Sunday Inspiration: Sunday, June 8, 2024
Acts 16: 11 - 15
Conversion of Lydia and The Gift of Hospitality
For the past week, children in our community have dived below the surface to build a strong faith. They have been deep in bible adventures, crafts, and songs, learning God’s love for them and the world. The children discovered God was real by reading the prophet Elijah's story on day one. On day two, they read about God showing compassion to the people of Nineveh by sending Jonah to speak to them. On day three, they learned that God is a trustworthy friend. The lesson for this day was Jesus calming the storm. On day four, they heard the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection and discovered God as a friend who provided us with a forever home. And finally, on day five, we were challenged to take God’s message into the world because God is a friend to everyone. The biblical story for day five was the story of Lydia from the book of Acts.
For the parents and grandparents who dropped off children daily, listened to their stories, and asked engaging questions on the drive home, thank you for allowing us to share the gospel with your children. For the over one hundred volunteers who committed time to teaching and loving and laughing with each child, thank you for your commitment and dedication to serving. And for the entire Gainesville First United Methodist Church congregation, thank you for the prayers and financial commitment to Vacation Bible School. It costs around $10,000.00 to pull off a Vacation Bible School that reaches around three hundred children. If you would like to go ahead and allocate funding for next year’s program, please reach out to Jessica McKee in the financial office, and we can mark the funding for VBS 2025.
In Matthew 19:14, Jesus says, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” I envision a day when three hundred children don’t just show up the week of VBS to hear the Good News of God’s love for them; every Sunday, our halls are filled with the laughter and love of three hundred children eager to worship and grow in their faith.
For this to be a reality, we must understand what it means to have open doors and practice radical hospitality.
Preacher and storyteller Fred Craddock tells of the time he was a young preacher in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. At the time, Oak Ridge was growing fast, and many newcomers, including many children, lived in a mobile home near the church.
Fred saw this as a moment to reach new people and invite them to the church. He was challenging the church to make this central to their outreach efforts. So, at the next board meeting, Rev. Craddock presented a plan to reach out to the newcomers. The board chairman said, “Oh, I don’t know. They might not fit in well here.” Fred insisted, “But I think we must invite them to church.” The board resisted. They decided to table the issue and bring it up at the next meeting. When the next meeting rolled around, the board members had a plan. At that meeting, a member stood up and said, “I move that in order to be a member of this church, you have to own property in the county.” “The motion was seconded immediately. And the motion passed. Soon after, Fred left the church.
Twenty years later, Fred and his wife drove past Oak Ridge on a trip through Tennessee and decided to drive by the church. As they found the spot, the beautiful white-framed church was still standing. Lots of new roads and homes had been built in the area. But the sign in front of the church was different. It read, “BBQ: All You Can Eat.” The parking lot was filled with cars, trucks, and motorcycles. It was now a restaurant. Fred and his wife went inside, and the place was packed with all sorts of people - white, black, and Hispanic. Rich and poor, Southerners and Northerners. Fred told his wife, “It’s a good thing this isn’t a church. If it were, these people would not be allowed in.”
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where the outcome differed from what you expected? Have you ever questioned, “Lord, is this really what you want me to do?” If we could have a one-on-one conversation with the Apostle Paul around chapter 16 in the book of Acts, we might hear him express similar thoughts.
Paul was trying to preach the gospel, and we are told that God resisted him twice. Finally, one night, a man came to Paul in a vision, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” So, Paul and his companions set sail across the Aegean Sea and landed on European soil. As was his custom, on the Sabbath, Paul went looking for a synagogue to share the gospel. Not finding one, he went outside the city gate by the river, where a group of women had gathered to pray.
Paul speaks. Lydia listens. The Lord opens her heart. She receives the message of Jesus’ love, demonstrated through his life, death, and resurrection, and she and her household are baptized. A man appears to Paul in a vision. And yet, it is a woman that Paul would meet first. Lydia becomes the first European convert.
Paul opened her mind through the preaching of the gospel. God opened her heart to what she heard. And Lydia opened her doors so that more people would hear the gospel. Her salvation led to her hospitality.
It was the home of Lydia where Paul and Silas found themselves after the Lord opened the prison doors. Lydia’s hospitality created a place of refuge. Her hospitality was an open door for the gospel to be proclaimed and be spread throughout the world. Years later, it would be the community she opened her home to in Phillippi that Paul would address his letter to the Philippians and say, “I thank my God for every remembrance of you, always in every one of my prayers for all of you, praying with joy for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1: 3 - 6). Paul would always consider this community a partner in his ministry because of their hospitality.
When Lydia told Paul, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home,” she was taking a risk. She was inviting herself to be open to ridicule. As a woman of wealth, she was taking a risk to her bottom line. Paul and his companions come into town preaching a message contrary to the religion practiced by most Philippians, a foreign religion, a story of a dead man who came back alive and is now inviting men and women into a new way of seeing the world. Lydia was a Gentile outsider trying to make sense of the Jewish belief in God, and Paul declares to her that this Jewish messiah who lived, died, and resurrected was now the true God and one to be followed. Her worldview was being turned upside down. And she accepted the message, was baptized, and gave space in her home and life for this message to continue to spread among the people.
Where is God calling you to be hospitable today? Where is God calling you to open your life and heart to the gospel and create space for the Good News to spread? How can you practice hospitality today?
Once upon a time, there were two pigeons, a husband and wife. The husband would spend his day looking for food, and the wife would prepare for the meal when he returned in the evening. One rainy evening, the husband returned home late, and the wife began to worry. Just as she was about to look for him, she saw a bird-catcher approaching her. In his cage, he had her husband pigeon. The bird-catcher sat under her tree. His clothes were wet, and he was cold. As the rain stopped, the wife pigeon sat beside the cage that held her husband, and she cried. The husband said, “Don’t be sad, dear. We now have a guest. This man is cold and hungry. He needs your help.”
On hearing this, she got to work collecting dry twigs and leaves and made a fire for the bird-catcher to get warm and dry himself. Since she had no food to offer, she told the man, “I will fly into the fire, and I will become your meal for the night.” The man so moved by her hospitality stopped her from flying into the fire and then suddenly opened the door to let her husband pigeon free.” He said, “I have been cruel and selfish. I will change my ways; from now on, I won’t put birds in cages.” Radical hospitality has the power to open prison doors and set people free.
When people meet you, do they say, “She makes me feel at home?” Do they say, “He makes me feel welcomed?”
Jesus performed the ultimate act of hospitality. He opened his arms on the cross to welcome us into His kingdom. Jesus took the risk of opening the kingdom of God to a sinner like me. Jesus has welcomed you? What is keeping you from welcoming others? What is holding you back from being the type of person where the Gospel is encountered, and lives are changed?
If you are ready, I invite you to pray this morning to commit to being a person grounded in hospitality and ask the Lord to change your heart.
Hospitality has the power to transform lives and communities. Together, we can build a community where the gospel is encountered, and lives are changed. Let us commit to this mission with open hearts and open doors.
Jamey
Discussion Questions
How can we encourage and support children's faith journeys in our community beyond Vacation Bible School? How can we create an environment that fosters continuous spiritual growth for them?
Considering the resistance Paul faced before his vision of the man from Macedonia, have you ever felt God redirecting your path? How did you respond, and what was the outcome?
Reflecting on Lydia's hospitality story, how can we practice radical hospitality in our lives and church community? What steps can we take to ensure everyone feels welcomed and valued?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You today with hearts full of gratitude for our children's incredible journey this past week. Through Bible adventures, crafts, and songs, they have delved deep into Your love and discovered the richness of faith.
Lord, we are grateful for the parents and grandparents who faithfully brought their children each day, their eagerness to hear about their experiences, and their willingness to nurture these seeds of faith at home. We thank You for the over one hundred volunteers who dedicated their time, love, and energy to make this Vacation Bible School a success. Their commitment has truly reflected Your love.
We also thank the entire congregation of Gainesville First United Methodist Church for their prayers, which provided spiritual support, and their financial contributions, which made it possible for nearly three hundred children to experience Your love in such a profound way.
Lord, we envision a future where our halls are filled every Sunday with the laughter and joy of children eager to worship and grow in their faith. We understand that for this vision to become a reality, we must embrace open doors and practice radical hospitality.
Lord, we commit ourselves to being grounded in hospitality. We ask You to change our hearts and make us people who welcome others with open arms, just as Jesus welcomed us. Let us be known for our warmth and love so that others may encounter the Gospel and experience life-changing transformation through us.
May Your Holy Spirit empower us to build a community where the Gospel is heard and lived out daily. We commit to this mission with open hearts and open doors, trusting that You will continue to work through us to complete the good work You have begun.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Benediction
Go forth with the courage to welcome others, the grace to extend compassion, and the faith to trust God’s promises. Let us be a congregation where children's laughter and the Gospel's joy are ever-present, transforming lives and spreading God’s love.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Amen.
Share On Social Media
Hospitality has the power to transform lives. Jesus welcomed us with open arms; let's do the same for others. Together, we can build a community where the Gospel is encountered, and lives are changed. #RadicalHospitality #CommunityOfFaith
Paul's vision led him to Lydia, whose open heart and home helped spread the Gospel. Where is God calling you to be hospitable today? #Acts16 #OpenDoors #GospelMission
If you want to financially support VBS 2025, click this link and put “VBS 2025” in the memo. Thank you for your generosity.