Are we all in or all out?

1. The Danger
of an
Empty
House!

2. Empty
Head!
Empty
Heart!
?
?

3. The Danger of Empty House!
Mt 12:43-45 "When an unclean spirit goes out
of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking
rest, and finds none. "Then he says, 'I will
return to my house from which I came.' And
when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and
put in order. "Then he goes and takes with him
seven other spirits more wicked than himself,
and they enter and dwell there; and the last
state of that man is worse than the first. So
shall it also be with this wicked generation."

4. Let’s begin by reading what comes
before this!
Mt 12:38-41 Then some of the scribes and
Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to
see a sign from You." But He answered and said to
them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after
a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign
of the prophet Jonah. "For as Jonah was three days
and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will
the Son of Man be three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth. "The men of Nineveh will rise
up in the judgment with this generation and
condemn it, because they repented at the preaching
of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

5. And then again...
Mt 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in
the judgment with this generation, and shall
condemn it: for she came from the uttermost
parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon
is here.
▪ This last example is tried very closely with
these first two example! (Mt. 12:38-42)
▪ Notice how our passage ends!
▸“This evil/wicked generation!” (Mt. 12:43-
45)

6. Jesus uses these three examples to
emphasize the spiritual condition of
many of His day and of our day!
▪ The words of Jesus begin in verse 39 “But
He answered them, an evil and adulterous
generation seeks for a sign”
▸Will we be condemned by the Ninevites or
the Queen of Sheba?
▪ The primary focus here seems to be one’s
need to listen to Jesus, but there is also a
secondary application for each of us!

7. I. The Reformation!
Mt 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out
of a man, he walketh through dry places,
seeking rest, and findeth none.
▪ The process begins when the unclean
spirit is cast out of a man!
▪ “House” in this passage stands for “the
heart of the man!”
▪ Things that are harmful can reside in our
hearts if we are not careful!

8. Source of harm or good!
▪ Mt 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
▪ Mt 12:34-35 O generation of vipers, how
can ye, being evil, speak good things? for
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh. A good man out of the good
treasure of the heart bringeth forth good
things: and an evil man out of the evil
treasure bringeth forth evil things.

9. When we obey the Gospel we are
made pure, but that is not the end!
▪ 2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become
new.
▪ Rom. 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him
by baptism into death: that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life.
▪ There is to be a changer in direction!

10. II. The Return!
Mt 12:44 "Then he says, 'I will return to my
house from which I came.' And when he comes,
he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
▪ It is amazing to me that the unclean spirit is
still able to claim the man as his property! “I
will return to my house!”
▪ Satan was gone, but the man never sold-out
to Jesus! (See Rom. 6:1-23)
▪ This man had never taken time to put up a
defense against being over taken again!

11. It is not enough to get rid or what is
wrong, we must replace it with what is
right!
▪ Js 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil
and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He
will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you
sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
▪ Eph 4:26-27 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let
the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to
the devil.
▪ We need to understand the danger of only
wanting to be forgiven of sin and not wanting to live
for the Savior!

12. We must fill our hearts and minds with
Christ!
▪ 1 Pet 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts, and always be ready to give a defense
to everyone who asks you a reason for the
hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
▪ Col 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not
on things on the earth.
▪ This is why we need to feast on God’s Word!
▸1 Pet 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the
pure milk of the word, that you may grow
thereby,

13. III. The Result!
Mt 12:45 "Then he goes and takes with him
seven other spirits more wicked than himself,
and they enter and dwell there; and the last
state of that man is worse than the first. So shall
it also be with this wicked generation."
▪ If we will not allow room in our hearts and
minds for Jesus, we will be even worse off
than those that have never knew Him!
▪ These Jews claimed to be awaiting the
Savior and now He has come, but they are
not willing to accept Him!

14. Why is the last state worse than the
first?
▪ 2 Pet 2:20-22 For if, after they have escaped the
pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is
worse for them than the beginning. For it would
have been better for them not to have known the
way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn
from the holy commandment delivered to them. But
it has happened to them according to the true
proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a
sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."

15. The danger of a harden heart!
▪ Heb 3:12-13 Beware, brethren, lest
there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief in departing from the living God;
but exhort one another daily, while it is
called "Today," lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of
sin.
▪ Ps. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart,
O God, and renew a right spirit within
me.

16. Conclusion:
▪ The sure-fire way to keep Satan out of
our hearts is to fill them with Jesus!
▪ What is the condition of our house (mind
& heart) tonight?
▪ Have we had it cleansed with the blood
of Christ, and if so did we then seek to
simply leave it empty?
▪ Many Christians turn away from Christ
because they never really get busy living
for Him!