So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Acts 2:46, NKJV

A few weeks ago, while cheering for one of our kiddos at their sports game, my youngest ran up to me with bright eyes and a big idea:  Can my friend come over to our house for a play date?  She and her friend had been playing together that whole afternoon where we were, but her question came from a sense that the joyful connection they shared at the game would be leveled-up when they could spend time together at our house.  There's something special about having people over to your home.  I know, depending on your level of readiness or cleanliness, the prospect of having guests over can be anxiety-producing.  But the potential for positive impact is still there.  And this is a potential that the early church tapped into.  Moved by the power of the gospel and filled with the Holy Spirit, this community of believers devoted themselves to fellowship (Acts 2:42) and sought opportunities to participate in each other's lives not just in public settings but also in more personal ones (v. 46).  Why?  Because the house-to-house connection can impact lives in more ways than we realize.

TRANSFORMED IDENTITY

In the Old Testament, we find several examples of hospitality, like the story of Abraham who literally "ran from his tent door" (Gen. 18:2) to welcome the guests he learned later were of divine origin.  A less familiar example is that of King David recorded in 2 Samuel 9.  Fresh off of several conquests that established his reign, David didn't just relish in his own victories but intentionally sought to "show the kindness of God" (2 Sam. 9:3) to someone from the family line of Saul and Jonathan.  When David learned of the only remaining son of Jonathan, he sent an invitation for Mephibosheth to be brought to the king's house.  Unaware of the king's intention or motivation, Mephibosheth felt a little unnerved and extremely undeserving, bowing low before the king saying, "What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?"  Apparently, this son of Jonathan, who was lame in both feet, was also crippled in heart.  So when David pledged to restore to Mephibosheth the land of his family heritage and to eat at the king's table continually (v. 7), the young man was overwhelmed.  It was more than the fact that his material needs were now supplied in abundant measure.  It was the fact that here at the king's house, the kindness of God replaced Mephibosheth's previous label of "dead dog" to being "like one of the king's sons" (v. 11).  

The love shown through this house-to-house connection transformed Mephibosheth's crippled identity to being part of the royal family.  

We may not be kings who can grant land and continual provisions, but let's not underestimate the power of our home hospitality.  The love and kindness we share with others at home can lead our friends to realize they're accepted in God's royal family.

REPENTANT LIFE

In Luke 19, we read the story of Jesus who essentially invited Himself over to Zacchaeus' house (Lk. 19:5).  And while I may not recommend that we always take such a forward approach with our friends, the story demonstrates that it's not just the guest who is blessed by house-to-house fellowship.  Hosts aren't the only ones who are in position to extend acceptance, love, and kindness.  Guests can extend that acceptance, love, and kindness to their hosts by showing up and being interested.  

The radical welcome that a host can show to others is often times the kind of embrace that they themselves are in need of.

So when Jesus called the small-statured tax collector by name and then made it clear He had to come over to his house, it communicated a radical acceptance that moved Zacchaeus to genuine repentance.  That show of personal attention inspired in Zacchaeus a willingness leave his former life and instead align his lifestyle with the law of God, the law of love.  We may not always have an invitation extended to us, but I wonder if there are individuals God wants us to seek out in their homes and show individual interest in.  Our desire to be present in their lives may be a moving evidence of the kindness of God that leads them to a new life altogether (cf. Rom. 2:4).

BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT

Had it not been accompanied with a vision from heaven, Peter may have been resistant to the invitation to come to Cornelius' house.  At that time, Jew and Gentile relations weren't on the house-to-house level, but God had prepared Peter's heart to move forward knowing that this house call was a divine thing (Acts 10:20).  Apprehension likely filled both parties involved, but the reality is that God instructed Cornelius to extend the invitation and Peter to accept it.  And because they both obeyed God's prompting to receive and be received by one another, it paved the way for the gospel to be preached and the Holy Spirit to be received!

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. Acts 10:44, NKJV

Could this have taken place in a public venue?  Sure.  But God designed it to take place in Cornelius' home.  And because of that, it hit home differently.  In light of the social expectations and all the potential risks involved, Peter was visibly living out the very message he was preaching:  "whoever believes in [Jesus] will receive remission of sins" (v. 43).  No one is beyond the reach of God's grace.  All can exercise faith in Jesus.  Cornelius's willingness to open his home combined with Peter's willingness to come had already declared the truth of this message.  When we take steps to enter one another's homes, we have the potential to visibly live out the principles of the gospel in such a way that everyone involved can more readily understand the message of the gospel for themselves and be filled with God's Spirit!

Let's be a people who invest in this house-to-house connection.  It will require intentionality and energy, but to neglect it would mean missing out on its potential blessings.  It's my prayer that we'll listen for God's leading about the ways we can welcome people into our homes and make an effort to be with others in theirs.  Whether it be for a small group, a Sabbath meal, a quick check-in, or a lengthy conversation, may God use these in-home interactions to transform us and lead us to a Spirit-filled life.