THE POWER OF AN OPEN HOME
Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus.... Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.
Romans 16:3,5 (NLT)
When my wife and I started seminary right out of college, we had been married six months and had no money. We lived in a twelve-foot-wide mobile home for eight years to reduce housing costs. Yet God put on our hearts to open our little home for Bible studies, dinner parties, counseling and hosting friends coming through Fort Worth. It was one of the sweetest times of our lives.
Yesterday, we saw Priscilla and Aquila open their home to Paul in Corinth. Later, in Ephesus and Rome, Paul greeted the church that met in their home (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19).
Their home keeps being a strategic and integral part of their story. In the first century, there were no church buildings and few inns. In our day, we might call it an underground church movement. Buildings did not define churches; people did. Their living room became a classroom, their table became a fellowship hall, and their home became missionary housing and mission headquarters.
The original Greek word for hospitality is a compound word meaning love of strangers. Biblical hospitality is not about entertaining people; it is about leveraging your home for God's Kingdom. Paul commands all Christians to practice hospitality (Romans 12:13), and it is one of the qualifications for church leaders. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it (Hebrews 13:2, NLT)!
Many have abandoned this practice. It is easier to meet people at a restaurant or gather at the church than to open our homes. Hospitality requires sacrificing our time and money, and people can sometimes be annoying. This is why Peter tells us to offer hospitality to one another without grumbling or complaining (1 Peter 4:9). I don't think God is persuaded by our excuses. Ask Him how you might open your home for Kingdom purposes and watch what God does through you. There is power in an open home. This was the habit of Priscilla and Aquila, and it can be our habit as well.
APPLICATION: Show hospitality; invite a neighbor or a friend from church over for coffee or dinner, host a party or Bible study. Ask God how He wants to use your ordinary home for eternal purposes.
PRAYER: Use my home as holy ground. Help me overcome my reluctance to invite others into my home. Open my eyes to how You want to use what You have already given me. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?