Living Out Love: Fellowship and Hospitality in Christ
Summary
In Romans 12:13, Paul exhorts believers to "distribute to the necessity of saints" and to be "given to hospitality." This passage is a call to action for Christians to engage deeply with the needs of fellow believers and to extend love to strangers. The essence of this teaching is rooted in the doctrine of the Church as the body of Christ, where each member is interconnected and responsible for one another. This interconnectedness is not just a theoretical concept but a practical reality that should manifest in our daily lives.
The term "distributing" is more than just giving; it implies entering into fellowship with those in need, sharing their burdens as if they were our own. This is a call to partnership, where the needs of the saints become our personal concern. Paul emphasizes that this is not about fulfilling desires or wants but addressing genuine needs, distinguishing between necessities and luxuries.
Hospitality, as Paul describes, is not merely about being welcoming but involves a proactive pursuit of loving strangers. The original Greek term suggests a fondness or affection for strangers, urging believers to seek opportunities to show kindness and generosity. This pursuit of hospitality is not to be done grudgingly but with zeal and eagerness, reflecting the love of Christ.
The early church faced persecution, and this teaching was vital for their survival and unity. Christians were often displaced and in need of support from fellow believers. This historical context underscores the importance of these instructions, which remain relevant today. The call to support fellow believers first, while also being open to helping others, is a principle that guides Christian stewardship and charity.
Ultimately, this teaching challenges us to examine our love for God and others. It serves as a test of our faith and commitment to the body of Christ. By loving and serving others, we demonstrate our love for God, fulfilling the law of Christ and preparing ourselves for eternal rewards.
Key Takeaways:
1. Fellowship in Need: True Christian fellowship involves entering into partnership with fellow believers in their times of need. This means sharing their burdens as if they were our own, reflecting the interconnectedness of the body of Christ. This partnership is not about fulfilling desires but addressing genuine necessities. [07:48]
2. Pursuing Hospitality: Hospitality in the biblical sense is about actively seeking opportunities to love and serve strangers. It requires a proactive approach, characterized by zeal and eagerness, rather than a grudging obligation. This pursuit reflects the love of Christ and is a testament to our faith. [17:44]
3. Doctrine and Practice: The call to distribute to the necessity of saints and pursue hospitality is deeply rooted in the doctrine of the Church as the body of Christ. Understanding this doctrine is essential for living out these instructions, as it highlights our responsibility to one another as members of the same spiritual family. [25:53]
4. Stewardship Over Communism: Christian teaching emphasizes stewardship over communism. Believers are called to manage their resources wisely, ensuring that no one among them is in need. This stewardship is driven by love and voluntary generosity, not compulsion or legal obligation. [39:20]
5. Eternal Perspective: Engaging in acts of love and hospitality is not only about meeting immediate needs but also about laying up treasures in heaven. By serving others, we serve Christ, and this service will be rewarded in eternity. This eternal perspective encourages us to live out our faith with joy and purpose. [56:30]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to Romans 12:13
- [01:03] - Context of Paul's Injunctions
- [02:16] - Governing Principles of Love and Goodness
- [03:22] - Facing Trials with Hope and Prayer
- [04:00] - Connection Between Trials and Helping Others
- [05:22] - Transition to Reactions to Others
- [06:32] - Understanding "Distributing" and "Necessity"
- [07:48] - Entering into Fellowship with the Needy
- [09:52] - Distinction Between Needs and Luxuries
- [12:40] - Saints as Set Apart by God
- [14:36] - Pursuing Hospitality with Zeal
- [18:21] - Avoiding Grudging Hospitality
- [23:23] - Historical Context of Persecution
- [25:53] - Doctrine of the Church as the Body of Christ
- [39:20] - Stewardship vs. Communism
- [56:30] - Eternal Rewards for Acts of Love
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Romans 12:13
- Hebrews 13:2
- 1 John 3:16-18
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Observation Questions:
1. What does Paul mean by "distributing to the necessity of saints" in Romans 12:13, and how does this relate to the concept of fellowship? [06:59]
2. How does the sermon describe the difference between necessities and luxuries, and why is this distinction important for Christian stewardship? [09:09]
3. What is the significance of the term "hospitality" as used by Paul, and how does it differ from our modern understanding of the word? [13:31]
4. How does the historical context of persecution in the early church underscore the importance of Paul's instructions in Romans 12:13? [23:23]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the interconnectedness of the body of Christ, as described in the sermon, influence the way believers should respond to the needs of fellow Christians? [25:53]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that pursuing hospitality is a reflection of the love of Christ, and how can this be demonstrated in practical terms? [17:44]
3. How does the sermon differentiate between Christian stewardship and communism, and what implications does this have for how believers manage their resources? [39:20]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the eternal perspective of engaging in acts of love and hospitality, and how does this perspective motivate believers? [56:30]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you entered into fellowship with someone in need. How did this experience impact your understanding of Christian community? [07:48]
2. Identify a specific way you can actively pursue hospitality this week. What steps will you take to ensure this is done with zeal and eagerness rather than obligation? [17:44]
3. Consider the resources you have been entrusted with. How can you practice wise stewardship to ensure that no one in your community is in need? [39:20]
4. Think about a situation where you might have confused a luxury for a necessity. How can you better discern between the two in the future to align with Paul's teaching? [09:09]
5. How can you cultivate a fondness or affection for strangers in your daily interactions, and what practical actions can you take to demonstrate this love? [13:31]
6. Reflect on the eternal rewards mentioned in the sermon. How does this perspective influence your motivation to serve others and live out your faith? [56:30]
7. How can you ensure that your acts of love and hospitality are done in a way that truly reflects the love of Christ and not just out of a sense of duty? [18:21]
Devotional
Day 1: Fellowship in Action
True Christian fellowship involves entering into partnership with fellow believers in their times of need. This means sharing their burdens as if they were our own, reflecting the interconnectedness of the body of Christ. This partnership is not about fulfilling desires but addressing genuine necessities. The call to "distribute to the necessity of saints" is a profound invitation to engage deeply with the needs of others, recognizing that their struggles are our own. This interconnectedness is not just a theoretical concept but a practical reality that should manifest in our daily lives. By entering into fellowship with those in need, we embody the love and unity that Christ desires for His Church. [07:48]
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your community is currently in need, and how can you actively share in their burdens this week?
Day 2: Zealous Hospitality
Hospitality in the biblical sense is about actively seeking opportunities to love and serve strangers. It requires a proactive approach, characterized by zeal and eagerness, rather than a grudging obligation. This pursuit reflects the love of Christ and is a testament to our faith. The original Greek term suggests a fondness or affection for strangers, urging believers to seek opportunities to show kindness and generosity. By pursuing hospitality with zeal, we mirror the welcoming heart of God and open ourselves to the blessings of new relationships and experiences. [17:44]
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (Hebrews 13:2, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one way you can extend hospitality to someone outside your usual circle this week. What steps will you take to make this happen?
Day 3: Living the Doctrine
The call to distribute to the necessity of saints and pursue hospitality is deeply rooted in the doctrine of the Church as the body of Christ. Understanding this doctrine is essential for living out these instructions, as it highlights our responsibility to one another as members of the same spiritual family. The early church faced persecution, and this teaching was vital for their survival and unity. Christians were often displaced and in need of support from fellow believers. This historical context underscores the importance of these instructions, which remain relevant today. [25:53]
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV)
Reflection: How does understanding the Church as the body of Christ change the way you view your role in your local church community?
Day 4: Stewardship with Love
Christian teaching emphasizes stewardship over communism. Believers are called to manage their resources wisely, ensuring that no one among them is in need. This stewardship is driven by love and voluntary generosity, not compulsion or legal obligation. The focus is on using what we have to serve others, reflecting the heart of God who gives generously. By practicing stewardship, we honor God with our resources and demonstrate His love to those around us. [39:20]
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." (1 Peter 4:10, ESV)
Reflection: What resources or gifts do you have that you can use to serve others this week? How can you do this out of love rather than obligation?
Day 5: Eternal Rewards
Engaging in acts of love and hospitality is not only about meeting immediate needs but also about laying up treasures in heaven. By serving others, we serve Christ, and this service will be rewarded in eternity. This eternal perspective encourages us to live out our faith with joy and purpose. The acts of love and kindness we perform today have lasting significance, both in the lives of those we touch and in the eternal rewards we will receive. [56:30]
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24, ESV)
Reflection: How does the promise of eternal rewards influence your motivation to serve others today? What specific action can you take to align your service with this eternal perspective?
Quotes
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]
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