Go!, Part 3: The “Hospitality” Strategy
⌥ Type: Sunday Morning Service
🎬 Series: Go!
⛪ Sermon: Part 3: The “The Hospitality” Strategy
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
📜 Description: The same gospel that transforms lives across the world works just as powerfully in your own neighborhood and kitchen. Biblical hospitality is not about perfect entertaining or impressive home decor, but about opening your life to strangers and treating people who aren't family as though they are. By intentionally inviting neighbors and strangers to your table, you create opportunities for divine encounters where life transformation can happen outside the church building.
ℹ️ Tip: The video is set to start at the beginning of the sermon, but you can scrub the playhead to any part of the service. ℹ️
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Small Group Discussion Guide: The Hospitality Strategy (Approximately 45 minutes)
Opening (5 minutes)
Welcome everyone and open in prayer. Ask: When you think of hospitality, what's the first image or person that comes to mind?
Scripture Reading (5 minutes)
Have someone read 2 Samuel 9:1-13 aloud (the story of Mephibosheth). Have someone else read Hebrews 13:1-2.
Discussion Questions (25 minutes)
In the story of Mephibosheth, what stands out to you most about King David's response? How does this reflect the gospel?
Mephibosheth saw himself as a "dead dog"—worthless and without hope. How does his transformation mirror our own stories with God?
The message distinguishes between three levels of hospitality: entertainment (impressing people), fellowship (sharing with friends and family), and evangelism (welcoming strangers). Which level do you find yourself most comfortable with? Why?
Jesus' life was full of interruptions, yet He treated them as divine moments. What makes it difficult for you to see interruptions as opportunities rather than inconveniences?
What excuses do you tend to make when it comes to inviting people into your home? (Examples: house isn't big enough, not my gift, too uncomfortable, too busy)
The message suggested that the most powerful evangelism might happen at your dinner table rather than at a church service. Has there been a time when you witnessed God work powerfully in an informal, everyday setting?
Who is someone in your life right now—a neighbor, coworker, or acquaintance—who might be living in their own "Lodebar" (a place of no provision, no future, no hope)? What would it look like to add a chair at your table for them?
Action Step (10 minutes)
Each person shares: This month, I will invite _____________ to my home on _____________ (specific date).
If helpful, pair up as accountability partners to check in with each other about following through.
Close by praying specifically for the people each group member named, asking God to prepare hearts and create divine moments around dinner tables this month.
Main Scriptures Referenced:
2 Samuel 9:1-13 (David and Mephibosheth)
Hebrews 13:1-2 (Love as brothers; show hospitality to strangers)
Romans 12:13 (Practice hospitality)
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Understanding David, Mephibosheth, and Ancient Hospitality
The story of David and Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9 takes place around 1000 BC during the height of King David's reign over Israel. To understand why this story is so remarkable, we need to grasp the political climate of ancient Near Eastern kingdoms.
In David's time, when a new king took the throne—especially one from a different family line—it was standard practice to eliminate all descendants of the previous king. This wasn't cruelty for its own sake; it was considered political necessity. Any surviving member of the old royal family could become a rallying point for rebellion or claim to have legitimate rights to the throne. By wiping out potential rivals, a new king secured his dynasty's future.
This makes David's question stunning: "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness?" Saul had tried to kill David repeatedly out of jealousy. Saul's family represented a real threat to David's throne. Yet David went searching for someone from Saul's household—not to eliminate them, but to bless them.
Mephibosheth's situation was desperate. His name means "one who scatters shame" or "from the mouth of shame." He was the son of Jonathan, David's closest friend, and the grandson of King Saul. When news came that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle, Mephibosheth's nurse grabbed him to flee. In her haste, she dropped the five-year-old boy, and he was crippled in both feet for life. He ended up in Lodebar, a town whose name literally means "no pasture" or "no thing"—a wasteland east of the Jordan River.
For Mephibosheth, being summoned by King David must have been terrifying. He had every reason to expect execution. Instead, David restored all of Saul's considerable land holdings to him and gave him a permanent place at the king's table. In ancient culture, eating at the king's table wasn't just about food—it signified family status, protection, provision, and honor. David was declaring that Mephibosheth would be treated as one of his own sons.
The concept of hospitality in the ancient world was also different from our modern understanding. In a time without hotels or restaurants, hospitality to strangers wasn't optional—it was a sacred duty and a matter of survival. The harsh desert climate meant that turning away a traveler could be a death sentence. Hospitality demonstrated your honor, your household's stability, and your trust in divine provision. Sharing a meal created a bond of mutual obligation and protection.
This cultural backdrop makes the New Testament commands about hospitality even more significant. When Hebrews 13:2 says "do not forget to show hospitality to strangers," it's connecting to this deep tradition while also pointing to something greater. In the early church, before church buildings existed, homes were the primary gathering places for worship, teaching, communion, and fellowship. The table truly was the altar where the community of faith was built and where outsiders encountered the gospel.
Understanding this history helps us see that David's treatment of Mephibosheth wasn't just unusual kindness—it was a radical, countercultural act that pointed forward to how God would treat us through Christ. We were enemies, crippled by sin, hiding in our own wasteland. Yet God sought us out, restored what was lost, and gave us a permanent seat at His table not as servants, but as children.
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Kids Lesson: Setting a Place at the Table (Ages 5-10, approximately 45 minutes)
INTRODUCTION (5 minutes)
Welcome the kids and have them sit in a circle. Ask: "Who has ever had a friend over to your house for dinner? How did that make you feel?"
Say: "Today we're going to learn about a king who did something really special for someone who felt left out and alone. And we're going to learn how we can be kind to others just like that king was!"
SCRIPTURE STORY (10 minutes)
Tell the story of David and Mephibosheth from 2 Samuel 9:1-13 in kid-friendly language:
"A long time ago, there was a king named David. Now, before David was king, there was another king named Saul. Saul wasn't very nice to David—he actually tried to hurt him! But David had a best friend named Jonathan, who was Saul's son.
After Saul and Jonathan died, David became king. One day, King David asked, 'Is there anyone left from Saul's family that I can be kind to?'
His helpers found a man named Mephibosheth. (Practice saying the name together—it's a funny one!) Mephibosheth was Jonathan's son. When he was just a little boy, something bad happened and his legs got hurt. He couldn't walk anymore. He was very poor and lived in a place where there wasn't much food or hope.
When Mephibosheth heard the king wanted to see him, he was scared! He thought, 'Oh no, the king is going to be mean to me because my grandfather was mean to him.'
But do you know what King David did? He said, 'Mephibosheth, don't be afraid! I'm going to give you back all your grandfather's land. And you know what else? You're always going to eat dinner at my table, just like you're one of my own kids!'
Mephibosheth couldn't believe it! He went from being poor and alone to being treated like a prince! King David added an extra chair at his table just for Mephibosheth."
CRAFT: "Welcome to My Table" Placemat (15 minutes)
Materials needed:
Construction paper (1 sheet per child)
Markers, crayons, stickers
Clear contact paper or laminating sheets (optional)
Instructions:
Give each child a piece of construction paper
Have them write "You're Welcome at My Table!" at the top
Let them decorate with drawings of food, happy faces, hearts, or anything welcoming
Optional: Laminate or cover with contact paper to make an actual placemat they can use at home
As they work, remind them: "This placemat can remind you to invite friends over and make them feel special!"
GAME: Musical Chairs with a Twist (10 minutes)
Set up chairs in a circle (one per child—don't remove any!).
Say: "We're going to play musical chairs, but different! Instead of taking chairs away, we're going to ADD chairs, because we want everyone to have a seat at the table!"
Play music and have kids walk around the chairs. When the music stops, everyone finds a seat. Then add one more chair to the circle. Continue playing, adding chairs each round while talking about how we want to make room for more people, not fewer!
Say: "Just like King David made room for Mephibosheth, we want to make room for everyone!"
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (3 minutes)
"How do you think Mephibosheth felt when King David invited him to dinner?"
"Has anyone ever been really kind to you when you felt left out? How did that feel?"
"Who is someone you could invite over to your house or be extra kind to this week?"
WRAP-UP & PRAYER (2 minutes)
Say: "King David showed us that we can be kind to people who might feel lonely or left out. Jesus does the same thing for us! He invites us to be part of His family, even when we make mistakes. This week, let's be like King David and Jesus—let's invite others to our table and make them feel welcome!"
Closing Prayer:
"Dear Jesus, thank You for inviting us to be part of Your family. Help us to be kind and welcoming to others, especially people who might feel lonely or left out. Show us who we can invite over and be kind to this week. In Jesus' name, Amen!"
Send kids home with their placemats and encourage them to talk to their parents about inviting a friend over for dinner soon!
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Last week we talked about reaching the nations.
And uh missionary Jay Reisner was here.
I hope you enjoyed his his stories.
Yeah, he did a great job.
And uh I I think it's so awesome just to learn that God's moving all over the world.
Who can say amen?
And he was telling those stories about Kenya where lives were being changed and people were getting saved and and through his television ministry there at one time, I don't know if they're still doing it or not, but they were reaching 20 million people. through a Sesame Street type television program that talked about Jesus.
Who can say amen?
And so, so I was excited, I was inspired.
Uh I can't wait to get my ticket to Nairobi, Kenya, because we're going there in July.
Hopefully, some of you will go with us, but probably everyone thought about it.
You know what I'm talking about?
Everyone thought about maybe maybe I'm called to the mission field.
Maybe I should go to Africa.
Maybe maybe I should go to Southeast Asia.
Maybe I should go to Central America or South America.
Something like that has probably crossed everybody's mind, especially if you're a part of an agey type church like ours.
But here's what I've found to be true.
It's a lot easier to be passionate about reaching the people over there and forgetting about the people right next door.
Isn't it easy to pray for Africa and really hard just to talk to your next door neighbor?
It's easier to give to missions than to invite someone into your very own living room.
Let's be honest.
I don't know if you've ever done this before.
You're driving home and and you get to to your garage and you hit the garage door and and the door starts going up and and you start driving in and all of a sudden out of the corner of your eye you see that next door neighbor The one you don't want to talk to.
And you get in as fast as you can and hope you can hit the button before he says anything to you because you just have accomplished the fastest garage door dash in the history of the world.
So today we're gonna move you from the nations over there. hopefully to your neighborhood right here in Florida.
Did you know the same gospel that works in Kenya works in your kitchen?
Right?
It it's the same gospel.
And if it's getting people saved in Kenya, it should be getting people saved in your neighborhood.
And so today we're going to talk about something that I've called the hospitality strategy.
And it is an evangelism strategy that I've not heard talked about really ever, to be quite honest.
Uh but I believe it's found in the gospel.
I believe hospitality is really c kind of at the at the heart of the gospel.
And so I want to communicate it first by by just telling you a couple of stories.
The first story is the Mephiboshef.
Story.
Now say that three times as fast as you can.
And if you do, I might catch you cussin', that's all I can say.
Because I almost did right there.
So uh Mephibosheth is a descendant of Saul And you hear about him during the reign of King David.
Because during King David's reign in 2 Samuel chapter 9, he asks this interesting question.
Here it is in verse 1.
Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness?
I think about that for a second, and and we have to be able to transport ourselves back 3,000 years Because back in in David's day, you normally didn't do kind things for your enemy's household You normally didn't do kind things for people who who they were trying to kill you, and so now that you're the king, what typically took place back then was you would wipe out all of the descendants of the previous king because you didn't want anyone who had a claim to the throne in any way, shape, or form And so this is a is an unusual question, an unusual response.
It's completely unexpected.
But they find a guy.
And they find this guy by the name of Mephibosheth.
And if you know anything about his story He was running out of dodge when the house of Saul was falling, and his nurse dropped him.
And his nurse dropped him in a way where he Must have broken both legs in some way, shape, or form because he could not walk for the rest of his life.
He was lame in in both of his feet, the scripture says, and he's in hiding He's literally hiding in a place called Lodabar, and that literally means to have no pasture So here you have a a man who has no pasture, no provision, no future, no hope whatsoever.
And all of a sudden, the king, who is your grandfather's enemy, is now calling for you to come into the castle.
How do you think he felt?
What do you think was going on in his mind?
This couldn't have been a social call.
Maybe he was expecting to be executed.
Executed on the spot.
At the very least, he was going to be reprimanded.
He's going to be reminded that he was a slave or a servant of David and that David was now the king.
But the very first thing that David says to him when he walks into the house is, is, is Mephibosheth, I'm going to give you back all your grandfather's property.
Acres and acres of property at this point he had nothing, no provision, no future, no hope of any kind.
And now the king is is offering him land.
Could this be too good to be true?
And then he goes on and he says, you will always, say always, you will always eat at my table.
In other words, I do not see you as a slave.
I do not see you as an enemy.
I see you like one of my own children.
I see you like a son.
In this moment, you see the heart of the gospel.
And the heart of the gospel is life transformation.
God wants your life to be different.
He wants it to be better.
He wants it to be glorious.
Who can say amen?
This is what God desires.
We all have a Mephibosheth story where our identity can change.
In verse 8, this is what Mephibosheth says.
He says, who am I?
A dead dog that you should look upon me.
In other words, how do you even see me?
How do you know I'm here?
Why would you care?
Because because I'm crippled.
I'm a man.
I can't even do any work.
I'm useless.
I'm worthless.
And and more than that, I'm I'm lower than a dead dog.
But that's not what David sees.
Instead of an enemy, David sees family.
Instead of brokenness.
The king sees belonging instead of shame.
He bestows all kinds of honors upon this man.
Church, do you understand that his story is your story?
His story is is my story.
We've all gone through the exact same situation where we were Far from God, broken by sin, spiritually crippled, and Jesus didn't say clean yourself up.
He said, take a seat at my table.
Who can say amen?
Take a seat at my table.
Now let me show you the same hospitality coming from Jesus Christ Himself.
I always find it interesting those street evangelists, and maybe God calls them to do what they do.
But I never saw Jesus on a soapbox calling people sinners. calling them reprobates, calling them names in any way, shape, or form.
His sermons always seem to be welcoming.
Filled with grace, truly hospitable in nature.
Jesus sat down and ate with the very people the Pharisees rejected.
He welcomed outsiders and challenged his disciples to invite the lowly to their own personal dinner parties.
In one extreme example of hospitality, Jesus is preaching on the side of a mountain.
And there's over 5,000 men, the scripture says, and there's all kinds of women and children assumed to be there also.
When all of a sudden it's getting late in the day and everyone's starting to get hungry, and Jesus looks at his disciples and he says, you give them something to eat.
And they panic.
I mean, they literally go into a panic overload by saying that this is gonna take eight, nine months of wages just to buy some food for all these people.
How can we do this?
And Jesus just says, have them sit down.
Jesus loved doing extreme examples of hospitality even in unusual situations during the very last week of Jesus' life he he says in in the book of John at the scripture says that he wanted to show his disciples the Full extent of his love.
And so what did he do?
He gets up from the table and he puts a towel around him and he starts washing the disciples' feet.
One after another, another extreme, ultimate act of hospitality.
We don't understand it because we have shoes.
We don't understand because that's not a part of our culture.
But it is going out of your way to do something extremely kind and considerate for another human being.
Do you understand what Jesus is doing right now?
Jesus is preparing a place for you right now.
Jesus is also preparing a meal.
It is going to be the biggest dinner party the world has ever seen.
And it will be talked about for hundreds, if not thousands and thousands of years.
But we need to understand that even though he's doing that now, that biblical hospitality is more than a dinner party.
Listen When I use the word hospitality, I doubt if King David was the first person you thought of.
Probably Jesus wasn't even the first person you thought of.
You probably thought of Martha Stewart.
Right?
I I mean she must be the epitome of hospitality.
She knows how to make a meal, she knows how to make everything perfect.
You might have thought, you know, if I'm going to invite the pastor over to the house, I better get on Pinterest and make sure that I do everything just right Listen, that is not biblical hospitality.
I would call this level one hospitality, which is simply entertaining people in your home.
I call this the HGTV version of hospitality.
Everything has to be perfect And so if you've got kids still in the house, this is what you do.
You get one person vacuuming, another person setting the table, you have someone else stuffing that back room with all the stuff you don't want anyone to see And then you lock that door and it's off limits to anyone who comes into the house.
You throw everything in there.
You say no.
Then people show up.
And by the time they get there, you're exhausted, you're wore out, nobody feels relaxed, and the whole night is about maintaining an illusion.
It's not about hospitality.
It's about performance.
Now hear me.
There's nothing wrong with excellence.
There's nothing wrong with wanting your house to look good, but entertainment is all about the host.
Are you listening to me?
Hospitality is about the guests.
Entertainment is about impressing people.
Hospitality is about welcoming people.
Entertainment says, look at my home.
Hospitality says, make yourself at home.
So I want to move on to level two hospitality, and I call that fellowship.
Here, the motive is to share your home with friends and family.
And this is good.
This is biblical.
We've talked about it just a couple of weeks ago.
How important fellowship koinonia is in the church.
And it's something that has to be rehashed over and over again.
In Hebrews 13, 1, the author says this keep on loving one another as brothers.
In other words, it can be difficult.
People can be challenging.
And maybe you don't want to love them the same way you used to, but But keep on doing it anyway.
Under this level of hospitality, we find what I would call is our connect groups or our small groups And we should celebrate small groups.
They are an awesome thing.
But here's the challenge.
If all your meals are with Christians, are you still living the Great Commission?
Some Christians have been in the same group so long, if someone new shows up, they think it's a security breach.
Right?
I mean there are groups in this church that have been going on a long time.
And again, that could be a very positive thing, but Is it kind of like the the Western where where someone new walks in and the room goes silent And all of a sudden you hear a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western music.
And this is what someone says.
Hey stranger You ain't from around these parts, are you?
That's not what it's supposed to be about.
Yes, we want fellowship, but we also want evangelism.
Who can say amen?
So level three hospitality is about evangelism.
That chapter Hebrews chapter 13 verse 2 goes on and says this do not forget to show hospitality To strangers.
Did you know that was in the Bible?
That the Bible commends us, commands us, challenges us to show hospitality to strangers.
The Greek word in Hebrews 13, too, that says as it is phylosenia, and it literally means love of strangers.
The world tells us to avoid strangers, right?
The world tells us to be afraid of strangers I'm here to tell you today that hospitality is the X factor of the church because it replaces fear with a fork and a plate.
It says, come on in.
It says join me.
The Bible says love strangers.
Now I'm not talking about being unsafe.
I'm not talking about being stupid or unwise.
I'm just talking about being intentional about all of your relationships. relationships, not seeing people as interruptions, but as opportunities who can say amen.
So I didn't come up with this definition.
I read this somewhere.
Hospitality is to treat those who are not your friends and family. as though they are.
Opening your home to those who are not entitled to the blessings of that home See, I want you to go back to when Jesus died and rose again, there was the temple, and then there were people's homes.
Long before there were churches, long before there were crosses, long before there were baptismal tanks, people met in homes.
That's where they studied the Bible together.
That's where they prayed together.
That's where they counseled one another.
That's where things actually took place.
That the table became the family altar.
The table is where people would get saved.
The table is where things happen because nobody 2,000 years ago even had homes for the most Part as large as the homes we have today.
They were very, very small, but things still took place at the table.
So if level three hospitality evangelism is the is the goal The question we have to ask is how do we get there?
How do we turn our tables into altars?
How do we turn our tables into a place that we have consistent fellowship not just with people in the church?
but even people outside of the church.
And this brings me to point number three, and that is hospitality must be practiced.
Romans chapter 12, verse 13 says this practice hospitality.
Don't just talk about it.
Don't admire other people who are doing it.
Practice it.
Not just the pastor, not just the board.
All of us should be having people in our homes.
And this is Pastor Tom speaking, but I think at least once a month.
At least once a month we should be willing to open up our house so that God can do something supernatural in our home.
Who can say amen?
It's possible, but you must make space for this to take place.
Hospitality requires margin in our lives If your schedule is packed, if your evenings are full, if your life is closed, there's no room for things like this.
Let me Be real honest here.
If you don't allow people to interrupt your life, you're probably not living on mission.
Probably not.
Look at Jesus' life.
Jesus is always being interrupted.
Jesus is actually on his way to do a miracle one day when he's interrupted by somebody else and he stops.
He stops because he realizes this is a divine moment for me to do something in in God's name And then he still takes care of the other issue.
Jesus is oftentimes interrupted by children and the disciples.
What are they?
They're frustrated.
They're like, no, get the kids away, get the kids away.
And Jesus says, suffer or allow the little children to come unto me, because this is what the kingdom of God is really like.
I just want to challenge you to open up your house one night a month and just see what God might be able to do.
And the reason why I'm challenging you is because you have to take the initiative.
People are not going to invite themselves into your home very often.
Once in a while, I'm inviting myself into your house.
At the beginning of last year I said I wanted to come over to your homes and I got about twenty invitations right out of the chute.
It's been a while.
I'm oh no no no.
Only twenty people know me.
The rest of you I'm getting hungry again And so I I I'm ready for an invitation.
Jesus did that, right?
Zacchaeus, come on down for the tree.
I'm gonna eat in your house.
But most people are not going to do that.
No one's going to knock on your door and say, hello, I'm lost.
Would you disciple me around your dinner table?
It doesn't work that way.
It works through the beginning of a of a casual conversation.
Maybe you're talking about Sports, maybe you're talking about music, maybe you're talking about what's happened in your life recently or where you've lived in the past, something that that will cause people to find some common ground somewhere along the line But we make excuses.
So the I think the most popular excuse I get is my house isn't big enough.
And I have people tell me, you know what, when we get the new house, we'll invite people over.
Or or or when we get the bigger house, we'll invite people over.
Did you know that that people aren't looking for the perfect house?
They're just looking for people.
They're just looking for connection in some way, shape, or form.
It doesn't even have to be that plain.
It just needs to be available.
Here's another excuse.
People say it's not my spiritual gift.
Well, I got good news for you.
Hospitality is not a spiritual gift, it's a spiritual command.
The scripture says offer hospitality, practice hospitality, do hospitality, show hospitality.
It doesn't say it's a spiritual gift.
It's just something we're all supposed to do.
And then here's another good one.
What if they don't come over?
Well, let me tell you, they're so nosy, they just want to see what your house looks like.
So they're gonna come if for no other reason, just to compare their house to yours.
And you might say, Oh, that makes me so uncomfortable.
What are you willing to do for the gospel?
Who cares if your house is smaller?
Who cares if your house is bigger?
We're not talking about You know, yes, people will judge what we have.
So what?
Look what they did to Jesus.
They nailed him to a cross.
And so we can do this.
It's not that difficult.
It's not that big a deal.
So we have to make room for God to work who can say amen.
I I think this is probably the most important thing.
This is actually the miracle.
That that when I'm talking about biblical hospitality, I'm talking about something more than social interaction.
I'm talking about something supernatural.
God can actually use your obedience to invite someone into your house to have a Jesus moment.
A divine encounter.
Jesus will be there.
I guarantee you.
Conversations can turn into something special, and you don't even have to force it.
You don't have to prepare a three-point message.
You don't have to preach.
You don't have to have an altar call.
None of that stuff.
Just Just be real.
Just be authentic.
Just have a conversation with another human being.
So in conclusion, come on up, worship team.
In the story of Mephibosheth, the miracle wasn't just that he was forgiven, the miracle was that there was a chair made available for him.
I want you to think about that.
So what we need to do is we need to To grab an extra chair and we need to bring it up to our dinner table.
Maybe an extra two chairs.
Maybe you're going to invite a couple over.
Maybe you're going to invite the next door neighbors with their three or four children over.
So you're going to set up the adult table and you're going to set up the kids' table in addition to it.
And you're just going to interact.
You're just going to share stories about your life.
You're going to mention how that you have a great church that you're a part of.
You're going to ask them where they go to church.
If they go to church.
Listen, listen, listen.
What if the most powerful evangelism strategy for Oxford Assembly of God was not Easter Sunday?
What if it was a dinner at your house?
I I just have a feeling that we're missing out on so many opportunities because we think people only get saved in the sanctuary.
We think people only get saved when the pastor has an altar call.
And I'm here to tell you that that's usually the exception to the rule.
People usually get saved at the someone's house, in someone's car, out in the park somewhere, at a restaurant, and we've not been taking advantage of those opportunities because we think it all takes place right here.
You know, Easter Sunday should be the culmination of what's happened in their lives.
In other words, when they raise their hand, it's not because they're getting saved, it's because they're afraid Affirming they just recently got saved.
And that when they walk down to the front, they've already had conversations with you.
You've already discipled them for two or three months around your table.
And when they come here, they're ready to dive in one 100%.
That's all the percent you can dive in.
Right?
And so I I just want to challenge you.
There are people in your life right now who feel like dead dogs.
There are people in your life right now that that are living in a place of no pasture, no provision, no future, no hope.
They're lonely, they're hurting, they're hiding, and they might live right next door to you.
So Who's your Mephiboshev?
This week, I'm not asking you to preach a sermon.
I'm asking you to add a chair at your table.
I'm asking you to turn your porch light on.
Because the table you set this week might be the reason they come to see the empty tomb on Easter Sunday.
We don't just go to the nations.
We go to the neighbors.
Amen.
So church, would you stand with me?
Would you open your doors Would you open your lives and would you join me in going into our neighborhoods and encouraging people to come in?
Would you bow your heads just for a moment?
We've been singing this song about I'll go where I'm sent.
And as your heads are bowed, I just want to ask you a sincere question.
Are you willing to go where God sends you?
If you are, would you just raise your hand and say, Pastor, that's me.
I will go wherever it is that you send me.
You can put your hands down.
Prayer partners, if you'd come forward, we want to make the altars available for you this morning.
If you have a prayer request or a need of any kind, they will be available.
If you just need some courage this week, the prayer partners are available for you too.
Would you join us in singing this song as a dedication of what we're going to do for the next couple of weeks in preparation for Easter, right?
Right here at Oxford Assembly of God.
Blog Post
The Power of Hospitality in Everyday Evangelism
It's easy to get excited about mission work happening across the globe. Stories of lives being changed in Kenya or Southeast Asia inspire us and make us want to participate in the Great Commission. But there's a challenge many believers face: it's often easier to be passionate about reaching people halfway around the world than it is to talk to the person living next door.
The same gospel that works in distant nations works in your kitchen. If it's getting people saved overseas, it should be getting people saved in your neighborhood too. The question is: are we using the most powerful evangelism strategy available to us?
A Biblical Foundation for Radical Welcome
The story of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9 provides a stunning picture of what true hospitality looks like. King David asked an unexpected question: "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness?" This was unusual because kings typically eliminated all descendants of previous rulers to protect their throne.
Mephibosheth was a descendant of Saul who had been crippled in both feet as a child. He was hiding in a place called Lodebar, which literally means "no pasture"—a place with no provision, no future, no hope. When summoned by the king, he probably expected execution. Instead, David restored all his grandfather's property and declared, "You will always eat at my table."
This transformed Mephibosheth's identity completely. He went from seeing himself as lower than a dead dog to being treated like one of the king's own sons. This is the heart of the gospel: life transformation. God doesn't tell us to clean ourselves up first. He says, "Take a seat at my table."
Jesus and the Hospitality Strategy
Jesus modeled this same radical welcome throughout His ministry. He never stood on a soapbox calling people names or condemning sinners from a distance. Instead, His approach was consistently welcoming and filled with grace.
Jesus sat down and ate with the very people the religious leaders rejected. He welcomed outsiders and challenged His disciples to invite the lowly to their dinner parties. When over 5,000 people gathered to hear Him teach and grew hungry, He told His disciples, "You give them something to eat." During the last week of His life, wanting to show His disciples the full extent of His love, He washed their feet—an extreme act of hospitality and service.
Even now, Jesus is preparing a place and a meal for the biggest dinner party the world has ever seen. But biblical hospitality is more than just a future celebration—it's a present-day strategy for reaching people with the gospel.
Three Levels of Hospitality
There are different levels of hospitality, and understanding them helps us move toward true gospel-centered welcome.
Level one is entertainment. This is the HGTV or Martha Stewart version where everything must be perfect. You vacuum frantically, set the table just right, and stuff everything you don't want people to see into a back room. By the time guests arrive, you're exhausted, and the whole evening becomes about maintaining an illusion rather than connecting with people. Entertainment is about the host—impressing people and showcasing your home. There's nothing wrong with excellence, but this isn't the goal.
Level two is fellowship. Here the motive is sharing your home with friends and family. This is good and biblical. The author of Hebrews says, "Keep on loving one another as brothers." Small groups and connect groups fall into this category, and they should be celebrated. But here's the challenge: if all your meals are with Christians, are you still living the Great Commission?
Level three is evangelism. Hebrews 13:2 says, "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers." The Greek word used here literally means "love of strangers." While the world tells us to avoid and fear strangers, hospitality replaces fear with a fork and a plate. It says, "Come on in. Join me." This doesn't mean being unsafe or unwise—it means being intentional about relationships and seeing people not as interruptions but as opportunities.
Turning Tables Into Altars
Biblical hospitality means treating those who are not your friends and family as though they are. It's opening your home to those who aren't entitled to the blessings of that home.
In the early church, long before church buildings existed, believers met in homes. That's where they studied the Bible, prayed together, and counseled one another. The table became the family altar. The table was where people got saved and where transformation happened.
To turn your table into an altar today, hospitality must be practiced. Romans 12:13 simply says, "Practice hospitality." Not just talk about it or admire others who do it—actually do it. This means making space in your life and schedule for people. If your evenings are packed and your life is closed, there's no room for this kind of ministry.
At least once a month, consider opening your home so God can do something supernatural. Jesus' life was constantly interrupted, and He treated those interruptions as divine moments. If you don't allow people to interrupt your life, you're probably not living on mission.
Overcoming Common Excuses
People make excuses for not practicing hospitality. Some say their house isn't big enough, promising to invite people over "when we get the new house." But people aren't looking for the perfect house—they're looking for connection.
Others claim hospitality isn't their spiritual gift. Here's the truth: hospitality is not a spiritual gift; it's a spiritual command. The Scripture says to offer hospitality, practice hospitality, do hospitality, and show hospitality.
Some worry that people won't come over. But most people are curious and want connection—they'll come. Others say it makes them uncomfortable. The question is: what are you willing to do for the gospel? Who cares if your house is smaller or bigger than someone else's? People judged Jesus too, and they nailed Him to a cross.
The Supernatural Power of a Shared Meal
Biblical hospitality is about more than social interaction—it's supernatural. God can use your obedience in inviting someone into your house to create a Jesus moment, a divine encounter. Conversations can turn into something special without you forcing it or preparing a three-point message. You don't need an altar call. Just be real, be authentic, and have a conversation with another human being.
The most powerful evangelism strategy might not be a Sunday service—it might be a dinner at your house. People don't usually get saved only in the sanctuary when the pastor gives an altar call. They often get saved at someone's house, in someone's car, at a restaurant, or in the park.
Easter Sunday can be the culmination of what's already happened in someone's life. When they raise their hand, it's because they're affirming they recently got saved. When they walk to the front, they've already had conversations with you. You've already discipled them for months around your table, and they're ready to fully commit.
Your Mephibosheth is Waiting
There are people in your life right now who feel like dead dogs. They're living in a place of no pasture, no provision, no future, no hope. They're lonely, hurting, and hiding—and they might live right next door to you.
Who is your Mephibosheth? This week, add an extra chair to your table. Turn your porch light on. The table you set this week might be the reason someone comes to see the empty tomb on Easter Sunday.
The call isn't just to go to the nations—it's to go to the neighbors. Open your doors, open your lives, and invite people into your neighborhoods. The miracle isn't just that people can be forgiven; it's that there's a chair made available for them at your table.
