Transcript
The end of the grand redemptive story will be God opening His home to us. "In my Father's house are many rooms and I go to prepare a place for you." That's Jesus' words, Jesus' promise to his disciples. Now, why would Jesus make that promise? Of all the pictures that He could use, of all the illustrations that are possible, why would He say, "You got to know this, that because of my grace, God is going to open the doors of His house to you and He's prepared a room for you"?
The Desire to Be Welcomed
Because deep in the heart of every human being is the desire to be accepted, the desire to be loved, the desire to be welcomed into the dwelling of places who would love me, who would care for me. You know it's true you feel good when somebody invites you into their private space, says they want to spend time with you. Hospitality is a powerful thing. It targets a deep desire in the heart of every human being.
Now, here's my advice. My counsel is that you would make your home the most hospitable place on your block. Moms, quit worrying about your couch, quit worrying about your rug, quit worrying about your knick-knacks. Don't love your physical stuff more than you love your kids and more than you love your neighbors.
If you're hospitable, if you make your home an open place, your rug will get stained, your couch will probably get broken, but that brokenness and those stains will live to the glory of God. Praise Jesus for a house that's worn because it's been hospitable.
One of the best decisions Luella I ever made was to build a half-pipe in our backyard. I'm talking skateboarding here. It was a day when there weren't many half pipes and we built that half pipe in our backyard. Our entire backyard was wood. We told our frightened neighbors that the boys wouldn't skate there before 10 o'clock in the morning[and] after eight o'clock at night.
A Skateboard Ramp That Brought the Neighborhood
But that brought hordes of young men onto our turf. Because it was a dangerous ramp, we had to get an insurance release form from all of the boys, from their parents and so, we met the parents as well. There'd be times where on a Saturday, we'd go out and buy hamburger make hamburgers for all the boys.
There were times when there was chaos out there and I'd have to go and sit the guys down, and talk to them about what was going on and solve some conflicts. But those were wonderful, wonderful days. I've had more than one occasion where a now grown man stops me on the street, calls my name and comes over and says, "Mr. Tripp, my name is so and so, and I'm so thankful for what you did for us. I skated your ramp."
You've got to think of your home with eternal eyes. How about being part of the hospitality that your Heavenly Father has and will extend to you? How about extending that hospitality to your neighbors? "In my Father's house, there are lots of rooms and guess what? I'm going," Jesus is saying, "to prepare a place for you." How about being part of that agenda in your neighborhood?
