Do you remember your favorite birthday party you were invited to as a kid? When I was in elementary school, I was invited to a hotel sleepover at the Embassy Suites on Baymeadows Road in Jacksonville, Florida with some of my best seven-year-old friends. It was the first time I had stayed in a hotel without my parents, and it was so awesome. I mean it was truly awesome.  We went to the pool, we took really long, hot showers, we used the nice lotion in the bathrooms and not one, not two, but three towels per person. We ordered room service, had a movie marathon, ate junk food, stayed up till 4am, slept in, and did not make the bed. It was seriously one of the best birthday parties I ever attended.

Staying at a hotel is super nice, isn't it? You don't have to cook or clean. You can order room service and have movie marathons. Fresh towels, made beds, and clean spaces are all taken care of for you. You often get high-quality beds, cozy linens, and climate control options to ensure a restful stay. Many hotels offer extra amenities like fluffy towels, pillows, and luxurious toiletries. Hotel chains offer loyalty programs where you can earn points for each stay, which can be redeemed for free nights, upgrades, or other special perks.

            I saw this post on Instagram, and I liked the title of the post. The post read this: “Do you see the church as a hotel or a home?” You can say “Ouch” or “Amen” but think about that for a moment. Do you walk into the church like you walk into a hotel or do you walk into the house of the family of God? Do you come to just receive goods and services, or do you come to offer worship and service? Do you come criticizing or do you come caring for people? Do you show up to church committed for the long haul or do you just stay until you are done with it and move on to the next one? Are you heavenly invested in the future of the church or are you just covering your night stay? Do you expect others to clean up your mess or are you there to help clean up the mess, which is you! When you walk into church, do you just smile and nod as you walk in, or have you made significant investments in the people? Do you pray for your hotel stay or are you praying for your church home?

     You see, the church is a family! It is way more than just an organization or a nonprofit. The church is the household of God, it is the church of the Living God, and it is a pillar and a buttress of truth. Brothers and sisters, we are called to be the church, not simply go to church. The question I want to ask you today is this: do you see the church as a hotel, where you just come to get goods and services, or do you see the church as a home, where we love one another, serve one another, pray for one another, encourage one another, and share the Good News of the Gospel to the very ends of the earth? We must do the things that God has called us to do so that we know how to be the church, not just simply attend it. Let’s truly be the church in a hurting and broken world today. What do you say?