JW subtitle extractor

Our text today is discussing hospitality.
And as we know, hospitality includes
generously giving to others.
But you may have noted that our comments
make a very profound statement.
It says that “hospitality is
one of the finest antidotes to loneliness.”
Have you ever been lonely, really lonely?
Loneliness can be quite painful.
As we know, it’s possible to be lonely
even when we’re surrounded by people.
One writer stated: “Solitude is pleasant.
Loneliness is not.”
Another described loneliness
as “like being in the rain,
and the sky holds nothing
but the promise of more clouds.”
One sister described
the feeling of loneliness
as “slipping down a deep well.”
The further she slipped,
the darker things became.
So, what can help us to deal with loneliness
before we sink too deep?
What can help us start climbing
back out of that well
or pushing those clouds out into the sky?
Well, as our text says, hospitality
—generosity, giving—
is one of the finest antidotes to loneliness.
Now, why is that?
Well, let’s consider
three Scriptural principles
as to why that is the case,
and we’ll see why this is true.
Look first at Acts 20:35.
Let’s read that together—Acts 20:35—
and we’ll see our first promise.
And here it says:
“I have shown you in all things
“that by working hard in this way,
you must assist those who are weak
“and must keep in mind the words
of the Lord Jesus, when he himself said:
‘There is more happiness in giving
than there is in receiving.’”
So our first point is very simply
that giving makes us happy.
Now, the apostle Paul here is quoting Jesus.
And you notice Jesus was not saying
that we give when we are happy
or we give because we are happy.
He says that we are happy because we give.
Now, that’s significant because that tells us
that even when we force ourselves to give,
even if we don’t feel like it,
we will experience happiness.
Researchers today have confirmed
what Jesus knew all along.
They even state that giving
possibly releases endorphins in the brain
that help us with serenity
and with contentment.
So our first point is
that giving makes us happy.
For a second promise, look at Hebrews 13:16.
Hebrews 13:16 says:
“Moreover, do not forget to do good
“and to share what you have with others,
for God is well-pleased
with such sacrifices.”
So our second point is that giving
puts us in a special relationship
with Jehovah.
Jehovah is well-pleased when we are
hospitable—when we give to others.
Now, what does that cause Him to do?
Well, we may think of Paul’s words
at Philippians 4:18, 19.
There the apostle Paul was commending
the Philippian congregation
because they generously helped him
—helped Paul.
And so Paul said in response
that ‘Jehovah would fully supply
according to their need.’
So giving puts us
in a special relationship with Jehovah.
We’re precious to Jehovah, and he promises
that he will fill all of our needs,
including our emotional needs.
Now, we may hear that, and we say:
“Well, now wait a minute.
“It is true that when I give,
when I’m hospitable, I am happy for a time,
“but then later loneliness comes back again.
Does that mean that this scripture,
this principle, does not apply to me?”
No.
Just think about what Jesus said
at Matthew 6:25, 33.
Remember there, Jesus said:
‘Do not be anxious
‘about what we’re going to eat
or what we’re going to drink
because Jehovah will give us
what we need when we need it.’
And we trust that statement.
But do we take that to mean
that if we’re hungry
or we’re going through a difficult time
and Jehovah gives us something
—takes care of our needs—
that we’ll never feel hungry again?
No. Later that day and the next day,
we’re hungry again.
What’s the point?
The point is that Jehovah will make sure
that we have what we need when we need it.
Well, it’s the same with our emotional needs.
Jehovah does not say
that we will never feel lonely
or that we’ll never feel down or depressed,
but he assures us that if we give to others,
if we are hospitable,
he will make sure that we have what we need
so that we can be happy
and fulfilled in life.
So that’s our second promise.
Giving puts us in a special relationship
with Jehovah,
and he will supply our needs.
For a third one, let’s look at Luke 6:38
—Luke 6:38.
This principle or this promise is
that Jehovah makes sure
that we always receive much more
than we give.
Luke 6:38 says: “Practice giving,
“and people will give to you.
“They will pour into your laps
a fine measure,
“pressed down, shaken together,
and overflowing.
“For with the measure
that you are measuring out,
they will measure out to you in return.”
So Jehovah always makes sure
that we receive much more than we give.
And we believe that scripture.
But all of us have hit points in our time
when we feel like we are just giving
—giving maybe to the congregation,
to the family, or to a situation in our life.
We’re giving, and we’re just
not getting anything back.
Well, what then?
Does that mean the scripture is not true?
Well, no.
Jesus understood that would happen.
Notice the way it’s worded.
He says: “Practice giving,
and people will give to you”
—people, not necessarily the ones
that we’re giving to.
See, with the measure that you measure out,
they (people) will give to you in return.
So, what’s the point?
The point is that Jehovah promises
if we practice giving,
if we practice strengthening our brothers,
if we practice hospitality,
Jehovah will ensure
through one way or another
that we receive the blessings, the strength,
and the encouragement to continue.
Now, does this formula work?
Well, it does,
and we’ll tell you an experience.
I’ll tell you an experience of a sister
who we’ll call Lydia.
Now, Lydia was a single sister
and a regular pioneer.
And though she had her normal down days
as everybody does,
Lydia was known
as a generous and hospitable sister
—as she always had gatherings at her home.
She would invite the whole
field service group to her home for breakfast
before we’d go out in service.
Or she would do other outings
—special outings—for older ones.
Well, then Lydia was diagnosed with cancer,
and this hit her very, very hard.
And then she later had to have surgery.
And Lydia sank
into a very, very deep depression,
such that the elders, the congregation,
even her friends wondered
if she would ever be able to pull out of it.
Well, finally, on one shepherding call,
two elders went to visit her
and they read with her Luke 6:38,
the scripture that we just considered.
And they reminded her of how generous,
how hospitable, she used to be in the past
and how this brought her such happiness.
And she acknowledged it was true.
But she said: “I just don’t want to be
around people anymore.
I can’t be around people.”
So these two brothers challenged her
in a kind way
to prayerfully try to force herself to give
just for a few months
and see how things worked out.
And to everybody’s surprise, she did.
And it was like the clouds parted
and the old Lydia came back again.
Now, that was many years ago,
and Lydia still has her down days,
just like everybody does.
But she is again a happy
and productive servant of Jehovah.
What’s the lesson?
Well, hospitality
—generosity, giving—
is one of the finest antidotes
to loneliness and depression.
If we give, Jehovah promises
that we will get back in return.
Now, there’s a beautiful account
that reminds us
that we cannot “outgive” Jehovah.
And we know this one
in 2 Chronicles chapter 25.
Let’s look at that together
—2 Chronicles chapter 25,
starting there in verse 5.
This is speaking about Amaziah the king.
He’s 25 years old, king of Judah,
and this is at a time
when he’s facing a conflict
with the Edomites.
Verse 5 says that he gathers in Judah,
and he identifies “300,000 [skilled] warriors
to serve in the army.”
But he feels that that’s not enough.
So you look at verse 6,
and he goes out and he hires
100,000 soldiers from Israel
“for 100 silver talents.”
Now, in verse 7,
the “man of the true God” comes and says
to send the 100,000 soldiers of Israel back
because “Jehovah is not with Israel.”
Go with the 300,000 you have,
and I’ll be with you.
Well, you look at the beginning of verse 9
—2 Chronicles 25:9—
the king says:
‘But what about the money I paid out?’
Now, that was no small change.
According to the Appendix B14
in the back of our Bible,
those 100 silver talents
would be worth about $1.5 million
in today’s money in silver.
So the king put out a lot of money
to hire those soldiers.
Now the prophet just says to send them away.
But it’s the next words
that are so reassuring
in the context
of what we’re talking about today.
Notice that verse 9,
the latter part of it, says:
“The man of the true God replied:
‘Jehovah has the means
to give you much more than that.’”
Don’t worry about it.
Jehovah has the means
to give you much more than that.
You cannot “outgive” Jehovah.
So in the context of our discussion,
Jehovah promises that if we are hospitable,
if we are generous, if we are giving,
we will be happy;
he guarantees that he’ll supply
all of our needs, even our emotional needs;
and he will move others to give back to us
much more than we ever could give.
So may we be determined to practice giving,
practice hospitality,
and practice generosity.
And every time we do, we will push the clouds
farther back into the sky
and we will always receive
much more than we give.

Robert Luccioni: “Do Not Forget Hospitality” (Heb. 13:2)
- 

Robert Luccioni: “Do Not Forget Hospitality” (Heb. 13:2)

Our text today is discussing hospitality.
And as we know, hospitality includes
generously giving to others.
But you may have noted that our comments
make a very profound statement.
It says that “hospitality is
one of the finest antidotes to loneliness.”
Have you ever been lonely, really lonely?
Loneliness can be quite painful.
As we know, it’s possible to be lonely
even when we’re surrounded by people.
One writer stated: “Solitude is pleasant.
Loneliness is not.”
Another described loneliness
as “like being in the rain,
and the sky holds nothing
but the promise of more clouds.”
One sister described
the feeling of loneliness
as “slipping down a deep well.”
The further she slipped,
the darker things became.
So, what can help us to deal with loneliness
before we sink too deep?
What can help us start climbing
back out of that well
or pushing those clouds out into the sky?
Well, as our text says, hospitality
—generosity, giving—
is one of the finest antidotes to loneliness.
Now, why is that?
Well, let’s consider
three Scriptural principles
as to why that is the case,
and we’ll see why this is true.
Look first at Acts 20:35.
Let’s read that together—Acts 20:35—
and we’ll see our first promise.
And here it says:
“I have shown you in all things
“that by working hard in this way,
you must assist those who are weak
“and must keep in mind the words
of the Lord Jesus, when he himself said:
‘There is more happiness in giving
than there is in receiving.’”
So our first point is very simply
that giving makes us happy.
Now, the apostle Paul here is quoting Jesus.
And you notice Jesus was not saying
that we give when we are happy
or we give because we are happy.
He says that we are happy because we give.
Now, that’s significant because that tells us
that even when we force ourselves to give,
even if we don’t feel like it,
we will experience happiness.
Researchers today have confirmed
what Jesus knew all along.
They even state that giving
possibly releases endorphins in the brain
that help us with serenity
and with contentment.
So our first point is
that giving makes us happy.
For a second promise, look at Hebrews 13:16.
Hebrews 13:16 says:
“Moreover, do not forget to do good
“and to share what you have with others,
for God is well-pleased
with such sacrifices.”
So our second point is that giving
puts us in a special relationship
with Jehovah.
Jehovah is well-pleased when we are
hospitable—when we give to others.
Now, what does that cause Him to do?
Well, we may think of Paul’s words
at Philippians 4:18, 19.
There the apostle Paul was commending
the Philippian congregation
because they generously helped him
—helped Paul.
And so Paul said in response
that ‘Jehovah would fully supply
according to their need.’
So giving puts us
in a special relationship with Jehovah.
We’re precious to Jehovah, and he promises
that he will fill all of our needs,
including our emotional needs.
Now, we may hear that, and we say:
“Well, now wait a minute.
“It is true that when I give,
when I’m hospitable, I am happy for a time,
“but then later loneliness comes back again.
Does that mean that this scripture,
this principle, does not apply to me?”
No.
Just think about what Jesus said
at Matthew 6:25, 33.
Remember there, Jesus said:
‘Do not be anxious
‘about what we’re going to eat
or what we’re going to drink
because Jehovah will give us
what we need when we need it.’
And we trust that statement.
But do we take that to mean
that if we’re hungry
or we’re going through a difficult time
and Jehovah gives us something
—takes care of our needs—
that we’ll never feel hungry again?
No. Later that day and the next day,
we’re hungry again.
What’s the point?
The point is that Jehovah will make sure
that we have what we need when we need it.
Well, it’s the same with our emotional needs.
Jehovah does not say
that we will never feel lonely
or that we’ll never feel down or depressed,
but he assures us that if we give to others,
if we are hospitable,
he will make sure that we have what we need
so that we can be happy
and fulfilled in life.
So that’s our second promise.
Giving puts us in a special relationship
with Jehovah,
and he will supply our needs.
For a third one, let’s look at Luke 6:38
—Luke 6:38.
This principle or this promise is
that Jehovah makes sure
that we always receive much more
than we give.
Luke 6:38 says: “Practice giving,
“and people will give to you.
“They will pour into your laps
a fine measure,
“pressed down, shaken together,
and overflowing.
“For with the measure
that you are measuring out,
they will measure out to you in return.”
So Jehovah always makes sure
that we receive much more than we give.
And we believe that scripture.
But all of us have hit points in our time
when we feel like we are just giving
—giving maybe to the congregation,
to the family, or to a situation in our life.
We’re giving, and we’re just
not getting anything back.
Well, what then?
Does that mean the scripture is not true?
Well, no.
Jesus understood that would happen.
Notice the way it’s worded.
He says: “Practice giving,
and people will give to you”
—people, not necessarily the ones
that we’re giving to.
See, with the measure that you measure out,
they (people) will give to you in return.
So, what’s the point?
The point is that Jehovah promises
if we practice giving,
if we practice strengthening our brothers,
if we practice hospitality,
Jehovah will ensure
through one way or another
that we receive the blessings, the strength,
and the encouragement to continue.
Now, does this formula work?
Well, it does,
and we’ll tell you an experience.
I’ll tell you an experience of a sister
who we’ll call Lydia.
Now, Lydia was a single sister
and a regular pioneer.
And though she had her normal down days
as everybody does,
Lydia was known
as a generous and hospitable sister
—as she always had gatherings at her home.
She would invite the whole
field service group to her home for breakfast
before we’d go out in service.
Or she would do other outings
—special outings—for older ones.
Well, then Lydia was diagnosed with cancer,
and this hit her very, very hard.
And then she later had to have surgery.
And Lydia sank
into a very, very deep depression,
such that the elders, the congregation,
even her friends wondered
if she would ever be able to pull out of it.
Well, finally, on one shepherding call,
two elders went to visit her
and they read with her Luke 6:38,
the scripture that we just considered.
And they reminded her of how generous,
how hospitable, she used to be in the past
and how this brought her such happiness.
And she acknowledged it was true.
But she said: “I just don’t want to be
around people anymore.
I can’t be around people.”
So these two brothers challenged her
in a kind way
to prayerfully try to force herself to give
just for a few months
and see how things worked out.
And to everybody’s surprise, she did.
And it was like the clouds parted
and the old Lydia came back again.
Now, that was many years ago,
and Lydia still has her down days,
just like everybody does.
But she is again a happy
and productive servant of Jehovah.
What’s the lesson?
Well, hospitality
—generosity, giving—
is one of the finest antidotes
to loneliness and depression.
If we give, Jehovah promises
that we will get back in return.
Now, there’s a beautiful account
that reminds us
that we cannot “outgive” Jehovah.
And we know this one
in 2 Chronicles chapter 25.
Let’s look at that together
—2 Chronicles chapter 25,
starting there in verse 5.
This is speaking about Amaziah the king.
He’s 25 years old, king of Judah,
and this is at a time
when he’s facing a conflict
with the Edomites.
Verse 5 says that he gathers in Judah,
and he identifies “300,000 [skilled] warriors
to serve in the army.”
But he feels that that’s not enough.
So you look at verse 6,
and he goes out and he hires
100,000 soldiers from Israel
“for 100 silver talents.”
Now, in verse 7,
the “man of the true God” comes and says
to send the 100,000 soldiers of Israel back
because “Jehovah is not with Israel.”
Go with the 300,000 you have,
and I’ll be with you.
Well, you look at the beginning of verse 9
—2 Chronicles 25:9—
the king says:
‘But what about the money I paid out?’
Now, that was no small change.
According to the Appendix B14
in the back of our Bible,
those 100 silver talents
would be worth about $1.5 million
in today’s money in silver.
So the king put out a lot of money
to hire those soldiers.
Now the prophet just says to send them away.
But it’s the next words
that are so reassuring
in the context
of what we’re talking about today.
Notice that verse 9,
the latter part of it, says:
“The man of the true God replied:
‘Jehovah has the means
to give you much more than that.’”
Don’t worry about it.
Jehovah has the means
to give you much more than that.
You cannot “outgive” Jehovah.
So in the context of our discussion,
Jehovah promises that if we are hospitable,
if we are generous, if we are giving,
we will be happy;
he guarantees that he’ll supply
all of our needs, even our emotional needs;
and he will move others to give back to us
much more than we ever could give.
So may we be determined to practice giving,
practice hospitality,
and practice generosity.
And every time we do, we will push the clouds
farther back into the sky
and we will always receive
much more than we give.


-