Admonition Podcast

Aaron Cozort (00:00)
I wanna take just a moment and tell you about two things that I learned about this morning. ⁓ one that I'm hopeful for and one that

Sets perspective on some of the events in the world. We ⁓ I received a message early this morning from a brother in Oslo, Norway, and they are going to be working with TruthFM ⁓ and with the company that I run, Wisdom Integrators, to help them increase the evangelism that they're able to do online and through the work.

of the church in Norway. The w church in Norway is not very big. It's quite small. ⁓ but we're hopeful to be able to help them in that effort. And so I encourage you if you will to pray for the church in in Oslo and the church ⁓ in Norway that we can reach more of the people in Norway. for those who have familiarity with Europe you know probably

No, that ⁓ Europe is in quite a bit of an identity crisis right now due to immigration and changes and the impacts that Islam is having on Europe. but I believe there's still many opportunities for the gospel in Europe and so we're hopeful for that. But on that same topic and in that same region, generally speaking, read this morning

⁓ of a church in Ukraine where their situation is so desperate they were meeting this last Sunday and they had those who were desirous to become Christians, but because of the ongoing bombing and because of the facilities that Russia has targeted, none of them have water. They can't even fill a bathtub to do a baptism.

in Ukraine in some cities now because of the continuing attacks. So please pray for the church in Ukraine, ⁓ and pray for the church in Europe. ⁓ it is facing threats and opportunities. And our prayer should be with both ⁓ both groups. Take your Bibles if you will.

As we open the study, I want us to consider this idea hosting salvation.

As I have thought at different times, ⁓ I was years ago at a lectureship at the Tri-City School of Preaching, and we a few of the preachers, a few of the instructors, myself, and a few others were talking, and we got to talking about houses. And I mentioned, You know, there's some interesting houses to study in the Bible. Lessons that are learned from

Events that occur in certain houses. And I was dwelling on that again and thinking concerning that, and I wanted to spend some time thinking about the role of houses, of homes in salvation. And I want us to consider that that role is very much like the role of a lighthouse in the midst of a storm for a ship.

That it is a beacon of hope. It is a safe harbor. It is a place where there is shelter from the storm. But as we consider this idea, I want us to consider a number of houses in the Old and the New Testament. And some of the lessons that we need to learn about how we should be using our homes in the work.

We begin first in the book of Genesis. In Genesis chapter 6, we are introduced to a man whose name was Noah. He was a man who was 500 years old when we're introduced to him. As we're able to glean from the scriptures, as we are introduced to him as a man who found grace in the eyes of the Lord, he has no children. He's 500 years old, he has no children.

And yet Noah is going to be told by the Lord to build an ark. And I imagine most of us who are familiar with the scriptures are familiar with the account and familiar with the commands that Noah is given. But I want you to notice in Genesis chapter 6 some of the very pointed things that God tells Noah. As we begin in verse 9, this is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations.

Noah walked with God. Now, Moses is going to tell us about Noah's three sons, and he tells us about them as the beginning of the events occur. But when you read the later information about Noah's sons, you'll find out that none of them had been born when Noah was told by God to build the ark. The oldest one will step off the ark at 98 years old.

And Noah spent a hundred years building the ark. So we have knowledge that when God says the things that he says to Noah, he has no children. But they will be raised under this command. Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt.

For all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. As Noah is given this instruction from the Lord to build the ark, Noah is faced with an environment where the entirety of mankind has given themselves over to that which is evil. That every thought of their heart was only evil continually, the text will tell us. And it is in that environment.

That Noah has to bring children into the world. It is in that environment where Noah is commanded to do the work of building the ark. God said to Noah, verse 13: The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them, and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Chapter 7 and verse 1, we read: Then the Lord said to Noah, Come into the ark.

You and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. As Noah has done what God commanded, that is, to build the ark, to build it out of gopher wood, to gather the animals, prepare the ark for the animals, to be able to enter into the ark. God calls Noah into the ark. But he doesn't just call Noah into the ark.

He calls Noah and his household into the ark.

Someone were to pick up the phone and call Walker. Walker picks up the phone. Walker, I have a house ready for you.

That that'd be an exciting day. Now, the next question might be how much does it cost? And what do I have to do?

In this case, God had told Noah to build his own house.

But it was provided by the Lord. It was that which belonged to the Lord. And the Lord calls Noah into the house. Into the boat. And Noah's family is going to reside in that boat, in that houseboat, if you could call it that, for a year.

But Noah is going to be called by God with his entire household. Verse 7 we read So Noah with his sons, his wife and his sons' wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood, of clean animals and of animals that are unclean, of birds and of of everything that creeps on the ground, two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God commanded Noah, and it came to pass after seven days.

That the waters of the flood were on the earth in the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah and Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark.

As the text tells us about the environment that Noah lived in, the culture that Noah lived in, the world that Noah brought his children into, it also tells us that Noah and his wife were faithful in raising their children to obey the Lord.

So much so that not only were they faithful in raising their children to obey the Lord, but that they were able to convince and to convert their wives to be obedient to the Lord.

In the face of an entire generation.

that was in rebellion against God.

The house, the home.

is a place where children are taught to obey God.

And where faithfulness

Can be delivered from one generation to the next generation, and where salvation can be found. In chapter eight, we read in chapter eight and verse eleven: then the dove came to him, to Noah, in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth, and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him.

Anymore. And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth, and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the twenty seventh day of the month, the earth was dried.

Twelve months after Noah and his family went into the ark, they're finally about to leave.

Then God spoke to Noah, saying, Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons wife with you with you, bring out with you every living thing of all the earth that is with you, birds and cattle, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth. So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons wives with him.

Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth according to their families went out of the ark.

Noah's house was a place of salvation. Noah's house was a place of salvation for his descendants and their lineage. In Hebrews chapter 11, we're told that by faith Noah obeyed in building the ark because he feared the Lord.

But we're also told in Second Peter chapter two and verse five that Noah was a preacher of righteousness.

Noah preached righteousness to the world around him. Noah preached righteousness to those who were nearby. Noah condemned the world by the building of the ark, Hebrews chapter eleven.

But Noah preached and saved his own family.

House where Noah lived hosted salvation for the next generation. But then consider number two.

There's the house where sinners are invited to a meal to be called to repentance. Jesus, as he was on this earth, as he is beginning his ministry, will come into contact with a number of young men who are already striving to serve the Lord, but some of them were already in occupations. Some of them were were already laboring in what we would now call careers.

And one of those, his name was Levi, also known as Matthew. Matthew was one who sat at the table of the tax collectors. Matthew was one who was a tax collector. Tax collectors were not thought of well in the nation of Israel because they didn't collect taxes on behalf of the Jewish government.

They collected taxes on behalf of the Roman government. And many of them had a way about them. Namely, the Roman government established that they were required to collect the taxes that Rome required. But as far as Rome was concerned, Rome didn't care what else they collected above and beyond that.

And so if they were required to collect a certain amount for Rome and let Rome receive that amount, Rome didn't care how much they actually collected. And so the tax collectors were commonly known to be those who defrauded individuals and claimed that they owed more than they actually did and kept the difference.

And this is the type of people that Matthew works with. This is the type of people that Matthew spends his day around are these publicans, as they're called in the King James Version. These tax collectors. As Jesus comes to Matthew and tells him to follow him, notice what we read in Matthew, or sorry, Luke chapter 5, verse 27.

After these things he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, Follow me. So he, Matthew, Levi, left all, rose up, and followed him. Then Levi gave him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.

And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus answered and said to them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus is going to be invited by Levi to the feast. Levi is, by all likelihood, younger than Jesus, and yet he has his own house. He has enough resources to be able to throw this great feast.

And to invite all the tax collectors, and to invite all those who he had association with, and he brought them into his own house.

This wasn't Levi throwing his own going away party.

This wasn't Matthew showing the Lord, Look how great I am, aren't you glad you got me?

This was Matthew.

Creating an opportunity for those who he knew were sinners, who he knew were ungodly, because he worked with them. He knew what they were.

To be in the presence of Jesus.

And Jesus makes it clear why he was there. Jesus wasn't there to enjoy a good meal. Jesus wasn't there to accommodate Levi and his misconceptions of the world. Doesn't seem as though there were any. Jesus wasn't there to encourage the tax collectors and the sinners in their continued unrighteousness.

Jesus was there to call the lost to repentance.

Levi knew that his house, while he still had the ability to own it, whilst he still had the resources, which by the way, later on he would not have after following Jesus.

He knew he could use his house to help others who were sinners hear the gospel.

He hosted salvation in his house. But then consider number three: the house where the sinner joyfully let the preacher in. In Luke chapter 19, we are introduced to Jesus going to Jericho. Jesus is traveling amongst the cities of the region.

And he enters into Jericho, and wherever Jesus went as he was traveling, the crowds, the multitudes would meet him. And word has come that Jesus is headed to Jericho. And so the multitudes and the people of Jericho are awaiting Jesus' arrival.

And as the word spreads, a man who was a tax collector hears about it.

And he desires to see this one Jesus of Nazareth.

Unfortunately he had a slight inconvenience.

For the multitude had gathered to see Jesus, and he was very short.

We read in Luke chapter 19, verse 1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree to see him, Jesus. For he was going to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place he looked up and saw him and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down, for today I must stay at your house.

So he made haste and came down and received him joyfully.

Zacchaeus didn't say, no, no, not my house. You might find out more about me than I want you to know.

For he wasn't just a tax collector, he was a chief tax collector. He not only collected on behalf of Rome, he ran the people who collected on behalf of Rome.

But Zacchaeus didn't say no. Zacchaeus rather received Jesus joyfully. And we notice in the verse, verse seven but when they saw it, they all complained, saying, He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.

Zacchaeus was well known and not for good things. Zacchaeus is well known, and it's not a good reputation. All the people look at it and go, he's going to whose house?

But when they saw it, they had all complained, saying he has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner. Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Look, Lord, notice that Zacchaeus does not address Jesus as just teacher.

If Zacchaeus had just referred to Jesus as teacher, he would have called him the same thing that every other Jew would have called a rabbi. He doesn't do that. He addresses him as Lord or master. He recognizes the position of the person who is in his presence.

And he says, Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor, and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. Now, in the original language in the Greek, we learned this when we were in school, there's a there's such a thing as a first class conditional statement in the Greek.

We don't really use it this way in English, but here's what it means. It's to say something with the assumption of its truth. Here's another passage where you find it. Satan will say to Jesus in Matthew chapter 4, if you are the Messiah.

Satan's not questioning whether Jesus is the Son of God. Satan knows exactly who Jesus is. Satan is rather saying in the Greek, since you are, it assumes the truth of the matter, but it's couched as an if. It's written if with the assumption of its truth.

Since you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.

Well, here in Luke chapter 19, Zacchaeus uses a first class conditional statement in the Greek. If I have taken anything from anyone by false accusations,

Zacchaeus is not saying, Lord, you search me out, you test me, and you'll see that I have always been honest. That is not what he's saying.

This is Zacchaeus admitting his guilt.

It is further Zacchaeus knowing exactly what the law required of him. The law required under the law of Moses, if you had taken anything by false accusation, you had to restore it four times.

If I were to come to Parker over here, say, you owe me $100. But Parker didn't owe me $100. But through force of will, through position and authority, I say, Parker, you pay me $100. And everybody else says, Parker, pay him the money. You owe him. So he gives me $100.

And then I realized the error of my way, if I had lived under the old law of Moses, Parker's repayment would be $400.

Zacya says I'm guilty.

I'm restoring force.

And that's already after he has said, half of everything I have I'm giving to the

Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house because he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

You see, the house of Zacchaeus was a house where the sinner joyfully let the preacher in.

Sometimes

We look at the world around us and we look at the people we know and we look at their lives and we think there's no way that person would ever be receptive to the gospel. Look at what they're doing.

But Zacchaeus was. Zacchaeus was so much more receptive to the gospel than the people in the city he lived in were.

But then consider in Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10, we find the house where the saved learn to focus on what is most important. Jesus will come to the house of Mary and Martha. And we read in Luke chapter 10, beginning verse 38, now it happened as they went that he entered a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?

Therefore tell her to help me.

Here's Martha, she's in her house. Jesus comes to the city where Martha's house is, and Jesus comes into Martha's house, but Jesus doesn't travel by himself, does he? When Jesus walks in, here come 12 more men.

There are now mouths to feed, there are people to take care of, there are things that need to be done. And here is Martha, and she's doing her best to accommodate hosting the Lord.

And every time she walks in the room where Jesus is, she walks out frustrated.

Because there's her sister.

And all she's doing is sitting and listening.

She's not helping with the food. She's not helping with the preparations. She's not providing it. She's not laboring. She's just sitting there doing nothing.

Mary or Martha finally has enough.

Martha comes to Jesus and says, Do you not see what's going on?

Tell my sister to get up and help me.

Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.

But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.

Jesus helps Martha to understand what some of us also need to understand is that As we are hosting salvation in our homes in whatever way, shape, or form that might be, we will be tempted to be too distracted by the physical things involved in the hosting.

So much so that we can easily lose sight of the spiritual things that are going on.

Jesus will point out that there are times where the house needs to be used to teach the saved to focus on what is most important. But then consider the house is also found to be a place where persecutors try and stop the gospel. The house was so fundamental to the spread of the New Testament church.

It was so fundamental to the evangelism of the first century church that when the enemies of the church try and stop the spread of the gospel, they know where to go. Saul of Tarsus knew where to go. Saul of Tarsus went in house to house to house, pulling out the Christians.

And now Paul finds himself in Thessalonica in Acts chapter seventeen, verse one. Now when they had passed through Ampiphilus and Aphalonia, they came to Thessalonica, there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went into them and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.

And some of them were persuaded. And a great multitude of devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women joined Paul and Silas. They were converted to Christianity. But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason and sought.

To bring them out to the people.

When the Jews who envied what Paul was doing and what Paul was accomplishing in the city sought to attack it and stop it, they attacked the house where Paul was teaching people.

Consider, but when they did not find them verse six, they dragged Jason and some brethren of the rulers of the city, crying out, These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus. And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things, so when they had taken security from Jason and the rest they let them go.

Essentially they said you pay a bond and we'll let you out.

But the persecutors of the early church knew that if they were going to stop the spread of Christianity, they were going to have to attack it at its heart. And the heart of Christianity is the house where salvation is found.

But then consider in Philemon chapter one, Paul writes to Philemon, primarily because of this individual Onesimus, but we learn some interesting things about the first century church and about Philemon in the process. For we learn about what this individual, Philemon, has done.

And I in Philemon chapter one, we read, beginning in verse one, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Apophia, Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. Philemon was one who was a Christian, yes. But more than that, Philemon

Hosted the assembly of the body of Christ in his own home.

Ask yourself, what would happen if this fine building that we've been blessed with here in the heart of Collierville was suddenly uprooted, destroyed, taken by flood or fire or tornado? What would happen to the church?

And the answer is not a thing.

It would be an inconvenience, but what would happen to the church? Not a thing.

Because the church isn't this building. The church doesn't continue to exist because we have a meeting place. The church exists because Christians assemble and do the work of God. And in the city where Philemon was, they assembled in Philemon's house. We read in verse two and sorry, verse three, grace to you.

And peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints. What motivated Philemon to host the assembly in his house?

His love for the saints, his love for his brethren. But then consider that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Philemon did more than just host them in his house. Philemon preached to them in his house. He shared

His faith with them. But then we read, For we have great joy and consolation in your love because the heart of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

Paul is going to write to Philemon, because Philemon hosted the church in his house. Philemon shared his faith with the Christians in his house. And Philemon refreshed the hearts of the Christians in his house. But then go down to verse 17 and consider if then you count me as a partner.

receive him as you would me, speaking of Onesimus. But if ye he has wronged you or owes you anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, am writing with my own hand, I will repay, not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self, besides.

Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord, refresh my heart in the Lord, having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. But meanwhile, Paul writes, Also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

Paul is going to write to Philemon, who hosts the Christians, who allows them to assemble in his house, who teaches and preaches to them, who refreshes them as he has the ability.

To receive Onesimus back to him, the slave who had fled from him, to welcome him as a brother in Christ.

He's encouraged to send him back to Paul so that he can bec continue being an asset to Paul's ministry. And then Paul goes so far as to say, and make sure my room's ready when I get there.

Philemon was certainly one who hosted salvation in his house.

Matthew chapter ten. As we close, consider that the house

in Israel determined the fate of the city. In Matthew chap chapter ten, Jesus is going to send out his disciples into all the cities around Jerusalem, Judea, and in Israel.

And he sends them out with the instruction: when you come into the city, you find a house that is worth.

And when you find a house that is worthy, meaning that was a household where they heard that there was a teacher of the word of God present in their city, and they said, You don't go anywhere else, you come to my house and you stay with me.

Jesus said to his disciples, When you find a house that is worthy, you don't go from house to house in that city, you remain there. You eat what's put in front of you, you remain with that family, and you bring your peace upon them. But he also said, If you go throughout the city and you find no house worthy, if you find no household that they see that you are a teacher of the word of God and that you are a bringer of

the words of the kingdom of God and a preacher of righteousness and they see that and no one welcomes you in. He says, You walk to the edge of the city and you shake the dust off your feet and you pronounce a curse upon that city.

The house determined the fate of the city.

Because if there was no house that would host salvation, if there was no house that would house a preacher and bring their friends, their family, the low the people they know who were lost, the people who they know needed to be saved, the people who they knew were sinners in need of repentance, and would bring them in the presence of the gospel.

Then Jesus said, that city's already judged.

Because there's not a house that will host salvation.

As we examine our hearts and our minds and our lives, may we examine how we use our homes.

Different stages in life, Our house is going to be used for different things. Sometimes it may be for the raising of the next generation to be faithful to the Lord. Sometimes it may be to offer shelter. Sometimes it may be a place where the gospel can be preached. Sometimes it may be a place to host those who are preaching the gospel. Sometimes it's a place

where hearts can be refreshed and encouraged and edified.

But may we never find ourselves living in a house.

Where Jesus said concerning that house, dust off your feet, for that house will be judged. If you're here this morning and you're outside the body of Christ.

The church is the house of God. The church is the body of Christ. And it is the place where salvation is found. If you have need of the invitation of our Lord to put Christ on in baptism, to hear the word of God and believe that Jesus is the Christ, to repent of your sins and confess the name of Christ, to be immersed in water for the remission of those sins, to rise to walk in newness of life, bringing all that you have and all that you possess to

into and under his will. Even your own house. Then we invite you to do that this morning. If you're a member of the body of Christ and you say,

Maybe I need to reconsider how my house has been used. We encourage you to be in a right relationship with God. And if need be, follow the example of Zacchaeus, who said, repentance is coming to my house today. If you have need of the invitation, why not come now as we stand and as we stand?