Making Room in My Heart - Dec. 11th, 2011

Date: December 11th, 2011

Speaker: Pastor Kevin Snyder

Title: Making Room in My Heart

Advent - Week 3

Introduction

We have been talking about “Making Room”. …about the Christian view of hospitality which goes beyond “tea parties, bland conversations and a general atmosphere of coziness” (#1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. #2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. #3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” #4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?). Rather the hospitality that reflects the welcoming heart and character of God as seen in creation, redemption, and eternity. The hospitality that grows from living in the possibility that Jesus comes to us in the disguise of the stranger, the poor, the different….”When did we see you?....”when you did it to the least of these brothers of mine you did it to me.”

Today, we want to move to the practical. We want to deal with the “But’s” Some of the obstacles that prevent us.

Awhile back there was a movie called “The Blind Side”. In it we see a real life demonstration of courageous hospitality.

Let’s take a look...

Big Mike is homeless, family-less, discarded by society as just another poor, black kid going nowhere. When he is given a seat at the Wingate Christian School, almost everyone expects him to fail. But no one counted on the Tuohy's. Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy take an interest in Big Mike. A Christian family committed to doing the right thing, they bring Mike into their home, give him a bed, a meal, and a family. The transformation that follows is breathtaking. The Blind Side shows how acts of love change both the giver and the receiver. It is the true story of how Big Mike became Michael Oher -- first round draft pick at left tackle for the Baltimore Ravens.

The battle to make room is a heart battle…before we will make room for people in our homes, wallets…schedules we must make room for them in our hearts.

What are the battles we face?

1. It Stretches Us

Remedy: Get Out of the “House” More Often

Leigh Anne Tuohy was stretched one day when she got out of the house. We never know when it will happen. But God has a way of bringing stretching events into our lives that will expand our hearts.

One of the effects of the fall on our human nature is it shrinks the size of our heart for people. The breadth and depth of our love becomes tainted with selfishness. We tend to look at people in terms of “what they give to me”…”what I receive”. We circle ourselves with who we “like”.

Unchallenged our heart becomes like this loose rubber band.

But the character of God challenges us. The words of Jesus stretch our hearts.

Matthew 5:43- 48

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Luke 14: 12 – 24

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” 15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” 16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

Luke 15: 1- 7

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

James 2: 1 – 4

1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

These words are like stretching a rubber band. It is uncomfortable.

I remember a quote that said:

“The mind stretched by a new idea never returns to it’s original shape.”

It’s the same with the heart. Each event stretches us and our heart becomes progressively more conformed to Jesus Christ. It is expanded in it’s love beyond the natural “like” factor.

And that’s what God does with us even in his family… the church. He stretches us.

He sits you beside that person that you would never normally bump into or travel in those circles.
He puts you beside some person who hurt a friend of yours.
He puts you beside someone teenager who is wild looking thing and you don’t know what to say….or he puts you beside some old person who can’t hear.

All of these are the ways God stretches our hearts and builds community.

Some people when looking for a church look for a church that “fits”….people like them… But that’s not what you need. That’s not what you need to grow more Christ-like. God is interested in shaping your heart and to do that he stretches you with people who don’t fit.

i.e.

Small group

Young college age young man who battled schizophrenia
A middle age stay-at-home Mom who was battling cancer
Wife of the Pres of the Cdn Brain Injury Assoc.
30 something couple who were seekers & did dragon boat races
A 30ish couple who were from Ukrainian Orthodox tradition
A 50ish successful business woman and financial advisor & husband who was an engineer

That was a diverse group….but so much fun as we learned to love each other over Chinese potlucks & discover our bond in Jesus Christ.

I grew in that group…it stretched my heart, my mind, my love.

Friends, in the process of making you more like Christ God will stretch you. He will take you out of the house. He will bring across your path people that are uncomfortable.

How many times have we put limits on God and his work in us by saying “I’m not comfortable with that.”

Of course not. God knows that….in fact that is precisely the purpose. He is expanding your heart.

So one of the struggles is being willing to let God stretch you…

2. It Exposes Us

Remedy: Invite People in Your “House” More Often

Joke:

Minister went visiting to home

Left card – Rev 3:20 – “Behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hear my voice and open the door I will come in and eat with them and they with me.”

On Sunday under his office door he found his card with these words:

“I heard you knock but I didn’t answer

Gen 3:10.

“I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

Hospitality exposes us.

When we let someone into our house they see us

Messy – don’t always have it together
Relationships – see the dynamics of our imperfect kids…
They look through a window into our lives.

“When we offer hospitality, our faults as well as our possessions are open to scrutiny. If we need to hide either, we are unlikely to offer much hospitality. Hospitality to strangers has a way of laying bare our lives and surfacing our inadequacies…Hosts must be willing to move through their own brokenness in order to welcome others.” (Christine Pohls: Making Room)

i.e.

I wonder how frightened Zaccheus was when Jesus invited himself to his house….ran home and maybe looked around with new eyes and stuffed some stuff in a closet.

Afraid of being exposed…Jesus seeing who he really was…

You see, Hospitality is different than “entertaining”

Entertaining is often focused on us. It is our attempt to present an image.(not always sometimes it is a way of showing value to people)

One person said:

“When hospitality is viewed as entertainment, the house is never ready.”

One of the heart reasons for the diminishing practice of hospitality is our fear of exposure.

But, Hospitality is really the road to community. We move from images to real. We become authentic. The church that is weak on hospitality will be weak on community. Because we don’t let people into our lives.

We long for relationship but we hide . But it is in our vulnerability, our letting people into our lives that some of the deepest bonds are formed.

And so one of the challenges and obstacles is this battle to be real…to let people beyond the images we portray and strive to keep up.

It is overcoming the fear that they will like us when they see the messiness of our house and our lives.

i.e.

Couple that came to church and lived about 40 miles away & we said you drive into church every week let us drive out to see you. Made arrangements to come out. Could tell nervous when got there….preacher coming and feared us seeing them without some of their guards.

Turning point was when offered coffee and it was in our pre-coffee days and we said “no thanks”.

We are more pepsi drinkers….well that broke the ice…cuz they didn’t drink coffee either they had to call & figure out even how to make it…He grabbed the pot and poured it down the drain and pulled out a 2 liter pepsi from a closet full.

We connected over pepsi.

In this journey to have our heart expanded God has put before us this practice of hospitality…letting people into our lives.

And so to cultivate this heart not only do we need to let God take us out of the house more often and into the uncomfortable. But we need to let people into our house and risk being vulnerable and being real.

3. It Scares Us

What started out as fear….became a blessing.

After last week service I had 2 people tell me how uncomfortable it was to have to engage with people.

One told me how when I told them the situation and exclude and embrace they looked around and right behind them was a new couple. Here it was living out the sermon right in their face. And so they introduced themselves and kind of joked about the tension. Turned out that they invited this young couple to their small group.

Another person said the biggest problem with all this stuff is fear.

Fear of being injured.

Fear of what it might cost.

Often our fear is based in our scarcity….”We don’t have anything”

But there is an interesting principle in Scripture.

God’s blessing comes after our obedience.

Often we say:

“I’ll give when I have more….or have some.”
“I’ll invite when I’m ready.”

Jesus said:

“Give and it will be given to you.”
“He who finds his life shall lose it.”

Last week I told the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarapeth. The prophet wanted to come and stay at her house but she wanted to discourage that because she didn’t have anything…not even enough for her and her son. Times were tough.

But when she relented and agreed….then God provided for her need.

You see, God is our provider but to experience it we need to step out in faith and trust his provision. God doesn’t typically bless in advance. He blesses generosity.

He blesses hospitality.

i.e.

My wife has become a big proponent of tithing…God has been so faithful to us.

There has been 2 or 3 times when we’ve been in a discussion with a young couple who is struggling with the practice…Joyce has said:

“You try it for 60 days and if God doesn’t provide we will pay the bills you run short “….I’m like kicking her under the table “do you know what you’re saying woman…” And yet she trusts God to provide and we have never had to make up the difference.

But God says in Malachi: “Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

i.e.

Larry Crabb – toe, only thing that enabled him to go through pain was trusting Mom was good and wasn’t a sadist but was doing what is good.

Same here – Hospitality seems risky…seems costly. But God uses it to stretch our faith in his provision. To believe that God is good and will provide.

Conclusion

Bottom line is: Making room is not easy. Living out the gospel and heart of God is not natural and easy.

It stretches us like a rubber band….but it never goes back to original shape
It exposes us and challenges to be more real with each other.
It scares us and challenges our faith…faith that God will supply when we reach out, when we give…

What can you do?

Reach out to someone outside your present circle…walk across the room. Invite someone. Young person go and greet and introduce yourself to an old person.
Invite someone into your home…
Give to someone who can’t give back.
Next week: CBO
Family – stocking stuffers and buying a goat or doing something for world.

Exercise: Turn & look at person behind or beside you…if don’t know them shake hands and give name.

Bow head: Pray for person – God would meet need in life & bless them

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