This morning our scripture comes from the book of Romans chapter 12 verses 9 through 21 It's a conclusion to our 2026 beginning series sermon series new year same mission 2026 is a new year for us here at first Methodist Monroe and in our community and world But we are operating under the same mission here at first Methodist Monroe, which is becoming people of Christ What does it look like for us as a church family and we together as followers of Jesus to become more like Jesus every day? That's our mission here at first Methodist We share it with you as we worship together this morning So here the word of the Lord for Romans chapter 12 as we talk about what it means to practice radical hospitality Love must be sincere hate what is evil cling to what is good be devoted to one another in love honor one another above yourselves Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord be joyful in hope patient and affliction faithful in prayer Share with the Lord's people who are in need practice hospitality Bless those who persecute you bless and do not curse rejoice with those who rejoice more than with those who mourn live in harmony With one another do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position Do not be conceited do not repay anyone evil for evil be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone If it is possible as far as it depends on you live at peace with everyone do not take revenge My dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath for it is written in his mind to avenge I will repay says the Lord on the contrary if your enemy is hungry feed them If he is thirsty give him something to drink and doing this you will keep burning cold on his head Do not be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God What a joy it is to bring the word of God to you the people of God into us together as we celebrate becoming people of Christ here First Methodist Monroe as I said as we started reading scripture together becoming people of Christ is our mission And this is a new year But we continue to operate under the same mission of what it means to become more like Jesus every day God's word says that we should be Imitators of Christ Jesus our Lord So what does it look like for us to follow Jesus so closely that we begin to imitate his love his grace his mercy his self Sacrifice for Jesus said it's it's better for us to serve than to be served And so I pray that this time is uplifting as we think about what it means to fulfill the mission of God the following Jesus Christ Well, and when I was growing up as a kid, I loved plum trees I love plums whether they were wild plums or those thick luscious plums that you grow from trees that are in our front or backyards I remember when we moved into a new house in Rustin where I had the privilege of serving a number of years ago We planted one of those trees We got a graph from my parents yard and we planted it in our front yard And and we watched it grow and we looked forward to the day when we would have fruit from the tree I remember it year after year watching the tree bloom, but then also never seeing any plums on the tree finally I asked a county agent there in Rustin. I said hey, I've got I've got a plum tree that won't produce any fruit What's going on?
He said well, do you have two plum trees? And I said no, I just have I just have one I just got one tree It's grown to be this beautiful tree, but it's but it's not producing any fruit He said well, well, Brian didn't you didn't you graduate from agriculture and Ellis? You I said yes, sir He said well certainly you learned somewhere along the way that you've got to have two trees to pollinate one another and I said Oh my goodness, there it is We planted a second tree and and we began to see much fruit from these plum trees I began our time together of what it means to become people of Christ So that we would know that that it takes us together as the church to fulfill the mission of Jesus Christ And becoming people of Christ is all about us together Varing fruit together and we're not called to do that alone. The very first words of God's creation Begin with in the beginning God created and he created all of the wonderful things of this earth the verge of the air the fish of the sea The moon and the stars and the sun I could go on and on his greatest creation though according to Genesis chapter one is humanity Genesis one says let us make mankind in our own image in the image of God.
He created us mail in female He created us he called us as his great creation very good And Genesis chapter two we learn that God said it's not good for man to be alone And so he created woman But also we can use that as a way to say it's not good for us to be alone today 2026 and it's certainly not God's intention for us to accomplish all that he wants for us in this world bringing that kingdom Come that will be done on earth as it is in heaven takes all of us It takes us together becoming people of Christ We can't just plant one of us in the world and try to accomplish God's mission It really just does take not just two of us like the plum trees But it takes many of us to bring that kingdom come that will be done to this earth as it is in heaven As what we say in the Lord's prayer every week together So what does it mean for us to bring God's kingdom to this world to be those who bear much fruit in this world? It means that we must become people of Christ together Becoming people of Christ our mission is most beautifully brought forth when we practice hospitality I like to say here in this sanctuary nearly every Sunday that we want to invite people to our church who become they might come in The doors of the sanctuary or are here on our campus as strangers But it is our goal for them to be strangers no longer when you leave this campus and part of the way much of the way We do that as we practice hospitality much what is said here to the church in Rome by Paul the apostle who wrote the book of Romans I love how this passage begins love must be sincere When you practice radical hospitality you practice it from the heart you practice it from a deep sense of calling You practice it from believing and from knowing that Jesus is Lord and Savior and so so I want to begin this this message by Really? Contrasting what it means to be friendly what it means to maybe welcome people with with the world's hospitality And what it means to practice radical hospitality, which is the hospitality of Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior a number of years ago Took my family me and Shelly Nick Laney and Blake the family of five and we went to a faraway kingdom We anticipated this this trip for months ahead All of our kids were excited about the different things that they would want to do in this faraway Kingdom Finally the day and the week came for us to go to this faraway Kingdom and we landed and we entered this magical Kingdom Of course, you've probably already guessed by now. We were at Disney World Disney World is known to be one of the friendliest places on Earth and they major on hospitality If you've ever been there before from the moment you arrive on their campus So whether it's Epcot or whether it's Magic Kingdom or whether it's the the wild Kingdom the with the different theme parks You are greeted with hospitality the friendliest some people say place on Earth as a matter of fact There's there's actually a recent in the scheme of Magic Kingdom.
There's a recent Character and story you might you might know the story Beauty and the Beast we're in the middle of that movie that story About a beast who falls in love with this girl Who ends up coming into the castle and finding him this beastly character The one of the most beloved scenes in that movie is all about hospitality You might have heard this did he before that begins like this be our guest be our guest put our service to the test tire napkin round your neck and we provide the rest Soop du jour or deserves while we only live to serve try the gray stuff. It's delicious Don't believe me as the dishes they can sing they can dance after all miss this is France and a dinner here is never second best Go on unfold your menu take a glance and then you'll be our guest be our guest be our guest I bet you didn't expect to hear that this morning as you're a hodled around whatever device you're watching or worshiping with us Own but that's kind of the world's way of providing hospitality be our guest. I think it's a great song I think it's a great movie. It's one of my favorite Disney movies However, I want to contrast the difference between being our guest and practicing radical hospitality You see be our guest has I guess for the world Maybe a deeper meaning which means be a guest in my home and what it means to practice hospitality is is not to be guest But to truly be at home to become a part of the family and as we read through again Romans 12 Starting with verse 9 love must be sincere hate what is evil cling to what is good be devoted to one another in love Honor one another above yourselves never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord be joyful and hope patient In affliction faithful and prayer share with the Lord's people who are in need practice hospitality As we read Paul's encouraging words to the church in Rome of how to be faithful followers of Jesus It's not about being guests, but it's about being at home with the Lord.
It's about being incorporated into the family of God It's about not being a stranger or a servant or a guest But being a part of the family of God and that's the difference I believe between the world's hospitality culture's hospitality and what it means to become people of Christ and to practice radical hospitality This term radical hospitality was really corned by coined by a Methodist preacher named Robert Snazzy He's a Methodist preacher and a bishop in the Methodist church and Bishop Robert Snazzy came up with five faithful practices of fruitful congregations and and thinking back to the to the plum tree analogy Snazzy talked about what it meant to be a fruitful church what it meant to be a fruitful people He said that as he surveyed effective in fruitful churches all over the country and world He's noticed five ways that churches are fruitful and effective Radical hospitality passionate worship intentional faith development risk taking mission and service and extravagant generosity And so of course as I was praying through how to communicate becoming people of Christ in this fourth week of what it means to practice Radical hospitality. I kept thinking about Bishop Snazzy's words as he points us to the truth that we're called not to be guests in God's house But to be at home to be a part of the family of God Bishop Snazzy said this once our mission becomes practical and purposeful it becomes memorable and achievable Think about that with me for a moment once our mission becoming people of Christ becomes practical and purposeful It becomes memorable and achievable and and I believe here at First Methodist Monroe one of the many ways that we've been able to bear fruit And the life of the church over the last several years is because we practice radical hospitality Our goal is to fulfill the mission of Jesus Christ to make disciples to baptize new believers to help people grow in their faith through intentional faith development But it really does begin with practicing radical hospitality What I love about this church is that we never seem to be content with where we are I see us constantly seeking the next step in following Christ and our mission of becoming people of Christ I enjoy this fervor of a congregation who continues to say how can we be more faithful in the way we follow Christ serve Christ and how we can be Christ To all of the world specifically northeast Louisiana Radical hospitality it helps us achieve John chapter 15 chapter verse 8 This is to my father's glory that you bear much fruit showing yourselves to be my disciples Jesus encourages us in verse 16 of the gospel of John chapter 15 You did not choose me, but I chose you and I appointed you to go into bear fruit fruit that will last then the father will give whatever you ask in my name This time of learning together and practicing radical hospitality is about what it means for us to believe that we can But come people of Christ together and we can practice not the world's hospitality that says come and be our guest But but God's radical hospitality and being sincere in our love and serving one another and believing that that this is a you And me thing this is a church thing. This is a God thing of practicing radical hospitality So that those who might come to a church or come on our campus or become a part of a church family They're strangers no longer, but they are sons and daughters. We are sons and daughters of the most high God So I want to begin by seeking what is radical hospitality?
My first saying that radical hospitality is most definitely a God thing as we read here in the book of Romans chapter 12 God says through the apostle Paul that following his son our Savior Jesus is all about doing that from the heart You know Jesus said in the gospels that about the Pharisees the religious leaders the Jews who did not accept him as the Savior of the world He said they obey me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me That truly following Jesus is all about doing so from the heart. Yes, we should then have right actions But too often in the church we see ourselves in the other way We think that in order to come to a church like this we have to have right actions first But the truth is is that if you follow the life of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew Martin Martin John You see that that Jesus went to those who actually had a lot of wrong actions who were attacks collectors sinners prostitutes who were liars and cheaters He actually called all of these disciples together who were pretty broken He didn't start with those who had right actions He started with those who had open hearts And I got to say that if we really want to practice radical hospitality If we really want to have a love that is sincere so that all of those in this community who might come on to our campus Would not be strangers any longer through practicing radical hospitality becoming people of Christ then we first have to have right hearts Open hearts and that is how Paul begins this word that we're hearing from that love must be sincere that we must hate What is evil and we must cling to what is good? He finishes this section of scripture by saying again do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good I want to place before you that that practicing radical hospitality is a god thing And it places before us this opportunity to be the church to be Jesus to the world by allowing our hearts to lead first Not our right actions. Why do I emphasize this as first because radical hospitality comes from the heart of God through Jesus We remember the words of Jesus and Matthew chapter 25 Verse 42 says for I was hungry and you gave me something nothing to eat I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink I was a stranger and you did not invite me in I need to close and you did not close me I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me in other words Jesus is saying that if you don't have a right heart then you'll just invite people to be your guest and When the rubber meets the road we sometimes say you invite them maybe to go somewhere else But contrary to Matthew 25 42 Jesus goes on to say to those who have the right heart of practicing radical hospitality and following Jesus our Savior and Lord he says for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink I was a stranger and you invited me in I need to close and you clog me I was sick and in prison and you came to look after me and and the servant replies in Matthew 25 according to Jesus's words When did that happen when did I see you hungry or thirsty or or naked or in prison and visit you?
Jesus says when you did it to the least of ease you did it to me I hope we can pair that with with where it says here that that we should we should attend to those who have lower position That we should keep our spiritual fervor That we should be not lacking in zeal but patient and affliction faithful and hope That we should live in harmony with one another but we should be willing to associate with people of low position That as far as it depends on you and me as followers of Jesus that we should live at peace with everyone The truth is is that Romans chapter 12 derives a lot Paul the Apostle derives a lot of this language from the gospel of Matthew chapter 25 where Jesus instructs us how to be faithful sheep and not those goats who are thrown into the eternal fire For practicing radical hospitality is first and foremost. It's a holy God thing It's what it means to emulate the life of Jesus and to live out of what it means to be Jesus followers to the world It continues to wreck my heart and my brain and my life often when I say the words the body of Christ You know the body of Christ and Church lingo is is a synonym for the church It's a synonym for what it means to be a Christian to be the body of Christ What wrecks my heart my mind and my life sometimes is that to be mindful that that we are Jesus to the world He might have heard before we we may be the church anybody ever goes to and we might be the only Bible someone ever reads And so we are we are Jesus to the world and so how do we feed those who are hungry? How do we quench the thirst of those who are thirsty? How do we clothe those who need clothes?
How do we invite strangers in so that their strangers no longer? How do we visit those who are neighbors and friends who are oppressed or in prison? First we do that from right hearts We do that from realizing that God intends for us to practice not the world's hospitality be our guest But but a godly hospitality that is radical that that seems to go beyond and seek after those who need to hear the good news Of the gospel of Jesus Christ and so first and foremost radical hospitality is a holy God thing and and then also radical hospitality is a church thing It's something that should always have us pointed outward and not inward I've said my whole life beginning in youth ministry. I don't want us to be a holy huddle But I want us to be those who when we form a circle we're not looking inward, but we're literally are looking outward Outward in the world and how can we serve the world?
How can we feed and clothe and quench the thirst? How can we be Jesus to the world? I love the practice that we had in my youth ministry days at the end of our our youth time On Sunday nights usually we would pass around a candle the Christ candle We would share those prayer concerns that we had together and then we would lock arms crossing our arms together And we would say numbers chapter 6 the methods been a youth benediction May the Lord bless you and may keep you may the Lord make his face He shine upon you and be gracious unto you may the Lord lift up his countenance is very presence upon you and give you peace We would have this the number six may all that we have and all that we are maybe offer to Christ into a service And then when all of us linking hands this way we would in one accord and unison together turn our bodies to do this And of course we were then not facing one another But we were facing the world and symbolically what we were doing together was saying Let us take what we've learned in here to the world out there So that as we left that time of learning from the heart of God following Jesus in his teachings We were ever mindful that that its purpose was so that we could take the love of Jesus out into the world That is not just a church thing, but it's a following Christ thing It's core in what it means to become people of Christ and if we're gonna be the church to the world Then then we have to allow our posture to turn outward to the world This fruitful practice of faithful churches is really all about how do we view the world? How do we view the world as a friend not an enemy?
How do we view as the church? Becoming people of Christ that the world is our parish one of John Wesley's great phrases That the truth is is that the world is an opportunity to bring God's Kingdom From heaven to earth and that we don't have to wait for the pearly gates or the streets of gold But but we really can bring the love of God to this world. It begins. I believe by practicing God's hospitality radical hospitality It's a God thing.
It's that is hard and core and it is a church thing and we must erase as much as possible this cliché or this misnomer of the church that that we're just a bunch of hypocrites who judge and and who look down and who say you have to Talk a certain way and dress a certain way and act a certain way to come in our doors know Following the life of Jesus We're called to turn out into the world as the church and to allow the heart of God to be seen and experienced by our broken hearts Helping people know that the mission of becoming people of Christ begins with practicing radical hospitality. That's right radical hospitality is a God thing Radical hospitality is a is a church thing and radical hospitality is most definitely a million you think if we want to win this world for Jesus Christ Then we have to emit Immulate a love that is genuine and sincere. I Remember my ministry and then springs a number of years ago. We would have Sunday night youth I was in my very early 20s and we'd have Sunday night youth and and there was a good group of teenagers who would come from all of Livingston Parish there in Duns Springs and and we would finish youth and and as Happensance would have it there was a new coffee shop that had just opened not far from the church called the whistle stop on the train tracks And Duns Springs, Louisiana and we would finish youth and and we began to walk to the coffee shop nearly every Sunday night and feel that place and quite frankly Overwhelmed that place with a lot of customers and rowdy teenagers I tell the story because on the way from the church to the whistle stop cafe.
We pass this blue bright blue Shotgun house every Sunday evening It just so happened that there was the owner of that house miss Alice on the front porch every single Sunday night Was we'd walk at first the first couple of weeks we wave at Miss Alice and then and then eventually some of the girls from our youth Ministry started going up to Miss Alice and asking Miss Alice's name and then we began to learn a little bit about Miss Alice's past and Why she lived why she lived where she lived and and the girls began to notice a couple of things that were missing number one They said you know Miss Alice doesn't have a car And then they began to notice that sometimes Miss Alice didn't have electricity It became after months and months of going from the church To the whistle stop and seeing Miss Alice it became our youth ministries mission to meet all the needs the core essential needs of Miss Alice One of the sweetest parts of that story was after we got to know Miss Alice invited her of course to become a part of our church Stopping by to see her at her house. Are you finished or begin to notice that Miss Alice was not drinking her ensure? Some of the proteins and nourishment that that she needed as someone who was up in age Finally one of the youth began to ask Miss Alice. Why aren't you drinking your insurance?
She began to say you know I just can't afford it's so expensive after hearing that it became The purpose of our offering every Sunday night in our youth ministry to buy I think it was $60 a month worth of ensure for Miss Alice Every single month Practicing radical hospitality is not just a God thing. It's not just a church thing, but it is a you and me think It brings us to the point of of seeing a need and meeting a need You know this weekend with all of us being affected by this ice storm I'm sure that there are neighbors of yours and of mine who have a need right now Maybe their electricity is off and your electricity is on maybe they are lacking in a hot meal and you have a hot meal Maybe you just have enough water and and they need some water. How will we know? Unless we go and and pass by their house Just like our youth passed by Miss Alice's house The truth of this passage is that that we will be radical in our hospitality when we begin to have love that is sincere For the world We begin to turn outward instead of living inward when we begin to see our mission as It's not just singing songs or reading scripture in a beautiful house that was made for God But how we can begin to live out our faith and believe that the hospitality that is becoming people of Christ is Every one of us think My prayer is is that that we would not just be nice and kind to people So that they would believe that we're good people my prayer is is that we would begin to like Paul instructed the church in Rome To be sincere in our love to hate what is evil and to love and clean to what is good to not repay evil For evil but to offer the goodness of God to the world For that is God's heart.
It is most definitely the call of what it means to become people of Christ That we would show the love of God to This world so that they might become the people of God not not just guests But children are the most high God my prayer is is as we begin this new year That we would together have the same mission to become more like Jesus every day you can start that in your own life By practicing radical hospitality right now today You can start that in your own life by by passionately works your been God and say no God greater you God There is no one like you God you can be intentional in your faith development by studying God's word and allowing God's word To become a lamp into your feet and light into your path you can begin to be risky and risk taking mission and service And to go beyond your own front porch To your neighbors and friends and you can be extravagant in your generosity to others. We want to really become more like Jesus Then let our hearts be sincere for the love of our community our neighbor and our friends Let us together practice radical hospitality and go into the world So that they are strangers no longer to the love of God to the peace that is found in following Jesus Christ And to the abundant life that Jesus proclaims when he said the thief comes to steal kill and destroy it But I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly This is our prayer that we would become people of Christ and it would begin By our sincere hearts being loving in the way we welcome people into this the church of Jesus Christ May you be blessed as you receive this word may you be blessed as you practice radical hospitality May you be blessed and we be blessed together as the church as we become people of Christ This is good news and we offer it in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit and all God's people sit amen