TITLE: WHO’S LIVING IN YOUR HOUSE?
SCRIPTURE: ST. MATTHEW 12:43-45
Have you ever tried to help a friend or family member that found themselves without a roof over their head and you reluctantly and against your better judgment allowed them to come and stay in your house until they were able to get themselves together? After a short period of time it becomes obvious to you that they are there to do nothing more than use you.
• You are at work all day while they sit up in your house eating up your food
• Make no contributions to help you with the bills
• Don’t pick up after themselves
• Want to use your car and your gas
• After awhile you have to put them out
Have you ever seen that house down the street that has sat empty because its owner moved away or perhaps moved out of state? They eventually stopped maintaining the old residence at all.
• Eventually the bushes and trees grew up around it in a fast phase
• It began to look warn because of the elements over time
• Grass and yard now unkept
• Everybody in the neighborhood knows the house is unoccupied
• Soon it became a hangout for young people and drug addicts and vandals were always in the house
Jesus in his parable uses this very same scenario to describe what happens to a man or a woman who in actuality is an empty house. In our text this morning, Jesus uses a strange illustration about demon possession to make a very important point about the problem of half-baked, external repentance. In this portion of the text, Jesus talks about an unclean spirit that has gone out of a person; but the unclean spirit is still seeking rest. VS. 43 "WHEN THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT HAS GONE OUT OF A PERSON, IT PASSES THROUGH DRY PLACES SEEKING REST, BUT FINDS NONE.”
Now to understand and appreciate what is going on here, you need to know Jesus is not giving a theological treatise on demon possession.
• It is important to note in this context the unclean spirit is an evil spirit who does evil things
• Therefore, the point is not so much about demonic possession as it is about the presence of evil in the person
• Some people are not demon possessed they are JUST EVIL
• A demon passing through dry places or seeking rest is quite interesting as well - we will examine that thought in a few minutes
• The main point here is a presence of evil that produces evil
Let’s spend a moment and place this in its proper context. When we consider these verses, we may wonder how we should interpret them or apply them to our modern life. What is the text speaking to us? What is it we should walk away with this morning? Preaching and teaching is of little value without the practical application; that is to say, how is the text speaking to us today. In order to better understand it, perhaps we should back up and figure out why Jesus shared this interesting and intriguing thought.
Earlier in this same chapter, Jesus performed a mighty miracle. In VS. 22, the Bible says a demon possessed man was brought to Jesus.
• The demon had manifested itself by taking away his ability to See and Speak
• This was different than the medical condition of blindness or muteness, and everyone knew it
• This was not a Medical condition, it was a Spiritual condition
When Jesus successfully cast out the demon and the man could again see and speak, the people asked in amazement, “IS THIS THE SON OF DAVID?” They were asking if this was the promised Messiah who was to come and lead their people to freedom. The religious leaders didn’t like this train of thought. In VS. 24, one of them said, “THIS FELLOW DOES NOT CAST OUT DEMONS EXCEPT BY BEELZEBUB, THE RULER OF THE DEMONS.”
• And thus begins a great theological debate
• Jesus clearly healed this man
• But the religious elite deny the miracle and try to reimagine Jesus’ power as VILLAINOUS and DEMONIC
• Jesus replied in depth about their hypocrisy and blindness to the truth
• We can sum up the Lord’s argument this way -- HOW AND WHY WOULD SATANIC POWERS CAST OUT A DEMON?
• Isn’t it more reasonable and plausible that godly powers would be at work?
Unable to respond, the pharisees tried to divert the argument and asked Jesus to perform a sign to prove that he was from God. He denied them the opportunity, as they have already seen it. Perhaps the former demon possessed man even stood next to Jesus, as the living proof of our Lord’s power. And because His miraculous ability was clearly evident yet blatantly denied by the Jewish leaders, Jesus concluded this interaction with a parable that shows how far they had fallen.
• Perhaps this will give us a better appreciation for the primary text of the study
• Jesus did not just sit down and arbitrarily say “Let’s talk about demons”
• This scenario led to this small portion of our text this morning
Let’s walk through and view some observations on the parable and its implications for the church body. It is important we understand the nature of the evil spirits as identified in this text. The text tells us a demon was cast out of a man and it went around and “WALKETH THROUGH DRY PLACES, SEEKING REST…”
• A modern interpretation would be that demons occupy places in which God isn’t present
• Demons have a strong desire to bring harm to God’s creation, including us
• They cannot rest until there’s an opportunity to carry out their evil plots
This is a truly amazing passage of Scripture. Why do demons walk in “dry places?” It's because that's where humans live.
• It is evident from these Scriptures that there are more demons than victims, for the Bible says this demon had a difficult time finding a body to possess
• Thus, we see the vulnerability of those who open themselves up to demonic possession
• There are demons waiting in line to move into the body of those who are unsaved and vulnerable
Every Christian goes through phases where they feel like they are wandering through a spiritual desert. This kind of spiritual dry spell can come after walking through difficulties, spending time in half-heartedness or sin, or simply getting stuck in rut.
• We sing in worship and feel nothing
• We read the Bible and stare blankly at the words
• We pray and think we are talking to ourselves
• Communion tray passes by us and we have no desire to participate
• The joy is not there, and it seems as if God is a thousand miles away
• Be careful this is a Dry Place
It is important that I Footnote at this point -- demon possession and mental illness are not the same thing, and I want to emphasize that. However, there is a connection concerning Ignorance - Sadness - Hopelessness. Unfortunately, and Sadly, there is still great ignorance surrounding mental impairment.
• Where ignorance grows, cruelty follows
• The Church unfortunately does not like to address Mental Illness
• We want to throw everything under the Umbrella of Demon Possession
• We want to Sling Oil
• We want you Crying and Falling Out in a Performance
• We want to smack you on the forehead a few times
• I can only imagine the hopelessness, cruelty, and ignorance that followed someone to have a malevolent spirit in those that actively seeks to torment them
We can find satisfaction not in speculations, but in the broad picture. We know that Jesus is using a demon possessed body as an example of that unfaithful generation of Jews. As such, we see that figuratively, this spirit of Idolatry and Sin is Restless.
• It isn’t satisfied by exiting the host’s body
• It wants to return
• When it does, it finds the “house” to be empty
• This metaphorical body is not occupied by a compelling force
• This Jewish generation may have been morally purified, but God has not been invited in to be the compelling force in their lives
Jesus was trying to teach the Pharisees that it is not enough to be morally purified if there is no commitment to God. In fact, he continued the parable by stating that the evil spirit observed the “house” is empty, swept, and put in order.
• This metaphorical body had been freed from the confusion of IDOLATRY - SIN - THE DEVIL
• They had the truth!
• But having the truth without acting on the truth was an empty house
• Moral goodness without God - purified yet uncommitted
There is no true conversion if we only remove the “really bad sins,” the more repulsive sins of which we are guilty, yet are not content to seek to be Holy as God has called us to actively fill our lives with the fulness of Christ.
• So long as we are alive in the flesh, the evil once banished from our lives has not yet been destroyed
• Total commitment to Christ is the only way
• ST. LUKE 4:13 “AND WHEN THE DEVIL HAD ENDED ALL THE TEMPTATION, HE DEPARTED FROM HIM FOR A SEASON”
Deliverance without repentance is short-lived. The Holy Spirit begins to indwell us only upon repentance and acceptance of Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Apparently, the discontented demon decides that he liked his former abode better, and he wants to return. So, he goes back. When he returns, he finds the house – EMPTY - SWEPT - AND PUT IN ORDER.
This is important. He returns to find that his previous dwelling place (someone’s heart) has three characteristics -
• Empty
• Swept
• Put in order
Each word is important.
• It is “Swept” which means that it looks like a complete job has been done
• It is “In Order” which means that it has new decorations and furnishings
• But the most important characteristic is the first one – it is Empty -- Unoccupied
Now the word for “empty” is an interesting word. It means leisurely or purposeless; it is the opposite of undivided devotion.
• It is a word whose main characteristic is the absence of any real PURPOSE - DIRECTION -- OWNERSHIP
• This is key
• The demon returns to a house that is cleaned up with new decorations, but it has no real purpose or direction
• It has no Owner
• It is Vacant
Jesus is saying this to the countless people who listen to what he says and even make a few changes, but they never make a final determination over who is really going to live in their heart.
• He is talking about people who are content with lives that LOOK CLEAN - TIDY - PRESENTABLE
• But there is no transfer of ownership
• He is talking about people who make enough changes so that appearances can be kept up
• But there is no real, lasting, and fundamental change
• In fact, this leads to a worse situation
According to Jesus’ parable, demonic spirits tend to visit their former victims again. Many experienced Christians have testified to such incidents. The need for regeneration. Upon his return, if the demon finds the body he left is not occupied by the Holy Spirit, he will cause more havoc by introducing his allies into that body.
This indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not parallel to deliverance. The person must be regenerated. Regeneration is the process of transformation the Holy Spirit carries out in a person followed by repentance and submission to Jesus. There is a danger if we set out to be religious. Jesus said it will be the same with this wicked generation. He was referring to the entire nation. Not just the religious leaders of the day.
• The observation of religion was seen by Jews as the only path to righteousness
• Anything higher or more spiritual (Jesus) was condemned
• Like the man in the parable, the Jewish religion succeeded in sweeping and garnishing the soul
• But it could not replace the spiritual vacuum in them
The statement reflects a very important biblical principle that, tragically, many church people miss -- the absence of evil doesn’t equal obedience. Or to state it positively – real repentance embraces new actions that replace the old. In other words it is not enough just to say --
• I’m going to stop Lying -- real repentance starts telling the Truth
• It’s not enough to say, “I’m going to stop committing Adultery” -- real repentance embraces Christ-like love for a spouse
• It’s not enough to say, “I’m not going to be Materialistic” -- real repentance makes the choice to give
Jesus is talking to the religious rulers who are near Jesus’ message, hear his words, but fail to do anything significant about it.
• He is attacking their shallow, externally based spirituality that is really a fraud
• He is peeling back the veneer of respectable people who want band-aid solutions and temporary fixes so they can keep up appearances
• He is bringing into the light the reality not only the reality of the heart, but the danger of shallow answers and actions
The latter part of VS. 45 drives home Jesus’ scary point - “AND THE LAST STATE OF THAT PERSON IS WORSE THAN THE FIRST. SO ALSO, WILL IT BE WITH THIS GENERATION.”
• A clean and tidy house may be attractive and nice, but without an owner, it is an invitation for lots of unwelcomed tenants
• Jesus paints the picture of a man who was so glad that the evil spirit left and was thrilled with the new appearance of his life, but never addressed the more pressing problem
• Who is going to live there?
• And his failure to deal with the vacancy of his heart led to a worse problem in the end
Jesus concludes the parable by saying that the EVIL SPIRIT RETURNS WITH SEVEN MORE POWERFUL SPIRITS. And when it comes, it finds the house Empty - Swept - Put In Order.?Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.?
• This metaphorical man’s condition is a return to enslavement
• However, the newer condition is worse
The evil spirit saw the clean, tidy, but empty house as an opportunity.
• He turned it into a frat house with lots of demons living there
• In other words, its cleanliness and its tidiness without any ownership made it an attractive target
• No matter how clean or nice or decorated, the most important point was its Vacancy
Jesus is saying this to the countless people who listen to what he says and even make a few changes, but they never make a final determination over who is really going to live in their heart.
• He is talking about people who are content with lives that look CLEAN -- TIDY -- PRESENTABLE but there is no transfer of ownership
• He is talking about people who make enough changes so that appearances can be kept up
• But there is no real, lasting, and fundamental change
• In fact, this leads to a worse situation
The person who goes to a lot of trouble and puts in a lot of effort only to have it do nothing, it is tragedy. money, time, energy is often spent, and there may even be a change for a while. But in the end, it doesn’t last. In fact, it gets worse.
Sin is never static. It is so important for all of us to know that “once is never enough” when it comes to sin.
• The reason is because central to the temptation of anything is the offering of what a person doesn’t have
• The next “Fix”
• The next “Thrill”
• “Just one more” is always out there
• Sin is never satisfied
• And that is why it is so important for Jesus to change not only what we do, but to also change what we want
• The hope of the gospel is Jesus’ ability to give us new desires and redeemed appetites
--There is a difference between Repentance and Regret
--Repentance Cleans out the House and has a new Landlord who is Christ
--Regret simply cleans out the house and it is still vacant
--Regret is sorrow because of being caught, of consequences and of the pain that is caused
--Repentance is sorrow because God has been sinned against and there is relief in being caught
--Regret looks for the quickest, easiest, pain-free way to be get out of the jam
--Repentance looks for Thorough, Deep, and Consistent Change
--Regret usually only lasts until the pressure is off
--Repentance shows itself to be real by good fruit over time
--WHO IS LIVING IN YOUR HOUSE
--Following Jesus is so much more than just cleaning up your act
--It is far more than just having a proper appearance
--Jesus came to die for our sins
--Jesus went to Calvary that the Holy Spirit can live in us
--Jesus Suffered, Bleed and Died to change us
--Third Day morning He Rose with all Power – for us
--WHO IS LIVING IN YOUR HOUSE?
