Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Two weeks ago we dug deep and laid our foundation on the solid rock of Jesus Christ
Last week we prepared our hearts by confessing our sin, leaving it with Jesus and turning to follow Him.
Today we are going to make sure our house is in order.
Exploring two parables - the Strong Man (stronger man), and the Unoccupied House
Is Your House In Order?
Turn to Matthew 12
Jesus and the Pharisees.
Hard hearts that refuse to soften.
Something Greater Is Here
Greater than the temple
Read 12:1-2
Summarize 3-5
Read v.6
Greater than the Sabbath
Then Jesus quotes Hosea - mercy, not sacrifice
Read v.8 Lord of the Sabbath
Dropping down to v.22 - Jesus heals a man who was possessed by a demon\
v.24 the Pharisees only by Beelzebul
Beelzebul = lord of the house, name for prince of demons
Jesus then uses that name to talk about the house.
We’ll look at this in a minute.
Greater than the devil
v.29 a stronger man plunders the strong man’s house.
Then the Pharisees ask for a sign.
What did they just witness if not a sign?
Hard hearts.
Killed the prophets, not receiving the signs in front of them.
Seeing do not see.
Jesus gives one sign - Jonah.
3 days, 3 nights.
Greater than Jonah
v.41 something greater than Jonah is here
v.42 Queen of the South sought out the wisdom of Solomon.
Where did his wisdom come from?
Greater than Solomon
Jesus is the source of wisdom.
The Pharisees do not believe, do not receive.
Jesus does not condemn them though.
He says they will be condemned by
Pharisees condemned/judged by:
v.7 condemning the innocent
v.27 their own people driving out demons
v.37 their own words which come from their evil hearts
v.41 people of Nineveh because they repented at Jonah’s preaching
v.42 Queen of the South because she came a long way to received wisdom from Solomon
The “Greater Than” invading enemy territory, rescuing, restoring.
Jesus is greater… Jesus is on a mission to take back what the thief stole, to establish and restore the Kingdom,
rejecting Jesus and His Spirit further hardens the heart and makes receiving forgiveness impossible.
as we’ll see in a minute.
Jesus used the “house” metaphor because they called Him beelzebul - lord of the house.
He first talked about:
A House Divided
A divided kingdom, city, house is headed for destruction
Since the kingdom against itself cannot stand - not just if, but positively stated
The Kingdom of God is already here
Jesus’ example is a parable - not a house divided, but a stronger man shows up
The Strongman is Defeated
conclusion in Matthew 12:30-32 Jesus is gathering His own.
Jesus is invading enemy territory.
Are we with Him?
vv.31-32 Anyone against Jesus is against God.
That can be forgiven, but to equate the work of the Holy Spirit with the devil is a blasphemy that is not forgiven.
Speaking against the Holy Spirit
What you say matters because it is a reflection of what is in your heart.
The Pharisees showed the hardness of their hearts by claiming Jesus was possessed by the devil.
For or against?
Spirit or devil?
v.33 Tree and fruit.
What is stored up… What you have been filling your house with is what you bring out in word and works.
A divided house cannot stand.
Now in v.43 Jesus goes back to His removing the spirit from the man and the picture of a house in order
A House In Order
Original Occupant
v.43 an impure or unclean spirit - sin
Swept and in order
v.44 returns to find the house clean, swept and in order
but something is missing here:
outwardly following the law but empty inside.
Importance of not just moral cleanness, following the Law, outward behavior, but the filling of the Holy Spirit, heart transformation, and living a pure life from within.
v.45 that’s how it will be with this wicked generation.
What does a house that is truly in order look like?
v.50 whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven.
Luke 11:28 who hear the word of God and obey, put it into practice.
Jesus builds the house, Jesus fills and guards the house by His Word and by His Spirit living in us.
Having started at the solid rock foundation which is Jesus Christ, then removed all the junk in confession and turned from sin to Jesus in repentance, now our house is clean we move in the Holy Spirit.
We are done with going our own way.
We are done with trying to follow rules of the Law.
We are free to live a powerfully transformed life in Christ!!
Get your house in order, you allow Jesus to clean the house (your body, the temple) but He must also fill or occupy the house, transform your heart, produce good fruit.
That is a daily process, not a one-time prayer.
It also is not something we can do well alone.
Big Idea:
Invite the One Who is "Greater” to build and occupy your house.
What About You?
Are we a house divided?
Consider both church division and individual/home division
Clean and swept but not doing the will of the Father?
Filling the house with what?
Who is guarding your house?
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