NO. 181 A PARABLE ABOUT A CHURCH (A HOUSE)
TEXT: 1 PETER 4: 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the
house of God: and if is first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (KJV)Let us look at the basic topics regarding the parables on Bible. At first, let us look at parables about the Church, which is the parable about a house.
The Church is called the house of God on the above text. So, we know the house is the parable of the Church. Lord has rebuked His disciples who did not understand the parables. Those who pay attention to the fact that the house is a parable of the Church and keep His teachings will reach the correct understanding.
Let us look at the following parables about a house.
MATTHEW 7: 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his
house upon a rock. (KJV)A house is a metaphor of a church. Therefore, those who choose the way to walk as disciples are likened to the ones who build their houses on a rock, churches. The churches will not fall in the end time.
MATTHEW 10: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the hose of Israel. (KJV)
Lord said to tell this gospel first to the house of Israel - the Church of Christian.
MATTHEW 10: 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the
house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? (KJV)The master of the house is the head of the house. The head of the Church is of course, Christ. Christians who follow Christ should not expect to be dealt with the people in the end time than Jesus was.
The day will come when they are said to be Beelzebub or worse regardless of how they devote themselves to the truth. But this is told in advance.MATTHEW 19: 29 And every one that hath forsaken
houses, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (KJV)In God’s name, they may be forced to forsake their house or abandon their churches and so on, for example, for such as partial rapture theory, or for refusing to compromise with the truth of the Word to the end. And they may be forsaken by brothers, sister, or pastors of the church. They may be forced to leave their lands, that is, the people whom they have brought up with. But they should know for Jesus’ name’s sake, that they “shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”
MATTHEW 21: 13 And said unto them, It is written, My
house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. (KJV)The house of God - the Church, should be the house of prayer. The day will come when those who sell and buy doves (a metaphor of the Holy Spirit) are judged.
LUKE 18: 28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. (KJV)
The day will surely come when we have to leave everything behind, even our houses or churches that are out of the will of God in order to follow the Lord in the end time.
1 CORINTHIANS 3: 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. (KJV)
Paul laid the foundation and others build the house (the Church) upon it. But they should take heed on how they builds the house.
1 TIMOTHY 3: 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the
house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (KJV)Also, it is mentioned here that the church is the house of God.
1 TIMOTHY 5: 13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from
house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. (KJV)Wandering about from house to house is a parable. People who wander around from church to church and spread rumors will arise in the end time.
2 TIMOTHY 2: 20 But in a great
house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. (KJV)A house is a metaphor of a church. In the church, there are vessels for honour and for dishonour.
2 TIMOTHY 3: 6 For of this sort are they which creep into
houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts. (KJV)Women and houses are metaphor of churches. Those who lead captive churches and deceive us into sins are always around us.
HEBREWS 3: 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose
house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (KJV)“Whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” is a deep and meaningful writing. According to this verse, our churches are not unconditionally the house of God, but “if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” To the contrary, a house built on sand that will fall foolishly by the shaking in the end time is not church in the eyes of God.
Let us do the will of Lord in the end time.
End.