The fifth core value in our series is Hospitality. So far, we have discussed Unity, Clarity, Humility, and Generosity. You can read these previous articles online at Webbweekly.com.

Hospitality is defined as the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. In nearly every social interaction, you are either a host or a guest.
Hospitality a Core Value?

The missional call of the church to reach the lost puts believers squarely in the role of host at all times. We are the ambassadors of Jesus Christ, the ministers of reconciliation, and the royal priesthood (2 Corinthians 5:11-21 and I Peter 2:9). As such, we must consider every human interaction as a divine appointment from God to be the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). Our missional role defines believers as hosts – and makes hospitality an essential core value for all Christians and churches.
The Secret of Hospitality

In II Corinthians 7:2, Paul makes a simple request, “Make room for us in your hearts.” His request unlocks the secret of hospitality: offering it requires room in the heart of the host.

Have you ever been invited to someone’s house for dinner and discovered it was an obligatory gesture? They didn’t really want you there, so they offered the bare minimum — if that. It reminds me of an old Ginsu knife commercial where the announcer brags, “It slices tomatoes so thin your in-laws will never come back!” Obligatory hospitality doesn’t really want guests — and guests pick up on it very quickly. It’s stingy and stilted. The result? Guests leave as early as possible — and never come back.

On the other hand, true hospitality is attractive. Have you ever gone to someone’s home or a restaurant, and the welcome, conversation, and accommodations were so pleasant you didn’t want to leave — and you couldn’t wait to return? What you experienced was hospitality rising from a passionate heart — a heart willing to make room for others.
Obligatory Answers

Let me ask you a question: Do you want to eat healthier and exercise more? Most of us answer this question with a quick yes — because answering no just seems irresponsible. Because our answer is obligatory, we make no significant changes to our diet or activity level. Obligation doesn’t sacrifice — revealing a lack of room in the heart.

Here’s another question: Do you want your church to grow? I’ve asked this question at a lot of church meetings, and the answer is always a quick yes — because answering no would seem irresponsible. If they were being truthful, they would say no. Why? Because they don’t want all of the work and mess that comes with hospitality. There just isn’t any room in their hearts for it.

The hard reality is this: true hospitality always requires the host to sacrifice — and there are plenty of Christians and churches who have little to no interest in it. I know that sounds harsh, but some things just need to be said.
The Power of Hospitality

Churches use all kinds of excuses to cover for their congregation’s lack of hospitality: small buildings, inadequate parking, or a poor location or climate. The fact is, when you’re unwilling to offer the sacrifices of hospitality, abundant excuses will always be available.

My friends, no excuse or obstacle can keep a church from offering hospitality, except for one: a lack of room in the heart. How do we know that?

Consider the early church. It had no buildings or property. It faced persecution from both the religious and governing authorities. It was launched in very primitive circumstances without electricity, high-speed internet, mass media, or any of the countless tools and resources we have at our disposal today. How did the early church experience exponential growth in the midst of such difficult circumstances?

The answer is clear: they unleashed the power of hospitality. They made room in their hearts for each other, the lost, and the broken — and as they did — God grew the church. True hospitality is irresistible. Listen to the description of the early church found in Acts 2:44-47,

“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

The church provided true hospitality — and God’s power grew the church. That effective combination is as available today as it was two thousand years ago.
Is There Room in Your Heart?

Before you offer a quick and obligatory yes, take a moment to think through the consequences of your answer. Offering hospitality always requires sacrifice. Always. In other words, you’re going to need to make room in your schedule, your home, and your bank account for it. Ouch.

As a thirty-five-year veteran of vocational ministry, I would identify the lack of true hospitality as the primary reason the church is failing today. My friends, we just have too much stuff crammed into our hearts. Our calendars are packed, our homes have become fortresses of solitude, our bank accounts have become our gods, and our churches are nothing more than necessary rest stops on the busy highway of life. Until we’re willing to make room in our hearts for others, the church will continue to decline.

Are you willing? Is your church willing? I assure you; it won’t be easy. True hospitality is exhausting and expensive. If you choose to offer it, you’ll have to give other things up — and it will wear you out. But if you’re willing, God’s Spirit will breathe new life into you and your church. The lost will be found, the broken will be mended, the lonely will find companionship, and the disenchanted will find authenticity — all because we made room in our hearts. That’s the power of hospitality — and why it must be a core value that guides and inspires our lives and our churches.