Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome that they should be “contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality” (Rom. 12:13). The word hospitality literally means “love to strangers.” Our friends are not the only ones who are to be recipients of our warm responses. Love is for all men. Even the strange ones.

This is a principle that certainly applies within the walls of the worship service. The same Paul told the church in Corinth that when they used their spiritual gifts in the right way, the unbeliever would “fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you” (1 Cor. 14:25). What we do as a congregation has profound influence on the visitors, causing them to conclude either, “God is with these people” or, “these are not God’s people.”

How, then, can we attend to the visitor?

Get the house ready for company. When Abraham “entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2), it all started because he was “sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day” (Gen. 18:1). This was apparently a custom of that culture. A man would sit at the opening of the doorway so he could watch for travelers and strangers who might need food or drink or a place to stay. Sure enough, when Abraham “lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them” (Gen. 18:2). In the ancient east, hospitality was a pleasure, not a chore. To their mind, every stranger was an invited guest.

Our preparation for the visitor begins with our familiarity with the household of God. How can we be positioned at the door, looking for guests, when we don’t know who the members are? How can we be practicing hospitality to strangers when we don’t even do that to our own brethren? Visitors are observant. They watch. What impression do we leave them when we talk only to our own close circle of friends? Or when we go out to eat with the same people week after week? We should behave in such a way that would make them feel like they would fit right in with us and what we’re doing. Get the house ready. Get to know your family.

Give your best to every guest. Abraham didn’t offer his company any leftovers. He ran out to meet them and begged them to let him be their servant. He hurried inside and had Sarah make fresh bread cakes. He ran to the herd and took a “tender and choice calf” (Gen. 18:7) and had it prepared for them. Once he brought the refreshments to them, he stood nearby should there be anything else they needed. Remember, he was still unaware of who these strangers he was entertaining were.

We ought to treat every visitor as we would treat the Lord. Not just those who look like us, who are dressed like us, who are outgoing and friendly toward us. “If you show partiality, you are committing sin” (Jam. 2:9) is said in the context of how we handle visitors to our assembly. Can you help a guest find the Bible classes for their children? Can you offer a stranger your seat in the service so they won’t have to worry about taking someone else’s? Can you invite a visitor to eat lunch with your family? You would do that for the Lord. When you do that for the guest, you serve them and Him, too.

Keep the door of opportunity open. Abraham was rewarded for his hospitality. He hastened to serve three men who passed his way that day. He did not search for excuses but capitalized on the very opportunity. Little did he know that after eating the feast he prepared for them, his visitors would say, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son” (Gen. 18:10). All the personal sacrifices made for these guests were worth this promise to Abraham, through which the Lord would visit all the nations of the earth.

Visitors are our best prospects. Their attendance alone is an indication of their interest in spiritual things. Shouldn’t we show some interest in them? Just one warm greeting, one firm handshake, one extra effort could make such an impression on them that they come back and eventually come to the Lord. Sure, there are risks of embarrassment and awkwardness involved, but when you run from the risks, you run from the opportunity.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2). We are children of Abraham. Let us certainly be like our father whenever visitors attend.