Reformed, But Not Transformed

One of the leading lights in the temperance movement of some time ago was a man by the name of Thomas Marshall who lived in Kentucky, Thomas Marshall was a man of extraordinary abilities he had known the ravages of alcoholism and he chose to turn against it.

He was a gifted man with a very sharp mind and a very strong will.

Thomas Marshall became very well known throughout the state, but he had one problem, he refused to surrender his life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

One day he was invited to address the temperance meeting and Broadway Tabernacle and he stood and he told the cheering crowd, those words when I offered the entire world for drinking a single glass of brandy I would turn it down and scorn, and the crowd enthusiastically cheer and then he continued, he said my friends are big of you. Let this temperance movement be without religion. I overcame alcoholism by the strength of my own will and by the strength of my will.

I sure resisted for the rest of my days. We do not need religion. He said religion is for the week. Let us keep the temperance pledge throughout her own determination and keep religion where it belongs. Thomas Marshall was an accomplished speaker. He was well respected throughout the state of Kentucky. Although he championed godlessness and yet many people, even Christians are admired and respected him and followed his example if there was anyone who could keep himself cleansed from the desire for a drink. Through sheer self-will through sheer self-determination. It was Thomas Marshall and that way. Of course he would be a living contradiction to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 12, but that's not where the story ends.

Not many years ago. Since that speech about keeping religion out of temperance.

Few years later, Thomas Marshall was buried in a small town unknown unsung dressed in clothes that were given to him by a local Christian charity.

Thomas Marshall died with whiskey on his breath, and today I'm here to tell you that if self cleansing is possible if being good can be accomplished without God. If society can reform itself. If government programs can cure our social ills. Then Jesus died on the cross in vain in his death on Calvary was unnecessary not hear me right present a legitimate understanding. Of course, Christians must be concerned about the state of morality in our nation and our communities. Of course, Christians must be concerned about the ethical standards in the ethical conduct of our citizens. Of course, Christians must always unwanted liver click must uphold the biblical truth God's matchless standards for justice and for righteous living. Of course it has to be part of it. But the Bible tells us again and again that morality without God is as dangerous as immorality and the reason so many of the traditional churches. So many of the traditionally Christian schools are in the mass today.

The reason they are in trouble today is because they denied the depravity of the heart and the desperate need for the blood bought redemption. They laugh and mark what they call slaughterhouse religion slaughterhouse theology, removing all the blood hymns and songs out of their hymnal. They even go further and call what God calls wicked.

They call it weakness. They believe that the solution is more culture and not Calvary. They believe that the solution is to be more polished then seeking pardon.

They believe that the answer is more education, not sanctification. The quad vents have never he said they have streamlined the gospel remodeled heaven explained away the devil and air-conditioned hell. But this kind of self cleansing will never change an addict into a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. This kind of self cleansing will never transform a sinner to a saint, it will never turn a criminal into a Christian and do not want to tell you that the very reason why we have such an insipid Christianity in our churches today is because the church is like Samson of all, they are sleeping in the lap of the although they go forth Sunday after Sunday after Sunday to shake themselves, but the power has left as well, said that Samson might have looked better after his haircut, but he lost his power in the world and the flesh and the devil has given the church of the believers in the Christians today are good.

Haircut.

Consequently, they have become conformed instead of transformed, and until we repent and until we proclaim only one message and it is a message of repentance that will be in the Christian church like people trying to take swimming lessons in a dryland that is exactly precisely what Jesus is telling the Pharisees and telling us in Matthew 1243 to 45 turn with me in your Bibles and I must put the parable in complexes always have the never take a passage out of context immediately prior to Jesus telling the Pharisees of that parable right before that even before the Pharisees were asking for a sign. Jesus had just casted out demons out of an individual and right after this scene this week before their very eyes. The Pharisees come to Jesus and say show us a sign us. He raised he healed the sick, he cast out demons. He has forgiven signs, but all know that is enough not enough for this religious traditionalists. They wanted something more spectacular. They want something that is more fantastic that wanted to see the sun stand still.

They wanted to see the constellation change configuration that wanted to see the moon race across the sky. No wonder the apostle Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 1 verse 22.

He said for the Jews.

Seek off the signs and the Greeks after wisdom. And yet, the Lord Jesus Christ embodies both wisdom and sign. Here is a sign of his wisdom. So what did Jesus say to these Pharisees. He flatly denied giving them a sign he's not gonna give them such a sign, except that of Jonah the prophet say what set me what is Jesus saying here is what is telling these hardhearted Pharisees, distilling them that he is not a bellboy who's gonna hop every time they demand and command them to do something here distilling that he is no magician who was satisfy their curiosity. He is telling them that he is no paying for up to the whims. He is God of very God and only one of the Psalms is some really purpose whatever serves his sovereign will will be done. Furthermore, he is trying to convict them is trying to show the self-righteous Pharisees that when Jonah preached a pagan Nineveh, they have repented.

They turned and followed the Lord and yet also supposed to have known the Scripture. Those are supposed to have recited the Scripture have a hard heart and refused to repent in the census telling them that Norma's population are going to be a judgment upon them disintegrated when Jonah is here and you refuse to repent and turn to him. He said the Queen of Sheba, a pagan Arabian Queen traveled 1200 miles north in order to learn from Solomon's wisdom and greater than Solomon standing in front of them and yet they rejecting his wisdom rejecting his teaching that is dripping his mission in the Pharisees were in the since the epitome of modern-day belief that seem to be rampant in the professing church that morality can be achieved without the power of God's son, that righteousness can be lived without the power of God's Holy Spirit that repentance is not necessary because they already religious the tradition under religion system is going to save them at the end.

How tragic. And it's all around you. It's all around. And that is why Jesus tells them this parable to illustrate how unclean spirits work.

He tells of this parable in order to show them how demons operate. I wanted to listen very carefully.

I left this particular parable to the end of the series.

I don't want you to switch off now, it is vitally important. There are many Christians miss it because I tried to figure everything intellectually, not theologically and biblically. This parable gives us a frightening picture of the horrors of the consequences of self cleansing. It gives us a frightening picture of the horrors of self reformation apart from the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now these demons are fallen angels when Satan, Lucifer was the star angel in heaven when he rebelled against God. One third of the angelic being followed him. We don't know how many millions and millions and millions of them, and they followed him when he was kicked out of heaven. They continue to be with him and serve his purpose when he rebelled against God. God kicked them out of heaven and they were with him these demons of the Lord Jesus speaks about Satan's cohorts. They go out and do his dirty work and Jesus calls him unclean spirits. Why because he wants to highlight for us the wickedness and the violent nature of the spirits. Satan sends this is little minions to work havoc in world around the world and in nations and in the law particular in the churches, and particularly even further among the life of the individual believers. Satan send these evil spirits to oppress you to attack you.

This is what he does he send them over there in order that you might be discouraged in order that you might not serve God with all the power that he's made available to you and how you fight them and what you do in dealing with them and having victory over them is what God wants his children to do. He has given us the tools to do it and I wanted to listen very carefully. Please whenever a demon comes and attack you Weathersby the demon of fear or the demon of worry all the demon of addiction or the demon of religiosity of the demon of anger or the demon of illicit sex. All the demon of self-destructive impulses, or the demon of bitterness. Whatever demon that comes Internet packs you whenever they come to you and you come to a point of saying I am fed up with this. I am tired of this, I am going to make a decision that I am going to really be strong on this.

You might not call them bus you might not understand because I think most Christians don't and you will not get rid of them. You are going to live above the harassing and temptation. You are going to be true self will not allow yourself to do that again, whatever that is for you is different for me is different from the neighbor sitting next to you and you might be like Thomas Marshall thinking that you can do it through sheer self-will through sheer self desire.

I wanted to miss another please because I want to tell you what Jesus is saying this is the most important thing of all other Christians who have not learned how to take daily authority over these demons and these evil spirits and I want you to learn that today if it's only one thing you learned today it will be worth it because I tell you, Satan laughs in his sleep when he sees people trying to self-will self cleansing self reform.

He is laughing all the way to hell you know why because he knows that is only a matter of time to get you again. So listen to what Jesus is saying in verse 43 of Matthew 12 when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it.

Then it says I will return to my house from which I came. You have it in you probably find it market put a circle around that verse 43 what does it mean to meditate what it means after I tell you this in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 27. The apostle Paul said do not give a place to the devil the workplace. In Greek the word pop from which we get the word topography in English refers to a region which refers to a location inside of you that can be occupied by demons that demons can come in and out all as they wish. It is a location. It is a place it's a definite place the demons can only find comfort they can only find rest. They can only find satisfaction when they have a place in the mind and the heart of an individual.

So when you are kicking them out of your own power. When you get them out of your life. When I kicked them out of my life, whether they go they go to waterless places.

What is waterless places meet at Ms. place of desolation. Admin's place of barrenness. It means a place of extreme discomfort you and are not the only ones like comfort, the devil does to his own corrupt way demons was seeking comfort and satisfaction but away from humans, they can find an animal sometimes but humans of the first choice and that is why they are always clamoring to get into your life and into my life will always clamoring because at the farm the sucker. This is where the find the piece that's where they find their comfort. Satan and his miserable cohorts can achieve the best results in opposing God. Listen carefully. They know they cannot oppose God and the supernatural level because there are defeated foes, but they can achieve their best results in opposing God while working through individual while working through people. That is the way they operate. So what does the demon do after you kicked them out, and then he comes back because he will come back again and again, not just once in answering that question I wanted to listen whatever he's going to do when he comes back depends on the condition that you are in. It depends on what kind of reception is going to receive what he comes back and he doesn't just come back once you come back again and again, day in and day out there in and day out, opportunity, and an opportunity. So when it comes to you what you do this you find the door ajar when it comes to you. What does he do that he find you waiting for this temptation. What is he fine. Does he find your resistance to be weak auditory. What I do. If it helps you praise the Lord if it doesn't go no figure it out yourself. When I get these miserable creatures up. I immediately hang a sign on the door of my mind and my heart under new management under the management of the Holy Spirit and you know what, that's because I have an out of them because when the devil comes back into your life. Remember this. He knows where every lock and ball is in your life. He is very familiar with your weaknesses. Here is very familiar with your Achilles heels. He is very familiar with your vulnerability. He is very familiar were the soft spots are in your life. He knows the law so if you are serious about casting him out of your life and live above the temptation you better change all the locks on the bolts in your heart. You are serious about overcoming addiction, you better let the Holy Spirit of God put a new lock in that area. If you are serious about overcoming fear and worry you better let the Holy Spirit come in and install an alarm system in that area. If you are serious about overcoming sexual impurity. You let the Holy Spirit come and unbolt the door if you're serious about overcoming anger and bitterness and jealousy and envy and deal called if you're serious about that you are better let the Holy Spirit come in and replace the keys and then put the keys in his then this the Lord Jesus tells us another reason why you should do this, verse 45. Jesus said that when the devil when the demon that unclean spirit goes out and then he comes back he brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself and they enter and dwell there when ever you try to overcome with your self-will.

You are not only opening yourself for the bed demon to come back.

He does not come back alone. He comes back fortified to bring seven more with worsening years and they come in and they just sit there, the takeover become fortified strength, please hear me right. This can happen to churches. It can happen. The Christian families.

It can happen to Christian individuals. If you have been even a casual student of modern church history, you will have to agree with me that in the past 50 years or so the professing church has gone from bad to worse, I want to tell you exactly what is happening in the light of the word of God as we read it here in Matthew 12 I tell you exactly what happened every time a few faithful ones see things are going bad.

They get together and they tried to bring a resolution that tried to bring a vote more consistent with the biblical views of things and so the resolution passes and few years later the church is in worse condition than it was three years ago, you would say what is happening. What's going on here.

They have relied on the solution they have relied on the resolution they have relied on this voting procedure they have relied on majority rule. They have relied on lobbying they have relied on political maneuvering.

In order to achieve self reformation. They have never invited the Holy Spirit to comment and take over and fill the void that was left so these demons have been operating in these churches. Everyone gets out brings a back everyone that does not eight back because he comes back with a mere 7+1 equal eight I can count, and consequently there churches that are right, it was demons today, the going in a downward direction.

This happens in the life of believers to you know I cannot tell you how many times and I was reflecting upon this but whole we can you talk about spiritual warfare tried to prepare a sermon on this topic and you know what spiritual for his own about a promise you I thought I did, until this week was reflecting about that the last 10 years just lasting years of ministry in this church and not afflicted that the opinions of people that I've met with and I talked with and prayed with those who were oppressed.

Those who were going to demonic oppression and I prayed with them. They wanted to be free from this and free from that and I will pray with them. I explained to the word of God that it is not just one thing is a daily thing. But you know I look back the last 10 years. Within a short period of time is that they go out and that is not only the way from the finish of the stretcher going for fellowship with God altogether. What happened, how come they have failed to lift the Holy Spirit of God dominate in the life and the life on a daily basis. The sharper the word daily basis. Please I wanted to listen I wanted to him right because is a lot of confusion about the subject to be delivered from whatever demon that is oppressing you and the sin that he'd control is not a magical Zap and you're okay it doesn't want this.

What I wish it did.

Example of this is exhausting. This is starting every day have got to be on the alert will let me ask you this. Did he ever get up when there's a gusher ageist of them agree to that. All you I breezed yesterday so I'm looking brief today. It works the same way. Spiritually, that it is a daily in the filling of the Holy Spirit. It is a daily surrender police power. It's a daily surrender to his strength.

It's a daily walking in the spirit living in the spirit it's a daily putting on the armor of God was deal Moody used to love to debate with university students and one time he held an empty glass drinking glass and he kept saying to the students us and how do I get the air out of his glass and everybody would say this so that the other thing and find one person said well you can get a vacuum. Vacuum the air out is about which out of the glass and finally he picks up the pitcher of water and he fills the glass with water, explaining that this is the only sure way of getting the air out of the glass daily inner filling of the Holy Spirit will work the same way. It's only things she only way that you can have victory in your life is the only way that you can have daily victory in your life is when you become filled daily with the power of God's Holy Spirit so sure way of blocking out the demons and the sin that the control not so long ago I read something that's so relevant to the Sedona share it with you. A man by the name of José Cabrera.

He was one of Spain's most brilliant matadors he uttered these last words just before he lost consciousness and died he said Palais this bowl has killed now, Cabrera was only 21 years of age, but he enjoyed the most spectacular success of a spectacular career in his 1985 bullfight José made a tragic mistake.

He thrust his is sure the final time into a bleeding delirious bull, who was then collapsed.

Considering the finishing struggle of what he has done. Cabrera turned around to the crowd to receive their thunderous applause and acknowledged, however, the rule was not dead which rose and lunged at the unsuspecting matador, its horns pierced his back puncturing his heart. I know some of your resisting to what the word of God is telling you today how the spirit of God is convicting you today in your resisting it. Your rationalizing it in your mind.

I can hear your wheels turning, but I want to tell you on the authority of the word of God, that whenever you think that you have the demons defeated and you leave yourself uncovered without God's daily provision of power and God has a daily provision of power for you will come back from the back and pierce you from behind. God has given us the spirit of power and of love and self-control is you is up to you and me to daily receive that power in order to have victory. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael use Seth recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that LTW.Ward