians 141 you remember how after the great Hymn of love in 1 Corinthians 13 the 14th chapter starts with these words follow after charity follow after it that's the idea they don't translate it given to charity follow after it it's the same word precisely. [00:15:10]

Use Hospitality one to another without grudging now you see that's a men not exercising Hospitality in the right way use Hospitality one to another without grudging don't Grudge as you do it there were Christians who were doing that they felt well they'd got to do this but they prefer not to do it and they did it very grudgingly they did it in a very bad way indeed. [00:18:16]

The Apostle here is teaching us something that is taught everywhere in the New Testament it's quite amazing when you come to look into it to notice the frequency of references to this in the New Testament let me just give you some hurried examples of this very thing the Apostle comes back again to it in the 15th chapter in verse 2 physics for itth pleased them of Macedonia and aaya to make a certain contribution for the poor Saints which are at Jerusalem. [00:20:01]

We are all the family of God we are all brothers and sisters but isn't this a marvelous thought a wonderful thing you and I my friends we belong to the same family indeed we are more closely related than we are by natural tires because we are are members of the family of God and the moment you realize that there's no difficulty about this injunction if a member of your family is in trouble you're there blood is thicker than water you say well I say the spirit is thicker than blood because it's the holy spirit of God. [00:27:37]

The Apostle casts great light on that on those two portions I've read to you from the book of Acts acts two and acts four how do how does it cast light on that well in this way some people have thought that in Acts 2 and acts 4 you were given a description of a kind of communist society that um it was a kind of attempt at some sort of Communism which was later abandoned some would say that it was a mistake to have abandoned it and so on. [00:37:15]

It is sometimes I would say indeed always of easier to get rid of all you got than to act as a steward if you give all you've got and have got nothing left well you've got no problems have you but if you still retain your possessions but as a Christian you know that your brother has a right to it when he's in need well your responsibility is greater and your difficulties are greater but that is the thing to which the New Testament calls you you are a steward of all that you have. [00:38:57]

The primary call on the Christian is to his fellow Christians do good unto all men especially them that are of the household of faith they come first of course if you're in a position to help others beyond that do that also but here I Feel Again is a very important thing for us at this present time we as a church here and all other churches represented I'm sure have the same experience you get requests sent to you from various secular societies which are doing a lot of good Red Cross famine relief and various others. [00:40:49]

Make to yourselves friends with the Mamon of unrighteousness that when you fail they may receive you into Everlasting habitations it means this make the right use of your money don't be a miser help others use this melon of unrighteousness your money to make friends for yourselves so that when the day may come that you fail and it will come when you die they'll have gone before you and when you arrive on the other side these will be the people in the front ranks waiting for you welcoming you when you fail they may receive you into Everlasting habitations. [00:53:12]