Hospitality - Love Your Neighbor

Yesterday we were visiting in the OKC/Edmond area and worshipped at Memorial Road Church of Christ. The sermon was about hospitality and loving your neighbor in a series called iNeighbor. Hospitality has always been a favorite topic of mine.  I even taught a whole semester of lessons to a ladies' class on the topic.  Some of the key points of the sermon were these:

Quote from sermon today...his opinion, as he said, but it's my opinion, too! "In the last 50 yrs our homes have changed from centers of hospitality to others to centers of entertaining ourselves."

"If Jesus Christ lived in your home, how would He use your dining room?"  In fact, the preacher asked,  "How would Jesus use your living room...your home?"  What would He do differently and to further His kingdom?  Kind of make you think, doesn't it?

He used the verse from Hebrews 13:2, "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."  But, he said, sometimes the divine encounter could happen because of YOU....that someone is  blessed or taught about God because of something YOU do.  Offering hospitality to others.....to your neighbor.....to people you may not know very well.

The sermon was great! Even my boys, who typically balk at the thought of having to clean up their rooms for company, thought it was great!  But it was a great reminder for everyone, even for those who do have people over often.

So, how do you use your home....your living room....your dining room for Him?  Is it for your leisure and entertainment or for Him?