Reflection
Be Our Guest

Reflecting on Our Welcome Ministry

Sunday August 13, 2023 - Pastor Richard Reaves

Psalm 13

INTRODUCTION

Today: Reflecting on Our Welcome Ministry

Reminded me of a song from this movie- Beauty and the Beast
We want our Greeting Ministry to reflect the words to the song:

"Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to the test..."

How well do churches do this today?

So, here's our Big Question:

What kind of experience do you want first-time guests to have at SCFBC?

A Biblical Example

Welcoming others who are outside is something Jesus did a lot.

Read Mark 10:13-14

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

Why did the disciples want to prevent the children from coming to Jesus? Because they weren't worth much. D.A. Carlson comments about the status of children in that day,

"They were thought in some ways to be negligible members of society: their place was to learn, to be respectful, to listen."

Jesus rebukes this kind of thinking. Michael Wilkins has written,

"The community of disciples sees in Jesus' actions a picture of how it must overcome the irritation of those first disciples and devote itself to the spiritual and physical care not only of children, but of all those who are helpless, hurting, and marginalized."

The Biblical Teaching- Psalm 23

One of the greatest examples of Biblical teaching on hospitality is found unexpectantly in Psalm 23.

We often think of this psalm revealing God as The Good Shepherd.

But, look at verse 5. In the NIV we read:

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

But, in the CEV we see a deeper meaning

You treat me to a feast,
while my enemies watch.
You honor me as your guest,
and you fill my cup until it overflows.

Also in the Good News version

You prepare a banquet for me,
where all my enemies can see me;
you welcome me as an honored guest
and fill my cup to the brim.

Also in the NLT

You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.

From verse 5 onward the metaphor changes from God being the Good Shepherd to God being the Gracious Host who treats us as an Honored Guest.

The psalmist was proclaiming a great truth- We are all the honored guests in God's house.

This needs to be the message we communicate to everyone who walks through our doors. How well we communicate to them speaks volumes concerning how we treat each other.

If we extend ourselves to the newcomer,

1. We demonstrate that all people are of great worth before they do anything for us.
2. Life is full of grace.
3. You are considered worthy before you do anything.
4. We live grace-filled lives.

If we withhold our attention from the newcomer,

1. We demonstrate all people are of worth only if they can give something to us.
2. Life is transactional.
3. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
4. We live performance-based lives.

It all starts with God

If we believe God has honored us, we can honor others. If we believe God notices us, we can notice others. If we believe God reaches out to us, we can reach out to others.

How well are we doing?

1. From September 1, 2022 to last Sunday, we were able to identify 88 total first time guests to our worship services.
2. By the end of that same time period, we have seen 22 of them become regular attenders to our worship services.
3. That's 22.7%
4. According to Dr. Bill Hoyt our church consultant for many years, a church displaying effectiveness in ministry/mission is averaging 30% becoming regular attenders.

We are doing good AND we can do better.

Specific Steps to extend God's grace to our guests

1. Notice them
2. Smile at them
3. Move towards them and engage in conversation
4. Sample questions
5. Offer to sit with them in worship or at our Grill
6. Closing Testimony by Mizuho Yamamoto

This is the motivation for us all. To bring joy into the life of others as God has brought His joy into us.

This world is so hard on us. But here, we find the great love of God.

And so, our goal for every person who has entered through our doors is for them to say: "Today I have been loved."