The House of God (Matt. 10:24–33)
Notes
Transcript
It is a pleasure to be here with you at Resurrection Christian Center.
A report from the mission field in San Diego:
San Diego has over 1 million people living in the city, and over 3 million people in the county.
Because of the good weather and high housing costs, it has a lot of homelessness and substance abuse.
Over the past 7 years, Jeannette and I have worked with a Christian ministry who help those dealing with homelessness and drug abuse. I have seen God work powerfully through that ministry.
San Diego is in need of new churches and help for the churches there. Over the past ten years, we have served in two different new churches in the area.
We want to ask for your prayers for our continued ministry work in San Diego. Kevin (?) will be in the back with prayer cards for you. Please take one. I am a missionary through the North American Mission Board. If you are interested in supporting our ministry in San Diego, there is a link on the prayer card: jasonneilsoto.com/give. Your prayers and support are needed and deeply appreciated.
It is good to be in the house of God. That is something that I can hear Pastor Erma say, “It is good to be in the house of the Lord.”
I grew up in the Bronx, and lived here for 33 years before moving to San Diego in 2011. When I was younger, some of my fondest memories were going to Erma and Louis’ house. Danny and I were good friends. He is the reason I got into G.I. Joe. We used to play together.
The Bronx is where my parents live. I like coming to the Bronx because I love my parents, and love going to their home. And what is it about a home that we love? It’s not necessarily the space. A building is just walls and space. An empty house is no fun. No, I loved going to Erma and Louis’ house, and I love going to my parents house because of who is there, because of the people. People make up a home.
Therefore, when I say, “It’s good to be in the house of God,” I’m not talking about the building. The house are the people, the gathering of believers in Christ. It’s good to be with all of you, people who make up the household of God. I love you because of Christ in you and in me.
How would the Lord Jesus have us understand the house of God? Does Jesus talk about the house of God? What does he say about it?
We are going to be in Matthew 10, starting in verse 24. In this text, Jesus is sending out the twelve disciples to the lost sheep of Israel. Here, he is going to describe what it means to be in the household of God.
24 A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.
25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!
26 “Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops.
28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.
30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven.
From this text, there are four things we can see about being in the household of God.
A Christian knows his position in God's house.
A Christian knows his position in God's house.
The Lord starts with this description of a relationship between the disciple and his teacher, the slave and his master.
24 A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.
25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!
The Lord is clarifying the relationship between he and his followers. Watch this - in verse 25: Jesus is the head of the house. His followers are the members of his household.
If you are in the household, you are not above the master/teacher. A Christian knows his position in the household, submitting his life to Christ.
Note in verse 25: It is enough to be like the master teacher. Someone in the household of God wants to be like the head of the house.
Take a look at John 13, starting in verse 15. The Lord has just washed the disciples feet, giving an example of humility and love. Look at what he says.
15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.
16 “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him.
If you are a member of the household of God, you want to be like the head of the house.
A young man once studied violin under a world-renowned master. Eventually the time came for the student’s first recital. Following each selection, despite the cheers of the crowd, the performer seemed dissatisfied. Even after the last number, with the shouts louder than ever, the talented violinist stood watching an old man in the balcony. Finally the elderly one smiled and nodded in approval. Immediately the young man relaxed and beamed with happiness. You see, the man in the balcony was his teacher, and thus the applause of the crowd had meant nothing to him until he had first won the hearty approval of his master.
As Christians, we are members of God’s household living in submission to the master of the household, Christ. Christians don’t worry about all of the noise coming from outside of the house. We want the approval of the head of the household. It is enough to be like Christ, and to get his approval.
A Christian knows his position in God’s house. Second:
A Christian knows the power within God's house.
A Christian knows the power within God's house.
The Lord describes the power of the master of the house. Take a look at verse 28.
28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
A couple of questions - who are the those? In the context, Jesus is speaking about those in verse 25 who called the head of the house “Beelzebul.” In verse 26, don’t be afraid of them. Now, if they are a threat to the household, they are people who are outside of the household of the master. Don’t be afraid of those who are outside God’s house.
Why not be afraid of those outside of the house of God? Because of the power of the head of the house.
The head of the house is on the throne. Ultimate power is in him. In Revelation 20, earth and heaven flee from his presence. The dead, great and small, stand before him.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.
12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
If you are a member of the household of God, the power of God is your strength. It is encouraging that he is in control. In Romans 8:39, there is no created thing…
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In the household of God, we live in the power of the Spirit of God.
My Favorite Illustrations Source of All Power
One measure of man’s progress through the ages has been his discovery and use of power: muscular power of both humankind and animals, fire, wind, coal, gas and oil, steam, electricity, and nuclear. Yet strangely and unfortunately, comparatively few have recognized and utilized God’s spiritual power. He is omnipotent or all-powerful. Indeed, He is the source of all power. Wherever the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Bible, He is related to power in one form or another, but the greater emphasis is on spiritual power.
If you are a member of the household of God, the master of the house is with you, and he has all power. The one who has power over life and death has power in your life.
When you are facing trials and troubles, there is power in your life.
The same God who powerfully changed your life has the power to get you through whatever you face.
The Lord is going to show us the power of God in action. Third:
A Christian knows the care within God's house.
A Christian knows the care within God's house.
The Lord describes this picture of how God cares for the members of the household of God.
29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.
30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
The Lord describes how God cares for the small and insignificant to describe how much more God cares for what is greater.
Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible Sparrow
The sparrow was used in sacrifices but was too small to be cut in half and placed on the altar (Gen. 15:10). A leper was commanded to offer two live, clean birds as a testimony to his or her cleansing (Lev. 14:4). The poor were allowed to offer a small bird for the sin offering if they could not afford a lamb (Lev. 5:7). The sparrow was hunted and snared but provided little meat for consumption (Ps. 124:7; Prov. 6:5). Sparrows were plentiful in NT times, and two could be purchased for a penny (Matt. 10:29; cf. Luke 12:6).
The sparrow:
Was for those in poverty.
It was for those who couldn’t afford a proper sacrifice.
They were small and provided little meat.
They were practically worthless, worth the smallest coin.
God cares for what the world sees as small and insignificant. He emphasizes this by talking about God knowing the hairs on our head.
Now, I have made this simpler to count.
This is the point, look at this: God sees people as valuable. He sees you as valuable.
Someone said,
What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly:--'Tis dearness only that gives every thing its value.
The cost to God was great. He sent His Son to the cross for you. You are valuable to God.
A member of God’s household knows his position in God’s house, knows the power within God’s house, and knows the care within God’s house. Therefore, fourth:
A Christian tells others about God's house.
A Christian tells others about God's house.
The Lord points out what that a member of God’s household has courage. What God does inside a person comes out. We are going to compare verse 32 with verse 27. In verse 32:
32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
Look at this. First, this is a promise of God to members in the household. Christ knows who are his.
Second, What does it mean to acknowledge Christ before others? The word here means:
33.221 ὁμολογέωc: to make an emphatic declaration, often public, and at times in response to pressure or an accusation
Look at how the Lord describes acknowledging him in verse 27:
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops.
Take a look at this:
For some of you, there was a dark part in your life. There was a dark moment in there, and it was in that dark time that you saw God work in a mighty way.
God delivered you from a dark place. You heard the good whisper of God in your life that said, “Son, Daughter, you are valuable to me.”
God healed you from that dark place, and has brought you into his light. Your testimony of God’s work in your dark times is powerful in the light.
Paul talks about this confession, which he calls fighting the good fight of faith.
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you have made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all, and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good confession before Pontius Pilate, I charge you
When pressure came up against our Lord, when Pontius Pilate questioned him, he wasn’t afraid to say that he is a king of a kingdom that is greater than anything else.
In the same way, when opposition comes up against you, you can say:
“Let me tell you about who’s household I belong to. You might have power to come against me. But I know the power of the one in charge of the house I belong to. I am part of God’s household. It is good to be in the house of God.”
Let me tell you a story about a guy named Brett.
I met Brett working with a San Diego Christian ministry to the homeless. Brett was at his last end. He was suicidal. He was scary. He was at the end of his rope. He had spent a lot of time in jail, and he wanted to end it all. I met with him a few times. Finally, he came to me one day and said, “I want to do it. I want to say that prayer. I want to be a Christian.” I prayed with him and gave him a Bible. We met over a year. I never saw such a supernatural transformation. When I met him, he never smiled. He was serious and in deep distress. A year later, he wore a big smile and called himself a Christian soldier. Brett would tell you that it’s good to be in the house of God.
The point is this:
The Lord says there is nothing hidden that won’t be exposed. You are either in the household of God, or you are outside of the house. I want to invite you to be a part of God’s house. Be a part of God’s family. The Bible says that when you put your faith in Christ, because of what he did for you on the cross, you become part of God’s household.
Conclusion
A Christian knows his position in God's house.
A Christian knows the power within God's house.
A Christian knows the care within God's house.
A Christian tells others about God's house.
It is good to be in the house of God.
Pastor Louis will close out with an alter call.