Untitled Sermon

There are times where we have what appear to be great victories over the devil and sin. We have victories over the things in our lives that plague us. We expell these things. The problem however that we need to ask is what have we replaced it with.

Too many times our Christian experience has been talked about what we ought not do and what we need to get rid of, but we do a poor job of replacing it. So on a very practical note what do you replace the club with? What do we replace alcohol with?

Notice the text says that the house is swept and put in order.

Our lives will never be empty. They will always be filled with that which is of Christ or not.

Jesus is receiving skepticism and criticism on both sides of the aisle. First people believe that He is doing this work through the devil. The others want Jesus to show them another sign. Either way Jesus is getting it from all sides.

Jesus is making the claim that the Kingdom of God is among them if Jesus is casting out these demons. This lets us know that as citizens of God’s kingdom we are to deal with evil. Our church is not simply about baptisms and good attendance. It is about taking people from darkness and bringing them into light. The Kingdom is among us.

The spirit that has left the man still refers to his house as the demons house. This lets us know that not only do we need to get some stuff out, but it is imperative that we get a new owner.

Sometimes the devil will leave us alone and allow us to get our lives in order. As long as the order doesn’t involve a relationship with Christ and empowered by the Spirit.

This story lets us know that we can have our lives in order and still not have Christ in our lives and our lives end up being worse off. Being in order isn’t enough. We must have Christ. Sometimes having Jesus in an unclean house working on the mess is better than having a clean house without Christ. Too many of us think that a clean house equals having Christ. Christ has to be in the house working on it.