A Study About Elders - Hospitality | Words Of Truth
Words Of Truth

Words Of Truth


"That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth..." (Proverbs 22:21).

A Study About Elders
Hospitality


I. Introduction:

A. If a brother contacted you and wanted to stay with you, how would you feel (Philemon 1:20-22)?

  1. Not just an elder, but all of us should be servants of one another (John 13:3-17 and Galatians 5:13-14).
  2. There is a mindset to all of this (Hebrews 13:3).
  3. Our Lord’s perspective is that, when you do or don’t do right things to His people you are doing it to Him (Matthew 25:31-40 and Acts 9:1-5).
B. Hospitality is tied to brotherly love [will see that in this lesson] which is shown in our service to one another (Hebrews 6:10-11).

  1. If you say you love your brethren, does your actions indicate such (James 2:14-17 and I John 3:11-18)?
  2. We must learn and grow in brotherly love (II Peter 1:3-7).
  3. You cannot love the Lord without loving your brethren (I John 4:20-21).

II. Body: Given To / A Lover Of, Hospitality (I Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8).

A. “Given to hospitality” or “a lover of hospitality” [same Greek word] means: “fond of guests, i.e. hospitable: — given to (lover of, use) hospitality” (Strong’s # 5382).

  1. Expected of all saints (I Peter 4:8-11).
  2. Shown in various examples (Genesis 18:1-8, Acts 10:5-6, Acts 16:14-15, Acts 28:1-10, etc.).
  3. Early teachers depended on the hospitality of others (Luke 10:1-12).
B. Not only of brethren you know well (I Timothy 5:9-10 and Hebrew 13:1-2).

  1. Willing to host brethren that may come to us from outside the congregation (Romans 16:23 and III John 1:1-8).
  2. In talking about strangers, that doesn’t mean you know nothing about them (Romans 16:1-2).
  3. The fact is, we do need to know some things about those proclaiming to be brethren before we are hospitable (II John 1:6-11).
C. Fond of being hospitable without expecting something in return (Luke 14:12-14).

  1. In this, one must have a mindset that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
  2. An elder, and all of us, need to be more about others than ourselves (Romans 15:1-3, I Corinthians 10:33, Galatians 6:9-10, Ephesians 4:28, and Philippians 2:19-30).

III. Conclusion: Romans 12:9-16