1. Haunted House Hearts

2. Is My Heart A Haunted House A closer look into a lesser known “parable” Backdrop: Jesus dealing with how the very religious Pharisees could be so unrighteous and ignorant: Jesus and disciples unfairly & hypocritically condemned for plucking and eating grain on the Sabbath day Jesus condemned for healing withered hand on the Sabbath Jesus accused of working his miracles by power of Beelzebul Jesus teaches about fruit – Bad fruit happens because the tree is bad, good fruit happens because the tree is good Pharisees demand a sign – Jesus points to resurrection They went to great lengths to remove big sin from their lives, but their lives and hearts still weren’t filled with what was righteous and good.

3. Is My Heart A Haunted House A closer look into a lesser known “parable” So Jesus gives a peculiar but pointed parable… Some men’s hearts are like “haunted” houses (Matt 12:43-45) Demon possessed man was healed… Before his life was a wreck but now he had an opportunity to be normal & productive His life is like a house – It had been filled with “bad things” but that was removed. Now it sat empty… “move in ready”

5. Is My Heart A Haunted House A closer look into a lesser known “parable” So Jesus gives a peculiar but pointed parable… Some men’s hearts are like “haunted” houses (Matt 12:43-45) Demon possessed man was healed… Before his life was a wreck but now he had an opportunity to be normal & productive His life is like a house – It had been filled with “bad things” but that was removed. Now it sat empty… “move in ready” The demon wanders for a while, but returns. He finds it still sitting empty and clean… Plenty of room to move back in He moves back in, but this time he brings seven others with him This parable was a description of the moral state of that generation… They removed sin but didn’t fill their lives with good.

6. Is My Heart A Haunted House A closer look into a lesser known “parable” Theme: When the wrong is removed out of a person’s life a void is created that must be filled with right things. If it’s not, the wrong can easily return and it will the sinful problem will be worse than before.

7. Is My Heart A Haunted House Application: Is our life like a haunted house? First, something is going to occupy the space and time in our hearts, minds, and lives (Romans 6:12-14) An “either/or” situation - We are going to serve something. We will either be about righteousness or unrighteousness. Remember baptism? Sin removed, live for righteousness Aristotle’s theory: Nature Abhors A Vacuum Spiritually speaking… Something is going to fill the void within us. Our hearts, minds, & lives will not just sit empty The nature of the Christian life… It’s about filling our lives with goodness and righteousness Rom 15:14; Eph 3:19; Phil 1:10-11; Col 2:10 Are we content with just clean moral lives or do we pursue doing good & right Are we walking by the Spirit if we only flee the works of the flesh? What about the fruit? Grace: Saved from what we were, saved for what we can become

8. Is My Heart A Haunted House Application: Is our life like a haunted house? This is the key to holy living – Not conformed, devoted to holy living (I Peter 1:13-16) This parable speaks to the way we can win the battle over habitual sins (Eph 4:22-24; Eph 5:18-21) We get frustrated & discouraged in a struggle with an ongoing sin… We determine to quit, but we give in again Problem? May be that we are not replacing the “void” in our life created by our repentance from the sin Like the demon possessed man… The struggle presents itself again & has plenty of room to come in

10. Is My Heart A Haunted House Application: Is our life like a haunted house? This is the key to holy living – Not conformed, devoted to holy living (I Peter 1:13-16) This parable speaks to the way we can win the battle over habitual sins (Eph 4:22-24; Eph 5:18-21) We get frustrated & discouraged in a struggle with an ongoing sin… We determine to quit, but we give in again Problem? May be that we are not replacing the “void” in our life created by our repentance from the sin Like the demon possessed man… The struggle presents itself again & has plenty of room to come in By purposefully filling the void with good, we have something to focus on, especially when we start to struggle. There’s no time or space to give in!

11. Is My Heart A Haunted House Application: Is our life like a haunted house? Finally, this parable gives us good information about how to help others who are struggling (Gal. 6:1-2) No Christian is an island… We have responsibility and accountability with one another. Be involved in lives! Person chooses to become a Christian, their life changes. They likely give up associations, activities, and lifestyles. They need help filling those voids or its easy to return. If a Christian is struggling with an ongoing weakness, we need to identify the struggle and step in to fill the opportunity with something good and right