1 00:00:02,089 --> 00:00:04,634 Thanks for tuning in to the Sandals Church podcast. 2 00:00:04,761 --> 00:00:08,621 Our vision as a church is to be real with ourselves, God, and others. 3 00:00:08,756 --> 00:00:11,439 We're glad you're here and we hope you enjoy this message. 4 00:00:14,529 --> 00:00:18,719 Hey man, if you died tonight, do you know where you would go? 5 00:00:19,329 --> 00:00:28,577 This was my question to a random stranger at the Tyler Mall as they were walking out of a 6 00:00:19,329 --> 00:00:28,577 clothing store with what I could only imagine was a nice new outfit for the weekend plans. 7 00:00:28,673 --> 00:00:32,341 And I can't even begin to think about what he was thinking in his own mind. 8 00:00:32,396 --> 00:00:33,445 Like, die tonight, bro. 9 00:00:33,468 --> 00:00:35,109 I just bought some new jeans. 10 00:00:36,009 --> 00:00:46,060 But surprisingly enough, this would be a question that I would sometimes use as an opening 11 00:00:36,009 --> 00:00:46,060 line as I was sharing with people what faith in Jesus was like. 12 00:00:46,909 --> 00:00:59,310 Now, as I think back to that time in my life when I did what was kind of referred to at 13 00:00:46,909 --> 00:00:59,310 the time as street evangelism, I can only imagine that there had to be other ways to do 14 00:00:46,909 --> 00:00:59,310 this, and I share that brief story because I know I'm not alone in this. 15 00:00:59,380 --> 00:01:07,293 I would imagine that many of us today are at some level very oblivious or unaware as to 16 00:00:59,380 --> 00:01:07,293 how we share our faith. 17 00:01:07,421 --> 00:01:14,986 We struggle to know what to say or how to share, especially in a time when evangelism just 18 00:01:07,421 --> 00:01:14,986 feels terribly out of style. 19 00:01:15,117 --> 00:01:25,986 Like today, no one likes to be evangelized to, whether it ishares in the Bahamas essential 20 00:01:15,117 --> 00:01:25,986 oils business plan or Jesus of Nazareth. 21 00:01:26,177 --> 00:01:34,870 And those who are most found often speaking God's truth in love, are very confrontational 22 00:01:26,177 --> 00:01:34,870 and seemingly unloving. 23 00:01:35,030 --> 00:01:37,013 So what do we do with evangelism? 24 00:01:37,141 --> 00:01:41,397 Because let's make no mistake about it, it was very much a priority of Jesus. 25 00:01:41,493 --> 00:01:47,001 He summed up his entire mission as this the Son of man has come to seek and to save the 26 00:01:41,493 --> 00:01:47,001 lost. 27 00:01:47,146 --> 00:01:56,126 And then when speaking about his Father in heaven, he said, man, there is more rejoicing 28 00:01:47,146 --> 00:01:56,126 in heaven over one sinner who comes to repentance than 99 who don't. 29 00:01:56,237 --> 00:02:00,209 So the lost were and are a priority of Jesus. 30 00:02:00,709 --> 00:02:02,353 Lost for him. 31 00:02:02,391 --> 00:02:07,861 I think when Jesus uses that word, he's describing people who are outside of relationship 32 00:02:02,391 --> 00:02:07,861 with him. 33 00:02:07,995 --> 00:02:11,349 Lost, meaning people who are actually searching for a home. 34 00:02:11,500 --> 00:02:13,526 Lost people are not bad peOple. 35 00:02:13,707 --> 00:02:16,133 Lost people are not less than we are. 36 00:02:16,252 --> 00:02:18,689 Lost people are looking for safety. 37 00:02:18,849 --> 00:02:20,854 They're looking for a place to go. 38 00:02:20,972 --> 00:02:29,961 Loss is that feeling in the pit of your stomach you get when you know that you have lost 39 00:02:20,972 --> 00:02:29,961 your directions and your spouse looks at you and says, Fredo, do you know where you're 40 00:02:20,972 --> 00:02:29,961 going? 41 00:02:30,015 --> 00:02:30,614 No, I don't. 42 00:02:30,662 --> 00:02:31,210 Right. 43 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:32,473 Lost it. 44 00:02:32,671 --> 00:02:37,258 I think Scripture uses loss as a word of compassion and not condemnation. 45 00:02:37,354 --> 00:02:45,322 And so when we take a posture and say the world is lost or culture is so lost, let us say 46 00:02:37,354 --> 00:02:45,322 it with a tone of compassion and not condemnation. 47 00:02:45,466 --> 00:02:47,602 Which is why we're addressing this topic today. 48 00:02:47,656 --> 00:02:55,165 Because often, if we're willing to be honest today and take a deep breath in, we are 49 00:02:47,656 --> 00:02:55,165 oblivious as to how we share our faith. 50 00:02:55,277 --> 00:03:00,193 So much so that we often kind of stumble and even mumble our way through evangelism. 51 00:03:00,322 --> 00:03:06,466 Which is why Barna, a number of years ago did this research in which they titled it is 52 00:03:00,322 --> 00:03:06,466 evangelism going out of Style. 53 00:03:06,578 --> 00:03:15,641 And they said in this study that 100% of Christians agree with the statement that they 54 00:03:06,578 --> 00:03:15,641 believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith with others. 55 00:03:15,776 --> 00:03:27,449 But only 69% of Christians agreed that during the past twelve months, I have explained my 56 00:03:15,776 --> 00:03:27,449 beliefs to someone who had different beliefs than me, in hopes that they might accept 57 00:03:15,776 --> 00:03:27,449 Jesus Christ as their Savior. 58 00:03:27,610 --> 00:03:33,710 Which means, if you're doing the math, there's a 31% gap between what people say they 59 00:03:27,610 --> 00:03:33,710 believe and what they actually do. 60 00:03:33,860 --> 00:03:38,062 We all have this gap, and I think that's because for a number of reasons. 61 00:03:38,205 --> 00:03:44,753 One being in previous years, it would have been common for social norms to be the king, 62 00:03:38,205 --> 00:03:44,753 right? 63 00:03:44,792 --> 00:03:48,945 And so the individual was required to kind of conform to social norms. 64 00:03:49,057 --> 00:03:55,879 Not so today, the individual self is king or queen, and the rest of the world is meant to 65 00:03:49,057 --> 00:03:55,879 conform to me. 66 00:03:56,330 --> 00:04:02,759 Which means then one of the most universally agreed upon moral rules today is simply, 67 00:03:56,330 --> 00:04:02,759 don't evangelize anyone. 68 00:04:03,150 --> 00:04:15,021 No one's in a position to tell you or I what I should be doing with my life, so that if 69 00:04:03,150 --> 00:04:15,021 someone does feel like you are telling me what I should believe, then you are committing 70 00:04:03,150 --> 00:04:15,021 one of the few sins left this culture still agrees on. 71 00:04:15,156 --> 00:04:19,242 Which now leaves us in a difficult place, torn between two realities. 72 00:04:19,386 --> 00:04:30,819 One being the priority of Jesus to seek and save the lost, and the other being that 73 00:04:19,386 --> 00:04:30,819 evangelism, if we're being honest, is just kind of strange and weird, and we are often 74 00:04:19,386 --> 00:04:30,819 unaware of what we are doing. 75 00:04:31,189 --> 00:04:43,954 So that if you're like me, when I started following Jesus, there was a part of me that 76 00:04:31,189 --> 00:04:43,954 genuinely thought I needed to join Jesus's PR team and now start doing public advertising 77 00:04:31,189 --> 00:04:43,954 for God, as if God needs more advertisement. 78 00:04:44,081 --> 00:04:54,949 I don't know if that's the case, but what ended up happening was to share good news in a 79 00:04:44,081 --> 00:04:54,949 very spiritually open, yet religiously skeptical, Internet educated, deeply distracted 80 00:04:44,081 --> 00:04:54,949 culture. 81 00:04:55,110 --> 00:04:59,769 Felt like me sharing Jesus was just very bad product placement. 82 00:05:00,589 --> 00:05:07,759 A lot like when I'm at home on the couch, enjoying my favorite Hulu show, only murders in 83 00:05:00,589 --> 00:05:07,759 the building. 84 00:05:08,529 --> 00:05:13,069 And there's this scene where it hits you, and you're like, oh, my gosh, we're about to 85 00:05:08,529 --> 00:05:13,069 discover who the murderer is. 86 00:05:13,139 --> 00:05:21,521 And then it cuts to an ad for a medical cream that's going to help deal with your rash, 87 00:05:13,139 --> 00:05:21,521 and you're like, hey, yo, that's not for me. 88 00:05:21,576 --> 00:05:23,379 At least I don't think it is, right? 89 00:05:23,750 --> 00:05:29,160 So I don't know what the Hulu algorithm is saying about me, but it just feels terribly out 90 00:05:23,750 --> 00:05:29,160 of place. 91 00:05:29,930 --> 00:05:40,300 Our methods of evangelism oftentimes feel like an attempt to get people where we want them 92 00:05:29,930 --> 00:05:40,300 to be and not where they're actually at in life. 93 00:05:41,149 --> 00:05:47,180 Yet meeting people where they actually are, at least to me, seems like a more genuine 94 00:05:41,149 --> 00:05:47,180 expression of God's love. 95 00:05:47,790 --> 00:05:54,079 Because, after all, did he not meet you and I where we actually were, not where he wanted 96 00:05:47,790 --> 00:05:54,079 us? 97 00:05:54,610 --> 00:05:56,160 And so where do we go? 98 00:05:56,529 --> 00:06:07,540 For many of us, there's option one, which is to privatize Jesus, and that is to create a 99 00:05:56,529 --> 00:06:07,540 clear disconnect between your private life and worship and your public life and what you 100 00:05:56,529 --> 00:06:07,540 do with other people. 101 00:06:07,910 --> 00:06:11,742 Option two is to normalize Jesus, almost just to communicate. 102 00:06:11,805 --> 00:06:30,934 Man, me following Jesus is so normal in culture, as if God is in heaven, pleased with our 103 00:06:11,805 --> 00:06:30,934 ability to disguise following Jesus like he's really, really cool, and we almost project a 104 00:06:11,805 --> 00:06:30,934 kind of Christ like coolness rather than a Christ like sacrificial love that is somewhat 105 00:06:11,805 --> 00:06:30,934 surprising to our world and culture. 106 00:06:30,982 --> 00:06:42,437 And my pastoral concern today is that we are more concerned, myself included, with living 107 00:06:30,982 --> 00:06:42,437 a comfortable life, choosing a normalized Jesus, rather than something that actually 108 00:06:30,982 --> 00:06:42,437 catches people off guard. 109 00:06:42,613 --> 00:06:51,790 And so my option and our consideration today, as we are ending our series, oblivious, is 110 00:06:42,613 --> 00:06:51,790 to go back and embrace a practice that Jesus actually modeled for us together. 111 00:06:51,939 --> 00:06:54,569 And to do that, we're going to read from Luke, chapter 19. 112 00:06:54,649 --> 00:07:04,579 And so I'm going to ask, wherever you are at today, if you are willing and able, that you 113 00:06:54,649 --> 00:07:04,579 would stand with us for the reading of God's word, and then I will pray for us. 114 00:07:06,310 --> 00:07:08,093 Luke writes these words, Luke 19. 115 00:07:08,141 --> 00:07:09,314 You can join us there if you got a Bible. 116 00:07:09,362 --> 00:07:10,853 The sermon note app. 117 00:07:11,052 --> 00:07:15,846 Luke says this, Jesus entered Jericho, was passing through. 118 00:07:16,028 --> 00:07:18,033 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus. 119 00:07:18,081 --> 00:07:21,230 He was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 120 00:07:21,410 --> 00:07:30,490 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd, 121 00:07:21,410 --> 00:07:30,490 so he ran ahead, climbed a sycamore fig tree to see him. 122 00:07:30,639 --> 00:07:38,281 Since Jesus was coming that way, when Jesus reached the spot he looked up and said to him, 123 00:07:30,639 --> 00:07:38,281 Zacchaeus, come down immediately. 124 00:07:38,425 --> 00:07:40,526 I must stay at your house today. 125 00:07:40,708 --> 00:07:45,250 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 126 00:07:46,230 --> 00:07:52,461 All the people saw this and began to mutter, he has gone to be the guest of a sinner. 127 00:07:52,605 --> 00:08:01,670 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, look, Lord, here and now I give half of my 128 00:07:52,605 --> 00:08:01,670 possessions to the poor. 129 00:08:02,329 --> 00:08:07,377 And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount. 130 00:08:07,564 --> 00:08:09,401 Jesus said to him today. 131 00:08:09,536 --> 00:08:16,250 Salvation has come to this house because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 132 00:08:16,910 --> 00:08:22,029 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost. 133 00:08:22,370 --> 00:08:23,326 This is God's word. 134 00:08:23,348 --> 00:08:24,319 Let's pray together. 135 00:08:28,290 --> 00:08:34,094 Spirit of God, in this moment, we ask now that you would speak as we have heard your word. 136 00:08:34,131 --> 00:08:35,779 Would you now speak to us? 137 00:08:36,470 --> 00:08:44,419 And as Jesus said, would you give us ears to hear and eyes to see, so that we might become 138 00:08:36,470 --> 00:08:44,419 what we are not yet in Christ? 139 00:08:44,950 --> 00:08:46,994 We pray these things in his name. 140 00:08:47,192 --> 00:08:48,129 Amen. 141 00:08:48,710 --> 00:08:57,409 Before we continue in our message, I want to let you know that this message is shared with 142 00:08:48,710 --> 00:08:57,409 you today because of people who give and support the work and ministry of Sandals Church. 143 00:08:57,490 --> 00:09:05,340 If you'd like to be a part of that work that we are doing, I want to invite you to go to 144 00:08:57,490 --> 00:09:05,340 donate SC but for now, let's get back into our message. 145 00:09:06,350 --> 00:09:07,066 Thank you so much. 146 00:09:07,087 --> 00:09:10,870 You guys can be seated now for all kinds of reasons. 147 00:09:10,950 --> 00:09:11,754 You guys know this. 148 00:09:11,792 --> 00:09:13,769 Sunday schools love Zacchaeus. 149 00:09:14,190 --> 00:09:17,693 At least they love to act out the story and sing the song, right? 150 00:09:17,731 --> 00:09:21,337 Zacchaeus was the wee little man, we little man that climbed a tree. 151 00:09:21,433 --> 00:09:23,422 But when you think about the story, is a scandalous story. 152 00:09:23,475 --> 00:09:24,142 Why is that? 153 00:09:24,196 --> 00:09:33,442 Because nobody in Jericho liked Zacchaeus, which is, I think, why it's so fitting that 154 00:09:24,196 --> 00:09:33,442 thousands of years later, millions of people would be reading the story about him. 155 00:09:33,576 --> 00:09:37,309 God seems to pursue the people that you and I just despise and would rather forget. 156 00:09:37,389 --> 00:09:39,094 God makes sure, as we remember. 157 00:09:39,292 --> 00:09:40,086 Now, here's the thing. 158 00:09:40,107 --> 00:09:44,306 Zacchaeus was a tax collector, identified there in the text in Jericho. 159 00:09:44,337 --> 00:09:45,062 Here's what you got to understand. 160 00:09:45,115 --> 00:09:56,682 Historically speaking, from our best guess, Jericho was a generally wealthy city and 161 00:09:45,115 --> 00:09:56,682 community, which means he was collecting taxes, not from the poor and taking little, but 162 00:09:45,115 --> 00:09:56,682 he was collecting wealth off other wealthy people. 163 00:09:56,816 --> 00:10:01,100 If there's anything we know about shows like succession, it's that that does not go well 164 00:09:56,816 --> 00:10:01,100 for you. 165 00:10:01,629 --> 00:10:15,822 But he was a tax collector, meaning that he would go door to door, or he had people 166 00:10:01,629 --> 00:10:15,822 working for him who would go and enforce Rome's tax so if Rome charged 50%, which for even 167 00:10:01,629 --> 00:10:15,822 us in California would gasp at, he would add a little extra to the top. 168 00:10:15,875 --> 00:10:21,025 Let me take 60, 65, or 70, and then he would have the Roman muscle to back that up and 169 00:10:15,875 --> 00:10:21,025 enforce it. 170 00:10:21,048 --> 00:10:32,597 So he was doing well for himself, which is why he was despised by his community, which is 171 00:10:21,048 --> 00:10:32,597 why I think Jesus, when he goes into this town and everybody is there, Zacchaeus is 172 00:10:21,048 --> 00:10:32,597 looking for a spot to see him. 173 00:10:32,764 --> 00:10:34,898 He's likE, no, I'll take the man in the tree. 174 00:10:35,073 --> 00:10:37,302 The short man knows him by name. 175 00:10:37,355 --> 00:10:39,813 Surprisingly, that's the one thing in this text that I've been thinking about. 176 00:10:39,851 --> 00:10:42,426 Like, I wonder how he knew the man's name. 177 00:10:42,607 --> 00:10:44,620 Zacchaeus, come down from there. 178 00:10:44,990 --> 00:10:48,586 But I think this is why Zacchaeus, in his interaction with Jesus, is so clear. 179 00:10:48,687 --> 00:10:53,214 Lord, half of it goes to the poor and whatever I have taken fourfold in return. 180 00:10:53,331 --> 00:10:55,769 So he's already embodying this kind of repentance. 181 00:10:55,850 --> 00:11:03,101 Though people still, in that moment, despise him, yet this is the kind of person that 182 00:10:55,850 --> 00:11:03,101 Jesus loved to eat with. 183 00:11:03,235 --> 00:11:04,673 Let's make no mistake about it. 184 00:11:04,711 --> 00:11:09,700 Jesus regularly found himself relaxing in the company of the wrong sort of people. 185 00:11:10,070 --> 00:11:15,559 And somebody just ask us right now, who's on the bottom of your moral ladder today? 186 00:11:16,649 --> 00:11:19,080 What side of the political aisle do they sit in? 187 00:11:19,929 --> 00:11:24,149 What's their story, what's their sexual orientation? 188 00:11:26,490 --> 00:11:28,309 What's their ethnic background? 189 00:11:28,730 --> 00:11:35,179 And imagine for a second Jesus eating with them, saying to them, you now are in my family. 190 00:11:35,870 --> 00:11:37,398 This is a son of Abraham. 191 00:11:37,494 --> 00:11:38,474 He's welcomed him in. 192 00:11:38,511 --> 00:11:39,562 He's made him new. 193 00:11:39,615 --> 00:11:42,461 He's saying, you are in the family of God. 194 00:11:42,596 --> 00:11:44,639 How does that make you and I feel? 195 00:11:45,970 --> 00:11:52,110 The Jesus that we love, the Jesus that we're excited to see, is now declaring that over 196 00:11:45,970 --> 00:11:52,110 someone we despise. 197 00:11:52,690 --> 00:11:54,466 Notice his language there today. 198 00:11:54,567 --> 00:12:00,158 Salvation has come to this house over a meal. 199 00:12:00,333 --> 00:12:04,477 You see, sharing a meal in this day and age meant a whole lot in the New Testament. 200 00:12:04,653 --> 00:12:27,929 A meal was a way to bring people together, and it was also a way to segregate others, so 201 00:12:04,653 --> 00:12:27,929 that being welcomed at a table for the purpose of eating food had become a ceremonial act 202 00:12:04,653 --> 00:12:27,929 that symbolizes both friendship and intimacy, so that even estranged people who were not 203 00:12:04,653 --> 00:12:27,929 on good terms, like you beefing with someone, a meal would be the act of reconciliation. 204 00:12:28,269 --> 00:12:31,254 It was the offer of peace and forgiveness. 205 00:12:31,381 --> 00:12:38,313 To share a meal was to share life with someone, and this was the tradition that all of the 206 00:12:31,381 --> 00:12:38,313 ancient Near east had practiced. 207 00:12:38,361 --> 00:12:41,946 Hospitality was important, dating all the way back to the days of Abraham. 208 00:12:41,977 --> 00:12:47,394 You can see that in the text he hosted God and some angelic Figures were told, right. 209 00:12:47,591 --> 00:12:51,250 And this was Jesus'primary way of being with people. 210 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:57,460 So much so that historians would argue that what got Jesus killed was the people that he 211 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:57,460 ate with. 212 00:12:57,909 --> 00:13:04,033 Tim Chester, in his little book, A Meal with Jesus is a great read, says that the Son of 213 00:12:57,909 --> 00:13:04,033 man came to seek and save the lost. 214 00:13:04,081 --> 00:13:05,505 That was Jesus'mission. 215 00:13:05,618 --> 00:13:09,902 But then he says, the Son of man came eating and drinking, and that was Jesus's method. 216 00:13:09,985 --> 00:13:10,570 Right? 217 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:11,706 That's how he did it. 218 00:13:11,727 --> 00:13:12,570 So here's the point. 219 00:13:12,639 --> 00:13:17,740 Jesus brought people into the kingdom one meal at a time. 220 00:13:19,149 --> 00:13:21,881 One meal at a time from the text. 221 00:13:21,936 --> 00:13:23,413 Zacchaeus, come down immediately. 222 00:13:23,461 --> 00:13:25,679 I must stay at your house today. 223 00:13:26,129 --> 00:13:32,730 Now, what's amazing is that this is a pattern and a theme, a picture, if you will, that 224 00:13:26,129 --> 00:13:32,730 Luke paints often throughout his gospel. 225 00:13:32,809 --> 00:13:34,782 In fact, we're told that almost 50 times. 226 00:13:34,836 --> 00:13:37,950 There's references to Jesus and food in John. 227 00:13:38,019 --> 00:13:44,340 I'm sorry, Luke chapter two, Jesus was born in a feeding trough, almost to symbolize that 228 00:13:38,019 --> 00:13:44,340 he's going to be food for the whole world. 229 00:13:44,870 --> 00:13:47,073 Then in Luke chapter five, we read this. 230 00:13:47,111 --> 00:13:53,734 It says then Levi, who Jesus had just called to follow him, held a great banquet for Jesus 231 00:13:47,111 --> 00:13:53,734 at his house. 232 00:13:53,851 --> 00:13:57,190 And a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 233 00:13:57,259 --> 00:14:03,077 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his 234 00:13:57,259 --> 00:14:03,077 disciples. 235 00:14:03,254 --> 00:14:07,129 Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? 236 00:14:07,470 --> 00:14:11,413 Then in chapter seven, we see Jesus at the home of a Pharisee. 237 00:14:11,461 --> 00:14:12,553 He's keeping it fair. 238 00:14:12,672 --> 00:14:13,980 He'll eat with anybody. 239 00:14:14,529 --> 00:14:17,854 And he's there with Simon, giving an astounding message. 240 00:14:17,892 --> 00:14:19,885 If you're not familiar with the story, you got to read it. 241 00:14:19,988 --> 00:14:22,190 In chapter nine, we're told he feeds 5000. 242 00:14:22,259 --> 00:14:25,957 Miraculously, in chapter ten, he's at the home with Mary and Martha. 243 00:14:25,994 --> 00:14:27,389 They're preparing a meal. 244 00:14:27,549 --> 00:14:31,214 In chapter eleven, he addresses religious leaders starkly over a meal. 245 00:14:31,261 --> 00:14:36,721 In chapter 15, we get the parable of the prodigal son in which the Father welcomes his son 246 00:14:31,261 --> 00:14:36,721 back. 247 00:14:36,775 --> 00:14:37,394 And guess what? 248 00:14:37,432 --> 00:14:38,621 They throw a feast. 249 00:14:38,765 --> 00:14:46,389 In chapter 16, Jesus tells a story of a rich man who was eating like a king while a poor 250 00:14:38,765 --> 00:14:46,389 man named Lazarus was begging for his liFe. 251 00:14:46,539 --> 00:14:50,610 In chapter 19, what we just read, Jesus invites himself over for dinner. 252 00:14:50,690 --> 00:14:52,426 It's kind of a faux pod today. 253 00:14:52,607 --> 00:14:58,118 In chapter 22, he has a last meal with his disciples, what we commonly refer to as a 254 00:14:52,607 --> 00:14:58,118 Lord's Supper or communion. 255 00:14:58,214 --> 00:15:06,429 Then in chapter 24, after the resurrection, we're told that Jesus broke bread with a 256 00:14:58,214 --> 00:15:06,429 husband and a wife, and then went and found his disciples and he asked for fish. 257 00:15:07,090 --> 00:15:11,577 Apparently, rising from the know works up a bit of an appetite. 258 00:15:11,754 --> 00:15:14,159 Getting the mail for me gets me hungry, right? 259 00:15:14,929 --> 00:15:17,601 Robert Keras, a New Testament scholar, said it like this. 260 00:15:17,655 --> 00:15:23,730 In Luke's Gospel, Jesus is either going to a meal, coming from a meal, or at a meal. 261 00:15:24,230 --> 00:15:28,549 I like that kind of Jesus, a Jesus who was eating all the time. 262 00:15:28,620 --> 00:15:31,960 I can follow him 1000%, right? 263 00:15:32,570 --> 00:15:33,813 But this is who he was. 264 00:15:33,851 --> 00:15:36,918 He walked people into the kingdom of God one meal at a time. 265 00:15:37,004 --> 00:15:40,214 If Jesus had a method of evangelism, this is what I think it was. 266 00:15:40,331 --> 00:15:51,298 If you find yourself in your regular life right now with people who are culturally 267 00:15:40,331 --> 00:15:51,298 religious, in other words, they have a background in God, they know something about 268 00:15:40,331 --> 00:15:51,298 Christianity, then you get as many of them in front of you and you preach. 269 00:15:51,494 --> 00:15:53,466 You preach like you're Pastor Matt. 270 00:15:53,658 --> 00:16:06,100 But if you are with people who are hurt, skeptical, unsure, came from a bad background, 271 00:15:53,658 --> 00:16:06,100 want nothing to do with church or religion, then you break bread with them. 272 00:16:06,549 --> 00:16:11,298 You open your home, you meet them at lunch, at the workplace, right? 273 00:16:11,464 --> 00:16:16,929 You crack open a bottle of wine, you make small talk, you listen, and you really listen to 274 00:16:11,464 --> 00:16:16,929 them. 275 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:18,642 Not just, oh, Christians got to listen today. 276 00:16:18,696 --> 00:16:19,653 People are going through a lot. 277 00:16:19,692 --> 00:16:22,230 No, you really listen to them. 278 00:16:22,379 --> 00:16:29,399 And you learn what it's like over a meal to meet people right where they are at and not 279 00:16:22,379 --> 00:16:29,399 where you think they should be. 280 00:16:30,169 --> 00:16:30,946 That's what it means. 281 00:16:30,988 --> 00:16:34,905 To be oblivious today is to be unaware of where people are actually at. 282 00:16:35,087 --> 00:16:35,846 Sandals church. 283 00:16:35,878 --> 00:16:36,553 No more. 284 00:16:36,672 --> 00:16:38,073 No more of that. 285 00:16:38,272 --> 00:16:44,799 Because over a meal, you can begin to invite them in to experience the normal life that 286 00:16:38,272 --> 00:16:44,799 you now enjoy with God. 287 00:16:45,649 --> 00:16:49,759 They get to taste that literally over food. 288 00:16:50,289 --> 00:16:57,649 In the New Testament, this very act of eating and drinking with the lost is referred to as 289 00:16:50,289 --> 00:16:57,649 hospitality. 290 00:16:58,230 --> 00:16:59,121 Here's my thought. 291 00:16:59,176 --> 00:17:04,077 Hospitality is a powerful way to share my faith. 292 00:17:04,253 --> 00:17:05,682 Let's think about the word for a second. 293 00:17:05,736 --> 00:17:06,458 Philoxenia. 294 00:17:06,493 --> 00:17:07,173 Can you guys say that? 295 00:17:07,211 --> 00:17:08,470 Philoxenia. 296 00:17:09,049 --> 00:17:09,857 Philoxenia. 297 00:17:09,874 --> 00:17:11,205 All right, you guys did your best. 298 00:17:11,307 --> 00:17:14,165 Yeah, hopefully at the campuses, you guys did better. 299 00:17:14,347 --> 00:17:16,693 It's a compound word, philo, meaning love. 300 00:17:16,811 --> 00:17:21,397 Xenos meaning stranger or outsider, guest or foreigner, even immigrant. 301 00:17:21,493 --> 00:17:23,286 It's the love of the stranger. 302 00:17:23,397 --> 00:17:30,981 Now, a common word we hear today a lot in our culture is xenophobia, which is the fear of 303 00:17:23,397 --> 00:17:30,981 the outsider, the fear of the stranger. 304 00:17:31,046 --> 00:17:33,645 So philoxenia is the welcoming in. 305 00:17:33,667 --> 00:17:36,746 It's literally the loving of the stranger. 306 00:17:36,938 --> 00:17:40,541 And so if I were to define hospitality for you, I would say it like this. 307 00:17:40,675 --> 00:17:51,700 Hospitality is the practice of welcoming in our neighbors through relationships, safety 308 00:17:40,675 --> 00:17:51,700 and food, in the same way God has welcomed us. 309 00:17:52,390 --> 00:18:04,753 Now, when you think about it, hospitality is first a posture of the heart that then leaks 310 00:17:52,390 --> 00:18:04,753 out into your calendar, your budget, your time and your relationships. 311 00:18:04,801 --> 00:18:07,400 And so a worthwhile question for us is this. 312 00:18:08,650 --> 00:18:12,569 Where in your life are you marked by hospitality? 313 00:18:13,390 --> 00:18:14,140 Where. 314 00:18:15,230 --> 00:18:19,594 Where in your life would you say there's an openness to you in which you welcome in 315 00:18:15,230 --> 00:18:19,594 people? 316 00:18:19,632 --> 00:18:26,973 Or at least you try to make a habit of being open and aware and welcoming to people who 317 00:18:19,632 --> 00:18:26,973 are around you? 318 00:18:27,172 --> 00:18:34,369 Because make no mistake about it, hospitality is an essential practice of being a disciple 319 00:18:27,172 --> 00:18:34,369 of Jesus. 320 00:18:35,190 --> 00:18:40,306 Listen to the New Testament, Paul, real easily and short, says it in Romans twelve. 321 00:18:40,407 --> 00:18:41,890 Practice hospitality. 322 00:18:42,230 --> 00:18:42,930 That's it. 323 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:43,758 No qualification. 324 00:18:43,854 --> 00:18:44,990 Practice hospitality. 325 00:18:45,069 --> 00:18:52,309 The word practice there means to do something with an intense effort, with a kind of 326 00:18:45,069 --> 00:18:52,309 definitive purpose or goal in mind. 327 00:18:52,460 --> 00:18:53,394 How about first Peter? 328 00:18:53,442 --> 00:18:59,698 Above all, he says, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins. 329 00:18:59,874 --> 00:19:03,605 What a statement covers over a multitude of sins. 330 00:19:03,637 --> 00:19:04,185 How do we do that? 331 00:19:04,208 --> 00:19:05,306 Listen to what Peter says. 332 00:19:05,407 --> 00:19:08,650 Offer hospitality to one another. 333 00:19:08,799 --> 00:19:12,410 And then I think he threw this line in there for the introverts without Grumbling. 334 00:19:13,329 --> 00:19:20,640 Because if you're anything like me, I've become more aware in my life that I have a word I 335 00:19:13,329 --> 00:19:20,640 use when it's time to end things. 336 00:19:21,089 --> 00:19:23,680 And I'll be like, all right. 337 00:19:24,289 --> 00:19:26,109 And I'll do a little knee slap. 338 00:19:26,690 --> 00:19:28,173 I'll kind of stand at a distance. 339 00:19:28,221 --> 00:19:31,779 And it's a social cue that y'all need to leave, right? 340 00:19:32,390 --> 00:19:36,029 And so I feel like that is a special phrase just for me, without grumbling. 341 00:19:36,190 --> 00:19:39,054 Or like, another family of mine, member of mine. 342 00:19:39,102 --> 00:19:43,314 I won't mention his name because he does attend Sandals Church, and he's actually great at 343 00:19:39,102 --> 00:19:43,314 hospitality. 344 00:19:43,362 --> 00:19:48,759 But my favorite move of his is he'll literally just fall asleep, even with people still at 345 00:19:43,362 --> 00:19:48,759 his house. 346 00:19:49,930 --> 00:19:50,945 He'll do his job. 347 00:19:50,988 --> 00:19:53,178 He'll host you so well, and then he'll just knock out. 348 00:19:53,263 --> 00:19:54,486 And then that's your cue. 349 00:19:54,518 --> 00:19:56,140 Okay, I guess we're leaving now. 350 00:19:57,710 --> 00:19:59,365 But he is amazing at hospitality. 351 00:19:59,397 --> 00:20:00,617 He actually really is. 352 00:20:00,784 --> 00:20:03,054 But I also love these words, Peter goes on. 353 00:20:03,092 --> 00:20:07,049 He says, each of you should use whatever gift you have received. 354 00:20:07,210 --> 00:20:07,582 Sorry. 355 00:20:07,635 --> 00:20:10,205 Whatever gift you have received to serve others. 356 00:20:10,387 --> 00:20:15,730 Listen, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 357 00:20:16,069 --> 00:20:18,973 How about this crazy one from Hebrews 13? 358 00:20:19,102 --> 00:20:21,693 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 359 00:20:21,741 --> 00:20:23,233 Okay, kind of got that. 360 00:20:23,352 --> 00:20:26,425 Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers. 361 00:20:26,478 --> 00:20:32,086 For so by doing, some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 362 00:20:32,188 --> 00:20:33,506 That's bizarre. 363 00:20:33,698 --> 00:20:34,673 I went to seminary. 364 00:20:34,721 --> 00:20:35,781 I still don't know what that means. 365 00:20:35,836 --> 00:20:36,440 Right? 366 00:20:36,890 --> 00:20:44,422 But then later on, Paul, in writing to Timothy, will go on to offer him a list of 367 00:20:36,890 --> 00:20:44,422 requirements for your elders in your churches. 368 00:20:44,566 --> 00:20:48,410 And on that list of requirements is hospitality. 369 00:20:48,750 --> 00:20:56,720 Now, I think about that, and I say to myself, man, I have rarely heard of a church kicking 370 00:20:48,750 --> 00:20:56,720 out their pastor because he was not a hospitable person. 371 00:20:57,170 --> 00:21:03,354 Like, we're well aware of the scandals, the abuse of power, the sex issues in church when 372 00:20:57,170 --> 00:21:03,354 it comes to its leaders. 373 00:21:03,402 --> 00:21:08,609 But, man, not a lot has been said about, well, this pastor lost his job because he don't 374 00:21:03,402 --> 00:21:08,609 open his door. 375 00:21:09,430 --> 00:21:11,746 But there's something to be said there, I think. 376 00:21:11,928 --> 00:21:19,334 And even in my own life, as I think about where this is coming up, man, I owe so much to 377 00:21:11,928 --> 00:21:19,334 My wife Ashley, because you'll rarely see her up front. 378 00:21:19,451 --> 00:21:21,413 You'll rarely see her in front of a lot of people. 379 00:21:21,451 --> 00:21:28,230 But she has a beautiful posture in welcoming people, in making them feel seen, asking good 380 00:21:21,451 --> 00:21:28,230 questions. 381 00:21:28,299 --> 00:21:29,430 She's amazing at it. 382 00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:30,193 I get drained. 383 00:21:30,241 --> 00:21:33,801 I'm so nervous before we host something and she's ready to go. 384 00:21:33,935 --> 00:21:34,778 She's so good at it. 385 00:21:34,784 --> 00:21:35,253 I'm grateful. 386 00:21:35,301 --> 00:21:39,579 It's one of my favorite things to watch her do is just to be hospitable to one another. 387 00:21:40,109 --> 00:21:43,193 I also think of this very well known author. 388 00:21:43,241 --> 00:21:45,114 Now, her name is Rosaria Butterfield. 389 00:21:45,162 --> 00:21:46,605 This is part of her story. 390 00:21:46,788 --> 00:21:57,410 At a time in her life, she was a far left feminist academic, and she was doing research at 391 00:21:46,788 --> 00:21:57,410 the time as to why Bible believing Christians are a problem in society. 392 00:21:57,750 --> 00:22:00,766 And so for part of her research, she attended a men's conference. 393 00:22:00,877 --> 00:22:05,009 And then she wrote in the local paper a scathing review of this men's conference. 394 00:22:05,509 --> 00:22:11,173 A local pastor read the review and wrote her back and said, hey, I liked your words. 395 00:22:11,372 --> 00:22:16,230 He was thoughtful, he was kind, and then he invited her over for dinner. 396 00:22:16,569 --> 00:22:22,410 And in her words, she experienced the love of God expressed through hospitality. 397 00:22:22,750 --> 00:22:24,885 That's how she came to faith. 398 00:22:25,077 --> 00:22:30,857 She goes on to share more of this story and many others alike in a book she wrote called 399 00:22:25,077 --> 00:22:30,857 the Gospel Comes with a house key. 400 00:22:31,023 --> 00:22:44,526 And as far as I can tell, I think one of her strongest prophetic words for the church 401 00:22:31,023 --> 00:22:44,526 today is that the LGBTQ community has done a much better job at being hospitable than the 402 00:22:31,023 --> 00:22:44,526 church has over the last several years. 403 00:22:44,708 --> 00:22:52,740 And oftentimes, the church is oblivious to the issues in the world are first often rooted 404 00:22:44,708 --> 00:22:52,740 in the fact that we didn't address it in the first place. 405 00:22:53,190 --> 00:22:55,662 So you wonder why they got to talk about it in society. 406 00:22:55,726 --> 00:23:00,519 You wonder why these things got to be addressed elsewhere is because the church has failed 407 00:22:55,726 --> 00:23:00,519 to act first. 408 00:23:02,089 --> 00:23:10,569 We got to recover this act mainly because I think hospitality recoils at reducing a person 409 00:23:02,089 --> 00:23:10,569 down to a label. 410 00:23:10,990 --> 00:23:13,579 That's what it means to be oblivious to one another. 411 00:23:14,190 --> 00:23:20,730 But rather, hospitality gives us new eyes to see that the image of God is on every single 412 00:23:14,190 --> 00:23:20,730 person. 413 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,359 And they are worthy of our welcome. 414 00:23:23,809 --> 00:23:25,165 They absolutely are. 415 00:23:25,268 --> 00:23:32,685 And so I believe wholeheartedly that hospitality for our church can be a remedy for our 416 00:23:25,268 --> 00:23:32,685 oblivious posture towards others around us. 417 00:23:32,708 --> 00:23:35,549 Today we need this word, sandals. 418 00:23:36,210 --> 00:23:38,837 And I even remember hearing a woman critique Christians. 419 00:23:38,874 --> 00:23:39,538 It was just on her phone. 420 00:23:39,544 --> 00:23:40,365 I think it was on TikTok. 421 00:23:40,397 --> 00:23:47,640 I saw this and she had just said, yo, Christians, why would you invite me to your church 422 00:23:40,397 --> 00:23:47,640 if you haven't first invited me to your home? 423 00:23:48,410 --> 00:24:03,609 And I think that's a question worthy of our reflection today, because you and I, I would 424 00:23:48,410 --> 00:24:03,609 imagine, would be very surprised at what God would do if we welcomed people, if we opened 425 00:23:48,410 --> 00:24:03,609 our doors. 426 00:24:04,190 --> 00:24:09,653 There's a world renowned Australian chef who's a Christian. 427 00:24:09,701 --> 00:24:11,221 His name is Simon Kerry Holt. 428 00:24:11,286 --> 00:24:14,213 He wrote a book in 2013 called Eating Heaven. 429 00:24:14,261 --> 00:24:16,281 It's a great title, Eating Heaven. 430 00:24:16,425 --> 00:24:18,221 And in there he writes these words. 431 00:24:18,355 --> 00:24:28,930 It's good to be reminded that the table is a very ordinary place, a place so routine and 432 00:24:18,355 --> 00:24:28,930 every day that it's easily overlooked as a place of ministry. 433 00:24:29,269 --> 00:24:35,314 At its base, hospitality is about providing a space for God's spirit to move. 434 00:24:35,511 --> 00:24:48,619 Setting a table, cooking a meal, washing the dishes, is the ministry of Facilitation, 435 00:24:35,511 --> 00:24:48,619 providing a context in which people feel loved and welcomed and where God's spirit can be 436 00:24:35,511 --> 00:24:48,619 at work in their lives. 437 00:24:49,069 --> 00:24:57,642 Hospitality is a very ordinary business, but in its ordinariness is its real worth 438 00:24:49,069 --> 00:24:57,642 whatever it looks like. 439 00:24:57,695 --> 00:24:58,761 Listen to his words. 440 00:24:58,895 --> 00:25:02,240 Your own table is a sacred place. 441 00:25:03,490 --> 00:25:06,960 Your table is a sacred place. 442 00:25:07,569 --> 00:25:35,814 I hear those words and I begin to think to myself, if what he's saying is true, then that 443 00:25:07,569 --> 00:25:35,814 means the gospel pairs very well with my mom's enchiladas and with sourdough bread and 444 00:25:07,569 --> 00:25:35,814 with a nice red cab or a cup of coffee or pineapple curry or patsy, you, or pizza or top 445 00:25:07,569 --> 00:25:35,814 ramen or barbecue or overnight oats or however you get down. 446 00:25:35,932 --> 00:25:36,599 Right. 447 00:25:37,549 --> 00:25:44,809 Imagine what can happen at the table with people who you and I first identify as 448 00:25:37,549 --> 00:25:44,809 strangers. 449 00:25:46,190 --> 00:25:57,786 Imagine there's a young man here at our church named Matt, who I'm discipling, spending 450 00:25:46,190 --> 00:25:57,786 some time with, and over the last several months he's been processing how he can be a bit 451 00:25:46,190 --> 00:25:57,786 more intentional at his workplace. 452 00:25:57,978 --> 00:25:59,758 And what he did was so beautiful. 453 00:25:59,844 --> 00:26:04,973 He started just saying on Fridays in his office, like, yo, I'm going to eat lunch in the 454 00:25:59,844 --> 00:26:04,973 break room. 455 00:26:05,011 --> 00:26:09,920 Fridays, I guess, is a day where a lot of their employees got to be in the office, which 456 00:26:05,011 --> 00:26:09,920 sounds like a terrible day to be in the office. 457 00:26:10,450 --> 00:26:12,105 But he just said, hey, open invite. 458 00:26:12,137 --> 00:26:15,173 If you want to have lunch, we can have lunch in the break room together and just talk. 459 00:26:15,332 --> 00:26:21,829 And sure enough, over time, small talk life combos eventually turned into spiritual 460 00:26:15,332 --> 00:26:21,829 conversations. 461 00:26:22,250 --> 00:26:27,559 So much so that one person joined him at church and another actually joined his community 462 00:26:22,250 --> 00:26:27,559 group. 463 00:26:28,170 --> 00:26:33,289 Now, I share this story because, man, as much as I love Matt, he's just like one of us at 464 00:26:28,170 --> 00:26:33,289 this church. 465 00:26:33,710 --> 00:26:38,059 In other words, I'm saying this to tell you any one of us can do this. 466 00:26:38,750 --> 00:26:41,513 And I want to address some of you who feel like, nah, it's not for me. 467 00:26:41,551 --> 00:26:54,973 Because I think maybe, just maybe, you're still envisioning hospitality as a kind of 468 00:26:41,551 --> 00:26:54,973 entertainment where you got to host this grand party and it's got to be just massive and 469 00:26:41,551 --> 00:26:54,973 you got to be Martha Stewart and you got to have a 5000 square foot house. 470 00:26:55,092 --> 00:26:56,077 That's not it. 471 00:26:56,163 --> 00:26:58,258 And Martha Stewart wasn't really it for me either. 472 00:26:58,344 --> 00:27:02,301 Who I got down with back in the day was a lady named Barefoot Contessa. 473 00:27:02,445 --> 00:27:04,286 Anyone know Barefoot Contessa? 474 00:27:04,397 --> 00:27:06,478 Man, I love me some Barefoot Contessa. 475 00:27:06,493 --> 00:27:07,630 She would cook this meal. 476 00:27:07,710 --> 00:27:10,066 She's like, I'm going to meet my friends on the beach for a picnic. 477 00:27:10,097 --> 00:27:13,105 I was like, man, she could have been a Tia of mine or somewhere. 478 00:27:13,137 --> 00:27:15,190 Man, I love Barefoot Contessa. 479 00:27:15,529 --> 00:27:18,193 But don't envision hospitality as entertainment. 480 00:27:18,241 --> 00:27:28,153 Your home doesn't got to be that fresh off the modern minimalist vibe that everyone's 481 00:27:18,241 --> 00:27:28,153 going for today where everything is white or black or tans and you got the perfect fig 482 00:27:18,241 --> 00:27:28,153 plant in the corner, right? 483 00:27:28,352 --> 00:27:31,942 No, your utensils don't even got to match. 484 00:27:32,016 --> 00:27:35,001 That's not hospitality oftentimes. 485 00:27:35,066 --> 00:27:44,218 Because if that was, listen, if that really was, that would write off the majority of our 486 00:27:35,066 --> 00:27:44,218 college students who are at places like UC Riverside, CBU, RCC. 487 00:27:44,314 --> 00:27:47,306 That would write off People who still live at home for various reasons. 488 00:27:47,337 --> 00:27:48,978 We don't get into that right now. 489 00:27:49,144 --> 00:27:52,349 That would write off most of the poor people that are church. 490 00:27:52,509 --> 00:27:56,369 That'll write off most of you who eat top ramen or microwavable dinners. 491 00:27:57,369 --> 00:28:06,390 Entertainment, when you think about it, is about how you can climb the social ladder by 492 00:27:57,369 --> 00:28:06,390 who you invite at this party, entertainment is focused on you. 493 00:28:06,539 --> 00:28:09,478 Like this holiday season, I can't wait to go to that friend's giving. 494 00:28:09,564 --> 00:28:10,837 Oh, I hope I get invited. 495 00:28:10,933 --> 00:28:12,362 I want to be in that group. 496 00:28:12,496 --> 00:28:14,933 But hospitality is outward focused. 497 00:28:15,061 --> 00:28:16,682 Hospitality is about service. 498 00:28:16,816 --> 00:28:20,826 It's not about what you gain, but what you offer this person. 499 00:28:21,008 --> 00:28:24,970 And there's a more mutual giving and receiving in hospitality. 500 00:28:25,130 --> 00:28:26,221 That's what's happening here. 501 00:28:26,276 --> 00:28:31,693 This is what I love about, like, he forced himself to Zacchaeus'house, like, today. 502 00:28:31,731 --> 00:28:32,574 I gotta come over, bro. 503 00:28:32,612 --> 00:28:34,738 I don't know if you're ready, but I'm coming over. 504 00:28:34,903 --> 00:28:41,086 And oftentimes when you see him at people's houses, the lines are blurred between host and 505 00:28:34,903 --> 00:28:41,086 guests. 506 00:28:41,117 --> 00:28:44,980 He's almost doing both, which I think is very true about God. 507 00:28:45,829 --> 00:28:50,390 We welcome him in, but then we only come to realize that he's the one who's actually 508 00:28:45,829 --> 00:28:50,390 welcomed us in. 509 00:28:50,460 --> 00:28:51,125 Right. 510 00:28:51,307 --> 00:28:56,470 And when you think about it, hospitality is the birthright of the church. 511 00:28:57,210 --> 00:29:04,442 Historians would argue that hospitality was the primary way Christianity grew in its first 512 00:28:57,210 --> 00:29:04,442 few hundred years. 513 00:29:04,576 --> 00:29:12,634 From 100 plus people in a room unsure what to say and do in the beginning of acts to just 514 00:29:04,576 --> 00:29:12,634 300 years later, it is the dominant religion. 515 00:29:12,682 --> 00:29:18,650 So much so that Constantine feels political pressure to become a Christian and make 516 00:29:12,682 --> 00:29:18,650 Christianity the state religion. 517 00:29:18,730 --> 00:29:20,000 Guess how that happened? 518 00:29:20,369 --> 00:29:23,321 Hospitality, the worship of Jesus. 519 00:29:23,385 --> 00:29:26,602 His name was known when Caesar's name ended. 520 00:29:26,746 --> 00:29:28,733 There's pagan Gods listed in the New Testament. 521 00:29:28,781 --> 00:29:31,809 No one knows their name today, but we still name Jesus'name. 522 00:29:32,309 --> 00:29:34,526 And they did this with no big church buildings. 523 00:29:34,557 --> 00:29:35,726 They did this with no mics. 524 00:29:35,758 --> 00:29:38,766 They did this with no sound systems, no Internet, no religious freedom. 525 00:29:38,798 --> 00:29:39,173 In this day. 526 00:29:39,211 --> 00:29:42,726 There was no celebrity pastors to attract it, make it look real cool. 527 00:29:42,907 --> 00:29:45,877 There was no InstagRam followers to green like man. 528 00:29:45,963 --> 00:29:46,902 How do they do this? 529 00:29:46,955 --> 00:29:51,579 The gospel spread from one table to the next over food. 530 00:29:52,349 --> 00:29:54,619 Is this in view yet for you? 531 00:29:55,309 --> 00:29:59,109 This is absolutely central to following Jesus. 532 00:29:59,269 --> 00:30:02,160 Now, here's how I think we can do this. 533 00:30:02,769 --> 00:30:05,549 As I welcome others in, I can do three things. 534 00:30:05,619 --> 00:30:08,000 First, I can ask about their story. 535 00:30:08,849 --> 00:30:16,500 When you host someone, whether it's at home, over coffee and the lunch break, ask about 536 00:30:08,849 --> 00:30:16,500 their story. 537 00:30:17,670 --> 00:30:18,900 Who are they? 538 00:30:19,910 --> 00:30:21,218 Where are they from? 539 00:30:21,384 --> 00:30:25,385 We are much more than just our gender identities. 540 00:30:25,518 --> 00:30:27,829 We're much more than our voting background. 541 00:30:28,410 --> 00:30:30,453 We're much more than our past, right? 542 00:30:30,491 --> 00:30:33,160 We're much more than what our staff review might say. 543 00:30:34,250 --> 00:30:44,617 Ask about their story and understand that the table closes the gap of proximity and it 544 00:30:34,250 --> 00:30:44,617 helps shut off what you and I are oblivious to in one another. 545 00:30:44,784 --> 00:30:50,250 And a meal surprisingly, is, as one author calls it, a language of care. 546 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:55,950 So that it creates a disarming moment in which someone's able to feel safe enough to begin 547 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:55,950 to tell you who they actually are. 548 00:30:56,019 --> 00:30:57,213 Like, what's going on in your life, bro? 549 00:30:57,251 --> 00:30:58,077 Tell me what's up. 550 00:30:58,163 --> 00:31:05,761 Let's have a meal together, ask about their story, and do so at the table and be amazed at 551 00:30:58,163 --> 00:31:05,761 what happens. 552 00:31:05,816 --> 00:31:10,579 Because I promise you, it becomes harder to judge someone that you now understand. 553 00:31:11,589 --> 00:31:18,599 It's easy to judge people who we don't fully understand, but when you invite them in, 554 00:31:11,589 --> 00:31:18,599 something profound happens. 555 00:31:19,289 --> 00:31:21,953 Secondly, this is credit to my boss. 556 00:31:22,001 --> 00:31:26,150 This was his thought was, you listen my way to the gospel. 557 00:31:27,369 --> 00:31:28,882 Listen my way to the gospel. 558 00:31:28,945 --> 00:31:33,269 In other words, as I welcome others, I can listen my way to the gospel. 559 00:31:33,430 --> 00:31:34,394 What do I mean by that? 560 00:31:34,432 --> 00:31:41,099 Well, instead of stressing about all the little gospel points you got to make, like, all 561 00:31:34,432 --> 00:31:41,099 right, we'll start with God. 562 00:31:41,549 --> 00:31:42,637 Sounds good. 563 00:31:42,804 --> 00:31:45,486 Get a Bible verse, we'll get to sin, right? 564 00:31:45,587 --> 00:31:45,854 Sure. 565 00:31:45,892 --> 00:31:47,226 There are great tools. 566 00:31:47,337 --> 00:31:48,894 I'm not knocking tools, hear me? 567 00:31:48,932 --> 00:31:49,519 Well. 568 00:31:49,890 --> 00:31:54,605 But oftentimes you got to know and understand what tool is needed for what moment. 569 00:31:54,788 --> 00:31:57,357 I'm not bringing a weed whacker to fix a toilet. 570 00:31:57,453 --> 00:32:02,034 Number one, I don't own a weed whacker and I know how to fix toilets either. 571 00:32:02,071 --> 00:32:03,501 So that's not even a personal iLlustration. 572 00:32:03,566 --> 00:32:03,938 Right? 573 00:32:04,023 --> 00:32:07,054 But certain tools are required for certain moments. 574 00:32:07,182 --> 00:32:16,082 If you have listened well enough, you begin to listen your way to the gospel and you're 575 00:32:07,182 --> 00:32:16,082 relieved of the pressure to feel like you got to say everything right about Jesus. 576 00:32:16,226 --> 00:32:19,238 Let me just say it like this and we can wrestle with it later in an email. 577 00:32:19,403 --> 00:32:29,705 But I think if you are saying anything about Jesus, what he said, what he did, you are in 578 00:32:19,403 --> 00:32:29,705 fact sharing good news because everyone today is preaching good news. 579 00:32:29,728 --> 00:32:31,193 So don't be worried that you're going to preach good news. 580 00:32:31,231 --> 00:32:32,026 Everyone's preaching good news. 581 00:32:32,048 --> 00:32:41,486 Whether it's the good news about justice, sexual liberation, democratic socialism, the 582 00:32:32,048 --> 00:32:41,486 good news of Christian nationalism, the good news of the benefits of coal plunging, right? 583 00:32:41,508 --> 00:32:43,490 We're all preaching good news somewhere. 584 00:32:44,309 --> 00:32:52,289 So anytime you are sharing something about Jesus, what he said or what he did, you are 585 00:32:44,309 --> 00:32:52,289 preaching good news again. 586 00:32:52,359 --> 00:32:53,410 We'll wrestle with that later. 587 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:54,740 Just email me. 588 00:32:55,190 --> 00:32:57,837 But man, listen your way to the gospel. 589 00:32:58,013 --> 00:33:05,074 A number of months ago, we had some friends over to the house and we were just hanging out 590 00:32:58,013 --> 00:33:05,074 at the fire pit, having some snacks, nice glass of wine. 591 00:33:05,122 --> 00:33:06,433 The kids are running around and playing. 592 00:33:06,481 --> 00:33:10,561 And at one point someone that was there said, hey, can you explain to me this phrase. 593 00:33:10,705 --> 00:33:17,738 And the reason why they said that was because they had noticed the rest of us were using 594 00:33:10,705 --> 00:33:17,738 this phrase a lot. 595 00:33:17,903 --> 00:33:19,526 And it was a phrase that actually Jesus. 596 00:33:19,557 --> 00:33:21,109 It's like a quote from Jesus. 597 00:33:21,269 --> 00:33:23,865 And they just simply said, hey, can you explain what that means? 598 00:33:24,048 --> 00:33:25,726 And of course, in this moment, I'm like, oh, my God. 599 00:33:25,748 --> 00:33:26,493 Holy spirit moment. 600 00:33:26,531 --> 00:33:27,150 Here we go. 601 00:33:27,220 --> 00:33:28,799 This is a gospel opportunity. 602 00:33:29,890 --> 00:33:31,354 No, I just said, oh, yeah, shoot. 603 00:33:31,402 --> 00:33:32,478 Yeah, let me explain it. 604 00:33:32,483 --> 00:33:39,230 And so I just started to walk through, you know, as a spouse, even though you know what 605 00:33:32,483 --> 00:33:39,230 you should do as a spouse, at the end of the day, you always don't want to do that. 606 00:33:39,380 --> 00:33:42,622 Or even as a parent, there's a party that knows what you should do as a parent. 607 00:33:42,675 --> 00:33:45,397 But internally, you know, you really don't want to do that. 608 00:33:45,483 --> 00:33:48,082 So what Jesus is saying is that we need an invitation. 609 00:33:48,145 --> 00:33:54,486 We need someone to break through that and to actually change us from the inside out simply 610 00:33:48,145 --> 00:33:54,486 over a question. 611 00:33:54,667 --> 00:33:57,400 And I didn't have to worry about getting to all the points, right. 612 00:33:57,769 --> 00:33:59,849 I just listened my way to the Gospel. 613 00:34:00,349 --> 00:34:08,460 And then lastly, as I welcome others in, listen, now I can share honestly what Jesus has 614 00:34:00,349 --> 00:34:08,460 done in my life. 615 00:34:09,710 --> 00:34:13,557 Do you realize people easily share about the things that have captivated their affections? 616 00:34:13,733 --> 00:34:15,646 Like, it'll take you 2 seconds to find out. 617 00:34:15,668 --> 00:34:18,494 I like the Lakers, except not right now. 618 00:34:18,532 --> 00:34:19,273 We're on a breakup. 619 00:34:19,322 --> 00:34:21,405 Every season I go through a few breakups right now. 620 00:34:21,427 --> 00:34:22,346 We're currently on a breakup. 621 00:34:22,378 --> 00:34:23,293 We're creating space. 622 00:34:23,411 --> 00:34:26,449 I'm waiting for their apology letter, and then we'll reconvene. 623 00:34:26,949 --> 00:34:30,833 But we naturally share things that we like, things that we're into. 624 00:34:31,032 --> 00:34:40,389 And so sharing your story, sharing honestly, honestly, what Jesus has done is not about 625 00:34:31,032 --> 00:34:40,389 trying to convince your coworkers about exclusive truth claims at happy Hour. 626 00:34:40,460 --> 00:34:42,117 That's not what's going on here. 627 00:34:42,204 --> 00:34:48,481 But it's just being completely honest about your breakthrough spiritually and your 628 00:34:42,204 --> 00:34:48,481 breakdown spiritually. 629 00:34:48,626 --> 00:34:53,034 Just be honest about what's going on in your life and what Jesus is currently doing. 630 00:34:53,152 --> 00:34:55,402 Like, I can be sharing with someone and just say, you know what, man? 631 00:34:55,456 --> 00:34:56,949 Recently, I've been rushing. 632 00:34:57,110 --> 00:35:00,282 I've been incredibly short with the people that I love. 633 00:35:00,416 --> 00:35:07,534 I've been in a mood, and I have forgotten just to pray because I don't know about for you, 634 00:35:00,416 --> 00:35:07,534 but for me, prayer is a way to slow down. 635 00:35:07,731 --> 00:35:12,239 It helps me realize that I can't ultimately be in control, but God is. 636 00:35:12,610 --> 00:35:17,226 Now, notice in that moment, I didn't say, well, the ontological argument says that God is 637 00:35:12,610 --> 00:35:17,226 da da. 638 00:35:17,257 --> 00:35:20,914 No, we haven't got into the uncreated being who created all things, right. 639 00:35:20,952 --> 00:35:22,574 We're not into the argument of necessity. 640 00:35:22,621 --> 00:35:23,554 We're not into any of that. 641 00:35:23,592 --> 00:35:25,257 We can get there eventually. 642 00:35:25,454 --> 00:35:30,534 But I'm just trying to explain the role that prayer has in my life, and we'll go from 643 00:35:25,454 --> 00:35:30,534 there. 644 00:35:30,572 --> 00:35:33,286 There is nothing manipulative about this. 645 00:35:33,467 --> 00:35:42,570 So share honestly what Jesus has done for you in the way that you once were lost. 646 00:35:43,309 --> 00:35:55,822 And just like Zacchaeus, you showed up and God had a meal and was ready to serve you and 647 00:35:43,309 --> 00:35:55,822 was ready to declare salvation over your life and was ready to work in you. 648 00:35:55,876 --> 00:36:00,653 This is the practice that is really just a continuation of what he started. 649 00:36:00,771 --> 00:36:14,653 And I got to tell you, in a culture right now that is so noisy, distracted, bored, sad, 650 00:36:00,771 --> 00:36:14,653 and hostile, I can't think of a better environment than to share the gospel with the lost. 651 00:36:14,702 --> 00:36:24,181 And over a meal, it is a safe place to offer the love of God in a way where someone feels 652 00:36:14,702 --> 00:36:24,181 safe enough to be who they authentically are. 653 00:36:24,315 --> 00:36:28,300 So this last point about sharing honestly is you being you. 654 00:36:28,829 --> 00:36:30,380 You just be you. 655 00:36:30,750 --> 00:36:32,650 Jesus loves you. 656 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:33,849 You love him. 657 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:36,409 You are imperfectly following him. 658 00:36:36,559 --> 00:36:37,980 Just be yourself. 659 00:36:39,389 --> 00:36:44,686 Now, even right now, I know there's a temptation to allow the excuses to win. 660 00:36:44,788 --> 00:36:46,429 Well, my house is messy. 661 00:36:47,170 --> 00:36:48,574 I live in a dorm room. 662 00:36:48,692 --> 00:36:49,920 It's too small. 663 00:36:50,610 --> 00:36:51,994 I don't know how to cook. 664 00:36:52,121 --> 00:36:54,099 My roommates are not fun people. 665 00:36:54,949 --> 00:36:59,101 My kids go to sleep really, really early, and when they do, they sound like demons. 666 00:36:59,166 --> 00:36:59,780 Right? 667 00:37:00,630 --> 00:37:02,210 Our furniture is old. 668 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:06,949 I don't shop at IKEA, or I do shop at IKEA, and I don't like it anymore. 669 00:37:09,210 --> 00:37:13,253 We can sit with excuses, or we can make a change. 670 00:37:13,291 --> 00:37:19,974 Right now, with a welcoming power of God, we can begin to make a change and say, you know 671 00:37:13,291 --> 00:37:19,974 what? 672 00:37:20,012 --> 00:37:20,545 Things are messy. 673 00:37:20,577 --> 00:37:21,541 I'll clean them up. 674 00:37:21,675 --> 00:37:22,710 I don't know how to cook. 675 00:37:22,789 --> 00:37:23,958 I'll learn a recipe. 676 00:37:24,054 --> 00:37:25,081 I'll microwave something. 677 00:37:25,135 --> 00:37:25,641 I'll buy. 678 00:37:25,695 --> 00:37:26,634 I'll doordash something. 679 00:37:26,672 --> 00:37:27,018 Right? 680 00:37:27,103 --> 00:37:28,885 You don't need a seminary degree. 681 00:37:29,077 --> 00:37:33,190 You don't need to have the picture perfect like house or family. 682 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:41,440 You don't need to have an answer for every hypothetical question they will ask you about 683 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:41,440 creation or evolution or sexuality or what Jesus really meant when he said this. 684 00:37:42,530 --> 00:37:43,550 Breathe. 685 00:37:43,969 --> 00:37:50,034 Go out if you need to, and find a tangible way to express the love of God over food. 686 00:37:50,152 --> 00:37:51,197 No agenda. 687 00:37:51,293 --> 00:37:52,545 It's just you. 688 00:37:52,728 --> 00:38:03,893 Because at the end of the day, when you think about what the gospel it is, the gospel is a 689 00:37:52,728 --> 00:38:03,893 story about a God who infinitely loved us so much that he moved into our neighborhood, and 690 00:37:52,728 --> 00:38:03,893 he welcomed us in. 691 00:38:04,012 --> 00:38:16,842 And through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we can be transformed by his 692 00:38:04,012 --> 00:38:16,842 welcoming love and move to a position of freedom, of life, of life. 693 00:38:16,896 --> 00:38:17,449 So good. 694 00:38:17,519 --> 00:38:20,090 Everything here is just an appetite of what's to come. 695 00:38:20,159 --> 00:38:26,958 And then you can, in that same moment as you have been welcomed in, you turn to your 696 00:38:20,159 --> 00:38:26,958 neighbor and you welcome them in. 697 00:38:27,123 --> 00:38:32,873 I can't think of what we can do better as the holidays are right around the corner, two 698 00:38:27,123 --> 00:38:32,873 weeks away from Thanksgiving. 699 00:38:32,922 --> 00:38:35,570 That's bizarre to say for some of you all, like, dang. 700 00:38:36,309 --> 00:38:48,789 But then to have an attitude of hospitality with our neighbors, to shed the wall down of 701 00:38:36,309 --> 00:38:48,789 being oblivious and just saying, let me welcome you in, as God has welcomed me in. 702 00:38:48,940 --> 00:38:56,469 Let's pray that together, heavenly Father, in this moment we come to you. 703 00:38:56,539 --> 00:39:03,206 And God, would you, through your spirit, stir in us the reality that you have brought us 704 00:38:56,539 --> 00:39:03,206 in? 705 00:39:03,387 --> 00:39:07,030 And like Zacchaeus, you have declared salvation over our lives. 706 00:39:07,179 --> 00:39:12,320 You have called us children of Abraham, and though people might despise it, you love us. 707 00:39:13,010 --> 00:39:14,478 You've brought us in. 708 00:39:14,643 --> 00:39:21,226 And so would your welcoming, sacrificial love transform us to become people of 709 00:39:14,643 --> 00:39:21,226 hospitality. 710 00:39:21,418 --> 00:39:25,737 As we eat at your table, would we invite others to ours? 711 00:39:25,833 --> 00:39:28,094 We pray these things in Jesus name. 712 00:39:28,291 --> 00:39:29,338 Amen. 713 00:39:29,514 --> 00:39:29,929 Amen.