A Welcoming God

Series: Open House

A Welcoming God

Various Scriptures

what is hospitality? 

Hospitality is “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.”

Hospitality is not simply about what you do; it is about who you are.

Our hospitality or lack of it reveals what we think about people, what we think about ourselves, and what we understand about God. 

hospitality theology

God is a Welcoming God. 

·      This is revealed in and through His Creation. 

God is a circle-expanding God – He enjoys bringing more into His fellowship.  

·      This is understood through His pursuit of self-made strangers. 

·      This is illustrated through the “Dwell” motif seen throughout Scripture. 

Genesis 3:8; Exodus 25:8; I Kings 8:10-13; John 1:14

John 14:16-18; John 14:1-3: Revelation 21:1-3 

God loves to see hospitality in His children.

Our sinful nature complicates this. 

            Leviticus 19:33-34; Acts 2:44-45; I Timothy 3:2               Romans 12:13; I Peter 4:9

The Gospel enables and informs our hospitality.

Because we are sinful by nature, we must be transformed by the gospel. 

We can expand the circle because we are confident in our acceptance.

Those touched by the gospel love people.

The gospel enables selflessness. 

                                                                                    Romans 5:6-8