What's Worse Than Having an Evil Spirit? — Sandeep Poonen

The Danger of Spiritual Emptiness

Praise God for what we've heard. I want to follow on on what we've heard from Luke chapter 11. Passage I want to speak on is from verses 14 through 28. I won't go through the whole passage, but Luke chapter 11 14 through 28 it is so classic of human tendency that we become the standard and We become the standard of what is perfectly balanced Religion, Christianity, anybody who works harder than us is working too hard, but where it doesn't work as much of us is a lazy person.

That's the way we comfort ourselves and Assuage our jealousy and envy of other people. What is the right extreme that all of us want to get into? Let's just think of it as a continuum. Right most is that we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Does anybody who disagrees that if I was somebody who is filled with the Holy Spirit that would be where I'd want to be. That's the that's where we're all heading towards us where we'd love to live a life every day filled with the Holy Spirit.

What's the other extreme? Demon-possessed would that be the other extreme? I saw something in this passage Strikingly different there's something worse than being demon-possessed. To be demon-possessed just to explain that very simply is to have something evil inside of us.

But in such a way that it even controls you and you don't have any control over it. So a demon-possessed person could be a person who's possessed a demon One of the evil spirits but With That even controls the way your body so you come out and shout and you throw yourself in the fire Like it did and bound yourself with chains and had an extreme there.

Jesus’ Warning About the Swept House

But I read this. I read this passage in verse 24. Luke chapter 11 verse 24 when the unclean spirit goes out of a man it passes through waterless places seeking rest and Not finding any it says I will return to my house from which I came and when it comes it finds it swept and put in order.

Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself and they go in and live there and The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. This is a person Who had an unclean spirit in them?

It somehow left the person but when it comes back to this person it finds That it is swept and put in order. I want to speak on this very carefully. But I want to speak on something that I hope you will get the point of what I'm trying to say we can be cleaned and Empty and we're worse off than if we were not clean.

We can be have an unclean spirit inside of us that gets kicked out of us if we are clean. But empty we are in great danger because this passage is right. I'm worse off because it'll come with seven others and The last state of that person will be worse off than the first.

Now what did Jesus say this in in context? That's in verse 14. In verse 14 you see that Jesus healed a person who had a demon and was dumb and the multitude marveled and they said This is just one demon kicking out another demon and verse 16.

Some of them were saying show me a sign and then What ends up happening is? Jesus responds to him and Says when a strong man verse 21 When a strong man fully armed guards his own homestead his possessions are undisturbed.

But when someone's stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him he takes away from him all his armor and distributes the plunder. He who is not with me is against me and He who does not gather with me scatters.

It's in this context That Jesus says be very careful that you could have been cleaned. But you're empty. You said a prayer many years ago. You made a commitment to the Lord many years ago and your life now is Has a general order and cleanliness to it but you're empty because You're not with Jesus.

Verse 23. You're not with Jesus and you're not gathering with Jesus. What is Jesus asking you to gather? All the things of that enemy's possessions that's in your house. Gather it up. That's that stuff that used to belong to the enemy.

That's that mindset that used to belong to the enemy gather it. He finds it that it has been swept up. The floor is clean, but all kinds of articles on the shelves habits. Lifestyle choices of what we watch choices of what we listen to that don't necessarily go over go away overnight and God says he's not with me.

It's against me. If you're not gathering me with me, you're gonna be scattering and it's in this context that he says be very careful. But you allowed Jesus to come and sweep the floor, but what about your bookshelves?

What about your movie playlists? What about your mp3 playlists. What about the way you spend your time? What about the conversations you have at work if you don't gather with me you'll scatter. But here's what also really grabbed the hold of me as I thought about this passage in verse 26.

Seven Religious Spirits in the Church

I don't want to make this a big typology thing and all that but It said that he goes and gets seven other spirits. Now seven is a picture of perfection. Seven days God created the earth and rested including rested.

Seven is a picture of a number that represents perfection. Represents the divine completion. Here's this unclean spirit that was kicked out of my life. Comes back with seven other spirits these are Attitudes, I don't want to call spirits as if this is big.

I don't want you to get this picture of this Pointy ears and red tail. I want to make it much more Subtle in which it's an attitude which it's a mindset which it's a spirit. There's a spirit of this world.

There's a spirit that has a Sense of I'm okay. I'm good. I'm doing well. It has a sense of Divinity it has a sense of divineness. But it's an unclean spirit and this is the kind of spirit that Is was found in the Pharisees of their day.

Think about who the Pharisees were these were Pharisees who are following the Bible of that day. These were the people who were some of the most externally pure people. These were the people who probably gave the most time and money to the things of God.

These were the ones that crucified Jesus. We have to keep reminding ourselves that these folks who are so religious in so many ways. Did the greatest most evil act that has ever been done? Who did a more evil act?

Hitler Osama bin Laden or what the Pharisees did to the Son of God if we truly believe that killing the Son of God Jesus was the greatest most evil act ever done. And I must ask myself who did it? And I must ask myself as if possible that I Have that same attitude.

Let's do a case study of those people who killed Jesus. Where did they spend all that time? In church. It's coming a little bit more closer to home for me. What were they studying all the time the Bible of their day.

My goodness that's awfully close externally righteous. Seeking to fight against all sin. Kill the Son of God in the most evil act these things must sink in. I didn't spend much time thinking about this.

So this is not a well-developed Thought of teaching but I wrote down seven things seven spirits. That can be very familiar. To those of us who sit in the church. And is not exempt. But because we're clean and empty.

That's what makes us more dangerous to these more susceptible to these things. One is pride it's unclean spirit of. Whatever that uncleanness is comes now with the religious pride. That still loves self and that is combined with unbelief that's the word that I wrote down it is relate to pride.

I don't believe God's Word. What does God say about your past? What do you think about your past? What does God say about your sins that you committed ten years ago? Why are you beating yourself up about it because you're proud.

You don't believe God. Religious spirit sitting in the church constantly saying God help me. God help me. God help me. One day, I hope I'll be better for the thing. I did ten years ago. Yes, you don't need a voice when you hear it when you have a verse.

The verse says if you come to me I Can cleanse you of all your sins. Cleansing, but I keep holding on to it because of my pride. Self-righteousness, that's another spirit. Where I justify myself Self-righteous, I'm the standard other people are more worldly other people are fanatics.

I'm the standard Spirit of self-righteousness. These are the worst spirits than what was in me when I was a worldly person. Legalism that's another spirit. Majoring in how much I sacrifice rather than majoring in compassion majoring Legalism following the letter of the law then bursting with compassion.

Pride, Self-Righteousness, and Legalism

Matthew chapter 12. I have some References, I'll say it out here. If it's on the video, you can write it down if you want for pride. I wrote on Luke chapter 18 verses 9 through 14. Which is the story of the Pharisee and the publican both standing and praying.

That's pride saying oh, I'm so glad I'm doing all these things. Meanwhile, the publican is saying Lord have mercy on me, but the story ends by saying the publican went home justified. Self-righteousness justifying oneself.

That's Luke chapter 16 verse 15. It said the Pharisees love to justify themselves. Why am I right and why you're wrong? Legalism majoring in sacrifice and not in compassion. It's Matthew chapter 12 Jesus said go and understand what it means.

I don't know. I'm not interested in sacrifice. I'm interested in compassion. I love the fact that you come early and you stay late and help this church and do this. But you know underneath all of this you don't have a compassionate heart.

You're not kind. You're kind or you're kind on Sunday morning, but you're not kind during the week to your children. I Love that you sacrifice for my people, but you're not sacrifice for the your loved ones.

Those are the first three pride, self-righteousness, legalism, judging others. Simon in Luke chapter 7 when you see a woman Of the city Who's weeping and drying her tears with her hair. And there's so many ways in which we can judge other people we can Judge, you know what the problem with that marriage is?

It's that. You know what the problem with that guy is? It's that. And how often have we been wrong and we bring our spouses into those conversations and the children are listening in. And we bring our children into those conversations.

Judgment and Mercy Toward Sinners

So they grow up and become like that judging others. John chapter 8 wanting to throw stones at adulterous woman. Would we have got it right dear brothers and sisters? Would we have gotten that right if there's Pharisees had come to us and said I caught a woman caught in adultery.

What are you gonna do? There's what the law says. What are you gonna do? Would we be with Jesus. Let me give you the flip side of it. If you saw money changers in the temple. Will you be with Jesus and take a cord and kick him out?

Can you see we see hypocrites Standing in the pulpit of God's Word. Would you say you're a brood of vipers? So Jesus said Matthew chapter 23. You have a special place in hell for you. So he says They're whitewashed tombs.

This is the things Jesus said so it's not just Jesus meek and mild. Sweet holding sheep picture of Jesus both and. And let us ask ourselves as we heard from today, too. We want to be like Jesus in everything the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit all have is our ambition that Jesus would be formed in us.

Let us study who Jesus was and say Lord. Am I Looking completely like Jesus. Well, I truly stand with the adulterous woman. Well, I truly stand against the Pharisees. Lord how do I know the difference?

Money, Honor, and the Desire for Approval

Where to stand against sin? Where to show compassion? These are spirits that can cling so closely to us in the church. Lovers of money. That's the fifth one lovers of money. That's what it says about the Pharisees.

Luke 16 14. They were lovers of money. I don't need to talk much about it. 1 Timothy 6 talks about the love of money is a root of all evil. We should hate all forms of greed. We can meditate on that phrase that Jesus said.

I think it's Luke chapter 12. Hate all forms of greed. Just Unpack that in your life. Am I greedy. Is that why I'm jealous. Is that why I snapped at that person. Is that why I shut down that story. And he was in the middle of saying it.

I acted like I was not impressed. It's because I'm envious or greedy for honor honor seeking. I'd say that's a big one. That's a deep one. Seeking the honor of people. I cannot be an Servant of God if I seek the honor of man, it says in Luke John chapter 12 verse 42 to 43.

They sought their honor of men these Pharisees. These this is the case study of these Pharisees who ended up doing the worst act ever done. Culture today studying Adolf Hitler and saying look at the parallels between how Hitler was in the 40s and see how the parallels are in culture today.

I See articles about that. Well, let me commend to you the Pharisees who did an act million times worse than any book Hitler ever did. How do you compare? Killing Six million humans to killing God. It's one Jesus, but it was God.

That's what makes us realize that we are the ones who are in great danger. Let's really embrace that thought and the folks who killed Jesus the spirit of what was in God hates the sin not the sinner. The spirit that was in the Pharisees is Million times worse than the spirit that that was in Adolf Hitler.

I must really grab a hold of that and I'll be saved from killing Christ and Then from killing anybody else. Honor seeking honor seeking these Pharisees loved the approval of men. They loved honor. And we must say Lord there's a spirit of that and I must hate it.

Because that spirit comes in me and I can kill Christ. And the last one is hypocrisy. Differing weights in private versus public. Differing weights is an abomination to God. You're this way in church and you're that way at home.

You're this way in church and you're that way when you're alone in your thoughts. You'll cover your head with your hair. You're with a head covering physically in church, but you're at home. No chance of you submitting to your husband.

And men you uncover your heads in the church because you're supposed saying you're gonna give all glory to God. But all week you're just seeking to get glory to yourself. Hypocrites hypocrisy. I'm not calling anybody that this is the spirit that's inside all of us.

Especially to those who sit in God's house hear God's word and are very serious about following God. Seven spirits worse than the one that got kicked out of us. Spirits of worldliness and spirits of all those things.

Hearing the Word and Doing It

Let us be careful. That we don't get seven worse spirits than what was in us before. This doesn't make us now go and act out crazy and start punching people in the face and all that's worse than that.

We look okay. We look fine. We sit in the church and people are saying he's a good brother. It's a good sister. Inside God says it's worse than it was in the beginning. We heard that passage. I believe in Matthew chapter.

No, let's just finish before we go to Matthew chapter 21. Luke chapter 21 or right after that verse 26. Right off that Luke 11 verse 27 and 28. It came about while he was saying these things one of the women in the crowd Said blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts on which you nursed Jesus saw a point of distraction.

You're saying wow, you're such a lucky man because your parents must have raised you, right? I'm glad God gave your mother such wisdom to raise you because now you're speaking against against these Pharisees.

Right Jesus give him give it to them these Pharisees that are Lording it over us. Jesus responds right away and saying hey look so so so for some of us who are not Pharisees. Who are just utterly worldly?

We're loving the world. They're like, thank you Sunday for pitting the Pharisees in the church. Jesus also says on the contrary blessed are those who hear the Word of God and do it. That's what matters.

Has God been speaking to you about something? Are we doing it? God has been speaking to us In what we've been hearing today. Do we want to be like Jesus? Do you want to watch programs with Jesus? Do you want to speak with our wife like Jesus would speak to our wife?

Do you want to hang around our co-workers the way Jesus would hang around our co-workers beware of Evil spirits of pride and hypocrisy and all those others coming in but also do it. Have you been listening to?

Messages sermons and God spoken to you through something through it. As a godly brother came and spoke and said something to you. Let's say that those who hear it and observe it. In Matthew chapter 11 we 21 we heard that story about the two sons one who said I'll do it But didn't end up doing it and the another person who said it was not gonna do it, but ended up doing it.

The Two Sons and True Obedience

It's Matthew chapter 21. Verse 28. Man had two sons and 29 he said I will serve but he did not go. The other one said I will not but yet he went regretted it and went. Which of the two Did the will of the father?

The latter now, here's the inference out of it from verse 31. Listen to this carefully. This is the Jesus Who was killed by these religious people. Truly truly I say to you that the tax collectors and harlots harlots prostitutes Will get into the kingdom of God Before you.

Before you who are sitting in the church before you will go to church every Sunday. Read God's Word every day. Who've been listening to sermons? Identify all the false prophets. Identify all the true prophets.

That man is prosperity preacher. That man is just a worldly man. That church is just Fluff. Yes, these preachers are great, but you've lost your first love. Repent From the point which you've fallen. So God's calling us back.

God's always calling us back to say beware of the spirits. These seven more evil spirits that can be in us. Let me repeat them. Pride and self-righteousness. Legalism. Judging others lovers of money.

Honor-seeking hypocrisy. Those are the spirits That were in the Pharisees and those spirits are what for caused the Pharisees to kill Jesus. Let us ask ourselves Lord. Am I gonna be ready for your coming?

Am I ready? For your soon coming or am I gonna be an embarrassment? To you because I am my heart and You know what Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, I wish you were hot or cold. I Wish you were like the tax collector in the harlots.

Because it'll be easier for me to get your attention. Jesus is saying that consistently from Matthew all the way to Revelation. It's worse off for some of us who are Pharisees. Hearing God's Word listening to sermons constantly going to Bible studies.

Doing all of these things but not obeying In the areas that God has been telling you this for telling us for weeks and months and years being hypocrites seeking honor. Let's take a few minutes and Let's sing a song a chorus that we know.

Following Jesus Without Turning Back

I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back and here's what I want you to think about when you say no turning back. I want you to think about the time when I want us to think about the times when we are in the car.

And we're cut off. I want us to think about the times when our spouse who we used to be so Accommodating to is now Getting on our nerves. I want us to think about that speech of ours that is still rough on the edges like a Snake coming out every now and then to just bite somebody.

Poison somebody and then goes back and acts all sweet and quiet. Cuddly little snake till the next month. When provoked it'll come and bite you. No turning back then Lord Jesus. I have decided to follow you.

The cross before me the world behind me as we heard. Let us think about the things that are in our playlists. Let us think about the things that we have. How much Lord Jesus do I want to be like you? I want to hate the works of those who fall away.

I want to dwell on the things that you consider worthy of praise we all Can do a better work in that. The world behind me the cross before me and then though none go with me still I will follow. And I want us to think about when your spouse is not going with you.

When your spouse is resorting to anger when your loved ones are saying. Let's just Watch this movie. Let's do this. Even if you're the wife Though none go with me I'm gonna follow Jesus. I can't watch this.

There'll be two in a bed one will be taken one will be left. It says in Matthew chapter 24 Who is that referring to a husband and a wife there'll be two in a bed one will be taken one will be left. Because Both looked fine.

Both look like a happy marriage, but God looked at the heart Though none go with me still I will follow.