Fruitful Church: Practice Radical Hospitality


Flowing from its sense of mission, a fruitful church practices radical hospitality.  We see this in the great snapshot of early church life in Acts 1:42-47.  It says one of the things early Christ followers devoted themselves to was "the fellowship."  The Greek word is koinonia.  It refers to a strong sense of commonality.  Early Christ followers held in common a bond to Christ. This bond led them to form strong bonds to each other.

Because of this koinonia, they shared everything with each other, including their possessions.  If one in their number had a physical need, others within the congregation met it.  They ate together in their homes, loving and supporting each other.

Though they shared strong bonds with each other, their koinonia was open to outsiders.  Luke tells us the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.  It seems early Christ followers cared as much for outsiders as they did for each other.

The idea of koinonia is closely related to the idea of hospitality.  Bible passages like Hebrews 13:2 and James 2:1ff speak of the importance of hospitality.  They admonished Christ followers to show hospitality to strangers.

"Hospitality" comes from the Latin word hospes.  Hospes could mean either "host" or "guest."  To practice radical hospitality is to practice hospitality far beyond the norm.  Radical hospitality refers both to welcoming the stranger and reaching out to others by becoming the stranger.

Many churches are doing good jobs of welcoming strangers.  They even serve coffee and refreshments, and show God's love to those who enter their doors. 

But welcoming strangers is no longer enough to reach people who don't go to church.  Many of them see no need for church, no matter how attractive the people seem to be.  To reach people, Christ followers need to become the stranger.  They need to form relationships with people who are outside their normal social circles.  

Think of the person or persons God used to reach you with his love and good news.  Ask God to make you that kind of person for others!  Become the stranger to them and introduce them to the God and church you love!

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