Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / The Demon’s Dwelling Place - 9/6/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

Transcript

The Demon’s Dwelling Place - 9/6/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

• 0:02
  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
• 0:05
  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
• 0:07
  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
• 0:10
  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
• 0:12
  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
• 0:15
  with your friends. Now, let's join
• 0:17
  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
• 0:20
  God.
• 0:26
  >> Amen. I appreciate the good singing this
• 0:28
  morning. And uh I tell you what, we
• 0:31
  think sometimes that the fact of that
• 0:33
  song, we think that's impossible.
• 0:36
  The truth is it's not impossible.
• 0:39
  >> Amen. You know what Paul told young
• 0:41
  Timothy? He knew that Neero's chopping
• 0:44
  block was very soon. He said, "I've
• 0:46
  fought a good fight. I have finished my
• 0:50
  course. I've kept the faith." He said,
• 0:52
  "Henceforth there's laid up for me a
• 0:54
  crown of righteousness, which the Lord
• 0:56
  shall give me at that day, not to me
• 0:57
  only, but to all them also that love his
• 1:02
  appearing." Amen. I'll tell you this,
• 1:04
  there's only one thing that'll motivate
• 1:05
  you to serve Jesus, and that's the fact
• 1:07
  that he's coming back.
• 1:08
  >> Amen.
• 1:09
  >> And I appreciate his grace and goodness
• 1:12
  to us. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 12. You
• 1:14
  find your place if you would stand in
• 1:16
  honor reverence to the reading of God's
• 1:18
  word. Matthew's Gospel, chapter number
• 1:21
  12.
• 1:23
  want to say again, I do appreciate you
• 1:25
  being in the house of the Lord. I don't
• 1:27
  just say that. That's not a filler word.
• 1:29
  I mean it. All right. I appreciate you
• 1:30
  being here. And uh I've preached to
• 1:34
  empty pews before. There's may have been
• 1:36
  a day. There may have been a day when a
• 1:38
  preacher could say, "I've never preached
• 1:39
  to an empty pew." But when COVID came,
• 1:41
  everybody could say we preached to an
• 1:44
  empty pew. And uh I want to say this,
• 1:46
  you being here is a blessing. Amen. And
• 1:49
  it is not overlooked. Matthew's Gospel
• 1:51
  chapter number 12. And I'll say this, if
• 1:53
  you're here today and you are not saved,
• 1:55
  that's the need of this hour. Uh, that
• 1:57
  you be saved. That's the greatest
• 1:58
  purpose of the service today. We're
• 2:00
  asking that the Lord would help us in
• 2:03
  that direction. Matthew's Gospel chapter
• 2:05
  12. Let's begin reading in verse number
• 2:08
  39. Verse 38 rather, verse number 38 of
• 2:11
  Matthew chapter number 12.
• 2:15
  The Bible says, "Then certain of the
• 2:17
  scribes and of the Pharisees answered,
• 2:19
  saying, Master, we would see a sign from
• 2:22
  thee." But he answered and said unto
• 2:24
  them, "An evil and adulterous generation
• 2:26
  seeketh after a sign. There shall no
• 2:29
  sign be given to it, but the sign of the
• 2:32
  prophet Jonas. For as Jonas was three
• 2:35
  days and three nights in the whale's
• 2:37
  belly, so shall the Son of man be three
• 2:40
  days and three nights in the heart of
• 2:42
  the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise
• 2:44
  in judgment with this generation, shall
• 2:47
  condemn it, because they repented at the
• 2:50
  preaching of Jonas. Behold, a greater
• 2:53
  than Jonas is here. The queen of the
• 2:55
  south shall rise up in the judgment with
• 2:58
  this generation, and shall condemn it,
• 3:00
  for she came from the uttermost parts of
• 3:02
  the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
• 3:05
  Behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
• 3:08
  Notice verses 43 through verse number
• 3:11
  45. It'll be our key text for the
• 3:13
  message this morning. The Bible says,
• 3:15
  "When the unclean spirit is gone out of
• 3:17
  a man, he walketh through dry places,
• 3:20
  seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he
• 3:24
  saith, I will return into my house from
• 3:26
  whence I came out. And when he has come,
• 3:28
  he findeth it empty, swept, and
• 3:32
  garnished. Then goeth he taketh with
• 3:36
  himself seven other spirits more wicked
• 3:39
  than himself, and they enter in and
• 3:41
  dwell there. And the last state of that
• 3:44
  man is worse than the first. And Jesus
• 3:48
  says these cold and hard words to those
• 3:52
  Pharisees,
• 3:53
  even so shall it be also unto this
• 3:56
  wicked generation. Now, Father, I ask
• 4:00
  this morning humbly for a moment of time
• 4:02
  that you would help us. God, we realize
• 4:04
  that we stand in a place this morning
• 4:06
  where we cannot we cannot afford to
• 4:08
  stand alone. Lord, the purpose of this
• 4:11
  hour and the plan that you have, God, is
• 4:13
  too great for flesh to try to carry it
• 4:16
  out. And so, Lord, I ask you, God, to
• 4:17
  remove the flesh far from me. I pray
• 4:20
  that you would clothe me in my calling.
• 4:21
  Lord, sincerely, I ask this morning to
• 4:24
  fill me with the spirit of God and rid
• 4:26
  me of all sin and self. I pray God for
• 4:29
  every person that's under the sound of
• 4:31
  my voice Lord in this congregation or by
• 4:34
  way of internet in days to come. I pray
• 4:37
  God that they would hear and heed the
• 4:39
  word of God this morning as it is
• 4:41
  shared. I pray father it'll find a
• 4:43
  lodging place in our hearts that we
• 4:45
  would be challenged and not just
• 4:46
  challenged but changed by the word of
• 4:48
  God. I ask you God today for whatever
• 4:50
  needs are present Lord. God I pray that
• 4:53
  your will would be done in every
• 4:54
  situation, every heart in life. I pray
• 4:57
  for that one that's here today and lost.
• 4:58
  God, I ask you, God, that you would
• 5:00
  please put them under old time Holy
• 5:02
  Ghost conviction even as I speak right
• 5:05
  now. And Lord, I pray today they'd be
• 5:07
  saved by the grace of God. And Lord,
• 5:09
  we'll be sure to give you thanks because
• 5:11
  Lord, you're the only one worthy of it.
• 5:14
  And we ask it in Jesus name. God's
• 5:16
  children said
• 5:17
  >> you can be seated. Thank you for
• 5:18
  standing this morning. Matthew's Gospel
• 5:22
  chapter number 12. I love this chapter
• 5:27
  of the word of God. This is a parallel
• 5:30
  chapter with the Gospel of Luke. Uh
• 5:34
  chapter number 11, I believe it is. And
• 5:37
  I was reading this ch this text
• 5:39
  preparing for this sermon this morning.
• 5:42
  And I want to lay a few things on your
• 5:44
  heart that jump out to me in this
• 5:47
  chapter by way of introduction. Now,
• 5:49
  what you're going to find here in this
• 5:51
  text, this entire chapter, it is the
• 5:53
  goal of Christ expressed in this chapter
• 5:56
  to make clear lines of distinction
• 5:59
  between his righteousness and the
• 6:01
  righteousness of the Pharisees. And
• 6:03
  there's two expressions that I find in
• 6:06
  this chapter that declare that
• 6:08
  distinction. Now I think about what
• 6:10
  Christ said in one place when he said
• 6:12
  except your righteousness exceed the
• 6:15
  righteousness of the scribes and
• 6:16
  Pharisees, you shall in no wise enter
• 6:19
  into the kingdom. So we know that God
• 6:22
  Christ has already declared the
• 6:24
  distinction. But he's going to state
• 6:26
  some things in this chapter that further
• 6:29
  broaden the gap. Now, we know this
• 6:31
  morning that the gap between Jesus and
• 6:34
  between the Pharisees was as wide and as
• 6:37
  far as any gap has ever been. You say,
• 6:40
  "What do you mean?" Well, I'm saying it
• 6:41
  was the gap between the sinner and the
• 6:44
  savior.
• 6:45
  >> Amen. And as lost as they were and as
• 6:48
  great as he was, Jesus is going to
• 6:51
  declare to them the distinction. Now, I
• 6:54
  want to say this. Before any sinner ever
• 6:56
  gets saved, they first have to realize
• 6:58
  that they are what? a sin. Amen. That
• 7:01
  they are lost and hopeless without God.
• 7:04
  And Jesus is declaring to them their
• 7:07
  sinfulness. Notice two things by way of
• 7:09
  introduction. Number one, in this
• 7:11
  chapter, I see the greatness of Christ
• 7:13
  is declared or manifested by him in this
• 7:17
  chapter. And you say, "What do you
• 7:18
  mean?" Well, three expressions involve
• 7:20
  the word great in this chapter. Notice
• 7:23
  with me in verse number six of the text,
• 7:26
  Matthew chapter 12, Jesus literally
• 7:29
  says, "But I say unto you that in this
• 7:31
  place is one greater than the temple."
• 7:35
  The Pharisees in their realm of life,
• 7:38
  there was no greater building that it
• 7:41
  ever existed to the Pharisees, to the
• 7:43
  Jews, than the temple. But Jesus looks
• 7:46
  them in the eyes and says, "I'm telling
• 7:48
  you, there's one standing here that's
• 7:50
  greater than this building." Amen.
• 7:52
  >> Amen. And so we see not only here the
• 7:55
  temple that's mentioned, but you notice
• 7:57
  in verse number 41 that there is a man
• 8:00
  is mentioned in verse 41. The Bible
• 8:03
  says, "The men of Nineveh shall rise in
• 8:05
  judgment with this generation and shall
• 8:07
  condemn it because they repented at the
• 8:10
  preaching of Jonas." Now this is the
• 8:12
  prophet Jonah of your Old Testament. But
• 8:14
  listen to what Jesus says in verse
• 8:16
  number 41. And behold, what's it say,
• 8:19
  church? A greater than Jonas is here.
• 8:24
  You say, "PREACHER, WHAT DOES THAT
• 8:26
  MEAN?" WELL, as the temple was the
• 8:28
  greatest building to the Jews, when we
• 8:30
  think about Jonah, you say, "Preacher,
• 8:32
  WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT JONAH? WHAT WAS so
• 8:34
  wonderful about Jonah's ministry?" Well,
• 8:37
  the greatest revival that takes place on
• 8:40
  the pages of the word of God are really
• 8:42
  in history happens under the ministry of
• 8:46
  the prophet John. You say, "How is
• 8:48
  that?" Well, you turn there and look,
• 8:49
  some 150,000 people are saved through
• 8:53
  the preaching of one man in one time in
• 8:57
  that town. Jesus says, "Behold, a
• 9:00
  greater than Jonas is here." So, there
• 9:03
  is the greater than the temple. There is
• 9:05
  the greater than Jonah. Notice verse 42
• 9:08
  of our text. The Bible says, "The queen
• 9:10
  of the south shall rise up in the
• 9:12
  judgment with this generation and shall
• 9:14
  condemn it. for she came from the
• 9:16
  uttermost parts of the earth to hear the
• 9:18
  wisdom of Solomon. And again, Jesus
• 9:21
  says, "Behold, a greater than Solomon is
• 9:24
  here." Now, it's not hard for us to
• 9:26
  understand the expression of Solomon in
• 9:28
  this text that Solomon had the greatest
• 9:30
  wisdom of any man that's ever lived. He
• 9:34
  had the greatest wealth of any man
• 9:36
  that's ever lived. But Jesus could say,
• 9:38
  "And he did not tell a lie." Amen.
• 9:41
  Aren't you thankful that Jesus when he
• 9:43
  spoke it was truth? Amen. Jesus was
• 9:45
  greater than the temple. Amen. That
• 9:47
  temple was made with hands. But Jesus
• 9:50
  was the stone huned out of the mountain.
• 9:52
  Amen. Tumbling down into this world to
• 9:54
  destroy the kingdoms and the temple of
• 9:57
  men. Jesus said it this way. He said,
• 9:59
  "You destroy this temple and in three
• 10:01
  days I'll raise it up again." Amen. He
• 10:04
  was greater than the temple. But I want
• 10:05
  to say this. He was greater than Jonah.
• 10:07
  You say, "How is it, preacher?" Well,
• 10:09
  Jonah preached and 150,000 got saved. I
• 10:12
  want to say this. Jesus preached and
• 10:14
  souls are still being saved to this day.
• 10:17
  Let me put it this way. Rather, Jesus is
• 10:19
  preaching and every soul that's gotten
• 10:21
  saved throughout time, past, present, or
• 10:24
  future, is saved because of Jesus
• 10:27
  gospel. Amen. And so Jesus is greater
• 10:30
  than Jonah. But let me say this to you
• 10:32
  this morning. Jesus is far greater than
• 10:35
  Solomon. Though the wisdom that he had
• 10:37
  gathered, though the wisdom he WAS
• 10:39
  GIFTED WITH BY GOD, Jesus far greater
• 10:42
  possessed the wisdom of all of heaven.
• 10:44
  All that the father hath, Jesus had it
• 10:47
  at his possession. Solomon might have
• 10:49
  owned the cattle on a hundred hills in
• 10:51
  Jerusalem, but Jesus, he owns the cattle
• 10:54
  of a thousand hills. Amen. Of all the
• 10:56
  world, all the souls of men belong to
• 10:59
  him. And I want to say this to you this
• 11:01
  morning. Jesus unequivocally is greater
• 11:04
  than all. Amen. There's none greater
• 11:06
  than he is. And so Jesus here is
• 11:09
  declaring these lines of distinction. So
• 11:12
  we see the greatness of Christ in verses
• 11:15
  641 and 42 this chapter. I'm going
• 11:18
  somewhere. Stay with me. But we notice
• 11:20
  second of all the generation in this
• 11:22
  chapter is characterized. You say, "What
• 11:25
  do you mean?" Well, you'll find the term
• 11:27
  generation in this chapter used no less
• 11:30
  than six times in this chapter. Notice
• 11:33
  verse 34. What's your Bible say in
• 11:35
  Matthew 12:34?
• 11:38
  Jesus says, "Oh generation of vipers,
• 11:42
  how can ye being evil speak good things?
• 11:44
  For out of ab out of the abundance of
• 11:46
  the heart, the mouth speaketh." Notice
• 11:49
  verse number 39. But he answered and
• 11:51
  said unto them, "An evil and adulterous
• 11:54
  generation
• 11:55
  seeketh after a sign." And in verse
• 11:59
  number 41, the men of Nineveh shall rise
• 12:02
  in judgment with this what generation.
• 12:05
  Verse 42, the queen of the south shall
• 12:08
  rise up in the judgment with this
• 12:11
  generation. And you see it again in
• 12:13
  verse 45 when Jesus says, even so shall
• 12:16
  it be also unto this wicked
• 12:21
  generation.
• 12:23
  >> We say the lines of distinction are
• 12:24
  pretty clearly drawn.
• 12:26
  >> I want to say this. the world that says
• 12:28
  Jesus was not confrontational, that
• 12:31
  Jesus was not divisive, and Jesus was
• 12:33
  not offensive. Don't know the Jesus of
• 12:35
  the Bible.
• 12:37
  >> Jesus looked eye to eye and stood toeto
• 12:40
  toe with the PHARISEES AND TOLD THEM
• 12:42
  JUST LIKE IT WAS. And it's high time
• 12:45
  some men start doing the same thing.
• 12:47
  >> Amen.
• 12:48
  >> And so we notice in this text, the
• 12:51
  distinction is clearly drawn by Christ
• 12:53
  in these statements. And I want to say
• 12:55
  this, the Pharisees have tried to
• 12:57
  discredit him. You say, "What do you
• 12:59
  mean?" Well, notice verse two in the
• 13:00
  chapter. The disciples here in the text,
• 13:03
  they had were hungry and on the Sabbath
• 13:05
  day they began to pluck ears of corn and
• 13:07
  to eat. In verse two, the Pharisees saw
• 13:09
  it. They said unto him, "Behold, thy
• 13:11
  disciples do that which is not lawful to
• 13:14
  do upon the Sabbath day." And so they
• 13:17
  try to discredit the work of Christ
• 13:19
  because of what his disciples were
• 13:21
  doing. And let me say this, just put
• 13:23
  this out there. If g if Jesus is going
• 13:25
  to be discredited in this day and time,
• 13:28
  it's because of what we're doing and
• 13:29
  what we're not doing.
• 13:30
  >> That's right.
• 13:31
  >> You hearing me? Amen. I'm saying,
• 13:33
  friend, the world discredits him because
• 13:35
  of how the church represents him. Amen.
• 13:38
  That's another message for another time.
• 13:40
  But the Pharisees have tried to
• 13:41
  discredit him. Certainly, they have
• 13:43
  disrespected him. In verse 24, when
• 13:46
  Jesus here in the text deals with a man
• 13:49
  want possessed with a devil, in verse
• 13:50
  22, blind and dumb. Verse number 24, the
• 13:53
  Pharisees heard it. They said, "This
• 13:55
  fellow does not cast out devils, but by
• 13:58
  be elabub, the prince of the devils." So
• 14:01
  they've discredited his ministry. But I
• 14:03
  want to say they have disrespected his
• 14:05
  majesty. You say, "What do you mean?"
• 14:07
  Well, I'm saying, friend, they've called
• 14:08
  him out and called him literally a devil
• 14:11
  or a son of the devil himself.
• 14:14
  Then Jesus deals with the sin of
• 14:17
  blasphemy the Holy Ghost. Later on in
• 14:18
  this text, this nation committed that in
• 14:20
  Acts chapter 7. He'd warned them, but
• 14:24
  yet they still, even though they
• 14:25
  discredited him and disrespected him,
• 14:27
  that was not the greatest thing. You see
• 14:30
  that thief on the cross, he discredited
• 14:32
  Jesus and disrespected him. But you know
• 14:34
  what? After all of that, he recognized
• 14:35
  that he really was the Messiah. You know
• 14:38
  what the problem with the Pharisees was?
• 14:40
  Not so much that they discredited him
• 14:42
  and disrespected him, but the greatest
• 14:44
  trouble with the Pharisees is that they
• 14:46
  would disregard him for the rest of his
• 14:49
  life. You say, "How is that, preacher?"
• 14:51
  Well, notice it again in verse number
• 14:53
  38. Then certain of the scribes and of
• 14:56
  the Pharisees answered, saying, "Master,
• 14:58
  we would see a sign from thee." Jesus
• 15:01
  has given them sign after sign
• 15:05
  >> after sign after sign. And yet they
• 15:08
  would stand in his face and said,
• 15:09
  "Master, we need to see you actually do
• 15:11
  something that's real." You know what?
• 15:14
  There's a lot of people looking in the
• 15:15
  face of the church this day and time and
• 15:16
  they're saying, "Won't you show us
• 15:18
  something that's real?" And the fact
• 15:19
  that we're here, the fact that the
• 15:22
  church is still alive,
• 15:23
  >> the gospel is still being preached, it's
• 15:25
  a miracle that we're still here.
• 15:30
  We've given them sign after sign after
• 15:32
  sign. Hey friend, this book still is
• 15:34
  still alive and well.
• 15:35
  >> And it still works.
• 15:37
  >> It's still doing the same thing it did
• 15:38
  when they finished praying.
• 15:42
  >> They don't need a sign. They need
• 15:43
  salvation.
• 15:45
  >> Notice this in the text. Jesus after
• 15:48
  they have tried to discredit him and
• 15:50
  they've disrespected him in this chapter
• 15:52
  and ultimately they are completely
• 15:54
  disregarding his person the fact that he
• 15:57
  is very God in human flesh. Thus Jesus
• 16:00
  will describe their demise in verses 43
• 16:03
  through verse number 45. And I want to
• 16:05
  preach on this thought for just a little
• 16:07
  while if the Lord help me this morning.
• 16:09
  I want to preach on the demon's dwelling
• 16:11
  place. The demon's dwelling place. Jesus
• 16:17
  in verse number 43 begins this little
• 16:19
  short parable here describing what is
• 16:22
  said to be in your King James Bible as
• 16:25
  an unclean spirit. Notice see it in
• 16:28
  verse 43. When the unclean spirit is
• 16:30
  gone out of the man, he walketh through
• 16:33
  dry places seeking rest and findeth
• 16:36
  none. So what Jesus is describing here
• 16:39
  is a personal instance illustrating a
• 16:42
  national condition. You say, how is
• 16:44
  that? Well, he is talking about a man
• 16:46
  personally. Notice at verse 43, when the
• 16:48
  unclean spirit has gone out of a what? A
• 16:52
  man. But look how he describes it in the
• 16:54
  end of verse 45. Even so shall it be
• 16:57
  also unto this wicked generation. So he
• 17:01
  is using an instance of personal demon
• 17:04
  possession to describe the state of the
• 17:07
  nation of Israel. So here's what we're
• 17:09
  going to do this morning. We're going to
• 17:10
  express to you the state of the
• 17:12
  Pharisees in this text just as Jesus
• 17:14
  did. But you know what? That does not
• 17:16
  make any less true the personal
• 17:18
  illustration.
• 17:20
  Say, "What do you mean? Demon possession
• 17:21
  is a real thing."
• 17:22
  >> Amen.
• 17:24
  >> It is.
• 17:25
  >> And lost people, most of them, if not
• 17:28
  all of them at some point,
• 17:29
  >> yeah,
• 17:30
  >> have this problem.
• 17:31
  >> That's right. Amen. Amen.
• 17:33
  >> Now, some would sweat at that statement,
• 17:35
  but I don't sweat. I don't bat an eye at
• 17:36
  it because I know what kind of world
• 17:38
  we're living in. And you know how
• 17:40
  they're getting into a lot of you.
• 17:43
  >> Amen.
• 17:44
  >> You know how they're oppressing those of
• 17:46
  you that save?
• 17:48
  >> Go ahead. Amen.
• 17:50
  >> Right.
• 17:51
  >> AND IN THIS TEXT, JESUS DEALS with
• 17:55
  >> Jesus deals with demons on several
• 17:57
  occasions. Well, in this very chapter,
• 17:58
  he cast out a man who is blind and dumb
• 18:01
  because of a demon that's in him. He
• 18:03
  deals with that gadinian maniac in the
• 18:06
  Gospel of Luke, chapter number eight.
• 18:07
  And what about him? He had a legion of
• 18:09
  devils in him. And when they left the
• 18:11
  man, he was crying and cutting himself
• 18:13
  with stones. And wonder he was even
• 18:15
  alive from the influence of demons on
• 18:18
  his life. But out of that they were
• 18:20
  cast. And into that herd of swine they
• 18:22
  went because man will tolerate more
• 18:24
  demons than any other creature in this
• 18:26
  world will. And so when that legion that
• 18:28
  was in one man went into that herd of
• 18:31
  swine, the swine wouldn't even tolerate
• 18:33
  them. They run down into the lake and
• 18:34
  drown themselves
• 18:37
  >> because man will tolerate more demonic
• 18:39
  influence than any other being that
• 18:41
  exists.
• 18:42
  >> And God Jesus in this text, he gives
• 18:45
  this illustration. So this personal
• 18:48
  illustration is still relevant to us of
• 18:50
  this unclean spirit that's in this man.
• 18:52
  It's obviously seen in the text that the
• 18:54
  demon has departed his host. Verse 43,
• 18:58
  when an unclean spirit is gone out of a
• 19:00
  man. Now, the verbiage in the text
• 19:02
  implies that this man has not had this
• 19:05
  demon expelled from him as a work of of
• 19:08
  God in his life. But this demon by his
• 19:11
  own will has chosen to depart this man.
• 19:14
  Now, they have that they have a will
• 19:16
  just like go all of God's creatures do
• 19:19
  and and man and then you think about the
• 19:21
  angels that fail. They have a will. And
• 19:23
  so, he willfully by his own valition
• 19:26
  here chooses to depart this man. And the
• 19:28
  Bible says in the text, he is he is
• 19:31
  departing because he is seeking for
• 19:34
  other rest. Notice it in the text, he
• 19:36
  walketh through dry places seeking rest
• 19:39
  and findeth none. What's interesting to
• 19:41
  me about that is that this demon has not
• 19:43
  been expelled, but by his own choice, he
• 19:46
  is searching for other excitement. You
• 19:48
  say, "What do you mean excitement?"
• 19:50
  Well, if you look up that word rest, the
• 19:52
  word rest is used two times in your King
• 19:54
  James Bible, and it literally translates
• 19:56
  to the word recreation.
• 19:59
  You say, "What do you mean?" Well, the
• 20:00
  demons of hell, you know what they want
• 20:01
  to do? They want to make sport of you.
• 20:04
  >> And you know what a demon does? Who
• 20:06
  whatever its host is, they make sport of
• 20:08
  that thing.
• 20:09
  >> They are there. Their their enjoyment is
• 20:11
  your destruction.
• 20:13
  >> Amen.
• 20:14
  >> And demons comes in a lot of shape,
• 20:16
  forms, and fashions, but we'll get to
• 20:17
  that in just a minute. And so, this word
• 20:20
  rest translates to recreation. He is
• 20:22
  searching for another host. And these
• 20:24
  dry places, it's mentioned in verse 43,
• 20:27
  imply that there is no host to be found.
• 20:30
  Now, I I found this interesting.
• 20:31
  Jeremiah 2 and verse 6 says this,
• 20:33
  "Neither said they, where is the Lord
• 20:35
  that brought us up out of the land of
• 20:36
  Egypt, that led us through the
• 20:38
  wilderness, through a land of deserts
• 20:39
  and a pits, through a land of drought
• 20:41
  and of the shadow of death." Notice
• 20:43
  this. Through a land that no man passed
• 20:46
  through and where no man dwelt. These
• 20:49
  dry places are not talking about water.
• 20:51
  these dry places are talking about where
• 20:53
  there's no men.
• 20:55
  This demon exits this man because what
• 20:57
  does a demon do? He gets inside a person
• 21:00
  and what does he do? He isolates them.
• 21:02
  And so when this demon leaves this host,
• 21:05
  he walks through dry places and he finds
• 21:07
  nowhere else to go.
• 21:10
  I would hate to know that my body would
• 21:11
  be a place the only place a demon could
• 21:13
  end up. Let me say this. All right, this
• 21:16
  demon is going to find some place where
• 21:18
  he can rest. All right, I know y'all
• 21:20
  tuning me out on this, but you need to
• 21:21
  stay with me because I'm going
• 21:22
  somewhere. All right, he's going to find
• 21:25
  some place where he can rest. I want to
• 21:27
  say this. YOU SAY, "PREACHER, HOW DOES
• 21:28
  THAT translate to my life?" Well, we got
• 21:31
  to understand there's a man here. Verse
• 21:33
  43, the man's still there. Notice it
• 21:35
  again. When the unclean spirit has gone
• 21:37
  out of a man. So, there is a man that is
• 21:39
  left behind in THIS TEXT. NOW, WHAT DOES
• 21:41
  a demon do? It causes a man to do things
• 21:44
  that normally he otherwise would not do.
• 21:46
  >> Amen.
• 21:47
  >> Amen. And I thought about this. A man
• 21:50
  who is known for being bent towards
• 21:52
  wickedness often will go through periods
• 21:55
  where he doesn't have the same veracity
• 21:57
  for his sin of choice. You say, "What do
• 22:00
  you mean?" Well, I I put this
• 22:02
  illustration in my in my notes here. A
• 22:04
  drunk's not drunk all the time.
• 22:08
  >> Sometimes a drunk will go through a
• 22:10
  period of sobriety.
• 22:12
  But I thought about this. You know what
• 22:14
  happens is many times, let me say this,
• 22:16
  alcoholism is a demon.
• 22:18
  >> Amen. It ain't a disease. God help you.
• 22:21
  >> Amen. It's not a disease. You chose to
• 22:24
  do it.
• 22:24
  >> Amen.
• 22:24
  >> Amen, friend. It ain't a disease. It's a
• 22:27
  demon. Amen. And what that's there's a
• 22:29
  reason why they call it spirits.
• 22:31
  >> All right. I ain't got time to preach
• 22:33
  all that, but what I'm saying this
• 22:35
  morning is this. Just because a drunk
• 22:37
  gets sober for a little while, that
• 22:38
  don't make him any less a drunk.
• 22:42
  Amen.
• 22:45
  This does not mean that that drunk has
• 22:47
  gotten right or straightened out. A
• 22:49
  drunk will have times where he is sober,
• 22:51
  but like this story, that doesn't last
• 22:53
  too long, more often than not. You say,
• 22:56
  "What do you mean?" Well, this man's
• 22:58
  demon has exited him for a time. But
• 23:00
  what do we find in verse number 44? This
• 23:03
  demon's departure is followed by the
• 23:05
  demon's dwelling. You say, "What do you
• 23:07
  mean?" Well, notice the text. Then he
• 23:09
  saith, "I will return into what's that
• 23:11
  demon say? my house,
• 23:14
  the demon's dwelling. It's the title of
• 23:16
  the message, demon's dwelling place.
• 23:19
  He's already laid claim to it. He
• 23:20
  describes it as his house. You know
• 23:23
  what? That's what the devil tell you.
• 23:26
  That's what the devil keeps in the mind
• 23:27
  of the alcoholic and the pervert, the
• 23:29
  fornicator. Amen. That man that's a
• 23:32
  homosexual, that woman that's a
• 23:33
  homosexual, that's a demons what that
• 23:35
  is.
• 23:36
  >> And he keeps in their mind that that
• 23:37
  that they belong to him.
• 23:39
  >> Amen. That's what he'll tell you. Let me
• 23:42
  say this. You're in abusive relationship
• 23:43
  this morning. That man or that woman
• 23:45
  that's abusing you, they'll tell you you
• 23:47
  belong to them.
• 23:50
  >> You know who you belong to first.
• 23:54
  >> He wouldn't do that to you.
• 23:56
  >> That's right.
• 23:56
  >> You listening to me? You don't stay in a
• 23:59
  relationship where somebody doesn't
• 24:00
  respect your own valition.
• 24:02
  >> Amen.
• 24:03
  >> I love my wife as much as anything in
• 24:05
  this world. She don't belong to me.
• 24:07
  >> Say, "What do you mean? God gave her to
• 24:09
  me to be barred for a little while. She
• 24:11
  belongs to him.
• 24:13
  >> And as much as I love my children, they
• 24:15
  don't belong to me.
• 24:16
  >> Amen, friend. They're gods. He just gave
• 24:19
  me the responsibility to raise them for
• 24:21
  a little while. You don't belong to
• 24:23
  anybody.
• 24:25
  >> And somebody that lays claim to you, you
• 24:27
  just remind them, friend, you don't own
• 24:29
  me. Now, I want to say this. It's not
• 24:31
  for you to be disrespectful to your
• 24:33
  parents. Youngs, listen to me.
• 24:35
  >> All right. Let me say this. that
• 24:36
  boyfriend or that girlfriend or that
• 24:38
  that friend that you have. Amen. That
• 24:40
  thinks they own you. The best thing you
• 24:42
  can do for them is leave them high and
• 24:44
  dry.
• 24:45
  >> Cut them off.
• 24:47
  >> You don't belong to them.
• 24:48
  >> You're not their hands. You're not their
• 24:50
  feet. Amen. And you don't walk where
• 24:52
  they want you to walk. And you don't
• 24:53
  hold on to what they want you to hold on
• 24:55
  to. You do what you know you're supposed
• 24:57
  TO DO CUZ YOU BELONG to God.
• 25:03
  >> Demon influence a lot closer than we
• 25:04
  think. Listen to this. The demon's
• 25:07
  dwelling. After the demon has made his
• 25:09
  decision to return, his findings are
• 25:11
  very interesting. It seems as if his
• 25:13
  host has reformed and been somewhat
• 25:15
  repaired. NOT NOTE A FEW OF THIS demon's
• 25:18
  finest. Jesus is speaking this. Verse
• 25:20
  44. Then he will return unto my house
• 25:23
  from whence I came out. When he has
• 25:25
  come, he findeth it three things: empty,
• 25:28
  swept, and garnished. Now, what does
• 25:30
  that mean? All right. So this demon's
• 25:32
  dwelling, he's departed in verse in
• 25:34
  verse 43, but he's coming back. He's
• 25:36
  returning in verse 44. And here in the
• 25:39
  text, his desire is expressed. His
• 25:41
  description is expressed. But notice his
• 25:44
  his defining of this home. Number one, I
• 25:46
  want you to notice the coldness of this
• 25:48
  house. I was going to title title the
• 25:50
  message this, the construction of count
• 25:52
  fix. That's what this is. All right? But
• 25:55
  but I didn't title it that. Okay? You
• 25:57
  can if you want to. Amen. That's up to
• 25:58
  you. But notice this. He says he findeth
• 26:01
  it empty. Now that word empty, you know
• 26:04
  what that implies? It means there's no
• 26:06
  life.
• 26:08
  >> It's coldness. I use that word for sake
• 26:10
  of literation. But you know what this
• 26:12
  represents? It represents the heart of a
• 26:13
  man who's lost.
• 26:16
  >> There's nothing on the inside.
• 26:18
  >> See that demon left? He was the only
• 26:20
  thing that lived there. But you know
• 26:22
  what? When he came back, he found it the
• 26:24
  same way he left it. Was empty. There's
• 26:27
  no life there. nothing else was taken up
• 26:30
  residence in the house since he's been
• 26:33
  gone. So number one, you notice that the
• 26:35
  demon finds it empty according to the
• 26:37
  text. Number two, he finds it not only
• 26:39
  empty, but he finds it swept. Now that's
• 26:41
  interesting. So what does that mean?
• 26:43
  Well, notice the text. He findeth it
• 26:45
  empty, swept, and garnished. So there's
• 26:48
  the coldness of the house is empty. But
• 26:49
  then there's the cleansing of the house.
• 26:51
  You see, this man has done his diligence
• 26:53
  to remove every trace of defilement that
• 26:55
  could be in this house.
• 26:58
  You say, "What is that?" Well, that's
• 26:59
  self-reformation.
• 27:01
  This man, the demon's now gone. Well,
• 27:03
  I'm going to be the best me I can be.
• 27:06
  I'm going to try to do the best I can
• 27:08
  turn out right. I'm going to turn over a
• 27:12
  new leaf.
• 27:14
  So, what is that? Well, he swept it out.
• 27:16
  All that defilement that the demon left
• 27:18
  behind, he said, "I better get that out
• 27:20
  of here." So, you know what? The demon
• 27:22
  comes back and he finds it empty. But it
• 27:24
  ain't just empty. It's swept. It's
• 27:27
  cleansed. Now, you know how good
• 27:29
  cleansing is without Christ. It's
• 27:32
  useless.
• 27:35
  >> I'm going to say more about that in a
• 27:36
  little while. All right. Notice this. He
• 27:38
  doesn't only find it cold and cleansed,
• 27:41
  but he also finds it composed. Isn't
• 27:43
  this interesting? Notice verse 44 again.
• 27:45
  He findeth it empty, swept, and
• 27:47
  garnished. That word garnished means
• 27:49
  decorated or put together.
• 27:52
  This man has got things in order. Now,
• 27:56
  you ever seen somebody that and we say
• 27:58
  something like this, we say, "Man, they
• 28:00
  got it all together."
• 28:02
  That's what this is. This man had even
• 28:05
  prepared. Now, what you say? What does
• 28:07
  that describe in this text? Well, this
• 28:08
  man has prepared the house to be lived
• 28:10
  in again. The demons left. Well, you
• 28:13
  know what? I'm going to sweep it out,
• 28:15
  but I'm also I'm going to put things in
• 28:17
  order. Think about a house. Uh when a a
• 28:20
  seller, a a realtor is selling a house,
• 28:22
  what they do? They get sometimes they'll
• 28:24
  get that furniture it puts in there.
• 28:25
  won't go with the house, but it goes
• 28:27
  with the pictures, so it'll help it
• 28:28
  sell. It's decorating. It's what?
• 28:31
  Prepared to live in.
• 28:34
  You say, "What does that mean,
• 28:35
  preacher?" Well, that's a sign of a
• 28:38
  sinner's heart who's doing everything
• 28:41
  that they possibly can to get
• 28:44
  straightened out, to get clean, but also
• 28:46
  to get composed. They got it all
• 28:48
  together. They're not only clean, but
• 28:50
  they're trying to do the works of God.
• 28:52
  This is what happens. This is the
• 28:55
  illustration of the waste of selfre
• 28:57
  reformation or turning over a new leaf.
• 28:59
  No matter how much cleansing you try to
• 29:01
  do or how much you try to compose your
• 29:03
  heart in righteousness, if it's cold,
• 29:05
  there's no life there.
• 29:08
  >> You say, "What does that mean,
• 29:09
  preacher?" Well, the thing is it don't
• 29:11
  matter how much you decorate it up or
• 29:12
  how much you clean it out. If there's
• 29:14
  nothing living there, it's not going to
• 29:16
  benefit anybody. Amen.
• 29:19
  >> And when Jesus in this text he says that
• 29:22
  this demon findeth it empty, swept and
• 29:25
  garnished, this is the illustration that
• 29:27
  he gives. VERSE 45, THEN goeth he and
• 29:30
  taketh with himself seven other spirits
• 29:32
  more wicked than himself. Let me say
• 29:35
  this to you lost person. Your attempts
• 29:37
  at sanctifying yourself are nothing more
• 29:39
  than mere conformity and are invaluable
• 29:42
  without salvation.
• 29:43
  >> Amen.
• 29:44
  >> Say what do you mean? Well, you can try
• 29:46
  to quit drinking. You can try to quit
• 29:48
  smoking that substance you ain't got no
• 29:50
  business even knowing about.
• 29:53
  >> You can try to quit fornicating. You can
• 29:54
  try to quit living in sin. YOU CAN TRY
• 29:56
  TO DO ALL of that. AND YOU CAN
• 29:58
  STRAIGHTEN IT OUT, CLEAN IT UP, CLEAR IT
• 29:59
  OUT. AMEN. AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AND
• 30:02
  LOOK RIGHT ON the outside. But if there
• 30:04
  ain't nobody living in it,
• 30:07
  >> we all know what happens to a house that
• 30:09
  don't get lived in.
• 30:12
  It destroys itself faster than one it is
• 30:14
  being lived in.
• 30:15
  >> Now make that make sense. What's the
• 30:17
  natural law of decay is what it is.
• 30:20
  >> Isn't that funny? A brand new house can
• 30:22
  be built and if that thing sits there
• 30:24
  for five or 10 years, you know what she
• 30:25
  going to do? It's going to fall in.
• 30:28
  >> That's right.
• 30:29
  >> Cuz a house is made to be
• 30:32
  >> lived in.
• 30:33
  >> Amen.
• 30:33
  >> Preach. Amen.
• 30:36
  >> But I want to say this. It's made to be
• 30:38
  lived in by somebody who'll care for it.
• 30:41
  >> That's right.
• 30:41
  >> You see, your heart was made to be lived
• 30:43
  in.
• 30:44
  >> Right.
• 30:44
  >> But it was made to be lived in by one.
• 30:48
  >> Amen.
• 30:48
  >> Every person, some preacher said it this
• 30:50
  way, every person has a Godshaped void
• 30:54
  >> in their heart. You can try to fill it
• 30:56
  with every substance known to man, but
• 30:58
  I'm tell you this, they're going to be
• 30:59
  cracks in it.
• 31:00
  >> And ultimately, what it's going to do is
• 31:02
  going to destroy the form of your heart.
• 31:04
  >> And so, you know what? God never really
• 31:06
  fits right in it after that. Oh, I hope
• 31:09
  you're hearing me preach this morning.
• 31:11
  >> You see, you see the demon in the text,
• 31:13
  his departure. You see the demon's
• 31:15
  dwelling in verse 44, but notice the
• 31:17
  demon's destruction. He makes a new
• 31:19
  decision in verse 45. Then goeth he and
• 31:21
  taketh with himself seven other spirits
• 31:22
  more than himself. He said, "All right,
• 31:24
  I'm going back, but I ain't going back
• 31:25
  alone."
• 31:27
  This man means business. He's cleaned it
• 31:29
  up. He's put it all together. He's
• 31:31
  obviously serious about it. I'm going to
• 31:32
  have to have some more help.
• 31:35
  You think I'm joking or telling a story?
• 31:37
  This how it works, friend.
• 31:39
  >> You know what you do? And you try to go
• 31:40
  to them 12step programs and you do all
• 31:42
  of that. Look, I'm not against it, but
• 31:44
  they need salvation.
• 31:47
  >> You can try to do all that, but here's
• 31:48
  what you going to find. You going to
• 31:50
  come out worse the other side than you
• 31:51
  are. That's
• 31:52
  >> right.
• 31:52
  >> At the beginning,
• 31:54
  >> the new decision, you see, not only the
• 31:56
  new decision, but you notice the number
• 31:58
  of demons in verse 45. Seven other
• 32:00
  spirits. There's eight of them. He takes
• 32:04
  eight spirits instead of one. Not only
• 32:08
  the number, but notice the nefariousness
• 32:10
  of these demons, more wicked than
• 32:13
  himself. The one demon was bad enough,
• 32:15
  but you know what? He goes and gets his
• 32:16
  buddies who are worse than him.
• 32:19
  Seven of them brings them back more
• 32:22
  wicked. Then notice the negative
• 32:24
  degradation. I say it foriteration. What
• 32:26
  what he said in verse 45, more wicked
• 32:28
  than himself. And they enter in and
• 32:30
  dwell there. And the last state of that
• 32:32
  man is what? Worse than the first. I
• 32:36
  want to say this. This ain't no laughing
• 32:38
  matter. You say, "Preacher, I don't have
• 32:39
  a demon."
• 32:42
  Let me tell you something, friend. If
• 32:43
  you're lost without God, your heart's
• 32:44
  wide open.
• 32:47
  >> You don't know if you do or not. SAY,
• 32:50
  "PREACHER, BUT I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING
• 32:51
  LIKE THAT." WELL, LET ME SAY THIS.
• 32:53
  UNBELIEF IS THE cardinal sin.
• 32:55
  >> And you know what? There's been a lot of
• 32:57
  You SAY, "PREACHER, HOW IS THAT?" WELL,
• 32:59
  YOU KNOW WHAT? THE SIN that sent Judas
• 33:01
  to hell was it was unbelief. And you
• 33:03
  know who entered into his heart?
• 33:06
  Satan.
• 33:08
  >> Not a demon, but the devil himself.
• 33:11
  >> Then Satan entered in the heart of
• 33:12
  Jesus. The Bible says he betrayed the
• 33:14
  Lord. It was his unbelief that sent him
• 33:18
  to hell. You know why every sinner that
• 33:20
  dies and dies, they die and go to hell?
• 33:22
  They don't go to hell because they're
• 33:23
  drunk. They don't go to hell because
• 33:25
  they're fornication. They don't go to
• 33:26
  hell because they're an adulterer, a
• 33:28
  homosexual. They don't go to HELL FOR
• 33:30
  THOSE SINS. THEY GO TO HELL BECAUSE THEY
• 33:32
  DO NOT BELIEVE.
• 33:35
  >> And your unbelief is what's going to
• 33:37
  send you there. Preacher, I'M OKAY.
• 33:39
  HERE'S THE PROBLEM. SINNERS THAT GO TO
• 33:41
  HELL, THEY DON'T BELIEVE TWO THINGS.
• 33:43
  THEY DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYTHING
• 33:44
  WRONG WITH THEM.
• 33:45
  >> That's right.
• 33:45
  >> And they don't believe that they need
• 33:47
  what Jesus has to offer. That's
• 33:48
  >> right.
• 33:52
  You see, this man is a counterfeit
• 33:54
  because even though he cleans it out,
• 33:56
  amen, and puts it all BACK TOGETHER AND
• 33:59
  MAKES IT REAL NICE AND PRETTY, THERE'S
• 34:01
  STILL NO LIFE ON THE INSIDE. THEY SOME
• 34:04
  OF YOU BEEN SITTING ON A CHURCH PEW
• 34:06
  SINCE YOU WERE A LITTLE CHILD, BUT
• 34:08
  YOU'VE GOT IT ALL TOGETHER. YOU'VE GOT
• 34:10
  IT ALL FIGURED OUT. BUT THE TRUTH IS,
• 34:12
  YOU'RE GOING TO BUST HELL WIDE OPEN
• 34:14
  BECAUSE THERE'S NO LIFE ON THE INSIDE.
• 34:18
  >> AMEN.
• 34:19
  IT SADDENS ME. IT SCARES ME TO KNOW
• 34:22
  WHO'S SITTING IN THIS CHURCH PROFESSING
• 34:24
  TO BE SAVED. BUT ONE OF THESE DAYS IF
• 34:27
  JESUS COMES BACK, you'll be left here.
• 34:30
  >> Or if you die, we roll your casket up
• 34:32
  here and try to tell your testimony
• 34:34
  because that's all we know.
• 34:37
  That your testimony will be nothing more
• 34:38
  than mere conformity.
• 34:43
  You see this man now because of this
• 34:46
  demon's destruction, he's more defiled
• 34:48
  in his person. He's more depraved in his
• 34:50
  perversion. And he's more dominated in
• 34:52
  his demon possession THAN HE EVER WAS
• 34:55
  BEFORE. THIS IS THE DANGER OF
• 34:58
  SELF-REFORM WITHOUT CHRIST. YOU CAN PUT
• 35:01
  IT ALL TOGETHER. WELL, LET ME SAY THIS,
• 35:03
  FRIEND. THE DEVIL WILL LET YOU PUT IT
• 35:05
  TOGETHER SO HE CAN DESTROY YOU AND MAKE
• 35:07
  IT 10 TIMES WORSE.
• 35:10
  You see, Israel truly exemplified this.
• 35:15
  When Jesus came into that town riding on
• 35:17
  that donkey, the colt, the fo of an ass,
• 35:20
  what did they cry? Hosana.
• 35:23
  Hosana be in the highest to the Lord, to
• 35:25
  the lamb, to the savior. He cometh
• 35:28
  lowly, riding upon a colt, upon a colt,
• 35:31
  the fo of an ass. And they throw palm
• 35:33
  branches down. But just a few short days
• 35:35
  later, those same people would be saved.
• 35:39
  crucify him.
• 35:42
  >> You say, "Why is that?" Because they
• 35:45
  cleaned it out and they put it all
• 35:47
  together, but they never allowed Christ
• 35:51
  to get in here.
• 35:53
  >> You say, "Preacher, what does that look
• 35:55
  like?" Well, let me give you this and
• 35:56
  I'm done. Tell you like, "Brother Gary,
• 35:59
  it's 5 minutes after 12. You'll be all
• 36:00
  right."
• 36:03
  Amen. You see, the truth about this text
• 36:05
  is further illustrated by the Apostle
• 36:07
  Peter. Second Peter 2 verse number 22.
• 36:10
  He said this. He said, "But it has
• 36:12
  happened unto them according to the true
• 36:14
  V proverb. The dog is turned to his own
• 36:17
  vomit again
• 36:18
  >> and the SA that was wash was washed who
• 36:20
  are wallowing in the me." You say,
• 36:23
  "Preacher, what's the illustration of
• 36:24
  that?" Well, I say this. You can feed a
• 36:25
  dog a gourmet dinner.
• 36:28
  >> You know what? You can do that for some
• 36:29
  time. You can feed him a five course
• 36:32
  meal. Amen. Every day, breakfast, lunch,
• 36:34
  and dinner. You can do it for weeks on
• 36:36
  end. But you know what? What if you take
• 36:38
  that away from him and you send him
• 36:39
  outside? I bet it wouldn't even be a
• 36:41
  day. You know what? He'd be eating
• 36:44
  something's dung again.
• 36:45
  >> That's right.
• 36:46
  >> You know why it is? Cuz he's still a
• 36:48
  dog.
• 36:50
  >> All them gourmet meals ain't done a
• 36:52
  bless fired thing for him. There's some
• 36:54
  of you in here, you've heard some of the
• 36:56
  best preaching that's ever been in the
• 36:57
  last two years. I'm not talking about
• 36:59
  me. I'm talking about these men we've
• 37:00
  had in here and they have done some fine
• 37:02
  preaching.
• 37:04
  But you know why it don't help you? You
• 37:07
  can feed a dog a fivestar meal. And if
• 37:10
  that offends you, friend, you are lost.
• 37:16
  >> I ain't no dog. Well, if you're lost,
• 37:18
  that's the only reason that would offend
• 37:20
  you. That's right.
• 37:24
  >> You I we look your parents can give you
• 37:26
  the best of everything to live a
• 37:28
  Christian life, but if you still lost,
• 37:31
  >> your problem ain't your diet.
• 37:34
  >> It's cause you a dog.
• 37:35
  >> Amen.
• 37:37
  >> I know that's funny, but it's true.
• 37:39
  >> Amen.
• 37:40
  >> You say, "How is that?" Well, it gets
• 37:41
  better. Peter said, "The S that was
• 37:44
  washed are wallowing in the mire." I
• 37:47
  want to say this. You can feed that dog
• 37:48
  a gourmet dinner, but you turn him loose
• 37:50
  long enough, he'll return to his vomit.
• 37:52
  You can wash a pig,
• 37:55
  but after a while, he'll find another
• 37:57
  mud hole.
• 38:02
  >> You can clean him up real nice and
• 38:03
  pretty.
• 38:05
  >> But you know what? At best, he's still a
• 38:07
  pig,
• 38:08
  >> right?
• 38:09
  >> And what do pigs do?
• 38:11
  >> They find the closest mud hole they can
• 38:13
  get in. And you know why they do that?
• 38:17
  They do that this
• 38:20
  farm coming out in me. Okay. They do
• 38:22
  that to cool themselves off. You know
• 38:24
  what? That's an emblem of judgment.
• 38:28
  You know why people wallow in sin?
• 38:30
  Because it gets their mind off the
• 38:31
  judgments waiting on them.
• 38:32
  >> That's right.
• 38:34
  >> Bible says if you're lost, you believe
• 38:36
  not, the wrath of God abideth on you.
• 38:39
  >> The reason you keep walling your sin is
• 38:41
  so it can distract you from the fact
• 38:42
  there's judgment coming.
• 38:44
  >> Right.
• 38:47
  You can wash a pig, but after a while
• 38:48
  you'll find another mud hole. I want to
• 38:51
  say this, the need's not a better diet.
• 38:54
  Or to give you the point in our message,
• 38:55
  it's not comp composition.
• 38:58
  You don't need to put it together a
• 38:59
  little better.
• 39:01
  You don't need to get more serious about
• 39:03
  serving God. You don't know how to serve
• 39:04
  God. It's not a better diet. I say this,
• 39:08
  it's not a better dousing either.
• 39:11
  Some of you had to water the word of God
• 39:13
  poured over you your whole life. And you
• 39:15
  know what? You come and you do the same
• 39:16
  thing. You still just as dirty as you
• 39:19
  was when you started cuz you know where
• 39:21
  the dirt's on the inside
• 39:25
  until you get the dirty heart clean. You
• 39:26
  know what you're you're never going to
• 39:28
  get clean on the outside.
• 39:31
  >> The need is not a better diet or a
• 39:33
  better doussoning. You need a new
• 39:34
  nature. 2 Corinthians 5:1 17. If any man
• 39:38
  be in Christ, he's a new creature. Old
• 39:41
  things are what?
• 39:43
  Passed away. Behold, all things are
• 39:44
  become new. Let me give you this verse.
• 39:47
  Think about this. Don't miss this. 1
• 39:49
  Corinthians 6:11. Paul said, "And such
• 39:51
  were some of you, but you are washed,
• 39:54
  but you are sanctified, but you are
• 39:56
  justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
• 39:58
  and by the spirit of God." You know
• 40:00
  what? I'm not denoting the diet. I'm not
• 40:02
  denoting the cleansing. You know what?
• 40:04
  You need to be put together well.
• 40:06
  >> Amen.
• 40:06
  >> You need to be serious about serving
• 40:08
  God. You need to be serious about your
• 40:10
  sanctification. But you know what?
• 40:11
  Sanctification and service ain't going
• 40:13
  to do you bit of good without salvation.
• 40:15
  >> But you know what? When you get saved,
• 40:17
  you listening to me when you get saved,
• 40:19
  you know what'll happen to you? You want
• 40:21
  to get serious about sanctification.
• 40:23
  You'll need that cleansing because the
• 40:24
  coldness will be gone. Amen. Then you'll
• 40:27
  want to clean the house up. Not only
• 40:29
  will you want to clean the house up, but
• 40:30
  you want to put it together, right?
• 40:39
  Here's my plea with you this morning.
• 40:42
  When you get your nature changed,
• 40:45
  you'll get new cleansing and new
• 40:48
  composure. But first of all, you got to
• 40:49
  be converted. And here's my plea with
• 40:51
  you this morning. Stop playing.
• 40:55
  Stop playing, church.
• 40:57
  >> Say, "Preacher, nobody knows that I'm
• 40:59
  lost." All friend, God knows.
• 41:03
  >> And he's sick and tired of you acting
• 41:05
  like you're saved.
• 41:06
  >> Amen.
• 41:09
  >> I told you I was going to be straight.
• 41:10
  Cuz you know what? We've had enough of
• 41:13
  the fake stuff.
• 41:14
  >> Go ahead.
• 41:19
  >> Stop playing. Stop acting like you're
• 41:21
  real.
• 41:23
  You ain't fooled nobody.
• 41:28
  You act like you
• 41:30
  place your offer. You You'll put your
• 41:32
  offering in that little envelope cuz you
• 41:34
  don't want nobody to see what you give.
• 41:38
  Place it in there. Make sure everybody
• 41:39
  sees the envelope so they know you're
• 41:40
  giving.
• 41:45
  Make sure they see you when you leave
• 41:46
  your house going to church. Make sure
• 41:48
  preacher we's there.
• 41:53
  Got there 30 minutes late.
• 41:56
  Come in. Don't even care about being
• 41:59
  here. You ain't noticed a thing going
• 42:00
  on. You ain't talked to nobody. You
• 42:02
  ain't shook nobody's hand. You say,
• 42:04
  "Preacher, what does that have to do
• 42:05
  with anything?" Here's what that has to
• 42:06
  do with. You're not serious.
• 42:09
  >> You know, people who are serious,
• 42:11
  they're serious because God's on the
• 42:12
  inside.
• 42:14
  >> And this thing's bigger than you.
• 42:16
  >> It's bigger than me. That's right.
• 42:18
  >> And you know what it ain't about whether
• 42:19
  you see me or I see you. And God help us
• 42:22
  if we ever get to that point. Let's
• 42:23
  close the doors.
• 42:24
  >> Amen.
• 42:25
  >> You know what it's about? It's about us
• 42:27
  seeing him, number one.
• 42:29
  >> And it's about them lost people coming
• 42:30
  through those doors getting some help
• 42:31
  that'll last.
• 42:32
  >> Amen.
• 42:33
  >> But you know why they ain't getting
• 42:34
  help? It's because you're sitting in
• 42:36
  here needing help. Won't take it.
• 42:42
  >> Quit trying to put it together. Quit
• 42:44
  trying to clean it up. Once you get it
• 42:47
  on the altar and either get saved or get
• 42:49
  right with God. Amen. And get real and
• 42:52
  get serious about it.
• 42:55
  As we stand, every heads bowed and every
• 42:56
  eyes closed.
• 43:03
  I'd hate to know that my life that my
• 43:05
  heart is a demon's dwelling place.
• 43:17
  You say, "Preacher,
• 43:21
  I'm saved, but that message convicted
• 43:23
  me." You know, last night, friend, when
• 43:24
  I was looking over my notes,
• 43:27
  I had to get in the floor in my living
• 43:29
  room and beg God to cleanse me.
• 43:33
  Cuz I don't ever want to be a tool of
• 43:37
  the enemy.
• 43:39
  I don't ever want to be influenced. I
• 43:42
  don't ever want to be driven.
• 43:44
  I don't ever want to be controlled by
• 43:46
  anything that he is pressing in my
• 43:49
  direction.
• 43:51
  And if you're saved by the grace of God,
• 43:56
  it will rip your heart out.
• 44:01
  Let me say this. Say, some of you could
• 44:03
  care less about the thing I've said this
• 44:04
  morning.
• 44:11
  You might think it's a joke, but I'm
• 44:13
  going tell you this. One of these days
• 44:14
  when you get to the judgment seat,
• 44:15
  you'll wish I was joking.
• 44:19
  When you stand before God,
• 44:26
  your self-righteous white robe clothing
• 44:29
  your hog lifestyle.
• 44:32
  You know what? That robe will come off
• 44:33
  real fast. That facade, that image of
• 44:38
  so-called righteousness that you think
• 44:40
  you have. Jesus made the distinction
• 44:42
  lines very clear.
• 44:47
  He said, "You think you've got it all
• 44:48
  together,
• 44:51
  but you just better realize you're
• 44:52
  wicked.
• 44:54
  You don't need a sign this morning. You
• 44:56
  just need to obey what you know.
• 45:02
  There's people on this altar praying.
• 45:04
  Others need to come. Let me ask you, if
• 45:07
  you died right now, sinner, listen to
• 45:09
  me. Listen to me. Put everything else
• 45:12
  out of your mind. We're not worried
• 45:13
  about lunch. We're not worried about
• 45:14
  what we're doing this afternoon.
• 45:17
  If you died right now, and you could.
• 45:23
  You could. If you died right now, where
• 45:25
  would you be
• 45:31
  if you don't know, friend? I wouldn't
• 45:32
  sit still.
• 45:38
  Cuz here's what'll happen. The Lord has
• 45:41
  removed that influence, that demon
• 45:42
  influence for just long enough so you
• 45:44
  could hear the truth this morning. And
• 45:46
  what you'll do is you'll walk out of
• 45:48
  these doors again and you'll be under
• 45:49
  the influence of something else and
• 45:51
  you'll forget.
• 45:53
  I hope God leaves conviction on you. But
• 45:56
  I'm going to tell you the way
• 45:56
  distraction works in this world today.
• 45:59
  Sinners don't even bat an eye this
• 46:01
  anymore at the gospel.
• 46:04
  But I want to tell you this, you'll wish
• 46:07
  a thousand times over you'd gotten
• 46:09
  saved.
• 46:11
  Say, "Preacher, I'm lost. Would you pray
• 46:13
  for me?" Ain't nobody looking but me.
• 46:16
  Just be honest between you and God. And
• 46:18
  just slip your hand up. I'll pray for
• 46:20
  you. Hey, friend, eternity is real. You
• 46:23
  going to live forever somewhere.
• 46:25
  You listening.
• 46:28
  You going to live forever somewhere.
• 46:31
  Preacher, would you pray for me? I'm
• 46:33
  lost. Slip your hand up. Be honest.
• 46:38
  God sees that.
• 46:42
  God sees that you can be saved today.
• 46:46
  There's others, no doubt in my mind,
• 46:52
  you can be saved today. I wouldn't wait.
• 46:55
  Come to this altar. We'll show you how
• 46:57
  to be saved.
• 46:59
  People on the altar praying for you.
• 47:04
  While we wait,
• 47:07
  let me ask you this, child of God.
• 47:14
  Bible tells us in the epistle of John,
• 47:17
  we're to try the spirits
• 47:20
  cuz not every spirit's from God.
• 47:24
  Let me ask you, if you had a spirit
• 47:25
  influence in you that wasn't from the
• 47:27
  Lord.
• 47:29
  Said, "Preacher, would you pray for me?
• 47:30
  having influence my life that I'm
• 47:32
  fighting with that I know ain't God.
• 47:36
  Say, "Preacher, what does that look
• 47:37
  like?" God sees those hands. Say,
• 47:39
  "Preacher, what does that look like?"
• 47:41
  I'll tell you what it looks like. It
• 47:42
  looks like a friend that ain't right.
• 47:44
  Friend lost. It looks like somebody's
• 47:47
  trying to get you away from your Bible.
• 47:51
  Trying to get you away from the house of
• 47:52
  God.
• 47:55
  I'm going to tell you something, friend.
• 47:56
  Anybody wants to try to take your King
• 47:57
  James Bible from your hands, they ain't
• 48:00
  right with God.
• 48:03
  You get a death grip on that thing. And
• 48:06
  do not turn it loose.
• 48:08
  It's the only thing that's going to help
• 48:10
  you.
• 48:13
  I want to ask you again, if you going to
• 48:15
  play another verse, if you lost, come be
• 48:18
  saved. Don't wait. Let me say this. This
• 48:21
  altar is still open. You need something
• 48:22
  from God, be sure you get it.
• 48:25
  Please be sure you get it.
• 48:31
  The wonder of being a child of God is
• 48:33
  that the devil cannot live in our heart
• 48:35
  because the Holy Spirit lives there. But
• 48:38
  if we're not careful, we'll grieve the
• 48:40
  Holy Spirit to a point where we become
• 48:43
  influenced
• 48:45
  by the devil, by our flesh. So much so
• 48:49
  that we can't hear the voice of God in
• 48:50
  our life anymore.
• 48:54
  And believe me, you will be in a
• 48:57
  miserable place if you get to that
• 48:58
  point.
• 49:02
  Father, I pray in Jesus name.
• 49:05
  Lord, in the seriousness of this time,
• 49:07
  God, Christians are still praying. Lord,
• 49:10
  I ask you, God, today, Father, that you
• 49:12
  would not allow, Lord, the lost souls to
• 49:15
  leave today.
• 49:17
  God, I pray you wouldn't leave this
• 49:18
  place without getting saved.
• 49:22
  But Lord, I pray, Father, that you would
• 49:24
  help us all realize today, God, just how
• 49:26
  important
• 49:28
  it is to stay clean.
• 49:31
  But Lord, we can't afford to be cold.
• 49:34
  Lord, the description of the church of
• 49:37
  the last days, that led to church you
• 49:39
  told us about in Revelation 3. You said
• 49:42
  that thou art neither cold in our heart,
• 49:43
  but you're lukewarm.
• 49:45
  Lord, that's because we've been
• 49:46
  straddling the fence too long. Well, we
• 49:49
  won't get on one side of the other.
• 49:52
  Lord, people walk away. Lord, they walk
• 49:55
  away in their lukewarmness.
• 49:57
  God, your children that get cold and
• 49:59
  indifferent on you, that are done with
• 50:01
  you, Lord, you just take them on home.
• 50:03
  You won't tolerate that. But Lord, it
• 50:06
  burdens me to see the amount of people,
• 50:08
  Lord, that are just lukewarm, serious
• 50:10
  about some things, Lord, could care less
• 50:12
  about others. Lord, I please pray. I
• 50:15
  pray Lord please God would you break our
• 50:17
  hearts set a flame in our soul God I
• 50:21
  thank you for the testimonies that were
• 50:23
  shared in Sunday school this morning God
• 50:25
  of how this mission's made and stirred
• 50:27
  our hearts Lord I am longing God for
• 50:30
  that to continue Lord I'm praying God
• 50:32
  that you would please continue to
• 50:35
  strengthen us Lord not just in our
• 50:37
  giving but God in our praying for the
• 50:38
  sinners that are around us
• 50:41
  Lord I know you're not willing that any
• 50:44
  should perish. And God, we should not be
• 50:47
  willing that any perish. But Lord, when
• 50:50
  we choose to forsake our time of prayer,
• 50:54
  Lord, when we choose to not go witness,
• 50:56
  God, that's what we're doing. We're
• 50:58
  saying we would just allow them to
• 51:00
  perish, God, because it might we might
• 51:02
  be the last chance somebody has. Lord,
• 51:05
  would you help us to be urgent? Help us
• 51:07
  to be serious. And Lord, I pray once
• 51:10
  again, please don't let no lost souls
• 51:11
  leave this place today that way. Lord, I
• 51:13
  sure love you. I thank you for loving
• 51:16
  me. Thank you for the blood. God, thank
• 51:18
  you for saving my soul from hell. I know
• 51:20
  that's where I'd be today if it were not
• 51:22
  for your grace. And Lord, I rejoice
• 51:24
  today knowing that you've done a work in
• 51:26
  my heart. Lord, I ask you please bless
• 51:28
  our service tonight. Get glory to
• 51:29
  yourself. We ask it in Jesus name. God's
• 51:31
  children say it.
• 51:32
  >> Amen.
• 51:34
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 51:36
  We'd love it if you join us in person
• 51:38
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 51:40
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 51:43
  2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 51:47
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 51:50
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 51:52
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 51:55
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 51:57
  evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. For
• 52:00
  more information, visit us at
• 52:02
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 52:05
  Thanks again for tuning in.